Monday 9 March 2015

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'.

Monday 2 March 2015

Time is of the essence



So many of you will wonder how time is managed when you are at University. It is very much different to time management when you were going to school everyday. For starters, the timetable is so different and the best part about it is that unlike some degrees I was given some choice as to what classes I would attend and at what time. It's actually great as a lot of people have jobs outside of university alongside that people would also like to enjoy a social life.  However, as each year has progressed, time has been of the essence. It waits for no one. So in light of this fast paced reality, I have to be willing to work the extra hours in order to achieve whatever it is I am focused on. 

I would like to think that I spend a good majority of my time doing my University work but I will be honest the 'busy body' lifestyle means I have had to learn to prioritise my time as best as I know how. So my strategy for doing so is being as flexible as I can be. I try my hardest to make sure that my university work comes first as my degree is the most important aspect of my life at the moment. Everything else is after. At the moment, it is the most intense year yet. With the added pressure of dissertation, other assignments, retail work as well as trying to socialise every now and then, one does wonder why I haven't lost the plot? The fact of the matter is that it is fairly difficult balancing everything when you have lots to do however in retrospect of the last three years, when you get the balance right, everything becomes that little bit easier.