Pros and Cons of Living in University Halls

Hey Guys!

Now that I'm in my second year at university I live with my friends in a student house but last year I spent my first year in university accommodation. It was very bitter sweet. There was so much I loved about being in university accommodation, being there was such a great experience and I met some of my closest friends so I'm so glad I chose Bowsden Court but we also had a lot of problems with the flat above us. They were so rude and disrespectful and just people in our building were awful! But I wouldn't have changed anything, my first year was great!

Here are the pros and cons to living in university accommodation in your first year: 

Pros

Meeting People Is Easy - It is so easy to meet people from your university and to make friends when you are living in halls as you are constantly surrounded by different people. Being a first year can be quite scary as a lot of the time you don't really know anybody and everything is so new but living in halls helps you so much when it comes to meeting people who do the same course and you can go on nights out as big groups, there will definetley be someone in your accommodation that will share the same interests as you. 

Communal Area is Cleaned Once a Week - At most accommodation options there are cleaners that come in every week to clean your communal area. In Newcastle I stayed at Bowsden Court and on a Thursday we had a cleaner who would come in to hoover, wipe down all the surfaces and just ensure the living room and kitchen was clean and hygienic. So, even though we did clean our flat and tried to keep up with the washing up every Thursday we had a spotless flat which helped out loads! Especially if your really not into cleaning like a lot of us haha! 

You Won't Get Bored- You will rarely get bored at your accommodation as there are always people around, events and activities going on that there will always be something to do. When my flatmates and I were bored we either had a movie night, games night, went out for dinner or would just go for a night out and see where the best place was to go! And if not go and explore the new city your in, go adventure and explore your new home! I didn't when I first moved to Newcastle and I wish had now. 

Rent and Bills are All Included - This is a huge bonus! Coming from someone who now has to pay separate bills it is an absolute minefield, as all the bills are under other people's named and your having to set up loads of different standing orders, so having all your rent and bills included in one payment at uni halls is so much easier and as long as you pay it on time you literally have nothing to worry about! One thing I loved about having all your bills paid for as well is that you can use as much water as you like and you don't have to worry about how long the heating has been on for. Make the most of it! 

Your Independence - Now that your not at home and you technically have your own place you will have so much independence! No more asking permission to have people over and no more curfews and rules, you can stay out for as long as you want, you can eat whatever you want, refuse to wash your clothes for 8 weeks and buy pointless things like samurai swords without your parents nagging you for making bad decisions haha! It is great having your independence as you really learn how to look after yourself. I definetley grew as a person after living away from home for a year!

There Is Always Someone To Help You - There are so many official university staff members to help you out at your accommodation. All university accommodation will have staff on site within the day at the reception and they will have certain open times. If not there are always contact numbers to call if you have any problems within your accommodation. Within our first two weeks our oven broke and within a day the caretaker Keith came to fix it all for us! We had a great team of staff at Bowsden Court who were so helpful and the security team were great too! They are always happy to help!

Cons

More Expensive Than Home - It is more expensive than living at home with your parents! Way more expensive as your having to pay rent, bills, buy food and for most accommodation you have to pay a damage deposit so it isn't the cheapest option. But for most of you accommodation is essential as you'll be moving away from home and won't be in a reasonable distance to travel to university so it is hard to find a solution to having to spend so much money!

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) - For first years this is something a lot of people experience! I experienced it in my first year as well. There is always so much going on and so many events to go to that you feel like you have to go to everything otherwise you'll be missing out on something huge! I remember I didn't want to leave the living room where my flat mates were watching TV or a night out with all my friends because I didn't want to miss out on anything! But once you get into second year the fear of missing out goes as you know that there will always be another night out, there will always be more fun to have! Also in second year we have to prioritise our work a lot more so there are other worries and stress!

People Are Filthy - You'll be surprised how dirty people can be! We had a flat above us who were absolutely disgusting I'm surprised they didn't attract rats! Some people are just very lazy and aren't capable of cleaning up after themselves, so don't be surprised if you find food lying in the corridor that has been there for three weeks, rubbish on the floor, people not cleaning communal showers and sick in communal bathrooms. Prepare yourself for some filthy flatmates! 

Prepare For Constant Fire Alarms - We had 8 fire alarms in one week when I was in my university accommodation because the fire alarms in the kitchen we extra sensitive, it was an absolute nightmare considering every fire alarm was at either 2am or around 4am! There were so very unhappy students. So, be prepared to be woken up by fire alarms quite a bit, a lot of students living in your halls will most likely burn something or set something on fire so it will become a regular occurrence. Tip: Make sure to have a pair of shoes and a coat handy as you'll be outside for a while before you are allowed back in to your flat!

Going Home is Expensive -  Buy a railcard! This will help you out so much! Travelling back home will be so expensive so a railcard will save you loads! I go to Newcastle University and my family home is in the East Midlands so it is a 2 hour 45 minutes journey and a £90 train ticket but with a railcard I can get a great discount! If you wanna travel home I recommend getting tickets 12 or 8 weeks in advance, definetley not a few days before! 

You Will Feel Homesick - You will feel home sick at some point as it is quite a change from living at home and being away from your family. At first I didn't feel homesick at all as I was so pre-occupied and excited about starting university that I didn't feel very homesick but there were times throughout the year that I really just wanted to go home and just have a hug from my mum :) but don't worry they are always at the end of the telephone!

What has been your favourite thing about staying in university accommodation so far?

See you on Sunday! ♡ 

Amy xx

Tips For Surviving Freshers

Hey Guys!

Over the next two weeks a lot of you will be starting university and for you first years that means Freshers Week! Now that I'm going into my second year of university I have realised that there is a lot I learnt in freshers week that those of you who are going into your first year at university might like to know! If only I could do Freshers week all over again!

When it comes to Freshers Week it's completely new to you, your meeting new people, navigating yourself around a city you may never have lived in before, getting used to looking after yourself, cooking for yourself and learning to use the washing machine, so there can be a lot of uncertainty! So hopefully this will help you survive your first week!

#1 Make Sure All Your Paperwork Is Organised

In your first week you'll be having to register for your uni smart card, signing up for societies, getting your keys for your accommodation, using your new student account with a chosen bank and will be organising what modules you will be taking for your first and second semester, so you need to make sure that all of your paperwork is organised and in order. What I did was got a folder and put all my administration documents in the front, banking paperwork in the back and then somewhere in between put all the information and documents I would need to get access to my accommodation key. By having it all in a folder it makes life so much easier when it comes to looking for all the paperwork needed to hand in. Also, when you go to register for your smart card so you can access uni you'll need specific documentation, for example I needed my confirmation letter for acceptance to the university and the document they emailed me to print off. Being organised is essential as you won't need just one lot of documentation you will have collected a few over the past couple of months. 

Another tip is getting all the administration tasks done straight away, so all the boring queues are all out the way before your start partying! Nothing worse than leaving it till last minute and then having to worry about it on your first week of lectures and induction seminars. So, by knowing what paperwork you need prior to going it will be a much easier process!

#2 Don't Be Afraid To Meet New People

That first day when you move into your accommodation and see all these new faces and people can be scary, kind of like starting primary and secondary school all over again! But don't worry everyone is in the same position and everyone will be nervous, believe me everyone worries about not making friends! So, don't by shy and say hi to everyone when you pass them on the landing, introduce yourself, try and remember everyone's names and just be yourself! The people in your flat will all be nervous too so just be friendly and offer to help them move things into the flat. Before you know it you'll be chatting and talking about your courses and where you are from etc! Luckily for me when I moved to Newcastle I already knew who I was living with because I met them all on Facebook through our accommodation group chat so it wasn't so scary going into my flat as I'd already spoken to everybody I lived with and saw familiar faces! You will actually be surprised how many people you will meet at freshers. It is nothing like secondary school, at uni everyone is so friendly! You'll be surprised how many friends you'll make in that first day! :)

#3 Save Your Money

This is an obvious point because now that you are moving to university and becoming more independent you'll be having to pay for your own shopping, machine uses, nights out and treats like the cinema, so you'll need some spending money other than your student loan! But what I mean by this point is for freshers week you'll be spending a lot of money on tickets to events, club entry fees, drinks, pre drinks and the university will hold some events that you will have to pay for as well, so save as much as you possibly can in this short time so you can make the most of the week and not have to worry financially. There is nothing worst than wanting to go and spend time with your new friends experiencing this new city and constantly checking you have enough money and working out what you can and can't go to. Just be sensible! Don't go spending £300 on a night out, when I've heard people have spent that much I don't understand how, you can easily go on a night out with just £10 in your pocket! So, have some spending money to treat yourself but don't go overboard and regret it later!  

#4 Sign Up To Societies

Everyone always says to sign up to as many clubs and societies as you can and they are right! But don't sign up to absolutely everything as that would be too overwhelming and in the end you won't end up going to all of their meetings and socials anyway. For my first year I stuck to just signing up to one society so that I didn't fill my time up too much and I didn't have to constantly go to every society event. I heard of people signing up to five or six societies and then when it came to socials they wouldn't go to half of them because it clashed with their work, uni schedule, time with their friends and they couldn't afford to keep going to all these different events every month. So, I would suggest signing up to two or three as that isn't too overwhelming and you still get a great chance to meet loads of new people! For my second year I'm going to attempt to sign up to a few more societies and make the most of what is on offer. Like I said you can ensure you are using all the great opportunities given to you but you don't have to do it all in one go!

#5 Don't Worry About Being Homesick

Everyone feels homesick at some point and that is normal. For some of you it will be your first time away from home, away from your friends and family and it can be quite scary and stressful. You don't know anybody, you don't know what to expect and you have to suddenly start doing everything on your own and have to be independent, so of course you are going to be missing home and the comforts. But one thing I suggest is to not go home as soon as you feel homesick, you have to stop yourself from rushing home, stay positive and of course you can call your family and friends as much as you want and need! And after two or three weeks they might come and visit you or you go and visit them but I suggest for the first few weeks of settling in keep going and stay at uni. The reason I say this is because the moment you go home it will make things worse as you'll be reminded of what you are missing back home and then you won't want to go back. I know a few people from my accommodation that went back home after one week and they never came back because they realised how easy it was back home. I didn't go home till November and even that was unplanned, so coming from me in the short term it will be hard but in the long term you will see why. Also, your flat mates and course mates will be a great distraction! Whenever I feel homesick I go and spend time with my flat mates and I'm fine again. I do also call my mum for 5 minutes every day, so that helps haha! ♡ 

#6 Start Getting Student Discounts 

There are so many places to get students discounts and they will help you out loads! For the first 6 months I didn't bother getting getting money off any of my shops but when I started to take advantage of student discounts it saved me so much! I got a dress for my media ball for £13 when it was suppose to be £21, I saved money on meals out with my friends and even when you are in a club on the weekend you can get money off drinks because of being a local student. The best apps I recommend are Uni Days, Voucher-Codes, NUS and just plainly using your student card. You will be so surprised the places you can get money off, such as Co-Op, New Look, Waitrose, Starbucks and even really fancy restaurants! Honestly, you won't regret it! 

#7 Don't Try and Go To Everything 

In freshers week there are so many different events on and you'll be getting Facebook invites left right and centre but don't feel like you have to go to all of them to make the most out of your freshers week. At some point you will need a break, and trying to go to every different event will drain you. They may all sound so fun and it will be hard to choose which to prioritise and choose, but what I found worked for me was speaking to my flat mates and those who lived in the flats on our floor and we discussed where we thought would be the best place to go and what tickets to get. By doing that we all could go to the same events together and then could space out the week. When I was a fresher I was desperate to go to absolutely everything but in the end I'd brought all these tickets to these events and I didn't go to all of them so I ended up wasting my money. Don't feel like its a must and you'll miss out on something huge because a few months later that event organisation and club will be throwing more events for Halloween, Christmas and celebrity appearances so don't panic!

What university are you guys attending? Let me know in the comments below!

See you on Sunday my lovelies!♡ 

Amy xx 

My Favourite YouTubers

Hey Guys! 

I've watched YouTube for a very long time as it has always been a source of entertainment, escapism, and a great place to search things like tutorials! Thanks to YouTube I was able to become more creative with my blog and it is actually a very motivating platform for someone like me, as when I see someone else getting results I believe in myself a lot more! So I thought I'd share with you guys who my favourite YouTubers are, those who motivate me with my own creative content and who also give the best escapism from my own reality ❤ 

Lindy - BubzBeauty

I have watched Lindy's videos for as long as I can remember! Before she got married and had both Issac and Ayla! I can't remember how I discovered her channel now but I remember when I was at secondary school I would always watch her make up and hair tutorials and try them out for school. I can't believe that she has actually been on YouTube for this long, she has achieved so much in such a short time! Building a school in Laos is incredible and being able to see such a great individual accomplish that is so influential. I love watching both Lindy's videos and vlogs; they are just so positive ❤ I'm big on being positive and optimistic and she is exactly that, all her videos are casual, fun and they are perfect for cheering you up when in your reality you aren't having the best time! I love that she gives such great advice at overcoming certain obstacles we all experience and she gives me motivation to be better at everything I do, especially being more productive and making the most of what I have! ♡ 

Weylie - ilikeweylie and WahlieTV

Weylie is so hilarious! She is one of my all time favourite YouTube creators and she is the one person I always get excited about when she is uploading new videos and vlogs! I've watched Weylie since she first started her YouTube channel when she uploaded her iconic Tampon video and I loved her then and I still love her videos now ♡ I feel like I've actually grown up with her as she has moved on from high school, gone to college, moved in with Wah, moved to San Francisco, then Los Angeles and all the bits in between. Her friendship with Sophia as well is so funny, they literally bounce off each other haha! She has done so well with her YouTube channel and over the years her creative content has given me a lot of inspiration especially her Girl Talk videos and personal advice Q&As. The things she has learnt I have been able to adapt into my own life as well.

 I absolutely adore her relationship with Wah, even though they will only show the best parts of their relationships through her social media platforms I just love how supportive they are of each other and to be together for that many years is so cute! I like both Weylie's individual YouTube channel but also her channel she shares with Wah. Their vlog channel is so funny, their daily adventures and the dogs are so entertaining it could cheer anybody up after a bad day. Seeing them both grow as people and achieve so many great things is so satisfying, they have done so many exceptional things and shared so many achievements through both their channels that it gives people like me a boost in the right direction, a nudge to achieve something you have to work hard for it! ♡ 

Sophia Chang

This girl is so funny! I love her humour and character :) I only discovered Sophia through Weylie when they became close friends after meeting in Los Angeles and then through them becoming friends and vlogging together I became interested in the content that Sophia created. She did videos very similar to Weylie and so I knew that I would enjoy watching her videos! She has such a great humour and over time her content has got better and better and the creative ideas she gets helps me create ideas for my own content and what I want to be able to achieve on this platform. Sophia has a very unique style and her lookbook videos have actually inspired me to try wearing different things and experiment wearing clothes I wouldn't normally wear but want to, basically be more creative. Other than her creative content like make up tutorials and fashion related content I really love her vlogs as well. Obviously Weylie and Wah are in them as well so that does make everything a lot more entertaining but even when it is just her and Silas they are so positive and comical. Her spirit and happy energy is just something else, even in her videos when she has been struggling with something she still shows the bright side to everything! Silas is great too, if you haven't checked out his photography it is amazing :) It's people like Weylie and Sophia that encourage me to try new looks with make up and fashion and to experiment a lot more without worrying about the outcome. I highly recommend you check Sophia's videos, if you don't like the videos at least stay for the graphics and edits, they are so good! ♡ 

Stephanie - soothingsista 

I used to watch Stephanie back in the day and then for a while I didn't watch any of her videos because at the time the content created wasn't something I was interested in. But this past year the content she has been producing has been so good! Especially the different make up looks she has been rocking and her vlogs! I love that most of my favourite YouTubers are friends so whenever I watch one of their vlogs 90% of the time the rest of them will be in it haha! They kind of rotate in the same circles so they all get to experience the same sort of experiences, therefore if one doesn't upload a video about it one of the others will! Stephanie is a great person, who is someone I aspire to me like. She is so selfless and genuine, like Weylie and Sophia and none of them have changed even though they have gained more popularity on their social platforms over the years. My favourite videos that Stephanie has created for me are her tattoo related ones, I love her different tattoos and when she got her first few a couple of years ago I got so interested in their individual meanings and where the inspiration came from. Stephanie has a very unique style, like Sophia and that makes me want to try different types of looks and try shopping in different places! She actually encouraged me to wear my glasses more as I started to feel less self conscience about having to wear them 90% of the time. 

Jenn Im - Clothes Encounters

When I first started watching Jenn's videos a few years ago I would watch a video here and there and I wouldn't really be bothered if it was a favourites video or a make up look because at the time I wasn't really bothered about creative make up looks or what other people were into throughout the months. But over the past year I've been loving all her videos! Whether its a 'What Would Jenn Wear', 'Monthly Favourites', 'Lookbooks' and her vlogs. I find her videos give me a lot of motivation for my own content on this blog, as seeing how well she edits her videos together and the graphics encourages me to do better and achieve what she has been able to achieve! She is also a great optimistic person, and obviously like Jenn says you can't be positive and optimist all the time but at least you can try and that is what I like about her. She is constantly trying to improve herself and work harder to achieve her goals which is very inspiring to watch. She has suggested so many great books and apps that are great for self help, motivation, positive thinking and general happiness which has been encouraging! ♡ 

Annabelle - Cat Creature

I only started watching Annabelle's video a few months ago and she is someone I've never come across before, and by that I mean someone who has a unique type of content creating and editing her videos. But also just her personality, to me she is someone so genuine and down to earth that it feels like she is a close friend and she is so thoughtful about her sister and family. Seeing her interact with her family and the way she cares for them encourages me to be a better person and be a lot more grateful for what I have ♡ I love how creative she is with her editing and how she puts her videos together! She definetley puts a different perspective on things, making any situation good and making the most of everything! Her videos this summer have been so inspiring and have actually changed my outlook on particular things; be a lot more grateful for what I have in my life and those around me. It's incredible how the way she has filmed and edited these videos can change one person's perspective on so many different aspects of life!

Cassey Ho - Blogilates

Cassey has been on YouTube for what seems like forever and since I've started uni she is the best YouTuber to watch when you can't afford to go to the gym because your a poor student! She has different work outs for those who are at different levels of fitness and she just makes a really hard work out so much easier! I'm really bad at working out and lack a lot of motivation to reach the actual fitness level I want, but thanks to Cassey's video I'm beginning to develop the type of motivation I need to get the result I want :)

She also has great videos for relaxation and stretching which are great if you can't sleep. I'm the worst for settling down to sleep after a busy day so stretching and just relaxing in a quiet environment for a few minutes helps me settle for a quiet half an hour before I try to sleep ♡ 

Who is your favourite YouTuber? Let me know in the comments below!

See you on Sunday my lovelies! ❤ 

Amy xx

Recent Movies I've Been Obsessing Over | Part 2

Hey Guys!

On Sunday I shared a post with you about films that I had watched over summer that I was obsessing over and loving! And instead of making it a really long and boring post I split them into two parts, so here is part two ❤ 

Let's go! 

The Legend of Tarzan

I actually thought this was a live action version by Disney but it turns out it isn't, it isn't linked to them at all, but obviously Tarzan isn't just a story created by Disney. Many other production companies have created films and stories about the fictional character.

I love the story of Tarzan, I think its a great tale and the relationship he has with all the animals is so enchanting! As a child I always wanted to have an elephant and monkey for a friend and obviously as I grew up that little dream became very hard to achieve haha! But I still loved watching the Disney animation. So, when I came across the 2016 'Legend of Tarzan' film I was very intrigued to how the story would be portrayed differently and if anything was adapted or changed, and to my surprise it was very similar to the Disney fictional film but was based after Tarzan had met Jane and wasn't about being discovered by man but more about how he has adapted into society and having to go back to Africa to protect his ape family. It is a very action packed film, with lots of fighting and conflict between different parties but it isn't all about the fighting and the selfishness of the enemy, its also about family and the connections he still has with the animals even after moving away. 

I think the movie is a great new story for the fictional character Tarzan and how his life progresses. It is even better being live action as I got to see it in a completely new light. It is very heartwarming and Margot Robbie and Alexander Skarsgård are perfect for the casting!

If you were a fan of the Disney animation Tarzan than check out this version! 

Spirited Away

I'm actually in love with this movie! I remember it was on the television one of the days when I was younger but at the time I never got the chance to see it, and I can't believe I never saw it until now! It is such a cute movie ❤  I'm really into Asian dramas and anime so this movie was perfect! It is such a happy feel good movie that is sweet, innocent and is the type of film where you can just sit back and enjoy it without having to think too much! Each of the characters have such lovable characteristics and some of the story is just so wacky and unrealistic, its so fun! The main character Chihiro is adorable and the way every character tries to help her is so sweet!

Considering it is dubbed in English as the original voice over is in Japanese you wouldn't be able to tell, it could be as if spoken originally in English! 

I feel like Spirited Away is a classic that everyone should watch! Especially if you aren't into anime as it might shine a new light to that genre of television ❤ 

Footloose (2011)

This version of Footloose is the remake from 2011, as I wasn't sure about watching the original Footloose as I don't really like Kevin Bacon and watching a two hour film with him as the main character is not really my idea of fun haha! He just annoys me, especially after the EE advert! Anyway, the 2011 remake is so good, they updated all the tracks to more recent songs except from the original movie track 'Footloose'. The soundtrack is so good - definetley fits the film perfectly!

I love the story line for Footloose and the protagonist Ren is the cutest! His character is so sweet and all his friends are so funny, especially Willard, his personality is hilarious haha! Seeing all the traditional line dancing and classic dance moves was so amusing :)

I love that the film is just so chill, light-hearted and the soundtrack definitely makes it more fun, a little like Guardians of The Galaxy! I find a lot of soundtracks made the films so much better ❤ They made them more enjoyable! I actually liked it so much I downloaded it on to my phone and get ready to it in the morning haha!

When it comes to movies with great songs I always get a bit carried away and end up listening to the songs all the time and learning them off my heart haha! Especially films like Mamma Mia, Funny Girl and Disney movies ❤ 

The Godfather Trilogy

Me and my mum have sat and watched the Godfather trilogy over the past two weeks and damn they are long! A three hour film is tough to watch in the evening when you have been busy all day and have to concentrate to what is going on! But it is such a great trilogy of films! I love gangster, mob type mafia films as they are so packed with action and I love the way Italian families are so close and look after each other as it is how my family are so I can relate ❤ I think the first movie is my favourite as I love Don Vito Corleone as the head of the family, I like that he is feared and respected by a lot of people but will help any of his friends and family in need, he is a loyal man! In the first movie I like that Michael has just returned and that all his family are still in it like all his brothers and mother. I actually can't believe its taken me this long to actually watch the movies as my cousins have always recommended them to me! 

The second movie is great too as it obviously moves on to when Michael becomes the head of the family and takes control of all the businesses and has his own children, but I miss Vito Corleone and it isn't the same with him not being in it anymore but obviously it moves through the times! I also think when they flashback to when Vito moves to New York and his origins before becoming the Godfather is great! The second movie is very dramatic and I do love a bit of drama so its the perfect set of films for me haha! 

Then, the third film is obviously the conclusion to the trilogy when the head of the family changes again to Vincent, and I think the film was so action packed that I had to keep reminding myself what had happened in the beginning as three hours is a long time for a lot of action and complicated drama to happen haha! I had to keep asking my mum a lot of questions as she has seen all the films before :) 

If you like organised crime movies like Goodfellas and Oscar, where there is loads of conflict, drama and action you'll love the Godfather trilogy! But you can't just watch the first one you need to watch all three otherwise you'll be missing out on some great scenes! 

If there are any really good movies that I haven't mentioned comment below and I'll add them to my film list ❤ 

What is your favourite movie of all time?

See you on Wednesday my lovelies!

Amy xx