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!