An update... and graduation 2017!

I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated my blog! I know I don't need to justify myself for the lack of posts there have been, however, I wanted to update you all on what I've been up to since September.

So, I've started (and am 13 weeks into) my PGCE and what a mad 13 weeks it has been! I am loving every minute of being in school, working towards my goals and learning more about education. I am absolutely shattered, which is probably half the reason I haven't posted much, but I would not change it for the world. Through lesson planning, writing assignments, being observed, attending training and creating resources, on top of 9-3 teaching, I have not had a moment to stop and appreciate exactly how much I have learnt and how far I have come in such a little time.

Yesterday I received my first formal teaching grade and am so proud to say I passed across the board. It was the first time since beginning my teaching journey I have really stopped to think about how far I have come since September and how proud I am of making the decision to teach.

In other news, I have finally graduated the University of Gloucestershire with a 2:1 in Journalism. Although I have decided not to follow the journalism route with my career, the skills I learnt and knowledge I acquired across the 3 years will follow me through my teaching journey.

Graduation was super fun and it was so nice to see all my friends and the lecturers again. It was held was at Cheltenham Racecourse, which was absolutely beautiful (even if I nearly froze to death!) and being surrounded by my friends and family was the perfect way to end the 3 great years I spent at the university.

My birthday in pictures

New Year ideas

Image from Pixabay

For me, last minute New Years plans are normal. It gets past Christmas and suddenly everyone is asking: "What are you doing for New Years?" and "Got any plans?" and I realise... I haven't even thought about it.

I love going out on New Years Eve but everywhere is so busy and pretty expensive and I definitely don't want to end up in Marilyns, (we're talking sticky dance floors and underage girls dancing to Nicki Minaj!), but I can never think of any alternatives!

So, for all of you in the same position as me, here's 8 ideas of how you can start 2017 with a bang...

1. Head to the Capital...

If you get the chance, head to London for a night of fun with so many events to choose from. My pick would be Kensington Roof Gardens, which host a circus themed evening; drinks, live entertainment, a huge fireworks display and plenty of surprises along the way.

https://www.designmynight.com/london/bars/kensington/the-roof-gardens/new-years-eve-at-the-roof-gardens-2016

2. Game on!

Grab all of your friends and have a night in. Lots of alcohol, drinking games and takeout food makes for the perfect New Years, with no worries about finding a taxi or spending it alone!

3. Go to the Races

Going to Cheltenham Races is one of the highlights of my year and their New Years Day event makes for the perfect excuse to go! Wrap up warm and grab yourself a few drinks while you're there... carrying on the party from NYE.

http://cheltenham.thejockeyclub.co.uk/

4. Host your own

Host your own New Years party with a fancy-dress event. Casino night, Hawaiian Luau or an 80's themed party will make the evening more fun, not that you'll be able to remember it the next morning!

5. Drink in Dublin

Dublin's New Years Festival last 3 days and has pretty much everything you can imagine; a light extravaganza, sky dance, poetry slam and not to mention their concert, which this year sees Walking on Cars headlining! All of this and plenty of drinking will make for a New Years to remember. 

http://nyfdublin.com/

6. Or head further...

NYE is the perfect time to take a holiday. Expensive, yes, but the atmosphere that you'll experience in cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Berlin or Rio will make it completely worthwhile.

7. A girly evening

If you like a more laid-back evening, grab your girlfriends and set up camp in your garden. Plenty of blankets, fairy lights, projector films and bottles of Prosecco will make your New Years unique.

8. Just enjoy it.

No matter where you're off to this New Years, make sure that you're spending it with your faves. And really, as long as plenty of food and drink is consumed, you're sure to have a good one!

Winter, it's a love hate thing...

Image fom Pexels

It's that time of the year again. Leaves are falling off trees, you're trying to find the perfect winter coat and everybody is suddenly talking about Christmas!

Personally, I have a massive love/hate relationship with winter. Hopefully, you'll be able to see why I have such a dilemma...

LOVE

1. Cosy winter nights

The most appealing thing about winter is curling up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate. There's something appealing about the idea of staying in, lighting lots of candles and watching a classic Christmas film.

2. Christmas adverts

I absolutely love watching Christmas adverts and I think they get better every year. The biggest high-street stores competing for the best storyline and song makes the build-up to Christmas just that little bit more exciting. And FYI, my faves this year have to be Marks and Spencer, Heathrow and Sainsbury's.

3. Festive spirit

The build-up to Christmas may outweigh all of my winter 'hates', as nothing makes me happier than walking down the high-street and seeing all of the Christmas lights. Christmas is such a brilliant excuse for a night out, shopping dates and a trip to the races.

4. Christmas music

I'm not talking about the latest cheesy pop song that arrives every December. I mean traditional Christmas songs; The Pogues, Wham! and Mariah... just to name a few. If they don't get you in the Christmas spirit, then I don't know what will.

5. Food

Winter is the best time to indulge in all your favourite food, especially when pigs in blankets are on offer. A Sunday in winter is not complete without sleeping until you're hungry, and then eating until you're sleepy.

  HATE

1. It's freezing

I am the worst when it comes to feeling the cold; my dressing gown is my best friend. The idea of going out and having fun is brilliant and, don't get me wrong, I love Christmas dinners and late-night shopping, but I can never, ever, no matter how many layers I put on, keep warm.

2. And not just that...

THE RAIN. I'm writing this during a washout, one that has lasted around 4 days. It makes my bed seem more appealing than ever and the idea of walking into town or going on a night out in a dress seem awful.

3. Layers

I love buying a winter coat every year and always spend quite a lot on the right one. For one reason only; it's all you ever see. The 4 layers I have on underneath, however nice they may be, will never appear in daylight. Layering is such a waste of clothes!

5. Mince pies

Ewwwwwww. Stollen, mince pies and Christmas pudding. Probably my three least favourite puddings ever all come at once! Just pass me some chocolate and I'll be on my way...

My top tips on saving

If you know me, you'll know I'm a pretty good money saver. Whether it's trying to grab a bargain in the sales, selective buying or just storing my money for a rainy day - I'm pretty good at it.

As I get so many people asking me for tips, this post will hopefully help some of you who are looking at saving your money as well, even if it does give away my secrets of saving!

1. Promotional codes and student discount

I am a sucker for a good promotional code. I am that obsessed with them that when I buy anything online, I won't 'proceed to checkout' unless I have found a bargain. Whether it be 25% off student discount, free delivery or £5 off, it all makes a massive difference. Especially if it arrives and you find that it doesn't fit or isn't what you thought it was going to be.

2. Try to be organised

If you know you have something coming up, try to plan what you're going to buy in advance. If it's someone's birthday, you may find that what you want to buy them goes on offer or hits the sale, saving you money. For Christmas, I start as early as I can. Wanting to spoil family and friends and thinking of presents is difficult, so if you see something appropriate, even in September, buy it. It's always so typical that whenever you buy last minute, you can't find anything!

3. Shop the sales

Buy summer essentials in the autumn and winter favourites in the spring. Obviously, some things are only on-trend occasionally and you may find that impulse buying leaves you finding better, more on trend stuff the following year. However, coats, simple knits, denim shorts, bikinis and jeans will never go out of trend. Buying them in the sale will just save you money for when they come around again the following year!

4. Don't be afraid to splurge

I always fall in love with pricey pieces, even when it comes to looking for a new car or dreaming of future holidays. But it's all about compromising. Don't eat out as much, ask yourself if you really need so many underwear sets and put away some money each month. It's really not that difficult. Shopping sprees are a lot more fun when you've saved up money for them, rather than delving into your student overdraft.

5. Do you really need it?

Sometimes, you see an item you love and spend weeks longing for payday. But, even if you're not going to buy it there and then, try it on. It might not fit properly, be suitable or just not go with any other clothes you own! Or wait a week or two without impulse buying, you might not like it when you see it again...

Autumn days

It's begun. The cold, dark nights are officially upon us and the winter coats are coming back out! 

I know that the winter isn't for everyone and it never really appealed to me, the bitter-cold winds and having cold toes in bed is not particularly enticing to anyone, until I thought a little bit more about it.

The autumn is probably one of the best times of the year. However cold and dark it may be, it's cosy. Blankets out and fires lit, all wrapped up on a Sunday night, it really does make everything a lot better. 

It reminds us of our childhood. The assemblies, harvest festival and playing in the snow.

Not even to mention what autumn eventually brings. The laughter of Halloween, the awe of bonfire night and finally, Christmas. The best time of year.

All the events over the autumn and winter months makes it go so quickly, which I love.

I've not been up to much since my last post. Trying to find some decent running trainers is my main struggle at the moment - never mind the constant pile of uni work and finding some time to be remotely sociable, even for just a couple of hours.

Izzy came down from Manchester to see myself and Soph and we went out for the afternoon. It was lovely having a catch up and talking about everything that we've been up to and even better that we could all see each other before Christmas!

Birthday celebrations!

I just wanted to take a moment from my usual blog posts to say a MASSIVE happy 21st birthday to Ollie.

I know you'll hate this post but I just hope you've had the best week and have enjoyed celebrating your birthday!!

I haven't had much time this week to post about what I've been up to, it's been so so busy, but here's a few pictures that I've taken to show what we've been up to:

University tips

For most people, starting university is one of the biggest steps you'll ever take. From applying for university to your first day there, the whole procedure is stressful, challenging and exhausting.

But don't worry - it's completely worth it!

In a month's time, I'll be entering my second year of uni and really, I can't wait. Thinking back to last year and how apprehensive I was, I'm so glad I made the right decision and everything has fallen perfectly into place. 

So, for those of you heading off next month, here's my answers to some questions I have received and my tips on how to conquer those initial nerves:

Q: Can I still have a job and concentrate on my degree?

A: Yes, of course you can. Although, I waited about 4 months until I'd settled in until I got a job - make sure you can still control your work load. University sites and groups can also help you get a job with somewhere that is flexible with you, working as a student ambassador is a great way of making money while at uni.

Q: Is university a lot more difficult than school?

A: This is a tricky one - it all depends on your course and how 'difficult' you find work. Some courses are more difficult than others, some are more coursework based and some are exam heavy. It all depends on your style of learning and studying.

Q: I don't like going out and partying much, how will I make friends?

A: There's loads of ways to meet other people at uni, you don't have to go out all the time. You'll make friends on your course, in your flat and there's loads of different clubs and societies to join at every university. There really is something for everyone and it's a great way to make the most of your time at uni.

Q: I'm worried I won't like my course, who can I talk to?

A: Obviously before you start uni, you'll be nervous about everything. Make sure you give yourself enough time to try out your course and maybe, after a month, if you're still unsure then speak to a lecturer or your tutor and they'll go through all the options with you!

Q: I'm still going to be living at home and I'm worried I won't make any friends?

A: Exactly my thoughts last year! After going through clearing, I ended up at UoG where I am still living at home and honestly, I think it's worked out a lot better. I still have lots of friends at uni - just make sure you still attend at least a couple of freshers' events and get talking to people, but even if you can't, you'll make loads of friends on your course!

Q: I'm worried about moving out and living so far away.

A: You're definitely not alone on this one, it's probably the scariest thing about starting university. But don't worry - everyone is in the same position and thinking exactly the same as you. Try using Facebook to find someone in the same flat as you or on the same course as you. This way, you'll be friendly with someone on your first day and it will definitely prevent those nerves!

I hope this has helped all of you who asked and if there's something else you want to ask, feel free to email and I will answer your question in this post.

Good luck with starting uni and I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine!