Live To Tell The Tale

The last few weeks have absolutely flown by. It is strange to think that in less than four weeks time I will have completed my course and Christmas will almost be upon us. Before I can even begin to dream about that glorious Christmas break there is a lot of work that stands in my way and I am so determined to make the most of it and achieve the results I so desperately covet.

Throwing myself into a world of fast paced learning has been such a change of life style compared to the laid back methods us university graduates have become so accustomed to. My days are jam packed with media law, public affairs, endless hours of shorthand and sub-editing. Then on top of that there's the small task of going out into the world to find real stories to be published. Every break time is filled with revision, emails and occasionally, a  truly fascinating and insightful talk.

As a result the time to browse ASOS, to pick out my weekly favourites, to write about new products I have found and would love to review and to have a good ol' rant about one topic or another have become few and far between.

And truth be told, I've missed keeping up this bog. It took a lot of courage for me to publish my blog to the world and despite those who mock because they don't get it, every post I've written on here has been a pleasure to produce. Some make me question what I was thinking when I pressed 'publish' and others make me proud of how I've grown as a writer.

Everyday without fail there is a blogger who starts their post with 'sorry I haven't posted for a while.' So rather than be an apology to the 281 subscribers who have so very kindly chosen to acknowledge Hyper Heart, this post is more of a promise to put more into this blog because, actually, it may still be small in comparison to how others have grown, but I think it has done all right.

Here's a little snippet of how I've been putting my journalist skills to good use with my fellow students, enjoy!

   

Fleet Street Fox

Four weeks into my journalism course and it has been pretty fantastic boombastic. From shorthand to media law and court reporting to getting my first feature published in the Argus newspaper and today a talk that I had been looking forward to for quite some time from the anonymous,Fleet Street Fox. Hard hitting and brutally honest, it was a talk that inspired me to no end while at the same time scared the bejesus out of me. 

To be told that you will be called a liar several times a day, have countless doors slammed in your face, be the victim of the odd punch or strangulation, witness suicide, see corpses and become very accustomed to phrases involving the word 'fuck' and 'aunts' (as autocorect loves to put it) is a lot of information to absorb in 60 minutes. Oh, and did you know that when you're hit by a train at 70mph you're pretty much vaporised and all that's left are little fat droplets the size of skittles? Yeah, you might witness that too. It was at this point I realised she was not joking when she said some people's human-inhuman ratio tips over into mental illness. I think it's clear to see why. 

But I also heard how writing can take you all over the world. How a 3pm phone call could see you on the next train to Edinburgh, or grabbing your passport and heading for the airport, or being on the front line of ground breaking stories, watching and telling history in the making. 

How you can bring down a government, have the press office for the House of Commons or the spokesperson for the Queen on the phone in a flash. 

How you will know information that you may never be able to publish due to ethical and legal reasons but you will know and more often than not you will have the power to tell. And let's not forget experimenting with jaegermeister which seems to be a fundamental journalistic skill. 

People will read your stories, your words, take in the facts that you sourced. And that's why I'm more excited than ever about the career path laid out before me. 

Now I think I'll go get some fresh air like Foxy told me. 

Strengthen Your Strengths, Weaken Your Weaknesses

This is what happened when I went home for a weekend and was the only photo I had of remote relation to this post..

The apology for lack of blogging never gets tiring, oh no wait, it does. However, once again life has come at me full pelt and blogging has been forced aside to make way. Last Monday I started my journalism course and with only 15 weeks to become a fully fledged journalist and an absolute tank at shorthand it has been an intense week and a half. But I bloody loves it! For months now I have been itching to get stuck in and being unemployed and out of education is the worst so I am absolutely loving having hardly a moment to spare. 

Lectures are far more interactive and practical than university which is fantastic and so far we have covered lessons on Shorthand, Public Affairs, Media Law and Reporting. Not only that, but I now have my own patch of Brighton, Whitehawk and Woodingdean, to report on; I am pretty much living, breathing and dreaming journalism. No really, I am. After 7 hours of media law yesterday I dreamt about getting the word 'court' tattooed on my neck. Thankfully, I can report that my neck is tattoo free and like that it shall stay. 

Today was particularly interesting as a former editor of The Daily Express took our lessons and the tales that he enthralled us with were just fascinating. I don't think that there was a single student in the room who wasn't utterly gripped by his real life accounts of the world of journalism. I look forward to meeting him again in week six and the many tales that I am certain he still has to tell. 

So far, the course has not helped me to make up my mind as to whether I'd like to become a columnist, feature writer or a reporter. In fact, it has done the complete opposite and made me want to pursue each of these fields in more detail. What I have been left with is a feeling of being utterly inspired and that the hope of becoming a writer is a tangible dream.    

So until I get there, I plan to abide by a little gem of wisdom that Roxanne, champion of shorthand many-a-times has said; strengthen your strengths and weaken your weaknesses. 

"Sorry Miss, But You're Overweight"

For a while now, I have been teetering dangerously (ooh er) on the edge of being a healthy weight and being, dare I say it, over weight. My weight has stayed steady for a couple of years now and sure there have been times when I've wished I could shed a few pounds, there have also been times when I have shed a few pounds and there have been even more times when I've put a few on. But that's how my body goes and we get through it together and carry on on our merry little way. 

Until today that is when a great big, fat, over weight bomb was dropped on us, my body and I. So, this is what happened..

I went to see the nurse over a pesky cough I've had for ages and so she took my blood pressure like a good nurse should, asked me my height and to then step onto the scales. My blood pressure was fine, my height is below average but I've known this for a while and my weight...well, my weight went a little something like this:

Nurse takes weight measurement. Nurse takes BMI chart. Nurse looks at weight in correspondence to height and then looks confused. Nurse looks at me confused, wrinkles her brow, then shakes her head and looks at re-aligning her measurements on the chart again. And then comes the talk I've been waiting for, the one that I know the scales have been trying to tell me for a long while now, "For the love of God Melita, just put that doughnut down and stop stuffing your face already. Can't you feel us crumpling under your chubby, blubbery mass? Can't you see the needle spinning countless times, around and around, for crying out loud just STOP EATING! We judge you Melita, we judge you." Reality?

Nurse, "Erm, Miss Kiely, it says on this chart that you are over weight as your BMI is slightly over 25". Oh god, the words I had been dreading and preparing a speech along the lines of, 'BUT I'M ONLY A SIZE 10 AND A SIZE 8 ON A GOOD DAY, IN A GOOD SHOP! HOW CAN THIS BE?'  

But I needn't have prepared such a speech because before I had the chance to exclaim such confusion and outrage she threw her chart aside and cried, "But screw the chart. I am looking at you now and you, my dear, are not over weight!" And then we laughed and did a happy dance and slagged off the ridiculous chart that claims that somebody who is a size 10 and a size 8 on a good day, in a good shop is over weight. We slammed down our fury at a chart that embeds insecurities into so many young women and men (hey boys, we know you feel it too) when it does not take into account muscle to fat ratios, whether you exercise or smoke or drink or do drugs. 

And d'ya know what, I could have kissed that nurse today (Sandra, I think her name was) for throwing that chart aside and telling me to ignore it and that I was not overweight and that in fact, I was pretty damn healthy. And I could punch you in the face Mr maker of BMI charts, because fuck it; I am fine exactly how I am. 

Being A Fresher

So it is that time of year where results are in and hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country are ticking off the days until they move out of the humble parent abode and into the magical land of halls. When I first went to university I was not at all prepared for what it would entail. I mean, I had a duvet, pots and pans and a laptop (it was a big deal in my day) but I wasn't really prepared for the enormity of it all.

I was a shy little bean when I went to uni, like, silly shy. The idea of meeting new people and having to talk to them scared the life out of me. It made me feel physically sick and as if I would burst into tears at any moment. The first few weeks at uni were a scary experience and I wish I had had the advice and encouragement to enjoy the very first experience more and not be so worried or nervous. It took me at least a month to find my feet and pluck up the courage to really embrace student life, so I am writing this post for anybody who might be as nervous as my 18 year old self was in those first few instances.

1. It is so much easier to meet and keep contacts nowadays. Facebook and Twitter alike will have countless groups, pages and events for you to join, like and interact with. You can find out who is living in your halls, when they will be moving in (I was terrified of being the only one in my house) and what events everyone is talking about for Freshers Week. Hind sight is a wonderful thing and a heads up ain't too bad either.

2. Throw yourself into EVERYTHING. Accept every invitation that comes your way, say hello to everybody that you are introduced to. Swap numbers, go for coffee, lunch, beer, a double vodka, lemonade and lime or just an orange juice. Interact with everybody you know. These people will be your closest friends for the next 2/3/4 years and the better the friends you make now, chances are the better your time at uni will be. It's much harder to become part of a friendship group once the bond has been sealed.

3. Join a society. Take up something new or pursue an existing hobby. This is not only another chance for you to meet future friends but employees want to employ interesting people to work for them. If you have all the grades and experience you need on paper, this extra curricular activity might be just the thing that gives the edge over everybody else; it shows a commitment and ability to go that little bit farther, to do that little bit extra. And honestly just makes you a little more interesting. 

4. If you need a job, try and get one with your student union. It is the best option for students. I have had friends weeping on Christmas day because the hotel they waitress at made them work Christmas Day or Boxing Day, meaning that either they were not home at all for Christmas or that celebrations were cut short in order to return to a lonely city miles away from home. An SU job means that chances are you work during term time and are then free to enjoy the holidays as you wish.

5. Go home once in a while. Don't be too keen to break ties with boring little ol' home now that you are an independent woman or man. You more than likely owe your folks everything for getting there and now that there is some distance, you may very well find that the heart does indeed grow fonder meaning relationships are better.

6. Keep in touch with your home friends during term time. Start a Facebook message with everyone included and update it every once in a while. It is so important to keep in touch with your old friends while building your uni life with your new found friendships. Reunions with friends from back home are always something to anticipate and welcome when those long holidays come and believe you me, you will all have some pretty special tales to tell!

7. Take photos. Take photos all the time, everywhere you go. You will want to look back one day and laugh and smile about every little memory even those that make you want to die a little inside. You will want to share your photos with the world and show everyone how wonderful university life it. It all goes so quickly, trust me, and you will want each and every moment documented.

8. Do not think that Freshers year 'means nothing'. For a lot of universities, the first year is like an induction into uni life; the grades do not count towards your final degree and therefore it is seen as a party year. Well, to a certain extent, it is just that! In my 2nd and 3rd year I wasn't able to go out nearly half as much as I did in my Freshers year. But make sure you get the grade you want at the end of your first year, it could very well set the tone for the rest of your degree; nobody likes playing catch up.

Most people are probably just as nervous about starting university as you are, so bear that in mind. It is a new way of learning, a new city and a new way of living. Leaving home for the first time is an exciting yet daunting step. Like I said, embrace it, say yes to every invitation (stay safe, of course), be inquisitive and interesting and soak up every second. Make friends and some of the best memories and I can assure you that everything falls into place eventually and becomes second nature. It will be incredible.

Roma, Part Two

This time last week I was hopping off a sight seeing bus and stepping foot upon the beautiful Vatican City. I've wanted to visit the Vatican since I can remember and after burning the soles of our shoes whilst queueing in the mid-morning heat, we were finally inside the walls of St. Peter's Basilica.

Unknowingly jumping into the wrong queue we ended up buying tickets to walk to the very top of the Church, but at only 5 euros each we couldn't really complain. Rob's fear of heights got the better of him about 300 steps up and after edging his way around the circumference of the balcony, he made a swift decent back down to sea level! For me, it was onwards and upwards and slightly sidewards as the walls curved round. After clambering up over 500 stairs, through narrow passage ways and tiny spiralling staircases with no hand rails, I made it to the Cupola of St. Peter's Basilica to be greeted by some pretty spectacular views.

After getting my fix of these awesome sights, I ventured back down to meet up again with Rob and we began exploring the incredible architecture of the church, mouths gaping in awe.

We then walked round to the Vatican Museum in order to see the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel was amazing, it was pretty mind blowing to think that all those years ago, Michaelangelo painted the ceiling in such vivid detail. It really was spectacular to behold. 

This isn't the Sistine Chapel, it is in the Vatican Museum. You aren't allowed to take pictures in the Chapel so I have none to show you, but Google has plenty!

The next day we hopped back on the tour bus and went to Villa Borghese, an area just above where we were staying, The park was huge and we rented what was called a Roscio and with the fear of God installed in me (it felt very wobbly and Rob was a terrible driver) we tore around the park for an hour.

As it was our last night in Rome we decided to head back to our favourite restaurant and area of our trip, Cantina e Cucina for more incredibly tasty food and drinks. The staff were as welcoming as we remembered and yet another free glass of wine was consumed while we waited a short while for a table. 

On the Monday our flight was not until evening so we took one last trip to the Spanish Steps and the church of Santa Maria del Popolo. It's always sad when a holiday comes to an end and Rome really did make us fall in love with it. I am already planning on taking my mum to Rome either next year or the year after (somebody give me a job, please!) My mum has always secretly wanted to visit the Vatican and seeing as she has only ever been to two countries, the Philippines (her native country) and England, I think she is more than overdue a trip to such a beautiful place, don't you? 

Have you ever been to Rome?

Roma, Part One

The lovely English weather sure is easing the transition, but there is no denying that the post-holiday come down sure does hit you with an almighty thump. Four nights and five days in Rome were absolutely glorious, there is no other way to describe the experience. There is so much I want to write about but I reckon a five-part post would be pushing it just a tad. So here goes the first instalment of two about my time in Rome. 

The hype and promise from my students that Italy was all things wonderful only lead to ever increasing excitement and anticipation for our trip. After a short two and a half hour sleep, we awoke at 2:30am ready to depart for the airport. A sleepy Stansted greeted us and a short flight later, we stepped off the plane to be welcomed by Italy's morning heat. A swift 40 minute coach ride to Rome's city centre and we were well on our way to getting our holiday started!

Our hotel was wonderful. The location was perfect, just outside the centre of the city and within walking distance to metros and to most attractions as well. Our room was huge which was an extremely pleasant surprise and in the 36 degree + heat, the air con was a god send. The staff couldn't have made us feel more welcome, from the concierge to the reception desk; Bellesuite, we salute you. 

On day one we were absolutely shattered from our early flight but, not wanting to waste a second we headed out in search of the Trevi Fountain. A five minute walk from our hotel and we were immersed in tourists all enjoying the same admiration for this wonderful piece of architecture as we were. It really was amazing. Finding a little bar down one of the side streets, we sought some shelter from the midday sun and enjoyed our first refreshing taste of proper Italian beer. 

That evening we ventured back to the Trevi Fountain area and found ourselves a lovely little Italian restaurant and after a delicious dinner and a glass of wine, walked back to our hotel to catch up on some much needed sleep in preparation for day two! 

The next day was full of adventures! We found it extremely easy to walk to wherever we wanted to go in Rome (well, Rob did. I, one evening, went in search of shampoo and an hour later after roaming around lost eventually made it back to the hotel! It is safe to say that my sense of direction leaves something to be desired). And so, for the majority of our stay that is exactly what we did; we walked and soaked in every inch of Italian culture we possibly could. Friday was host to visits to the Pantheon, Roman Forums and the Colosseum.

The views and architecture were once again out of this world and the weather as always was beautiful. Exhausted as we were, we were eager to venture out once more in search of Italy's best Roman cuisine and we found it in the form of a gorgeous little restaurant just off of Piazza Navona called Cantina e Cucina. After consuming the tastiest Bruschetta, Carbonara, Pizza and Italian ice cream ever, we indulged in cocktails before enjoying the walk back to our hotel in the evening heat.

I Covet Thee, A Summer Holiday

Next Thursday I will be boarding a plane to take me to Rome and with each passing day it is getting harder and harder to contain my excitement! Rome has been a dream in the pipeline for so long now and I can hardly believe that I will be enjoying its company in just a few short days. 

However, when it comes to summer clothes, I am really not too fussed. I love summer. I love the long days and hot weather and to be beside the seaside, but I just do not like buying summer clothes. English summers are so temperamental and short lived that I would rather save my money for when the long winter nights set in again. Nevertheless, with temperatures set to be a minimum of 35 degrees, what to pack and what to wear has been playing heavily on my mind..

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I'm thinking loose-fitting dresses and tops and I really, really want some Levi cut-offs but they must be butt cheek covering as the world already has far too many butt cheeks on show by girls who have confused their pants for shorts and I just canny cope with it if I'm honest. So I am off to go charity shop shopping and find me some jeans to snip at before hitting up Eastbourne Airbourne and catching some rays. 

Motel Rocks Street Style Team

It has been almost a year since I became and ambassador for high street brand Motel Rocks and it has been thoroughly enjoyable. From writing articles for my university newspaper to the Motel Rocks blog to hitting up London Fashion Week AW 2011 as part of the Motel Rocks team and gaining a few little treats along the way, I owe them a very big thank you for allowing me the privilege! 

Recently, I was contacted by Laura of Motel Rocks, manager of the new Motel Rocks Street Team, and was kindly asked if I would like to join the ever expanding Motel Rocks team. So of course I said yes! One of the perks of being part of this fantastic team is that I get to offer all my readers a whopping 20% off any order with Motel Rocks using the code above. Just enter 'melitakiely' at checkout and the pennies and pounds will come tumbling back into your bank account while their clothes make a pretty addition to your wardrobe. Not a bad deal, huh? 

Ebb Or Flow, I Do It All

The past few days have been glorious. Friday brought an anniversary that I won't indulge into too much but, it shall always break my heart. Cue the best possible methods of comfort and I found myself being spoilt with a remedy of endless Harry Potter films and copious amounts of comfort food, which made an unbearable day became just about bearable.

Saturday brought some lovely weather to the sunshine coast where I currently reside, and with that a colourful lunch was consumed in the garden before Rob and I took pursuit of our first bike trip this year, soaking up some truly beautiful sunshine and sights.

One day, we will venture out early enough and be fit enough to complete the 14 mile cuckoo trail where these pictures were taken! (Gosh darn the crippling of bum cheeks that a cycle brings). There was a family of swans as you can see above, the baby cygnets so very nearly ready to shed their grey feathers. It was quite the sight and many a cyclist stopped to capture this happy little family.

Today was equally enjoyable when an impromptu day off work allowed me to spend some time with my family as we were entertained by the Moscow State Circus, who are in town this week. My mum, as always, was far too excited and nearly jumping out of her seat with excitement! I think she enjoyed it more than my 9 year old brother did, by far. 

Guess Who's Back, Back Again..

I did contemplate opening this post continuing the little rap in my title, but in all honesty I am not quite ready to pop my vlog cherry just yet and let's face it, that is a level of painful embarrassment that nobody needs to be subjected to. It has been well over a month since my last post and boy oh boy have I missed writing. Life has thrown me some wonderful curve balls over the past 5 weeks or so. For one thing, I found out that I received a 2.1 for my degree and with that came the glorious day that was Graduation.

Graduation was an amazing experience, I felt so privileged to celebrate my degree in the beautiful building that is Canterbury Cathedral. It was great to be able to show my family a little of the city that I love so much and to see my mum standing up to cheer as I received my degree, just bursting with pride! We had both waited an awfully long time for this day and I owe everything to my mum for helping me get there. It was amazing to see her so happy for it really was just as much her day as it was mine.

 

My absence has mainly been down to working so bloomin' hard. Since the end of June I have been working for a local language school teaching English to foreign students and doing activities with them. The students were amazing to work with and it was a hell of a lot of fun, but also incredibly challenging and exhausting. (It only hit me how hard I have been working and how stressed I have been when I found a dreaded grey hair this morning, I kid you not).

So thank goodness I have 5 days in Rome to look forward to in 2 weeks time! I have been dying to go  to Italy for so long, and hearing about so many different beautiful places from the Italians amongst my students just made me even more desperate to get out there and see this beautiful city. I am counting down the days until I get to fall in love with what is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And stuff my face with lasagne 3 times a day. If anybody can recommend any hidden gems that I should check out while I'm there, please do let me know!

I am also incredibly excited that it is merely a month tomorrow until I start my journalism course! I cannot wait, I have been itching to get back to learning and to get my first foot in the door towards a career that I am certain I will love!

So until then I am going to enjoy a little time off. I am going to get my running shoes back on once I get rid of the disease that has plagued my school, read a lot, hopefully soak up a little English sunshine and blog a little more along the way.

10 Reasons Why You Should Go To Uni

I am still coming to terms with the end of my university life while my little sister prepares to embark on her own university adventure this coming September. She will, unfortunately, be part of the first batch of students forced to pay £9000 a year in tuition fees. I was therefore a little shocked to find out that on top of these disgustingly high fees, that she had chosen to attend a London university, therefore increasing the additional debt that will be accumulated due to higher maintenance loans in order to accommodate for London's living expenses. 

Talking about her decision and if she had realised the extra debt she was getting herself into, it became quite apparent that she had not even thought about it. She then panicked about the money and about going to uni altogether. So I then found myself back tracking and telling her that she must go to uni because it was the best thing that I had ever done! Perhaps it is a good thing that she has approached it this way and just followed her heart in what she wants to do...

I'm sure that the majority of future applicants will be pondering whether or not it is worth racking up a £40000+ debt for 3 years of study. My answer? Yes, it is. If it were me having to do it all over again at £9000 a year, I would accept my place in a heart beat, pack my bags and be on my way. Here are my 10 reasons why:

1. 'Because I want to, because I want to,' (in the words of Billie Piper). There was nothing that I wanted more when I left college than to go to university. I wanted it so bad I would have cut off my right arm, re-attached it to my body then cut it off again, just to get my place. Nothing was going to stop me from going. I had no interest to travel, to work or save money (I'd saved everything I'd earned during College anyway...) I was going to uni and that was that. A round the world ticket would not have swayed my mind. If you really want to go, you should just go. 

2. It's exciting. A new city, a new subject (in my case at least, I had never touched Philosophy until entering the doors of Kent Uni),  a new home and new friends.

3. A new found independence, way of life and way of studying. It is all so different and you cannot know that difference until you experience it first hand. It is a great way to experience leaving home for the first time and living with other people who, hopefully, will become life long friends and really make for a great uni experience.

4. It's a confidence builder. I was so ridiculously shy when I went to uni, the idea of simply meeting new people, let alone living with them, made me feel sick to the pit of my stomach. I remember my first night alone at uni and I was certain that I would either vomit in front of my house mates or have a nervous break down, there and then. How you grow as a person at uni is amazing; the social skills that I learnt and the confidence boost that it gave me, I will be eternally thankful for. The person I was then is a shadow of my current self and it is such a relief to no longer have that anxiety hanging over my head.

5. Chances to travel. You don't just have to be studying a foreign language to spend a year or a semester abroad. My year in France was one of the toughest of my life, but it was also amazing at the same time. I got some great work experience, met yet more wonderful people and was able to make a final career decision on reflection of my time there. Living in another country for a prolonged period of time is an invaluable experience. If given the chance, you should grab it with both hands and run. 

6. Money isn't everything. There is no point in earning lots of money if you don't spend a little once in a while and enjoy yourself. I feel the same about my uni debt. Yes, it makes me want to weep sometimes when I think of its magnitude, but oh my, it was so worth it. You have to spend money to make money and uni is not too dissimilar. It is an investment in your future. Even if the fees had stayed the same for the next generation, the debt would have still been pretty overwhelming. Don't forget that. Forget the 'then and now' price comparisons and focus on what makes it worthwhile for you.

7. Work then study. If money is really holding you back from applying or accepting your offers, defer for a year and work to save some money. This could lessen your debts slightly if you're able to use your savings a little and not rely solely on the highest loan available to you. But, also remember that the interest you earn is extremely low, you only have to start repayments once you earn over a certain threshold and even then, it is only 9% of what you earn above that threshold. (A slight dent in your wage packet at most). 

8. Are you really ready to start your working life at 18? Okay, so not everybody goes to uni at 18, some do go later. But personally, I was just not anywhere near ready to leave education at 18. Heck, I'm 22 and the idea of mapping out a fully fledged career still scares the bejesus out of me! Are you ready to join Dolly Parton in her 9-5 or is there something about studying Music, English or Fashion that you are just not ready to let go of yet?

9. So many beautiful cities to choose from. I decided that I didn't want to study at a London based uni due to the extra debt it would give me. But thankfully, there are countless other amazing cities to study in. I think that this kind of consideration is even more important given the debt that will be accumulated through the new, higher tuition fees alone. London will always be there. It is top of my list, along with Brighton, of where I want to live once I finish my journalism course next year. But I want to do it when I start earning, not drown myself in more debt straight away when I can enjoy the beautiful city life any time I want to in the future. London will still be there when I can afford to make the move.

The college I taught at in France.

10. They will be the best years of your life! Seriously. I cannot gush over how brilliant the experience is. The amount of jealousy I feel towards current students is unhealthy. It's not for everybody and by no means a bad thing if you decide it's not for you, but for me, it was everything I hoped it would be. I'd recommend it to anyone.

What I would say to people umming and ahhing over uni is to make sure that you are 100% certain that you have chosen the right subject and, just as importantly, at the right university. Make sure that if you want to study in a particular city that your course is not based at one of their other campuses. It could lead to a great deal of disappointment and take away from the experience.

There is no shame in not going. And there is no shame in changing your mind. It is an awfully brave decision to realise that you have not made the right choice and decide to leave. But, a lot of careful consideration could lead to a very happy uni experience.

Would you still go to uni at the current rate? Are you planning to go in the future? Let me know what you think!

I Covet Thee, Zara

Oh, Zara. Why must you bring out such beautiful things when I don't have a whole lot of dollar to spend. Today I took a trip to town as I needed to go to the bank and seeing as I was already in town, I thought I'd have a muse around a few shops. 

Now, I haven't been into Zara for ages and thank goodness I haven't because I just wanted everything in sight. Their current collection is just too beautiful, so many pretty lace pieces, floaty dresses and drop dead gorgeous hand bags. A quick browse and I had to run out as fast as I could, just in case temptation became too much. Sorry, Zara, but I just can't give you my pennies right now, no matter how beautiful you make your clothes. Another time, another place. For now, I shall just have to blog about what I'm currently loving:

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We Grew Up At Midnight

Goodness, I didn't realise it had been so long since my last post, and there I was pledging to be a better blogger post exams and what not... However, I do have lots to tell. It has been a wonderful couple of weeks since then, that I think it best for us all if I break it up into bite size pieces for y'all. 

#1. On the 2nd June, I attended what was sadly my last ever summer ball at Kent uni, *sad face*. It was such an enjoyable evening. We were lucky enough to have Noah and the Whale headline who were brilliant. I heard part of their set at Bestival last September so had quite high expectations for their performance, and I thought they were great. The Saturdays, meh...A let down. Easy on the eye but harsh on the ear drums, so thank goodness that Annie Mac could be relied upon to finish the night in style with a fantastic DJ set. It was a shame that the bumper cars closed so early as that would have just been the icing on the cake, and boy do I love cake.

Noah and the Whale

#2. On the 6th of June I turned 22 BUT IT'S OKAY because I still look 12. Well, my height says 12 anyway. However, I do still get ID'd everywhere I go and as long as that continues to be the case I shall be a happy bean. My birthday was lovely, despite the weather raining on my parade (read: barbecue) in the evening, but nevertheless I had a wonderful day. A long awaited game of Articulate later and we were ready to dance the night away. My house mates bought me the best pen ever (the flower winds up), an introductory book to journalism (so thoughtful) and the most beautiful diary, which I am too scared to write in as of yet! (Such a neat freak when it comes to diaries and journals... anyone else get that?) I also received my first ever 'for a special auntie' card from my niece and nephews which I am going to keep forever!

#3. My siblings bought me an awesome present, which was to see The Maccabees at Alexandra Palace in London last Friday. OH GOD. So good. They were just amazing, so incredibly on the ball live and with the perfect mix of old and new songs. I was pretty blown away that they would have thought to get me a gift like that and Rob and I had the best time. It has been forever since I went to a gig and it makes me ever so sad that I don't have a festival to go to this year due to my limited funds; the first time in four years, I'm not quite sure how to handle it. I did not want the gig to end, I could watch and listen to Orlando Weeks forever. The support act, British Sea Power, were awesome as well.

#4. The following day, I was lucky enough to have some friends from home come and visit me in Canterbury. We got very merry and once again set out to dance and sing our hearts out! It has been a wonderful couple of weeks filled with some amazing music and company. I will be ever so sad to say goodbye to it all this coming weekend, when I have to leave this beautiful city.

I have had some truly lovely comments on my blog as of late and I feel awful for not having had the time to reply to them yet, but this past week has just been so crazy! I promise that I am going to do that right this minute, just bear with me because I really do appreciate the time that is taken to read and comment on my posts. 

Finally, I know that it is a week and little bit later than I said that I would announce, but the winner of my Delialah Dust give away is Lucy from Slices of Style! I will pass on your details to Antonia and get her to post your bracelet to you!