Not so SAD: Dealing With Single Awareness Day

Posted on by

So yeah, I can’t really do 3 valentines day posts without talking about the side that doesn’t quite get so much attention: being single on it.

Whilst many fear or dread such a fate, being young and free on a manufactured holiday really isn’t any different to every other day. If all the lovey-dovey stuff being shoved in your face is getting you down however, here’s some ideas to help you remember that you can still enjoy life with the vanilla form of friend or family.

Try a Traffic Light Party

This fun themic night out is set up like any other night out, only on entry you’re asked one single question “What is your relationship status?” Depending on your answer of “single”, “in a relationship”, “it’s complicated” and in some cases now “looking for sex, no strings attached”, you’ll get a sticker to wear that’s respectively green, red, amber and another neutral colour such as blue.

Therefore if you’re a green you don’t have to spend all night wondering who’s available or if you’ll have your lights beaten out of you if you respond to a flirt. The mystery is lifted so you can have a fun night with your friends. And if something happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, at least you had a good night.

Have a Meal or Film Night with Single Friends

If you haven’t got a date to have food with instead of dining alone, why not cook up a treat with your friends (or order in if you don’t feel like it)?

You still the benefit of having an excuse to go out or dine in, with the company of great people who are in the same boat as you. If you wish to make a night of it why not expand it to a night of films or games? You may even find the opportunity to get to know your friends a little better as well as keeping each other occupied for the day.

If All Else Fails…Screw the World

In the 21st Century, we have a wonderful thing called the Internet – you’re on it. With services such as Amazon Prime, Spotify, Xbox Live, Netflix, YouTube, PSN and, erm, many others, you can spend the night with a takeaway or your favourite healthy option and use the time whilst your couple friends are out to take over the TV or chill out in bed and use the time to catch up on your favourite multimedia.

If you’re more lo-fi, why not read a book or complete your latest artwork? At the end of the day, you always have yourself and the things you enjoy doing. Why should you let today stop you?

 

Mike

Share

From Petal to Metal 

Posted on by

Met someone but not really sure where it’s going? For those that are a little lost and forever defacing daises and flipping coins to find out, here’s some quick fire pointers depending on what you feel your relationship is…

Please note this isn’t expert advice nor directed at any one particular group of people. Just an individual’s advice on some basic areas, so please adapt this to your own situation as required.

 

​For those that think too much 

Relax. Over-thinking isn’t healthy and if anything may blow whatever feelings you had at the beginning out of proportion or make you unnecessarily nervous or over confident. Keep a cool head about it and see where things go.

For those that don’t think enough

Had a card drop through or a person pining for you? Don’t just casually brush it off. Obviously somebody is going to all the effort for a reason. If you don’t feel the same way that’s fine, but make sure this is communicated to them so they don’t feel like they are wasting time or just embarrassed much further down the line.

For those that stare then blink

Sitting on the sideline wondering “what if?” will never get you anywhere. I have missed opportunities in life by (as my friend described it”, sitting and watching the world go by. The opportunity rarely comes around twice, so if you feel something and you have the chance to say it when opportunity knocks, I’d take it there and then. The worst they can say is ‘no’ and at least then you know.

For those with a bottle that link a drink

Alcohol can have a strange effect on us and our perception of the world, often amplifying our emotions like sounds through a speaker. Tread carefully if you’ve had quite a bit as this may impair what you actually feel about what may be a crush and doing something extreme and drastic can often lead to interesting surprises the next day.

If in doubt, remember the advice of Ted Mosby:

When 2am rolls around, just go home and go to sleep. Because the decisions you make after 2am are the wrong decisions.

For those who think “they” are way out there

For those above 18 – are we in High School or something? For those preparing to go to Uni – you’ll soon understand the meaning behind this.

Going out with someone based on social status is an age old societal value that really doesn’t have as much of a place in many modern societies. Sure if it forms as part of your faith then you must respect it, but for most westerners in the post LGBTQ+ revolution people should be able to love whomever they wish regardless of orientation, ethnicity and wealth. Often you can’t control that feeling, so if there opportunity to get to know one another is there, do it. And if something sparks for you, all the better.

For those that have always been there to care

This sadly can sometimes be another alarm bell. If you’ve been together for a while as friends or in a professional relationship, whilst the “Friend Zone” is a bit of a grey area on its boundaries, there is a limit to where you become less likely to work on a romantic level due to becoming comfortable with each other’s company on the level you’re on.

If you feel you can have “banter” with them and be there for each other whilst knowing every secret each one of you shares without feeling anything special about it, then there’s less chance of that excitement and adventure of getting to know and love things about each other happening. Still, if you both feel strongly and yearn for each other, then by all means see how things work out.

If the feeling is more of a sexual nature then perhaps this is a slightly different feeling for each other and not necessarily the grounds for a romantic relationship itself.

For those with dates miles and miles away

In today’s connected world, love and liking has no bounds. With internet dating, chatting over VoIP technologies such as Skype and FaceTime it’s surprising where talking to each other can lead. Not sure if it works, have a look at couples such as Jack and Kass or Chelsea and Chris of Love My Brit in the links on the right, or indeed many of the other LDR couples that both documented their time and advice of helping close the gap.

For those who aren’t sure if it’s there anymore

If you we’re previously a “Red” couple on the famous traffic light scale, but your light feels like it’s slipping to an amber or worse still to a green state, then maybe the two of you need to talk. This doesn’t mean necessarily to end the relationship completely there and then, but it needs to be discussed as soon as you have doubts. I’ve experienced this issue twice, once on each end and leaving it until later on can often have some pretty undesired effects that will compound quite strongly and almost guarantee the end of you two, compared to just talking it out in the beginning and maybe finding a way forward. Just like an operation or a diagnosis on your physical body, the emotional operation here will be understandably scary, may hurt, take time to heal and may not always give you everything you want but like anything in life, it can often be resolved one way or another with a little preparation before things grow beyond control.

And of you’re not quite there yet

Fear not, for you never know what the future has in store…

 

Mike

Share

Shoestrings vs Heartstrings: Celebrating Valentine’s Day on a Budget

Posted on by

Attempts to delight and romance your significant other can often be expensive for the humble student. From premium dinners to branded cologne, to the finest roses little expense is spared to those that celebrate the holiday in full swing. So in today’s short post for the couples that are truly less than three (do a web search for it if you don’t get the reference), here’s three short but sweet ideas you could do if you want to save some money for your other 364 days of love following today.

Please note that none of today’s links are sponsored or affiliated and you can of course use your favourite shops, I just chose the ones that usually carry the best value pricing and are accessible all over the UK and in some cases internationally (FYI: Some products from Walmart can now be found in ASDA in the UK and Target also ship internationally too).

Make Yourself a Table for Two

Spending your week’s food shop as a deposit on a table needn’t be the case if you have some spare room in your accommodation. Find an area such as a dining room or a large bedroom to host your restaurant scene. Next you’ll need a table and some seating – you should hopefully at least have one chair in the house you can use! As for tables – if you’re in the bedroom, sadly that dining room table won’t fit through the door. However if you have that spare £10 you would have spent on your dessert in a restaurant something as simple as two LACK end tables from IKEA can be used to create your small banqueting stand. Now, to make this more special you’ll need a tablecloth. These don’t have to be expensive, with ones from Wilko in the UK as low as just £2 or at Target for $1.79 US or for $5.97 CA from Walmart.

Once you’ve purchased these simply screw the 8 legs into the two bases, place together and lay your cloth of choice over the top.

Now for some candles. Whilst going all out with sticks may be a little pricey, an equally romantic effect used by many restaurants can be achieved with beer bottles. Simply purchase 2 candles from the shops above (or your preferred wax burning supplier) ensuring the size will fit to the neck of the bottle (at worst, using a simple kitchen knife, the end can be tapered to suit), then simply light the candle and allow to burn for a short time. If you want a more rugged effect, try lighting 2 candles and gently hold the end to the lip of the bottle where the candle meets it – make sure you hold the candle you’re melting so it doesn’t fall over and never attempt it whilst both are lit!!

For your choice of food you may elect to use your culinary skills if you are capable and if not, look out for valentine specials in your local supermarket. Many come with choices of starters and mains already prepared and a choice of either dessert, wine or both as part of the deal.

For the finishing touch, why not load up your musical device with a nice playlist. It doesn’t have to be romantic tunes if that’s not your style, instrumental music can work just as well if played at a background level.

 

Sometimes Less is More

Can’t afford the super elaborate day out in the all-glass Victorian botanical conservatory? Not to worry, why not celebrate the way you helped make sparks fly in the first place and go back to a good old first date. A trip to the park, local lake or a nearby beach is always an option for you to get out and just be “us”. If you would like to make a day of it, why not adapt the tip from above and pack up a picnic? You can use the tablecloth if it’s a disposable or opt for the traditional blanket if you have a little bit more money to spare.

Whilst I hope you’ve got a gift sorted out already (and if not, good luck!), simple creativity can often help the doughless romantic. A simple story carefully crafted, a song to serenade or a video or slideshow to surprise your partner with always makes a cost-effective yet truly personal and valuable gift. If you’re going down this route though, remember don’t make it too grand if time isn’t on your side!

Remember, It’s Only a Day

Unless it’s one of your birthdays or your anniversary – remember that today is only a day popularised by media. It’s not a “significant” date, merely a very popular one used to express love for your family, current or to be. So don’t try and panic like it’s your wedding day to make the day perfect for your significant other – just be what made you the couple you are and treat them with care and respect to celebrate and remember your relationship, just like you should every day. At the end of the day, make it less about what it is and more about the two of you.

Share

4 Things To Learn From The Super Bowl

Posted on by

Unless you were living under a rock for the last couple of weeks, in the United States on Sunday, the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference pitted their best teams of the season against each other in Super Bowl LI (that’s 51 for those that don’t remember their Roman numerals) and this year’s one was pretty special. From the incredible comeback of a team that spent around 3.8 quarters struggling to keep their opponent back, to the legendary Julian Edelman catch that I’m surprised isn’t a GIF yet! Oh, wait…

 

So, with this these amazing feats, spectacular half time show and general atmosphere to captivate sports fans the world around, here’s 5 things I learned (and wish I was still at uni to practise as a student) that I’m sure current students can benefit from too.

 

Sports at College/University Can Catapult Your Career

I’ve never been big on playing sport to be honest. I don’t mind watching it, but I’ll leave it to the skilled types to participate. However, if you are of the athletic mind and body and have thought about taking it to a professional level, then there is no better time than higher education to pursue it. Whether you want to give your existing gym activities such as weight training or rowing a more competitive edge or you feel you’d be happy to step into the shoes Rio Ferdinand has vacated, then find a local team in your town or Athletic Union to try out for (or in the case of no try outs, go along to a practice and see if you suit each other). If the team you seek doesn’t exist, speak to your respective activities or sports co-ordinator to see about starting one. It’s a common fact that in North America, the main channel for players to get into NFL Teams is through the drafts which are scouted from University Teams. It’s not quite the same for all sports, but if you can show your colours in your institution, then there’s always an opportunity for (or to get) a local agent in to watch you at work on match and gala days.

Teamwork Practice Can Be Learned In the Space of a Match

For those that question if the cliché “Teamwork makes the dream work!” really is effective, go watch your next sports match carefully. Unsurprisingly the team sports should include teamwork throughout the game. But with the Super Bowl, there were several examples.

For one, there were the players on the pitch working together to get the ball that crucial 10 yards forward and to get the all important touchdowns or indeed trying to stop all this happening if you were on the opposite team. For another there was the swarm of support staff working behind the scenes to ensure everyone had communication, to operate all the cameras and replay systems, the many TV crews that ensure the game was broadcast across the world and the many standby staff for health and security.

When it came to half time, the most inspiring thing for me was hearing that they had minutes to assemble Lady Gaga’s stage and had to perfectly orchestrate both the pre-filmed part and the actual show to make it appear seamless (huge thanks to Philp DeFranco’s eleventh hour video referencing this and the Intel Technology that powered it!) and all in pitch blackness. After the show, this all had to be dismantled and removed from the pitch as quickly as possible in order to allow for the second half to begin. None of that could be achieved without good clear communication and everyone willing to do their parts as and when needed to – all in the name of good entertainment and sportsmanship.

Now imagine how many other places this teamwork could be practised…

Watching a Different Sport Might Just Interest You In Something New

As I say, historically, I’ve never been a big sports person. I’ll still watch Wimbledon though each year when I can now after giving it a chance and having the rule of tennis explained to me properly. I’ll keep going to the odd Football match now and again. I was sceptical about a sport that resembled rugby though and sounded like it stole our name (turns out in fact it was an offshoot of Association Football as explained here. But after a few Super Bowl viewings and attempting to follow one team’s season this last year it’s grown on me quite a bit and I intend to follow it a bit more next season.

If you’re not sure about a sport you see in the next Olympics or has a tournament coming up, why not give it a chance? You never know what you might learn to appreciate and follow. And if you miss it and it comes back in later life, you’ll forever be wondering “What if?”, so quash it early and see what you may like beyond what’s just popular in your country right now.

Staying up Until Daft o’ Clock Can be Worth It Sometimes

It was around 4am GMT before the BBC finished covering this year’s event and it was quite tiring to get to it. When I first watched the Super Bowl with my friends Luke Hansell and Sam Brown 6 years yesterday, we managed it but I will admit to flagging a bit at the end. Thankfully the second one felt a bit better (though I missed the beginning of it) and this year was tiring again. So if you’re watching sport internationally, make sure you’ve had some kip earlier in the day (or just slept in) and make sure you have some form of caffination available to keep you going through into the earlier hours so you don’t miss the action!

 

Mike

Share

5 Annoying Habits that Drive Your Housemates Insane

Posted on by

Living with your housemates for close to four months now, if not more with only a few weeks break in between. Ao surely by now, regardless of your accommodation type (we’ll refer to your co-residents as ‘housemates’ in this article to make it less wordy), if you’re sharing you’ve surely picked up on your housemate’s habits. Whilst some of their more interesting routines make great memories, there’s some that may not sit so well with you.

If you’re one for the more notable lifestyle quirks, take note of these selected 5 things that can drive your fellow residents potty:

Dish-wrecked

It’s understandable sometimes that when you’ve had that 4am burger & chips and you can barely stand that you don’t want to wake your Housemates to clunking ceramic.  The same can be said from cleaning off a pretty gnarly baked on meal that needs a little time to soak. But when the pot pile begins to grow and fester, so will the rage within your housemates. If you all share a sink, some people may feel disgusted at still seeing the remnants of your dinner several days on and also probably don’t want to feel the health effects of the growing germs. If you’re not an immediate washer, you have a choice: 1.) Wash them or 2.) Keep them in your space, not your friends’ space.

Junkzilla

Similar to the above, there’s always the housemate that leaves a trail of destruction behind them. Now, I’m not the tidiest in the world as many will say, but there are some scary sights to be seen in Uni accommodation from the wasteland level of rubbish that didn’t quite make it to the bin, ever, to the fact that they haven’t showered for a week to save money on water/shower gel/detergent in return for great times. This often isn’t a problem unless you plan to bring a significant other or family member into the house. If you live with a couple or a housemate that wants to let somebody stay, call this a special enough occasion for a quick session, make friends with Henry the hoover and take a trip to Poundland for some Oust (or alternative brand).

The Mooch

The finisher of going out of date food, the one who always makes sure you have company on your games console or in your car or at dinner and the reviewer of your assignments to make sure they make sense. Sounds idyllic right? Well…until you realise they still have a large amount of their loan left whilst you’re struggling on cheap noodles, great marks whilst you tackle the plagiarism scanner and somehow has clocked up more achievements on a game you’ve been playing for years.

The Mooch is a dangerous character, sometimes not realising themselves that they are one. They feed on opportunity, often without returning the favour. Care must be taken when addressing a mooch to prevent offence, however it must be addressed before a situation occurs, particularly if you are still in a living contract with them.

The One Who Took Sean Kingston Too Seriously

By that I mean the lyrics of “Sleep all day and party all night!“. Now as students life can be a great party, however it doesn’t always have to you be in your house if your housemates need some kip for the next day. Loud music, loud arguments and/or loud sex can often put off housemates that aren’t partying with you and can sometimes can polarize the household.

If you sleep on opposite hours, negotiate so you can party with your friends on some nights and, if you promise not to turn into any of the first three, that you can have the odd party at yours whilst they’re at home or out at other friends.

The Whinge

Now, I’ve complained about a lot of groups that are seen to “misbehave” whilst being students. Unfortunately there’s two sides to every coin and this one is the one who complains too much or without thinking.

When it comes to complaining about your housemates, think carefully if they do fall into any of the extremes like the ones mentioned above. If they’ve only left the pots out for a day, you haven’t yet asked them to turn down the music at 10pm or perhaps they need a little lesson with Henry first. Instead of raising hell at the first sign of rebellion or insolence, perhaps have a quiet discussion or if on a scale, a house meeting to diplomatically discuss the matter.

After all, nobody likes a whinge.

 

Have you ever been one of these people or perhaps have lived with (or currently do) live with one? How did you deal with the situations? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

A poster filled with these ideas and any amazing ones you submit (complete with your credit) will be coming soon.

Mike

Share

Getting Unstuck

Posted on by

Whilst it may be a little early to be talking about the dreaded assignments with some semesters only recently restarting, but I’m willing to be there are some that will have had theirs announced or already received a little homework and are having trouble getting it done (sorry to say – it still happens after uni). Fortunately here’s some useful things that can sometimes help to shift the block.

Go for a Walk

It sounds a little cliché but it really does work sometimes. When creating a work, many artists claim to find inspiration strikes when they least expect it (after many 2am wakings from strange dreams or the need for a walk, I’m inclined to agree). The same can be said for non-artistic works. If sitting at the laptop or in the library isn’t working for you, take a little break and have a short stroll. If a walk isn’t your thing, a drive or a ride can have the same effect. Get out into the fresh air and appreciate the world around you. You’ll be surprised at what the world may randomly present to you or what may lead to a train of thought back to your work.

If it doesn’t strike you on the trip, don’t fret! Some people find the thing they were struggling on for hours an easy fix when they get home.

Break It Up

This is a good one for early starters. Looking at a wall of text is no easy task. Writing one is no easier. So a simple solution – why not break it up into bits?

Many people find it easier to start on a particular section. Some people prefer to write a rough introduction. Others may split thing up into heading (much like how a lot of these posts are written), whilst many more plan their whole written assignments out first before attempting the first draft (often wise). If you start your assignments and homework early enough you can often break these segments up over time – so instead of writing 5,000 words in one sitting, perhaps write 250 at a time. When you’ve got a few consecutive parts, arrange them in the right order until you have the lot. Then you need only worry about making them fit together in your final draft.

Ask a Friend or Family Member

If you’re short of ideas and know somebody who might be able to shed some light, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Two heads are often better than one on large projects. If none of your friends can help, why not ask a family member. Even if they may not have studied or worked in the same field as your course, they may be able to offer general advice or point you to a useful resource that may help you become unstuck.

Book a Tutorial

It sounds a bit of a cop out, but your tutors are here to help. If you can, book a tutorial slot to go through what you have already. If it’s a specific area of interest, why not email one of the lecturers. Many are happy to shed some light on a situation, even if they’re not your specific lecturer. They may also be able to offer extra literature or scholars to pay attention to, giving you a useful thread to follow rather than trawling hopelessly through a Libguide or trying to remember the right number in the Dewey Decimal System.

Sleep On It

Similar to the walk/drive option, a good nap can sometimes help you escape from the block for a short period allowing you to relax, switch off your brain for a little bit and in a way reset yourself. As long this isn’t taken advantage of or you’re planning to do this midway through your all-nighter, a good bit of sleep can leave you feeling refreshed, re-engerised and with a fresh pair of eyes to cast upon your work again.

 

 

It’s worth noting that as everyone works differently, not all of these will work for everyone – feel free to mix and match to find your fit. If you find something special that’s worth sharing, feel free to leave it as a comment to share with everyone else!

Mike

Share

Dealing with Dry January

Posted on by

Taking on the “challenge” of Dry January often sounds tempting on New Year’s Day. That friendly bottle of Vodka makes your stomach turn, the smell of the Tequila is enough to put you off shots for life and the fact that you don’t remember that weird photo happening on Facebook is often an excuse to take a few weeks off the sauce.

The problem is (if you party regularly), a week or so in you sometimes begin to realise that it’s not as easy as it seems when you get to the bar, get served immediately and you don’t have time to switch off autopilot and order that soft one instead. My small periods of abstinence in my uni years followed by my 2 and a bit years of teetotalism to stand by a former partner, didn’t start easy and when becoming single weren’t any easier either.

If you’re finding the process more than sobering, here’s a few ideas to help you hang in there for the next 3 weeks. If you need further inspiration, take a look at Olivia Cox’s entry on the Huffington Post or Oilver Wheaton’s list on Metro’s website.

Mocktails

This seems to be the most popular option for people in the last couple of years. If you don’t want to put off your social life for the month and the idea of going out drinking Pepsi and Water sounds pretty grim, then emulate the drinks you love with their non-alcoholic equivalents.

Mocktails are one form of these and are basically cocktails without the alcohol, but instead are mixed with juices to simulate or create new flavours in the spirit of cocktails (just not liquid spirits).

There are many different mixes to try online and many cocktail bars, larger chain bars and restaurants often carry a mocktail list in addition to their alcoholic cousins. If your watering hole doesn’t do dedicated mocktails, you can often ask for a “virgin” equivalent of your favourite cocktails and your mixologist may be able to add in a suitable alternative.

Non Alcoholic Beers, Ciders and Wines

If you favour the flavour of the grape or grain over cocktails and mocktails,  the good news for you is you can still have it in non booze form too.

These drinks are made the same way as normal with an extra step added in to boil, steam or filter out the alcohol. Done correctly this means the flavour won’t change too much, with companies such as Kopparberg and Becks already sporting their ranges in many places.

The Other Kind of Brew

If you’re from or studying in the North of England, this will make complete sense. For the rest, a simple cup of tea or coffee in the evening is another great way to unwind, provided you’ve had a break from it at some point in the day. You’ll notice too that if enjoyed at a Sunday afternoon pace you’ll feel a little fuller and the urge for it’s name sharing friend will become less so. So grab a knife and fork, the nearest paper or whatever you choose to stream your boxsets on and forget about the ironic depressant that often livens you up and instead chill out with a stimulant that’ll help you unwind.

Go Healthy

If it’s a daytime session replacement you’re after, why not switch it up and take advantage of that new year’s resolution of trying to be healthier. Juice bars are becoming more popular alongside fruit smoothies and shots of Wheatgrass (only for the reckless and the brave) and offer a healthier alternative to your choice of poison.

If the expense of the outing seems too much, why not try making some at home? Again a quick search online usually leads to this or in the case of chipping in to buy a blender, your manufacturer may even be generous enough to share a few recipes in the instruction book. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone and giving yourself the chance of a better life ahead (at least until next month).

 

However you choose to stay dry, I hope it all works out for those taking part, and to those who feel a little left out this week, I’ll be counterbalancing with some fun when this is all over.

Good luck and keep going!

Mike

Share

Getting back to the Grind

Posted on by

The December period is over and it’s time to prepare for the next semester. Boo! It sucks, I know, but sometimes we need these times to really appreciate how awesome those long breaks can be sometimes.

So, since the work has to be done so you can get that degree, here’s a few things to do to help you get prepared for the return to uni (if you haven’t already).

Make a List

Some people love lists, others find them laborious, but particularly if you’ve got to travel back to student accommodation it’s important to make sure you’ve got everything you want to take back with you from clothing, to your notes, to your new presents as well as making a list of any further provisions you’ll need like food or anything you’re short of in the Essential Student Supplies that you might not have stocked up on before going home.

Task programs on your smartphone or tablet are helpful for this, or if you’re a multi device person like me, give Todoist or Evernote (not sponsored) a whirl and have your checklist with you wherever you go. If you prefer to go lo-fi, then the dead trees and ink approach is still a valid option.

Find Out Who Is Back When

One reason many hold off going back early is the fear of being on their own with nothing much to do, so make use of your contacts on your phone or social media to find out when your friends are going back too. If you think about it, going back early isn’t always bad. The library is quiet, so are the clubs (meaning they might finally play your song) and the pubs (no lines at the bar) and you can play your guitar at the volume your amp secretly wishes you could play at!

Maybe Finish Those Assignments?

Yeah…your deadlines will be coming up so if you haven’t started them yet, it’s probably best do start now lest you having to pull another all-nighter… (Totally not done that before).

Let Work Know Your New Timetable

If you’ve got a termtime job, it’s worth letting your employer know your potential changes to your timetable. New modules doesn’t always mean they’ll replace the times of the old ones – particularly if you share classrooms and teaching spaces with other programmes in your department(s). If you don’t, there’s a chance your sessions could clash with your shifts and before long you’ll soon find that either your job performance or your attendance/assignment performance will suffer, or both and that’s not a great start to the year!

Have Some Fun!

Going back to campus doesn’t need to be all depressing, if you’ve got a few days before the semester restarts and you’re back with your mates, go out and enjoy the reunion and remember the good times before all the exams and going home!

 

Going back to uni needn’t be a (organisationally) difficult process if done in advance of the semester starting again, so save yourself some stress and enjoy the good times before all the work begins again.

Happy New Year and I wish you all the best in a productive as well as fun 2017!

Mike

Share

New Year’s Resolutions You Probably Won’t Keep

Posted on by

With only a few days to go before we wave goodbye to 2016, I’m sure many of you will be making new year’s resolutions up to announce as we speak. Without trying to me Mr Johnny Rain – cloud, I’ve been there any see it through both personal and friend’s experience and I know there are some of the more vague or cliché resolutions out there that either have a rare chance or simply do not work out. Here are a few red flags to avoid (or at the very least refine and personalise to be realistic for yourself!) so you can come up with something to keep past the first couple of weeks!

I’m Never Drinking Again

Often proclaimed on New Year’s Day itself, unless you have been considering it for a while for reasons personal to yourself or your health, just going cold turkey on the booze isn’t good for your wellbeing (when you’re out with your friends again) and for the more medical issues it’s also pretty dangerous. I’ve tried spontaneous cold turkey before a few times and it usually ends in one of two ways, a.) You either get bored on the night and eventually cave to the pressure. b.) You don’t cave and usually end up either bored of the night and go home early or suddenly responsible for everybody else that’s drunk. Now this doesn’t happen to everyone of course and for those people, power to you and I hope you have many more great nights to come! But for those who have had many nights out during the semester and don’t usually see the end of it, see it suddenly sober shows you a whole new view on clubbing that the staff usually see and you usually tend to prefer one side to the other.

If you plan on cutting down then it’s best to do it steadily. One approach is to maybe take it easy after Christmas, then take it gently on New Year’s Eve before finally easing into Dry January (a primarily UK initiative, but there’s no doubt our US and Canadian readers may also know people that perform this month long challenge). If you’d rather have fun on New Year’s, then maybe have a gentle January and slowly curb the alcohol you consume at pre-drinks whilst maintaining saving money when you reach the town. If you want a little help adding up the units, try the Drinkaware App and tot it up as you go, that way you’ll have full knowledge as you go as to what’s going in your bod at the time.

I Will Join The Gym

Now this one has two sides to it so bear with me!

For those that have wanted to and planned to join long term for a while and are using the calender marker as a chance at a start date, then that’s a great resolution! I wish you the best and after a good taster session or from previous experience I’m sure you’ll have a great experience.

Now for those that make the revelation on the night or the morning after with the realisation of their Christmas dinner, think carefully about it first. According to Ana Swanson’s report in the The Independent at the back end of this year, New Year’s resolution gym memberships bring the search traffic through into a 40% surge, but as the weeks go by, those unused contracted memberships increase as people realise it’s not for them or that it was all a whim and they’re not prepared for that much effort to get rid of a little weight.

So if you’re going for a little fitness, do it but think about how you want to achieve it first lest you not want to be burned by a 6 or 12 month subscription you’re only going to use a couple of months of.

I’m Going on a Diet

Again, like the gym, this one takes commitment and like drinking should probably be done to a sensible plan. First of all, what do you hope to achieve out of your diet? There are many definitions of the word “healthy” bandied about, with diets that cut out different food groups, others that restrict calories and others that are used to complement workouts and particular exercises. Many of these serve their purpose well provided they are followed correctly and for the right reasons. Picking one based on a mere name or whim may produce undesired results and cause you to go off the idea, blowing your resolution before the year is out.

The sensible option if you’re serious about changing your culinary intake is to decide what for. Many popular approaches now follow the basic idea of trying to balance your diet such as that of Slimming World, that doesn’t forbid foods but allows you to enjoy things in moderation in a guided manner. For those that are committing to their pre-tasted or returned to gym membership could take advantage of the Paleo Diet on advice of their personal trainers. If you attend the David Lloyd chain of gyms (and if you do you’ve got one impressive savings account!) you’ll find their café menu is based around this diet.

If you’re still feeling a little larger or want to be more active after reading this then groovy – just make a plan of what you want out of it and why you want to do it and that’ll get you one step closer to deciding just what plan you wish to follow and always have motivation to stick with it once the initial novelty wears off.

To Make 2017 The Best Year Ever!

Okay, this one sounds a little cynical, but for all of those saying that they can’t wait for 2016 to be over due to all the famous deaths/The events of Brexit/The US Election/The terrorists attacks/The Eastern Conflicts and more and 2017 will be awesome – I hate to break it to you, but 2017 will continue some of these trends. Brexit isn’t over yet until Britain has actually left the EU and the fallout of it has settled (if ever). To those that were shocked or unhappy with the US Election result, we still have a few years until Trump’s administration is thrown back to public voting so we’ll have to wait and see what happens, The conflict may well end or it may not but sadly and unfortunately it won’t happen overnight.

My point is, each year sucks in it’s own way for us on a personal or global level and will continue to. There is no single Best Year out there and many are now starting to realise this. However, that doesn’t stop you from making your own year great in your special way. If you’ve always dreamed of making a new change, you can use this year to  start the ball rolling. If it’s your final year, study hard, play to your strengths and do only your best to set in motion what you’re destined for (or indeed may start to find out what you’re destined for).

Conclusion

New Year’s Resolutions are a great way to improve yourself but are often cited too vaguely or ambitiously and sometimes ironically as many people know they won’t actually last out the month, never mind the year. But tweaked a little bit to become more realistic for yourself you can come up with a new fun way to live your life and you never know you might actually achieve it!

 

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you have a great end to 2016.

Share

5 Things to do Whilst You’re Home

Posted on by

Unless you’ve been back for the odd visit already (and inevitably hit up some of the points in this post), this will probably be your first extended stay away from your new student life that you’ve become accustomed to. So naturally, there’s a few more useful things to consider whilst you’re parked in one place

Get a Second Bag

If you’re stopping with family, be it at home or with extended family, chances are that you’re going to go back to uni with a little bit more than you came home with. Sometimes it’s because you find more stuff to take back (especially with Christmas around the corner and some awesome presents on the way, this will be a given). Sometimes it’s a restock of food and supplies by loving family members. Either way you may need something to take this back in – even if you’re driving up (it really helps with getting it unloaded!).

Eat Up

In festive times like these, we tend to eat a lot of food. Being starving students this is probably a good opportunity to get your appetite up and get some good food in you! If you’re like me when I was a student, use this as an opportunity to bolster your cooking knowledge or if you’re already a self acclaimed chef, to get in some real world practice ready to impress your friends with new recipes next semester.

Reconnect with your Friends

Whilst we live in an age where text messages are virtually unlimited, access to VoIP and video chat (like FaceTime, Skype, Hangouts and Viber) is on tap and social media has become the norm for contact, it’s still no replacement for meeting up face to face over a cup or tea/coffee, a walk in the park, a day down town or a pint in the pub. You won’t be in town for ‘long’ (if you’re a fresher you’ll learn that these 3 odd weeks are nothing compared to summer…), so use the time to reconnect and catch up with those friends you don’t get to see so often anymore.

Check Your Inventory

Twelve weeks is a long time and can take a toll on the stationary, equipment and storage space. With a lot of valuable work in your books and on your devices, it’s worth taking the time to archive and back everything up. Whilst it may be a good while before you may actually need to look at it again, it’s always worth having that available just incase your tech falls down or you leave your notes on the train. It would be painful should you need to resit or use it as reference to do all that research again from scratch!

Whilst you’re on the restock shopping trip, it’s probably worth restocking on these items whilst there is a chance, rather than getting a surprise when you need your utensils in your first lecture back.

Tech wise, it’s probably worth tuning up your machine too such as clearing out your temporary and unnecessary data (once your important files have been backed up of course!) and de-fragmenting your hard drive to allow it to perform swiftly again ready for your next batch of assignments. I’ll talk about this more in the New Year, but a couple of good programs I would highly recommend are Piriform’s CCleaner for Windows and macOS or Bleachbit for Linux/Windows. For De-fragmenting I’d recommend (again, by Piriform – not sponsored) Defraggler. As I’ve learned over time Linux based systems (such as Ubuntu, Debian, elementaryOS etc) and macOS systems don’t need de-fragmenting so much due to how their file system works, so you can skip this step for now!

Enjoy The Break!

Whether you’ve spent the last few weeks working hard or hardly working, everyone likes a true break from the weekly timetable of lectures and seminars now and again with the freedom to do what you want or need to, so enjoy these few weeks whilst they last and let yourself get used to the duality of your home/student life combined.

I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and I’ll be posting again just after boxing day.

 

Mike

Share