" The Significance of Ganesha "

                                                         

" The Significance of Ganesha "

As Indians, we are often asked how we worship an elephant-headed, pot-bellied, broken-tusked god who travels on a mouse. But as strange as it seems, every little peculiarity of Lord Ganesha's has a deep spiritual significance. As we go along in this article, we will look at the meaning of this symbolic representation of Lord Ganesha. Before we do, however, let's take a look at Lord Ganesha's mythological origin.

Desiring to take a bath, Mother Parvati, Lord Shiva's consort, created a boy from dirt to guard Her home when She was bathing. As it happened, Lord Shiva returned while Mother Parvati was away. Surprised to see a stranger outside the home, the Lord demanded that He be allowed to enter His home. Much to His dismay, the boy refused to allow Him in. Infuriated at being barred from entering His home, the Lord cut off the boy's head. On returning, Mother Parvati was inconsolable when she found out what the Lord had done. To alleviate her suffering, Lord Shiva commanded his troops to get the head of the first living being they came across. The first living being they chanced upon happened to be an elephant calf. Finally, Lord Shiva, on receiving the head of the calf, placed it on the boy's body and restored life to him. Thus Lord Ganesha was created.

Lord Shiva represents the divine Self. Lord Ganesha, being His son, is symbolic of a person who has attained that state of Divinity. While representing the Divinity, Lord Ganesha also represents the way to attain that exalted state.

Lord Ganesha's elephant head symbolises the immense wisdom of a person of Perfection. Wisdom is something that comes out of manana , independent thinking and reflection. This manana can happen only when one has taken in spiritual knowledge i.e. the process of shravana has taken place. This process of shravana or intake of spiritual knowledge is portrayed as Lord Ganesha's large ears where one listens to a teacher. It also symbolises that even the wisest people are always open to hearing fresh ideas and opinions. In other words, the wise are those who always keep an open mind.

Emerging from the Lord's head is the elephant trunk. This trunk visually depicts a well-developed intellect that arises out of wisdom, the elephant head. Our intellect is of two kinds, gross and subtle. The gross intellect is used to discriminate between pairs of opposites in the world; black and white, hard and soft, easy and difficult. The subtle intellect, on the other hand, discriminates between right and wrong; permanent and impermanent and is colloquially called the conscience. In a person who has realised the Self, this intellect is extremely well-developed; both gross and subtle. Such people have clarity of thinking and a clear sense of right and wrong. At a relative level, even people who have made progress on the spiritual path experience this. Choices become clear and life becomes a lot simpler. Without clarity of thought, our worldview is bound to be confused and coloured by our own prejudices and preconceptions. Lord Ganesha's well-shaped trunk depicts a crystal clear intellect that a person of Perfection develops.

One of the key attributes of people who are Self-Realised is that they rise above their likes and dislikes and the pairs of opposites that world presents before them. Established in the permanent Divinity, they remain unperturbed by what the world has to offer; the joys and sorrows, the victories and losses. They understand the ways of the world and take to life as a sportsperson takes to sport. Giving their best at every juncture, yet understanding that, in the ultimate analysis, it is only a game. Relatively speaking, genuine seekers on the spiritual path also achieve this sense of peace to the extent that they have identified with the Self. This transcendence over the pairs of opposites (two tusks) in a person of Perfection is indicated beautifully by Lord Ganesha's broken tusk. For it is only when we have risen above the play of opposites in the world that we can stomach the challenges that life throws at us. This idea is depicted by Lord Ganesha's large stomach. People who attained the supreme state have tremendous mental strength to brush aside the greatest setbacks while keeping their heads in the midst of immensely joyous experience.

The Lord's posture with one foot on the ground and the other folded up conveys to us that while we must operate in the world there must also be a constant alignment with Atman in and through all our experiences. In the relative, whatever we do, there must be an unwavering focus on our higher spiritual goal. Without this focus, it is impossible to make spiritual progress.

The food at the feet of Lord Ganesha symbolise material wealth and power. Through this, the Lord subtly indicates that the world rewards those live a life of truth. Those who turn spiritual acquire merit in their respective fields of activity and those with merit seldom go unacknowledged. They command respect and wealth even though they may not desire it.

The mouse as the Lord's mode of transport magnifies the challenge that a spiritual person faces when trying to communicate the knowledge of the infinite Self through the finite equipments of body, mind and intellect. Atman cannot be touched with the body, felt through emotion or understood with the intellect. One can only become It through spiritual practice.

In his four hands, Lord Ganesha holds an axe, a rope, a modak(sweetened rice ball) and a lotus. The axe represents the annihilation of desire with the axe of spirituality. The rope is spiritual knowledge which helps us to remove ourselves from the samsara , material world, that we are entrenched in. The modak symbolises the happiness and joy a seeker derives from the spiritual pursuit. And the lotus stands for that Divine state of Self-Realisation that every human being aspires for, consciously or unconsciously. The lotus sustains itself in dirty ponds but yet is above it all. Similarly, a person of Perfection can live in the world, enjoy life and yet be above it all by identifying with the Self.

The occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi gives us, as spiritual aspirants, an opportunity to remember what Lord Ganesha stands for. A chance to reignite ourselves in our search for Divinity.

Ganpati Bappa Morya....!!!

   

6 time management tips for college students...

         6 time management tips for college students

TIP 1: Read your course calendar

Sometimes the best advice is among the simplest: One of the first and most important steps in achieving successful time management in college is to read your course calendars carefully.

“ If you know the due dates for specific assignments and the time frames for quizzes, papers and exams, you’ll be able to spread out the necessary school work. “My motto is, ‘Due on Sunday doesn't mean do on Sunday,’ ”

TIP 2: Plan ahead

Kristin Jones’ advice serves as a great companion to Sch-lager's: Jones urges the importance of planning ahead. “I would look ahead into each week to see what assignments were due,” she says. She’d then plan out her week so that she was doing something for the class every day, alleviating the intensity of the workload. “It’s very hard to catch up once you get behind,” she says.

Whether you get a good grasp on your coursework for the entire semester, or simply for the next week, creating a plan will balance your workload and minimize the possibility for those dreaded, but sometimes necessary, all-night cram sessions.

TIP 3: Make schedules

It can be easy to procrastinate in college—there is an unintentional consistency of letting the clutter of late work nights, dinner plans and school plays postpone your schoolwork. This often results in completing assignments in the wee hours before they’re due.

Frank Ortiz suggests the effectiveness of taking charge and giving yourself some guidelines. “Make schedules. Print the weekly assignment sheets and check them off as you [complete] them,” he says.

Billy Moore agrees: “Stay dedicated to the time that you set aside for your school work,” adding that it’s often helpful to schedule a bit of extra time in that window for unexpected questions or technical issues you may come across.

TIP 4: Make checklists

Printing or writing out checklists for each class or each day of the week can be a helpful way of remembering everything you need to get done. “You can check [each item] off after you’re done with it,” says Ashley Esquire, who uses this method with her school work.

Chariness Nicole keeps a virtual notepad open on her computer with each week’s checklist. “I leave my notepad up all week and check things off as I go along,” she says. This not only helps her see how much she has left to do, but it also allows her to appreciate each little accomplishment along the way.

TIP 5: Stay organized

Keeping your school work organized can be a huge factor in saving you some time throughout the week, especially if you’re taking more than one class at a time. If you have separate binders, notebooks and folders for each class, you’ll quickly be able to find that sheet of notes you need for next week’s test or the printed article you planned to reference for your big research paper.

Avoiding clutter isn't just important when organizing your notes and hand-outs. Be sure to keep your computer desktop organized in a way that always allows you to locate the files you’ll need for each particular class.

TIP 6: Be healthy

This may seem like the kind of advice you heard from your mother and now pass down to your own kids in the form of warm socks in the winter, sunscreen in the summer and daily vitamins year-round, but it can actually play a huge role in successfully managing your time while in college.

Practicing regular exercise can keep your energy levels up, resulting in a more engaged mind when doing school work. Many also assert that getting adequate sleep at night can save college students time—this not only helps you avoid the time taken for afternoon naps, but it also can increase your alertness and decrease your stress levels.

"Five Study Methods That Work...."

               "Five Study Methods That Work...."

1. Keeping a Careful Record of Assignments

Put it down in black and white—including the details—and keep it in your notebook. Knowing just what you are expected to do and when you are expected to do it is the first giant step toward completing important assignments successfully and on time.

2. Making Use of “Trade Secrets”

Flash cards aren’t just for kids! They are a legitimate study tool. Use the front of the card to write an important term, and on the back, write a definition or an important fact about that term. Carry your flash cards with you. Use them during “dead time,” such as standing in a check-out line, waiting in a doctor or dentist’s office, riding a bus, or waiting at the Laundromat. Keep a set in the glove compartment of your car for long lines at your favorite fast food drive-in restaurant or bank. Post them on your bathroom mirror to review while shaving or applying make-up. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish during those otherwise “dead times.” Think about developing your own “trade secrets” that will improve your study skills.

3. Taking Good Notes as Insurance Against Forgetting

Learn to take good notes efficiently as your instructors stress important points in class and as you study your assignments. Good notes are a “must” for just-before-test-reviewing. Without notes, you will need to reread and review the entire assignment before a test. This may require you to read anywhere from 100-300 pages of material in one sitting. With notes, you can recall the main points in just a fraction of the time. The time you spend in note taking is not lost, but in fact, is a time-saver.

4. Overlearning Material Enhances Memory

Psychologists tell us that the secret to learning for future reference is overlearning. Experts suggest that after you can say, “I know this material,” that you should continue to study that material for an additional one-fourth of the original study time. The alphabet is an example of overlearning. How did you learn it? Probably through recitation which is the best way to etch material into the memory trace. Manipulate the material as many different ways as possible by writing, reading, touching, hearing, and saying it. In an experimental study, students who overlearned material retained four times as much after a month than students who didn’t overlearn.

5. Reviewing Material Frequently

A student who does not review material can forget 80% of what has been learned in only two weeks! The first review should come very shortly after the material was first presented and studied. Reviewing early acts as a safeguard against forgetting and helps you remember far longer. Frequent reviews throughout the course will bring rewards at test time and will alleviate pre-test anxiety.

Although these ten study methods do work, there is one other component needed when using all of them – taking responsibility for studying by following through on assignments. All the study methods in the world won’t help you if you don’t help yourself. As with most everything in your life, your motto should be, “I’m responsible for my success!”

If you put forth the effort to study effectively, the improved skills will soon become a habit and be just as natural as breathing. The result can be better grades, greater knowledge, and higher self-esteem. These skills will also serve you well in your professional and personal life.

COLLEGE STUDY TIPS...

                      COLLEGE STUDY TIPS                                

             

      

Create Mnemonics

Mnemonics are devices that can help you memorize formulas, key concepts, definitions, etc. A really basic example of a mnemonic is “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally” which stands for parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

Make a Study Guide

Whether or not your professor gives you a study guide for an exam, making a study guide is very helpful when studying for tests. Go through the textbook, notes, and any other material and write down any information that you think may be on the test such as important concepts, definitions, and formulas. Reading and writing the information will help you memorize it faster. If your professor gives you a study guide, make sure to cover all the points listed.

Make Flash Cards

Making flash cards can be a bit time consuming, but flash cards are helpful tools in remembering vocabulary, formulas, and key concepts. They are also easy to carry around with you so you can review them anytime.

Quiz Yourself

To ensure that you are prepared for your test, make a mock quiz to test how well you know the material. Write down a list of keywords or questions and make sure to leave room underneath each one. Then, pretend that you’re taking the test and write down as much as you can.

Set Time Goals

Setting time goals for yourself will help make sure that you stay on track especially when you have time constraints. You’re more likely to be productive if you have goals to achieve.

Remember to Take Breaks

Studying is hard stuff. You need to take short breaks to allow your brain to process and retain the information. Otherwise, you may confuse yourself or forget something you have already studied. Be sure to take only a short break, otherwise, it may be hard to go back to studying. When you begin studying again, review the material you have already studied, then, move on to something new.

Don't Study Alone

Studying with other people is always easier, because you are all there and you know nothing else is going on. If possible convince your college friends to meet at the library at a specific time on a regular basis. If you and your friends have different schedules, do your best to find time when at least two of you are able to meet. This will also help you and your friends develop good study skills, keep tabs on your friends, and make sure they will be with you on graduation day.

Tips for College Note Taking...

Tips for College Note Taking

While you might have been able to slide by without taking notes in high school, learning to take good notes is essential for most college students. Taking poor notes, or not taking notes at all, can have a detrimental effect on your grades. Read on to learn some tips and tricks for getting the most out of your classes and readings.

Pay Attention

·   Sit in a place where you can see and hear the professor clearly - the front of class is usually best 

     (it's  okay to be a nerd!)

·   Clear your space of any distractions that could prevent you from focusing on the class

·   If you're taking notes on a computer, turn off your wireless connection so you're not tempted to go online

    The same goes for reading: Clear your space. Find a quiet, distraction-free spot, like the library. Take         regular breaks so you can maintain the focus you need.

Get the Right Materials

·   Notebooks or binders, one for each class (3-ring binders can help you organize notes, syllabi and class      handouts - you'll just need to invest in a good hole punch)

·   Graph paper for diagrams, if applicable

·    Pencils or pens (always keep extras with you)

·    Highlighters

·    Small sticky notes and/or flags

Take Good Notes in Class

·    Info the professor puts on the board

·    Facts you need to memorize, like names and dates (if this information is in your textbook, don't waste ink writing it down)

·    Formulas you need to know, particularly in math or science courses

·   Details emphasized by your professor (keep your ears perked up for signal phrases such as 'the most essential part is...' or 'this will be on the test')

Take Good Notes on Readings

·        Highlight or underline text

·    Use small sticky notes or flags, noting the line number, paragraph number, or first few words of text

·    Write down info you want to remember in your notebook or on loose leaf paper, noting the page and paragraph numbers

·    Record your thoughts in the margins as you read

·    Write down any words or concepts you find challenging and want to spend more time on later

Organize Your Notes

·    Write the course name and date at the top of each page, just in case some pages get separated

·    Keep all of your materials and reading notes for each course together

·    File your notes chronologically (this is where a 3-ring binder can come in handy)

Experiment and Find What Works for You

Ultimately, you'll need to decide which note-taking strategies work best for you. Fortunately, you'll get regular feedback through grades on exams and quizzes. If your grades are good, keep the system you've got. If your grades could be better, do some readjusting.

If you'd like additional help with note-taking or other study skills, look for an academic support or learning center on campus. If you're struggling due to a disability, contact your school's disability services office. They can help with any necessary accommodations, such as a note-taker or written transcripts of lectures.

Preparation for the first day of college...

Preparation for the first day of college

Your college dress

Style of dressing for college varies from place to place, culture to culture, environment to environment,  “what type of dress you have to wear on first day of college to give a great first impression”.

Visit your college before first day or observe senior students of your college and check their dressing style to decide what suites you on first day of your college and in which dress you can make good first impression.

Your look

First thing counts in your first impression is your look because visual works much more earlier than the any other impression

For males I suggest shiny hairs, fresh look and well shaved, smiling and charming face.

For females light look, unique hairstyle and updated fashion works well.

Neatness and uniqueness are the plus points to create good first impression on the first day of college.

Embed yourself in the new environment

Don’t worry about finding yourself on the new environment; feel free and easy because those who will meet you are also humans.

Many students at first day of the college are terrified that how they face new persons and new place, So you to be normal and feel pleasant to make great impression on first day you must avoid any shyness and don’t be afraid and terrified.

Your confidence

Take care of your self-confidence its help you to face new environments and persons. Self-confidence doesn’t mean to be overconfidence; it may ruin your good first impression. Be careful about yourself respect, self respect is in your hand.

Be mature

You have to act more mature then other students so you can impress them and make a good start of your college life.

Talk and treat politely

Politeness attract everyone, keep it in mind don’t prefer to be harsh, it may break hearts. Don’t ever think that others are fools, remember that they also have minds and they can notice any foolish thing done by you.

Be friendly and try to blend yourself in those whom you like on first sight. Speaking more then need isn’t good on the first day, lose talking and your volume matters greatly in making your good first impression on the first day of college.

Be social

Check names of all your teachers and try to meet them and introduce yourself to them personally, it’s a tip first impression on my teachers are so good that I can’t have words to tell you that how much my this act of meeting personally on the first day of college works on my teachers.

Try to recognize your fellows, who are going to be in future on your side and who are going to start competition with you in future.

Try to recall the names of new fellows.

Initial days are most important to create great first impression on your teachers and professors, so use these days to make an impression of brilliant and genius student in front of them, give them your company and be active before them and show yourself a bright and corporative student of your class.

Check your studies

Check out your subjects; if anyone comes to your interest, consult it, be active on that subject to create a good first impression in initial days of college, discuss that subject with teachers and fellows to be social.

If you feel that some subjects are hard for you, don’t take tension, try to give them your concentration, I hope you can do it but in all cases keep yourself calm and please don’t bother.