2016 Goals

Happy New Year! Welcome back to my blog! So this one is about my goals for this year

I purposely didn't call this my 'new year's resolutions'. Why? Well I'm not one of those people that can stick to resolutions. I don't feel guilty by not sticking to them and so I think that 'resolutions' would be the wrong word to use. My second reason is that we're already past the first week of January 2016 so I'm a little late on the whole new year thing. 

Firework Show at Nottingham Castle

I would say I've had a tough year in reflection. University has presented me with a few difficult challenges and its often been stressful. I know I need to focus on my achievements and my strengths and simply work on things I'm not as good at. I'd recommend this to anyone, as it allows me to set realistic expectations for myself. 

My first goal is to take more pictures. 

I find photography both relaxing and entertaining and I don't think I'd get bored of taking pictures very quickly. Over the last few years, I've taken more and more pictures. The rest of my family doesn't and that's sort of what started my passion. I looked back through family albums and pictures on the computer and found gaps. I'd suddenly jump from one picture of me in January at my brothers birthday meal, to Christmas at the end of the year! Looking back at pictures is so important to me and so it's probably one of the reasons I love it so much, because I know the end result will provide me with memories that I can save and cherish-sorry for the yucky sentimentality, I'm very emotional :'). 

This year I want to spend more time taking pictures and go to different places specifically to take pictures. My favourite shots are of landscapes and nature, because they're just so amazing. My parents love long countryside walks and as much as I don't like the walking, the views have often been breathtaking. I also need to think about the different settings I can use whilst taking the picture, even before I think about editing. I often don't add filters to my natural shots because the landscapes speak for themselves, but recently at university, I sat through a seminar about the controls of their hefty, ridiculously clunky video cameras. I took the opportunity to ask a few questions about shutter speeds and gain etc and tried to tailor it to photography and not filming. So that's what I shall think about doing whilst out enjoying myself taking snaps of the world, my family and myself. Not to be vain, but I would like to see how I change through the year and by the way my stress levels are, I'll probably have some greys coming through! 

Goal number two is to express myself more. 

I love my colouring book. Sounds mad I know, but it has really helped in the past week. I have a deadline coming up with university, in a module I don't really enjoy and it doesn't help that I'm rubbish at it. I needed to get out and felt like running away from everything. Music helped a bit, but I still felt like I was listening to music whilst feeling unhappy. Instead I got out my colouring book and completed a whole pattern. It sounds childish but the book does have the word 'adult' on the front, just to prove to those who find it funny that I have been colouring. I also wrote a bit of poetry/ story as English has always been something I've loved, poetry especially. I'm not planning on being an author or a poet, but I'm just doing it because it lets me release all the mess in my head and put it down on a page. 

Organisation

At the start of this year, I used a notebook for all my to-do lists and kept note of upcoming dates on a calendar that Uni gave me for free. However, I think in the next few days, I will go on the search for the perfect diary, to do list, notes, goals...anything I want to write down. It must be the right size to be carried everywhere. The one I was using was a little too big to carry around with me everyday but I loved it regardless. It really helped me with anxiety and stress because I could put down everything I needed to do and it gave me great satisfaction to cross out the ones I had completed. The one thing I didn't like about that, was that it left crosses and mess in the book, which made me feel cluttered and confused.....When you get in a flustered state of mind it's easy for the smallest thing to annoy you and the mess in my notebook does that for me. 

To have accomplished something 

I would love it, if at the end of the year or throughout it, I could think wow, well done Charlotte. I want to be able to be proud, and I mean really proud, of something I have done. I'd love it, if I could finish this year at university with an amazing grade, I wish to pass my driving test and my biggest task I'm setting myself for this year is to get myself sorted. I might do a blog about it, but since starting university, I've realised how much of a big step it has been and how it has narrowed down my learning so much. In sixth form, I chose four subjects to learn; Drama, Media, English Language and Psychology and realising that they were just subjects and not career choices has come as a surprise to me, as I now have no idea what to do once my degree is over. At the end of the academic year/this year, I want to have narrowed down my career choices, as it has been one of the factors giving me anxiety. 

One of my funnier achievements of last year

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and that it may have inspired you. 

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Stationery/Back to Uni

So although the schools have gone back, a lot of universities haven't so I thought I'd make a little post about some of the stationery items I bought and just a little tip to go with each of them.

1. A plastic wallet

So really, this depends on your workload and how much you're writing. I bought myself a small floral wallet last year from Tesco, for just under a pound I believe. This was before I'd gone to University and didn't realise that just one wallet would not arrange my sheets well enough. However, that one wallet was useful for the sheets/handouts or 'homework pieces' that I was given, so I then started to use it for that (a homework wallet). However if you wanted a wallet for each of your different modules, Wilkinsons had a good deal on a 4 pack of wallets so maybe that's where you'll want to go.

2. Expandable folder

Depending on your course, you might get a lot of work that you need to always have with you. You might want to break down the terms in your modules and be super organised, so I thought I'd add an expandable folder to my list. These folders are usually A4 and are plastic, but you can get paper ones if you wish (these can be quite flimsy). The folder shuts at the front and in this form looks like a thick folder, however when you open this up, there are different slots for you to put papers in so they're a really good idea for a course that has a lot of writing and papers involved.

I've had this folder for years but still does the job! 

3. Display Folder

So recently I got myself one of these after spending quite a long time mulling over the idea of getting one. But I thought it'd be handy for me to see my work as there are sewn in folders. I also thought that it was quite compact and will hopefully be useful. I might make my own separators for each subject as well and just slide them into a pocket.

4. Notepads

So these are pretty essential. If you need to write your lectures, take notes or anything where you'll be writing, you'll need a notepad! I just use a regular A4 one at the minute, with a plastic case for durability and an elastic security band which keeps everything nice and together. I love these because I also used to keep sheets in it and use it as a folder and well as for my writing. HOWEVER!! You might find that buying smaller notepads for each subject is more suitable to you and how you like to organise things. My plan is that I'll write my lecture in my A4 pad, tear out the sheet and put it in my display folder, but if you'd prefer just to have each subject in a different book, go for it!

5. Pens/highlighters/small stationery items

So these are pretty straight forward, you've been using them since school but as you get older, you start to 'forget' your pens or you just take one 'trusty pen'.....Guys, that's really not enough. Buy a pack of three pens, I bought mine for £1 and take all three. Pens run out, pens get lost and everyone knows that one person who asks for a pen before every lecture! Highlighters are quite useful also, especially when it comes to revision time. On my course, the lecturers suggest printing out lecture slides (from the PowerPoint presentations) so going through and highlighting important parts will be really helpful when you go to reflect on what you've learnt.

6. Journal/Planner/Diary

This is just an optional addition but I think these are brilliant. I've featured my journal quite a few times but I'll mention it again because I love it and it's the one that I use the most. It's helpful to write down the weeks plan, to write to do lists and to write down any homework or tasks that you've been set and the date they're in for. You can also find ready made weekly planners and other organisers so it's worth thinking about.

So that's it! They're all my University stationery items. If you think there are more don't hesitate to comment, you can also like this post and follow me on Instagram and Twitter! 

Hope you enjoyed it 

x

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Top tips for surviving university

I'm not an expert in anything as I always say and everyone is different, but I thought that these tips might help with getting you used to University life and some struggles you might encounter.

I am now going into my second year but I did have a very difficult first year. I wasn't sure whether I'd picked the right course, I felt trapped, it's a lot of money, was I clever enough etc etc etc. But, during my time, things got better but I had to go through a big learning curve to get there, so here's my story and some tips that you might find useful.

1. Try your hardest in everything you do (even though it may only be your first year).

Trying your best is sometimes automatic, but I remember hearing 'it's only first year' uttered everywhere. Yes it might only be first year and this year won't count to your final degree but you might enjoy the course more if you do try and that's what I found helped me. I found my course very dull at times if I wasn't fully immersing myself into it. Trying hard helps with grades, gets you into good habits for the rest of your life and well...why waste £9000 (UK university price)  a year if you're not going to try

2. Don't be too hard on yourself 

I'm addressing first years but this might also apply to other years. When doing an exam or a piece of coursework, the grade can reflect many things; you're effort, sometimes staff effort and then your general knowledge. My family has always told me 'you can only do your best', which was a very important thing for me to remember in first year. Be proud of what you've achieved and if you know you could have done more, then do more next time- one bad grade isn't the end of the world. 

3. Budget, know how to budget and remember how much you have in your budget. 

So I think I cleared up the first three steps just in the subheading, but many people fall into difficulty with money because they spend it on drinking and going out. Yes, university is an experience and you should enjoy it, but the experience of having no money.....well you don't even want to go there! You'll need money for; drinks, food, supplies, bills, fancy dress, clothes, travel.....the list goes on, so just make sure you've got enough! I recommend buying own brands and finding out what shops are best for price and quality, this goes without saying but it's a tip none the less.

4. Learning to compromise 

This one is pretty broad...But you will find yourself compromising on many things and it is a skill you can transfer into the 'real world'. Compromise with your flatmates, make a rota of chores, who cleans the kitchen on what day etc, compromise on going out if you have too much work to do or if you have lectures the next day, compromise on buying expensive clothes because you just wont have the money spare etc.....

5. Make a list

Make/find a list of everything you need for uni and make sure that you've checked everything off. Then remember to take it with you when you move into your accommodation because there's nothing worse than turning up to your uni halls and remembering that you've forgotten your hairdryer. 

6. Home comforts

You will probably get homesick at some point. Even if you feel fine by yourself when you're at home, you'll still miss it when you go away. The ability to go into the cupboards and grab what you want, to have a nice hot bath or have a cuddle with your pet/family is what you will miss. So to prevent this from ruining your time at uni, take home comforts like a pillow, a cork pin board to put up pictures of family and friends, some fairy lights to make your room cosy.....Whatever makes you happy

7. Try out a society

I started the dance classes at my uni, I also tried out the choir and didn't even end up staying in them for very long. Joining/trying out a society will help you make friends from different courses and it makes your life a whole lot nicer, knowing that not only have you got your flatmates and course mates, but you've met some other completely different people along the way. Also, see if the societies are holding free taster sessions as I ended up trying rock climbing and it was a lot of fun...Oh and it was free!

8. Don't worry about making friends

It will happen! I didn't feel like I belonged straight away because I was still finding my feet. I had a few friends but they weren't always in my seminar groups. However! It might just take a few weeks for everyone to settle in and get used to each other and remember they're probably in the same boat as you. 

9. Independent learning

You will be working on your own a lot. You will need to muster up the biggest load of motivation so that you do the work that you're set. You might feel that in college or sixth form you had no help, well imagine that X50. It will hit you like a brick, but once you've overcome the shock, you'll be fine

10. Enjoy it, don't sweat the small stuff and be careful

Going to a place that you don't know much about or just being in a town centre at night has its dangers wherever you are so just keep an eye out. Watch your drinks, be careful in relationships and HAVE FUN  

Disclaimer: (none of the pictures are my own)
These are all my top tips but of course there are some others. I'd also like to say to those of you who live at home...making friends can sometimes be slower, but you'll still make them so don't worry! 

Thanks for reading 

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