When you look at the biggest fears of the human race ‘speaking in front of an audience’ is the biggest fear in Americans according a study with 3000 participants from the Sunday Times. Why is that? Why are we so afraid of speaking in front of more than 3 people. I want to make this problem even more simple. People are afraid to talk to strangers. This is not because your mum told you you are not allowed to speak to strangers, but you are just afraid in general! When I sit in the train and I go sit next to somebody, they don’t greet back 8 out 10 times. A simple, laid back conversation is really, really hard for the most of us. Let’s change that!

The key in losing fear for conversations.
There are a lot of ways to change behaviour of people, but in this typical behaviour (afraid to talk to others), there is only one sollution according to me. The confrontation therapy, just confront somebody with their inner fears. So in order to overcome this (stupid?) fear of speaking to others, just do it. Get out on the street and talk to somebody, there are other ways also. You need to lose your shame in some sort of way. Tim Ferriss explained pretty clearly in his book how to. Just go to a busy street and lay down on the ground. Suddenly. Get down and chill for a little while. Feel the eyes burning on you. Everybody is looking, everybody sees you acting all weird. So what? Is that behaviour you need to be ashamed of? I don’t think so. When you cheat on your girlfriend, that is something you should be ashamed of! Looking funny, nothing shameful about it.

Let’s don’t do any drastic things a laying down on busy sidewalks. Let’s make a more easy training.

How to lose fear for conversations

1. Say hi. When you are in the train, on the bus or just walking somewhere, greet! Greet people, say hi, it is such a simple word. But with this word, you force yourself to talk to others and that is a big step in overcoming your fear! Greet people and get ahead of the game. Repeat this for two weeks or so and this isn’t scary anymore.
2. Talk. Now you are feeling confident about greeting people and initiating contact. Now start to talk. Say something about the weather, about the timetable of the train or whatever. When you see people looking for the way, ask them if you can help them. Get used to talking to random strangers. Just a little small talk, ask what they are doing, where they come from. This is your ultimate goal and the next step is making this step easier again.
3. Ask stupid questions. Let’s face your biggest fear: Shame. Let’s provoke situations where you will be in fear, definitly. You need to ask the most stupid questions you can think of to get really ashamed. Ask questions like ‘Where is the nearest toilet and not an urinal if you know what I mean’ or ‘Where is the nearest adult-video store?’ Questions that will make you guaranteed ashamed. This is to make the second step way easier. Talking to general people isn’t that hard at all, but to more important people, or a pretty girl or something can still be hard. When you are practising with asking really stupid questions, you will know how not-important that feeling of shame is and how it has been holding you back for a long time. This step is a step that you don’t practise on those beautiful girls, but it will make the conversation with them more easy!

Shall we look back a little? The key point which is holding us back to talk to strangers is fear. We fear the feeling we get when we talk to people in general, that is the point we need to overcome. In order to overcome (or lose) that fear, we need to face it. Provoke it and make it even worse. With this kind of training we won’t have any fear anymore and talking to people will just be something which is easy!

Starting a conversation is really easy, you just need to lose fear, overcome it and you will enjoy the feeling of a nice little conversation about nothing, with a total stranger. Have fun!

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

This is a guest post from Dee Barizo. He writes for TheBestDegrees.org, a site that features the best online degrees.

Online college can be a difficult environment to transition to if you are used to on-campus courses. Without the face-to-face interaction and set class schedule times, online learning can feel very different from traditional education. You may need to adjust your mindset and expectations to meet your educational goals.

Fortunately, there are skills you can learn to make the transition smoother, earn high grades, and learn the important concepts about your field. This article describes four skills that will help you become a successful online student.

Navigate the E-Learning System

E-learning programs provide the virtual classroom to interact with the professor and other students and complete the coursework. The popular programs like WebBoard, ANGEL, or BlackBoard/WebCT are equipped with at least one tutorial. Complete the tutorial to get an overview of how to use the applications and resources within the program. You should get very familiar with the virtual environment so that you can efficiently navigate within it and not waste time.

Along with tutorials, many e-learning systems include interactive help sections. If you want help from a live person, don’t hesitate to contact tech support. They can give you specific advice for your software issues. Many online schools offer 24/7 tech support, so you may be able to receive help even during late night or early morning study sessions.

Establish a Routine

Achieving success in online degree programs will require establishing and following a routine for working on and finishing assignments. Without the set class times, it is easy to procrastinate and fall behind on your studies.

At the beginning of each week, create a schedule based on the free time you foresee in the week. For each open time block, write down a specific task that will move your classwork further along to completion. This planning time helps you become organized with your class responsibilities. You will be focused during the week and be reminded at opportune times to move forward on your assignments.

Evaluate Your Communication

Your online communication through discussion forums, emails, and written assignment submissions create an impression on your instructor. Evaluate and edit all your communication before you submit them. Professors try to grade every assignment as objectively as possible, but if you have created a good impression of yourself through your writing, your instructor will be more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt during grading. Reading the feedback from your instructor on written assignments, email messages, and forums can guide your thinking for future assignments and exams.

Network with Other Online Students

Online tutoring is not your only option for getting assistance with studying for online courses. You can get help from your professor through email, and you can form strategic partnerships with the other students. Fellow students can give good suggestions for completing a certain project. They can serve as peer readers for your papers. If you live in the same geographical area, you can even get together with fellow students and study for exams. Chatting via telephone, Skype, or web cameras offers alternatives to traditional study groups.

Also, share what you’ve learned with your peers. By teaching them, you internalize the information for yourself and solidify your grasp on the concepts. The students will appreciate your knowledge and be motivated to help you in the future.

Online learning combines new educational delivery methods with more traditional methods like the course syllabus, papers, and exams. By applying the above tips, you can make the virtual classroom a tool for academic and workplace success.

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

Merry Christmas all! This is the first Christmas that StudySuccessful.com sees, let’s hope there will be many many more! There is still a little bit of snow in the Netherlands, so we are actually having a white Christmas. Hope you are as lucky as I am.

You’ve probably seen the new lay-out already, if not, RSS readers, visit the website, it looks awesome (according to the biased me!). I’ve decided to make the jump to Thesis, so I can do much of the designing myself. Thesis is a theme I can advice to anyone who is starting a blog. I will be tweaking the lay-out, so if any errors occur, don’t be suprised! If you have any tips about the lay-out, things that are bothering you, don’t hesitate to contact me via the contact page, I love feedback.

Enough for today, I am going to spend time with my family! Merry Christmas all, see you in a couple of days!

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

Hey you guys, I am going to try a new thing, I am going to try to do a video. Yes, you are going to see and hear me, pretty exciting, especially for me!

I add it here in the post, I filmed it with my webcam on my laptop, so I hope the quality is good enough!

I won’t be doing videos a lot, but I want to try to learn how to make good videos, so let me know what you think of it! Have fun.

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

You woke up in the morning
It was six o’ clock
Time ran forward
But your pulse had stopped.
You suffered from blurry vision
There was fear in your heart
Your chest was pounding
You could not make a start.
With great hope in your eyes
You picked up your pen
Thinking about how Stefan
Would receive you in the end.
Finally, you put pen to paper
But your mind drew a blank
It was like somebody had
Played a childish prank.
The words would not flow
And your ideas were few
Unfortunately, the muse
Refused to come to your rescue.
No, not this time around
So, to divert yourself,
You began to read Ezra Pound
The silence was deafening, loud.
You stared out of your window
And heard the birds chirping
Nearby, a squirrel was lurking.
Nature inspired you intuitively
And still, you found yourself at sea.
Was this just a bad day
At the office, you thought
Or had your artistic life
Come to nought?
What would Hemmingway
Have done in your place?
Alas, a writer who cannot write:
It was a disgrace.
Searching for inspiration
You went outside for a stroll
Greeted the friendly shop-keeper
And bought a Chinese egg roll.
No longer hungry
But embittered still
You started thinking
About writing your will.
How would you explain
To generations yet to come
As a writer you were finished
And had to live off crumbs?
Oh, if only your parents
Could see you now
Their only child refused to listen
And had turned into a clown.
And, oh my, what
Would your neighbors say?
“That boy living next door
Why, he has gone astray.”
After all, your ex-friends
Were established in their careers:
Turning into doctors, lawyers,
Chartered accountants, even engineers.
And what had you to show
For all these years?
Writing poetry on the sly
And reading Germaine Greer
Got you nowhere at all, my dear.
Sensing your frustration
A customer bought you coffee
Life had turned into a joke
You felt really sorry.
How would you ever pay your bills
If your pen ran dry?
Whose shoulder would you lean on
When you wanted to cry?
You were dressed like a bohemian
And wore casual clothes
You were compelled to buy
Your attire from cheap, dollar stores.
Today was just not your lucky day
So you departed in disgust
And searched for a long-lost friend
Whom you could confide in and trust.
Let my clients wait
If they must, you thought
It was better to visit a local bar
Drink, and watch the nightly stars.

(Archan Mehta is a freelance writer, outdoor enthusiast, meditator, foodie and does not maintain a blog yet. However, feel free to contact Archan at: archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.)

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

Have you ever experienced beauty?
Did you wake up, at the crack of dawn,
With a song on your lips?
Have you ever felt the warm
Glow of the sun on your finger-tips?
Did you run like crazy
Through the woods
Searching for a single daisy?
Have you ever experienced the enchantment
That comes from a re-enactment
Of your life lived a long time ago?
If so, well, you were much younger then
And had to plough through snow
To reach your class, and, later,
Pray together with your friends during mass.
When was the last time
You played with a child?
Did you tell her how unique
And special she was
And offer her chocolates and flowers?
Oh, how the hours seemed to fly
With a sweet child nearby!
When was the last time
You tried something new?
Did a perfect stranger
Ever take you home
To try his mom’s stew?
Have you ever sat
Beside a frozen lake?
Did you suddenly
Look up at the sky
To find fire-flies dancing,
Lighting up the night
And make it look shiny and bright?
When was the last time
You walked a different road,
Bumped into an old friend
And unburdened a heavy load?
Your dear friend was worthy
Of the exit you took
By the streaming brook–
You left old habits behind
And were rewarded in kind.
When was the last time
You tried a different dish?
Ate fish instead of beans
And wolfed down your greens
Invited different friends at the table
And enabled unconventional ideas
To be discussed at length
Yes, experiencing beauty is heaven-sent.

(Archan Mehta is a freelance writer and can be contacted at archanm@hotmail.com)

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

August 15! The day of the awesome giveaway! From now till august 19 you can win an amazing laptop bundle here on StudySuccessful.com! You probably have already heard about the program StudySuccessful is participating in, the Back to School: Better Together program! I can tell you a lot more about it, but that is not what you want to know. You want to know what you can win and how to enter, right?

The Prizes

To be clear, I give this package away to only ONE reader. So there is only one person who gets the whole package.

• The HP Mini 110. A cool, handy and really small netbook. Nice thing to have when you work in multiple areas (as students do!). Some specs: Intel Atom 270, Windows XP Home Edition SP3, 1GB RAM, 10.1” display (1024×576 pixels), 160GB SATA HDD, HP webcam, WiFi 802.11b/g, 6 cell battery
• The HP dv6 notebook. This machine is crazy. You have with the dv6 all the power you miss using the mini, this computer can handle anything. The perfect notebook to keep on your room and the place to play all your games! Some specs: Intel Core 2 Duo P7350, Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit, 4GB RAM, 500GB SATA HDD, BluRay ROM SuperMulti with LightScribe, HP webcam, integrated fingerprint reader, WiFi 802.11 a/g/n, 16” display (1366×768 pixels), ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 Graphics, Altec Lansing built-in speakers
• Syncables software. Synch everything you want between your computers. Perfect software for these two monsters.
• A customized StudySuccessful TimBuk2 bag. Ask someone with expertise in backpacks and he will recommend TimBuk2!

Those prizes would be reason enough for me to enter! And the contest isn’t that hard at all. I want to get to know you a little, so I need you to write a story, and since this program is named Better Together, I want a story about YOU working together with someone else. Here are the details.

• Tell me your story about your best coorperation experience in your academic carreer. You don’t have to be a student anymore, but it must be a student story. This could be anything, setting up a school paper, working on a school project or something simple like joining a study group.
• Include in the story at least one thing what went terribily wrong, but also tell about how you and your partner solved these problems.
• Give at the end of the story two tips for working together.
• If you own a blog, post your story on your blog. And email the link to me (author@studysuccessful.com). If you don’t own a blog, just email me the story! Equal chances!
• And the last thing you should do is tweeting this: I entered the contest from @StudySuccessful and I am going to win 2 laptops!  http://bit.ly/19w1oF #HPBTS

And one more tip, send a real story. Fake stories are not fun to read, not fun to write and they stink.

More info:

• All decisions are final
• You can send in your story till 3pm EST tuesday, August 18, I will anounce the winner on wednesday, August 19
• I will review the stories and select the best stories. From that selection, I pick one story via radom.org.
• Winners can be located ANYWHERE in the world! So no USA only or something, no, everybody can enter! Winners outside the states are given a credit on HPShopping.com for the value of the laptop bundle.
• If you won on another stie already, you can’t win again.

Just FYI, I am not alone. There are 24 more college blogs who run these contests, visit the site and participate in more contests! More entries means more chance! Good luck all, I am definitly looking forward to see your writings!

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

Well, my HP bundle and TimBuk2 Backpack arrived. I decided to make a post just about the first impression. I gave myself only 10 minutes with each machine (the HP dv6 and the HP Mini 110) after I have set everything up. This means I only have ten minutes to decide what I think about it. Don’t stop reading here, at the end is a special offering, which can save you $330!

The HP dv6

That thing is COOL! The outer look is shiny with nice graphics. When you open the laptop, you see a big (16″), shiny screen. Looks good. After you have started the computer, you are asked for your fingerprints, you will feel a moment like a criminal, but when you use that fingerprint to log in, you will feel like a special agent. Nice! Made my day. The touchpad is nice, different than I am used to (an Acer laptop), so I think I need to get along with that. I haven’t had the time to test out the webcam yet, but that should be awesome also.

Some more nice things:

• Blu-ray. Haven’t had the time to test it, but sounds cool!
• Finger-print reader. Tested it a couple of times, NICE!
• 4GB intern memory. Fast as the wind!
• 500GB Hard drive. Say what? That is really much, that means a lot of songs or a lot of movies!
• Windows Vista. It is just a lot cooler than Windows XP.

This thing is smooth, looks cool, it’s WHITE! A cool, powerfull computer!

The HP Mini 110

What a cute little thing. It is half the size of the dv6. Also white, looks also smooth. I already love him. If you have big pockets, you can put it in your pockets. Pretty nice! Touchpad works good. I am definitly satisfied with this thing.

Some cool stuff:

• 1GB intern memory. For a small machine, pretty cool.
• 160GB hard drive. That much for that little thing? Cool!
• HP Webcam. So you can make a video, and walk!
• Windows XP. This thing can’t handle Vista, but XP is good enough! Works smooth.

This little monster is cute, small, really portable and just awesome. Can’t wait to put this thing to the test in the train!

Save $330 with this special offer!

Allright, I am one of the 25 who can make you an offer you can’t refuse. Where you pay normally for this bundle $1129,98, you now pay $799,98!

So two, great machines, for the price of one normal desktop computer. You can’t let this slip.

Here is the deal:

• Click on this link and add the dv6 to your cart
• Click on this link and add the mini 110 to your cart
• Go to the checkout (the price will be 1129,98$, but you already get a $150 rebate to the dv6) and enter this coupon: NBW48735
• Buy two crazy machines for only $799,98
• Do this before August 12. That is how long this offer will last.

Go ask your mom and use this coupon!

Disclaimer:
Valid for HP Home & Home Office (www.hpshopping.com) internet and call center purchases only. Coupon valid on first 100 redemptions, or while supplies last. Any unused portion will be forfeited. Each coupon code is limited to one usage per customer; one coupon code per checkout. Offer void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Non-transferable. Not valid retroactively on previously purchased items. Not valid for any resale activity as defined by HP Home & Home Office Store. Coupons may not be used to purchase gift cards. Not valid on clearance sales. May not be permitted with certain bundle offers. Not valid on: Academic and Employee purchase programs, HP Employee purchase program, Refurbished products, Extended Service Plans. For complete coupon conditions, see “Coupon Information” in the “Customer Service” section at www.hpshopping.com.

Enthusiastic? Go and use this special offering! Or, wait until august 15, when I will run a special contest where you can win this bundle + sync software + a TimBuk2 backpack! (And I am not the only one who gives this package away) Stay updated via Twitter and subscribe to my feed.

Have you download the free ebook on motivation already? Download ‘Nine ways to get motivated for college’ from Stefan Knapen now!

I’m done! Had my last exam today, math.

It went well, I think I’m passed with good grades!

So, that story is over, next year I will join University. I will start studying Medicine next year, and I think it will be a great year! The University is a place where I can learn a lot more, and not only about the subject I’m studying, but also about studying itself!

What does it mean for StudySuccessful.com?

For now, it means I will have more time for my website the coming months. Which means more posting, more guest posting and more cool stuff! And next year, when I’m joining University it means the articles will contain more subjects about the university!

And now, this week, I will be in Rome. A well-deserved holiday for a week, with friends. Going to have a great week in one of the coolest cities in the world. 

So see you next week?

Till next week all! I have some cool article ideas, so stay tuned. Subscribe via RSS or email!

Hi all, I’m Stefan, known as TheDutchSchoolKid. When I first started with that blogspot blog, I knew I wouldn’t go on with it. I wanted a wordpress site, my own domain, own hosting and a fresh design. Not everything is set yet, but it will be soon.

This site will be about studying. Of course. Study hacks, student productivity and stories from other students.

I’ll hope you all will find your way here, any questions? Send me an email, author[at]studysuccessful[dot]com