n00b trying to boot a mini 10

I've I dual booted my mini 10 (NOT v) with Ubuntu and 7, but the partition for linux was way too small. I shrank the 7 partition, but I guess I need to use3 a usb drive to expand the linux one. I've tried several times to get it to boot, using different sticks and even an external CD drive. I learned a lot about BIOS by trying to boot from a usb drive on a 10v, and so far have failed every time. Can anyone help? (and remember, you can't underestimate my knowledge).