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Earthquakes are a common phenomenon on Earth and on several other planets as well, in which tectonic plates of the planet change their position because of the molten lava underneath. This usually happens at a slower rate, but sometimes the frequency of earthquakes can be on the higher side because of which several things on the surface of the planet also get destroyed.

Sometimes earthquakes are also accompanied by Tsunami which usually happens if an earthquake has come under the sea body.

Every year earthquakes kill several thousands of people around the world and it becomes really impossible to predict where the next earthquake may come. Therefore, one should always be ready to deal with situations like these by preparing and hoarding items that one can use during such emergencies.

Another reason to prepare beforehand is that earthquakes unlike any other natural disaster like Tsunami or Tornado can hit any place and are not geographically dependent. You may have heard that floods or Tsunamis are more frequent in coastal areas, but earthquakes can come from any place in the world.

So it is always better to be ready and prepared to deal with earthquakes rather than be sorry at the time of the situation.

Understand Earthquakes
Before delving into survival strategies, it is crucial to understand what earthquakes are and how they occur. Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust, leading to seismic waves that can shake the ground. They can vary in intensity and duration, and their effects can range from mild shaking to catastrophic destruction.

How to prepare beforehand to deal with an earthquake?
Being prepared ahead of time can make a significant difference in how well you cope with an earthquake. Here are some steps to take before an earthquake occurs:

1. Create an emergency plan:
   Develop a family emergency and evacuation plan that includes designated meeting spots, contact information for family members and close friends, and an evacuation route from your home.
    
2. Assemble an emergency kit:
   Put together a well-prepared emergency kit with essential supplies such as non-perishable food, water, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, a multi-tool, blankets, and any necessary medication. Ensure to have some painkillers included in your emergency kit.
    
3. Secure your home well in advance:
   Conduct a home safety survey with the help of some good engineers and secure heavy furniture, appliances, and valuable items to prevent them from falling during shaking.
    
4. Educate yourself, because you may not get much time during an earthquake:
   Understand the earthquake risks in your area. Research local building codes and construction methods to determine the level of earthquake resistance in your region especially in your building construction.

What to do during an earthquake?
When an earthquake strikes, your immediate actions can determine your safety. I still remember, when we were at home studying, and an earthquake came, At that time we didn't know what to do so we as per our knowledge stuck with a wall and started praying, but it is always to have a plan during earthquakes and act accordingly.

1. Stay Calm:
   Panic can cloud your judgment. Several people start shouting and crying during an earthquake, but you should not do that. Stay as calm as possible and reassure those around you because they should not act instinctively in this moment. Rather they should follow and act according to the plan already made.
    
2. Move outside of the building towards an open ground:
   It is always better to move outside slowly toward open ground away from any higher objects that can fall. You should be away from any building and electrical poles that can fall during an earthquake because the shaking is really fast and it becomes really difficult to dodge yourself.
    
3. Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you cant leave home:
   If you are indoors, drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture (such as a table or a desk), and hold on until the shaking stops. This position protects you from falling debris and provides a safer space. If you are indoors, stay there and don't run, because running outside during an earthquake can expose you to falling debris and glass.
    
4. Stay away from windows and exterior walls:
   Glass windows can shatter, and exterior walls are more prone to collapsing. Move away from these areas.
    
5. If driving, pull over safely:
   If you are driving, pull over to a safe area away from buildings, trees, and overpasses. Stay in the vehicle until the shaking stops. Don't try to drive anything during an earthquake as you may end up in some trouble because several cars and busses lose their control during this time.

What to do after the earthquake?
Once the earthquake stops, the danger might not be over, as there are some accompanying tremors with the actual earthquake as well. Here is what to do in the aftermath:

1. Check yourself and others:
   Check yourself and those around you for injuries. Provide first aid as needed and seek medical attention for serious injuries. 
    
2. Assess your surroundings:
   Be cautious of potential hazards like gas leaks, fires, and structural damage. If you smell gas, turn off the gas supply and leave the building.
    
3. Listen to authorities:
   Tune in to local news, radio, or emergency services for updates and instructions. Several regions even have a Disaster Response Team that can help you in evacuation from affected areas after an earthquake has hit your region.
    
4. Avoid unnecessary travel:
   Roads and infrastructure might be damaged. Only travel if necessary and if it is safe to do so. Therefore, always have a radio in your emergency kit as well to be well-informed about the happenings around you.

How to have a long-term preparation plan for earthquakes?

In the aftermath of an earthquake, recovery and rebuilding efforts can take time. Here's how to stay prepared for the long term:

1. Reassess Your Emergency Plan:
   Review and update your family emergency plan based on lessons learned from the earthquake. This is because no emergency plan can be fool proof and it is always a work in progress. Just ensure that you remove the mistakes that you might have made in the previous emergency plan and make it more robust.
    
2. Restock Your Emergency Kit:
   Replace any used or expired items in your emergency kit. Emergency supplies should be restocked immediately and also ensure that you keep on using them because most of the time people just keep a stock of emergency supplies and forget to replenish them because of which most of the items become expired and unusable. Therefore always have a habit to keep on checking the expiry dates on your emergency kit and updating it.
   
   I usually take out some stock constantly and refill it immediately so as to ensure that it is always stocked for some emergency and also that it is safe to use if any emergency occurs.
    
3. Strengthen Your Home:
   Consider making structural improvements to your home to increase its earthquake resistance. Consulting a good engineer should be your priority to ensure that your home becomes much safer and prepared for some other earthquake.
    
4. Participate in Community Preparedness:
   Get involved in community efforts to prepare for and respond to earthquakes. This could involve volunteering or participating in drills and training exercises. If there is no community initiative then take initiative yourself so as to make people aware of their responsibilities as a community member to learn emergency and evacuation plan.

Surviving an earthquake requires a combination of knowledge, preparation, and quick thinking. By understanding the nature of earthquakes, being prepared with emergency plans and supplies, and knowing how to respond during and after the shaking, you can significantly increase your chances of staying safe and protecting your loved ones. Remember, staying calm and following well-established guidelines can make all the difference in an emergency situation.

Although you are studying in school, it is always fun to earn while you learn. You can make money in several ways even when you go to school, and it even feels great when you start making money early in life as it teaches you real marketing skills, and how you can use your talents to make a fortune when you study. Below are some of the ideas by which you can make money while you are studying in school.

1. Give your comics or movies on rent:
As a school-going student, you may be having some comics and story books or even movies that you may have watched several times. When I was a kid, I used to get one new movie CD on my birthday, which I used to watch and then those were just part of my collection.

You can rent out those comics or movies to your friends or your neighborhood for cheaper rates. This will help you earn some bucks without even investing anything upfront. You can even keep late fees or rent your comics and movies on a day-to-day basis, and hence you will end up having a constant flow of passive income.

This is awesome because you also learn how to manage inventory. For this, you can use a simple pen and paper to track your clients or can even create a spreadsheet on your laptop.

2. Check the stuff you don't need and sell them:
As a school-going kid, you usually have piles of notebooks or study materials that you may not need because you may have been promoted to new classes. You may even have clothes or some items that are of no use to you. In that case, you can sell them at a cheaper rate, which will help some needy students to get hold of those important study materials and you will also earn a few bucks.

Just ensure not to sell something that you may be attached to or your parents may be attached to. You can take permission from your parents before selling your stuff.

3. Create a blog:
Blogs are one of the best ways to build your empire as a student, and that is because as a student, you are always learning something new. Therefore, you can add those details to a blog or website. This may require you to ask for some funding from your parents if you are going for a professional website, or for some time you can also use free blogging websites like thewiki Network.

You can easily register and start writing blogs on your new learnings or your day-to-day experiences. This will be like a guiding star for new generations, as they may also have similar situations like you, and your solutions can help them, hence making their life easy.

To monetize this, you can either set up advertisements or can also write sponsored posts once your blog starts getting good traffic. To get more traffic, you can share your blogs with your friends and connections, and this will also encourage local vendors to connect with you for advertisements.

4. Sell newspapers or cans in scrap:
Usually, households have a lot of newspapers and cans or even glass bottles that get accumulated over time. You can sell those items into scrap and can make a few cents that you can save to buy something in the near future. This is one of the most efficient ways because most countries have scrap buyers in the locality, and you can always take your parent's help in doing so, and they will also be happy to help you.

This is because usually newspapers, plastic bottles, glass, and even cans get thrown into garbage collection bins in apartment or societies, which is not of any value to you, but if you are able to sell them, then you can make a few cents to meet some of your school requirements as well.

5. Take Tuition of Students in Lower Classes than You:
If you feel you are good in any of the subjects, you can take the tuition of the students that are in lower grades or classes for some tuition fee. I used to go for my maths tuition to one of my friends who was good in maths, and for that, he used to charge me around $5 per month, which was reasonable, as it helped me a lot and I was also able to pass the examination with flying colors.

6. If you are good with pets, then work as a pet sitter:
Pet sitting is one of the most underrated jobs. These days in societies and apartment groups, most of the families have pets and they need to take pets for a walk. If you love dogs, you can also work as a pet sitter or a dog walker, and this will actually fetch you some good amounts of money.

Also, it will help you make some new furry friends and you will always be happy and healthy as you will also make a habit of walking every day to take dogs for a walk.

7. Car Cleaning Services:
These days, car cleaning services have sky rocketed, and hence you can come to the rescue. You can advertise in your local groups that you can clean some cars in the morning or evening time for a set amount of money, and people usually are happy to pay a few dollars to get their cars cleaned on a daily basis. This will not earn you a lot of money, but at least you will have something for yourself and you will also be strong as it takes a bit of hard work to clean cars.

8. Check in your school for any open positions:
Schools usually have activity clubs or editorial boards, where they usually take students. You can apply for those positions and that can also help you make some money while you learn new things in your day to day life.

Someone has rightly said, saving a penny is equivalent to earning a penny.

So you can always try to save some money by;

• Shopping on discount - You can go to stores that offer good discounts, or can even look for coupons and promo codes online. This will again help you save some bucks every month.
• Open a Savings Account - If you already have some money or if you get some pocket money, then you should open a savings account, as banks provide some interest on your savings also. So if you have some money, you can actually make some interest on the save while it is kept in your savings account. It is not much, but it is still enough to get a new pen every month.
• Having a piggie bank - Piggie Banks are one of the best tools to save the coins and extra change that seem worthless and may fall down. So, what I usually do is that, I always put my change and coins in my piggie bank and after a few months when it is full, then I break it down and take all that money to buy the things that I want or I simply add them to my savings account to earn more interest.

Conslucion:
There are several ways by which you can make money as a student, you just need to figure out ways by which you can sell or market a service or product. This will eventually help you in making some money and also enhance your interpersonal and marketing skills, which is a mandate for most of the jobs these days.