My Honest University Experience

Hello, there.

If you have been following me for a little while you will know that I was in my final year of a criminology degree. 

I finished my degree a couple of days ago (yippee!). 

DISCLAIMER: I am going to be completely honest here. If you are one of the people I talk about then sorry, but not sorry also. 

A lot of people always ask me what university is really like, and I always find that a lot of people sugar coat things, and make it out like it's all party, happiness, and generally great times.

NEWSFLASH. 

This isn't true.

Sorry if I burst your bubble... 

Overall, university is a great experience. 

If you are thinking of going because you need it for a career then go for it. However, if you are thinking of going to uni to put off getting a job, or think you will "find yourself" (I cringe as I say that, ergh), or if you think it'll be an easy three years....do not go. It's a very expensive way to find out that none of those things happen or are true. 

University is hard. It has been a difficult three years. There is a lot of work, especially in your final year. If you don't work your ass off and commit to it fully then you won't get the grades you want. 

Hell, there will be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. 

I have gone through some of the hardest times of my life at university. Dealing with being cheated on rather a lot, my mum having cancer, some nightmare situations this year that made me reconsider my entire degree, and some severe homesickness this year. 

I also made the decision to stop drinking back in October because I was starting to get a tad ill after drinking far too much (sorry, mum) over the previous two years. I found that this meant I essentially got left out of things - told you I was being honest - and actually meant that I didn't get on with my house mates any more. To be brutally honest, that has been absolute hell for me. I kept myself prisoner in my room, I was always scared to be in a room with them, and now I am extremely happy to be moving out. These are all things I never thought would happen to me, especially when I was really good friends with them beforehand. But advice I have been given is "you win some and you lose some". 

But it has also been a really great time. I've met (a few) people that I will consider lifelong friends, gained a degree, had amazing opportunities, and been able to develop myself in ways I wouldn't have done without coming here. 

The bad times were unbelievably shit, I won't pretend they weren't. Yet I have way more positive memories of the last three years, particularly more from my first and second year. 

The one thing I think I have learned most from being at university is that you can't please everyone, and you shouldn't try to. People are going to go out of their way to make you feel like shit, believe me it happens a lot. You have to be strong enough to know when to walk away, whether it be from a friendship, relationship, or anything group work-y. 

Oh, a second thing I learned (the hard way) is that you get out what you put in. If you put your everything into an essay then you will get the results. If you do them the night before you will (mostly) not do too great. 

Remember that you are coming to university to gain a degree, not to party your life away. 

I may consider doing a university Q&A sort of thing later on if anyone has any questions. I will be doing a "my degree in pictures" next week, so keep your eye out for that! 

I want to know what advice would you give to someone going to university/starting a new job/making a big life decision? Put your answers in the comments below!

As always, thank you for reading, and I will see you all next time!

PS. sorry for not blogging for a while, dissertations are hard.

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Summer Bucket List

Summer is fast approaching - as is the end of my degree, thank god - and I am starting to think about the things I want to do. Unlike last year where I spent every waking second at work, I am taking it slightly easier this year. I have a holiday, a trip to a theme park (or two...), and some day trips planned; plus my obvious trips back down to Plymouth.

I thought there would be nothing better to do to get myself in the mood for summer, and distract (procrastinate) from exam stress than to make a bucket list of the things I want to do this summer.

1. Lose weight
I say this as I am sat here munching my way through a pack of Hula Hoops. I have sort of neglected my body over the last few years and put on rather a lot of weight, so I think this is about the time I sort that out. I plan on going to the gym several times a week, and cutting all the crap *echem, hula hoops* from my diet. 


2. Take more photos
I used to take photos of everything, but as soon as I gave up drinking I sort of stopped. I got myself a new camera at the end of last year (mainly in relation to number 7), so hopefully I can put that to more use this summer.


3. Go on more walks
I really enjoy going on walks, exploring new areas, and slowly getting lost in fields. Unfortunately for me, my dog is rather stubborn and doesn't particularly like to walk very far so I don't have the luxury of taking her on longer walks. Maybe I should borrow someone else's proper dogs?...


4. Smile more
The last 6 or so months have been complete hell, and I have found myself on a daily basis being incredibly miserable. Luckily, I have been able to escape back home for job interviews (although I have been rejected on all of them - more of that in a later post). I may actually post about all that in a later post because I think I could share some pretty good advice. But I am hoping being back home in a happier environment, with people who don't hate me, and be somewhere where I am not actually scared to leave my room. Oh, and also having my dog around will be much better for me.


5. Blog more
I have sort of rejected you guys for a little while because of deadlines, dissertations, and now exams. Now that I don't have any of that rubbish (almost) to deal with, I can spend more time blogging and doing things I want to do! That also may mean more rants - possibly another airport/flying themed one in September!


6. Save some money
I am hoping to move out in the next couple of years, so I am hoping to save a significant amount of money towards that. I also owe my parents a rather large chunk of money because I borrowed some to buy a new car - whoops. But it will be nice to treat myself to some new clothes and treats once I have lost a little weight, too.


7. Vlog in Disney
Yes, you read that right. I am hoping to add a little video element to this blog! Panic not, I shan't be turning into a YouTuber; mainly because I don't really have enough confidence to spend all my time in front of a camera. I am hoping to do more of a series of montage-y videos so that I don't have to bore you with my voice! I am in Disney World and Universal Studios etc. for 2 weeks at the end of August, so look out for those coming out around the middle of September.


8. Drink more coffee...yes, seriously
If you follow me on Instagram (shameless self-plug) you will be all too aware that I drink a lot of coffee. But I want to go for coffee more with friends and family, rather than on my own. 


9. Keep in touch with some university friends
There are a select few friends I will put all my effort in to keeping in touch with. Luckily for me, a few of them live quite close so I can drive/get the train to see them reasonably often. Maybe I could do some awesome stuff with them to vlog/blog about?!


So there we have it, 9 things I really want to do in summer. Knowing me most of these will probably just start in summer rather than be completed...but it's the thought that counts!

Tell me in the comments below what do you want to do this summer?


Thank you for reading, and I will see you next time!

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Dissertation?...DISTRESS-tation!

Well, it has been a while. 

Where have I been?

Writing a freaking dissertation. 

There are not enough words in any dictionary to express how much writing my dissertation has stressed me out and make me hate words. Actual words. Especially "euthanasia", "death" and "treatment" - as you can tell, I am writing an extremely uplifting essay...

As I sit here tapping away on my keyboard, the sun is shining, birds are singing, and it's warm. 

Yet here I am. 

Tucked away in my room doing this freaking dissertation and munching away through an entire punnet of red grapes and listening to Disney World park music, pining for the next 132 days to go quickly. 

Thrilling, eh? As is final year life. 

Considering I have typed 11,000 words - and done some nerve damage to my elbow in the process - I am feeling more stressed than I did about 6 months ago when I first put pen to paper to plan this bloody thing. 

This dissertation (or dissy for short, said preferably with a slightly unimpressed tone of voice) is restricting my (totally non-existent) social life, critical EastEnders viewing time, and most importantly...food time, which now often occurs after midnight.

All I want is a few days to play Sims, where dissertations do not exist (yippee!) and eat cheeseburgers without getting fat. Is that too much to ask?

I actually just purchased a stress therapy colouring book and a set of colouring pencils. Don't judge me. I am in no way artistic, and I can barely draw a straight line with a ruler, but colouring is just so therapeutic for me. So I have that to look forward to. Yay, procrastination!

I keep thinking that I see the light at the end of the tunnel with a huge Domino's pizza, an even bigger Ed's chocolate milkshake, and a lot of Netflix. 

Then something bonks me on the back of the head, sending my hurtling head first back to reality and I realise it is in no way over.

May 21st cannot come soon enough; no more dissertation, no more placement, and no more law exams. 

As soon as I come out of that exam I am getting in to bed and only moving to pee. 

Maybe once everything is over I can post some things about how to succeed at university. Maybe I will actually get my mind together and work on the USG. If you don't know what that is then you'll just have to keep coming back until you find out. 

As much as I adore you all, I am completely procrastinating now and should be getting back to my dissertation. 

If you have any tips to help me unwind, or ideas of things to do when university is over post them in the comments below!

Toodles!

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Things uni taught me part II | Final year edition

A while ago I wrote a post called "Things uni has taught me" when I was doing my second year, of which I essentially spent drunk, bored, or asleep. 

I thought it would be a good idea to do another version of this now, half way through my final year so you can see how things actually changed.

A lot of things have changed since then, especially me as a person and my mentality and approach to my degree and university work. I have also made a lot of changes to my life, as you will see as we go along! 

I am quite proud of the person I am becoming, so hopefully that will come across in the changes I have made since this time last year!


#1. Dissertations are hard
I always knew writing a dissertation would suck, but oh my goodness it is awful. Not even awful in a bad way, but it is a lot of work. I have done 4300 words so far, and I have 7700 left. The key is slowly but surely, and choose something you don't mind writing about for 7 months!

#2. Alcohol isn't that great
I never thought this would be something that I would ever say, given I spent 90% of my second year drinking. I gave up drinking as a personal choice to help me lose weight, but also because I wasn't enjoying it any more; I wasn't getting that excited kick from it. It is surprising how much hassle I got from a lot of people because of this choice, actually. But I feel so much better for it, and not having a hangover is amazing!  

#3. Planning ahead is a good idea
This sort of applies for anything in life, but is something I have come to find a great comfort in. I plan my shopping in advance, I plan when I am going to do work, when I'm not going to do work. I live my life by a to-do list at the moment, and I am not even ashamed about it. It keeps me on schedule, and keeps my mind at bay.

#4. Healthy eating is actually possible
I have maintained throughout the last 2 years that I can't afford to eat healthily at uni. I would binge eat mountains of crap, and live solidly on microwave ready meals. For some reason something in my mind switched to a different lever a while back and I though I would give this healthy eating thing a go. Turns out it's possible, and best of all, it's great!

#5. Dinner at midnight is fine
As a slight contrast to my last statement, I still often eat at midnight - but not because I am being lazy. I have found that recently I am eating later on in the evenings because I am still doing work at my normal dinner time and I don't want to get out of that mindset and rhythm. Just because you eat at midnight, doesn't mean it has to be junk.

#6. Making decisions is hard
This is something I am pretty sure I have ranted to you about before. I am awful at making decisions at the best of times, but when I have the added pressure of a deadline, or somebody wanting me to make the decision, it seems to take me much longer to come to a conclusion. I am starting to resolve to picking things out of a hat.

#7. Graduate schemes suck so bad
I think I am going to rant about this separately, but oh my goodness, grad schemes are awful. I have applied for several of these, and each time get rejected because of my not-so-great maths skills, even when the job has nothing to do with maths. It really bugs me and I am getting so stressed out (often to the point of tears) because of it. Why can't I suddenly get a lot of recognition for my blog and use it as a job?

#8. The library really is a maze
I have never been a mass fan of the university library - it is often too big and that freaks me out a tiny bit. It doesn't help that it is often rammed, especially around deadlines which means there are loads of people so queue anxiety. When you have a very broad subject with books that cover several areas, you essentially get a mini-workout whilst hunting them down. Learn where to find your books, and you will be fine.

#9. Lecturers become a lifeline
I have, on the most part, amazing lecturers - especially my dissertation supervisor. It has only been in the last year that I have realised how dedicated and great they are. I can honestly, hand on heart say that I don't think I would be as calm as I am now if it weren't for them.

#10. Money is valuable
You don't need to eat out all the time, you don't need to spend all your money on a night out, and you don't need that new top. Stopping and thinking before you dip your hand in your pocket could save you so much money.

#11. Life decisions suck
Trying to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life is a massive pain in the arse. Can someone decide for me? Please?

#12. Your bed is your best friend
Sleep is important, so having a comfy bed is a good idea. Also, if I get too stressed I tend to take 15 minutes and sit in bed, do nothing, and close my eyes. I find that if you separate your work from your bed you will sleep much better without that association. 

#13. Work becomes essential
40% is no longer a thing to celebrate, and I have found myself spending more time on my work in general than I have socialising, eating, and probably even sleeping. But I know that it will all be worth it come September when I graduate.

#14. Coffee is better than oxygen
I am a big coffee person, I think you probably already know that. When I am doing a day of work I often go through around 12 cups of coffee. I actually recently switched to skimmed milk so I don't feel so guilty drinking so much of it. 

#15. Stress is a norm
This is coming from someone who doesn't deal with stress very well; it gets easier to handle. Once you start to see a dent being made in your workload you start to feel a slight sense of achievement, and you can relax a teeny bit.

#16. Organisation is key
I have several to-do lists, a wall planner, a calendar, and approximately 12 notebooks on the go at the moment. You can never have enough paper!

#17. Tidy room, tidy mind
I cannot condemn procrastination because of the fact that I am the world's biggest procrastinator. But recently I have found myself being productive, counter-productively. I actually clean and organise to procrastinate now, instead of watching an entire TV series in one day. Progress!

#18. It gets harder to procrastinate
See! Procrastination gets less appealing the more work you have to do. Once you learn to resist temptation you'll be well away.

#19. Priorities are needed
This is why I have a to-do list! I can prioritise the things I need to do, then get that satisfaction when I can finally tick one off.

#20. There is a light at the end!
I am finally starting to see that little pinhead of light slowly emerging at the end of a 3 year long tunnel, and I cannot wait to walk out of it! Slowly but surely!


What sort of things did you learn in your final year at university?

Or did you choose to not go?

Tell me in the comments below.

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Productive Procrastination

Hello, my name is Danielle and I am a procrastinator. 

Phew, I am glad that's out the way!

A problem shared is a problem halved, the first step is admitting you have a problem...phrases of that nature and all that crap....yep.

Procrastination is both a problem and a hobby of mine. I find myself mindlessly procrastinating over the smallest of tasks, sometimes I procrastinate over making dinner. Awful, I know. 

I thought once I hit my final year of uni (yay!), that I would almost grow out of procrastinating, and that the sheer pressure of having to write a dissertation, whilst running a society, maintaining my obviously very fleeting social life, stopping myself becoming obese (whoops...), and managing to actually get enough sleep, would be enough to force me out of this professional procrastinator title I have given myself.

Did it hell.

Having said that, I find myself now productively procrastinating. 

Uh huh, that is actually a thing. I am actually going to insert Urban Dictionary below, just to feel a lot better about myself.

It would appear that I have been given as an example. I need help.

Instead of binge watching anime on Netflix (I am still a teeny bit guilty of this on the odd occasion when I give in to the temptation), I now find myself tidying, hoovering, actually making a proper meal, and the worst of all....making lists of the things I am procrastinating over. 

To-do lists are my life.

I treated (using this term loosely) myself to a whiteboard the other day, simply because I thought (echem, knew) it would help me keep in check with what I should be doing, where I should be going, and when I should be doing things.  

So far, so good. 

Ish.

I am still procrastinating...possibly less so productively considering I should probably be doing work right now instead of procrastinating by writing about procrastinating about procrastinating over the things I was originally procrastinating over.

Ow. Does your brain hurt, too? Sorry. 

The silver lining to my ever greying cloud? I am actually several thousands of words ahead of where I need to be. I have actually been told, nay ordered, to take a break and go home. 

Who'd have thought? Danielle the serial procrastinator being told off for doing too much work?

Miracles do happen!

So, please make me feel better about my life and tell me your procrastination stories in the comments below. I don't want to be alone!

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The Tea Monologues | Part 1

Well. Where do I start?

You know, it took me over an hour to decide on what to call this post. To be perfectly frank, I can see myself changing it yet again before I am happy with it. 

I feel like it has been a while since I have let my guard down on my blog. I've been so caught up in university work that I have forgotten to leave time for my mind.

It's been one of those times. The ones where you don't really want to talk to anyone, but you feel like you might explode if you don't. Know those feelings?

I recently invested in a "Line a Day Diary". A five year journal giving me approximately 20 words (handwriting size dependent) on how my day has been, what I have been feeling, what I have been doing. Not so surprisingly the word "procrastination", or forms of it, seem to scatter the last...26 pages.

I really need to work on my procrastination.

Yes, I have a Frozen Starbucks mug. Don't judge me. No, it is not coffee (for once), but tea. Hence the title. Get it? Ayyyyy. 

Right now I am feeling a bit shit. As I look over to my wall and see my planner hanging there, all smug with its complete fullness of dates, meetings, deadlines, and placement days. I am starting to realise how busy I am going to be. There are little dots scattered, annoyingly very close together, showing me when I should be doing things. It is now I have discovered that I have only 1 free day a week. A Saturday. Of which will be spent in bed, not moving, and probably snoring. 

So I have a little under four months left at university. Four months. Shit. 

I am starting to enter that little pre-existential crisis phase again. I am feeling very anxious, permanently a little sick, and very jittery. 

It is dawning on me that this time in a year, or even 6 months, I could be anywhere doing anything.

But what I will be doing is bugging me.

There is a little voice in my head telling me to put myself out there, apply for everything. Then there is the louder, more strong voice reminding me of how scared of rejection and failure I am.

I found myself putting together a (not so) little Travel Bucket List, seemingly out of comfort - or procrastination, depending on how you choose to look at it. Do I want to travel? Yes. Can I afford to travel? No. Dammit, student loan.

Maybe I will wait a little longer to decide on my fate for the next few years.

I have been finding comfort, and possibly slight procrastination and admiration, in Will Darbyshire's YouTube Channel (of which I have linked, take a look). It appears we think in a similar manner; he just has the confidence to film his thoughts, whereas I babble on here.

This leads me to you. How are you? What have you been doing? Looking very lovely today!

Tell me, what is your main goal in life?

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A letter to my future self

Dear me, myself, and I

There is no better time to write something that you will look back on in the future than when your head is full of thoughts of the year just gone. A new year is not a time for a new you, but a time for you to improve upon what you have become. 

So in the following points of advice, older and most likely wiser Chubs, I wonder whether you still live by these minor, yet vitally important snippets of things I have learned thus far in life.

I wonder what you're up to. 

Did you ever figure out what you wanted to do with your life, or are you still hopelessly blogging with a not-so-secret wish of being spotted? Most likely.

How long did it take you to move out? I bet it was absolutely nothing like you thought it would be.

Did you ever get that pug? I bloody hope so.

So, future me. These are a few things I hope you listened to and swear by. If not...see you in hell.

First of all, and one of the most important things I really hope you realised: you are not perfect, you never will be. And that is fine. Accept yourself for who you are, and if you're not happy try to change it. Your imperfections may just be perfections to someone else. Who knows?

Don't be afraid to admit when you might need help. Later on down the line, you will regret not asking for it sooner. Apply this to everything in your life and you will go much further than struggling on your own.

Crying doesn't make you weak. End of.

You are your own worst enemy. No one will ever see you in such as negative light as your reflection does to you. At least try to be  positive about yourself. Confidence is key.

You can change your weight, all it takes is a little motivation. But at the same time, some numbers on a scale don't define you.

Always take the stairs. See point above.

Embrace your own happiness. Do one thing every day that makes you happy, and that'll make you feel better.

A smile costs nothing. Smile at a stranger, smile at your boss, heck, smile at your dog.

Not everyone you meet is going to like you, and not everyone who likes you will you want to meet. This is a given, and you can't change it no matter how much you want to.

Keep that dream alive. Don't shun something because of money.

Talking of money, it isn't the be all and end all. But save it, spend it, do something spontaneous with it. Just like your weight, how much money you have doesn't define you.

Don't listen to anyone but yourself. If something feels right then go for it, deal with the consequences later.

Follow your heart, but don't ignore your head. Apply to everything, no excuses.

Don't be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. Those boundaries are set to be broken.

Being a nerd is most definitely not a bad thing. Embrace your intelligence and you will go far.

But at the same time, just because you aren't as good at one thing, it doesn't mean you're a failure. Learn from your mistakes, and try again.

Don't give up. On anything. Ever.

Keep your head high when you feel like sinking. 

Do something that you want to do, not something someone else wants you to do. And if someone says you can't do it, do it even better.

Learn to say "no".

But also learn to say "yes".

Don't be afraid of your own emotions. It's OK to feel like crap sometimes, and it's OK to not want to get out of bed.

Let your guard down, even if it is just for a few hours. 

Think before you do, and think before you speak.

And finally, always get enough sleep. You'll thank me for that later.


So, future me, what do you think? I think it's a pretty solid thing to live by, and by the sounds of it it's served you well.

Live is for living, so grab it by the horns!

Here's until next time.

Enjoy the cake, Chubs!

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University life lessons

I am coming up to my last few months at university, and they have absolutely flown by. It genuinely feels like just yesterday I was in the car driving down to Plymouth for the first time, a tad teary at the realisation I wasn't going to see my dog every day (don't judge me), but also incredibly excited at the prospect of moving away and being on my own. 

I have learned a lot in my three years at university; and not just about my course! Mainly, I have learned a lot about myself as a person, as a friend, and as a writer. 

There have been some largely significant ups and downs over the last few years, but in typical cliché format I wouldn't change a thing. 

For anyone going to university, it is inevitable that you will go to university as one person and come out the other side another. Your likes will change, you will find new intolerances, you may even decide that you don't want to work in the field you have studied.

I am going to share with you my main life lessons I have discovered in my three years.



Leaving your work to the last minute is stupid, even if you manage to do it.
Believe me. I did it last year; going 3 days with a few hours sleep just to write a few essays that you should have done months before really isn't worth it. No night out, or wholehearted procrastination is ever worth mastering sleeping with your eyes open.

The library is your friend.
Although I feel slightly hypocritical for writing that, is really is. I am not a massive fan of the library (for some reason it just isn't a place I can sit and do work), but it is somewhere with thousands of books which can answer that essay you have been mulling over for days. 

So are your lecturers. 
Over the last year or so my lecturers have been a massive help. Whether this be with actual uni work, or just someone to rant to when things are getting a bit much. They have your best interests at heart. Even if you might not like the way they teach, or their voice makes you want to fall asleep in their 9am lecture, they will do their best for you. Make sure they know you (and for the right reasons!), and you will get something good out of that

Budget your money - your loan isn't the lottery.
Your loan might look like free money to you. If you're like me, your loan only just covers your rent and you don't get a grant or a bursary, then you'll know what I mean. Keep an eye on how much you spend, and where you're spending it. Always make sure you have money for food. That litre of vodka might look appealing, but when your morning hangover comes and you have no money for food to nurse yourself back to health, you'll be thanking me!

Try new things.
Although uni is all about getting your degree, it's also about discovering who you really are. Try something you haven't tried before (and no, I don't mean going to get smashed off your face, or ending up as a massive heap on the floor because you got too high last night!). I mean try a new sport, take up a new hobby, or even try a different food. Experiment with the good stuff!

Don't be afraid of failing at something.
Behind every success story are many failed attempts at getting it right. Don't be too bummed if you don't get the grade you wanted on an essay, or if something you wanted to work didn't go quite right. You will get there!

You have lectures for a reason.
Yes, 9am lectures suck. No, you probably don't want to go. Yes, you probably should go. Especially if you plan on passing your degree, lectures are normally the best way to go about it.

Stick it out - it'll be the best thing you do.
This applies especially to something I called the "second year itch". The jump from your first year to your second year is quite big, and it doesn't normally tend to hit until just after Christmas. Believe me, it'll be shit. The only thing you will want to do is go home, curl into a ball, cry a little, and then never go back to uni. Don't. You pay a lot of money to get that degree, so stick it out until that final moment. It'll be worth it, I promise.

People come and go; focus on what matters.
There will be people over your time at university, and even life, who won't be your friend for the entire 3 years. That just happens, and there is nothing you can do about it. Focus your attention on those who do stick around, and keep that end goal in sight.
Do your research.
This is both on your degree choice and for your coursework and exams. I didn't do masses of research regarding my degree (I chose it as I didn't think I was good enough for law...turns out I am), and feel like I made the wrong choice. I learned that doing something I loved doing would have been a lot more fulfilling than doing something I am good at. In the long run, being good at something won't always get you anywhere, whereas enjoying something would make you stick at it wholeheartedly. 

A diet of beans on toast and pasta isn't that great.
I don't really like beans anyway, but please don't live off things that take 5 minutes to cook. Keep a balanced diet. You'll get to the end of your final year and wish you didn't end up putting on loads of weight (believe me!).

Don't be pressured into anything you don't want to do.
This applies universally to anything at uni. If you don't want to do something, or go somewhere, or be a part of something, then don't. Saying no is better than regret. 

Think for yourself.
Although in some ways it can be good to be influenced by people, make sure you make your own choices. Take a step back and think whether you honestly think something is a good idea.

The sky is your limit.
I am aware that this is the biggest, and crappiest, cliché in the entire world, but it really is true. If you want something and you are determined enough to do it, then why should anything stand in your way? 

Nothing is handed to you on a plate.
Despite many people's views on university, you have to work really hard for everything. You won't suddenly get a first if all your essays were written hungover, hours before the hand-in time. Don't get complacent with one really good mark, because that doesn't mean you are automatically given another high grade. Work your butt off.

You don't need alcohol to have fun.
This is something that I am currently finding out. Having a night in binge watching Netflix and ordering a pizza really can be a lot of fun. Some people don't quite understand this (I still get a hell of a lot of drama because I gave up drinking), and you will get shouted at and pressured into drinking. If you don't want to, then don't. If you do want to, then go ahead! But not having a hangover for months is amazing!

When things get tough, keep going.
Things will be thrown at you left, right, and centre all throughout your degree. Things at home might not be great, things at uni might not be great,  and situations with your friends might not be great. Take my advice and throw yourself into your work. It acts as a distraction and you end up doing a lot more without procrastination. 

You get out as much as you put in.
If you don't bother with your work and prefer to go out 5 nights a week, you'll end up with shitty grades. If you find a good balance between work and play, and realise that your work should be a priority, you will excel. 

Know your limits.
It can be easy to get carried away with things (believe me, I wish I knew this last year...) and you can go slightly off track. Learn where your limits are, and try not to pass them.

Plan your time well.
Get a wall planner and actually use it. Mine has been the best £3 I have ever spent. 

Have a goal.
It doesn't matter how big or small your goal is; being able to work towards something gives a great feeling of satisfaction when you reach that goal. 

Don't worry if you don't have a life plan.
This is also something I wish I realised this time last year. People still pester me, and family ask me all the time, about what I plan on doing when I graduate. My honest answer? No bloody clue. For all I know I could go on a mission to Mars (not going to happen). I don't know what I will be doing this time next week, let alone this time next year. Learn to brush it off and don't feel pressured.

Be open minded.
Don't shun something just because it's not something you would normally do or like. Just because it's not honestly "you", doesn't mean that it won't work.

Do what you want to do.
Don't do something just because someone tells you - that includes going to uni. If you're doing something for someone else then you're just going to fall at the final hurdle. If you do something for yourself you will go a million miles.

Don't be afraid to take a break.
Don't be afraid to throw your hands up and admit you need some time to yourself; that doesn't make you a failure. I found this out last year when I actually went home for a weekend (the first, and so far only, time this has happened). The time away from your uni work will probably do you good.

Feeling down is OK.
It's fine to feel a bit crap about stuff once in a while; it's only natural. Grab a cuppa, throw your favourite movie on, jump into bed, and don't move. You will feel thousands of times better.

And finally: don't panic.
Breathe. Find a way to relax. Keep your head above the water. If you feel like you're sinking, try not to panic, and ask for help. There is nothing you do that can't be fixed in some way.

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Tiny Talk - episode five: Stress

Stress is one of those things than can come and go, be part of your daily routine, or just something that rarely happens. 

Unfortunately for me it is one of those daily routine things. 

I don't know why, and I don't know if I can even pin-point it to one individual thing - maybe it's part of university. That would probably make sense considering there has yet to be one day since September when I haven't woken up feeling stressed about something. 

If you are anything like me you will probably find it really difficult to deal with stress. I find myself getting really worked up, unbelievably intolerant of everything, and just generally becoming a horrible person to be around. 

I'm not even sure if anyone ever gets the same?

There are just those days where I wake up and instantly find that a tiny little thing can ruin my mood instantly. Maybe it's just because I'm female...are there any guys out there who get like that? 

I find that my pet peeves become the main focus when I get like this. I cannot stand the noise of someone eating with their mouth open or breathing heavily. I get instantly riled and have to move out the room if someone near me is doing either of those things. 

When I am stressed this gets a million times worse.

There are hundreds of different reasons why you might be stressed. Family problems, relationships, school or university, or even things to do with yourself might make you agitated.

When I get really stressed (as in I-have-an-essay-due-in-tomorrow-and-I-haven't-written-any-of-it kind of stress) I take refuge on my blog. Although that is usually counter-productive and I end up writing a 1000 word blog post instead of a thousand words on my essay, I end up feeling a million times less pressured than I did beforehand. 

I have also recently found that I take comfort in drinking numerous amounts of coffee when I am stressed. Considering I drink a large amount of coffee everyday anyway, this is probably not healthy. But when I am trying to be productive I think the idea of "healthy" becomes a fairytale.

I've also tried going out for walks. However, it's winter and I tend to do work at night so it gets a tad cold and dark. So instead I take a breather, light some candles, and sit looking out a window. I end up feeling a lot better than before, and usually (this being the operative word) I can manage to get something done after.

If your stress is based more around an issue, such as family or relationship problems, then you might want to take a different approach than my "avoid everything for as long as possible" idea. Try talking it through with the person, or people, involved. Even though I feel like such a hypocrite here because I find this really, really difficult, it works. 

Or if you're not feeling brave enough to come face-to-face with the person causing the stress, write a list. A list of anything. Pros and cons of the situation, why you feel like you do, things that make you happy, literally anything. Getting some emotion out on paper might make you considerably happier and feel like a weight has been taken off your shoulders. 

I mean, I should be doing work right this second but I took my avoidance approach and it worked! Onwards with my dissertation. 

What sort of things do you do when you feel stressed?  


Keep swimming!

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The point of exams?

Having sat through hundreds of exams in my lifetime, be that SATs, GCSE's, A Levels, University exams, pre-job tests, and general tests and exams throughout school, I have started to wonder what exactly the point of these exams are.

After watching THIS video, these thoughts just got even more structured.

What exactly is the main point of an exam? It’s not really a test of what you know, it’s more of what you remember. Ever had an argument and remembered a great comeback a few hours later? This is what an exam is like for me. No matter how hard I study, revise or force myself to attempt to remember things, I get a mental block spanning the length of my exam and end up more stressed than I was before I sat in my seat.

This sort of thing really hit me when it came to my GCSE Maths exams – although this was a good 5 or so years ago, this definitely still applies to exams today. I physically cannot do maths at all. As soon as I see a sum or equation, each separate number merges into one and I usually end up angry at myself or in tears. I managed to just scrape though my GCSE Maths with a C, and I still wasn't happy.

Although maths is a compulsory subject until the end of year 11 (16 years old) in the UK, surely there will be a massive change and gap between those who have minds more orientated towards numerical reasoning, to those with a more verbal and literal brain, such as myself.

On top of this, about 99% of things you learn for an exam have no application in the outside world. How many times have you had to use something you learned in maths in your school years? Yes, I get that some professions might actually use all of these things, but not everyone who goes through school will become an engineer.

Personally, I find literacy exams a bazillion times easier than anything with even a single number in. I can write for days about almost anything as long as I have a tiny bit of background information on it. Want me to write about the hidden meaning of a poem I have never read before? Sure, give me 10 minutes to read it. Want me to write about the history of a country I have never heard of before? Cool, just give me a few basic facts. Want me to fill a book with absolutely anything that comes into my head? Fantastic!

How can exams expect to test absolutely every individual who passes through the education system in a fair way? Like me, one person might be academically good at one sort of subject, and then be less than average on another.

This also applies to those who excel at art. Take my sister for example. She has an incredible eye for art, and can draw absolutely anything in a matter of hours. In fact, I am going to include some of her artwork below.

She claims, although I dispute this to a certain extent, that she struggles with slightly more academic subjects. This actually ended up stressing her out in her GCSE’s last year, because she excels at art, she didn't think she would do as well in her other subjects.

Although I understand that the introduction of subject choices in GCSE’s allow this to be slightly eliminated, and doesn't massively affect anyone until they can completely choose every subject for A Level exams, this doesn't stop the stress, pressure, and general being a pain in the ass of exams themselves.

Anyone who knows me will probably be reading this either shaking their heads, or feeling a bit confused as to why I am writing about exams because I “got good grades”, “passed my exams”, and “have nothing to complain about”, but that didn't come without a lot of hard work, stress, tears, and me being general all round hell.

Why should exams put so much pressure on one person whilst they’re still young when it’s very rare a job you apply for 10 years down the line won’t bother to ask for them, or only ask for a select few grades? Or when they become less of a fair exam and more of a memory test? Or when they don’t test you fairly based on which way your brain processes information.

There is so much pressure on kids these days to get good grades, to get good jobs.

The truth is that you don’t need a degree to do something you love, being good at something and enjoying every moment of it will make you richer than money ever could, and a good education doesn't make you better than someone who doesn't have that privilege.

The world is your oyster, so don't let a random letter next to a subject define you for the rest of your life. If you enjoy something, go and do it. 

The sky is the limit, and no one is going to stop you.

So, what do you think? Could exams be more individually orientated, do you think they’re fine as they are, or maybe you think that everything I have said is just a load of crap.

Keep swimming,

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