Frazzled and spazzed over the mere mention of finals? Don't be! With our study secrets, you'll breeze right on through....

May I have your attention?

You might think U.S. history is the most boring subject in this hemisphere, but you need to absorb those facts if you're gonna pass the class. You think snoozing through one little review session won't make a bit of difference? Wrong!

Missing your teacher's Freedom of Speech, urn, speech could make or break your GPA, so pay attention. Cliche, we know. But listen to the info your teacher spits out, and be diligent about taking good notes. Sometimes, just the act of jotting stuff down is like etching it onto your brain with a Sharpie.

Study with a buddy

Partnering up with a pal and quizzing each other is a great way to memorize the material you need to know for finals. But if you're thinking of organizing a study group with your girls, reconsider. The group effort might seem like a good idea in theory, but things could backfire.

Having more than a single pal to brain-bounce with can result in less than stellar grades. Why? Because it's tough getting every gal in the crew to stay on the serious-minded track--your study sesh is likely to morph into more of a full-on fun-fest. Stick to one smart-o, study-conscious bud. If you and the study buddy get bored or book-bogged, take a brief break ... but then get right back to business.

One of the biggest mistakes even the most conscientious students make is studying chapter after chapter of information in one sitting. It is better to spread out your study time so you don't go into information overload. This means you should start studying for finals one to two weeks prior. Spend a little time each night going over your material. Also, make sure the area you are studying in is relatively quiet and free of distractions--TV off, please! You'll do better if you park yourself at a secluded spot in your home or at a cubicle in the library.

'Twas the night before ...

Testing, one, two, three ... There are three (count 'em) night-before-finals elements that are essential to your success: 1) Scan your notes to recharge the ol' memory bank. Since you strategically spaced out your study time, you should have no need to do any heavy cramming on Finals Eve. 2) Stay calm. If you get yourself totally stressed out, you are much more likely to make mindless mistakes, like marking the wrong box of a multiple-choice answer. Destress ahead of time by doing something that relaxes you, like a little yoga or an aromatherapy bath. 3) Get to bed early. You should be able to drift off dreamily after that steamy bubble bath. You will wake with a clear and alert brain if you get a good night's worth of Z's--which should translate into A's.

This is just a test

Ready for the Big Day? Remember, finals are very important, but it's not the end of the world ... so think positive. And be prepared! Don't show up for your algebra exam without a No. 2 on you. Also, this is not the time to worry about being best-dressed, so wear comfy clothes. Too-tight clothing can divert your attention away from the test, especially since you'll probably be sitting for a long period of time.

One more crucial piece of advice--it is a must to eat a good breakfast. Set your alarm to give you plenty of time to chow down a decent meal. Research has proven that students who eat before a test score best. Besides, you don't want to sit through a two-hour exam with a growling stomach. Now, are you ready to tackle that test? No sweat!

Playing off last year's success, many retailers have decided to stock their shelves again with sherpa and faux fur-lined items for kids' outer-wear this winter.

"Last holiday season sherpa and faux fur were popular items for women," said Rebecca Weill, a Gap spokesperson. "And this holiday you'll see that trend being carried into kids and baby. It's an adorable, soft and comfortable way to keep kids and babies warm, and also feels very special."

Next season, Gap will offer several faux fur and sherpa-lined items for its children and baby departments. A girls' faux fur reversible vest will retail for $39.50, while the boys' sherpa version will sell for $34.50. For tinier tykes, three items will be sold: a sherpa snowsuit, $54; sherpa rancher coat, $49.50; and faux fur-front cardigan, $39.50. Faux fur items will be all the rage with girls this year, while sherpa will be the boys' must-have.

"Sherpa is more nubbly and masculine, while faux fur is fluffy and more feminine," explained The Children's Place spokesperson Andrea McClarren.

Children's Place will also have a variety of faux fur and sherpa items: a faux fur trapper hat for girls, $7.50, and boys, $8.50; a reversible jacket with fur accents for girls, $39.50; and a reversible sherpa jacket for boys, $49.50.The new items, which land in stores in early October, will be upgraded versions of last year's offerings.

Gymboree already has this look available in its stores. It has a variety of fauxfur winter accessories, including fur boots, fur headbands, earmuffs and scarves. Even some items in its apparel section, such as a fur-lined sweater dress, are fur-friendly.

Mass retailers also have a few furry options already selling on their floors. Wal-Mart sells a furry-lined corduroy girls' bomber jacket for $14.88, while Target has its own girls' jacket with fur for $9.99. In apparel, they also offer a glitter tank with fur that sells for $5.99.

Any person thirty five years or older who has recently walked past a group of middle school or high school girls has probably seen more waist and hip skin than they ever imagined on a 12 year old, more cleavage than they thought possible on a 15 year old, and more belly buttons than a Beyonce’ video. The trends and fashion statements that are “in style” with pre-teens and teens today would have earned women who are in their mid thirties a suspension from school for inappropriate dressing.

But it isn’t the fashions themselves that have me frustrated. It is the fact that through wearing some of these items at such an early age, young girls are not learning what comfortable clothing feels like, they’re not learning how to not feel objectified by their dress, and they’re not learning how to present their individuality outside of these trends. My ten year old daughter taught me how cruel teen girl fashions have become.

Last year, in the beginning of my daughter’s 5th grade school year, she was wearing the low waist jeans. I’d be in the kitchen cooking dinner and she’d sit down and do her homework. As I walked past, I’d notice more backside than waist was in full view. I’d tell her, “Pull your pants up. Nobody wants to see where the sun doesn’t shine.” The next day, she’d have on a different pair of jeans, she’d sit down and again, I’m seeing the top of her gluteus maximus where some fabric should have been. I didn’t recall buying all these low waist pants. When we were in the department store it seemed that the pants covered her bottom, but now it seemed every time I walked by I was getting mooned. For the next couple of weeks, I must have sounded like the booty crack monitor because I was telling my daughter to pull up her pants like every five minutes. Finally, I became so angry I asked her where were her underpants. Defensively, she told me, “I have on underwear.” Well, an argument ensued because if my pants fell below my waist you’d see cotton bloomers before you’d see my naked skin. Why weren’t my daughter’s undies protecting her?

My daughter and I went upstairs and talked and she showed me that she did indeed have on her underwear, but she’d begun to fold over the top of her underwear because she’d learned in school that you shouldn’t let people see your underwear if you have on low rise pants. What was worse is that she’d kept wearing underwear that were too small to achieve the “look.” How cruel is that? Without my knowledge my daughter was learning to sacrifice comfortable underwear for small ones for the sake of fashion. I couldn’t understand it, and I knew too small underwear would be uncomfortable for me as well as wearing jeans that allowed my backside to be exposed at the slightest bend. Yet, whenever I would tell my daughter to pull up her jeans, she didn’t seem embarrassed, or particularly bothered. It appeared that showing more flesh than desired was all a part of wearing the fashion and so it wasn’t a “big deal.”

As a youth program specialist, I get the opportunity to work with teen girls all across the country. Over the past five years, I’ve witnessed some shocking fashions but the one that disappoints me the most is the “too short skirt.” The too short skirt is the skirt that looks like a small handkerchief is wrapped around the waist. The too short skirt is the skirt that the girl wears and has to put her notebook, purse, backpack or papers on her thighs so that we don’t see her undergarments. How comfortable can it be to sit in a workshop and have to cover your thighs for an hour? How comfortable can it be to know that you can’t bend over and pick up anything because your private area will be exposed? What if somebody dropped a million dollars in front of the girl in a too short skirt? She wouldn’t even be able to become a millionaire without losing her dignity. The Too Short Skirt teen fashion trend is far too cruel.

The low waist jeans and the too short skirts are just two of the youth fashions that are being passed off as cool, but really aren’t. The other really cruel teen fashion is the too short shorts. These are the gym shorts that people in their thirties used to wear with the drawstring tie in the front. Well, girls of today are turning over the tops of the shorts and pulling them up like a pair of stockings. Not only do these short shorts look ridiculous, they look impossibly uncomfortable. Yet, millions of girls are flipping down the waistbands of their shorts to look like the girl sitting next to them. Needless to say, the elastic waistband is really helpful for girls with larger bellies. The elastic band keeps the tummy in and makes the girl look slimmer. But, unfortunately, the girl who really wants to keep her elastic waistband in tact isn’t doing so because she feels the pressure to fit in with all the girls who wear the turn down waist. It’s cruel.

I never thought cruel fashions could impact a girl’s self esteem, but so many girls are now suffering because they’re wearing clothes that make them feel bad about how they look. Historically, youth fashion trends gave youth a definitive and creative voice. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out what low waist, short skirts and short shorts are saying about our teen girls. Or maybe I refuse to hear what those fashion trends are saying because it’s just too cruel.

Any mom or mom-to-be would love to spend fond hours thinking about how to deck up their little princesses in the most charming of outfits and make them stand out in the crowd. Such is the pleasure in having a baby girl and the little unparalleled joys of having her at the center of your world. Keeping in mind such super delicate feelings and the superb baby dolls, girl’s fashion has taken a leap forward in today’s time, with numerous cool designer brands packing the scene to make a place in every closet.

Fashion has always been an exciting factor for everyone, but it is a tad more impressive and adorable when it comes to draping those little angels. Be it the layettes, dresses, shirts, sweaters, onesies, frog suits, skirts, pants or jumpers, there is a fashion rolling for each and in every shop or boutique. You just need to know what’s best and hot for your darling daughter, niece or granddaughter and what’s not. So here are some essential pointers to buying baby-gears for the girl child you love so dearly.

1. Comfort: No matter how gorgeous the dress is or how stunning you think your little one would look in that, forget a dress if it is not comfortable enough for an infant or toddler. To make the dresses look cute, designers often give accents to these that can be bothersome to the child. So careful—no itchy tags, tight elastics, scratchy laces or stifling neckline. And keep the seasonality factor in mind as well—no layered dresses in summer, save the satins for winter, pastels for spring and so on.

2. Handiness: Your baby girl may invite hugs and cuddles in one oh-so-pretty dress and you may take pride in that too, but imagine if changing diapers in that dress is harder than putting it on, you might just not like your little darling to wear it anymore, would you? Therefore, buy clothes which are easy to put on or take off for her.

3. Perfect fit: Fitting is of significant import to any dress—be it a boutique girls clothing or any ordinary home-stitched fashion frock. Many boutiques today sell unique mix-n-match colors and fabrics for those teeny-weeny dolls, but you must remember that sizing is more important than style. The choky tees or skinny jeans may be a huge letdown for the plus-sized young one or a flowing unmanageable frilly jumper may increase chances of a free fall for your petite toddler. In either case, consider twice.

4. Personality match: As much essential as matching size, is matching the dress with the personality of your girl. If your infant or toddler girl is bubbly and restless, let the colors speak for her. Choose bright and vibrant shades of bloomers or wrap tees. And if your little princess is restfully quiet, the floral pastels would be right compliments to her personality.

When women started entering the world of sports, they had to deal with a lot of prejudice. The then male dominated sports industry scoffed at the idea that women would be competing in various manly sports. They believe that the place of women were in the home and not in the track and field or diamond field. Well, nowadays you won't even think that women are incapable of competing in such "manly sports". Women today have shown as capable of dominating sports like track and field, tennis, basketball, etc.

But with due to the increasing number of women athletes, clothing manufacturers and sports experts have begun developing the right clothing for them. Women athletes have some specific needs that need to be addressed in order for them to compete properly in some sporting events. Researchers have come up with high-tech performance fabrics that help create sports apparel that are both comfortable and function for the women athlete.

A lot of sports stores today offer a complete line of women and girls sports apparel. You can find for example, sports bras made of spandex materials that feature high necklines which provide full coverage and maximum support. Designers have thought of incorporating arched seams and used the right combination of hook-and-eye closures to provide an extremely strong hold. Some sports bras also have wide elastic panels to keep the bra in place.

Aside from the serious women athletes, a lot of women out there enter sports just to have fun or just to stay fit. There are already a lot of women sportswear stores that cater to the needs of this group of women.

If you go to your nearest department store or sports clothing shop, it is almost certain that you'll find a number of sports fashion line that mixes together unique fabrics and the newest and hottest fashion designs. Fashion designers for years have been into designing sports clothing. They have created sportswear for the various types of women sport activities. These include aerobics, fitness activities, running, yoga, golf and tennis. The main premise that fashion designers try to uphold is for women enjoy a good work out while looking attractive and feeling sexy.

This only proves that sports shops should not limit their target market to professional women athletes. They have a wide market base of women who are simply into sports just for the heck of it. And these women are more than willing to spend to get the appropriate clothing. Sports clothing stores should also offer simple women sportswear like shirts, pants, shorts, as well as various accessories in a myriad of colors and designs.

When women started entering the world of sports, they had to deal with a lot of prejudice. The then male dominated sports industry scoffed at the idea that women would be competing in various manly sports. They believe that the place of women were in the home and not in the track and field or diamond field. Well, nowadays you won't even think that women are incapable of competing in such "manly sports". Women today have shown as capable of dominating sports like track and field, tennis, basketball, etc.

But with due to the increasing number of women athletes, clothing manufacturers and sports experts have begun developing the right clothing for them. Women athletes have some specific needs that need to be addressed in order for them to compete properly in some sporting events. Researchers have come up with high-tech performance fabrics that help create sports apparel that are both comfortable and function for the women athlete.

A lot of sports stores today offer a complete line of women and girls sports apparel. You can find for example, sports bras made of spandex materials that feature high necklines which provide full coverage and maximum support. Designers have thought of incorporating arched seams and used the right combination of hook-and-eye closures to provide an extremely strong hold. Some sports bras also have wide elastic panels to keep the bra in place.

Aside from the serious women athletes, a lot of women out there enter sports just to have fun or just to stay fit. There are already a lot of women sportswear stores that cater to the needs of this group of women.

If you go to your nearest department store or sports clothing shop, it is almost certain that you'll find a number of sports fashion line that mixes together unique fabrics and the newest and hottest fashion designs. Fashion designers for years have been into designing sports clothing. They have created sportswear for the various types of women sport activities. These include aerobics, fitness activities, running, yoga, golf and tennis. The main premise that fashion designers try to uphold is for women enjoy a good work out while looking attractive and feeling sexy.

This only proves that sports shops should not limit their target market to professional women athletes. They have a wide market base of women who are simply into sports just for the heck of it. And these women are more than willing to spend to get the appropriate clothing. Sports clothing stores should also offer simple women sportswear like shirts, pants, shorts, as well as various accessories in a myriad of colors and designs.