Andrea P

I was eating miso soup and, like an idiot, dropped my phone into the bowl. Only the bottom quarter was submerged for about one second before I salvaged it. At first the speakers didn't work, but now they're almost perfect again.

The only strange thing is that it keeps saying an unrecognized charger is plugged into my phone, even though nothing is plugged in. I need to charge my phone because I need to take it with me really soon when I leave, so when I plugged it into the charger, it still charges, but the charger has liquid on it when I pull it out. And that "This charger or accessory is not supported" message keeps popping up. Is there a way I can clean out the charging port? I think that's the only part that's been severely affected.

So I did a short interview for my college's newspaper staff. Each interview slot was 10 minutes because they were interviewing six potential candidates for the job. I was interviewed by three current staff members, a little intimidating because it was 3 on 1. Occasionally they would laugh and smile at some of my comments. They didn't tell me when I would hear back about the position, but about 10 minutes after I left, one of them called and asked if I could work on Sundays. Is this a positive sign?

Whenever I look on sites like College Confidential to see the stats of admitted UCLA students (especially from last year), they seem much better than the official UCLA freshman profile indicates.

http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/Fro...

For example, people post that they got in with 2200+ on the SAT and 3.95 unweighted GPAs. Some people even post that they got rejected with similar high stats. Why is this?

My stats are right at the average: a 30 on the ACT and a 3.88 unweighted GPA. I also have many extracurriculars. I feel like I'm not good enough to get in, even though I'm right at the average. Should I be worrying?

My parents, unfortunately, are in too high of an income bracket to qualify for any needs-based financial aid in college. No, my family is not wealthy, but my parents' income is higher than what qualifies for financial aid. They've agreed to pay around $45,000/year for my college education, but the college I'm looking at (UChicago) is approximately $57,000 (one of the most expensive colleges in the country) and will probably increase its tuition each year. It's also EXTREMELY difficult to qualify for merit-based scholarships there, and I know my grades, while good, probably aren't good enough to get one.

But I know that not EVERYONE who goes to UChicago could possibly qualify for financial aid. And I'm sure that most parents who can't qualify for aid don't pay the $57,000 each year. So how do those students afford it? I'm also scared to take out a loan because it's difficult to pay student loans back, especially in this economy.

What are my options, realistically? Should I bother applying there?

My sophomore GPA wasn't the best (3.95 weighted; probably like a 3.75 or 3.8 unweighted). However, if I were to pull off getting a 4.5 (4.0 unweighted) both semesters of junior year to get a cumulative GPA of 4.3 or so, would I have a good shot?

Hopefully I'll also have a strong SAT score of at least 2200. I also have extracurriculars on my side like student council, choir, drama, and a ton of service hours. So will my chances be okay when I apply, or will they hold my sophomore grades against me?

I have a Nikon FM10 film camera. I've been having some film-noob problems lately, such as when I opened the back in broad sunlight without rewinding the film first. Bye-bye, 24 frames. Anyway, I made sure to avoid doing that again.

Today, after finishing another roll, I pressed the film-rewind button at the bottom and then turned the rewind crank the right way, as always. I heard the film rewinding. Then, the film stopped rewinding and the crank wound back to its original position. That usually means it's done. So I opened the back, but for some reason the film hadn't gone all the way back in; there was still a bit of film around the take-up spool. Horrified, I closed the back quickly and attempted to rewind it again, but it wouldn't budge. Then I pressed the film-rewind button AGAIN. I didn't hear the film rewinding, but after turning the crank for a while, I opened the back again. This time, ALL of the film (even the leader) went back into the canister.

The lady at the development center assured me she'd be able to get the film out of the canister, but how many frames did I probably lose (I was indoors at the time it happened in a dim room)? And why did this happen if I did everything correctly? This has never happened with my camera before, as it is new.

Freshman year classes:

-math: Honors Algebra II

-English: Honors English 9

-others: French I, P.E./Computers, Religion, World History

Freshman elective: drama class (and had a lead in the school play)

Freshman student council: vice president

Freshman service hours: 100+ hrs

Freshman cumulative unweighted GPA: 3.86

Sophomore year classes:

-Honors Algebra II

-Honors English 10

-AP World History (got a 4 on the AP exam)

-others: French II, P.E./Speech, Religion, Biology

Soph. elective: drama class (did two drama festivals and the school play)

Soph. student council: section representative

Soph. service: about 80 hrs.

Soph. first semester weighted GPA: 3.98

Soph. second semester weighted GPA: 3.93

Plans for junior year:

Junior year classes:

-math: Honors Pre-Calc

-English: AP English

-AP U.S. History

-others: French III, Religion Chemistry

Junior electives: drama class (and do the drama festivals/play) and choir

Junior student council: section representative (I've already been elected)

Member of the National Honor Society

Junior service: about 80ish hours again

Junior weighted GPA: at least a 4.0 both semesters because I'm good at English and history, and my math teacher is a joke.

And hopefully a great score on the SAT or ACT

Sorry this is long. But what do you think? Are my grades good enough?

I have all A's and A-'s. Is it fair for me to say I have straight A's?

I'm looking forward to getting a low-priced DSLR camera, and these two seem the best for my price limit. Both have good reviews, but which is better for my specific uses?

-I travel a lot and need excellent, high-quality photos to capture all the amazing sites.

-I'm a beginner at photography. In fact, I've never had a DSLR camera before. Which is easier for newbies to use?

-I plan on taking a photography class.

-I want to do fun photo-shoots with friends.

Which has better photo quality? Which has faster shutter speeds? Which has a better batter life?

All in all, which is the better camera?

It's never done this before. I personally don't think it's infected because the discharge doesn't have an odor. It's a light yellow color. It was pierced about 2 months ago. There aren't really any other signs of infection -- it doesn't burn and I feel no pain. The top hole has purple around it, but I think that's supposed to be normal, too.

I've noticed that there's a LITTLE bit of purple scar tissue to the left of it, and there's always been a teensy tiny bit on top, too. I was scared it might be rejecting, but it's been like that since forever. Plus, there's no other signs. I can't see the piercing through my skin, it isn't sore, it isn't hanging loosely, and the hole isn't any bigger than it should be.

I know it's not infected either - there's no weird discharge, it doesn't burn to the touch, it doesn't smell, etc.

So why is there purple around it?

So I have to wear a uniform for school. The skirt comes up really high on my waist, and it's irritating my belly button piercing. Is there anything I can do for it to stop the irritation? I obviously can't just stop wearing a required piece of my uniform. I don't want the piercing to reject or get infected, so HELP! Best answer = 10 points, thanks! :]

I want to order the bareMinerals get started kit, but I don't know which shade to order. I know I'm either fair or light, but I'm having a hard time deciding which is better for my skin tone. Here is how THEY classify the different shades:

http://bareescentuals.com/on/demandware.store/Site...

And here is a hilarious yet useful picture that shows my true skin tone:

http://i33.tinypic.com/1zyty89.jpg

My cheeks are rosy and have some really light freckles. I burn kind of easily, but I usually tan a little before I burn (some people burn right away). My tans never get dark though. My sunburns look more tan than red, unless I'm out in the sun for a LONG time without sunscreen.

So which shade is best for me?

Sorry, I know this question is strange hahaha.

Anyway, for one of my required summer reading books, I have to read The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. One of our projects is to cast actors to play the roles of the characters in the book based on a role they have played before.

I need an actress currently in her mid-twenties who has played a part similar to Laura in The Glass Menagerie. Laura lives in a fantasy world where nothing seems real to her. Are there any movies with characters like that?

Today I put on some scented spray. Usually this scent does not bother me, but I guess when it mixed with the smell of my shampoo and condition, the combined smell was too much for me. Now I have a headache that seems to be above my ears.

How can I get rid of it? It's really annoying, and the ice is not helping. I also washed the bad scent out of my hair with fragrance-free shampoo, but to no avail -- the headache is as bad as ever.

I got it pierced about 2 weeks ago. The top is really red now and I think it's swelling. However, there's no discharge, it doesn't burn to touch, and I don't really feel pain. The only time I feel pain is when the piercing is pressed against a seatbelt, for example. And, I think I've been cleaning it properly.

I do sea salt soaks twice day, and wash it with antibacterial soap once a day in the shower. Maybe it's possible that the soap is irritating it. I couldn't find any scent-free antibacterial soaps. There's no scent on the bottle (it doesn't say rose-scented, for example). But in the ingredients it says 'fragrance'. I think most soaps have this added though. I could be wrong...

Also, I haven't been keeping up recently with my sea salt soaks (I've been lazy and done one a day). So maybe I need to keep doing it twice?

Let me know what you think -- I just want to be sure it's not an early sign of infection.

I got it pierced recently, on Tuesday. It is currently Friday, so it might just be because it's still new. Anyway, on the part above the actual belly button, a part of skin around the top barbell is slightly red. It's not like deep red. There is no discharge either. The only thing that might cause me to think it's infected is that it's a little bit red, and it still hurts to touch the piercing when I clean it. I'm probably only overreacting, but could it be infected? The lower barbell is fine (the part inside the belly button).

I just turned 16 a little less than a week ago. My whole life, I have been what you call a "good kid." I've always done very well in school, I've taken all the hard classes, and I listen to my parents. For once in my life, I decided to do something one might say is "rebellious" - I got a belly button piercing. Why? I like it. And no, I do not plan to start wearing midriffs from now on. My grades will NOT drop. I will not suddenly turn into a hoe and give up my dreams in life.

How do I convince my by-the-book, Catholic parents that this piercing has not in any way changed my personality or my love for them? I am STILL the same person, only now I have a little jewel on my navel...big deal.

Any suggestions for how I should drop the bomb on them?

I got my 13" Macbook Pro around October of 2009. It's been through one very traumatizing event: I dropped it about 2 feet onto a hard floor, which occurred about 4 months ago. Luckily, no damage had been done internally; it ran like a charm. There were some bad scratches though, but those were something I could live with.

For the last 3 weeks or so it's been acting rather strangely, however. I see that horrible spinning ball of doom (the rainbow one) a lot more than I used to...and for stupid reasons, like Safari momentarily freezing (for about 2 seconds). Safari has also been taking a lot longer to load.

Today, though, the poor thing broke my heart: while it was on 'sleep' mode, its fan was really loud. I've never been able to actually hear the fan from a distance before! Naturally I opened the Mac, but the screen wouldn't turn on. I checked the power light in front, and the light was on, which means the computer was on. So, I shut the laptop off then turned it on again. But it wouldn't turn on - it was stuck on the gray loading page with the Apple logo for about 2 minutes, until I shut it off and turned it on again. THEN it worked, but I'm afraid that it can only get worse from here. I mean, every time I shut it, then re-open it, the screen just stays black no matter how many buttons I press. And I don't want a faulty Mac! I mean, who would?

I plan on going to the Apple store tomorrow, but how likely is it that they can either fix it or replace it for free (it's still covered by the one-year limited warranty)? I know the fall didn't damage it because the effects would have kicked in probably right when I dropped it.

I mean, let's say that during the year you progress so far as to get a 3.8 (unweighted) GPA for your first semester average, and a 3.95 as your second semester average. Then, throughout your next 3 years you get like...3.9s and 4.0s (unweighted GPAs). Would an ivy league university, for example, be like, "Oh well she got a 3.66 in her first quarter ever of high school...NEXT!" Or would they just look at your overall freshman year GPA (the average of your first and second semester...I think that's how it's done)?