Blogmas Day 20: Tips for Sale Shopping with Hannah

Hey Guys!

⭐Welcome to Blogmas Day Twenty⭐

Sorry for being two days behind schedule I've had a few Christmas parties so I haven't had the time to catch up. But I'll be back on schedule tomorrow  ❣

When it comes to shopping in the Christmas sales it can become very stressful trying to find what's on your wishlist, finding the best prices and wading through crowds of people doing their Christmas/ Boxing Day shopping. So, Hannah and I have got some tips and tricks on how to survive the Christmas/Boxing Day sales! This post is a collaboration with Hannah (from Hannah's Bookshelf) so make sure to go over to her blog to check out her sales tips and all her Blogmas posts. Head over to her blog here.

Tips and Tricks 

Give yourself plenty of time:

The worst thing about shopping when you are on a tight schedule is you don't get enough time to look around properly and end up making rash decisions to buy everything on your list. The best thing is to go early and give yourself plenty of time, maybe having a break for lunch and a drink in between. Then you can take your time in each shop and you can enjoy it instead of stressing yourself out by running around everywhere trying to get everything. Make a plan of what time you want to start and what time you want to head home for so you know you are giving yourself enough time. Like Hannah said start early to beat the rush!

Write a list of what you are looking for:

The worst mistake I have made is not writing a wish list/shopping list before going shopping. So I end up not staying focused and looking at things I really don't need to buy, which leads to probably wasting my money buying things I really don't need. Therefore, make a list of everything you need to buy for people or yourself and put the most important at the top. 

Look at the price, not the saving:

When you look at how much money you are saving on an item don't let that be the reason you chose to buy it, look how much the product is priced at originally and see whether the reduced price is worth it or whether it would be best looking elsewhere. Sometimes when you see 25% or 30% off it looks like a great sale but when you actually look at the original price it isn't actually a good deal at all and is worth looking elsewhere!

Check which retailers are selling the same product so you know where to shop around:

After doing your wish list/shopping list it's best to check which retailers are doing the items you are looking for prior to your shopping trip so you know which shops are going to be the best for grabbing a deal. But also if you can't find a good deal in the physical shop then you know there may be a better sale online and you can get it delivered instead! Sometimes it is worth looking at both online and in-store to see where you'll save the most money. 

Be sensible with how much you are buying:

When it comes to shopping in the sales it is easy to get carried away and buying anything on sale without properly assessing whether you actually need it. So set yourself a limit with how much you want to spend and don't go over your budget. Also, don't buy so much that you can't carry everything. It is easy to keep buying and buying but realistically how much can you really carry home and not break your fingers. You can always go back a few days later!

Make sure to take your loyalty cards and student cards:

When shopping in the sales don't forget to take all of your loyalty cards and your student card (if you are in university) in your purse so least you'll get all the benefits, points AND half priced items! I got a black dress for £13 after 50% off and then got an additional 10% off as I had my students card with me. By having your loyalty card on hand you can occasionally get double points and discounts using your student discount!

Have you made the most of the Christmas sales? If not save these tips and tricks for the Boxing Day sales! Let Hannah and I know how you got on!

See you later for Blogmas Day Twenty One where I'll be detailing my Christmas Eve plans for this year ❤

Amy x 

Blogmas Day 18: Must Have Winter Essentials

Hey Guys!

⭐ Welcome To Day Eighteen of Blogmas ⭐

It's cold, it's the cosiest time of year and Christmas Day is fast approaching, so there are many essentials we need to stay warm, get into the festive spirit and make the most of the winter season ❄

From family favourite Christmas movies, comforting hot drinks, winter scents and clothing - here are my Winter Essentials 2018!

Hot Chocolate With All The Trimmings

Nothing beats a hot chocolate on a cold Winter day, especially with marshmallows and gingerbread biscuits to dunk. So grab your favourite Christmas mug, make your choice of hot chocolate, add marshmallows and get dunking ❤

A Fun Christmas Jumper

Winter is the only acceptable time to wear a Christmas jumper every day and not be judged. Wear that Christmas jumper with pride and make the most of getting to wear your cosy festive sweater this Christmas! 

Classic Christmas Movies

There are so many Christmas movies out there to choose from but you have to watch the classics. From Elf, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch, Miracle on 34th Street, Love Actually to Home Alone. Add them all to the list. 

Woolly Socks

Getting cold feet in Winter is a given, so cosy woolly socks are a must, even better if they are Christmas themed like these!

Soap & Glory Hand Food

When it comes to the cold weather other than cold hands my skin gets incredibly dry and irritated, so to help with my cracked hands I use the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Hand Food. When it comes to hand cream I always use Soap & Glory as it's the only moisturiser that works on my dry hands.

Kleenex Lip Balm

Like my hands, my lips crack in the Winter because of the cold wind. So a very important winter essential is my Kleenex lip balm. It seems to be the only lip balm other than Vaseline that actually does the trick and helps my lips go back to normal!

Christmas Hits: 60 Festive Favourites Album

Nothing is better than a CD with all the best Christmas songs on! Of course, Michael Buble's album is amazing but nothing beats the Christmas Hits album with Last Christmas, Do They Know It's Christmas?, Wonderful Christmastime and All I Want For Christmas Is You which are all Winter Essentials!

Christmas Books

When you are sat inside all cosy in front of the fire with your hot chocolate and dog at your feet there is nothing better than a Christmas book to dig into! Some great books to read are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Twas The Night Before Christmas, The Snowman, A Nightingale Christmas Wish by  Donna Douglas or The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews ❄

What are your Winter Essentials? Let me know in the comments below!

See you tomorrow for Day Nineteen of Blogmas and more festive cheer ❤

Amy x

Blogmas Day 13: Thirty Five Blogmas Post Ideas

Hey Guys!

⭐Welcome To Day Thirteen of Blogmas⭐

It's now Day Thirteen into Blogmas and if you are anything like me organising and planning yourself can be very difficult, especially when you've got to upload a new blog post every day for 25 days throughout December. So, your girl here is going to help you out! If you are running out of creative ideas then here are 35 Blogmas post ideas you can take away and write up on your own blog ❤

1. Your Winter Essentials

2. Your Winter Night Time Routine

3. The Winter Tag or The Ultimate Christmas Tag

4. Visits to Christmas Markets

5. Your Favourite Christmas Treats

6. Your Favourite Christmas Drinks

7. Gift Guides for Her

8. Gift Guides for Secret Santa under £5/£15

9. Gift Guides for Parents

10. Gift Guides for Boyfriends/Girlfriends

11. The Best Christmas Films

12. Christmas Recipes

13. How You Decorated Your Home

14. The Best Places To Get Christmas Decorations

15. Best and Worst Christmas Jumpers of 2018

16. Your Plans For Christmas Day

17. Your Christmas Playlist

18. Review of Christmas Specific Products -  such as shop bought gingerbread houses or Lush's Christmas range

19. Your Christmas Day Look - OOTD

20. Your Christmas Traditions

21. Best Deals This Christmas

22. Real Christmas Tree vs Fake Christmas Tree Discussion

23. Favourite Christmas Books

24. Christmas Fragrances - both candles and perfumes

25. Making Your Own Advent Calendar

26. Winter Candles You Recommend

27. Gift Guide For Under £5

28. Best Christmas Pyjamas

29. Christmas Party Costume Inspiration

30. December Bullet Journal

31. Your Top 10 Favourite Blogmas Posts

32. Your Christmas Wish List

33. Christmas Events in Your Local Area

34. Winter Fashion

35. Best Christmas Movies and Specials on Netflix

Photo Credit: Jill111 from Pixabay.com

Which blogmas ideas are you thinking of using? Let me know in the comments below. I look forward to reading your blogmas posts so don't forget to tag me or send me your links! 

See you tomorrow for Day Fourteen of Blogmas ❤

Amy x 

Blogmas Day 5: My Christmas Wish List

Hey Guys!

⭐Welcome to Day Five of Blogmas ⭐

I can't believe how quickly Blogmas 2018 is flying by! I have so much fun content coming out soon so look out for Winter Tags, gift guides, Christmas markets and lots more! 

When it comes to Christmas everyone secretly has a wish list of things they would like to receive, and sometimes people struggle to come up with ideas when people ask them what they want, so I thought I'd share my Christmas wish list with you and you might be able to get some inspiration for when your loved ones ask you what you'd like. Or even if you want to treat yourself this Christmas and buy it for yourself (got to have a bit of self-love!) ❤

Normally I don't have a big wish list for Christmas as I'm not so bothered about Christmas presents now that I'm older. I prefer buying gifts for people and giving it to them than I do receiving from other people. Which is why I'm so excited for all the secret Santas I'm doing this year with my friends, housemates and blogger secret Santa ❤ But, I do have a wish list this year because there are so many great films, box sets, books and cute things out at the moment that it is hard not to ask for them!

Crazy Rich Asians DVD 

Photo Credit: Amazon

In October I went and saw Crazy Rich Asians in the cinema and I absolutely loved it! I'd already watched all the trailers and listened to all the interviews, so when I finally got to see the film I was so excited! 

It is such a great feel-good movie, with humour and heartfelt moments! Firstly Nick Young is gorgeous!  Awkwafina is hilarious as Peik Lin Goh and Constance Wu from Fresh Off The Boat is so good as Rachel Chu. In fact, they did a great job with casting. It is one of those films that I'll be watching over and over again (kind of like when I first got Mamma Mia and I constantly watched it on repeat) ❤

Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy Boxset by Kevin Kwan

Photo Credit: Amazon

After seeing the film Crazy Rich Asians I'm desperate to get my hands on the book. Seeing as I loved the film I want to give the book a read as sometimes the book always ends up better than the film!

Other than the first book Crazy Rich Asians, there are also two other books belonging to the series. You've got both China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. So, the trilogy boxset by Kevin Kwan is on my wishlist as well. I would love to get the box set and read the other books that belong to the series! Especially if the books are anything like the film. Also, I would like to get ahead of the game and read the other two books in case they do sequels to Crazy Rich Asians!

If you guys are interested in purchasing the trilogy as well they are on Amazon for £26.99 or if you just want the first book Crazy Rich Asians it's £5.75 on Amazon. If you know someone who has seen the film and loved it as much as me then this would be a great gift idea ❤

Button Down Pyjamas from Primark

Photo Credit: Primark

A few weeks ago when I went to Primark with my parents I picked up a pair of Disney button down pyjamas with Miss Bunny on and they are the cutest pair of pyjamas I have (except my Stitch set!), they are so soft and I'm loving button down pyjamas now. Primark is doing some really cute sets at the moment such as ones that are Harry Potter themed, cactus-themed and some have really cute floral designs. I can't help but stop and look every time I'm in Primark. I thought I'd add them to the Christmas wish list as receiving pyjamas for a Christmas present is always nice. The pyjamas I have received in the past for Christmas have been my favourite ❤

If you know someone who loves buying pyjamas have a look in Primark as they have a great selection at the moment, especially Christmas themed sets ❄

Snug Rug Blanket in Grey

Photo Credit: CoolStuff UK 

Photo Credit: Amazon

My housemate Sophie has a Snug Rug blanket in navy and it is one of the best creations invented!! I'm always borrowing it when I'm sat watching TV as it gets quite cold in our living room and it is the COSIEST blanket ever! What I love is that it has sleeves so I can be doing uni work on my laptop or reading and not be drowning in my blanket. It makes it so much easier to function while also being warm and cosy. There are so many colours to choose from as well! 

If you know anyone that gets really cold and needs the softest blanket but also functionality then get them this. The quality is great ❤

Victoria: A Royal Love Affair by Daisy Goodwin and Sarah Sheridan

Photo Credit: Amazon

I saw the Victoria: A Royal Love Affair in WHSmith ages ago and wanted to buy it then and there but didn't get the chance. The book explores the sets, facts and fiction, costumes, letters written by Queen Victoria, diary entries from Albert and Victoria,  profiles of all the major characters, interviews with the actors and fascinating, in-depth information on the production. I'm fascinated with books like these, especially when I'm really into the series because I like to know more about the show and more about the history. I've already got a book similar to this one but on Downton Abbey, where it details the sets, characters, costumes of the times and the history of Highclere Castle. So, to have another book on my favourite historical drama series would make me very happy! 

Victoria (ITV) Series 1 & 2 Box Set

Photo Credit: Amazon

I love a historical drama! When Downton Abbey came out a few years ago I was absolutely obsessed to the point I got the box set, a book on behind the scenes info, pictures and costumes and visited Highclere Castle. So, when ITV created Victoria I fell in love with the series, especially as I love anything about Victoria and Albert. Any historical dramas around royals I love watching. Since I'm so invested in the Victoria series I'd love to receive the box set, so least then I can re-watch it as many times as I want! I love going back to the old series and re-watching them again and again. I'd love to add the DVD to the rest of my historical drama boxsets! 

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

Photo Credit: Amazon

If you haven't seen Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again you are missing out! It is hands down the movie of the year for me. I went to the cinema with my auntie back in summer to watch the new movie and I've been obsessed since! I played the soundtrack every day for at least two weeks straight after watching it, so now it's on DVD I need it so I can watch it over and over again. When I got bought the first Mamma Mia movie I would watch it while getting ready for school nearly every day, so with the second movie now out in shops I must have it haha!

If you are a die-hard fan of ABBA and love the Mamma Mia movies then why not treat yourself to the new DVD! It is in most entertainment shops and supermarkets for around £10!

A Beautiful Mind, a Beautiful Life: The Bubz Guide to Being Unstoppable by Lindy Tsang

Photo Credit: Amazon

If you don't know who Lindy Tsang is she is a Beauty Guru YouTuber/Vlogger of family life and has been on YouTube for quite a while. Lindy is a huge source of positivity and happiness so when she released a book I had to get a copy. Unfortunately, it was released by Barnes and Noble in America first and I never got a chance to buy it. I've heard amazing reviews from others who have already read it and I have wanted this book for so long, so now it is on Amazon I'd love to get a copy! ❤

The Greatest Showman

Photo Credit: Amazon

The Greatest Showman came out quite a while ago and even now there is the new Greatest Showman: Reimagined album but it is still a musical I haven't stopped loving! I'm always listening to the playlist while I'm doing my uni work and writing posts for my blog, so I wanted to add the film to my wish list. I'm a huge lover of musicals ever since I watched Funny Girl featuring Barbara Streisand when I was younger. One thing I can't fault with this movie/musical are the songs!  

If you have a friend or relative that loves it too why not treat them to the DVD this Christmas ❤

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What is on your wish list for Christmas this year? Let me know in the comments below!

See you tomorrow for Day Six of Blogmas ❤

Amy x

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