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Showing posts from 2012

Are you birds of a feather that flock together?

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Something that you say which means people who have similar characters or similar interests will often choose to spend time together  This proverb has been in use since at least the mid 16th century. In 1545, William Turner used a version of it in his papist satire  The Rescuing of Romish Fox : "Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together." Yes, you do like to spend time with people of similar character or interests. I feel there is nothing wrong with it till the time you are in your home country where you are surrounded by your people, your culture, your religion, rituals & your language. Finding people with similar character or interest is easy, advisable and is OK. No harm in flocking together. Moreover, as humans this is our natural make-up. We are social animals. Aren’t we? But now my friends, the situation is different, you are no more in your home country. You have ventured out to a new place, to a new city in pursuit

Are you likable?

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- Doctor, I have a problem. Everyone is ignoring me. - Next! :) It's an old joke, but do you know there's some truth in it? Multiple studies have shown that doctors spend more time with patients they like. They ask them to come back more often for further check-ups. And it doesn't stop here. Judges or juries give lesser penalties to guilty parties that they like. Students learn faster if they like their teachers. Likability will get you further in anything you do. People that are liked get better results, they are more successful, they are more popular, they are more happy... the list goes on and on. So how can you convince people to like you? You can't. Being liked is not a forced action. It is an art. It’s an art of understanding what people expect from you. Follow these points and you will see yourself to be more likable. Smile; It may seem to be a no brainer, but people forget to do it all the time G

Are you always out of balance?

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We all know the mental & financial hardships students have to go through when they choose international studies. Being in a new environment away from their friends & families there are numerous challenges to be faced on a day-to-day basis. Studies, assignments, exams, place to stay, food, clothes & laundry, travel, internet & phone are few of the things that require immediate attention along with an aspiration to get into a part-time job as soon as possible. Most of the students are seen juggling with the resources available to get the best out of their time & every penny spent. I am glad to see many have taken these challenges heads-on and have won the game because of their determination, discipline, analytical approach and logical prioritization. They were quick to learn what is important to be successful in the foreign land, they understood why it is important and they prioritized their actions revolving this core. They were intelligent & discipl