【推荐1】Although we’re often told that procrastinating (拖延) in college is harmful and that leaving our assignments to the last minute can lead us to feel more stressed, I like to wait before starting any assignment, since I tend to overthink and want to make it perfect. When I procrastinate, it’s not out of laziness, but rather, a desire to be efficient.

In an op-ed, Adam Grant, a professor of management and psychology, explored the connection between performance and procrastination habits, and cited an experiment conducted by one of his former students. In the study, procrastinators’ ideas were found to be 28% more creative than the ideas of those who didn’t procrastinate. As it turns out, procrastination might help generate creative ideas — which may explain why some students perform well at the last minute.

While procrastination might work well for some students, it may lead to increased levels of anxiety for others. One college student, Amanda, says, “If I procrastinate or struggle with assignments, it affects my mental health by making me feel trapped and anxious.” Not only can procrastination cause anxiety for students, but trying to finish an assignment in a hurry can also negatively impact their grades — and lead them to make small, careless mistakes — which can lead to even more anxiety.

It’s important to point out that there’s a difference between casual procrastination and chronic (长期的) procrastination. Chronic procrastination, distress over academics, or lack of motivation can often lead to more serious mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. If you struggle with managing schoolwork to the point where it affects your grades and interpersonal relationships over a long time, you might have to visit your school counselor or the academic resource center.

Everyone has different styles of working and managing their time, and when it comes to procrastinating in college, it’s always good to reflect on whether it’s helping or hurting. Figuring this part out can take a while, so make a note of how you’re completing your assignments and start writing down how you feel. Prioritize self-care whether you start your assignment the week before its due date or the day before.

【推荐2】According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, we might all be braggarts (大话王) in this competitive society addicted to social networking.

Take a close look at your social-networking sites. Do you like to post photos of yourself in restaurants to show others what an exciting life you have? Or do you like to write about how happily in love you are? Or perhaps you are of the subtle type who constantly complain about jobs but really just want to impress others with your important position.

According to the results of a series of experiments conducted by Harvard University neuroscientists (神经科学家), the reward areas of our brain — the same areas that respond to “primary rewards” such as food — are activated when we talk about ourselves. We devote between 30 to 40 percent of our conversation time to doing just that. Unfortunately, Bernstein says, some people can’t tell the difference between sharing positive information that others might actually want to know and direct bragging. She suggests that bragging involves comparison, whether stated or implied.

“We are expected to be perfect all the time. The result is that more and more people are carefully managing their online images,” says Elizabeth Bernstein, a columnist with the Wall Street Journal.

But the issue is not limited to the Internet. In a fiercely competitive job market we must sell ourselves on multiple platforms and show that we are better than others. In fact, we have become so accustomed to bragging that we don’t even realize we are doing it, says Bernstein. This is harmful to our relationships and puts people off.

Bernstein talked to some experts who said that people brag for all sorts of reasons: to appear worthy of attention; to prove to ourselves we are doing fine and that people who said we would fail are wrong; or simply because we’re excited when good things happen to us.

“Feel sorry for them, because they’re doing this unconscious, destructive thing that won’t help them in the long run,” said Professor Simian Valier, a research psychologist at Washington University.

【推荐3】Scientists have invented a process that can turn non-recyclable glass into everything from tires to toothpaste. Currently, only a small amount of glass is actually recyclable. Because of the effort that is required to sort and separate the smaller parts, they tend to be discarded or sent to the landfill — but researchers from the university of Queensland have come up with a way to turn mountains of non-recyclable glass into useful items.

Researchers said that glass can be broken into silica (二氧化硅) which can be used to make products such as glue, cleaner and coatings. Tom’s of Maine, famous for its natural toothpaste , for instance, uses silicon either as a thickener for its toothpaste or as a whitening agent.

“We’re taking waste glass that is currently going to the landfill because it’s too small to be sorted into the right color, ” said Pirie, one of the researchers. “Glass is about 70 to 75% silica. You need about 1.3 kg of glass to make 1 kg of silica. Most of that goes into the sellable products, so we have very little waste at the end of it.”

Unlike traditional methods of producing liquid silicate, the researchers’ technique requires relatively little energy, which also makes it far cheaper.

“The glass industry has a huge amount it cannot recycle because it is too broken or it is too small, ” said professor Damien Batstone, another researcher who helped to develop the technique. It is currently stockpiled as it cannot be used. We are going to take it through a much simpler process to turn it into a useful resource?

The university’s commercialization company unique quest is now seeking partner companies that are interested in taking the technology to market.

【推荐1】Labour force is the part of a nation’s population that works for pay or is actively looking for work. This group produces most of the nation’s goods and services, and its size and productivity determine the nation’s economic （经济） growth. The labour force of the United States increased from 2 million in 1800 to about 118 million in the mid 1900’s. This growth helped turn the United States from a largely agricultural country to an advanced industrial one.

The United States government uses the term “labour force ” for people at least 16 years old who have jobs or are actively looking for jobs, including those in the armed forces. Groups not in the labour force include disabled persons, full time housewives, retired （退休） people and students. And the labour force does not include discouraged ones who have given up looking for work because they think none can be got.

The United Nations uses the term “economically active population” instead of “labour force”. The economically active population includes people of all ages who hold jobs or are looking for jobs. The percentages of teenagers and old people in this group are much higher in many developing countries than they are in industrial countries.

【推荐2】Let’s say you want to purchase a camera, and you’re comparing two different advertisements. In one, the pictures, colors, and instructions make the information easy to read. The other has an unclear style that takes more time for you to understand. If you decide to purchase the second camera with the more confusing advertisement, new research out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that, over time, you’ll likely be happier with your choice.

In a paper co-authored by Gaurav Jain, an assistant professor of marketing in the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer, researchers found that nonstop stimuli (刺激), or the difficulty for an individual to process a message, increases people’s attitudes toward that message after a time delay.

“This research has a real-life impact,” Jain said. “Most of the time, marketing communicators try to make their message clear. What we learned, however, is that there are certain times, especially when people need to make choices, when we should actually use nonstop stimuli so that whatever people are choosing, they will like it once time has passed.”

Using primary data collection designed by Jain of about 500 diverse individuals, researchers also found that consumers judge the time spent in the decision-making process wrongly. Rather than recognizing that the lengthy decision came from trying to understand the information, when looking back on the process, consumers instead believe they spent the time on making the decision. This leads the consumer to believe the decision they made was informed and worthy.

These findings are meaningful for marketing communications in many fields.

“When people are making decisions,” Jain said, “like choosing insurance products, retirement funds, or even when choosing an elected official, marketers and designers need to remember that if we can make an individual spend some time in that choosing process, it’s more likely people will stick with the option they chose over time.”

Jain says that when consumers’ attitudes about a product increase, the impact on post-purchase decisions like returns and reviews of the product will be more favorable to the brand.