INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When substances build up around the teeth of your zipper, it can prevent the zipper from staying closed. As a result, you'll need to clean the teeth and remove stuff that could be preventing the zipper from closing. Combine water and soap in a small dish, and stir until suds form. Dip a clean rag in the soapy water and wipe down the zipper's teeth. Grab a fresh rag and run it under the tap. Wipe the soapy mixture off the teeth with the damp rag. Attempt to zip and unzip as normal.

SUMMARY: Remove buildup from a zipper's teeth.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If your knees feel like they need to be cracked often, and especially if you have associated pain, you should have them looked at by a doctor. Your doctor should be able to identify the problem and will give you options for treatment. While some knee popping is perfectly normal, a constant need to pop your knee could signal a problem with your cartilage being worn down, a tear in your meniscus, or developing arthritis. In many cases, treatment options will include medication, physical therapy, and, if the problem is severe, surgery. In a lot of cases, cracking in the knee occurs when the knee bones are not sitting correctly because there is excessive inflammation between them. If you can reduce this inflammation, then cracking will feel less necessary. You can take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen. Talk to your doctor if you think a prescription anti-inflammatory would be more effective for your condition. While it may be tempting to stop moving a knee that feels like it needs to be cracked all the time, it is important to keep it moving. Low-impact exercises that will be good for your knees include: Swimming. Bicycling. Water aerobics. Elliptical. that are hard on the knees. While some exercises are great for keeping the knees healthy and flexible, there are other exercises that can be particularly bad for knees that are already compromised. Avoid activities that create a strong impact on the knees, particularly activities that include running. If you want to continue running, at least try to give your knees time to recover between sessions. For instance, alternate your running days with days when you do a low-impact exercise like cycling.

SUMMARY: Consult with a doctor. Take anti-inflammatory medication. Do low-impact knee exercises. Minimize activities

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Three days before a test is usually sufficient for adequate study time. If you procrastinate until the night before, you probably won't be able to get through all the necessary material and you definitely won't be able to remember the material after the test for the final exam. If you have leftover time at the end of your study session, review some old material so you keep it fresh in your mind for the final exam. A few minutes here and there will greatly reduce the amount of time you have to spend studying at the end of the year when you really want to coast along until summer. If you have several tests scheduled close together, think about the difficulty of the material and proportionate your time accordingly. If you spend the same amount of time studying material you already know as more challenging material, your grade in the difficult class will suffer. If you know the material already, studying more isn't going to do much good. Tons of research about this topic has been done and the result is all the same cramming for a test does not improve your grades. It makes sense that any studying is better than no studying, but when you're so tired, your memory can't function, making that studying pointless. It's sometimes necessary to stay up late to write essays or complete projects since it's better to be exhausted and get credit for the assignment than to sleep and lose the points that could make a difference between an A and a B, or a B and a C. In these cases where a deadline needs to be met, coffee and energy drinks are your best friend. But be warned: once the caffeine wears off, you will probably be even more exhausted than before. After you finish your homework, do some difficult problems from your supplemental resources. Do past exams or learn new techniques to help you get the most out of your class. Why? Because many teachers take extra credit and tack it onto tests scores or project scores. Oh, and you'll be smarter, too. Doing extra work now means better grades in college, so milk it for all it's worth. The more you have a grip on things now means the less you'll be left stranded and without a clue later. Though it may seem counterintuitive, it is better to work hard for short amounts of time and take regular breaks than to work too long and fry your brain. You may feel like you're wasting time, but what you're really doing is making sure your brain stays in tip-top condition. Most people can work for 50 minutes at their optimal efficiency and then need a ten minute break before being able to function at their best again. Figure out what works best for you and don't be afraid to stray from your schedule to reward yourself for a job well done on something difficult. Trust that you will be able to come back to your work later. The longer you have, the bigger they are. Here's a quick formula to estimate the time you should spend a project: Say you have a 200 point essay due in a month and a half, or 45 days:200/45 = 4.4 points a day 1 point is about 6 minutes of work. You want to do 4.4 points a day:4.4 x 6 = 26That's a little under half an hour a day. If you do it this way, you'll generally finish light years ahead of time, and have the all-important "crunch time" before the essay is due to kick back and relax because you finished early! In general, studying in groups is more effective than studying alone. And it's more fun! If it's convenient, meet bi-weekly. Just make sure everyone involved is clear that you are meeting to study, not chat about other things. Study groups are more effective when they're done right. It's not time to fool around! Designate someone as the group leader and decide which topics you're going to cover that day. Have everyone bring a snack and some drinks and come with a few questions prepared to bounce off the group. However, if you have a friend that will bring you down or distract you while in the study group, tell them you need to focus, and rather than fooling around, hang out with them during your own time. Carry around some flashcards to run through for when you have a spare moment. On the bus? It's flashcard time. Waiting in line for lunch? Flashcard time. Waiting for mom? Flashcard time. All of that time begins to add up and gives you more free time at night for fun. These are great to do with a friend, too. When you have 5 or 10 minutes before class, turn to the person next to you and ask them if you can quickly quiz each other. This way you can study using your eyes and ears, which is easier to remember. This should not be your everyday routine, but if you just have to keep that grade up and you've fallen behind on a busy work assignment because you didn't deal with your time accordingly, don't just give up. Five minutes before class can be very rewarding. Learn the art of cramming. It can help in that stressful moment on essays, homework, busy work, and many other note assignments. However, it does not help you learn in the long-term. Cramming makes you tired, wears you out, and falls out of memory very quickly. It's necessary to study a topic many times before it sticks in your head not just the night before a test or in the moments before class.

SUMMARY:
Start studying a few days before a test. Avoid pulling an all-nighter to study for a test. Do some extra credit. Give yourself a study break when you need it. Begin working on long-term projects as soon as they are assigned. Form a study group with friends. Study when you have small bits of free time. Cram as a last resort.