Sunday 9 October 2016

My First Week at Uni

Well I've done it. I've survived my first week of lectures at university and I've made it to the end of Freshers week and what a few weeks it has been.

As I left home on Saturday I was so excited but the closer we got to uni, the more nervous I got. However, these nerves soon dissipated when I picked up my key and made my way to my new home. The Fresher's Angels were lovely and helped me move everything into my room. With bags and boxes everywhere I wondered how I would fit everything in. Somehow I managed it and began to arrange everything nicely while my parents did a food shop for me. 

Thankfully I'd already found a few people in my building on facebook and we had a group chat so we arranged to go for a walk to main campus to get our freshers' wristbands for the Student Union nights. It was good to put names to faces and I actually found it was so easy to get on with everyone. By day 3 it felt like we had known each other for so long, having a bit to drink and going out definitely helps break the ice. If all else fails, you can never go wrong with a good drinking game! 

I went out, either to the Student's Union or into town, 7 nights out of 8 which is a record for me in a week for sure but I loved every night. My favourite nights were the Paint vs Foam night at the SU, a night at Bar Thirteen which played proper pop and R&B music (so up my street) and the night that Jonas Blue came to play on the final Saturday night. Each night I made new memories with this new group of people I'm now able to call my friends. 

During the first week I had some introductory lectures which i went to the majority of and some were fairly informative so I'm glad I did attend. They also helped me gain a bit of perspective of the campus and where everything is however I still enter campus and wonder where the hell i'm going! I'm sure I'll be fine in a few weeks. All the lecturers I've met so far have seemed really nice, my personal tutor is lovely and my academic tutor seems quite funny. With each lecture I go to I'm meeting more coursemates but there are around 180 people on my course so I really don't think I'll meet them all this semester even! I feel bad but I've met so many people whose names I've already forgotten but it's so difficult when you're meeting new people allllll the time! If there's not a really super distinctive feature about them (no offence) it is harder to remember them. For example I remember the name of one girl who has a really quirky personality but I can't remember the girl who was sat across from me at the welcome tea but didn't really talk! 

With Freshers' Week is over I was well and truly hit by Fresher's Flu and it seemed like the majority of people I know have too. The amount of people who were coughing in lectures was almost funny. Being ill and away from home was soooo tough though because there was nothing I wanted more than my mum to bring me a massive cup of tea, some toast and a tonne of chocolate! It's all part of growing up and I know I'm not alone here but it is easy to feel alone when you don't have the energy to move from bed to socialise with people (and you have a very quiet slightly unsociable flat anyway *sigh*). 

Properly starting lectures was daunting but also exciting. I had my first lecture on biological basis of psychology and this really excited me for the rest of term. I thought bio basis would be the worst of my lectures but it actually sounds like it could be one of my favourite! One huge downside which I forgot about is the cost of books. OH MY GOD. I spent £45 on one statistics book. I've looked in the library for the rest of my books but there are generally about 20 copies of each book, only 150 short of the number of people on my course. The likelihood is I will need to buy majority of the essential reading books but at between £30-40 each this is not going to be cheap and I'm really concerned about how I'm meant to pay for all of these without a job and with a student loan which doesn't even cover my accommodation. 

For the rest of the week I had more lectures, workshops and tutorials with the main focus being an introduction to the module and what to expect. I have some really nice lecturers and learning a bit about each module so far is really exciting me. I didn't expect to enjoy all the modules but I hope I continue to enjoy them. 

I've already been given my first essay which is due for three weeks! My plan is to go at it just like an A-level essay but with a tonne more detail basically. I'm not expecting to get 90% already but I'm really hoping I do okay. I like personality, which is the topic it is on, and I think I understand it pretty well so fingers crossed for me! 

Something I've really struggled with though is tiredness. In all three of my first lectures I very nearly (but not quite) fell asleep multiple times. Lots of late nights with not a lot of sleep, lots of alcohol and poor eating will do bad things to your body and biological clock. 

I've managed to explore the town near uni as well and I've fallen so deeply in love with it. Every shop I want they have. Everything I never knew I needed but definitely do, they have too! There are cute little pubs, fancy shops and the classic high street shops and standard restaurants. What more could I need (well actually a better primark please). 

So far I'm enjoying university and it's definitely different to what I expected but I'm enjoying it. All that's left to do is get healthy and settle into a routine! Wish me luck!


Thanks for reading
Charlotte
XO

Wednesday 5 October 2016

What do you find beautiful?


Beautiful: 'Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically'


The sea with its deep blue rolling waves

Puppies 

Tall, dark, handsome guys

Cake

Friends meeting after a long time apart

Rowing on perfectly still water 

Hugs

Music

Autumnal trees

Sunsets

Sunrises

Forests

Lakes surrounded by mountains

Guys with facial hair

Making someone laugh

Christmas trees covered in lights and decorations 

London

Kindness towards you 

Giraffes

Rainbows

Walking along the Thames at sunset 

Entire movie days lying together on the sofa

My friends

South Africa

City skyline

Parks in autumn 

Kind strangers in the street

Snow

Books 

Horses

Stationery

2am dancing in a club with close friends

A perfect blue sky

Jewellery 

Nice eyes

Countryside walks

Travelling 

Harry Styles

Dolphins

Pizza

Charitable people 

Playing scrabble with my mum and a few glasses of wine

Confidence

A kind heart  

Ryan Reynolds

Being selfless 

Smiling

The arrivals area at the airport

Best friends

Cocktails on the beach in Portugal 

Family holidays with lifelong memories

Love. 


This post was inspired by a youtube social experiment video I stumbled across during a late night binge watching session. I loved hearing what people found beautiful, and generally it wasn't appearance or looks but an actual thing. There is so much hate and anger in the world it was nice to see some happiness, love and beauty. This blog post is just an attempt to help to spread some beauty! 

What do you find beautiful?

Thanks for reading!
Charlotte
XO




Friday 2 September 2016

Life Update: Uni

Almost a year ago to this day I wrote a blog post about growing up. This was just as I'd had confirmation of my gap year placement as a rowing coach after I'd missed my grades meaning I missed out on uni. I had thought my life was over and uni became a fairly distant thought in my mind, until I had to redo my UCAS of course. But I am now finally able to say I'M GOING TO UNIVERSITY.

The evening before results day had been very relaxed, perhaps due to some rather strong mojitos and a much needed catchup with a very lovely friend but as soon as I got home I knew a relatively sleepless night was waiting. I spent a lot of the night trying to hold off a panic attack as I almost rehearsed how I'd feel after I knew I wasn't going to uni again. I tried to think of what else I could do instead of uni, perhaps more coaching? or an internship? Or just go straight into the world of full-time work. I didn't know what I'd do or how I would face my parents but either way I was 98% sure I wasn't going to university. 

Well how wrong I was! I woke after 3-4 hours on and off sleep to a text from the University of Surrey informing me that my place at Surrey was confirmed. I refused to believe it was true so I immediately checked UCAS and to my complete and utter shock it was. I was going to university. Straight away I ran into my parents' room to wake them up and tell them the good news. I have never felt such relief than when I saw the acceptance on UCAS, I didn't even care what was in the envelope of my results now. It didn't matter, I got into my first choice university! Despite really working hard I didn't go up significantly in Biology but I did go up 10marks in Psychology which I was so happy about as that's what I'm studying. 

Shortly after the university confirmation I was given my accommodation and thank god I got an ensuite room. Tt's located near the multi-million pound sports park which I'm certain I will be spending the majority of my time in! Soon I began finding flatmates and people on my course which I'm sure is going to make the initial moving in and meeting everyone so much easier. I've met one girl who is super similar to me and is on my course so we're hoping we are neighbours! The next step is buying everything for my room, I'm trying not to go crazy and just get essentials but I'm so excited to decorate my room with cute fairy lights, photos and make it nice and homely! 

While I am so excited for this new adventure, to meet new people, start training properly again, be nearer to London and actually be learning again I'm also kind of terrified. I'm not scared about surviving on my own because I did a pretty good job of that this year. But this year was different, I was on my own. I was moving to a job where I was the only new person and there weren't many other people my age or in the same situation as me and in a way that was easier because I didn't feel any pressure to be someone or do things. Most of my friends were older than me, with a lot of them getting engaged and married (making me feel extremely single!). I didn't mind the age gap because I've always been someone who feels older than they are so it was actually nice to be the youngest. But there is now a part of me that feels fitting in with people my age will be a bit more difficult. I know I'm not the only one who has had a year out and there are a lot of 19 year olds starting this year but I keep worrying I won't fit in. I know it's ridiculous but it's just how my brain works. I know there will be so many different types of people at uni and I'll find a fab group of friends on my course, in my flat, from rowing or whatever clubs I decide to join yet my stupid over-thinking brain sometimes makes me feel like I won't. 

I know once I've moved in and we start Freshers' Week I'll be absolutely fine. I probably will get homesick but I've got wonderful friends I can FaceTime and I know I'll make some great friends as soon as I'm there so I know I'm not alone. There will be other people who'll get homesick or will have similar thoughts to me so I know I'm not alone there either, I just need to get to uni and get on with it before I can overthink it anymore! Although I have got Bestival to get through first and I am extremely excited for that! 

Everyone has told me that university is the best experience of your life and I can't wait to start my new adventure! It's reassuring that all my friends have had the best first year at university so let's hope it bodes well for me too! Wish me luck! 


Thanks for Reading
Charlotte
XO