Q: To learn from teachers, you must pay close attention. Start by turning off what your brain is saying. You may be thinking about what you had for lunch or what your best friend said. Try to push those thoughts away and put your attention on what the teacher is saying. You may want to turn your head slightly toward them to remind you to listen. As you listen, try to put what the teacher is saying in your own words. That's called summarizing, and it helps you remember what's being said. It can help to take notes. Write down what the teacher is saying in your own words. Don't try to get every word down, as you won't be able to keep up. Just get down the big, important ideas. Everyone has questions, even smart girls! In fact, the smartest people often ask the most questions because they want to learn. If you don't understand something in class or you want to know more, don't be afraid to put your hand up. Someone else probably has the same question, too, so you're helping your classmates out! Working hard is a big part of being smart. If you're not getting a concept, practice it for a little bit each day until you get it. By continuing to work on it, you'll eventually have that "Aha!" moment where things become clear. Set aside time each day to work on the concepts you don't understand, even if you've already moved on in class. If you're having trouble, don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, it just takes someone explaining something a little differently for you to get it. You could talk to your teacher, a friend who understands the material, or your parents. You could even go online to see if you can find a tutorial to help you understand it better. Reading is essential to your learning process. It's how you'll be able to absorb information in many subjects. That means that the better you're able to read and comprehend, the easier you'll be able to pick up new ideas! It doesn't really matter what you're reading, as long as you're reading. Read comic books, novels, picture books, and magazines, or whatever else you like! It can be scary to say what you're thinking at times, but if you use a soft, mumbling voice, people won't take you as seriously. Speak up in a strong, confident voice! You'll feel more confident, and you'll convince other people of your sincerity, too. Try practicing in front of the mirror. Work on saying things in a voice people can hear, saying your words clearly and distinctly. When you work your brain muscles more, you get better at solving problems. Try to put your smarts to work outside school by building things, figuring out how things work, and trying to repair things that break. You can take that problem-solving right back to school! For instance, maybe your kid sister broke one of her favorite toys. Look around the house to figure out if you can find a way to fix it! Don't try to fix appliances on your own, as electricity is very dangerous!
A: Listen by clearing your mind and focusing on the teacher. Ask questions when you have them. Put in the hours to learn the subject outside of school. Read as often and as much as you can. Speak up to show your confidence. Grow your thinking skills outside of school by finding problems to solve.

Q: While pomegranates are more of a shrub than tree if left to grow untrained, you can trim the plant so that it looks like a tree. This is something that many gardeners do. Using gardening shears or clippers, cut the suckers (the smaller branches that help the plant take on its shrub form) growing at the base of the plant so that it takes on more of a tree shape. Do this shortly after the plant has become established. If you don't care whether your plant is tree-like or not, let it grow naturally. You don't really need to prune your pomegranate tree to maintain it, but it is a good idea to cut away dead or dying branches in the spring to help the tree grow well. You can also thin the plant as you see necessary. If you are growing the pom in a container, you will need to prune and train a bit more heavily, in order to keep the pom the size and shape you want it to be. Avoid mold growth by making sure you do not over water the pom. The two other problems some pomegranates face are aphids and the pomegranate butterfly. You can kill aphids by using a spray bought at your local nursery or garden store. You can also use an integrated pest management practice for killing aphids, which may include attracting ladybugs, spraying trees with water to knock aphids down, or even purchasing predatory insects to consume the aphids. The pomegranate butterfly is not very common and should not be a problem. If it is, use a butterfly spray to rid your trees of the larvae.
A: Train the plant into tree form, if desired. Remove dead or damaged parts of the plant. Keep the pom healthy.

Q: You're likely eager to get to know them as a partner, so asking them to hang out as friends might sound like a step backward. However, it's actually a great way to get to know them and find out if they're open to dating. Invite them to do something as friends and use it as an opportunity to build a foundation for a relationship. Say, "Would you like to play mini golf this Friday?" or "I heard you like live music. Do you want to go see this local band with me?" Ask them to do more things together so you can get to know them better. Additionally, text or call them often to help your relationship grow. As you do this, be open about your sexuality and listen to how they talk about theirs. Ask them to do things like go out for dinner, see a movie, or go bowling. Say things like, "I've known I liked girls since I was 12 and developed a crush on a girl in my dance class. Have you ever had a crush on a girl?" Start by giving them small compliments to see how they respond. If they seem receptive, try out a cute nickname to see if they like it. Finally, get a little closer to them physically. You might say something like, "You look so great today! This shirt is really flattering on you," or "Every time I see you walk into the room all I can do is smile." After you've gotten to know them really well, decide if they seem open to dating someone of the same sex. If they do, go ahead and ask them on a real date. You can do this in person, via text, or as part of a romantic gesture. Say, "Spending time with you has been so great! Would you be interested in going on a date? If not, that's totally okay, and I'm happy to just be your friend." You could also text, "Getting to know you these past few months has been amazing. Wanna try a date? If not, we're still on for game night." You could send flowers with a note that says, "Would you like to have a first date with me? If so, text me a picture of the flowers. If not, our friendship can go on like nothing happened." It's likely that you're going to develop feelings for people who aren't into you. While everyone goes through this, it can feel especially painful when it seems like everyone you like is straight. If you get rejected, remember that it's not about you, so there's no reason to doubt how awesome you are. Instead, remind yourself that you're an amazing person who's worthy of love, then spend time with your friends to lift yourself up. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there again! Go out and meet some new people. Soon, you'll find someone else who catches your eye.
A:
Ask them to go out as friends if you're interested in dating them. Get to know them by spending more time with them. Flirt with them after you've gotten to know them a bit. Invite them out on a date if you think they might be open to it. Cope with rejection by celebrating yourself and connecting with friends.