It’s been pretty clear this week that exam season is well underway! All over campus there seems to be an air of concentration – it’s very clear that we’re all in exam mode: the Learning Zone is full, the Library is jammed and the Study Zone is packed out too! I’ve spent quite a lot of time studying and preparing for my gobbet this week, as well as confirming all the details for my careers mentor application – which is kind of scary! However, my mum and dad did come to see me at the weekend – which meant a little bit of grounding, but lots of happenings this week have offered some affirmations for the rest of this term.

Study, study, study! I could have sworn there was not this much content when we first covered the course! It’s so weird to think how much we’ve actually covered since October. I’ve been pulling lots of my resources from past seminars and lectures out this week to continue with revision and I cannot believe how much I’ve covered at uni; it is quite ridiculous (as is the amount of paper I have consumed!) Just the thought of covering all this is enough to make anybody dizzy, but luckily enough I won’t have to go through the entirety of it for the exam! It’s been quite reassuring this week, actually, to hear from tutors that we should only be covering certain topics, as the way the exam is formatted means that we don’t have to answer something on every section. (Thank goodness!) I’ve been spending most of my evenings (and early mornings, or late nights – depending on how you look at it) in the Learning Zone, or the library just to keep me in the revision frame of mind. It’s so easy to go a little bit stir crazy in my bedroom – just looking at the same space and having the temptation of the kettle in the kitchen can play quite a significant role in creating cause for procrastination. Just getting out of the house and sitting in an environment where lots of other people are revising too is quite reassuring and gives me a little bit more motivation. (Admittedly, food – especially Subway cookies, has been a major source of motivation and affirmation too when I head over to study!)

So, revision and continuing with my seminar readings and gobbet preparation have taken up quite a lot of my time this week as the exams come ever closer. And speaking of the gobbet I have had my first workshop this week. It was really good to mix with a different group of people than those in my seminar group and to see what they had to say about The Myth of the American West! We looked at various sources and had the opportunity to discuss findings collectively – which is always a good way to go about it, as it extends the horizons on the perspectives we have concerning a topic, especially one as disputed as the American West. I have really enjoyed this course so far because it involves a deeper analysis of sources, looking at their nature, origin and purpose – which is part of the reason I wanted to study history. It’s affirming to know that I get to build on something I really enjoy doing here at uni. Plus, the fact that I will get to use some contemporary sources to help me understand the views of the time and why the history of the period has been historically recorded in the way it has, is challenging me as and giving me a better understanding of a period I have a keen interest in.

Challenges and building upon my interests are two really important attributes of my uni experience and hopefully I will be able to better these opportunities now that I have submitted my application for the career mentoring programme! You may recall me saying that the application was ‘kind of cool’ last week – however, as I went into editing mode it became weirdly difficult. People say that we are our worst critics and this is definitely true. I could have gone through my application for hours and hours pulling it apart and picking holes in it and then still be unhappy with it. However, it was necessary to just take a step back and consider that processes like this are like little learning curves. I’m going to have to complete an application form in the near future (aaaah!) and this form is a good place to start, I guess. I did do a little bit of research on how to make an impact with an application form and it is quite incredible the lengths people go to to make themselves stand out. I just wanted to be happy with what I’d written and to be aware of the bar I’d set for myself as an applicant – I need to make sure I’m what they’re looking for on paper and it person and I hope that it’s okay. So, in keeping with the little affirmation theme we have going here I will mention one of the little quotes I found when I was researching: ‘you are the best at being you and you should sell the skills you have’. As tacky as that sounds, it is quite valuable, I feel, to recall such a claim; I can only do my best and my best will get me somewhere eventually.

Before this post turns into some form of positive mantra session, I feel it necessary to write about the easy-going portion of this week’s programme! My mum and dad came to visit me this weekend and it was just lovely! We took a drive up to Ambleside for a little bit of time out, and it was so relaxing – perfect to bring me back down to Earth while I’m moving into exam stress mode. We walked one of the footpaths through the village up to some really stunning waterfalls. It was amazing to see something so beautiful just tucked away in a little forest. Listening to the water and just stepping away from the desk for a while was really beneficial and reminded me that there is a world outside of Lancaster campus. It seems silly to say that, really, but it’s so true! When you’re at uni it’s so easy to forget that things go on outside of these hallowed grounds (!) and just get a little wrapped up in things. My parents are definitely the best people to remind me of this and they have definitely offered some good advice to get me through the exam period! My room is covered in pink Post-It notes with positive affirmations and I have a little book of funny sayings and more affirmations to make me giggle and to realise that while things may seem tough and the workload seems to get heavier each day, I can still do it. It’s about enjoying what I’m doing here and to try and fulfil my potential. Sometimes it’s necessary to say ‘I can do it’ but more than saying it – actually believing it.  I hope you’ve all had a lovely week. Thank you for reading!
History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

What an exciting week! So much has been happening around campus with the General Election and I’ve had quite a lot to do in terms of revision and finalising my enrolment for next year. It’s all go, go, go, but it’s been really worth while taking some time to catch up with myself by doing some baking and speaking to my friends and family too.

So, I must, must, must open this post by mentioning the General Election! It was my first time voting and it was weirdly exciting; it felt so strange as I waited in the queue at the polling station to think that the votes we were casting really did matter. I mean, speaking to some people, they would argue that your one vote will make only a marginal difference, but the fact that these votes will make even that slightest difference is really important. I have loved the buzz around campus during the election, there are some seriously active student politicians and it’s interesting to see how dedicated people are to the party campaigns. The political activity in our student kitchen has been equally vibrant – I think we have had updates and mini-debates most evenings! Personally, I feel there have been some really important points raised that I wouldn’t have even thought about, and it’s been great to learn why and how other people think about the way that we live in our society.

Actually, these mini debates have been accompanied on several occasions by large slabs of carrot cake! You may recall in my last post, I said that I would be making a carrot cake on Bank Holiday Monday? Well, I did and it was absolutely ginormous! In my attempt to find a recipe that used the size cake tin I own, I ended up making a triple layered cake…It was so huge! Excitingly there was just enough batter to make some cupcakes too! We have had carrot cake on tap this week; it’s been wonderful (I feel the extra calories are essential during revision period) I have really enjoyed sitting down for a quick natter with a slice of cake; it grounds me when I have my head in the hazy world of revision.

I guess a paragraph of this week’s post must go to revision then! Aaaah! It’s so odd getting back into the revision routine. As a student it’s so easy to sit down and gather ridiculous piles of notes, draw tables and mind maps using pretty pens, or just to go through textbooks and note down the key information. However, it is really about taking the chance to relax and genuinely take in the information. There have been several times this week, where I have done a couple of hours’ worth of revision, taken an extended break and then returned to re-read my notes and think ‘what on Earth is this?’ Having a solid exam revision technique is something difficult to master, but I have realised that I need to take some time to get everything together in terms of content and then spend a decent period of time thinking about how I can construct some really neat, coherent and cogent arguments out of this information. I must admit, I am finding it difficult sometimes. There are occasions where I wake up and I think ‘Oh, revision today…’, and there are some days where I feel pretty ready and raring to go. But, uni is about overcoming these difficulties, by learning how to deal with them. I really hope that I can use this period to really learn how to revise effectively and how to overcome a little bit of that exam fear.

Passing my exams seems even more important now, because I have finally finalised my modules for second year and a little bit of third year. Eeek! I am so, so, so excited! We’re very lucky here at Lancaster to be able to tailor a degree scheme that works for us, so I have chosen modules that are really important to me as an historian in training! I am particularly looking forward to dealing with some material sources in the new courses, as this is the aspect of historiography that really matters to me. These sources have played such an important part in the way that we have constructed history and their part is substantial in the way that we will write about events, but beyond that they are a part of history in their own right. I’m looking forward to learning how crucial they are in shaping the periods of history that I’ll be looking at. I am really privileged to be studying areas that matter to me, so I hope to make the most of them!

Speaking of things that really matter, I am in the process of signing up for the career mentoring programme that I mentioned briefly in the last post. If I’m successful in the application, I will hopefully get an opportunity to work with somebody experienced in the career area I’m interested in, which would be an absolutely incredible and, not to mention, invaluable experience. The application process was kind of cool, it was an opportunity to express which sorts of areas I’m interested in pursuing and it’s not very often that we’ll get opportunities to that. I just hope that the application was okay; it’s scary because the programme is competitive but nowhere near as competitive as the careers market. It’s probably really good practice! (Well, I hope it is!)

So, that’s the work side of things for this week! And they have definitely taken up most of my time! The fact that the uni have offered some more study space has been really beneficial in helping me to get the most out of my study sessions. It’s nice to escape my bedroom sometimes and (probably more importantly) the whispering of my bed and cosy pillows when I’m feeling a little sleep… However, our house have decided to take some time out together, which is always fab! We had a landing party on Friday evening, which is basically a group of teenagers sitting on a landing, just talking and laughing about anything and everything. To some it may sound boring, but it is absolutely wonderful! It’s lovely to take some time out of revision, just to chat. We all headed to the pizza restaurant on campus on Saturday evening too for some well-deserved chill out time and some tasty food, yay!

So, I still have my head in the books, but it’s nice to come up for air (and food) on occasion. And also setting my sites a little bit beyond the realms of a textbook is proving that definite incentive to do well.

Thank you for reading, guys! I hope you had a lovely week!

History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

This may seem like a bit of a strange title for a post, seeing as we’re coming up to the end of term (Aaaaah!), however, at uni things don’t cease as soon as exam period hits in and, to be honest, it’s nice to have other tasks alongside of revision!

Well, I will actually start this post with an ending! I have handed in my last official essays of first year! Aah! (I have a Gobbet exercise left to do, which is similar to source analysis, but that’s not the same as an essay!) I think that that’s absolutely terrifying! Where on Earth has the time gone? It seems so strange to think that I’ve done a decent majority of my course now and that there’s only the exams left to go! This week has been a challenge, because I knew that this was one of my last opportunities to write an essay as a first year and get some really decent feedback to prepare me for second year – I just hope I’ve done some justice to it! Now that my coursework essays are handed in, I am starting a final module for History on the American West (and this is the subject I have to write the Gobbet for!) I really enjoyed the lecture at the beginning of this week on the topic; I studied the American West at GCSE and it’s cool to be taking what I learnt then forward into my uni studies. Now that my essays are done I have to keep my head in the books for revision – so that’s the plan for the next month and a bit!

The people I know in third year have been talking a lot about their new beginnings this week. It’s been really cool listening to what they have in story for next year and after that for when they’ve completed their exams. Some are going into Grad Schemes, some are going on to do their masters and others have had job interviews already! It’s so exciting for them and it made me think that, in all honesty, that that time will come around for my year soon enough. So, this week I attended another careers meeting which aims to engage you in a mentoring scheme with somebody employed in the sector you’re interested in. I figured it was a good beginning step to search for what I really want to do and having some first-hand advice will be invaluable. In the presentation we listened to some reviews from previous students and it sounds like they’ve taken a lot away from the programme – some have contacts in the police force, others with advertising agencies and one girl even has contacts in Chicago! The application process opens next week, so I think I’ll give it a go! It seems like it is worth getting involved in and hopefully I can gain a little bit of experience in journalism and publishing!

So beyond work and careers, as of Saturday evening, I am now the official treasurer for Ballet Society! We had our handover meal at Oscar’s after a long week and it was wonderful! It was so lovely to see people all dolled up and stress free sitting around the table just laughing and chatting about everything. Emily, our new president and former treasurer, presented me with the pink folder to end all pink folders, complete with pretty notes and labelled dividers! I’m really looking forward to taking on the role for this upcoming term and into next year. I really can’t iterate this enough, but, I love my society – everyone is so friendly and we get on so well! Before we went to Oscar’s we met at our (now former) president’s house to share the winnings of the Harry Potter Quiz that I ran last term! The ballet girls had two teams and won first and second prize, how fab is that?! (All marking was anonymous!) So we had a bottle of Champagne as a toast to the new exec and to celebrate their triumph! After the meal we headed back the house again for some photos and a vast array of chocolate and biscuits! We may be ballet society, but we like food! I had such a lovely evening and I really look forward to the next social!

Choir are also preparing for the ULMS Proms Concert now! I can’t wait – if it’s anything like the performance we did at Campus Fest, it is going to be a lot of fun! We’re doing a Les Mis medley, which, so far, sounds lovely! I believe we’re collaborating with the symphony orchestra again, which is always cool! I love the fact that there are still things going on with societies, even though we are coming into exam period. It’s always good to know that there’s opportunity to take some time out and do something that isn’t a particular strain on the brain, or stress inducing! I really value the time I have in societies and likewise, spending a little bit of time with friends. It’s been good this weekend, as I’ve entered full revision mode, to take a little bit of time to go for a coffee with my friends, or watch a film, and we made Nutella sushi (no, it’s not made with raw fish!)… I Skyped my bestie this week as well, and it was just the best thing! Revision definitely takes priority, but taking just a short while to regroup is important. I’ve found it’s quite often my friends and family that put my feet back on the ground this time of year! Tackling revision also means baking as stress relief, so a carrot cake will be in order this bank holiday Monday – YAY! I can vividly remember writing something along the lines of when there are time of worry there will always be someone to talk to and there will always be cake and I feel this is a perfect mantra to live by most of the time and especially during exam season.

So, new challenges arise as the end of the year comes closer and closer – but I’ve said this before, they’re challenges worth taking on. Like I said in my last post, I came to uni to learn about things that I enjoy learning about and I need to make sure that I am still enjoying it! So as revision takes over my free time, I plan to make sure I keep focused not only on the content but on getting as much as I can out of this experience.

Thank you for reading, guys! I hope you had a lovely week and long weekend!

History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

I cannot believe that it’s third term already! In 8 weeks’ time I will have completed my first year at uni – aah! When I came back from the holidays this time I had a similar feeling to when I first arrived here, that nerv-cited tingle; I knew that this term would be challenging, but it would also continue to bring me lots of opportunities as a student.

I hope everybody had a lovely Easter full of smiles and yummy chocolatey things! And I hope, for any potential Lancaster students reading, you had a good break to prepare for your A-level exams (good luck!) I must admit that the break this time around was much needed; it was just a chance to recuperate and get myself together for this term ahead. I had such a wonderful time with my mum and dad, as well as my grandparents – it was nice to have a catch up and some cuddles! Likewise, seeing my friends was so, so, so great; it felt like an age since I’d seen them! Going back to work in the shop made me so happy too, I miss my work family! I was even lucky enough to do some ‘first hand revision’ (!), because my mum and dad whisked me away to Paris for a few days as a surprise, eeek! I have wanted to see Notre Dame since I was teeny tiny and actually walking up to it and seeing those stunning bell towers and, of course, the wonderful window is an image I will never forget. We even took a trip to Boulevard Haussmann, which was rather cool seeing as I wrote my last history essay on the Haussmannisation of Paris!

Now I’ve been back for a week I feel like I’m starting to get back into the swing of things. Shying away from the fact that I’ve been feeling apprehensive about this term would be a lie – exams are scary and I still have a couple of essay deadlines coming up. However, in my attempt to calm myself down by Googling all sorts of weird things, I did come across one little piece of advice from a past uni-student and it was something we often lose sight of as we tackle exam season. She said ‘just enjoy yourself and remember that you came to uni to study something you are interested in learning about.’ It couldn’t be simpler really, could it? When I tell people about uni I always say ‘aw, I love it there – I’m getting so much out of it and the subject is really thought-provoking’, however, when I sit down in panic mode to write an essay I can’t help but think ‘why am I putting myself through this stress?’; but now putting it into this perspective, this week I have felt it high time to remember that I am here because I enjoy it, so I should be tackling assignments and exams with this in mind. So that’s my little mantra for this term and I really hope I can keep in that frame of mind.

So, revision…! I had my first revision session this week and it was not as horrendous as I thought it was going to be! There were no knowledge drills, or surprise quizzes, or shocking reveals that there would be really narrow questions in the exam, thank goodness! It was just a session to go over how to deal with any exam fear and how to begin tackling revision and thinking about the exam questions: not too bad at all. Plus, my seminar teacher provided chocolate, which is always a bonus! Likewise, the prospect of using felt tips and making posters for knowledge based revision fills me with weird nerdy joy. After this upcoming week, when my assignments are handed in, I will get my creative revision head on! We’ve started with our final modules this week too, so best keep focussed on the new content as it will definitely crop up in the exam!

Speaking of new content, I have also been signing up for my Year 2 modules this week. I still can’t believe that I have done it! Enrolling for second year means that first year has gone too quickly! It is really, really exciting though, because second year gives us a lot more freedom as students to study the areas that we really have a keen interest in, or have a desire to learn a little bit more about. For example, I have a real interest in the history of advertising, media and consumerism so I’ve opted to take a module called ‘Elvis, TV and Tupperware’, which will hopefully fulfil this interest! Plus, there is a module all about the history of Paris, so another trip may be in order for research purposes…what a shame!

Having just paused to get a cup of tea from the kitchen I have realised that I must dedicate a little section to the County ducks this post! Oh my God, they are absolutely adorable! There are lots of titchy ducklings waddling all around the townhouses and they’re so fluffy and tiny…and fluffy! Our house have been researching what to feed them and we now have a tub full of oats, peas and seeds waiting by the door for whenever they appear! If I could use this post entirely to coo over the ducks I would, but I fear several passages of me pointing out how cute they are would bore some readers to tears – so I will move on… (But, they are so lovely!)

Besides from work (and ducks), this week we have started the transition for the Ballet Society Exec, which is rather exciting! The girls and I met up for a handover meeting where we were told all about what we were going to have to do in our roles! Emily, the old treasurer, was so lovely and she’s given me a really pretty folder with a set of notes in telling me all about what I have to do. Next week we’re going to have the exec handover meal at Oscar’s, (one of Lancaster’s wine bars) which looks really lovely. I think we’re all looking forward to donning the glad rags! I can’t wait to start my role properly and to use my pretty folder as the term progresses and, as ever, the society are still close!

So, one week of third term has passed already! It’s time to keep my positive head on, keep my pen to paper and keep focused – I can do this!

Have a lovely week! Thank you all for reading!

History Hugs,

Eleanor

Gosh, the end of term has come around really quickly! This week has just flown by – I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been busy, or if it’s just been one of those weird weeks when you just can’t find time to catch up with yourself. So, this is it! The end of Lent Term! I cannot believe I have finished my second term at university; it doesn’t seem real at all! This term has definitely started to shape my student career a lot more and I’m so grateful for all the new opportunities I’ve been given. Last term was all about figuring things out, finding your feet and getting to know everyone and while these are certainly on-going processes, this term has been about stretching out a little bit further. Spreading your wings is a good (albeit slightly cringey) way to describe the uni experience, but this term’s been a way of working out how to fly.

Just like last term, this last week has been crazy! However, one of my highlights definitely has to be the Harry Potter Quiz in aid of Mind and Time to Talk. I am so, so, so pleased with the turn out we had in the bar. It was amazing to have around 105 people attending the event, adorned in Harry Potter scarves, t-shirts and even a pair of specs! We made a total of around £70, which is excellent and will go to such a worthwhile cause. I really hope people took something away from the little speech I gave and the event in general and now understand that it is okay to discuss mental health and that, as students, we should be looking out for one another and not letting ANY mental health stigma stop us from achieving anything. Working alongside the JCR was so lovely, everyone was so nice and they even organised to dress up for the evening! I went dressed as Hermione, our student welfare officers went dressed as Luna and Harry! It was so great! I am also pleased to announce that ballet society came first! I was so proud! (No, I didn’t mark the papers myself!) I’m hoping to collaborate a little bit more with the JCR next term to organise some more events for Time to Talk, so maybe between revision breaks in the holiday I will try and think of some more things to do. Just seeing everybody there laughing and having a lovely evening made me appreciate how uni can really give people a platform to promote a worthwhile cause and can be such a good way to get involved and meet some really fab people.

Speaking of ballet society, we had a social on Tuesday this week! I honestly had one of the best evenings I’ve had at uni so far! Ballet now have their own society sweatshirts and we were all given them on Tuesday, so we were all sitting eating pizza, watching Pitch Perfect (which is a definite student watch! I’ve never seen it before and it is hilarious!) and wearing our sweatshirts – it was just lovely! I feel like I’ve said this for the last few weeks now, but seriously we are such a close unit! I can’t wait to start ballet again next term. We’re in the transition period for the exec now, so I’ll be learning the ropes as treasurer when Summer Term begins! (As a little side note (about food!) I made my own pizza for the party and it was so yummy, if I do say so myself!) We had such a laugh and I couldn’t help but smile, as tacky as it sounds, this was how I imagined part of my uni lifestyle, just having a chilled evening with food, funny films and really fab company. Being part of this society this term has been so worth it, it’s really made me engage in student life a bit more. Our current president has asked me to be part of the Cultural Arts Committee too, eeek! The committee meet once a month to discuss arts projects and new developments for alternative arts festivals and events, so that should be rather exciting next term! It’s all go! I haven’t given you many photos so far in the posts, so here is a rather lovely one of the ballet girls at Campus Fest last week!

Amongst all these socials and events I have spent a bit of time hiding away in the library this week, like I said I would. (My Moomin flask was definitely worth investing in!) so I’ve been planning for my essays that I’m to write over the holiday, which is still a little bit scary! I’m trying to incorporate ideas from EPR into my History essay, like I said last week, and it’s proving a little tricky, but I think I’m getting there now! I’m enjoying doing some independent research and I’m learning how to shape something targeted to my other areas of interest, which I hope will be a useful skill. I love the fact that uni gives you the chance to do this and we don’t have to stick to the constraints of A-level marking criteria. For any A-level students reading, you’ll know exactly what I mean when you get here! Our History seminar this week involved an awful lot of food (YAY! I made little Easter nests!) and a really interesting discussion about how some aspects of material or visual culture can shape and reshape our understanding of our own and other people’s pasts. I’m so pleased that we’ve started to talk about this sort of thing, because it the consideration of these types of sources that made me seriously consider taking History at uni. It’s really exciting to be looking at the modules that made me want to come here in the first place!

So, this is the end of Lent term…already! I’m looking forward to having a couple of days off in the break and to making lots of cakes and pretty revision timetables (revision timetables = felt tip pens, YAY!) but between essays and little chunks of revision, I’m so excited to see my family and my friends and to going back to my job for a little while too! I’ll miss my flatmates, of course, but like we did at Christmas we have Skype and FaceTime sessions pre-booked! I have mixed emotions about next term, I’m excited because there are new challenges and opportunities, but I’m also nervous because it is EXAM SEASON, AAAH! Best get revising!

Thank you all so much for reading my little ponderings this term; I hope you’ve enjoyed the posts! I hope you have a beautiful, sunny Easter full of smiles!

See you next term for more stories, little stresses and memories!

Huge History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

What a week! As term comes nearer to finishing I’ve had quite a busy week! You may recall my telling you of my to-do lists last term as Christmas approached? This week has been no different! I’ve had to be here, there and everywhere this week for meetings, workshops, lectures, seminars, rehearsals! It’s been fab though – I’ve really missed having a run around sort of lifestyle and this week has really made me feel like part of the bigger community here at uni and hopefully this post will be able to explain why!

As I type this week’s entry I am lucky enough to be accompanied by the buzz of the crowd, the smell of sizzling burgers and the sound of Lancaster’s wonderful musical talent. I am sitting literally next to the 2015 Campus Fest! There are two stages, countless pieces of equipment, several food stalls and a really lovely (but probably very chilly) crowd outside my window and I have been very, very lucky to be a part of it today – I’ve had such a lovely time! Part of the reason why I’ve been so busy this week is because I have had so many rehearsals ready for this! Ballet society performed a piece with LUDans, which is the bigger dance society on campus today, and I had such a good time! We learnt the dance in only four rehearsals (which I’m really proud of, eeek), but I have learnt so much more about the people in ballet society too and I think we’re becoming really close as a group. We spent 4 wonderful evenings together this week and next week we’re having a pizza and movie night! The girls and I all got ready together before Campus Fest on Saturday and then spent some time together afterwards, just having a chat and drinking hot chocolate! It means such a lot to me that I’m becoming closer to my society. Ballet is something that I really enjoy doing and being close with the people that you’re doing it with makes it all the better.

This applies to choir too! As we all huddled together this afternoon dressed in our concert attire and coats, like penguins, I realised that we are becoming a lovely close group too. I really loved the set that we performed at Campus Fest, we did two classical pieces as well as Royals, I’ve Got Rhythm and The Lion Sleeps Tonight! Later on this evening we are performing our Disney medley before the fireworks are set off and I can’t wait! I was so keen to write the post this week that I just couldn’t wait until after the fireworks! (I will put a little note at the bottom to let you know how they went!*) Just seeing choir collaborate so well with Orchestra and our new Rep (we had exec elections a few weeks ago!) allowed me to think about how much people can get out of a society. I know this sounds like something that a uni would put into its Student Union prospectus, but they put it in there because it’s true! Joining a society is so valuable part of student life, but when you get to know the people and you really enjoy what you’re doing it’s priceless.

Speaking of societies, I have a little bit of news! I am now the treasurer for Ballet Society, eeek! I really wanted to be part of the exec because I love the society; it’s so titchy and everyone’s lovely. We had Hustings before a rehearsal last week and it was adorable! I had to give a little speech about why I’d be a good treasurer and what I could bring to the role. It was kind of nerve-wracking saying why you’d be good at something, though! I thought my past retail experience would be pretty helpful, so I said that and I thought about keeping the finances running smoothly – but it was still tricky! I guess it as good experience for any potential interviews, though (but that’s a long way off yet!). I’m so excited to be treasurer and I’ll be living near the bank next year, so that’s pretty useful, I guess! That’s the reason we’re having pizza next week: to celebrate the new exec committee. I am so, so excited!

Last week I mentioned working with the JCR to organise the Harry Potter Quiz for Mind and their new campaign, Time to Talk, Time to Change. Well, this week we’ve really been getting on with sorting everything out and next Wednesday is the quiz! I’ve designed a poster and a flier to be put up around campus and our lovely JCR Welfare Officers are helping to advertise the event on our college page, and are doing the rounds around the flats with me to recruit as many teams as we can! All the questions are now on a PowerPoint with pictures (which I had an insanely good time finding!) and everything’s looking in place! YAY Our JCR have been so kind and donated some money towards a prize too, so hopefully that will entice people to the event for this really, really important campaign.

While all this has been going on (!) it’s been a fab week workwise too, I think! I’ve started to think about my essay title for history, as I have to write it over the break. I think I’m going to choose the topic about Orientalism, which discusses how Western society perceives Eastern culture and their history. However, my seminar teacher was talking to us about bringing in areas of our other subjects and reshaping the question slightly to cover these topics. This is so cool because I’m doing Hindu and Buddhist beliefs in EPR and that’s really made me think about the way we perceive not only Eastern culture but also their religion. So, I’ve been to speak to my current EPR lecturer and he gave me a couple of books to look at, from this I’ve been creating an essay plan this week, and it’s been so interesting! The fact that my subjects can overlap so closely and I am able to make something of this overlap is fab. I’ll have to finish the essay plan on Monday because the weekend’s been so busy! So I will be spending Monday evening curled up in the library with my pad, journals and my Moomin flask full of tea!

I also attended a careers workshop about Personal Appearance in interviews on Tuesday this week. It was so odd, but really informative. I was shocked at how much appearance actually matters; not in a bad way, just very surprised. We learnt all about personal colouring and which shades or colours should be used and avoided, as well as learning about our body types. I know that I should be buying a certain type of trousers and jacket now, though, and I should go for blended, medium tones, avoiding black jackets, as they will wash me out (haha, it sounds so funny when I read it back in my head!)

As the end of term approaches things do seem to get busier, but I would have it no other way! I have had such a lovely week, I have enjoyed every second and this weekend has been absolutely fantastic. I’m starting to feel a lot more at home now, I feel like I’m part of something bigger here now. My studies, of course, take priority and I love what I’m doing at the moment! (We actually start the Enrolment for Second Year Modules next week, which is terrifying (but still pretty exciting) so that’s cool!) I feel like I’m getting a lot out of the module and I’m looking forward to tackling the essay, as long as my plans are okay! However, having a good work and society (and sleep!) balance is so, so, so important as I’ve contemplated before, and this week I have really noticed how true this is.

*I promised to let you know how the fireworks went, so I am typing this little section literally 2 minutes post Disney medley, firework amazingness, and best evening magic! I have the biggest smile on my face right now! I am wrapped up tight in my coat and my fingers are numb, but I have honestly had one of the best nights I’ve ever had. Just to see the smiles, hear the crowd and feel how I feel right makes it all worth it. I couldn’t pinpoint what ‘it’ is, but it sure is something pretty special.

Thank you for reading, guys!

Have a lovely week!

History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

Elections for LUSU full time officers were held this week at uni. Looking around campus there were so many fliers, posters and banners promoting the (rather brave) candidates and their ideas for a better students’ union. As I took note of these promotions I began to think about how uni can give you a voice and a platform. Uni can offer you the opportunity to promote something important to you and this week I have decided that I’d like to take up that platform; it’s time to talk about a few things, beyond my degree, that are really important to me.

– Raising awareness

This week I have been in collaboration with County’s JCR (which is our college’s student led council, for those wondering what on Earth a JCR is!) to organise a quiz to raise awareness about mental health and the stigma that surrounds it. Actually, the title for this week’s blog is taken from the name of the campaign I am supporting: Time to Talk, Time to Change. There are so many questions people have about mental health and this campaign wants to show that it is okay to talk ask them and to talk about it. There should be no labels preventing people from doing anything at all. Mental health is not something we should be supressing, it is something we should be supporting. People do NOT deserve to be discriminated against because they have a mental health problem, they deserve support and understanding. My aim for this event is to really encourage people to adopt this view and to highlight that, as students, we should all make the effort to talk and make the effort to change by stopping this stigma.

The quiz is actually Harry Potter themed and I have had such a great time organising it! I have created a set of questions based on the series of books and the films which will hopefully challenge even the most dedicated Potterheads! I’ve been working alongside our college welfare officers to develop the event and we’re hopefully going to be able to hold it in our college bar, The Northern Oak. I’m really hoping that it’s going to be popular because the campaign is really, really important to me. It’s been so fun writing the questions and designing the posters for the event, so I’m willing people to come along and support this worthwhile cause, plus they’ll get a chance to show off their Harry Potter knowledge!

– Food(!) and Writing

You may recall my mentioning of joining up for the uni paper SCAN and that I had a meeting with the editor of Carolynne to discuss some ideas? Well, I had a fabulous time with her! It was really great to hear the sorts of things they wanted to include in the column; I now have 2 sides of A4 full of article topics that they want me to get going with! I’m particularly looking forward to writing an article on how to make vegetarian food interesting, as well as working alongside Green Lancaster to promote their new ‘pick your own’ herb gardens and give some suggestions of how to use what they’re growing effectively. I really enjoy cooking and baking, so hopefully writing the column will inspire some students to get a bit savvier in the kitchen. I’m hoping I’ll get quite a lot out of it too, because they have given me some challenging ideas! I just hope my flatmates have a pair of stretchy trousers on hand if they try all of the new recipes!

– Being part of my societies

This week choir had TWO (!) wonderful announcements! We are going to compete in a sectionals competition in Wales later on in the year and we will be doing a set at Campus fest next weekend! BUT to top that off, we are also accompanying the fireworks on Saturday evening with a Disney medley – including Let it Go from Frozen! Aaaaah! I am insanely excited! I’m looking forward to going to the competition so, so much; I’m sure it’s going to be such a fab day. We’re deciding on what we’re doing for that when we’ve finished Campus Fest and I think it’s going to be amazing! I’ll let you know how Campus Fest, which is a big event at the uni with music, food, other cool stalls and fireworks at the end, goes in the next post! I can’t wait to sing the Disney medley, but our set also includes ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ which will be a bit of a laugh!

Ballet society are also performing in Campus Fest, I found this week, so I’ve got some extra rehearsals coming up for that too! We’ve also been discussing our new exec for ballet, so who will be our new president and treasurer, things like that. I think I might run for Secretary of Treasurer; so I’ll have to get on with a little manifesto! I think being part of the ballet exec will be fab; it’s such a titchy society and everybody is quite close, so I’d like to think that that will continue as we move into next term and next academic year! We’ve also got society sweatshirts now (and I am way too excited at this fact) so we’ll all match!

– Being close with my family and my friends

I spent Saturday in Liverpool with my auntie  the weather was absolutely stunning and I had such a lovely day! We visited New Brighton and Birkenhead and rode on an old fashioned tram! I have two aunties living in Liverpool so I went to visit my other auntie too! I love being so close to them, as it’s a five hour car journey from where I usually live! I had a really lovely chat and a proper giggle! So, there you have just a couple of things that are important to me!

It’s strange, sometimes my flatmates and I will hardly see each other – we’re either busy with assignments and lecture notes, or out at society meetings, or trying to catch up on sleep. This week, however, we’ve done so many things together! We went on a little jaunt around campus, when the weather was lovely, and took some great photos; we went to Nando’s in Preston on Friday (it was beautiful!) and we watched a film! Just taking some time away from study to have a bit of fun without going out-out is wonderful; we chatted and we laughed and we just had a really fab chilled couple of evenings. I think everyone had a nice time, well I hope they did!

This week has made me appreciate the fact that sometimes it’s worth discussing what’s important because these are the things that I feel strongly about, or that I really enjoy and, for me, they really matter. I really hope my little adventures this week have somehow conveyed this and that you’ve enjoyed reading!

History Hugs,Eleanor :0

  This week’s blog is all about moving forward. After a busy couple of weeks, it made me think about what’s to come after university – I mean, where will all this hard work lead me? Everyone says that the university can open up a new pathway for you, but it’s about the steps you take along that pathway that really matter. So, I’ve tried to take a couple of steps this week to begin making that journey. It’s really made me think about the sorts of things I’d like to do when I have to leave the lovely, cosy, university bubble, and while it seems that the big wide world of work is a good trek away, I might be worth having a bit of a route mapped out to start with.

  The main highlight of my week this week definitely has to be a workshop I attended with the careers service, called ‘So you want to be a publisher?’ It was absolutely amazing! The lady giving us the talk, Debbie, was actually the Head Buyer for the bookshop Waterstone’s for 10 years, which is pretty fab, and she even has a Jacqueline Wilson book character based on her! I was quite overwhelmed to see how many people were actually interested in pursuing it as a career path, as it isn’t something I’d really thought about until very late in year 13! (But I guess there were quite a few third years or postgrads in there too!) It was very clear that the other students there were really keen and interested and I thought it was great to see and meet other people interested in similar career paths as me. I really appreciated the fact that we were given a realistic view of the career too, Debbie made it clear that it was ‘all about the deadline’ and that there was a lot of hard work involved! However, the world of publishing seems so exciting, even though she mentioned that it can be ridiculously intense, and it is definitely something I think I’ll consider. It was so cool to hear what she had to say about all the routes into publishing and the different roles that they have, so I’ll have to keep exploring. I’ve actually considered doing some work experience for Bloomsbury (which is the company that publish the Harry Potter books – eeek!) in the summer! I’m still seeking out if they take first year students, or not, but it should be really exciting if they do!

  You may recall last week I said about joining SCAN, our uni paper?! Well, I took the plunge and e-mailed the editor, asking if they had room for a column and they said YES! I am so excited, especially because I’ll get to write about food and food is my fave! I’ve a meeting with the editor of Carolynne, which is the magazine-y supplement part of the paper, next Tuesday to discuss some ideas for the column! I’ve thought about sharing a couple of recipes I’ve tried out since I’ve been here, as well as thinking about some cooler ways to cook on a budget and maybe some reviews of local restaurants. (Which will definitely include a review of Dip Dip! Which means going again…what a shame…!) I’m looking forward to it so much, so hopefully they’ll like my ideas for the column and can help me to make it something that people will really want to read! In anxiousness to write a food column I even baked some cupcakes this weekend!

    Some of the most important steps that each student will take at uni are those made with their society. I really thought about this this weekend when the choir had another concert on campus – I realised that I’m given a lot of opportunity there to make new friends, to develop my singing skills and perform in new places when I saw the audience’s reaction to what we were doing. The concert, this time, was a little more intimate and we performed in the Chaplaincy centre on campus. With no bright lights or any show features it was just a really lovely concert, with symphony orchestra and string orchestra playing some stunning pieces of music too.  We performed quite a range of pieces too and I really enjoyed that, as it makes a change from some of the usual pieces we do; we even tried a piece in Latin! (And if I do say so myself it was beautiful!) I realised as I was chatting to people later that evening after the performance that I really was getting so much out of my time in the society. The concert reminded me quite a bit of the sort of thing I used to do at home with my singing teacher and her other pupils. It was always so lovely to have a sing with friends and then hear some fab music – and here it was no different. I had a very good evening! I look forward to the next concert like that, in a little cosy venue!

  So, those are just some small steps I made this week along the extended, twisting path of uni (and this week the path was rather snowy! We had so much snow here on Sunday and it was beautiful!) So many people are talking about the prospect of careers at the moment and I figured it is important to start thinking about that (even though it seems so far away and quite scary) but it’s worth enjoying the steps you take to reach the career aspirations that you want.

 Thank you for reading! Have a lovely week!

 History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

I’m sure, as any students reading will know, that there are a ridiculous amount of worksheets on how to deal with essays. How to research them, how to plan them, how to and how not to write them, how to cope with writing them – the list is endless. These tips are useful as teaching aids go, and I give no discredit to those who have taken time to offer their valuable advice. However, no matter how hard we try to avoid it, essays always seem to cause a new challenge. While all these tips are being thrown around sometimes it seems so hard just to catch a break. This week’s blog is designed to give any potential or current uni students a bit of reassurance to know that essays are hard, but there are ways of getting through them (involving baked goods and dance routines.)

1.  Remember that other people find essays difficult too!It’s been all too easy for me to sit in my room and think that I am the only one struggling with my assignments. In my mind, I imagine my classmates sitting at their desks with a cup of tea breezing through the content, formulating decent analysis and using sources to the very best of their argument. I (rather briefly) imagine this while I too sit with a bucket-load of tea but I find myself diving in and out of books, scrolling through articles, attempting to fit my various paragraphs into some marvellous jigsaw. The inevitable question rears its head: ‘why is this so difficult?!’ – (I think I know why, and it’s all to do with the insane amount of pressure we, as students, put on ourselves) and I am left feeling bit lost and quite worried about what I’m supposed to do.

2.   However, having spoken to people on my course this week, I am now somewhat aware of the fact that there are other people who ask the same question. It’s weirdly reassuring to know that I am not the only one with ridiculous amounts of caffeine filtering through my body while I scan various books and attempt to piece together a coherent essay. I have learnt that I am not alone in my essay struggles and that I can talk it through with my friends to be able to get a better idea of what on Earth I’m trying to discuss. It’s worth remembering that we’re all students together!

3. Breaks ARE allowed (and are particularly effective in combination with a dance routine)This is a very handy little piece of advice. Now, I am sure that it’s always been a focus in essay strategies that you should take time out, so that you can reassess your ideas and come back to them. However, sitting down and just solidly writing can seem like a way better idea. I admit, it is ridiculously satisfying to finish a section after a couple of hours and think ‘yes, I am actually quite pleased with that’, but achieving that sense of satisfaction can be tricky. But, it’s about what you put into the hours of work that matter. When achieving this sense of satisfaction, or even when you feel like you just need to step away from the computer screen, breaks are a good thing and they are allowed. Being in essay mode does not mean that you are bound to your desk. My little break routine often consists of a cup of tea, some form of biscuit or cake (the student essentials), a banana if I’m in need of some happy chemicals and a quick sesh of Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake it Off’ or a Zumba routine to ‘Dangerous Love’,  just to get the blood flowing and some real motivation! As weird as this may sound, I do find this particularly effective!

4.  You can always call back-upUni isn’t something that you should be doing alone. There are plenty of people around to go and have a chat with about essays. Seminar tutors are a definite go-to because they know what they’re talking about and have probably been through the same little stresses that you have. Friends are so helpful, and lovely, too! Even if they can’t offer you some advice on what to write, just having a friend around to have a quick natter to or to have Nutella crumpets with is just great. However, I have found this week that sometimes I just want to speak to my mum and dad. I couldn’t help feeling that this was me admitting that I was giving up the student-y independence, but this is not the case! Sometimes it’s necessary to have a chat, to get some reassurance and to gain a bit of perspective. Speaking to my mum and dad can just chill me out and calm me down.

4.  Keep a pen and a piece of paper next to you whilst you’re workingWhen I am starting out with my essay writing I always find I have thoughts all over the place and I just want to get them all down as quickly as possible, in the most fluent, fully analytical, accurate way imaginable. This is tricky, though! Yet, if I have a piece of paper next to me, I can just jot down my thoughts as they come, in relevance to something I’ve already discussed, or if it will aid the overall shape of the argument. This may be a tip you already know, or already adopt, if you’re a student – but it is so useful! It’s also quite entertaining to have a quick look at all the little scribbles you’ve made and think ‘how did I ever shape that into an essay?!

5.  There will always be cake I was scrolling through my posts a couple of weeks ago for some reason (most likely procrastination) and I came across this: ‘If I’ve learnt one thing…it’s to take each challenge as it comes. It may be struggle and it may cause stress or worry, but just remember that there’s always someone to talk to and there will always be cake’. I think this is a comment really worth remembering (even if I do say so myself!) I have really been stressed out this week – hence the lateness of this post, sorry guys, but sometimes it’s essential to gain that little bit of perspective: even when things get tough – you will get through it.  So there we go! 5, hopefully realistic, hopefully useful tips! This blog has probably given away quite a lot about me as a student too; I am quite a ‘stress-head’ and I like things to be right! However, these little tips do provide some perspective for essay writing. It’s all about personal standards and expectations, for me, and I hope that these little nuggets of advice will prove useful to help people reach their own expectations, or that they show you that there are definitely perks of essay writing in the wonderful form of cake!

History Hugs, Have a good week!

Thank you for reading!  Eleanor :0