New Found Fame!

You all remember this picture right?

Well amazingly enough thanks to the facebook page "That one flatmate who" https://www.facebook.com/THATONEFLATMATEWHO and their twitter page @ThatFlatmateWho this stunning picture I took during my first year at university is now circling the internet with more likes, Retweets, shares and favourites than I could have ever achieved from posting the picture myself.

The main reason why I'm feeling proud is because of the fact that in order to have seen the picture they must have been on my blog or found the picture on google images which is just so amazing. This is the closest thing to fame I'm probably ever going to get so I'm making the most of it no matter how pathetic I look!

It just shows how living with an unclean flatmate can be beneficial!

The life update.

So in previous blogs I've mentioned various things I've been planning to do to improve my life at university, and various things I've suggested that you do to improve yours. So this blog is a quick update on how well I'm contributing to them.

Sleep.

So as mentioned in my previous blog http://bethweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/students-are-nocturnal-creatures.html , I was telling you all about how I could not get to sleep until 4am, and how being tired all day long was lowering my quality of life. Now however I have got myself I great sleeping routine, it may have taken longer for me to achieve than desired but nevertheless I've managed to do so, which has resulted in me making my two hour 9am lecture this morning! I think a trip home last weekend has helped this, as I fell into the same daily routine as my family. There's also another factor which has definitely contributed to me getting a good night's sleep...

Societies.

I also mentioned in a blog post about starting university http://bethweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/top-tips-for-your-first-week-at.html , that as a fresher you should join a society to make new friends and improve your time at university. I felt like a bit of a hypocrite for saying this as even though I had joined the management society in my first year I didn't really get involved with much as the social events seemed to have stopped as soon as freshers finished.

Now however I have joined the rowing society and I'm planning to launch myself into it as I've met some great people, the first social was fantastic, and I'll constantly have training which is a welcome new member of my once exercise-free lifestyle.

Food

I also wrote a blog about how to shop for food in order to save money and stay healthy http://bethweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/student-vs-food-shopping-dos-and-donts.html . At the start of this year I wasn't really following this as I mainly picked up enough food for my dinner on the way back from clothes shopping and university, and rarely had any extra food in the house. Now I've done a big online shop shared with my housemate so my cupboards are filled and should stay filled for hopefully a long time!

On top of this I would like to personally recommend Quorn or meat-free alternatives. I'm not a vegetarian but by using these products I can still have the same amount of protein that I'd usually eat but without worrying about sell-by dates or defrosting, as I can just use this stuff straight out of the freezer and put any of the rest back without a care in the world! The prices may seem a bit dear at first but once you compare them with the prices of meat then it's pretty clear that this is the cheaper option.

Why do some people not know how to clean?

When moving into a house for second year I was hopeful that, unlike the first year, the people of whom I'd be living with would be clean and respectful of other people.

It seems however that either an individual or a few of the people who live here have also got the problem where they cannot clean up after themselves and therefore treat the place like a pigsty. I am currently writing this feeling rather hungry but unable to cook because I would literally have no space in our massive kitchen and considering the sink is consisting of floating utensils in grime infused water I would not be able to wash up my stuff afterwards.

I guess I'm writing this because I have a complete lack of understanding of why some people have a mentality where they can be completely happy to leave their mess in a public place for several days without any consideration about how it's affecting other people who also use that area.

I don't understand how some people just don't have the automatic reaction in them to want to clean up when they spill something, or how they don't figure out that if they cook more carefully then they will spill less.

I find the idea of uncleanliness a bit too immature for 19-20 year olds, and I long for the day where I can live with people my age who are actually considerate of others.

BBC news article- The parents' long goodbye

Just read this lovely article on leaving home for university and wanted to share it :)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24208545

Students are Nocturnal Creatures.

I'm typing this feeling extremely tired and drowsy and it's only 16:15. Know why? Because I am a student with no lectures yet, that's why.

It's not the worst place to spend all my time though :)

Due to a combination of late nights out and taking longer lie-ins than necessary, I've now developed a need to sleep in the daytime and stay awake all night. My days consist of lying in bed watching catch-up TV, followed by breaks of sleeping and eating, while my nights either consist of the exact same activities as the day and/or nights out consuming that vile friend Mr Alcohol.

I'd recommend not getting into this position, it's not fun. Before you get into this trap please try to sleep at least before 1am if you're not going out, and make it a part of your routine to wake up before 12.

You can dress up my problem any way you fancy, for example by saying that studies show that longer lie-ins and less sleep leads to greater intelligence, but trust me even doing the 2 times tables could challenge me right now. This laziness and realisation that I don't need to get up is not a great feeling when it's 24/7.

So here's to me trying to get my sleeping patterns back to normal. Look out for a follow up post to see whether I can live like a normal human being again :).

Differences between halls and rented accommodation

So as of the 15th of September I have officially moved into my new house in Leicester and I'm ready to start the second year!

I've only been here for four days but already I am beginning to realise the extreme differences between living in University student accommodation and living in Student Rented houses. Here are a few which I've noticed so far;

1. IT'S FREEZING
Student Houses tend to be quite old and without nicely fitted windows and insulation like most of our family homes. This means that it can get quite chilly and unless your bills are included in your rent you have to find money saving ideas such as blankets and jumpers to stay warm

2. Cleaning
When in halls you usually have cleaners who come in once or twice a week and clean your kitchens and bathrooms and sometimes your bedrooms for you. Now this is not the case and even if you do like to keep things clean there is no longer a person coming round and going over the work for you. They may have come at inappropriate times and reported you when your kitchen was a mess beyond their contracted work, but appreciate them as they make life so much easier.

3. Security
Usually student halls are positioned in large blocks of rooms with a reception and members of staff available 24/7 if you encounter any suspicious activity. Now however in a student rented house you're responsible for remembering to lock the doors and the police are really the main people who you can go to if there's a problem. Also be careful when stepping out of your house to go to university etc. as student houses are often in areas where crime rates are higher.

Check your work before you submit it!

Just a quick post to remind you all to check your work before you send it off to get marked. Here's an example of how it can go so badly wrong...

This Summer I had taken part in an Online Networking and Employability course with the university of Leicester to learn how to improve my online presence. My final task was to publish an online presentation onto my blog reviewing my experiences during the course.

I had quite a bit of time to spare before the deadline so after finishing my presentation I decided to look at different features of Prezi as I had never used the software before. This included adding the song "Muse- Panic Station" to the background music which, as expected, drowned out all of my narration which had taken me hours to do. So when the time came I uploaded the presentation onto my blog page and submitted the details to the university so they could mark it.

You've guessed it, I forgot to take off the background song and my examiner basically watched some words whilst listening to Muse. Whoops.

This could have all been prevented if I did a final check of my work before submitting it. So please don't do a Bethany, please please please check over your work before handing it in, I'm clearly regretting not doing it.

Here's a copy of what my blog post should have been like, I no longer have the original version, but just play Panic Station really loudly over it and you'll get the idea.
http://bweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/my-one-presentation.html

Top Tips for your first week at University

So your move in date for university is fast approaching, and the nerves are starting to kick in. Here's a bit of advice to make the best start to your new life.

1. Meet and greet your flatmates ASAP

Obviously give them a bit of time to say goodbye to their families and move their stuff in, but it's important to get out of your room and meet who you'll be living with for the next year. Otherwise you'll find yourself hiding out in your room for the rest of the day. Hardly a productive start is it? A good idea is to buy a doorstop and keep your room open, although I suggest you close it when getting dressed!

2. Go out and have fun!

Freshers is there for a reason. Make the most of the events that the university has planned for you. If you're worried because you don't drink, don't worry. You can have just as much fun being the non-drunk one and you'll be able to remember all the embarrassing moments that your flatmates had :). Also, universities create other events such as BBQs and games nights which can allow you to meet other people without the booze. Here's your chance to make some great friends, so don't spend it in your accommodation.

3. Join Societies

If you're unsure of what societies to join, at least start by joining the society of your chosen course, you'll get to meet people who've done your modules before and you'll get to meet people from your year group. A society looks great on your CV, and allows you do to something else other than lectures and sleeping.

4. Set cleaning rules with your flatmates

I can't guarantee that your flatmates will abide with the rules you all set out at the beginning, but setting a basic rota or rules can prevent arguments, upset, and dirty accommodation. If you don't fancy cleaning up after the others, then you can all agree to the rules when cleaning up after yourselves.

5. Organise your work and revision schedule

It seems a bit drastic considering you'll have just started your course, but believe me when it comes to revising for exams you'll be wishing that you could go back in time and concentrate from the beginning. Take notes from your lectures and make sure your work is organised. Look at my previous blog entry "what we regret after exams" to see where I went wrong and what you can do to prevent it. http://bethweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/what-we-regret-after-exams.html

Good luck in your first week!
Goodbye for now!

 

 

 

University Check List

Have you done everything you need to do before the big move to university?

With the excitement of getting into university, it's easy to allow the excitement of finding your flatmates and discovering who will be performing at freshers to take over what you really need to do before you move to university.

Here is a list of things I remember needing to arrange before the big move

Register

Seems easy enough to remember, but you should regularly check your emails to see whether you need to fill in any details to confirm your place and your details in order to study at the university. If you're not in student accommodation then you need to tell the university where you will be living, otherwise you will be required to pay taxes. You may also be asked to upload a passport style photo for your university student card.

Accommodation

If you got your first choice, then it's likely that you've already applied for accommodation so remember to check your emails for confirmation of where you will be staying. If you got into your second choice then you'll need to apply for accommodation, try to do this as soon as possible as those who got their first choice there will have already been allocated most of the rooms available.

Buy what you need

For help on what to buy, do read my previous blog for a full list!
http://bethweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/university-what-stuff-do-you-need-to-buy.html

Student Finance

Make sure your student finance has been confirmed and check to see what dates you'll be getting your loans to make sure you'll have adequate funds to pay rent and food etc. If your accommodation has been confirmed make sure you update your term time address. When I got confirmed my accommodation I didn't change my term time address to my specific room and building, and because of this my letters from student finance got misplaced and it caused a lot of hassle.

Student Account

I'd recommend getting a student account as they allow for you to have overdrafts which is a common requirement for students. I use the co-operative bank, they allow a huge overdraft and I've had no problems with them. It's all very well getting your student finance sorted but without an account for those loans to go into then it's all rather pointless.

Railcard and/or Bus Pass

If you're planning on traveling to and from university a few times during the year then I'd highly recommend getting a railcard, it doesn't cost much and lasts you three years, which is ideal as that's the usually length of time for a degree! You save up to a third off rail fares and get emailed about money off various attractions and restaurants around the UK.  

If your accommodation is a good distance away from the university campus, then it's likely that you'll need a bus pass. You will probably get notified if this is the case. Alternatives are to take your bike, however bike theft is common around university halls.

When do you move in?

Simple really, make sure you know what date you move in to allow yourself to prepare for it. Universities will contact you with the date they wish you to arrive so you can collect your keys, if you can't arrive on that date for whatever reason then you are expected to notify them.

How will you get there?

Make sure you know how you're getting to university on your move-in date. You will have lots of stuff to bring so you will probably need a car. It may be a good idea to find an alternative person or car to take you, just in-case.

Work for your course?

If you're a super lucky student (sarcasm) then you may be emailed with a list of books to buy or work to do before your course starts. Keep checking your emails for this and search for those books ahead of time as they're not always in stock.

If there's anything I've missed then please let me know below in the comments- thank you!

 

Congratulations and Commiserations- GCSE results

I hope you all did well in your GCSEs this year!

If you didn't, then don't panic and don't be upset. You are still young and have plenty more years for education, whether that's from resits or from different educational courses. Just because you didn't get what you wanted this year, that doesn't mean that you can't get what you want next year, if that's the option you wish to take.

I would also like to suggest that if you're a member of Facebook or Twitter, ignore all those tweets from older people saying how GCSEs don't matter or to stop posting about your results. From what I've seen these individuals are people who haven't done that well in their education, and whether they're now in a good job or not, or whether they actually got good GCSE results and went on to do well throughout their education, they're getting enjoyment from making your day of celebration worse.

With GCSEs you're able to move onto A level studies, your grades can contribute to the entry requirements of getting into university which can result in getting a degree, masters and/or a PhD. Another path is an apprenticeship, a job or further education courses.

GCSEs also help you to practice revision techniques and coping with stress, which is as we all know very important for further exams and for dealing with problems in life.

So congratulations to all GCSE students this year, no matter what grades you got, you've received a hell of a lot of experience.

Congratulations and Commiserations- A level results

Today you were shown your future.

For many of you today you eagerly logged online to find out whether you would be off to university or whether your following academic year would be different from what you hoped. Either way there is reason for congratulations, you didn't die from revision and you coped with all that stress and waiting.

If you didn't get into university don't get too upset. You can always go through clearing, which several people do, and it could turn out that another university is a better choice for you. Or you can use this year to further your education elsewhere, get that vital work experience all employers look for, or simply take some time out to sort out your further goals.

Hang in there ;)

Student vs. Food Shopping - the dos and don'ts

Just because you're a student it doesn't mean you're restricted to noodles every breakfast, lunch and dinner!

One of the aspects of university life I was most looking forward to before going was being able to cook exactly what I wanted whenever I wanted it. Whether you will be self-catered or catered you'll still have the opportunity to make your own choices of what you want to eat. However when shopping at the supermarket or going out to restaurants and having takeaways there are a few rules which should help you to remain healthy and save money.

DO buy lots of fruit and vegetables

Making home-made soup with lots of veg!

When you have the freedom of what to buy then it's easy to stock up on your favourite foods; pizza, chips, pasta, but it's important to remember that you need a good healthy balanced diet in order to stay well, prevent gaining weight, and prevent a build up of oily skin and nasty spots.

If you're new to cooking then this isn't an excuse not to buy vegetables. A quick google search will tell you how to prepare and cook them, and there's always plenty of alternatives to whole fresh vegetables such as readily prepared chopped vegetables either fresh or frozen.

DON'T buy too much in one go

When you live with a family then buying more than one loaf of bread or buying a large bunch of bananas seems like a sensible option, but it's important to remember that now you're buying food for only yourself you must make sure you'll be able to eat it all before it goes off without stuffing your face unnecessarily.

Another disadvantage of buying too much in one go is that if you have to walk to your supermarket then you'll also have to carry all of that shopping back to your accommodation. Unless you're a bodybuilder then this could be tough, so shop as lightly as possible.

DO check use by dates

When food shopping, it's easy to pick up items of food without hesitation and place it in their trolley or basket straight away.

It's important to check the use by dates, especially when buying food for one person as it's more likely to get used up over a longer period of time. Eating out of date foods can cause bacteria growth inside the body, eventually causing us to get ill. Sometimes it'll be unnoticed, but sometimes it can be fatal.

Other ways to avoid this is to buy foods which will last longer, such as finding tinned alternatives or freezing foods on the day of purchase. Just remember to defrost your food in the correct way.

DON'T buy too many top brand items

Even as students we do feel pressured to buy the more popular brands of foods as others may have strong opinions on what tastes good and what tastes rubbish, and we're afraid of others judging us as our low price alternatives are scanned through the tills. This is an attitude which needs to be changed.

Try making a home-made frappucino!

Lower priced alternatives don't necessarily taste worse or are a lower standard of quality. All food manufacturers must pass certain quality and hygiene tests therefore buying cheaper foods isn't a riskier decision to make. From personal experience I've found that foods such as pasta, rice, biscuits and crisps have little difference in quality and taste when I've brought lower price supermarket alternatives. Cut down the top brand spending and save it up for a night out with friends.

DO look for restaurant and take-away vouchers

Just like at home, ideas for new exciting recipes can run out and the motivation for cooking after a long day working sometimes just doesn't exist. There's nothing wrong in treating yourself to a take-away or a meal out, but if you're worried about being strapped for cash then there's plenty of vouchers available for you to use to help cut the costs. As students we often get vouchers sent through our doors so don't throw them out, they may come in handy some day!

DON'T buy too many snacks

I'm sure you've heard the rumours that a lot of people who go off to university end up returning a lot bigger than when they left. This is mainly because of the freedom of eating whatever you want as often as you please. Try to keep your stock of snacks as low as possible, it may be fine back at home when a packet of biscuits is spread between around more than one person, but at university unless you're feeling generous and share them out with your friends then you'll be eating that entire packet all by yourself. Also if you buy less snacks that leaves more money for other stuff, like rent for example.

DO write a shopping list

Prepare what you want to buy before you do your food shopping,  this way you won't spend more money than planned and you won't end up forgetting the stuff you really need. Just remember to actually bring the list with you and not leave it in your room!


I hope you've found this blog useful, please feel free to comment if you have any other advice. Goodbye for now!

Students: Productive Acitivities to do over Summer

Summer is here! It's often raining but I promise you it's here!

For most of us exam-taking students the Summer holidays are here, which means many weeks of being home. We all have visions of the Summer being full of meeting  up with friends and venturing away from home all day in the sunshine. However unfortunately it rains, your friends go off on holiday with family for a week or two and if you're living in the middle of nowhere like me, impromptu meetings with friends are just not possible and instead require a bit of planning. This leaves us with a lot of time spent at home, so what is there for us to do?

Sell your old school stuff!

As much as you may feel you could use your old textbooks in the future.. the truth is you never do. It's much more financially efficient to sell these textbooks, and if necessary you can rebuy these books later on in life when you need them, and at this point they'll cost a lot less. You could also sell calculators, science aprons and other education related equipment you won't need to use again.

How can I sell my items?

Amazon trade-in This is a great system I've recently discovered and used. With Amazon trade-in you can send off some of your old stuff for free and amazon will give you a gift certificate equivalent of what they believe the items are worth. If the items you send are not up to the standard they expected then they'll simply send it back to you free of charge. It's important to know that only certain products qualify for being a trade-in item, so search for the product you wish to sell first and see if a trade-in option is available.

Sell on Amazon Here you can choose how much to sell your items for and either send them directly to the customers who want them or send them via an amazon courier. I have not used this system therefore I cannot comment on how efficient the process is.

eBay Everyone loves eBay! Here you can sell items which are similar to others, or sell completely new items. You can choose how much to sell it for or put it up for auction. You can chose your desired delivery method so you can have time to buy packaging and postage if necessary after an order has been placed. I plan to use this very soon to hopefully sell some of my older GCSE textbooks.

Friends and Family If you're lucky enough to have friends or family who may need your old books, then why not sell or give the books to them! The only bother here is that you may look rude if you try to ask for money in this scenario. Perhaps use this option if you feel the book isn't worth much or if you've had no success in selling it... or if you're feeling generous!

Get ahead of your next course

If you already know what you'll be studying next year, then what's the harm in reading ahead and knowing what to expect? I'm not saying that now is a great time to start a whole new revision timetable, but being able to get the required reading material before it all sells out and knowing how difficult your course will be to plan ahead can always be seen as a good thing.

Learn how to play an instrument

If reading up on your future work is just too nerdy and boring for you, then why not learn how to play an instrument?  This way you have something great to add to your CV, as well as learning a new skill and having fun at the same time. Other positives include being able to play your favourite music when your Ipod breaks, and discovering talents you thought you never had! Plus you might be able to join a band, hello new found path to fame!

 

Start a blog or become a Youtuber

Do what I do, start a blog! This blog can be about anything you want it to! It keeps your mind occupied with things to write about and plus is can help you with your writing and creativity skills. By aiming to get lots of new readers you can set yourself challenges, which is productive!

All you need to become a Youtuber is a camera, a laptop and a program which edits videos and youtube and you've got yourself a hobby! Like with the blog, aim to get as many viewers as possible, best case scenario is that you start getting recognised on the street and everyone will follow you on twitter!

 

Learn how to make something and turn it into money

This could be card-making, baking or anything you believe you'd be good at making, and you can sell them at various Summer Fares or online. By doing this you're feeling productive, you're earning money, but at the same time you can do something you enjoy!

Get a job!

Easier said than done, believe me I know. There are lots of temporary Summer jobs and internships available as well as part time jobs which you may be allowed to keep after the Summer ends. So find your CV file on your computer and get those applications sent off! A job is a great opportunity to improve your skills and your CV for your desired future career, it's also a good place to make friends and socialise during those days when you wouldn't have been able to with your friends. However understand that if you're lucky enough to get a job, it won't be allowed to not turn up to a shift simply because you've been invited to a party instead, you have to respect the agreements with your employer.

Have a super productive Summer!

So hopefully by doing some of the activities listed above you will be able to go to bed at the end of the day feeling as though you haven't wasted the day by just watching TV and that you've actually done something useful. Of course I highly recommend going out with your friends as much as possible, as these long Summers off school won't last forever. These activities are mainly for the days when your plans get cancelled or nobody is available to meet up with.

Goodbye for now!

 

University- What stuff do you need to buy?

Congratulations! You're on your way to university land!

Well, at this time of the year (June 2013) you'll only know this with an unconditional offer. However when I was browsing the likes of Dunelm Mill and Ikea for University supplies I never really knew what I needed. So I thought I'd help you all with this by giving you a list of products to buy.

Remember my last blog?

In my last blog http://bethweatherhead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/five-worst-types-of-flatmates.html I mentioned how flatmates aren't always as nice as expected and may be inclined to steal your things and treat common areas badly. Because of this I would advise you not to focus on sharing your kitchen or bathroom equipment with others. With items like toasters or kettles it may be more beneficial just to buy one between all of you but with plates, mugs and cutlery I'd advise you buy these items for yourself.

The basics.

Here are lists of things I've found I couldn't do without. I was self catered and had my own bathroom. Hopefully some of these things will be items that you've forgotten to consider buying.

The Kitchen

• 4x Plates- I'd suggest two large plates and two smaller plates. This way you don't rely on piling up the sink with your stuff until it's necessary to wash a plate set for a large family. Also, you have an extra set of plates for a guest.
• 2x Bowls
• 4x set of cutlery- So this is 3 knives, 3 forks, 3 desert spoons and 3 teaspoons for use, and one of each type to keep in storage in the case of items of cutlery going missing. I've suggested 3 of each type as whilst cooking you may require them, and this saves you needing to wash them before eating your meal
• Ladle- perfect for dishing up soups and other foods with a lot of liquid
• Serving spoon- for the more controllable foods
• Spatula-  Used for frying, flipping and serving foods like pizza and lasagne.
• Spaghetti server- Unlike a spoon, these will drain excess water before serving as well as gripping onto the pasta to avoid spillage.
• Can opener- At first I kept trying to buy cans which didn't need a can opener, but I kept forgetting
• Vegetable peeler- Inspires you to use vegetables
• Colander- I'd suggest trying to find one with a long handle so that you can keep hold of it whilst draining your food, this way if the sink is full you can still use it
• 2x mugs
  
• 2x glasses
• 2x Saucepans - One big, one small, both with lids
• 1x frying pan
• 2x oven trays - One small one for chips, fish fingers etc., and one large one for pizzas and breads.
• Sharp cutting knife- very handy, if not for cooking then for popping the lid on your microwave meals!
• Set of washing up sponges
• Washing up liquid
• 2x Tea towels- so you can use one while the other is in the washing
• Chopping board
• Food containers- for putting leftovers in the fridge etc.

The Bathroom

• 2x large towels
• 2x smaller hand towels
• 2x face cloths
• Shampoo
• Shower Gel
• Loofah or shower cloth
• Hand soap
• Face wash
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Razors

  The Bedroom

• Duvet
• Pillows- Only necessary to bring the amount you usually use, possibly one more if you expect to invite a guest round often
• 2x Duvet and Pillow covers
• Clock
• Mirror
• Desk lamp
• Laptop and printer - Even though your university will have these facilities, it's much easier to have these in your room to print off slide notes and reading materials
• Iron
• Clothes would be handy

 

 

For University Work

Obviously for subjects like physics, maths and art you'll more than likely need more specific equipment which your university should tell you about.

• Pens
• Pencils
• Paper (plain and lined)
• Calculator
• Pencil Sharpener
• Folders
• Ruler
• Rubber
• Diary

For mainly girls

• Hair-dryer
• Straighteners
• Make-up

The necessary extras

• Nail Clippers or nail scissors
• Scissors
• Hair brushes and/or combs
• Laundry powder - Most laundrettes will only accept powder or capsules
• Drying rack- May come in useful for hanging towels or drying clothes
• Chargers
• Don't forget to bring cleaning equipment!

  

  Other cleaning products are also available :)

What the university should provide for you

• A kettle- Although ours was disgusting so we bought a new one
• An ironing board
• Bins
• A telephone- you should be able to receive calls on this without costs
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Mop
• Brush
• Some university accommodation rooms have mirrors, some do not, this is where it helps to see your accommodation before applying for it.

What I wish I had during my first year

• Pizza cutter
• A grill pan
• A wok- useful for recipes where you can cook everything in one pan
• Ice tray
• A baking dish and/ or casserole dish with lid

Nice extras to have, but won't be desperately needed

• TV license- So you can watch live television
• A toastie maker
• Place mats
• Coasters
• Biscuit tin
• Container for cutlery items
• Cushions
• Posters
• Plants
• Mini fridge for your room- may not be allowed in some university rooms
• Oven Gloves
• Baking equipment
• Measuring jug
• Scales
• Kitchen scissors (you can always just wash and use your general use scissors instead)
• Kitchen tongs
• A vase to put flowers in (perhaps fake flowers will be a cheaper option)
• Candles (I wouldn't light them though)
• Small whiteboard
• Air fresheners
• Storage boxes
  
• Television (remember you'll need a TV license to watch television)
• Doorstop
• Rug
• A railcard for cheaper travel
• A bus pass- this is for if your accommodation is a big distance away from university, if it's recommended that you need one then the university should tell you.
  

Hopefully you've found these lists useful, if I've missed anything out or you have more ideas then let us all know in the comments

Goodbye for now!

Five worst types of Flatmates

Who will you be living with next year?

Starting at university can be tough, for most it's the first time living away from home and controlling their own finances. Along with this the majority of first year students live in student accommodation, and are automatically chosen to live with people of whom they have never met before in their lives. This blog will be an introduction to the worse types of people you can live with, excluding obvious types such as serial killers. I will also advise you on ways to improve these situations, some of which I wish I knew from the start.

The Unhygienic Flatmate

This is when the good parenting pays off. Unfortunately it seems that by university age some teens are still uneducated about the importance of keeping communal areas such as kitchens and bathrooms clean and tidy, and how to do so. Even if you do have the benefit of cleaners coming on a regular basis, sometimes this just isn't enough.

These types of flatmates will never wash up after themselves after eating, but instead they are likely to leave it until they desperately need those particular utensils again. So that's a lovely packed sink for you and your other flatmates to use when you need it, brilliant. Also, these flatmates appear to go blind when they've dropped food onto the floor and work surfaces, as it's a safe bet it will never be cleared up by them. Other unhygienic traits include leaving opened or out of date smelly food in the fridge, using your own tea towels like mops when they do decide to clean up, and throwing out food into the open recycling bin instead of the rubbish bin with a lid because it's just too much effort to avoid poisoning the air with salmonella and other forms of bacteria.

My best advice to avoid this problem is to outline cleaning guidelines from the beginning, as these people may need to be educated before being able to use a kitchen or bathroom in a clean safe way! If you notice that your flatmate has unclean tendencies, make sure you speak to them as soon as possible, or speak to the appropriate residential staff to help you.

The party animal flatmate

Forget sleep, as your flatmate saves their sleeping for when you have lectures and seminars to attend. With this flatmate your kitchen will be full of drunkards until 1am at the latest, provided that they're not too drunk to go to whatever student event is on that night. Have fun then waking up 3-6am when your flatmate returns home still wanting the party to go on. In the morning you will face a kitchen full of empty bottles and sticky alcohol covered tables and chairs. I'd clean the kitchen before using it if I were you.

This will be a tough one to avoid. Talking to your flatmate about this problem is a suggestion but you may be accused of being boring, or paying for it when they get drunk again and mess up your belongings. Even though this was not a big problem for me in my first year I'd suggest buying ear plugs and talking to your residential advisers about the mess and the drunken parties, which are often against the residential contract agreements. 

The horrible personality flatmate

If you like the possibility of an argument whatever you say, then this is the flatmate for you! It's highly possible to end up with a flatmate who is bossy, controlling, angry, offensive, or someone who is simply a drama queen. This can make social encounters with this flatmate very awkward and uncomfortable, and being a part of arguments and disagreements which are seen as pointless and avoidable. 

No cures for this unfortunately! Hopefully someone in your flat will be doing a social subject and will know how to mediate the situations you'll encounter. 

The missing flatmate

Whenever you're asked how many flatmates you live with, you always end up subtracting this by one. This flatmate will be invisible immediately or you'll lose him/her soon after freshers. You'll never get to know this person as you'll hardly see them, which is unfortunate as the rest of you have made the effort to spend time together.

On the rare occasion you do see this person, try to talk to them as much as possible (without seeming creepy). This flatmate may have got the wrong impression of you all to start with, so try to show how friendly and approachable you all are. He/she may still choose to only socialise with those outside of the flat, but at least there will be no hostility or awkwardness. 

The burglar flatmate

Goodbye ice cream :(

Who needs belongings anyway? This flatmate has been known to constantly ask you for stationary, food and toiletries, and it's highly unlikely you'll see these items again! In this scenario be expected to wake up to find you've ran out of milk, bread, cereal, butter and biscuits. Be expected to run out of pens and paper quicker than expected, and get ready for a shower only to find that your shampoo is still missing from when you last lent it out.

If you have these problems, try to keep as much food as possible in your room. In my case I also had to buy myself a mini fridge but I hope for you the problem will not be that severe. Basically, avoid keeping anything in the kitchen that doesn't need to be cooked, as its more difficult to steal anything that they'll need to spend time to cook without being caught! To avoid having your stationary and toiletries taken, in this situation I'd advise hiding this items out of sight when you're not using them, and tell a little white lie that you don't have them. It may be lying but come on, it's better than stealing. 

They're not all this bad

After reading this, don't panic that your next flatmates will be as terrible as those I just described. Unless you have bad luck in these situations like me, then you're more likely to have lovely flatmates who you will become good friends with for many years!

Hopefully if you find yourself with one of these terrible flatmates then my advice will help you to improve the situation. Also, it may help you to know that plenty of people have flatmates like this, and just because you can't get along well with these types of people it doesn't mean you're not capable of making great friends on your course or with other people at the university. 

Goodbye for now!

First Year Over

Well I wish it could be freshers everyday!

Only enough time for a short post today, been a very long and tiring day!

Freshers, the first year of my time at the university of Leicester, is finally over, and now I face around four months of being back in Horseman's Green!

Overall it's been a great year, the course has been easy to adapt to and I've been challenged to do well without feeling the need to cry amongst a pile of revision notes. Hopefully my exam results will reflect the amount of effort I've put into my work so I can have a Summer without disappointment.

I've met a lot of other students during my first year, especially because we all mostly live in the same area therefore you're able to mix with lots of different people. I've made some great friends, and have possibly met a few people I do not wish to see a lot of for the rest of my degree ;). I feel lucky that I get to live with seven other lovely people in my second year, as I will be able to remain nearly as social as during freshers without living in student accommodation.

Even though it was definitely overpriced, I loved living in the Oadby Student Village. It's built in what used to be the richest postcode in the country, so it's surrounded by big beautiful houses and scenery, and it's without the sounds of traffic. It's a place you can walk around and feel safe in, with plenty of areas to meet friends either outside or in the bars. A main disadvantage was the ten minute walk to ASDA whenever you needed food or drink, and no we can't just order take out every day, we'd get fat! 

I'll probably be posting a lot more about my first year over the Summer so I'll leave it as that for now. I'll definitely miss being a fresher, but I think my body will appreciate the lower amounts of partying in the future :).

Goodbye for now!

What we regret after exams

EXAMS ARE FINALLY OVER

As of 30th May 2013 my exams were officially over. This was a day which I had been waiting for impatiently for about a month. Now I have around three weeks to estimate what results I should be getting and how that will affect my overall mark for the year. Most importantly, have I passed my first year, or have I not?

For all of you who have passed their exams, congratulations, you are now free to have lie-ins and watch television to your heart's content without feeling stressed or guilty for doing so. However, looking back on how the exam period went, were there certain things that you could have done better? This blog will tell you about the regrets of the way some of us prepare for exams, how to avoid this, and what life could be like if we lived a little more productively. Hopefully this can be applied to any exam you take in the future.

"My exams are months away, I have plenty of time!" *Ten weeks later* "... oops."

When beginning a module or a course, it seems that the exams are far away and that there is plenty of time to revise and prepare for them. However, for most people, including myself this year, I found myself with a few weeks left until exams without previously doing any revision or preparation whatsoever.

As a pretty organised person, I feel as though I didn't have this problem due to laziness or an inability to care about my results. Here I have written a few reasons why this problem can happen and what we can try to do to prevent it;

1. Lecturers/teachers not talking about exams specifically until most/all of the information for the exam is taught. Personally this makes me forget that I should be focusing on remembering and understanding the information in class and lectures rather than just sitting there and trying to stay awake.
2. Seminars normally require extra work and extra reading which can often be time consuming. Even if you have devised a timetable for revision from the very beginning, it's easy to find yourself using this revision time solely for doing seminar work. This can also apply to standard school lessons, as there is time you've planned to revise in but instead you are spending this time doing homework.
3. Essays or coursework are sometimes just as, if not more important than the exams you are taking, therefore it is common to disregard all revision until this essays are completed. Essays can be seen as revision as research into key topics is often essential, however this usually means that the topics which the essay is based on will not appear in the exam paper.
4. Free time/ work balance is a difficult balance to make. Before revision breaks, our days usually consist of a day in school, work, or at lectures, then coming back home tired and in no mood to do extra work. The problem with this is that we often spend several hours relaxing after coming home which leaves little time to revise, and just enough time to do seminar work.

Top tips to conquer these problems-

1. To avoid forgetting about the importance of starting revision sooner rather than later, constantly remind yourself of the details of the examinations. A way to do this is to find out your exam dates as soon as possible and write them in all calendars and diaries and somewhere where you will see it every day. When writing lecture or class notes, make sure they're understandable for when you revise, otherwise your just wasting good ink!
2. When creating a revision timetable for yourself try to separate seminar work/ homework hours with revision hours. This way your revision time will not be taken up by this and you can start revising earlier.
3. Similar to above, when you have been set an essay try to devote certain time periods for essays as well as separate time periods for revision and seminar work. You may need to rearrange your timetable for this and then change it back once the essay is completed and submitted.

2. "I simply do not want to revise."

Hardly anyone adores revision, so when the time comes to revise, we simply want to do anything but. After exams this can leave people feeling that if they revised better and more often, they would have been able to answer the exam questions to a higher standard. In my previous blog I have addressed certain ways to motivate yourself to revise, but below is a further summarised list of ways this can be achieved.

1. Make a varied timetable with lots of breaks to make the prospect of revision more inviting
2. Write a list of reasons why you have to revise, and what you can achieve by getting brilliant results, and put it somewhere you often stare blankly when revising, this should encourage you to carry on. For example, this list would do well stuck on my bedroom window! (as shown on the right)
3. Use your free time well, by making sure you have something fun and interesting to do when you're taking revision breaks. By doing this you have something to look forward to, and the more you revise, the more you will feel you deserve the break you've planned for yourself.

Lots of lovely benefits

If you're reading this at the beginning of the new term and the idea of preparing for exams now still seems like a ridiculous idea, then read below to see what life could be like around the exam period after following my ideas.

• Forget cramming before an exam, you will know everything there is to know by this time.
• "Stress? What stress? I've been preparing for these exams for months, piece of cake."
• "Yes I can go out tonight, I have exams in a couple of weeks but I'm already confident I can pass!"
• There would be less time spent revising during the day, as it is spread out throughout the term. The only downside to this is that others may not have done the same, and you'll be free when everyone else is busy!
• "Great exam results, well done you, you must be a bloody genius."

YOU MASSIVE HYPOCRITE

As you may remember at the start of this I mentioned how I did not follow this advice and ended up with a busy revision schedule in the last few weeks leading up to exams. HOWEVER I plan to follow all this advice at the beginning of my second year at university and I plan to keep you up to date with how I'm doing. This means that unlike the last few weeks, I will actually have time to actually write blogs every Sunday, not just when I am exam free!

Good Luck in your exams!
Goodbye for now!