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Girl corner: Always the friend?

So you're the kind of person people can always confide in, huh? You're the steady babe who's always around to provide a shoulder to cry/lean on, a sympathetic ear to babble to and the ultimate advice giver. Your girlfriends envy your easy nature with the guys, and your guy friends always say you're the best 'pal' they ever had. Everyone rushes to you with their problems…. especially love problems, and go away with smiles on their faces. You're the expert who can solve absolutely any love problems of friends, cousins or colleagues.

So why is it that your own love life isn't blooming. And why is it that you have to spend all your weekends either in front of the TV munching chocolates, or miserably doing homework when all your friends are out with their significant others?

Well, let's just say that guys aren't perceptive enough. It's a well-known fact that in any relationship the girl is more likely to read between the lines, while the guy relaxes. If you're worried that the signals you have been sending to guys aren't that obvious, then maybe you should start to rethink your approach.

Firstly ask yourself a simple question: are you the kind of girl who only associates with guys in 'unromantic' zones? Are you always around to study together/ share homework or amongst a million other people, but never around when he wants to go out for a bite to eat? When a guy asks you (and only you) out for a bite to eat, watch a movie or hang out somewhere, it's likely that he's interested in spending some quality time with you. Being eager to be with him in your school library, but hesitating when he asks you out, is a clear signal that spells it out that you're clearly not interested in a romantic sense. And if your guy is a moody type, he might take it as a personal blow to his ego, and never ask you out alone again.

Second question: are you one of those babes who always like the challenge of trying to win over someone who is always otherwise engaged? If you answered yes, then one word of advice from me: DON'T! You're wasting your time. Guys who are engaged (either with other girls… or with their textbooks) seems to be a poor catch, don't you think so? Plus you don't want to be branded as a 'boyfriend-stealer', do you?

Another little thing… just keep in mind that if you do manage to snare these guys anyway, its only a matter of time before you're left alone again. The engaged guys might leave you for greener pastures (in simpler words… some other girl) and the study-holics will eventually make their textbooks their first priority again. Try guys who are simple, sensitive, and most importantly … SINGLE!

Last question: Do you always follow the old belief that 'opposites attract'? Miao, this might be true in case of magnets, but it doesn't always work in case of healthy relationships. It's important to have something in common at least; it is common knowledge that a relationship between people sharing the same interests/ friends is more likely to be a success. Whispering sweet nothings and promises to each other will only be fun for a limited amount of time, but then your conversations might actually take a strained/ boring turn. Look for someone who seems like a mirror image or yours, someone you actually have fun with. And now for a bit of advice in letting your chosen guy know that you're interested. Flirt…hey, if he can do it so can you! Don't freeze as soon as tell you that 'You look especially adorable today,' smile back and come up with an original line of your own. Remember to make a lot of eye contact…believe it or not, this is one of the few things that guys actually notice. Don't waste your time telling him about other guys interested in you, or about past affairs…if he's interested, this just might discourage him from making any further progress.

Lastly, remember to behave exactly with him the way you would like him to behave with you. Best of luck from Aunt Jen!

By Jennifer Ashraf (Kashmi)

Study Buddies

College Applications: Myth vs. Fact

MYTH: Admissions committees seek to recruit well-rounded students.
FACT: This is not necessarily true. What they're usually looking for is a well-rounded student body comprised of students with various interests and skills. This is good news. It means you don't need a ten-page list of activities stuffed with entries like the Trampoline Club and the Polka Band. But don't cut down on your activities for fear of appearing unfocused. Believe it or not, admissions committees can differentiate between those who are trying to load up their activities sheet and those who have a sincere interest in their extra-curriculars. Don't worry about joining clubs you think colleges want to see on your resume. Participate in what you're really interested in.

MYTH: The essay doesn't count for much.
FACT: Through the essay, an admissions board is able to gain an appreciation of the student's understanding of intellectual or social issues, as well as her creativity and maturity. Many colleges view the essay as a "tipper" that can affirm or negate an admissions decision. The essay is regarded as a critical aspect of admissions credentials, so you should spend considerable time developing the idea, writing, and proofing. Read more about essays.

MYTH: Applying for financial aid diminishes my chances of admission.
FACT: In an ideal world, all colleges would be need-blind, considering a student's academic and personal qualities and achievements, but not her ability to pay. Although some schools still operate under this credo, more common now is a need-aware, or need-conscious policy; few colleges now have the money to fund all of the students who qualify for need-based aid. But by not applying for aid, you may be cutting off any possible chances for admission. Read more about financial aid.

MYTH: If you are rejected from a school, that's the final word on the matter.
FACT: There are some questions about your rejection you can ask the college that can turn the situation to your advantage. Like if you really and truly believe that your application was not given full consideration or if you absolutely want to attend a specific school, you can appeal the decision. Schools often have a review process, and it will get you a second look, though it may not lead to a change in the outcome.

MYTH: If, by second semester of junior year, your GPA isn't so hot, it's too late to bring it up.
FACT: Most colleges look for a trend in high school academic performance, and they place a high importance on improvements in a student's grades in the second semester of junior year. So if your transcript to date is not stellar, it's may not be too late to bring up your GPA. Do whatever is necessarystay in some weekends to study, go to your teachers for help, do an extra credit assignment, maybe even invest in a tutor.

MYTH: It doesn't matter when I send in my applications, just as long as it's before the deadline.
FACT: Generally, there's no disadvantage to sending your application right at the deadline, but there are pluses if you get your application in early:

If any component of your application is missing, you'll have time to get it in before it's too late.

Admissions officers become weary as the file-reading season wears on; the files that are complete and ready to be read early in the process may be reviewed more carefully when the staff is not at the edge of exhaustion.

Some institutions, including Harvard, prefer all applicants to have an interview with a staff member or a local alum. The earlier your application is received, the sooner the college can contact you about an interview.

If you get your applications completed and sent well in advance of the deadline, you avoid the stress of squeezing everything into the last minute.

Source: The Kaplan College Guide
By Sabrina F Ahmad

Campus news

IUB Workshops

Seminar on media and gender

Although women have made many positive contributions to society, the media does not always give them the coverage that they deserve. Realising the need to address this issue, the Department of Media and Development Communication, of the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) arranged a seminar on this topic at the university premises on 24 November.

The chief guest of the seminar was Ms. Lorraine Barker, High Commissioner of Australia to Bangladesh. During the course of her speech she cited numerous examples where women's achievements were not given adequate coverage in the media.

For instance, she mentioned that although Australia's female athletes have made plenty of praiseworthy achievements, the amount of publicity they received in the media has been negligible.

She also mentioned that some sections of the media are printing unrealistically fit images of celebrities, and consequently many women are coming down with diseases like anorexia and bulimia in their pursuit of looking 'perfect.'

After criticising the negative attitude ozf the media, she highlighted a few instances where the media had actually played a positive role. For example, she mentioned the popular cartoon "Meena" had helped to empower women. She expressed the hope that the media would carry out more such projects.

The High Commissioner's speech was followed by a lively question and answer session.

While answering a question on whether the government should compel the media to stop printing unrealistically fit images of celebrities, she said that in her opinion the best way to deal with the problem was self-regulation by the media and not government intervention.

Syeda Sadia Kadri, Lecturer of the Department of Media and Development Communication, moderated the seminar. Professor Bazlul Mobin Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), attended the seminar as special guest.

By Sayeed Mahmud Nizam

Brilliant through communication

The Verbal Communication course of the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) had held a workshop called "Brilliance through communication" on Thursday 25th November in IUB. The programme was arranged by communication instructor Ms Munsia Naureen Ahmed

The program started at 10.30 with a welcoming speech for Prof. Bazlul Mobin Choudhury, Vice Chancellor, IUB, and Professor Ahaduzzaman M Ali, Director, Department of Media and Development Communications. The professors spoke about the importance of effective communication in daily life. The Vice Chancellor then inaugurated the programme with a video clip that outlined the activities of the entire Communication Department at IUB.

After 10-15minutes of break the actual workshop began. The main theme of this workshop was "How to be a Peak Performer." The discussions and speeches were liberally interspersed with role-playing sequences, animations, games, and other audio-visual presentions, which kept the audience interested throughout.

Topics like self-esteem, body language, listening skills and self-assertiveness were discussed. The main workshop was followed by a quick question-and-answer round, in which the audience participated by asking questions of the presenters. The programme ended at around 1:15 pm.

The entire programme, from the different elements of the presentation to the colourful posters that adorned the venue, was a group effort of the students Wasama, Shams Mayaz, Sareeta, Aditi, Ehsaan, Russel, Tarul, Tareq, Arif, Benozir, Tasnuva, Shegupta, Farhana and Tasmia. Kudos to the students, and to Professor Munsia Ahmed, for arranging it.

By Tashmia Zaman