TEENAGERS WITH EXPERIENCE

  • Home
  • Mental Health
    • Anxiety and Stress Articles
    • Body Image Articles
    • Depression Articles
    • Disorder Articles
    • Eating Disorder Articles
    • Getting Help Articles
    • Mental Health and Others Articles
    • OCD Articles
    • Self-Harm Articles
    • Sleep Problem Articles
    • Social Anxiety Articles
  • LGBTQ+
    • Coming Out Articles
    • Gender Articles
    • Questioning Articles
    • Pride Articles
    • Sexuality Articles
  • Lifestyle
    • Addiction Articles
    • Beauty Articles
    • Growing Up Articles
    • Hobby Articles
    • Healthy Living Articles
    • Modern World Articles
    • Period Articles
    • Sex Articles
    • Sense of Self Articles
  • Education
    • College Articles
    • Life Skills Articles
    • Revision Articles
    • School Articles
    • University Articles
    • Volunteer Articles
    • Working Articles
  • Social Life
    • Abuse Articles
    • Bullying Articles
    • Emotion Articles
    • Family Articles
    • Friendship Articles
    • Death Articles
    • Pet Articles
    • Relationship Articles
  • Disabilities
    • Autism
    • ADHD
    • Deaf & Blindness
    • Learning Disabilities
    • Physical Disabilities
  • Topical
    • BLM Articles
    • COVID-19 Articles
    • Cultural Articles
    • Environment Articles
    • Feminism Articles
    • Finance Articles
    • Political Articles
    • Holiday Articles >
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • New Years Articles
      • Valentine's Day
    • Religion Articles
  • Creative Writing
    • Poems
    • Reviews
    • Short Stories
    • Writing Prompts
  • Team
    • Join The Team
    • Our Team
    • Virtual Work Experience
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Videos
  • For Schools
  • Submit an article
  • Home
  • Mental Health
    • Anxiety and Stress Articles
    • Body Image Articles
    • Depression Articles
    • Disorder Articles
    • Eating Disorder Articles
    • Getting Help Articles
    • Mental Health and Others Articles
    • OCD Articles
    • Self-Harm Articles
    • Sleep Problem Articles
    • Social Anxiety Articles
  • LGBTQ+
    • Coming Out Articles
    • Gender Articles
    • Questioning Articles
    • Pride Articles
    • Sexuality Articles
  • Lifestyle
    • Addiction Articles
    • Beauty Articles
    • Growing Up Articles
    • Hobby Articles
    • Healthy Living Articles
    • Modern World Articles
    • Period Articles
    • Sex Articles
    • Sense of Self Articles
  • Education
    • College Articles
    • Life Skills Articles
    • Revision Articles
    • School Articles
    • University Articles
    • Volunteer Articles
    • Working Articles
  • Social Life
    • Abuse Articles
    • Bullying Articles
    • Emotion Articles
    • Family Articles
    • Friendship Articles
    • Death Articles
    • Pet Articles
    • Relationship Articles
  • Disabilities
    • Autism
    • ADHD
    • Deaf & Blindness
    • Learning Disabilities
    • Physical Disabilities
  • Topical
    • BLM Articles
    • COVID-19 Articles
    • Cultural Articles
    • Environment Articles
    • Feminism Articles
    • Finance Articles
    • Political Articles
    • Holiday Articles >
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • New Years Articles
      • Valentine's Day
    • Religion Articles
  • Creative Writing
    • Poems
    • Reviews
    • Short Stories
    • Writing Prompts
  • Team
    • Join The Team
    • Our Team
    • Virtual Work Experience
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Videos
  • For Schools
  • Submit an article

Allergy Season is Here...

5/4/2021

3 Comments

 
For me, springtime was my least favorite time of year, solely due to my allergies. Starting from March and ending around August, typical symptoms included constant sneezing, a runny nose, itchy throat and itchy eyes.

For almost all high schoolers attending my school, no one seemed to be having any problems with their allergies. They never sneezed or scratched their eyes. I was always wishing that my allergies would disappear one year, never to return once more. 

This year, I thought my allergies were gone for good. However, my allergies came earlier in January. Instead, I found myself constantly sneezing, with each sneeze initiating a stream of mucus. My eyes got super itchy and I found myself scratching them until they hurt.  The constant sneezing made my throat sore. According to my calculations, four hours of outdoor exposure resulted in never-ending allergies.
Picture
If sleeping was a way to escape my allergies, there was no escape this year. I woke up in the middle of the night with a stuffy nose.  After an hour of tossing and turning, I finally was able to sleep.  

As a person with severe spring allergies, I’ve discovered a few ways to make the experience a bit better for myself. For me, taking the typical allergy medication doesn’t work, so I had to discover ways to rid myself of my allergies.

  1. When having a stuffy nose, doing a pushup or two can relieve you of it for a few minutes. Sometimes, the relief can last as long as thirty minutes, which gives me enough time to sleep.
  2. Nasal sprays can help!  In the past, using nasal sprays have helped me get rid of my allergies. I generally used nasal sprays once a day, for seven days, to help rid me of all of my allergy symptoms! However, I don’t like the after-taste of the spray because it tastes quite bitter. 
  3. Use eye drops. Itchy eyes might be a result of springtime pollen, but it can also be a result of dry eyes. Use allergy eye drops to get rid of the itchiness. After using Zaditor eye drops, I was relieved to discover that my eyes were no longer itchy. 
  4. Talk to your doctor. Your doctor can help you discover what you’re allergic to and can prescribe the appropriate medication to help decrease the symptoms of your allergies.

Springtime allergies can be a pain but just remind yourself that they will eventually end. By taking the appropriate steps to relieve yourself from symptoms, you can make it out of spring alive. 

Do you have springtime allergies?  Let me know in the comments below.

-Jade
​Photo credit: Piper

3 Comments

10 Superpower-Themed Prompts

14/3/2021

1 Comment

 
Here are ten writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing!

  1. You wake up to a world where everyone has superpowers. How do you react?
  2. Everyday, one person wakes up with an elemental power. One day, you wake up with a power no one has ever seen before.
  3. As a part of a scientific experiment, you are granted the power of mind-reading. What do you use your powers for?
  4. You wake up with the ability to shapeshift into any animal. While showing off your superpower to your friends, you get stuck, unable to shift back into human form. What do you do?
  5. You are the most famous superhero in the world… But how do you juggle school and your heroic efforts?
  6. One day, you are recruited to attend a mysterious academy for those with powers? But you don’t have powers… Not that you know of…
  7. Everything you touch turns into a statue, except for your best friend. What happens?
  8. One day, you discover that you can see what everyone thinks of you. Will this boost your confidence?
  9. Everyday, you wake up with a different power. What is your story?
  10. An old wizard approaches you. He tells you that you have the unique ability to choose your superpower. What do you choose and why?

If one of these prompts helped you write a story, be sure to send it to us to be featured on our short stories page!

-Jade

​
1 Comment

10 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Prompts

19/2/2021

2 Comments

 
  1. After having a strange dream, you wake up in the future. What do you do?
  2. Going down a strange trail at your local park, you find yourself in a strange world of magic and are declared as the chosen one to slay a mysterious beast. The beast is your twin. 
  3. You’ve been having a strange series of dreams, each a small part of a story. One day, you have a night without any dreams. When you wake up, you find yourself as the hero of the story…
  4. You are forced to become a test subject for a time traveling experiment. You are accidentally sent back in time… to 0 AD.  How do you react?
  5. You are sent back in time to save the Princes in the Tower.  When you save them, you discover that the present has completely changed…
  6. You discover that you were an abducted child of a famous historical figure and sent to the present. When investigating your own disappearance, you discover that there is much more than what meets the eye…
  7. You know that aliens exist. But no one believes you. The aliens offer you a home free of judgment. Will you join them? Or will you expose them for their malicious intents?
  8. You are abducted by aliens. They tell you that you are the Chosen One, expected to deliver their people from their doom…
  9. You are chosen for a special space exploration unit, but when you are launched into space, you realize that you are the only human on the ship. The only companions you have are an AI unit, a dog, pig and a strange pink egg…
  10. Ten years in the future, everyone has chosen to become a cyborg, augmented by the power of technology. When a glitch goes wrong, you discover that you can read the minds of anyone you touch. 

If one of these prompts helped you write a story, be sure to send it to us to be featured on our short stories page!

-Jade

​
2 Comments

A Guide to Virtual Volunteering

15/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Many teenagers can’t go to school. They can’t volunteer at their local food bank or help out at the pet shelter around the block. As many teenagers find themselves bored at home, many people have discovered a new way to get involved: virtual volunteering. 

While virtual volunteering has been around for a while, many people haven’t taken the opportunity to take advantage of it. Virtual volunteering has recently become a prominent way of giving back to your community due to the coronavirus pandemic, whether it impacts the life of a lonely senior or helps a child who is falling behind in schoolwork.

For the summer of 2020, I told myself that it was going to be the “Summer of Service”. I was going to reach out, make a difference in my community and help everyone make the world a better place. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic hit and I found myself looking for new ways to give back to the community.

I found many ways to volunteer virtually. Even though I was stuck at home, I soon discovered that I could help out my local community. Through my local volunteer center, I discovered that I could make digital cards via Canva for seniors. The cards would be printed out and distributed to people living across my county. This volunteer opportunity helped me realize my passion for designing. Previously, I had always thought of myself as an awful designer, but I discovered that Canva allowed me to create beautiful, yet simple designs that didn’t blind everyone.

Note: The following websites are not sponsored by Teenagers With Experience.  I volunteered with Zooniverse and the Kids Circle Foundation.  I found volunteering opportunities through VolunteerMatch.  

Another way to find virtual volunteering opportunities is through VolunteerMatch.  VolunteerMatch provides you with different volunteering opportunities. For example, in July 2020, my sister found Teenagers With Experience on VolunteerMatch.  Through Teenagers With Experience, I have discovered my passion for writing and I found a great community of open-minded people.

VolunteerMatch also helped me find other non-profit organizations.  For example, I found The Kids Circle Foundation.  At the Kids’ Circle Foundation, I created slideshows that served as resources for struggling students.  Although I left the organization in September, it was a great opportunity to serve with fellow high schoolers from across the globe.

VolunteerMatch isn’t the only way to get service hours. If you are interested in pursuing science-related fields, Zooniverse is a great way to get started.  Zooniverse has many science programs, mainly focused on biology-related fields.  Zooniverse also has service opportunities related to non-scientific fields, such as Criminal Characters, which explores the transcripts of Australian criminals.

With virtual volunteering, the opportunities are endless. Although some people may think that colleges look down on virtual volunteering, virtual volunteering requires different skill sets compared to in-person volunteering. Virtual volunteering can help you improve your skills, whether it's typing or writing. Virtual volunteering can also help you meet new people from across the globe. Both virtual volunteering and in-person volunteering are valuable on college applications. Volunteering reveals an applicant’s commitment and willingness to serve in their communities. In fact, virtual volunteering reveals that you are willing to serve, regardless of the hardships you have faced during the pandemic.

Do you think virtual volunteering is a great way to serve?  What websites have you used to find virtual volunteering opportunities?

Let me know in the comments below!

-Jade

​
0 Comments

Growing Up Asian-American

29/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Being Asian-American in my youth meant that you were different. One of the things that highlighted how different it was to be Asian-American was the fact that I didn’t bring a sandwich for lunch.  Instead, I brought my Thermos, filled with rice, vegetables and meat.  While my peers thought that I brought strange food, I thought that a sandwich was a rather mundane type of lunch.  Why bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday, when you could bring different types of food everyday?  My mom made all types of dishes; she cooked delicious garlic steak bites, honey glazed chicken wings, and so much more.

Bringing something different than everyone else made me wonder why I was different.  I began to feel left out.  For everyone, they could finish their sandwich in ten minutes and go off to play.  For me, it took much longer.  I’m not sure if it was because I was a slow eater or not, but I felt left out.

Besides having a different lunch, I always knew that I looked different.  I remember this boy who showed everyone this trick he could do with his nose.  Everyone tried to do this trick, because they thought it was cool.  However, I couldn’t do it.  The boy told everyone that my nose was too short to do that trick.  I was devastated.  Why couldn’t I look like everyone else?

As I grew older, I was able to express that I wanted to assimilate into society; I wanted to look the same, eat the same food and get treated the same.  I didn’t want to feel left out, as I watched my friends eat their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and do cool nose tricks.

Now, I have a lot of friends who share the same experiences as me.  It feels great to have people you can relate with.  Now, my mom no longer makes lunches for me.  Looking back, I realized that I should’ve been more grateful for my lunches.  Now, I eat cafeteria food, just like everyone else.  Does that make me feel like I belong?  Not at all.

If I could travel back in time, I would’ve told my younger self to embrace my Asian culture.  Being different is great.  Just because everyone does something, doesn’t mean that it's the best choice.  Eventually, there’s going to be a time when you won’t get delicious lunches anymore and eat boring cafeteria food.  

-Jade

​
0 Comments

Distanced Learning Tips

17/9/2020

12 Comments

 
As many students are forced to transition into distanced learning, many kids find themselves stuck behind a screen.  In the United States, many schools have started the school year with remote learning, while others are starting with a hybrid of remote and in-person learning.  As cases continue to rise, most schools will probably stick with distanced learning.

After my first week of distanced learning, I discovered some great tips and tricks to maximize my distanced learning experience.  

  1. Find a quiet spot in your house.  Designate this place as your study corner.  Finding a quiet place with no distractions can help you focus on your studies, helping you concentrate better.  
  2. Find a desk to sit at.  Instead of sitting up in bed, find a desk to sit.  Wearing your PJs and staying in bed gives you a feeling of downtime and nap time.  By finding a desk to sit at while in class, you’ll be more focused and concentrated.  
  3. If using a tablet, don’t place it flat on your desk.  When using Zoom, your teachers will only see your nostrils.  Not a pleasant view for your classmates and teachers.  
  4. Prepare your camera with a test Zoom. One mistake that most students make is that they don’t do a test Zoom before they enter their official classroom Zoom.  However, many kids may discover that they aren’t centered in the middle of the screen or their camera reveals a pile of dirty laundry that you’re too lazy to wash.  
  5. Eat breakfast.  Many kids don’t eat breakfast before school starts.  If you don’t eat breakfast, you are more likely to get distracted.  If you’re trying to lose weight by skipping breakfast, skipping breakfast will not have an effect.  According to Time, skipping breakfast does not help you lose weight.
  6. Have a bottle of water on your desk.  During Zoom meetings, it is extremely important to stay hydrated.  Placing a water bottle on your desk reminds you to stay hydrated and healthy.  
  7. Take breaks.  In between Zoom meetings, taking breaks are super important.  Zoom burnout is real and will make you feel fatigue.  Walk around your house.  During lunch break, if you have time, walk the dog or take a brief walk outside.  
  8. Do some exercise afterwards.  After sitting in a chair all day long, that isn’t very good for you.  Teenagers need to exercise daily for an hour.  While you may have gotten to walk around the hallways or play a game of basketball during lunch, you can’t do that anymore because of remote learning.  After the school day ends, go out for a walk.  I love to go biking, if the weather permits.  Biking is an easy and relaxing activity that can help you stay healthy.  

When school starts, be sure to exercise and stretch your legs in between Zoom calls.  Zoom burnout is real and exhaustion is never a good thing.  

-Jade

​
12 Comments

The Girl in the Pale Blue Bubble

12/7/2020

0 Comments

 
She was floating in a pale blue bubble, suspended in an infinite slumber.  Long mahogany hair cascaded down her back, brushed to perfection.  Months had passed, yet she remained in the same infinite slumber, with a peaceful expression on her face.
She had been discovered in space, floating among the debris of a spacecraft that was once owned by a snake-like king.  The girl has been surrounded with thousands of deceased reptilian creatures, many with intricate armor.
No one knew what to do with the girl.  She was alive, yet suspended in the seemingly infinite slumber.  The bubble sat there, waiting for something to happen, waiting for something to pop it.
A black drone entered the room, landing on the fine white carpet.  It began to make a humming noise, slowly vacuuming the carpet, as usual.  Humans no longer did this menial task; robots were an infinite workforce.  It vacuumed around the bubble, being extremely careful not to touch or prod the bubble, before flying out the door.
Then, soft music began playing.  It was Mozart, the former inhabitant’s favorite kind of music.  She had died twelve years ago, in a tragic accident.  Just like the girl in the pale blue bubble, she had been caught in an explosion, caused by a reptilian king.
The bubble started to emit a humming noise, before starting to vibrate.  It began to vibrate faster, and faster, starting to make a screeching noise.  The baby blue bubble began to burst, little holes forming at first.  The holes grew bigger and bigger, water beginning to flow out of the bubble.  The bubble began to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller, until the pale blue skin disappeared, leaving the girl to fall onto the ground.
Her large brown eyes slowly fluttered open.  She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but no sound came out.  She slowly got up, before collapsing once more unto the floor.  Then, the girl tried to speak once more.
“He… Hello?” The girl had a bit of a foreign accent, perhaps Suican or Xerian.  She was a humanoid; a human-like alien.  
“Hello.  How may I be of assistance, Summer?” a friendly female voice asked.
“I… I’m not Summer,” the girl stuttered, looking around for the source of the voice.  Perhaps, the voice came from the speakers on the ceiling.
“Who are you?” The female voice now seemed unwelcoming.  The girl frowned.
“I don’t really know,” she said, attempting to get up once more.  She looked around the room, before recognizing something familiar to her.  It was a bookshelf.  She walked over to the bookshelf, taking a small leather book out.  It seemed like a diary of sorts.  The girl examined the cover, running her fingers over the embroidered letters.  
“Property of Summer Koo.”  She paused for a moment.  The last name, Koo, seemed a bit familiar.  Why did it seem so familiar?
“Summer was a thoughtful young woman,” the female voice said, with a sigh.  The girl blinked, surprised at the voice’s response.  
“But isn’t summer, a season… Of Earth culture?” she questioned.
“Summer can be many things.  Summer can be a season, a name, a place…” The female voice drifted off, listing what summer could be.  The girl sighed and flipped through the pages, stopping at one page.  
“Father says that we must leave this place.  He claims that Neptune is cursed.  But I refuse to leave.  Leading Spy Academy is our legacy, surely we cannot abandon it!” Britta read out loud.  Spy Academy seemed so familiar.  The girl thought hard for a moment, and  her memories flooded back, one by one.
She had been attending Spy Academy, along with her best friend, Serenity Woodbrookes.  They had known each other for many years, since the age of two, equivalent to the human age of five or six.  They were on this special team together, along with three other boys.  
A few months after attending the school, they were assigned to complete a special task: to find the traitor among the ranks of the Xerians, a species of nearly immortal beings.  During the mission, the traitor had captured the girl, along with another boy.  The assistant of the traitor, had tried to attract her attention, with much desperation.  The girl remembered one thing he had said to her.
“Do you want a snack, Britta?” The assistant was the same species as her best friend, being a Xerian.  Then, the girl realized something.  Britta was her name.

“My name is Britta!” she declared, to the female voice.
“Britta… Britta Cadwell?”  the voice questioned.  It seemed a tad surprised.
“Yes,” Britta said firmly.  She felt more secure, now that she knew her name.  
“Stranger detected, posing as deceased student of Spy Academy.  Enemy detected.  Initiating lockdown protocol.” The voice now seemed robotic, quite artificial.  Britta looked around, alarmed.  The door that was once open, suddenly slammed shut.  She was confused, wondering why the voice thought she was an enemy.
“She’s not a stranger.” The door opened, revealing a pale boy with greasy hair.  Britta immediately recognized him at once.
He was Kenny, a boy who had mercilessly bullied her during her time at Spy Academy.  Kenny had mocked her for being an alien, from her accent to the way she moved.  Britta glared at him.  The boy laughed, as if it was the funniest thing in the world.
“Hi Cadwell.  We all thought you were dead.” Kenny emphasized ‘dead’.  Britta didn’t respond; she wasn’t good at talking back.
“Hello, Your Majesty, King of Koalas, Lord of Edginess, and Bronze Team Captain,” the robotic voice exclaimed.  Kenny smiled, before turning towards Britta.  
“Where are your little friends?” he asked, taunting her.  Britta glared at him, before walking towards the open door.  “Ha!  She’s already forgotten about you.” Kenny smirked.  Britta stopped in her tracks.
“We’ve known each other since we were two years old.  She would never betray me,” she stated, as if it was obvious.  Kenny walked up to Britta, a sleazy smile on his face.
“She replaced you,” he whispered.  Britta looked at him.
“Why should I trust you?” she asked.  Kenny had never been particularly trustworthy.
“Because I have proof.” The door slammed shut.  Britta turned towards Kenny, who took a mysterious device out of his jeans’ pockets.  He tapped the screen a few times, before showing her an image.  It was a picture of Serenity and a mysterious alien, who had purple striped fur.  Britta began to feel her anger bubbling up inside her.  Why would her friend of forty years betray her?  
“Why would Serenity replace me?”  Britta asked, thinking of all of Serenity’s promises of staying best friends forever.  Kenny smirked.
“Because she can move on.  Unlike you.  Wanna see another picture?” he asked, putting his electronic device back in his pocket.  Britta stepped back, alarmed.  Kenny kept walking closer to her, images of Serenity and the purple striped alien flashing on his screen.
“Stop!” A jet of water exploded out of her hands, as she tried to push Kenny away.  Kenny stood there, soaking wet and shocked.
“What the heck was that for, Cadwell?” he asked.  Britta cowered back, slowly stepping backwards, into a corner, like a wounded animal.  
“I… I don’t know…” she whispered, her voice, quivering.  Her knees gave way, making her collapse on the floor.
“What do you mean?  I knew all aliens were scum.  They’re just killing, merciless machines.” Kenny took out a knife.  Britta braced for impact, knowing her death was imminent.  
“Don’t give up yet.  Neptune is the planet of the seas.” A voice spoke to her, in her head.  Britta opened her eyes, and Kenny had stopped advancing, looking at the walls.  The white walls were shaking, silver pipes emerging from the wall.  Water burst out of the wall, making the room flood.  Then, the walls exploded, and everything went black.  The last thing Britta remembered, was the voice speaking to her once more.
“Remember, the blood of the water flows within you.”

​-Jade
​
0 Comments
    Picture

    Jade

    I write articles because I want to create a world that tolerates difference and promotes understanding.

Picture
Home
Join The Team

About Us
Contact Us
Teenagers With Experience is an online organisation created to provide teenagers worldwide with an online platform to share their own experiences to be able to help, inform and educate others on  a variety of different topics. We aim to provide a safe space to all young people. You can contact us via email, social media or our contact form.

Please note that the content on this website is created by teenagers. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, it is important to remember that we are not professional experts. If you are experiencing a crisis or need professional advice, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a helpline.​

Submit