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!