Life Skills trivia

Browse our short fast facts trivia content

5 ways junk foods affect the brain, according to Dr Amy Reichelt, Neuroscientist

  • Junk food reduces cognitive ability and eventually IQ.
  • Junk food reduces the growth of new neurons.
  • The perfect mix between sugar, salt and fat in junk food – also called the bliss point – is designed to connect instantly to the reward circuits in our brain and hence makes junk foods so hyper addictive.
  • Junk food creates a instant sugar high which can lead to impulsive behaviour.
  • The main junk food culprits? Burgers, hotdogs and French fries (sigh).

Life Skills

  • All the cool stuff happens when you do things that are not the automatic next step.
  • Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone, to have a healthy disregard for the impossible and to turn well-worn ideas on their head.
  • People at the top work harder than those around them.
  • The primary barriers to success are self-imposed.
  • Quitting something can be very empowering.
  • You don’t have to figure everything out yourself. Observing and learning from others can significantly reduce your failure rate.
  • The harder you work, the luckier you get.
  • Know how to apologise; it allows for immediate damage control.
  • Only pick 3 priorities at any given time.

Source: What I Wish I Knew When I was 20. By Tuna Seelig 2009

Reading Stats

  • The older teens get the less they read. In the UK today only 17% of 15-to-17-year-olds read regularly for leisure.
  • Some regions in the world have significantly more teen readers, such as Germany where 38% of teens read regularly (meaning a few times a week).
  • Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for teen literature.
  • American teens read on average about 8.4 minutes per day, which is about the lowest in the world except for….
  • Wales, in the UK, where 44% of teens have never (ever) read a book, compared to 35% globally (source OECD).

But, some good news:

  • 51% of teens surveyed (Literacy Trust) in the UK said they would still read to learn new things…

Top tips from teens on revision and coping with exam stress

  • Make good notes.
  • Make a realistic schedule and stick to it.
  • Drink tons of water.
  • Lay-off burgers, they slow you down!
  • Take scheduled breaks.
  • Get fresh air.
  • Study with others if you can. It motivates.
  • Sleep 8 hours a night.
  • Put your phone away. Too distracting!
  • Have a dedicated study space (not your bed).
  • Don’t talk to your peers just before an exam. Get into the ‘zone’.

Fast Facts Conversation: 5 Tips for Small Talk

  • If you are shy, we get it, but do not assume you are the only one. So reach out!
  • When starting a conversation, keep it simple. Don’t immediately discuss controversial topics.
  • Make yourself easy to understand. No mumbling.
  • Do not talk too much about yourself.
  • Do not look over the shoulder of the person you’re talking to see what others are doing. Be present in the conversation.
  • Remember that every relationship in the world started with small talk.

Toolbox Trivia

  • Teenagers have different sleep rhythms than adults and children. Their clock is about 3 hours behind. Making early school starts difficult.
  • A lack of sleep affects memory. The night before an exam, the best thing to do is sleep, not cram.
  • The teenage brain represents the second (and last) major development phase in brain development.
  • US colleges cost almost 4x as much as UK universities for a bachelor’s degree.
  • UK and US student debts are amongst the highest in the world.