One month (and a half) in Madrid!!

Holaaaaaa, 

I am writing this from a class (which might tell you how Uni is going…) Whoops. We’ll get to that later.

One and a half months living in Spain tomorrow! Madness. Time literally FLIES here. We’ve crammed so much in to such a short period and I can’t believe how fast everything is going. On Sunday I got back from a crazy (and super fun) trip around Portugal, starting in Porto and ending in Lisbon. I had the best time ever: met people from all over the world, took my first trip in a tuk tuk, tasted Port, chilled on a rooftop bar….and somehow, survived three days on 13 hours sleep.

Sunny Lisbon!

Surprisingly smiley for 3 hours sleep...

thoughts on Port...

To those of you abroad or going abroad, I would 100% recommend going on a trip like this one- the 20 hours of travelling by bus may put you off, but don’t let it. We went with a group called City Life Madrid and they organised everything so well, from a trip photographer to a pub crawl (complete with a woman with a big red umbrella who shouted at us when it was time to move to the next bar.)

A few weeks ago I also took a train to Valencia with my boyfriend for a night, which is one of my favourite cities to date. I am already dying to go back! I’ve been to Toledo too- a beautiful little city just outside of Madrid, easily accessible (for most) by bus. I say for most as it took my travel buddy Rach and I three hours to get there instead of one! We are still getting to grips with the Metro…

Slightly stormy Valencia!

Oceanographic Museum in Valencia (aka the most futuristic place EVER)

Forgetting what I’m actually here for is VERY easy. That little thing called Uni. With 8/9am classes every day, and most of my classes being pretty useless in terms of a career in Journalism…missing lectures is extremely tempting. My fave module is photography, where we are developing our own film in dark rooms, manually taking photographs and learning about the history of photography. TV is also cool, where we’ve been taking industry cameras outside and filming news reports in groups.

Everything is just so chilled here compared to home, sometimes in a good way, for example handing in things late doesn’t seem to matter…but in other ways it is so frustrating, like when we had to queue up for 4 hours just to register for modules…It makes me appreciate Uni back at home and how well organised it is!

Speaking Spanish every day (and mostly getting in to awkward situations and ending up flustered and confused…) is definitely improving my language skills. When I have a successful conversation in Spanish it feels so rewarding! Also, one of my housemates is Spanish so I am enjoying practicing with her, as well as our cleaner who visits once a week.

I have also had visits from some friendly faces too- my boyfriend, my Step Mum's brother Jamie and his girlfriend Laura, my Mum and little sister and my friend Harika. It’s been so fun showing them all around this beautiful city. Seeing them has definitely made me feel more settled here and a lot less homesick. When it dawned on me just how soon I would be returning home it helped a lot....and realising that I'm only here for a few months, and soon I'll be back to life in Sheff for my last year.... all these things help to ease the pain of missing home, friends and family. FOMO back at Uni is a definite factor too, but video calling my housemates whilst they are having pre-drinks definitely helps....

Fun visit from my Mum and sis

Amigas...You can tell who is Spanish from the amount of layers!

I also had a slight disaster which I feel like every (clumsy) Erasmus student suffers from at some point...I broke my phone on a night out and had to pay €200 euros for the screen to be repaired. So my bank account suffered a big dent and working all summer is definitely on the cards...

Around a year ago I decided to study abroad after visiting Madrid for the first time….and I’m so thankful that I did! (especially when I’m lay in the park in 26 degree heat).

Thanks for reading!

Anna x

Six Ways to Survive your (second) First Semester

Hiiiiii.

Around this time last year I wrote a post on 'Six ways to survive your First Semester', so, here we go again...Round 2.

1) Make sure your house is perfect (or close enough)

This was such a big one for my housemates and I. When we viewed our house we thought that it was totally perfect and the dreaaaam place. But when you move in you'll realise that everything isn't so fab if you haven't checked it properly; broken tumble dryers, the cold and the most annoying thing for me; DAMP. When I go to Madrid next semester my housemates have asked me to leave behind a piece of my damp clothing to remember me by. This is not the reputation you want to have..trust me. So check your house before you move in! And if things aren't right, complain and stand your ground.

Calm before the stress

2) Get organised

Yeah yeah, second year counts, blah blah blah. But before all the craziness kicks in, first semester of second year is the time to get all those *Life Admin* jobs that you always need to do (but never actually do...) out of the way. Book that dentist appointment you've been needing to book for the past year, apply for work experience at that place where you've always dreamed of working, finally find time to ring your Nan back....you get the gist.

3) Remember what year you're in

If you didn't get this from the number 2) SECOND YEAR COUNTS. I have only just remembered this and now I am not confident about exams hahahaha oh dear.

4) Get a cleaning rota going

So you probably got away with being a lil bit messy in First Year, but when you get to Second Year and you've got your 'own' house, things are a bit different. So get out all those cleaning products that Auntie Jean bought you to go to Uni with, because you'll need them. Ps- if you want to avoid awkward group chat convos ('who left all the pasta in the sink???'), start a cleaning rota and you'll all be besties in no time.

5) Get enough sleep

Okay coming from someone who spent the past few months working till 12, making it home for 1 and finally sleeping by 2 after a catch up with my nocturnal housemates, this sounds slightly hypocritical. But constant late nights (and early mornings) will literally kill you off eventually. So learn from my bad mistakes and get at least a few early nights a week. (drink plenty of water, do some exercise...you've heard it all before.)

6) Don't miss out

I was so busy this semester that I feel like I massively missed out on a lot of stuff. I was desperately trying to save for Madrid so working 25 ish hours a week, on top of trying to navigate my way through my Media Law module, being Lifestyle Editor of the Uni newspaper, keeping up a social life and make regular trips home to see my newborn brother....all at the same time. It gets tricky. Prioritising is a skill which I have yet to master, but hopefully after experiencing the total hectic-ness of the past few months, I am a more organised and well rounded person. Maybe.

Happy days at the end of Semester!

I hope everyone has had a lovely, relaxing Christmas and a happy new year!

Anna x

P.s If you fancy it you can vote for me as Blogger of the Month here xxx

A big list of absolutely everything you need to take to University

Hiya!

In light of writing blog posts in random places recently, this is my first ever post written....on a plane! I am currently on the way back from Greece with my family (boooo). We've had an amazing time and I am definitely not ready to return to dreary England!

As promised, here is my post on what you should take to Uni. When I was packing I found that I was just shoving random bits in to bags instead of properly thinking about what I wanted to take. As a lover of lists, I desperately wanted a big list of everything I needed to take. So, hopefully this will help some of you out who were in the same position as I was.....

Bedroom- We were given a bin, a desk chair and a mattress

1. Duvet, duvet cover, sheets, mattress protector (take a few of each)

2. Pillows, pillow case

2. A cute rug to spruce up your room a bit

3. Cushions

4. Decorations to make you feel more at home- Things that hang on door handles, photo frames, candles, fairy lights etc (If you're allowed them...)

5. Photos and blu-tac

6. Scissors and Sellotape (Something we were constantly searching for in my flat...)

7. Laptop, phone, chargers, camera

8. Door-stops (good for being sociable!)

9. Books, films, speakers

10. Purse, cards, ID, passport, important documents etc

11. Bags (including the essential clutch/bumbag for nights out!)

12. Posters to brighten up your bedroom

13. Clothes (and coat hangers)- suitable for winter and summer! 

14. Sunglasses (an essential to cover up those massive Freshers eye-bags)

15. A Tv
16. Clothes horse (or another variation of the word depending on where you are from!)
17. Stationery and books
18. Clothes basket
19. Ear plugs. Prepare for a few sleepless nights...
20. Medicine (paracetamol is a Fresher's must)

Bathroom

1. Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, shavers etc

2. Toothbrush (something else I forgot...)

3. Toothpaste and holder

4. Soap

5. Toilet cleaner, bleach, toilet brush

6. Towels (and hand towels)
7. Toilet rolls

Kitchen- My halls provided a toaster and a kettle, but make sure you check what you get before you go!

1. Mugs

2. Pans (take quite a few of these too)

3. Chopping boards

4. Cutlery (A key item which I left at home), sharp knives

5. Plates, bowls, side plates etc

6. Bin bags, sandwich bags, foil, cling film, tea towels

7. Wooden spoons, pizza cutters, fish slice
8. Baking trays
9. Tuppaware
10. Tea bags (an ESSENTIAL)

I would also recommend doing a food shop before you go to save stressing when you get there. Buy things like bread, milk, tins of beans, butter, pasta and sauce, etc, meals that you can prepare easily when you're wrapped up in Fresher's excitement. Luckily there was a shop directly opposite my halls in Endcliffe, but you might not be so lucky...

Hopefully I have covered most things but I can guarantee that I have missed something! Don't worry too much about packing for Uni, at the end of the day you can't be as bad as me and forget plates and cutlery.

Here's my room when I had settled in....

Ps you can vote for me as Blogger of the Month here :)

Anna x

Preparing for Results Day

Hey!

I must say I wish I could write every post with this view....

I am currently on a Greek island with my family enjoying blissful weather and lots of relaxation. Is there really a better place to write a blog post?!

With Results Day fast approaching, I was thinking about my biggest worries this time last year about going to Uni. Mainly it was 'Am I even going to get in to Uni', along with 'What if I don't make any friends', 'What if I don't like my flatmates', etc. Worries which literally everyone will have.

People around you will no doubt use the usual cliches; you've tried your best, there's nothing you can do now, or the worst: try not to think about it. Which only makes you think about it more. But a lot of what people say is true- If you get in to your first choice Uni, amazing, and if you don't, you are pretty much guaranteed to have just as good of a time at a different Uni, or even staying at home and doing something completely different.

I distinctly remember going to the park the day before Results Day with my friends last year, with all of us totally on edge for the next day. When we started talking about it, one of my friends fell to the floor and didn't move until we stopped talking about it (Which was extremely funny in hindsight...)

The pre-results breakdown

Emotions (and sicky feelings) are sky-high on Results Day, but for me it turned out to be an amazing day (I never expected that later that day there would be a TV crew at my house filming me for the news that night!). Also I actually found out that I had gotten in to Sheffield before I got my results, so I went to school feeling slightly calmer. So as much as the words 'Results Day' might fill you with absolute dread, be confident knowing that there is a very big chance that it could turn out to be a pretty fab day, and pave the way to a very exciting future.

To sum this all up, here are 3 top tips on how to make the day as painless (and hopefully enjoyable) as possible.

1. Check UCAS before you collect your results
2. Be confident
3. Breathe (always a good one to remember.)

Ps you can vote for me as Blogger of the Month here!

Pps if you'd like to read last year's Results Day post, you can do here.

Anna x

Skylines, Sheffield and not much sleep

Hey!

Where to start...it has been a busy month (or two)! First year of Uni seems like years ago and summer has been fab so far. Pretty much as soon as I left Uni I jetted off to the Big Apple with my bestie and her family. Ever since I can remember it has been an absolute DREAM of mine to visit New York and it certainly lived up to my very high expectations. Our time there literally flew by but it was incredible and I can't stop looking at my (thousands of) pics. 

After NYC I had a few days at home (when I saw my fab friends), before I went to Portugal with my Dad, Step-Mum and brother, which was fab (and very hot). Last weekend my friend and I also went to Tramlines festival in Sheffield which was sooooo good. Catfish and the Bottlemen and Kelis headlined (4 rows from the front during Kelis was certainly an experience). After an extreme lack of sleep and a lot of bad food I am now back home feeling drained of all life and energy. Going to Sheffield meant that I got to visit our new house for the first time since our contract started. I was super excited to stay in the new house, however finding it dirty and unhygienic was a bit of a shock, so we spent a decent amount of time cleaning....

The house will definitely be homely once everyone has moved in but for now I am glad to be back home and have a shower knowing that I might not get sabotaged by giant spiders.

Some of my friends at Uni have also said that they found their new houses to be dirty, so make sure if you have this problemo that you speak to your landlord and make sure that you're happy with the condition you find it in. That is what they are there for after all.

Also while I was in Portugal I found out my Uni results for First Year, which turned out to be a massive stress as I got an email 4 hours before results came out saying that I had failed one of my modules...After a painful wait I eventually found out that I had been put down as failing a module which I hadn't taken. So I hadn't failed PHEW and actually got a 2.1 which I was pretty happy with. 

It's weird to think that this time last year I was starting to decide what to take to Uni (I needed a while to think judging by how much stuff I actually took with me...) At some point in the next month I'm going to write a post on all the essentials that you should take with you (as I really feel like that would've helped me!) If there are any other posts which you think would come in useful then ask away :)

I hope you have enjoyed this post!

Also, I would be super grateful if you could vote for me as Blogger of the Month by cicking here :)

Anna x

A fresher's guide to surviving First Year

Hey!

I have officially finished first year! What a surreal, exciting and scary feeling. I really can't believe that it's over already. Tomorrow I move out of Endcliffe and back home for a loooong (hopefully hot) summer. *Sings Girls Aloud*

So, like I did after my first semester, I thought I would sum everything up for you. Like a kind of 'what I wish I had known before I went to Uni' thing. Here goes...

1. Don't pack too much
Okay, I'll put my hands up and say that I am massively guilty for this. Off I went to Uni with 2 cars packed with many things that I would never, ever use. Including; a bike, a tank of plastic jellyfish, high school musical top trumps, and a glass painting kit. I don't know what I thought I would be doing at Uni but it certainly did not involve any of those items. I did however, turn up to Uni with no plates or cutlery because I had left them at home. Overall, make sure you've got everything you need and pack the other little things after. 

A living nightmare

2. Be prepared for the craziness of Fresher's
....and be prepared for some awkward silences. After building up to the big day for weeks, suddenly you're in a room with 9 people you've never met, having to make small talk and COOK FOR YOURSELF. It's really overwhelming, and not until you're sat on your own in your room surrounded by thousands of bags, do you think 'So this is actually happening'. But a few hours in to Uni life I had already bonded with my flatmate Lauren over feeling homesick and loving One Direction. And if we can do it, anyone can. You will spend the rest of the week going on nights out and sleeping through the day because you're so tired, but that's the fun of it.

First night of Freshers...

First night out with my coursemates!

3.  You won't get on with everyone
In a flat of 10, you're not going to be besties with everyone. I came to Uni expecting that everyone would be clean, and when that doesn't exactly happen it is a bit of a shock. From mouldy bowls of cereal to disgusting bin bags, sharing a kitchen with so many others isn't exactly easy all the time. But Uni also teaches you to stick up for yourself and be honest with things that you're not happy with. At one point of particular disgustingness I found myself dreading coming back to the flat some days and wondering if Uni was meant for me. But everyone has doubts and as long as you surround yourself with good friends you'll be fine and dandy. (Also, don't be the messiest in your flat. People will hate you). Nevertheless, you will get on with way more people than you disliked so don't worry about it too much.

5/10 flatmates on the last day!

4. You won't get any sleep for 8 months straight
This has been the case for me, anyway. As I have made friends with some extreme night owls, I now find myself thinking 'Ah, 1am, an early night!'. This is dangerous territory for someone who has 9am's every day, but you'll power through with a lot of motivation, naps and mugs of tea.

The legendary Corp

5. Cook with someone else
Before I came to Uni I couldn't make beans on toast without setting things on fire and causing immense stress. But my flatmate and I have made loads of yummy new dishes that we had never tried before since getting to Uni. You can easily find easy recipes on Facebook which you can have a go at together. It doesn't always work out (my sausages and mash was described as looking like 'dog food' and my mac and cheese looked like sick), but you'll become so much better at cooking if you have a go.

One of our personal faves..

6. Take every opportunity you can
Yeah yeah, I've heard it all before, you're thinking. AND I put this in my last 'how to survive...' post which is even more boring. But I want to emphasise how many cool things you can try at Uni. I've had a weekly news bulletin on the Student Radio, met some amazing people from all over the country (and the world), written articles for The Tab (one of which got 23,000 views yay), started to play netball again, picked up Spanish again (however traumatic it may have been), visited to Madrid with a society (and loved it so much that I decided I want to study there next year). There is SO much you can do.

In Madrid with the gang

7. Enjoy it!!!
I'm sat here on the last night of Uni thinking about how ridiculously fast first year has gone. I've had some absolutely top-notch nights out, learnt a lot (maybe), fallen in love with Sheffield and most importantly met some wonderful, life-long friends.

Tall probs :(

I hope you have enjoyed this post!

If you want to vote for me as Blogger of the Month, you can do here :)

Anna x

One month later...

Hiya!

I just had a little look at when I last wrote a blog post and I am absolutely ASHAMED that it was a whole month ago. I should be sent to blogging prison.

Ever since we got back to Uni everything has been SO busy. In the first two weeks I didn't have one night in (I can't even remember what I was doing). Unlike when I came back to Uni after Christmas, I was really excited to get back into it after Easter. I didn't even cry when my Mum left. That's what I call absolute success.

The first week involved some fun nights out, lots of socialising and overall not much Uni work. The second week was Varsity, so I covered loads of different events with the student radio. From ice hockey to volleyball, most of the time I had no idea what was going on ("was that a goal??") but I eventually got the hang of it and found that sports reporting was really exciting! Also the final (which gets the biggest Varsity crowd outside North America) was SO much fun. I also didn't let claustrophobia stop me from getting on the tram to get there, which I was quite proud of. It was a long 15 minutes of my life but we made it there eventually and I had the best time. I also went home briefly for my Auntie's hen do which was a fab day. I'm SUPER excited to be a bridesmaid at her wedding this weekend! The second week didn't involve much (if any) Uni work either.

Horticultural Therapy session

So here I am in the third week, stressing because I feel like I have a million deadlines and less than a few weeks to complete everything. AGH. At the start of this week I went back to my patch in Sheffield (Burngreave), to talk to some women who were using horticultural therapy to combat mental illness. It was my first proper interview and I really enjoyed getting to know the women and listening to their stories.

ALSO, I got accepted to study in Madrid next year for a semester!! I'm SUPER excited. I'm doing it with Erasmus, so I'll have to find someone to live in my room from January to June next year (which I hope won't be too difficult). It's gonna be so weird going to Uni again but in a different country...

Hope everyone's good! I remember this time last year and 2 years ago that the stress and pressure was getting crazy at this point. Try to keep in mind why you're doing it- so you can get to Uni or start an apprenticeship or start working or whatever it is that you want to do. It will all be worth it in the end. And if you need to take a break, take one. A-Levels aren't the end of the world! (although it definitely seems that way at the time).

I feel so old.

Anna x

P.s you can vote for me as Blogger of the Month here :)

Opportunities

Hiya...

Writing blog posts on transport seems to be a recent habit of mine doesn't it?

I'm 6 hours in to a 7 hour train to wales and I am truly losing the will to LIVE. So what else to do but write a blog post?

This train was meant to take 4 and a half hours, but after loads of diversions and confusion, here I am, still miles and miles away from where I'm going (to see my family who are at our cottage in Harlech).

Obviously, its chucking it down. But to be honest, I dont mind, rainy Wales is when I'm truly at home (although I'd prefer a bit of sun).

My trip to Madrid with the spanish society was INCREDIBLE (pardon my enthusiasm), but we really did have the best time. It's such a beautiful city and sharing such a cool experience with new friends really made me appreciate the amazing opportunites which come with the whole 'going to uni' thing.

We ate ridiculous amounts of paella, discovered interesting spanish bars, saw a 'semana santa' procession (google it...) and even sunbathed.

Then I spent a nice few days with my Dad and Step-Mum back home, and now I'm back on the move again. (Sometimes I question whether I actually ever stay in one place for more than a few days). My step-mum is pregnant too, so I'm super excited to be a big sister (again!!).

But anyway I'm excited to spend some time with my family in Waaaeeels (did you read that in a Welsh accent??), after this dreaded train journey is over.

So far I've spilt mini eggs all over the floor, broken my suitcase and talked to a man for an hour who told me about his 12 horses and how he felt like a "nobody" in life. Interesting right? I do love speaking to new people though (I guess that would be an issue if not since I'm a journalism student). You can always learn things from new people and this particular guy told me to take every opportunity possible whilst I still could- he said he felt that he was getting too old now to truly do what he wants in life. He looked really nostalgic as he said that that particular feeling was "centuries away" for me.

I've carried about 6 different books with me on this train so maybe I should read at least one of them....But I guess the message of this blog post is to say 'yes' to everything you can, because as this man told me, one day you might not have such opportunities.

(THAT WAS DEEP IM SORRY).

Anna x

Ps you can vote for me as Blogger of the Month here: 
www.ucas.com/connect/blogs/voting x

Trains, Travelling and Tea

Hello!

I'm writing this post on a train to Leeds to see my friend, which is a definite new experience! Weirdly enough the last time I blogged on public transport was all those months ago when I was on a bus to school...on April 15th, to be exact. That was almost a year ago?!

So I just read that post back. (If you didn't see it you can read it here)

I remember so distinctly how worried I was about leaving my best friends. Upon reflection it has been harder and easier than I anticipated; harder in the way that nothing can prepare you for the shock apart from actually experiencing it....and easier in the way that I still see my friends a lot, and I've made some fab friends at Uni too.

Last weekend my friends and I all met up in Lincoln, as two of them are studying there. This was the first time that we've all met up in one of our uni cities, and we had the best time. It's really strange seeing some of your best friends in other groups, and "I can't believe you have other friends!!!" was a sentence used a lot whilst we were there.

I think that being apart for so long tightens your group so much when you all come back together.

One of the biggest worries for most people going to Uni is that they won't make friends, or at least won't make close friends. But in reality Uni is probably the easiest way to make friends- everyone's in the same boat and you're bound to click with someone.

Anyways- this is the last week before we break up for Easter! I'm going to Madrid next Monday with the Spanish Society which I'm really excited about, and after that I can't wait to get back home (and not have to worry about cooking tea and doing washing).

I was meant to spend this journey practicing my shorthand so I best get to it anyway. I did my 80 words per minute exam last week so I'm praying for a pass!

I hope everyone has a good Easter!

Anna x

P.s you can vote for me as Blogger of the Month here.

Before my brain turns to mush...

Hey!

I haven't blogged in AGES, so this might be a long one. I'm so tired today after spending last night watching the 2007 Britain's got Talent final with my flatmate until 2:30am...don't even ask. So before my brain turns to mush I thought I would take the chance to write a new blog post.

Since my last post...I've had some super fun nights out (see picture for evidence), been working a lot of hours...and missing home a lot. My friend came to Sheff for a spontaneous visit recently which was really fun too (plus she gives the best cuddles).


Ooh I also passed my 60 words per minute shorthand exam with 100% accuracy which was a huge relief! I'll hopefully be taking the 80wpm this month, then 100 in April....and then 9ams will be a thing of the past. I can't wait.

In Corp...obviously 

My 'Uni babies'

I'm also really enjoying my course at the moment, we've been given 'patches' to report on over the next few months. I picked the area of Sheffield where my Grandad grew up, in Pitsmoor. Since then I have discovered that it is in the top 1% of most deprived areas in the country, as well as having high gun crime rates! But hopefully that means that I'll be able to find some really exciting stories. 

I'm also going to Madrid soon with the Spanish society which I'm super excited about! I should hopefully get a chance to practice some of my (very poor) Spanish...Also, the Uni has said that we're not allowed to go to Barcelona for Erasmus any more, so I've been looking at going to Madrid instead. The thought of spending 6 months in another country is REALLY daunting but I feel like it would be the best experience. I've got to apply for it soon so I guess that's quite a big decision to make.

I can't wait to go home for Easter, too. It has been an (occasionally) stressful and very busy 7 weeks and I can't wait to go home to some nice home comforts (aka my dogs). I think before going to Uni the expectation is that everything will always work out in the way that you want it to. When it doesn't exactly happen like that it is a bit of a shock, which in turn makes you miss being at home (even if your brother does drive you crazy).

I joined The Tab team recently (an online publication written by students) and my first article for them got 21,000 views which I was so happy about.

I've also just had an email saying I've won the Blogger of the Month comp for February! I haven't won it in a while so that really is exciting. Good things always happen when you write a blog post eh.

You can vote for me to win again next month here :)

Hope everyone's good! I'm sure it's all getting very real for you Year 13's now...I can't believe it's March already, this time last year seems so long ago. Enjoy having your washing done for you while it lasts!

Anna x