How to Fit All Your Stuff Into Your Student Room

Student accommodation is notoriously tiny. University halls of residence can be especially small, so getting living space in halls is a bit of a mixed blessing. On one hand you’ll be right there on campus and have a lockable door of your own, but on the other hand your space is really cramped.

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How to Save Money at University

  As another wave of students start university this September, I thought that this would be the perfect time to share some tips and tricks that I have learnt along the way about saving money at university. I went to university with no clue about anything and money was the biggest weight on my shoulder, a lot to think about and when by yourself it’s a lot of pressure. If you know someone starting, currently at or even if you want to save money in general – I hope this helps. Let’s get saving…

Exploring Liverpool

''Liverpool people are famous for liking clothes and fashion; they are very social and lively people, and we know that they like clothes.'' Vivienne Westwood

Liverpool has to be my favourite city. After spending over three years here now, I don't have a bad word to say about it. During the day, you get the busy shoppers and work commuters. Then as the evening approaches, the city completely transforms - it becomes this buzzing night scene, full of all different kinds of people. I also have to add that people from Liverpool are some of the nicest I have met, some amazing friends are included in that too. In this post I am going to share with some amazing spots in the city that are well worth the visit, even if you're just going for the day - you have to go to at least one of these! 

I Graduated, Now What?

If you don't follow me on social media (if you, I really apologise for repeating myself) then you might not know that last week I actually graduated from univeristy! It has been a tough three years, there is so much that I would love to go back and change but now its time to focus on the future and what is going to happen next. This blog has been through my entire univeristy life, from when I first got accepted, freshers week which was different to your typical fresher, finishing first year, then completing second year  and now graduation.

Its crazy when you look back at these posts and think about how much has changed in the space of three years.  

The Last Leg

I was so torn between calling this post 'The Last Leg' or 'The Final Countdown', but I immediately burst out into song! Trust me, you do not want to hear that. I went with the first option in the end as it works a little better with what this post is about. I am bringing you this blog post today in collaboration with Adexe, a brand that specialise in creating gorgeous watches that are perfect for every occasion, my upcoming occasion being graduation. 

The Final Countdown

This blog has been through my entire education with me, well the important parts anyway. I started it when I was just beginning GCSE's and now I am still going with one year left at university. ONE YEAR, it was absolutely flown by, everyone did tell me this but I didn't believe them at all. In the past two years I have learnt so much about living on my own, managing finances, myself and of course my degree. As I come into my final year and lss than a month until I move back, it seems appropriate to take about the essentials for anyone starting this year. Everything from cutlery to bedding, I have you covered. 

University Preparation

As this month draws to a close, the next month is back to school month! I finished with university for the year back in May and this time next month, I'll be back for my second year. Can' believe how fast time is flying, this second year comes with so much more responsibility, work and stress! 

I am so ready for it and can't wait to get stuck in, this post is a little hack post. Whether you are starting your first, second or even looking at starting in the near future - I do hope this helps you out! 

Chapter 1 - First Year Finished

Wow. Ok, I am actually writing this post. Today I finished my first year at university. Say what? This blog is like a diary for my life, not only does it consist of reviews and hauls but it has very deep, life posts too. Just over 9 months ago I posted a blog post called I'm Going to University! , where I spoke all about getting into my dream uni and doing the degree I have always wanted to do. Then I posted all about Freshers Week, where I felt very out of place. I don't drink, so I don't go out partying every night, much more of a staying in kind of person. 

University Room Tour

This is my last official week at university and in my accommodation, thought it was about time to do a little room tour and show you around. The first day I moved in I was over the moon with my room. It is the first one on the left as you walk in and a pretty decent size compared to other ones I had seen. My accommodation block has only been up for the year before I moved in, so I was the second person in this room - no pressure to keep it clean then! 

Is Going to Uni Right for You?

Going to university is an idea that many people toy with throughout their lives. It’s mostly young adults who have finished a college course or A-levels who have to think about going to university, but you can be any age and go onto further education. Sometimes, the only problem can be knowing whether it’s the right decision for you. Hopefully this guide will help you to decide:

Home Away From Home

Since moving out to university, I have realised that having my own little space can sometimes get a bit boring. At home you have everything you need and for me I was in the same bedroom for years so everything had its own place. Whereas now I have two rooms that I live between and struggle to decided what to have where. I want to do a full university room tour one day but the problem is that most of it is boring! So in today's post I am sharing with you some little things I do to make my room feel like home. 

I absolutely love my hot drinks, whether this be coffee, hot chocolate or even a good old cup of tea. On my top shelf I keep a stash of emergency hot beverages. In the Tea container I have tea bags, hot chocolate sachets and my new favourite thing mint mocha (its so good!). Then I have a sugar canister which hardly gets touched but I just have to have it. Both the containers are from Quality Save and I adore them. The print is very vintage and gorgeous. 

Also on the top shelf I have a few things close to my heart. One of them been a Cinderella snow globe, she is my favourite princess out of all of them and I love just having her in my room with me. Then I have this little plaque with a motivational quote on, it gives me something to smile at every time I see it. Finally, I have the only photo in my entire room. I really need to get some more printed off, but this is of my family and who doesn't love a good old selfie. Plus the frame is glittery and I love anything glitter. On the notice board above my desk I have a few printed out quotes. I think having little saying that are motivational/inspirational are a great pick me up. Find them on pinterest and print them out, no need to buy any fancy ones. 

These little quotes are what really makes my room feel more welcoming, they are all bright and in your face. When you start looking for universities to go, it is always important to look at the Student Accommodation that is available. You want to have something that is cosy and manageable, where I am everything is on campus, which makes my life easier and the halls aren't that bad. It isn't always this easy so then why not live off campus? When I was looking at Northumbria University I didn't like the halls and started looking for off campus spaces. Letslivehere offer some great accommodation in the Newcastle area, so well worth considering living out of the university complex. 

My favourite part of my entire room has to be the little make-up station thing I have going on. I have a pinterest print stuck on the wall and then a mini acrylic organiser. As you can see it is heaving with things and that is because of my lip product addiction - there just isn't enough room to put them all somewhere. Then I have a Ikea plant pot that stores all my brushes in, the white fits with the whole room and completes it. 

There's a little sneak peek at my room! There are so many things I still want to do with it, add some fairy lights above my bed, print out more photos and de clutter. Currently I have lots of things everywhere and it really needs sorting out! 

Welcome to my Home Away From Home! 

*Collaboration with Letslivehere*

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Naked Noodle Review

Living at university is great, but one thing I struggle with has to be food. I like cooking everything fresh, so much so that I don't own a space in the freezer as I don't need it. It does get hard at times because the option of having a takeaway is always there - mainly Domino's. Who can resist when its 50% off? If it isn't pizza then it's Chinese which is just as worse. 

But its all ok because Naked Noodle exists - a brand that has created different flavored noodles that are healthy, tasty and inexpensive! I got the chance to review their Snack Pots and Stir Fry Range and after basically eating nothing but noodles for the past week I am slightly in love and ready to report back. As far as packaging goes it definitely entices you the images of the noodles look tempting and the coloured lids match the rest of the packaging. 

Naked Noodle Snack Pots

The snack pots are great for a quick lunch especially if you have like 15 minutes and need to hurry, there are 8 flavours in the range and I have highlighted the ones I have tried in bold - Thai Sweet Chilli, Cantonese Hoisin Duck, Malaysian Laksa, Thai Tom Yum, Vietnamese Beef Pho, Japanese Teriyaki, Singapore Curry & Chinese Chow Mein. 

One thing I love about all of the Naked Noodle range is that it is all suitable for vegetarians (full list of ingredients here)! This sold me straight away. They are also really easy to make, boil the kettle, pour the water up to the fill line, leave for 4 minutes, stir & enjoy! As it sits to rest the smell of the pot fills the room. 

Singapore Curry -  This pot is by far the most flavour filled one. As soon as you eat a spoonful you are hit with lots of different spices. The main ones been ginger and garlic and then something else came through to me after wards and that was a hint of chilli - it was odd because the three main ingredients are so simple yet powerful and delicious. 

Thai Tom Yum - This was a weird one for me to try, as I''m not the biggest fan of Thai food, however these noodles taste like sweet and sour that you order from the takeaway. It's chilli yet has a tomato base and the mix is amazing. Then a hint of sourness comes through from the lime which put me off at first but I gave it a stir and it was all good. This has a good kick to it though so be warned if yo try it and aren't a fan of spicy because wow this got me at first. 

Thai Sweet Chilli - This one is my favourite of the three I tried. I am still dreaming about it now after eating it, it is good food in a pot. It has a slight kick of chilli in it and mixed with a tangy taste it is delicious. If you have ever tried any form of a sweet chilli sauce or crisps then you will love this its warming to mouth and perfect on a cold day. 

Stir Fry Packs

Then we have the food that looks and tastes absolutely delicious! These are just 1% fat and around 200 calories per pack - great for those of us on a restricted diet. The stir fry packs can be eaten on their own similar to the snack pots or as a side dish - I added some mushrooms to mine (favourite vegetable) and it was even nicer! I forgot to take pictures of my amazing meals for these, but have purchased some more so will take a picture and add it in as soon as I have had them - promise. 

They come in a range of flavours - Teriyaki, Singapore, Sweet Chilli Chicken, Chow Mein & Hoi Sin. Of the two I tried Teriyaki was my favourite added with mushrooms and some other random veg it was amazing and managed to fill me up - which noodles don't usually do! 

I highly recommend trying Naked Noodle if you get a chance university student or not they are amazing, cost next to nothing and well deserve love! You can find them at all major supermarkets at £1.20 for a the stir fry and £1.71 for the snack pots!  

 

*PR SAMPLES, ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE MY OWN*

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Zoflora Summer Breeze

It sounds like a weird thing but when you go to university no one prepares you for all the cleaning that you have to do. Your bedroom, the bathroom and for me the kitchen when the cleaners don't come at the weekend. It weird, because you expect to know everything straight away how to clean it all but it is hard knowing what to do and how to do it. To make it less confusing for myself and easier to manage, I've been using Zoflora*.

What is Zoflora? 

Something that my grandma swears by and uses all the time. Zoflora Concentrated Disinfectant is a 3 in 1 action formula kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. All you do is dilute it in water and spray. 

Summer Breeze is a gorgeous scent that reminds me and takes me back to the summer not these miserable winter days. It has three different scents in Rose, Freesia and Peony. Together it might sound very strong but let me tell you it smells like milkshake - love it!

How To Use? 

The way I use it is in a spray bottle, mix 1 part of this with 3 parts water and it works well. Then just spray where you need to use and it wipe it clean. The main areas that I use it are my bathroom sink, shower wall (i have a wet room), shower head. Then in my bedroom I use it on my shelving which catch dust so quickly its unbelievable! If I don't get time on a weekday, I have a through clean on a Saturday along with my washing. It has made my cleaning life a lot simpler, as well as leaving everything smelling fresh and fragrant. 

Zoflora can be found in all Supermarkets. You can find a full list of all the fragrances available here, including 'Warm Cinnamon' which sounds like the perfect winter treat!

*PR SAMPLE*

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Life At University: Freshers Week

Last week I began my adventure of becoming a primary school teacher by heading off to university! It is a BIG step in anyone's life when  you move away from home and spend your next three years living on a 'student budget'. But I am excited for this adventure, it will be filled with emotions but that's all part of the process and I can't wait to graduate and then become a actual teacher. 

CREDIT

Over the next three years I also hope to keep this blog going, as beauty has become a big love of mine and I want to carry on blogging for as long as I can because I really enjoy it. Sometimes there will be weeks without any posts going up because life will get in the way, but I am hoping that I can find the right balance and schedule up blog posts for the weeks I know will be hell. 

Last week I had 'Freshers Week' the first week at university where you start to settle in. It took me three days to be finally happy with my room, shuffling things around and moving things from one area to the another area. As I want it to be as cosy as possible. Freshers for me hasn't been like you would typically class freshers as. I haven't gone out 11pm every night and got drunk out of my head because a) i don't drink and b) that's not me. And I decided very early on in the week that I wasn't going to change for anyone just because I was at uni doesn't mean the rules I have lived by get thrown out the window. I have questioned myself as to whether or not I should have gone, but would I have been comfortable? Probably not. Instead I have been spending the nights watching TV & Films. Ringing home to see if they miss me and in my opinion the most important - sleeping. 

In this first week I have already learnt a lot of things on the academic side of things such as how much work I will have to keep on top of as well as the life sides of things. Doing your washing is very complicated and shopping for food without getting distracted by makeup is a hard task. Every so often I hope to document my time at university to share with anyone else who is going through or will be about to go through the same thing. 

If you are nervous about starting something new whether it be university or even a job, just remember that everyone else you are surrounded by is too. They may not show it or say it but deep down they are absolutely petrified. The nerves give you power to push yourself and also the most daunting thing making friends seems like a simple task once you give yourself a boost. 

I would love to know your experiences with University and how you overcame any problems?! 

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Next Chapter in My Life:University!

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If you didn't already know then yesterday was A-Level Results Day, a very daunting time for teenagers across the country and next week for GCSE students. I share majority of my life on this blog so it was only fair that I told you all THAT I'M GOING TO UNIVERSITY! 

I officially start at the end of September and couldn't be more pleased, it is still a shock to the system  and my mind can't quite believe it but its happening! Now I have to do a lot of shopping, reading beforehand and get myself ready for the next chapter in my life. 

In the next few weeks/months a lot of posts will be Uni related and then posts might slow down a little bit whilst I find my feet in a scary new place, but not to worry I will still be here! Any tips/ticks about Uni Life in general or anything at all is much appreciated! Here's to the next 3 years of my life, my blog and my career!

Talking of University I recently did a guest post for the StudentMoneySaver blog all about a guide to what to wear for Freshers! If you fancy reading it then you can find it here..

 

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