Things I have learnt about being a university student...

Starting university is a big step for anyone, especially if you're merely 18 and have never lived without the comfort of your family before. Suddenly you're all alone in the world, and it can be a very daunting and down-right scary prospect. However, it can also be the making of many, giving many people the freedom to live their lives on their own terms and do whatever they want, whenever they want. I have to admit, being a university student is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I honestly have no idea what I would've done with my life if I hadn't gone to university, and even though I still don't really have any particular goal in mind, I now know that honestly I could do anything I wanted to. To me, university has given me the confidence to pursue anything I want in life, and has opened many unexpected doors and unlocked interests I didn't even know I had.

 

So for all of you who are about to take that leap of faith into university life, here are a few things I've found out in my last two student years, which I'm sure every student will know all too well.

 

There is no such thing as an early night.

You will have every intention of getting an early night, but for many people, this just doesn't happen. When I lived in halls, we used to find ourselves all gathering in the kitchen until the early hours, genuinely for no reason whatsoever other than we could. And more often than not, work will be left until the last minute, which causes the inevitable all-nighter to get it all done. I am so jealous of people at uni who know what a good nights sleep actually feels like, please teach me your secrets! 

 

 

There will eventually be a stand-off with your housemates over the cleaning.

Be prepared to get your hands dirty, because no one will be cleaning up after you. You may be blessed with the cleanest housemates in the world, or unfortunately, you could be stuck with the person whose stuff is always left in the sink. You will have three choices. 1) Buckle and clean up after them 2) Nag them until they eventually cave and sort it out, or 3) Leave it completely and accept this is how you live now.

 

 

You'll be ripped off by how much rent you have to pay but will have to pay it anyway.

Landlords are very smart people. They know you have nowhere else to live, so you will pay whatever it costs to live there meaning they charge as much as they like. It's an unfortunate situation which can stress out even the most financially secure student, but you'll just have to suck it up and pay or face either being homeless, or living so far away from uni you'll be practically in another town.

 

 

You can always guarantee that the book you need in the library has been already taken out.

Although the library is huge, you can almost guarantee that the book you need won't be there, because everyone else in your class will be after it as well. This is when the sneaky tactics come into play, I always pick my essay questions at the start of the semester so I can quickly get the books I want before it's too late. You have to play dirty to win!

 

There is always that one module you have to take that you find boring.

Usually a core module, or one that you've unfortunately been stuck with. Last year I had one module that I rarely went to because I had absolutely no motivation to sit through it, which sounds awful. I do feel bad about not going, and in truth I've only ever had two modules I didn't like, which I think is pretty good going. The best thing you can do is just push through and do your best in the assignments.

 

 

There is always that one lecture that you literally cannot stay awake in.

I had one module last year where the lecturer didn't use powerpoint presentations, so he literally talked at you for three hours, in one big monologue. After a while, I could feel his voice lulling me to sleep, and I had to fight the massive internal battle to close my eyes and sleep on the desk. I have one answer for anyone in this situation, as soon as you reach the break, grab a coffee. Caffeine will be your lifeline.

 

 

No night out will ever be as cheap as a student union night out.

It's a sad thought that as soon as I leave uni, I will never find a double and mixer for as cheap as £3 ever again. I don't want to think that I'll spend more than £20 on a night out, it's just depressing.

 

By the time you graduate, you'll still have no idea where half the buildings are.

I dread new semesters because it means room changes, and I have no idea where half the rooms are. I don't even have that big of a uni campus, and I'm pretty lucky that all the buildings are relatively near to each other so I don't have to trek around the city to get to my lectures. But honestly, I haven't even been in a few of the buildings, and the odds are I never will.

 

 

If there was a degree in procrastination, you'd get a first.

There are times when you'll really need to concentrate and crack on with your work, but literally everything provides the perfect distraction. I remember in my first year I colour coded my wardrobe to avoid writing an essay, which just proves I'm essentially a mad woman. I would genuinely get a first if my degree was in procrastination.

 

 

The heartbreak and dread that comes with realising how one day it's all going to be over.

This one is too real for me. It feels like I'm just starting to get really comfortable with my student status, and within the next year it'll all be over. I'm not prepared for the real world just yet, I wish I could stay in university forever.

 

 

Don't take your time at university for granted, because I promise you it will fly by, and you'll soon be wondering where the time has gone. Take as many opportunities as you can, and make the most of every second you have there, because it truly is one of the best experiences you will have.

 

Much love ♥

Does size matter?

This post has been sitting around in my drafts for nearly a month now, and I've rewritten it about 3 or 4 times, and even considered deleting it. However, I think it's a topic I need to talk about. Does size matter? And not in *ahem* that way. I'm talking weight and clothes size. Perhaps the reason I've been so reluctant to post this is because I've always been so embarrassed of mine, and tried to hide how incredibly insecure my size makes me, but in truth -

 

I have always had a love/hate relationship with my body.

 

There is no dancing around the subject, sometimes I look in the mirror and really hate what I see. All I can see is how big I am, and how wobbly everything is, and that there is absolutely nothing I like at all. But then I have good days, when I look at myself and think I look hella fine, and wouldn't change what I see for the world. So what is it with my bipolar feelings towards my body?

 

Can I blame the media for indoctrinating me into thinking 'thin is in', and that the only way I'll be loved by others (and even love myself) is to be able to squeeze into size 8 jeans? It's true that these magazines post toxic stories, of how celebrities have 'let themselves go' and are suddenly now a 'huge' size 10, or 3lbs too heavy to be seen as socially acceptable. Has this convinced me that society won't accept my size? The truth is, I can't remember being a size 8 since I was about 15, and my body has changed a lot in those last 5 years. It's not that I've let myself go, it's more that my body has grown up, and has become a lot less forgiving after a week of terrible eating and poor exercise.

 

 

I don't think that my lifestyle is too unhealthy. I generally tend not to snack too much, I eat a fairly balanced diet, and would say I get moderate exercise from walking a lot. I'm hardly a fitness fanatic, I don't make myself protein shakes, and go to the gym, but I certainly don't sit on my arse everyday and gorge on chocolate and takeaways non-stop. So why do I feel like my body is punishing me for enjoying life, and food, and all the comforts I enjoy? I love to eat. I'll admit that sometimes I can eat portions which are far too big for me, and binge eat to the extreme if I'm in the mood, which thankfully isn't that often. However, I can also have days where I'm not really hungry, and can go the whole day on something as meagre as a sandwich. I don't spend all day everyday sitting around doing nothing, I have a fairly active lifestyle, so why aren't I any thinner? I think it's pretty simple, I don't try to be any thinner. And really, why should I be?

 

 

I'm fed up of feeling like I'm too big to be accepted, and that I need to cut the tags out of my clothes so people won't see what size I am. In my eyes, I have a fairly healthy lifestyle. I'm not going to deny that it could be a lot better, I could do with a bit more exercise in my life, but I think that ultimately that's it. I should be more concerned with whether I am healthy, than if I am thin, because I'm beginning to think that these are two completely different concepts.

 

Maybe thin doesn't equal being healthy and being fat doesn't equal being unhealthy.

 

Maybe it is quite possible to suggest that I can be perfectly 100% healthy and not look like a Victoria's Secret model. I could be this healthy and still be fairly large, in the same way that I could binge eat to my hearts content and be stick thin. Life can be cruel, but I have to make the best of what I have, and work with my body, not against it.

 

 

This is my body and this is who I am. My size doesn't not reflect who I am as a person, and it shouldn't be a measure by how much society should accept and love me. Sometimes I do have to remind myself to stop punishing the vessel through which the rest of my life will be lived, because it has to see me through until the end, but it is tough. 

 

Therefore maybe it's about time I take some advice from my favourite drag queen, Rupaul -

 

 

AMEN!

 

Much love  ♥

 

Maybe I've always been more comfortable in chaos....

Oh it's been a while since I've written a serious post hasn't it? Recently if I've not been on some adventure or writing about it, I've been busy working to pay for the next one, so that I've barely had the time to stop and think about everything. My mind has been filled to the brim with a million thoughts, and I've been on the point of snapping for too long, so I've forced myself to get my act together and sort it all out.

 

In the last few months I've been super stressed out. Uni work seems to be never-ending. The wait to go home dragged out, and Winchester and I were seriously stuck in the middle of a love/hate relationship. I was really starting to feel like I'd been there too long, and it was time for a change of scenery and to go back home to Weymouth. But now I'm back in Weymouth I've found I'm itching to go back to Winchester. I honestly can't figure out where it is I really want to be anymore. Plus everyday life was just grating on me, like all things I had to do, and the people I was around. It's really unhealthy, and was just generally making me really angry at the world. I like to think I'm usually a really lovely person, but recently I had been so angry, I wasn't even smiling at strangers anymore. (I know, how atrocious.) This way of feeling had gone on for so long it was becoming my natural state, and I was becoming totally oblivious to it, and it was only when people around me pointed out how stressed and chaotic I was constantly, that I realised I had to change. I'd become comfortable in my own chaos, despite the fact I'd been taking all my angst out on myself, and everyone around me. I decided I needed to find a little time just for me, and make myself the most important person for a while. No disrespect to the people around me, but sometimes my problems need to come before theirs, and I need to just forget about them for a little bit. There's only so much space in my head.

 

So here's my fool-proof way to clear your head, even if it's just for 10 minutes. Consider this a little self-help guide, a big hug if you will from me to you, letting you know that it's okay to be really pissed off at the world, but don't let it get you down for too long or you may go crazy.
 

Light some candles. Honestly, candles make so much of a difference. They can change the atmosphere of a room, and make it much cosier and comforting to be in. Scented candles are the best, choose one you love (for me it has to be either Jasmine or Vanilla), and light them up.

 

Go on a little walk. Walking can do wonders for a troubled soul. Walk away from your problems for a little while and get some fresh air, and everything will feel so much better. I'm extremely fortunate to currently be living by the sea, so a little trip to the beach always sorts me out.

 

Blast some tunes. Whether it's the album you're currently championing or some classic cheesy tunes, play it loud and play it proud. Have a bit of a sing-along and dance off your blues, seriously, it'll make you feel better. I've done this so many times now, I'm convinced my neighbours can see me and think I need locking up in a padded cell. I just really hope they don't mind Florence + The Machine's new album..
 

Make a list. Write down all the negative things on your mind, and write down how you intend to sort it out. Making an action plan of how you're gonna tackle everything makes things a little simpler, because you can see it all in front of you, and it's not all just swimming endlessly around your head anymore. Cross them off once you've sorted them out as well, it makes it that bit more satisfying.
 

Clean something. I'm a firm believer that a tidy room = a tidy mind. It allows me to be able to think straight, and it's often a great distraction for when my brain is drowning in stress.
 

Vent your issues. Lockdown a confidant and talk to them about what's on your mind. I have two people I always turn to for some balanced and sound advice on pretty much everything, which is an absolute blessing. Just be aware that you're not putting too much on them, or whining about everything all the time. Venting must be done sparingly and fairly.
 

Plan something worth looking forwards to. This one is basically my life. Always keep your hopes up by having something to look forwards to and work towards, it makes difficult days seem much more worth while and easier to get through. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, it can just be a trip to the cinema with friends, but always plan something fun ahead.
 

 

Don't let things get on top of you, take time out for yourself, and only take on as much as you can cope with. You are a world within yourself, and you need to look after yourself. And trust me, even though you might not think so, you're doing great.

(Also bonus points for anyone who realised the post title is a Florence + The Machine Lyric from the song St. Jude on How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful!)

 

Much love  ♥  

 

All aboard the Hogwarts Express...

I was only 7 when the first Harry Potter film came out, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, so like many others my age, I grew up reading and watching the Harry Potter series. It was a kind of magical escape for me growing up, I longed so much that I could hop on the Hogwarts Express and go and learn how to practice magic, but unfortunately my Hogwarts letter never arrived. But many years later, luckily for me, as a summer surprise my mum booked for her, my brother and I to go to the Warner Bros. Studio Harry Potter Tour at Leavesden Studios. I was completely over the moon, I'd always wanted to go but never really got around to organising it. Plus it was a great excuse for me to feel like a 12 year old again.

 

It's probably a little naïve of me to say this, but I'd never really appreciated just how big a production the Harry Potter films were. There were so many people involved from beginning to end, across many departments I hadn't even really given much thought about. The studio tours shows you every little detail involved in making such an epic film series, from the concept art, to scale models, props, costumes, special effects and so much more...

 

Here are just a few pictures of my day!

Just on my way to platform 9 3/4...

The Great Hall

The Hogwarts Express

 

 Some of the costumes, Privet Drive, and the teachers costumes in The Great Hall

 

I'd definitely recommend going to anyone who loves Harry Potter, it's such an amazing experience allowing the magic to live on. I would also recommend anyone interested in film production go along, because it's honestly inspiring and eyeopening as to just how big and varied the film industry is. I spent far too much money in the gift shop at the end, and I was super tempted to buy a replica wand (definitely Hermione's because I always wished I was her when I was younger), but couldn't bring myself to splurge the £27 for one. I did however settle on a copy of The Tales of Beedle The Bard along with many beautiful notebooks which seem far too pretty to use and some postcards for my wall at uni.

 

Some of the many things I bought in the gift shop

Much love ♥  

That Wildlife though...

Continuing on from our awesome few days in Edinburgh, Em and I headed straight down to Brighton for Wildlife Festival. I persuaded Em to come with me months ago, and she agreed after I pointed out Sam Smith would be performing. Long story short, he wasn't after the whole throat surgery thing, but we still had a hell of a weekend! (Plus technically we did see Sam Smith in the crowd, we just didn't actually hear him sing...)

 

 

First things first, we checked into our room in a Travelodge. I know, it was pretty much what you'd expect, but not the end of the world. If you can get past the feeling that it sounds like the person in the bathroom is literally right next to you when you're curled up in bed, then it's fairly decent. We got the lovely surprise of finding out our past selves had pre-paid for breakfast, which we totally forgot about. Word of advice however, never stop at the first place you find for food. Especially if said place is a kebab shop and you're not drunk. I had to walk back through the hotel holding a pie, which genuinely felt like I'd hit rock bottom.

 

 

The festival was onsite at Brighton City Airport, literally not that far from Brighton City Centre, and they put on a bus service for the occasion which was decent. The whole weekend was brilliantly organised (minus the hour long wait for a bus back on the first night, needless to say after thousands of complaints they stepped up big time on the Sunday night), and just a whole lot of fun.

Although there were loads of people playing, here are just a few of my highlights from across the weekend.

• Jess Glynne - Somehow we ended up right at the front on the barrier for Jess Glynne, and she was incredible. Her voice is so powerful, and she played all the songs we love her for, such as Hold My Hand, Real Love, and Rather Be.
  
• Mark Ronson - Whilst we were still at the front, we decided to stick around for Mark Ronson, and it was such a highlight of the weekend! He played Uptown Funk (for the first time ever at a festival he told us!), and we all went mad. His last track was Valarie, who he dedicated to his old friend Amy Winehouse, and again, we all went mad. Such an amazing set, plus we realised we both have weird crushes on him...
  
• Black Butter Tent - A.K.A our spiritual home for the weekend. Here we were offered a plethora of drugs (haha as if!), got a bit drunk, and loved life to the max. Everyone was dancing like an idiot and nobody cared, and of course we joined in. It was so exhilarating not to be judged for looking like a complete idiot swaying around holding two bottles of cider, because everyone else was doing exactly the same. My favourite moment in the tent was 'Dancing Man', a guy with moves so incredible, I filmed him. Enjoy...
  
• George Ezra - I can officially saw I've seen my future husband in the flesh now, even if we ended up in a really bad bit of the crowd. Emily got clawed in the ribs, and called it quits, leaving me in the thick of the crowd. I guilt tripped, left to find her (cue a two hours search wandering around the site for each other because there was no phone signal!), and missed him sing Budapest. What I did see though was bloody marvellous, and I'm definitely still in love with my G. Ezra.
  
• Rudimental - The whole place went mental for Rudimental! They played all the classics such as Feel The Love, Not Giving In, and Waiting All Night, and Em and I jumped and danced around like crazy. This was also the beginning of a very brilliant dance routine which I'm sure will become a part of every night out from now on..
  
• Jimmy Napes - Producer, song-writer, and friend of Disclosure and Sam Smith, and now musical artist in his own right. This was his first live performance, and yet again we were at the front, and he was brilliant. A pleasant surprise from an act we'd never heard play before, I've gone and downloaded his EP and am looking forwards to hearing more from him soon!
  
• Years and Years - I am a HUGE Years & Years fan, I love their music so much it's ridiculous (although not as much as the Y&Y fan club who were next to us at the barrier, who were so intense it was slightly terrifying). I've had their new single Shine stuck in my head ever since. I'm going to be seeing them again in October, but this set was brilliant, as was lead Olly Alexander's dancing/slut dropping...
  
• Annie Mac - Confession, I was actually pretty drunk during the majority of Annie Mac's set, and I think we walked off and missed quite a lot of it. However, what we heard was pretty impressive, and got the whole crowd hyped up and ready for Disclosure later that night.
  
• Disclosure - I am so in love with Disclosure it borders on ridiculous. Like genuinely, their music is just insanely good, and I could listen to it forever and ever. I figured that had it not been for this festival, I probably wouldn't get the chance to see them live again, and the crowd was loving it. They played so many songs, bought out guests such as Gregory Porter who sings on Holding On, and rounded off with Latch, which they dedicated to Sam Smith. My mind was completely blown during the entire set, and it's up there on the list of the happiest moments of my life. My absolute highlight of the entire weekend. (I'm also very much in love with Guy Lawrence from Disclosure, and if things don't work out between me and George Ezra, he's next on the list...ha!)
  

 

The next morning, we were so wrecked and defeated by Wildlife, that we actually chose to skip the free breakfast from our past selves just so we could sleep in! It took a bit of recovering I won't lie, I was exhausted from having too much fun. One thing is for sure however, I will definitely be signing up for next year after how incredible it was. I'm converted from loving gigs to going crazy for festivals! Hopefully one day I'll get tickets for Glastonbury, and maybe even Coachella if I'm lucky enough.

 

 

 

Much love ♥ 

 

 

Edinburgh - Castles, karaoke and kilts ...

So you should all know by now that randomly booking travels is a bit of a pastime of mine, and my recent trip to Edinburgh was no exception. Most of the concept behind going was down to Em, I'd picked and insisted on the trainwreck which was to become our trip to Belfast, and rightfully so it was her time to choose where we headed next. And damn, she chose well.

Edinburgh is such a beautiful place to go, with so much to see and do. We crammed every second of being there with as much as we could, including some really good food (seriously, for students we have never eaten so well!), and of course, some very good pubs and bars.
 

(One of the best pics I've taken..)

 

We decided against booking a hotel room, instead opting for a bright apartment on Airbnb which was really central to everything we wanted to do. I would totally recommend checking them out, it made the experience much more personal and relaxed, with more freedom than staying in a hotel room, plus it saved a bit of money.

(The light was incredible in the flat, and there are MANY selfies to prove this)

 

Our first full day in Edinburgh was dedicated as 'museum and shopping' day. I think it's fair to suggest we had too much fun in the National Museum of Scotland. I would recommend that anyone planning a trip to Edinburgh goes there, it's honestly incredible. We got lost, thought we'd somehow ended up inside another museum in a museum (museum-inception?), laughed, composed our own piece of 'world music' (spoiler - it was awful), Emily got far too excited about the space section, and I lost my mind in the Native American section. The NMS exceeded all our expectations for a museum, and considering it was free to get in, was a completely wonderful way to waste our morning.

(Faces of pure joy)

 

After trying and failing to find the Anatomical Museum - plot twist, it was shut for June - we headed back into New Town, for a bit of shopping. It was a sad fact that we were a) broke, and b) only travelled with hand luggage so there was no way we could shop until we dropped. However, I did treat myself to a playsuit, which made an appearance at Wildlife that weekend.

 

That evening we decide to do what we do best, go out drinking. We found a wonderful place called The Black Rose Tavern, and it happened to be Open Mic Night. Fantastic. There was some serious eye-candy, singing and playing the guitar, as well as the guy running the night. At first, we thought he was fairly attractive, but as the night went on, he just got weirder and weirder. He was the most overly enthusiastic man I've ever seen in my life. He was singing and dancing and clapping along to every single song, and completely lost his mind during one guys performance when he changed riff ("WHOA GUYS THAT WAS INSANE, HE NEVER PLAYS BUT WHOAAAAAA") I'm not sure if he was high on life or something else, but overly enthusiastic open mic guy, I salute your positivity.

(One of the acts at open mic night)

 

Edinburgh Castle was firmly on our agenda from the second we booked the trip, and it did not disappoint. We went fairly early to beat the queues, and decided we couldn't be bothered to follow the tourguides (I was there with a Medieval History student, I didn't need a tourguide!). The Castle is packed with so much history, and it was truly beautiful. There was so much I didn't expect to see, and quite frankly, there was just simply so much to see. I ummed and ahhed about buying myself a tiara in the gift shop, (Princess Hazel has a nice ring to it), and fought my way through all the crowds to see the Scottish Crown Jewels.

 

As you come out of Edinburgh Castle, you find yourself at the top of the Royal Mile. We decided to wander down the mile, past the millions of shops selling cashmere and tartan, or shortbread, grabbed a Starbucks, and headed back.

 

Following the delights of Open Mic Night, we headed back to The Black Rose Tavern, only to discover it was Karaoke night. Let me just tell you, all my dreams were made true that night. Firstly, there were some singers with...um.. questionable talent? One guy absolutely killed the classic 'Hungry Eyes' so badly, I still quince when I hear it on the radio. The guy running the show was easily the best singer to grace the microphone, and his sarcasm was on point. However, all this alone wasn't as brilliant as the fight which broke out while we were there. A trio of Chinese tourists came into the bar, absolutely smashed, and over the course of the evening ordered 48 jager-bombs. 48! They were playing a weird drinking game which loosely looked like Rock Paper Scissors, but with a lot more shouting, and about 100x more drinking. One of the girls decided she wanted to sing, and somehow fell out with the guy running it, and slammed his laptop shut. He kicked off and tried to get her removed, and failed, and she picked up a drink and headed over to him and his laptop. I swear to god she was going to pour it over his laptop, and Em and I and this couple behind us all leapt up shouting at her to stop. It was seriously intense. They knocked all their drinks off the table, the girl went running off to the toilets, I had to go and check she hadn't drowned in her own vomit (she didn't), and the karaoke reluctantly resumed. At this point, another of the Chinese girls declared it was her birthday, so the guy running it played happy birthday, but no was singing because everyone was too busy fighting. The guy running it turned the music off, and sarcastically said how it was the most depressing birthday ever, which still cracks me up today!

(Saw this outside a pub, and oh my is it true!)

 

The morning after the brilliant night before, and it was sadly time to leave Edinburgh. However, there was still one more thing to do, which was to squeeze in getting a tattoo. This has become somewhat of a tradition now, that whenever Em and I travel somewhere, we get inked. There was only one option for me, to get the alchemical symbols for air and water, which represent Florence and the Machine's new album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. I got it on the outside of my wrist, and I completely love it.

(Freshly inked and loving life)

So in conclusion,  Edinburgh is incredibly lovely. The people are very friendly, and there's certainly a lot to see and do without breaking the bank. There is a lot of history to explore, and the castle is a must for anyone visiting. If anything, it offers incredible views of the surrounding city as well as hundreds of years worth of history. Definitely check out a few of the bars and pubs, because that's where the memories are really made, and maybe, just maybe, you'll witness a brawl.
 

 

That's part one of Em and I's week of travels over, as the following day we headed down to Brighton for Wildlife festival!

 

Much love ♥