Microsoft OneNote© is a program for organizing big projects--and that includes big research papers. The program utilizes a familiar design scheme for students--the school notebook. To get started in OneNote, you should think of your project as a "notebook" that will contain separate tabs. The notebook is your main topic, and your tabs serve as your subtopics.

The one drawback to OneNote's overall design is that it is easy to get lost--the program does so many things in so many ways, that it can be overwhelming to jump in and start. The best way to get your feet wet is to use a tutorial to outline a research paper. Then play around. You can't really go wrong--everything you place in your notebook will stay there until you move it.

A few years ago, I endorsed study abroad in the most meaningful way possible: I let my own child have the experience when she asked to go to Ireland for a semester. I knew that the benefits of traveling while studying are so enormous that it was worth the cost in cash and parental stress.

I knew from my own study abroad experience that the opportunity was too valuable to pass up. There is no substitute for seeing da Vinci's art in person, or touching the intricate carving of a 500 year-old door in England. Aside from the expanded cultural awareness you experience, there is a new and greater self-awareness that comes from being in a foreign land. Students who study abroad quickly discover the need to budget and exercise self-discipline--or get very hungry. It's hard to learn that in the comfort zone of one's own neighborhood.

But I had a secret reason for letting my own child go. I suspected that, once she got a taste of the world, she would want more. In wanting more, she would have a reason to work hard in school, finish college, and excel in her studies--because that would be the only way she'd be able to continue exploring this vast world. And it worked!

But it's not enough to know you should study abroad. You should also know that you can do it, if you really want to:

• Student Travel 101
• How to Study Abroad in High School
• How to Pay for Study Abroad

Do you ever feel like a deer in the headlights when the teacher calls your name in class? It's a very common feeling, but one that might be avoidable.

First of all, the most common reason for the classroom freeze-up is failure to read the homework assignment! Teachers do test us occasionally to see if we have actually prepared for class. A simple solution to the freeze-up is to review class notes and readings at night before bed or in the moments before class begins.

Sometimes the freeze-up is more complicated, and it stems from a particular learning style. Global or relational learners tend to hesitate when called upon out of the blue, because fresh information takes time to sink in. They simply process and sort information more gradually than analytic learners. This can sometimes explain why you feel the urge to panic if the teacher asks you a question in the middle of a lecture.

If you feel as though you are thoroughly prepared for class, but you still freeze up when called upon, the problem may be rooted in your brain type. If this is the case, you can avoid discomfort by predicting the questions that may arise in class and jotting down some prepared answers.

Short answer: definitely! It is important for every student to explore his or her own learning styles and strengths with a few assessment tools, but it is also important to know that your brain type and learning styles don't exclude you from any field of study.

We all have natural strengths, weaknesses, and tastes--and that's the great thing about people! No matter what we choose to do in life, we will bring something nobody else has done or said before. Although we think of right-brain dominant students as more artistic, creative, and intuitive, that doesn't mean these qualities are bad for science. Where would science be without free thinkers? Or without great illustrations?

Your learning styles are simply reflections of your strengths. You can be anything you want to be!