Yes this really was me at uni.

With spring approaching that can only mean one thing: graduation is creeping ever closer. Alongside dissertation deadlines, final exams and job hunting. 

But, it’s not all doom and gloom. If you’re being really honest with yourself there are some things about student life that are less than ideal and that you’re probably looking forward to leaving behind by now. 

It’s been almost a year since I handed in my dissertation and effectively finished my degree so here are the things I definitely DON’T miss about student life and chances are you won’t either.

1. Being hungover approximately 4 days out of every 7.
2. The sad empty feeling that you’ve wasted a whole day without achieving anything because said hangover prevented you from going to your lectures.
3. Revision. Nothing else needs saying.
4. Lecturers who don’t reply to your emails.
5. When you zone out for a few minutes in a lecture while you contemplate how you can possibly survive on the £8.27 left in your bank account and then suddenly realise you’ve got zero clue what the lecturer’s talking about.
6. Spending £300 a year of precious money in order to spend 2 hours a day on a bus.
7. The feeling of panic when you get your results emailed to you later than everyone else.
8. The anxiety of having to open the email when it does arrive and actually read your results.
9. You are surrounded by people who have exactly the same problems as you (same deadlines, same exams etc.) so EVERYTHING is a drama.
10. Having to listen to people trying to one up each other on how much time they spent in the library.
11. Never being able to get a seat in the library because of the people who seem to have just moved in.
12. Living in a damp, mouldy house with a bunch of twats.
13. Cleaning up after you stupidly decided to have pre-drinks at your house the night before.
14. People who eat your food.
15. Constantly getting threatening letters from the TV licensing people. WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A TV.
16. Working solidly through your holidays so you can afford to live.
17. The sick feeling you get from knowing you have a big piece of work to do.
18. Fresher reps. They can fuck off.
19. Spending 4 hours straight in lectures listening to someone read off the slide which you could have done from your bed.
20. The crushing feeling when you’ve worked really hard on something and get a lower mark than you hoped for.
21. Friends of your flatmates who move in and won’t leave.
22. Being too scared to ever take a bath because it’s so filthy you’ve got no idea where to even start cleaning it.
23. Physically dragging yourself into uni after a tearful all-nighter to submit a paper because the lecturer won’t use turnitin.
24. Lying awake the night before your exam unable to sleep because there are drunk students outside your window who’ve already finished their exams.
25. Owning one chipped wine glass and one washed out Nutella jar glass.
26. Getting into a passive aggressive war over whose turn it is to take the recycling out.
27. Refusing to give in when playing Bin Jenga.
28. Surviving on a diet of toasted sandwiches, cold dominos and questionable things from cans.
29. Meeting sports societies out drinking together on a night out and having to endure their rowdy and obnoxious behaviour.
30. The never ending ‘what am I going to do with my life’ crisis.

Leaving uni was scary, there’s no getting around it but at least none of these things irritate me on a daily basis anymore!

New year... new goals 2016

Ok, so I realise this post is about a million years too late and that I haven't blogged for ages. I'm aware its pretty much March already and this sort of post had its day about 2 months ago. But gotta get back on the horse at some point and today I just feel like everything I want to get done is jostling about in my head and won't be quiet so I can focus on things.

The best cure for that is writing so here I am, back at my laptop and typing my thoughts on the internet. Then once they're written down I can start putting them into action. 

2016 is going to see my life turning upside down as I prepare to leave uni and take my first steps into the world so I think I need to have some realistic goals in place to stop me losing sight of where I'm trying to go. 

1. Finish my dissertation. 

Hang on a minute I hear you say, wasn't that your goal for 2015? Well yes it was but because I was daft enough to study for an integrated masters degree I get the joy of not one but TWO dissertations. Ain't life a bitch. So here I am in almost exactly the same position I was in this time last year in science hell questioning all my life decisions. But, I really want to do a good job and get it done so I can move on and finish my degree.

2. Graduate.

Speaking of which I can't wait to graduate this year. When you do a four year degree you spend most of your summer of third year watching most of year friends graduate (and abandoning you) while also feeling smug you don't have to stress about getting a job just yet. I'm not quite sure where the past year has gone but suddenly I find myself in their shoes and I am both excited and relieved that uni is almost done for me. Four years of studying is a long time and looking forward to spreading my wings.

3. Get a job.

While this once seems very vague I'm not actually sure what I want to do yet. I'm really looking forward to a new challenge and being able to start shaping my life in the direction I want. Having full time employment and a reliable wage opens lots of doors. Being financially stable and independent is my overall goal and to do that I need that paycheque coming in every month. 

4. Pass my trailer test. 

This might seem like an odd one. I learnt to drive when I was still in 6th form and as the oldest of four children (three of which can drive) I am lucky to be insured on several of our family cars so have always had access to a car. Unless you are a country bumpkin like me learning to tow will probably never cross your mind but when you live in a rural area its a life skill. Now that I have a car that is a good tow vehicle I want to get that skill under my belt before too many bad driving habits can creep in and other life stresses start getting in the way.

5. Go on a girls holiday. 

This goal is already very much underway as my friends and I are going on a long weekend to Devon after we finish uni. I am already super excited about this one as it will be so lovely to just relax and have fun together. I plan to get moderately sloshed on prosecco virtually every night. Warning you now. 

6. Continue being a *bit* healthier.

One of last years goals was to try and eat more fruit and veg and just generally be a little healthier. I've tried really hard to stick to that one and have made really good progress. At the end of 2015 I even joined a gym and started going properly and I feel so much better about myself. So I want to continue rolling with that and seeing how much further I can push myself this year. 

7. Go to Rome.

I went on a school trip to Rome when I was in Year 10 and started what I suspect might be a lifelong love affair with the city. When my boyfriend Jared told me he really wanted to go there this year I felt like I might do a little wee with excitement. I've totally downplayed it to him about how happy I am about this. I'm not sure how we'll afford it, what with both of us graduating and needing to get a job but I'm determined that this year we are going there. 

8. Read more.

Before I went to uni I was an avid reader. I was never without a book I was engrossed in. Then I went to uni and discovered Netflix and binge watching a whole TV season in one day. There's always a distraction at uni and I find it hard to unwind enough to sit down and get lost in a book. I've got a big pile ready as well as an extensive list on Amazon so I can't wait to get stuck in.

Bronze Holiday Make Up

I always find packing for trips really stressful. No matter how good a list I make I always agonize over what to take and what to leave behind. This time for my trip to Crete I decided I was going to take as little make up as possible for minimal fuss. However since I got home I've been using the same products all the time to recreate that holiday feeling.

The look I was going for was a natural, glowing gold look as I tan very easily and I wanted to take products that would work with this.

For my base I wanted something light but with as a high an SPF as I could find so that I wouldn't have to layer too many products on my face. I went for the Clinique Anti Blemish solutions BB cream as its specifically designed for use on oily skin and has SPF 40. The formula of this is very thin and runny so you only need to use a small amount of product and it gives a lovely even coverage. My only issue with this is due to its thin consistency it can be quite messy and the inside lid of mine is covered in product. I have the colour medium and I find it to be an excellent match but the shade range is limited and could be too orange for those on the paler side. I am a massive Clinique fan and have always found their products to work well for me. If you are olive skin toned with oily or spot prone skin then this is well worth a try.

For my cheeks I used my Max Factor Creme puff blush in Seductive Pink combined with my Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. This gave a really soft golden glow and was perfect with a tan.

I get really bad bags under my eyes so used my Benefit Puff Off as a lighter alternative to concealer. This stuff is great because the gel is cooling but also has a slight pink shimmer to counteract the purple tones. The cool feel of the product combined with the salmon tint really does help to hide them. Most of the time the only other eye make up I wore was my Maybelline lash sensational mascara. When this first launched everyone was going on about how it was a dupe for Benefits Roller Lash and having tried both I have to say it is a pretty close match. If you're a fan of roller lash this is definitely worth a try as its so much cheaper.

There was only a few nights where I wore anything other than mascara as most of our evenings were very relaxed. I wanted a really simple eye look to continue with the gold theme so used my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette focusing on Suspect or YDK combined with other various shades to create a soft shimmery smokey eye.

I decided to pass on wearing anything on my lips other than my nivea lip balm as it was just too hot for sticky lipgloss or to have lipstick sliding about everywhere.

The thing I love best about this look is it takes a few minutes to create which also makes it perfect for wearing to work now that I am back in the UK. Now I am home I'm teaming this with a nude lip and my hair in a french braid to continue with the relaxed feel.

When is the right time to do something?

Now I'm in my third year at uni this question surrounds me constantly. I'm no longer a carefree freshers who's major concern is working out how much I can drink and still make it to my 9am lecture. And its not just me, its my friends too. We're no longer stressing about how we're going to do all the things we want but rather WHEN is the right time to do them.

I know one day I want to explore the world a bit more. But when should I do it? Do I get it all out the way in a year long trip after I graduate? Sounds amazing but I have no money to do that, so I guess I need to get a job. But once I have a job heading off on such an adventure would probably ruin my career. So just how am I going to make this dream work?

Another major goal of mine is to one day own a house. I've lived in rented housing for three years now and I don't see that situation changing anytime soon. Its ok, but I would like to have something that is actually mine. I want to be able to do things as simple as change the wall colour or hang a picture without having to ask first. But most of all I want to feel settled somewhere, to create my own home and to feel it is my own personal sanctuary. I'm desperate to unleash that nesting urge women seem to have and put my own personal stamp onto something. So I guess I am going to have to get a job and save damn hard if I want to make this one work. But when is the right time to actually say you want to put some roots down and start building your life?

Most difficult of all when is the right time to have children? If I'm being honest this is my only major life goal I have. But ask anyone and they all have different opinions on whens the right time in your life to embrace this enormous change and responsibility. I've got friends who already have children and those that are shocked at the thought of having kids before they are 30. I think I'm probably somewhere in the middle of those two but even so I have no idea if or when there will ever be a time when I'm ready. I don't think its fair to have children if you are not able to support them. But will I ever get to that stage before the biological clock has stopped altogether? With a family history of early onset menopause it is definitely something I need to be thinking about.

These worries keep me up at night sometimes. This is the big stuff that I actually really want. And it scares me that I have no idea if its even possible to achieve all of it. And because its what I want I think its worth giving it some thought. I'm starting to see that stressing about it endlessly won't help either. I have no idea what the future holds and my current situation might change dramatically. I might win the lottery or get some amazing job that will allow me to afford these things easily. I guess I just need to wait and see what happens and try to ignore the pressure society puts on us to 'have it all figured out'.

Also, in all honesty though I am not sure there is ever a 'right' time to do anything and if you are determined to wait for it then you might never achieve anything. Sometimes you just have to go with it and take the risk. That I guess is the tricky part and the point I am trying to make with this post. You just need to decide if you want it enough to try.

For now, I am going to focus on finishing my 3rd year at uni and going on holiday to Crete. These are all baby steps towards what I want in the long term. The rest of it will just have to work itself out.

Picture

Holding down a job and a degree at the same time

Having a job is tough. Going to uni is tough. Doing both at the same time? Pretty damn difficult even for an organised person with their shit together. Somehow I seem to fool people into thinking I am such a person but in reality I'm really not. I am just muddling through trying desperately not to forget any of the things I am meant to be doing.

Right now my life is just revision. And it sucks. Everyone knows this but it doesn't make it any easier. The next two weeks are my final exams of third year and they're also my final exams at uni. Not because I am graduating but because I refused to take any modules next year with an end of semester exam. Got my priorities right for once.

I'm going to be honest, there's been a fair bit of procrastinating but every activity is tainted by guilt because I should be working. But what happens when like me you also have a job to stress about? You go totally insane that what. In fact you decide to write a blog post about it because you have so much stuff to do that anything seems more appealing. Life is hard. But ignoring your problems makes it easier right?

Working while studying deserves more respect then it gets, I'm trying hard to do two different things at once without compromising on performance for either. Its not easy. Today I'm shattered from a late shift last night and trying to revise. I would really love to have a bath and crawl into bed but I can't because I have an exam on Monday.

It's been a gorgeous sunny day and I've been stuck indoors with my computer trying to focus. Its not going well. People tell me if its too much then I should quit my job. But unfortunately for me I cannot have one without the other. I need the job in order to afford to stay at uni and I need the degree in order to one day move on from my current job to another one.

I hope that one day an employer will look at my CV and be impressed I managed to do both at once. Its not easy and means I often have to compromise on my social life. But I like to think I am just working on my life skills. Once we leave the cosy student life we all have to start making these sacrifices and managing our time even more carefully. Hopefully this will stand me in good stead for when I am become a 'proper adult'.

Also everytime I set foot inside the office I am gaining real work experience. Not just a week spent filing and making tea but actually doing the work instead of watching. I've had training, gained skills and been given responsibility. And I'm being paid for it.

I've spent a fair bit of time watching my friends all scramble for internships. Having done over 3 months of unpaid work experience all I can think is they are essentially all competing to be unpaid labour. Compare that to my year of true work experience and consider that I get rewarded for my time and effort. Now I've experienced both I know which one I prefer. Working for nothing gets old very quickly.

Even if it just means I am not dirt poor while I am at uni that surely must be a good thing. Its hard to focus when you are constantly worrying about where you are going to find the money for next months rent or lying awake at night thinking about how close you are to your overdraft limit. Not to brag but I don't even have an overdraft. I've actually got a savings account (although its to pay for uni next year). Check me out, fully fledged adult over here.

There are days like this one when I think I must be properly mad to contemplate being able to do both. But I've managed it for over a year and I like having the security of a regular income. I no longer get that fear when its the end of the term and my student loan has nearly ran out. I also actually like my job and there is satisfaction to be gained from a successful shift. So I just gotta knuckle down and work my way through the next few weeks. Got to hustle if you want results.

And as an added bonus my exams finish pretty close to pay day...Guess I'll be winning then.

Picture credit