HALLS!

Living in halls was so interesting for me. I remember when my friends that were about to go into their second year telling me that halls were so much fun! Endearing memories for them that were quite possibly going to be heartfelt for me. So let's discuss living in Halls.

So first day of halls was super weird. There were already people in the flat that were already there when I had moved in but I wasn't aware what kind of people I would be living with or the kind of experiences I would be exposed to. But it began, I met my first flatmate of whom I adore to this day! She and I were both so nervous about living and just chatted about everything as if we had never not known each other. Our first night, we went to the Student Union to get accompanied into everything. The university lifestyle was in full swing! Then of course the two weeks of freshers which of course including the sleepless nights, and partying . The first few months were such a ball until of course we started to get really settled.

After Christmas, uni work was on its way and we of course did not know that socialising was not as important. The cleaning in the flat also went downhill. For someone with a pet hate of uncleanliness, I can honestly say that living with people that did not share the same enjoyment for a clean environment is not easy. I am also not a massive fan of being in an environment of loud noises but not everyone shared my consensus. The worst thing for me I remember was the state of the kitchen more than anything. Okay, everyone argued about dishes and what made it more difficult was that the whole flat would be held responsible during flat inspections.. We consequently had some really long arguments that consisted of blaming one another of not washing dishes, not cleaning after ourselves and so on which obviously did not help in solving anything. A few weeks of the blaming game and we then a solution was brought forward. A simple cleaning rota was proposed with the added benefit of the rota being done in pairs. Quite honestly one would assume that this would be the best thing that came out of collective arguing within our flat in regards to cleaning but it made things worse. Looking back on this particular situation, I would like to think that it was only made worse because some pairs were willing to only take on certain chores and avoid others. By avoiding chores it was usually taking the kitchen bins out. No one like doing it however it had to be done.

Another thing I feel is really important for many people to appreciate is doing their washing. Clothing that is. And appreciate clean clothes because Mother is not with you to do it for you. I did not appreciate the luxury of not doing my own washing as much as when I started to really do it myself. And as weird as it is, knowing what detergents to use is really important as well as it determines how your clothes will smell etc.  One should not doubt the power of detergent!

In conclusion what I learnt from living in halls was how much I hated living in an unclean environment. I also learnt how to enjoy my own space and appreciate space. To this day I really appreciate a really clean environment where I can think clearly and plan well. Managing a good living environment is also really important and is helpful and communication in a household too. Communication is definitely something I cherish after living in halls. Furthermore, I feel like halls are a good learning experience for everyone that goes to university. It may be a turbulent ride but it's definitely worth it.

The Big Diss!

Dissertation! It is as scary as it sounds and if not worse. I have been working persistently on my dissertation over the last couple of weeks seeing as it is due on Friday. I will quite honestly tell you that is a difficult one to get to grips with. First of all, the word count is big and secondly it was made even more difficult for me as we were given free reign over what topic we could do.  The hardest thing about dissertation is trying to balance everything else. I recently attained some freelance work which has become rather difficult to keep up with as well my dissertation and going to work as well. I must say that especially over the last couple of weeks, I have found it ever so difficult to even get sleep, but come Friday the 1st of May, I will be a partially free woman. I just need to get through this week.

The horror stories of dissertation time during third year are not completely true although if you work better under pressure like I do, you tend to like to work close to the deadline which causes more stress if you have a million and one things on the go. Writing the dissertation is one thing however researching is another thing. I have tossed and turned for months about my dissertation topic and the research I have done is extensive. I chose a topic that is something I know a vast amount about. Furthermore, it is an area I am greatly interested in and have learned a lot about over the last few weeks. The late nights have begun and the Jasmine Green Tea has started brewing excessively (not a coffee drinker). I also recently finished my internship and are looking to gain a bit more experience over the summer whilst working and doing freelance work.
I have been job hunting for paid internships however the Fashion Industry has an unbroken record of not offering too many paid internships but at least travel and expenses are covered which is really important if you live in London. I also am very much confused as to whether I would like to focus more on Styling or PR for the time being hence why I would like to intern a bit more to make my mind up about which area really appeals to me. I know that later on I will probably do both as I would eventually like to work completely freelance. Office jobs don't really appeal to me and I know I would everyday to be different. Hopefully my ideology will become an active reality sooner rather than later.

The other lurking day is Graduation. The date was emailed to me on Friday and I am actually excited. I text my parents as soon as I got the news because they will probably be more excited than I am about it. It is actually weird thinking about it about it because its coming soon. So so soon. I think I actually have mixed emotions actually which sounds contradictory but the more I think about it the more I come to realise how far I have come from my first year days through to my second year  and now towards the end of my Final Year. It's all so emotional!

Open Days

Open Days. They happen to be really great way of making that all important decision of 'Which Uni?'. Things I took into account when I was applying to universities was the distance away from home, the course itself, UCAS points and of course how the nightlife is (we know how important that is Haha). With that taken into account I of course did my research. Open days were not easy for me because at the time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. All I knew was that whatever course I wanted to do, it was something that I would enjoy. So with that in sight, my best friend and I decided to go to some universities together and weigh up our options. At that point we both had not yet applied to university but here are some things we both learned whilst at open days;

1. Logistics-  For some, being really far from home is ideal, but for others perhaps being close to home is not a bad idea. Also, when looking at logistics I tended to look at how easy it was to go home. The kind of public transport available to me and the frequency. I did not want to be in a place that did not offer easy ways of getting into University and getting home.
2. The course- My best friend was looking at doing Law. He knew he wanted to do that from the word go, I on the other hand knew that as long as the course was business related chances are I would probably enjoy the course. Every university we went to had talks about the course and the kinds of avenues you could look at after graduation. 
3. Opportunities- By opportunities,  I mean the kind of opportunities you are given or are likely to take with your course. This may be placement opportunities or such like Placement year or Internships and even the likelihood of employment after graduation which is  really important.
4. University student vibes- So this is my term for how the university feels. Most university students that I spoke to you when I was going to these open days were so enthusiastic, fun and energetic. They also gave me lots of free stuff which was cool (who doesn't like freebies) but most importantly, it was vital for me to ask about the course and how they were getting on with their course and whether they enjoyed it.
5. Nightlife- I come from a small town. I wanted to be able to go out, have a good time and enjoy whatever the University nightlife had to offer.
6. Accommodation- Every open day allows you to have a look at their accommodation on offer. They show you a range of accommodation so you are able to make decisions based on your monetary situation. It's also a good way of analysing whether you would like to live in a sociable environment or whether you would prefer to be in the comfort of oneself.

After all the above, both my best friend and I weighed up our options. We then chose our choices based on the above criterion and funnily enough we chose different ends of the country but equal distances from home. He went to university in Sheffield and I went south of Home. It worked out for the both of us and look, we have both had a fun time at University.

What have I learnt about myself?

In the video above, Susan and I will discuss what we have learnt in the last three years. This of course will include a brief overview of our pitfalls and some advice for you future students. It really has been fun. We have both learned so much.

University Nostalgia

My wonderful friend Susan has agreed to talk about her University experience with me. In the video above we will be talking about how far we have come as Uni students at the University of Bedfordshire as well as what we have enjoyed and our joint experiences. Enjoy!

Yes You Can!

Apologies for not posting in a while, I have just had the most hectic few weeks. Third year is progressing in such a haste I literally cannot believe it. So many final deadlines and on top of that I have been juggling working lots as well. It has recently occurred to me that I do not have long left at university. About a month ad half to be exact. And in that time I have to hand my dissertation, and two final hand ins. It is all coming to an end and I am quite sad about it.  Besides all that, there are  important matters to attend to which happen to concern voting.

These elections are also coming in fast and it is our duty as young people to vote for the best or what is seemingly the best for our communities. A simple yet concerning factor about elections in general is that less and less young people vote every year. I often wonder why that is seeing as we live in a society where we just about complain about everything there is to complain about although never seem to see much change? I think it's got to do with the fact that not enough young people are not being politically educated or don't care enough about the super important matters such as healthcare, education and even taxes.

There is an attitude out there that cradles the line 'it doesn't affect me yet' but in fact it does.I sadly admit that until recently, I was one of the young people who simply had no clue but was informed by one of my lecturers that I have been given a privilege which makes or breaks a country. This enlightenment also came in the form of being told to fill out a form which made me aware of what I cared about in society. For me the things I care most about include education, healthcare, taxes and foreign policies. Topics of that nature could also be something that you also care about and so I strongly urge all of you to take part in a political compass test of some form (Google political compass test, there are so many) . Stand your ground this upcoming election!

Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves

Yesterday was International Women's Day and boy is it a time to celebrate. I would like to think of myself as being a Feminist and so days like yesterday mark all things greatness within womanhood. For many years as many of you will know, women in many different countries have fought for gender equality with some sacrificing their lives in support of doing just that.The Western World has been successful in enforcing women's rights with iconic activists such as Emeline Pankhurst. For those who haven't the privilege of knowing about Emeline Pankhurst, she was the leader of the Suffragettes Movement in the early 20th century. She is one of the greatest examples of Feminism at best. We thank Emeline Pankhurst for giving females a voice and risking her life so we can be treated somewhat equally.

I highly admire women. Throughout the last century, women have gained status from simple status symbols like wearing trousers to women in politics running powerful countries like Germany. Women have definitely come a long way in Western Society however, there is still a long way to go in other societies. I am sure you all remember Malala Yousafzai. The 17 year old who stood up for educating women and consequently got shot by the Taliban for doing so. Educating women in many societies around the world is still sadly frowned upon. Women in some cultures are still seen as second to none and have no say on any matters. Malala Yousafzai is prime example of how women in such cultures are changing those cultural norms and challenging those deem themselves fit to run countries. The fact that she was shot by the Taliban for something she believed in shows that there is still much to be done in terms of educating women and more-so to be giving women a say in political matters. It is however an ongoing uphill battle however we must not forget that with great power comes great sacrifice. An education, the right to vote, the right to free will, the right to be whoever I want is a privilege. And to that I owe the women in history who have made it possible for me to have a voice!

They say 'If you educate a boy you are educating a man but if you educate a woman, you are educating a generation'.