Getting Healthy

Last year at Uni I found that McDonalds became my best friend, along with lots of other fast food restaurants! So this year I've decided to change my eating habits and to get healthy. So I'm going to be trying lots of new foods and new recipes and hope you guys can join with me. Most people told me that at Uni all you can afford to buy is unhealthy food.
I can prove them wrong! I have begun shopping at my local market and butchers and have spent the same (or sometimes less) on a weekly shop. I know you can't get everything from these places but I've also stocked up on things like pasta, rice and bread every week or few weeks. I've found that buying vegetables when in season from a vegetable and fruit stall makes you think more about trying new things. For example I'd never cooked sweet potato but now I seem to be eating it with every meal.
So I'm going to share my experiences with you guys. Writing down any interesting foods I try and any recipes I think of that I think you would enjoy!
Fast food may be nice but if you cook veg properly it can taste really good and make you feel a lot better about yourself!

IT IS A SPORT!!!

I've always wanted to be part of a sport but never actually liked sport. So I looked at all the sports societies at my university and came across something interesting. The pole fitness society! I've never had much body confidence so the thought of dancing around a pole in minimal clothing actually terrifies me. However I've decided to join anyway.
Now to those of you who think its all about dancing like a slut in your underwear... you are very wrong. The only reason people wear small clothes; shorts and tops, not underwear, is because you need to grip the pole to do the moves. Now I've never actually done the sport and my first session is this Sunday, but I know it is a sport! How do I know? I have to do 2 hours of fitness and circuit training a week and 2 hours of core strengthening and stretching weekly as well. Pole fitness can be a competitive sport and really works on your fitness and toning. Which I'm glad about because I am seriously unfit.
I am so excited to try it out and will post about my progress, hopefully whilst simultaneously proving it doesn't objectify women!
Hope this inspires some people to try it out as well :D xx

Being Yourself!!!

Its always interesting to talk to my friends from different universities to see if there are things that all students experience. One of my friends is currently a fresher whereas I'm a second year so its fun to see how her uni life is different to mine. However when I was on the phone to her she told me something that I experienced myself when first joining Uni.
Being around a completely different group of people changes our personalities unintentionally. Back at your home town your friends know exactly what you're like and whether you have certain quirky personality traits. But when you turn up in a new place with people who might be the complete opposite to you its hard to truly be yourself just in case they don't like what they see. It may sound like you're being superficial but I think its just about acceptance. Knowing you have to live with strangers 24 hours a day 7 days a week is difficult and its hard to open up straight away. Personally I have a rather loud personality and can be a bit annoying at times and going to Uni knowing that made me worry that my flatmates would get bored of me quickly. I found it really hard at times, being somebody I wasn't and sometimes I would just stay in my room so that I didn't have to act. The only time I felt like myself was when I was on the phone to friends.
I don't want to worry anyone by writing this I just want to know if anyone has or is experiencing this. If you are feeling just like I did all I can say is it gets better. Everyone is in the same position and people grow accustomed to each other and love one another's quirks! My flat know I'm loud and crazy but they also know I'm bubbly and optimistic and will be there for me when I'm not. Its so true that your uni friends will be friends for life, now I can't imagine being here without them and feel completely happy with who I am. I hope you all do too! :) xx

Moving Day

So it's September which means a lot of you will be going to school, college or Uni. Now it's a big change to go from primary school to high school or high school to college. But moving to Uni is something else. You'll possibly moving to a new town or city, one you may never have been to before and you leave all of your friends behind. I know when I left home to move 3 hours away to Lancaster I was terrified. 

But I'm not writing this to terrify anyone, however, its perfectly normal to be scared. Everyone who is moving away will be feeling the same and some people may even be new to the country. My advice is to relax and make the most of this opportunity. Since moving away from home I have become far more independent and mature and have learnt many life skills. Before uni I hadn't done a lot for myself, signing up to a doctors surgery or organising bank accounts, for example, really confused me on the first day. I couldn't even work a washing machine. It sounds ridiculous but living away from home teaches you far more than just what you're planning to take for your degree. 

I know it's also hard to make friends straight away but I promise you the majority of people will be lovely and the best advice I can give you is... BE YOURSELF!! You will achieve nothing if you act like somebody you're not and you will be spending a lot of time with these people so you want to feel comfortable around them. 

It may sound cheesy but you just need to Stay Positive. Good luck to everyone with their first week at Uni, hope you all enjoy yourselves :) xx

Book Worm!

So I love books and reading so thought I would share my favourite books with you all!

1. Hunger games by Suzanne Collins - I am obsessed with this trilogy! Personally I think everyone should read this and it applies to all sorts of ages and both boys and girls would love these books. There is a lot of hype about these books and I can say its all worth it. The story is written so well and the plot and characters are fantastic! If you're going to read any book on this list please let it be this one!
2. The Fault in our Stars by John Green - John Green is quickly becoming one of my favourite writers! He writes amazing characters and he has made me cry in several occasions. The fault in our stars is a beautiful story about a cancer patient whose life turns around because of one boy. It's beautifully written and is a great story to read, just make sure you have tissues handy
3. Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor - if you like anything to do with fantasy this is a great book for you! All of the characters are amazing and the story has so many plot twist it'll keep you up all night to finish it. The story is about an art student whi has a secret life in a place called "Elsewhere" and is keen to find out where she belongs. this is the first of three books and I've only read the first one but I'm hoping to read the second one very soon
4. Falling leaves by Adeline Yen Mah - this isn't a book that is normally on a teen reading list but its such an amazing book that I just have to recommend it. It's the life story about a little girl and her life with her horrible stepmother, pretty much a real life Cinderella. This book is about the authors life and it really makes you rethink your own life and situations. There are some very sad parts but overall it's a beautiful book
5. Harry Potter by JK Rowling- I must admit I have only read one of the Harry potter books but I love all things Harry potter! I will read them all one day! Hopefully you'll all know the story of Harry potter from the movies but I really recommend reading them. Everyone likes a good story about magic. Personally I'm still waiting for my acceptance letter on Hogwarts 
6. How I live now by Meg Rossoff - This book is one I read a long time ago but I think it applies to any age up to about 19. Its a story about a girl from America living in England with her cousins and how their split up and forced to find each other. It's a really good book and Meg Rossoff is a great writer.
7. Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen - I had to include a classic in this list. I'm sure most people know the story of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy from the TV adaptation or the film but the book is also great. You do need to pay full attention to the book as the dialogue can get confusing at times because you don't remember who is talking. However I think everyone needs to read a good classic and if you want a classic love story rather than the boring classics you do in school this is a great place to start.
8. The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgewick  - This is another book I read a few years ago but can be called a young adult novel e.g 13-18 maybe. This book is quite small so it won't take long to read and Sedgewick is a fantastic writer. The story is about a girl in WW1 and her ability to see death and when she sees the death of a loved one she does all she can to stop it. This is not the happiest book in the world but it does end happily and its a good book if you want something to read but you don't want something that will take up all your time to read
9. Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne - This book is intended for children but I think its better to read it when you're older. Its the story of two boys in Germany during WW2 and their different lives. I think everyone should read this book as its important never to forget what happened at Auschwitz, where this book is set. I recently visited Auschwitz when on holiday in Poland and it made this book incredibly realistic. You may need some tissues nearby when reading this
10. Before I die by Jenny Downham - This has recently been made into a film called Now is Good but personally I prefer the book. Its about a girl who has leukemia and writes a list of things she wants to do before she dies like drive a car, take drugs and have sex. Its a beautiful story about making the most of life and the ending is amazing!
11. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - This is another classic but more recent than Pride and Prejudice. Its about a girl dealing with depression and is loosely based around the author's life. Its an amazing book but I must warn you that its also quite distressing and upsetting at times. Even so I think its a book worth reading
12. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald - After the new film came out this book became very popular and it is a book worth reading. Its all about the American Dream and I personally loved reading all about the great 1920s/1930s with the parties and glamour. Its quite a short book as well so you have nothing to lose by reading it!

These are only a few of the books that I've read and loved and I have another list of books I've yet to read. Please comment with your favourite books. I always love finding new authors.

Where to shop for...

When you start off as a student fending for yourself everything seems ridiculously expensive. Living on a student budget can be difficult but from a year at uni I've learnt a few places to go for some good deals and I hope these tips are useful for you too! 

Food - as well as main supermarkets

•  Aldi or lidl - Both shops have really reasonable prices and although you've probably never heard of half of the brands you can't really taste any difference 
• Shops like b&m or home bargains - These shops sell loads of things like homeware, food and toiletries for fantastically cheap prices 
• European or oriental food shops - Even though you couldn't do a weekly shop in either of these shops they come in really handy for cheap alternatives to some products. Oriental shops are great for things like noodles and stir fry sauces and European shops are great for cheap snacks like crisps and cake - not exactly healthy but when you're a student and its cheap who cares? :)
• Markets - Many towns have brilliant markets and sometimes they have great deals - where I live there is a great veg stall where I get all of my veg for the week for under £5 - and I buy a lot of veg
• Butchers - sometimes butchers do great deals on meat - especially packs which would cost an arm and a leg in a supermarket - the meat is always so much better as well

Clothes 

• Charity Shops - If you really search through shops like Martha trust or oxfam you can find some really good items like clothes, jewellery or even books, you can save loads of money too
• Brands like Primark - Primark is perfect for cheap, disposable clothing and you can find something for everyone. I buy stuff there for everyday wear, nights out and even sometimes for fancy dress
• Online Sales - I find really cheap deals on certain websites and the sales on online stores are always amazing! I normally find great stuff from sites like boohoo, missguided and asos and delivery is usually pretty fast
• eBay - This site is great for fancy dress costumes and everyday clothes. Shipping can sometimes be a little pricey but I've been able to get dresses or jewellery for around 99p so I can't complain

Makeup and toiletries

• Superdrug - MUA and NYC are really good quality and cheap brands, most stuff is around £1 which is perfect for a student budget
• Boots - their natural collection stuff is really great value and their points system means in the long run you can save money
• Savers - they sell branded hair products for reasonable prices and other toiletries cheaply

For online deals

• Voucher Codes - I haven't used this one myself but I've heard great things about it
• Student Beans - this website is amazing! It has lots of hints and tips as well as telling you about online sales and deals exclusively for people registered to the website

What to do after Results

So if you're in the UK A-level results were released yesterday and you would have found out whether or not you got into University or got the grades needed for other things like apprenticeships etc. Congratulations to everyone who got what they wanted and to those who didn't... you may be thinking what can you do now but the best thing to do is not to give up. A recent article I read said that students lose their ambition when they get bad results and are likely to give up on certain career paths. But an attitude like that won't get you anywhere. Don't let what other people say to you or some results get in your way! If you haven't got the grades you needed or wanted maybe consider re-taking a levels or even thinking of another course that you may enjoy more or that may help you achieve the grade you need. A lot of people think that you may be left out if don't go to Uni as soon as you leave college and you'll be older than everyone in your year but its not true. I know people from ages 18 to 23 in their first year and even mature students so taking some more time to get into your Uni of choice isn't a big deal. Just make sure you think a lot about what you want to do before giving up!!!!
To those of you who did get in to University you now have a lot to sort out and prepare for when you arrive in September..

• Go on your Uni's fresher page on Facebook or Twitter and check out any information you may need for moving day, freshers or their Uni in general
• Try and find the reading list for your course. Getting the essential texts before term starts usually works out cheaper and gives you an idea of what to expect in lectures and seminars
• Make a checklist! Make sure that somewhere you have a list of everything you need to pack from room stuff to clothes to stationary to fancy dress. Also have an idea of what food you want to buy from the supermarket when you get there!

And finally, for everyone no matter whether your results were good or bad, enjoy the summer. You may have a lot to think about and organise but come September you may not see some of your friends for a while and you shouldn't let other things affect friendships. I wish you all the best for whatever comes next and I hope no one gives up on their ambition! There is more than one way to achieve any goal! xx