Going to University? Here's my advice and tips.

The Great Hall, Leeds.

Seeing as A level results came out this week and a lot of people will be heading off to university in September I thought I would do my own little post about my time at university (specifically moving to and living in halls), some tips I have for people going to university, and also some of the small regrets I have of my time at university. But don't get me wrong I absolutely loved my time at the University of Leeds really, but of course I have some small regrets and some things I would have liked to have done slightly differently. 

It is crazy to think that this time three years ago I had just got my A level results and had been offered a place at the University of Leeds. Without a doubt I loved my time at university and am 100% glad that I went and completed my degree. Even when times got tough, and when I got really stressed out and just wanted to pack it all in and quit, I am still so proud of myself for sticking it out and achieving my degree with a 2.1. The University of Leeds is a great university and would always recommend that people go there, Leeds is also a fantastic city and is always a great place to visit. 

First year was definitely the year where I changed so much, and partly grew into the person I am today. It is also the year where I made friendships which I hope will last the rest of my life. But it is also the year I had to put up with a lot of annoying crap. I went straight into halls and lived in a hall of 5 people, but fortunately I had an ensuite bathroom to myself. I do not miss halls at all, my other two years at university were definitely an improvement. 

Some people love halls, whereas I was definitely not a fan, at all. Halls are great for really social people, who love sharing everything, enjoy being kept up during the night, and love fire alarms at 7 in the morning after getting in from a night out at 4am. But like I said, other people love university halls. 

The Parkinson building, Leeds.

Some of my own tips for people going to university:

- Don't take anything of value into halls, or at least keep them in your own room. Things will get taken, used or broken. I had a roommate who ate most of my food so I ended up storing most of it in my room, and I also had another flatmate who broke my digital camera, not on purpose but whilst dropping it when drunk. You might think your stuff will be safe, but again it is always best to be on the safe side. 

- Following on from my previous tip; take insurance out on your belongings.

- Take a prom/smart dress. You will want one in your first weeks at university especially with all the events and parties such as the Freshers Ball. 

- Try to find your future flatmates on Facebook/ Twitter etc before actually moving in. It is a great way to meet the people you will be living with, better to get to know them a little before moving in and also a good way to ease any moving anxieties you may have.

- Do a trip to IKEA or another homeware store before moving in. 

- Stock up on food to take with you, or ask for food parcels off your parents/grandparents. This is what my family did for me before I moved away and it definitely helped me save money during my time at university. Also ask for lots of washing powder etc as you will have to do your own laundry once you move to university. I also stocked up on toiletries before I went so I didn't have to buy loads whilst at university.

- Before you go print/prepare photos you want up on your bedroom wall. Having photos up around you in your room is great when you're feeling homesick. 

- Wait until you start lectures before buying any of the recommended textbooks. Textbooks are ridiculously expensive, and it is likely that you will be able to access them online through your library, saving yourself a lot of money. The Psychology school at Leeds also do a used book sale at the start of the first semester, which is a great opportunity to buy secondhand textbooks from students in the years above.  

- Finally, relax and make sure you enjoy and make the most of your first year at university. It doesn't matter if you get a first or a third for your final mark in your first year, it will not count towards your final degree classification, at all. So make sure you go out, make friends and most importantly have fun. The second and third year definitely do count and will be a lot more work than the first year, they are the years to stay up till 4 am in the library finishing essays, and definitely the years to work your ass off. 

Heres me in my final year submitting my dissertation. 

Here is a photo to demonstrate the thickness of my dissertation. 

Also, I obviously recommend that you make yourself some check lists and such before you move to university to make sure you have packed and prepared everything you will need. Also check out other tips and items to take to university before you go. 

- Here is a great link I found. 




I had said that I was going to share some of my regrets of my time whilst at university, but I think regret is the wrong word to use really. I don't so much as regret any of my time at the University of Leeds, nor would i change it, but a part of me does wish that I could do it again slightly differently. 

For example;
- I wish I had spent more of my spare time actually in Leeds, and had explored the city more than I did. 
- I also wish I had joined some of the societies at university during my three years, and had overcome my shyness whilst in first year. Whilst at university it is a great time to meet more likeminded people and also try some new hobbies.  
- I also wish I went out more during my second and third years, as now I'm back in a "city" with no good night clubs, thus I wish I had explored more of the night clubs in Leeds whilst I had the chance. 





Here is just a small insight into university life, so if anyone has any questions about university, my Psychology degree, or the University of Leeds please do not hesitate to ask! 

Nails of the Week.

At the moment I am loving my pastel nails and they are perfect for summer; so this No7 Nail Colour in Lucky Lilac is definitely one of my favourites at the moment. I bought this nail colour whilst I was on holiday in Ireland from Boots, what is also great about No7 products is the discount vouchers for money off so the nail varnish only cost me a couple of euros.  

I also love this Barry M glitter nail paint, the silver basically goes with any other nail varnish colour, and I love putting the glitter on top of other nail colours, like I have done here with the lilac. The Barry M nail varnish is also great for doing a gradual glitter look on your nails; starting at the base of the nail with just a slight bit of glitter to the end of the nail with lots of glitter. This nail varnish has literally lasted me years too, although it has gone slightly gloopy now it is still fantastic to wear. I definitely need to reinvest in another pot! 

I only tend to do my nails like this every now and again because I find them to be very girly which isn't really my style, but every so often it is nice to show my girly side and be a bit different. 

But finally; I cannot recommend either of these products enough, both are fantastic brands and really good quality nail varnishes. 

A Few New Home Additions.

I thought I would do a small post about some of the new home items I've recently bought and loved. 

At the weekend my boyfriend treated me to this small Yankee Candle with the scent of Salted Caramel. It really does smell so delicious, and seriously makes you want to eat some salted caramel, it almost makes your mouth water! The smell hits you instantly as soon as you walk in to the room where the candle is, this even happens whilst the plastic is still on the candle and without the candle being lit. Which is fantastic because it makes the candle last longer because you don't feel the need to light it. If you hold the candle for only a minute too the smell transfers to your hand. Also, the candle was in the sale so only cost £1.20, I always feel that Yankee Candles are too expensive but whilst they are in the sale I can't resist. My only problem is that I wish I bought a few more, especially seeing as its only a small candle! But it was definitely a nice little gift off my boyfriend. I definitely need to invest in some more Yankee Candles too! Which is your favourite Yankee Candle smell?

Another great home item I am loving at the moment are these alphabet letter mugs from Matalan! I thought I would treat my boyfriend and I to some new mugs, at £2 a mug I couldn't resist. My boyfriend loves anything with typography designs on them so these mugs are perfect for him really. My only issue is now I have to find room for them in our kitchen, as I have a slight obsession with mugs so I may have too many...

Wednesday Wish List #3

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven

I recently had a clear out from my wardrobe and got rid of quite a few clothes, so really I could do with some new tops and jumpers. At the moment I love both the jumper and t-shirt from Topshop, I love anything with stripes on and that t-shirt would be perfect for a casual look with some skinny jeans. Also the grey jumper looks so cosy and perfect for the cold rainy days we have been having this past week. 

However, in the hope that we may have some more sunny days this August I am also loving these two crop tops from Topshop. The daisy crop top would be lovely for a hot summers day outfit with some high waisted shorts, and the black sun and moon crop top would be perfect for a night out outfit. 

I am also due to start a new full time job soon and so I really need a new bag to use everyday, ideally it would be a big bag to fit all my stuff into and even maybe a packed lunch as I'll be working long shifts. I usually don't go for anything pink or girly but I do really like this tote bag as the colours look like they would go with most outfits, it also seems like the perfect size. Also the bag is £36 which is fairly reasonable for a bag from Topshop! 

I have heard great things about the essie nail varnishes and these colours are so lovely! They remind me of mermaids and I think they would look great on toe nails.   

What's on your wish list this week? 

Banana & Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe

I was in the mood for baking but didn't want to spend too much on ingredients, then I came across this brilliant two ingredient recipe for banana peanut butter ice cream. The Two Peas and Their Pod website has many fantastic recipes and are definitely worth checking out! I know I will be trying some more of their amazing recipes! 

All the ice cream needs is bananas and peanut butter (however I decided to use a small amount of single cream in mine too). So it can't really get much cheaper! The recipe is so simple and easy, and is definitely a must if you're a huge fan of bananas and peanut butter like myself! 

I was a little skeptical at first as I didn't think it was possible to make ice cream with so little ingredients but it definitely works! It is even possible to just make Banana ice cream using only bananas. This recipe has definitely opened my eyes to a new way to make various different ice creams! 

All you need is:

- 4 ripe bananas (or more if you want more ice cream).

- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (up to you how much you use, and also its up to you whether you use crunchy or smooth).

- 1 tablespoon of single cream (this is optional! You can also add more if you want the ice cream to be creamier). 

1. Slice the bananas into small chunks/slices and place on to a freezable plate/dish.

2. Freeze the bananas for approximately 2 hours. 

3. Once the bananas are frozen place them all in a mixer/blender and blend until the bananas form a smooth, creamy puree consistency. This may take a while but they will turn to a smooth puree. I found this easier to achieve with a hand held electronic mixer than my blender, however this may just be due to my blender being old.

4. Once the bananas have turned into a smooth puree then add  the peanut butter. I added 2 tablespoons worth but it is completely up to you how much you add. If you want just a small hint of peanut butter then only had a small amount, or if you want a strong taste add more. 

5. Blend/mix the peanut butter evenly into the bananas.  

6. I then added a small amount of single cream to the banana and peanut butter mixture, but this is optional and can be done without for a more healthy alternative. 

7. Blend/mix the cream evenly through the mixture. 

8. Pour the mixture into a tupperware tub or and old ice cream container and place back in the freezer. 

9. Freeze the ice cream for approximately 4 hours before serving. 

10. Wait until the ice cream is frozen to your desired consistency. Then enjoy! 

What is also great about this recipe is that you can change the ingredients to achieve different tastes. For instance this recipe would also work fantastically with nutella instead of peanut butter, I will definitely be trying that alternative in future! Another fantastic point about this simple recipe is that it doesn't even require an ice cream maker! Also this recipe is pretty healthy too which is always a plus!

The original recipe I used can be found here. 

I hope you all enjoyed the recipe! 

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Cuerden Park: A great place for dog walking!

I walk my dog at this park often enough that I thought it warrants its own blog post. It is a great park near me called Cuerden Park, which is located in the North West of England. Technically it says it is located in Chorley, but I live in Lostock Hall in Preston and it takes me 10 minutes to drive to. The Park has approximately 650 acres of parkland, woodland, meadows, a lake, ponds and gardens maintained to a high standard by dedicated staff and volunteers.

The park also hosts a variety of different events which you can look at if you go to their website, I havent personally attended any of the events but the other month they did a mini camping festival which seemed pretty good and I wished I had gone to it, they also do lots of running events. There is also a Farmers marker on the last sunday of each month, which I still need to check out. 

The park is perfect to walk round either with or without a dog, and the walk can either be done quickly or can be done in a longer time, its up to you which kind of walk you want. There is also plenty of water for your dog to access incase it is a hot day, and there is also a large lake at one end of the park for people to either go fishing, have a picnic next to, or simply to just feed the ducks. There are several picnic benches all over the park to sit and enjoy some time in the park. The park is also great for runners, there is always someone running around the park whenever I go, and I myself have gone for a few runs round the park. 

I usually walk my dog round this park in the evenings when the park is quieter, mainly because there is also less children about at night as my dog is not a fan of children really. The park has a large wooded area too, which my dog loves running around and hunting rabbits in. 

If you live in the Chorley or Preston area I definitely recommend that you check out this park, I can guarantee your dog will love it! 

 

 

 

My week on Instagram #2

             

         

            

             

        

Last week I put up a post on my blog about my everyday makeup which can be found here, the first photo is just showing my everyday make up again. Last Friday I also ordered some new trainers, which can be seen in the second photo. If anyone is debating getting some new trainers definitely buy some Nikes! They are the comfiest shoes ever! 

As you can also see most of my instagram photos are of my dog Pennie, who is a beautiful cocker spaniel. The third photo is of her sulking because she wasn't getting all of my attention. Last week my boyfriend and I bought The Last Of Us on PS3 to play so that took up most of my Friday and Saturday night. 

On Monday I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy with my boyfriend, which was so good, definitely recommend that everyone goes to see it. I'm not a massive fan of them type of films but I really did love it, it was hilarious. 

A lot of the other photos on my instagram from last week are from walking Pennie in various different parks. The next photo is of Pennie on a walk at one of our local parks called Worden Park in Leyland. Another of the photos is of Pennie on a walk at the lodge near my house in Lostock Hall. 

The other night my boyfriend and I also went for a walk near his house down by the canal, where we also fed some of the ducks, I say some but really there was so many of them. 

The last photo is of Pennie, again, next to a giant wooden pine cone at another park near my house, where we walked her last night. 

My instagram is mainly photos of Pennie, so if you want to see some more photos of Pennie it is here. Feel free to follow me, I follow back!