A cup of coffee please?

Are you a fan of coffee? If yes, this post is definitely for you (:

Mounting evidence suggests that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, gallstones, Parkinson's disease, cirrhosis and certain types of cancers. A Harvard study revealed that coffee drinkers have lower risk of dying of cardiovascular causes compared to nondrinkers. Other than that, a Norwegian study also found that a typical serving of brewed coffee is richer in antioxidants compared to a serving of blueberries, raspberries or other fruit juices.

Coffee also have bonus for our brain. It might help the mind as much as the body. We will feel more calmer after inhaling the scent of roasted coffee beans.

But still, there are limitations for drinking coffee. Many dietitians recommend drinking in moderation. That is only one or two cups of coffee a day and without the added whole milk and sugar are allowed. If you drink more than that, then it will become disadvantages. The caffeine can dehydrate you or raise your blood pressure. Pregnant women should limit their intake as well, since coffee can lead to risk of miscarriage.

So in my opinion, it is not wrong to have coffee as your favourite drink as long as you drink in a right proportion. Drink moderately and you can enjoy the taste and warmth of the coffee.

Source:Reader's Digest, March 2009.

Personality Traits by Blood Type

Does your blood type reveal your personality? Yes? No?

The answer is yes (:

There is an institute in Japan that conducted this kind of research and there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. Take a look !

Type O: You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your goal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive.

Type A: You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax.

Type B: You're a rugged individualist, who's straight forward and like to do things your own way. Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness.

Type AB: Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions.

Mine is type O and it is quite true. How about you guys?

Oh I got this from here. For further reading, you guys can also read it here.

First post

Hi there ! This is my first post for my second blog. The concept for this blog is educational and yes, I will be graded based on this blog. So I will try my best to use proper English and please correct me if I make mistakes. I will also try my best in sharing useful information, tips, knowledge, etc with you guys.

Okay, back to the main point. For my first post, I am going to share some tips on settling into university life. As for myself, I am now in second semester of my degree. Classes have started two weeks ago and I can say that I am still in holiday mood. I better forget this mood and start studying, like seriously.

The reason I decided to write this post because last week I received a phone call from my cousin, R. She is going to further her studies at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) this weekend. She called to ask me for some advice on how to adapt to university life. For your information, this is her first time of going far away from her family. So I can understand the reason of her feeling nervous.

I browsed through some blogs and websites to search for useful tips. Most of this advice sounds like common sense but it really works. Here we go !

1. Bring a reminder of home:

If you have your favourite teddy bear, you may want to take it with you. So that you have something familiar with you on the first night at student's hostel. For the guys, consider on bringing your guitar. Other reminders can be photographs or special mementos. In other words, something that will remind you of home and and make your room in hostel more comforting and relaxing. The more homely your room is, the less you have feeling of going home or accurately, homesick. But please make sure the reminders are not things that are against hostel's regulations.

2. Socialise:

Meeting a crowd of new people can be scary. Even I experienced the same thing when I got the offer letter. But don't forget this crowd of new people has one thing in common with you. They, too, are scared of adapting to university life and finding new friends. So just socialise and talk to everyone. The girls who are in the same room with you, the guy who takes same course with you and etc. In addition to that, you can also socialise with the seniors. They have been through the exact experience, been there and done that. They can be a big help for you in figuring out the university life.

3. Study:

When classes start to begin, make sure you start studying too. This is because it is easier to keep up with the university work load if you study. University life is nothing like school life. There is no spoon-feeding. It all depends on yourself whether you want to study or not, doing assignments or not, etc. Once you are behind the right track, it is hard to catch up again. Therefore, you must know how to balance your study time with your play time.

So, above are the tips that I want to share with you. They look simple but yet they give big impact to your life. University life is about freedom. But don't misused it for negative things. Used freedom to shape yourself and become more matured. After all people always say that university life is the best (: