I've been sat here staring at the screen for quite a while, with pretty bad writer's block halting me from tapping away on the keyboard. This isn't something I'd normally even dream about writing here; it's a beauty and lifestyle blog so the pressure's always on to keep things light and never dare to approach anything serious or potentially controversial. (I've done that before and lost followers for daring to.) This week, I've felt compelled to broach it though. Unless you've been living in a cave or something, it won't have escaped your attention that there've been some truly horrific and barbaric events taking place across the globe.
Therapeutic? Or nonsense?
There's been a huge surge in the numbers of adults turning to colouring in as a form of relaxation, and recently, I've been one of them. Deemed by some as a childish pastime, it's actually strangely cathartic.
It's time for me to whine about what life's taught me lately. Enjoy!
Keep on going.
There are days where you question if you've made the right decision, but there are also days where it's crystal clear that you're on the right path. Finally.
Doing a Broadcast Journalism Course Equals...
...Not being able to watch TV or listen to the radio like a normal person ever again. My mind's constantly analysing everything, which isn't really ideal.
Autumn looks pretty...
...But feels cold and disappointingly dark. No-one enjoys it being dark at 4pm. No-one.
Bitterness.
Some people are incapable of being happy for you when your life's going well; they're much happier when you're struggling to keep your head above water. It makes them feel better about their own lives, and their inability to make their own dreams come true. Just carry on with your life and let them implode with their pathetic bitterness.
Sleep is hard to come by.
I've always struggled to get enough decent sleep, but there's something about being at Uni a lot and a three-hour daily commute that makes sleep even more elusive. (Somebody pass the industrial strength concealer...)
Getting over stuff.
It's taken a surprising amount of time to get over the events of the summer. (Read here, if you're not sure what I'm referring to.)
I'm still occasionally jumpy and it's as though the actions of one person have made me feel like home isn't really home right now. However, it's all about not letting them win, because they're totally not worth it.
Juggling.
Blogging and doing a Masters are quite hard to juggle. You may well have noticed that there've been very few posts over the past couple of months. Sorry, but my MA must come first because it's costing a packet.
(A very modest £5,510!)
Quarter-Life Crisis
Since when did loads of my friends get into serious relationships, start buying houses, getting married and having babies? I'm a student that still lives at home with her parents... What happened?
Progressing at Different Rates
We tend to progress through life at different rates. It's about finding the one that you're most comfortable with. As I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before, it's that variety that makes life all the more beautiful.
What's life taught you recently?
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You remember earlier this year I had all those problems with a nasty neighbour? If not, check it out here. This'll be the last time I bring it up. Promise. Three months have passed since he was arrested and banned from the area; and lately I've been looking back on the whole situation. Time heals and all that. So, I thought a really good way to make myself feel better about the whole debacle was to write an open letter to him. Anyway, here it is:
On Thursday, I nipped into Derby to go to the bank. Only, when I walked out of the Bus Station there was a man lying on the ground. There were about three people who'd just rushed to him, but I didn't know what to do: Whether to just walk by because these good Samaritans had got it, or to stay and help because the situation needed all hands on deck. I stayed. I didn't really help much, but I was there, regardless.
The poor man had just collapsed on the ground, he was drifting in and out of consciousness, and he really wasn't a well man. I've never encountered a situation like this before, so I honestly didn't know what to do. About five of us stayed with him throughout, and a few others drifted by for a few minutes at a time, even though none of us really knew him. It was the least we could do, because it was better than just walking by and letting him fend for himself.
One girl phoned for an ambulance. I gave him my coat as a pillow to stop his head lying on the cold pavement. We stayed with him, and tried to keep him semi-awake and talking. The ambulance took around ten minutes to arrive; but when it did, there was only one paramedic all by himself.
Because the man had fallen awkwardly and was already disabled, it was judged better to be safe than sorry. The paramedic needed to immobilse him, and therefore needed another crew to help put a neck brace on him, put him on a board, onto the trolley, and into the ambulance. He radioed the control room a couple of times, but there were no other crews available: So we had to help. We had to help hold him still, help roll and scoop him up onto the board and then put him on the trolley. Once the paramedic had got him into the ambulance, he thanked us for our help and shut the doors. That was it. A totally surreal situation: over. All in all, we were with the man, who I won't name, for about 25 to 30 minutes. I don't know how he is, and I really hope that he's okay now, but at least I'm safe in the knowledge he wasn't alone after he collapsed.
After that, I went to the bank. Normality had resumed, and it was just weird. I felt weird.
I was walking round Derby for ages in a total daze, clutching the coat that'd just served as a makeshift pillow for a poorly stranger. Derby was beautiful that afternoon, with bright blue skies that stretched for miles, blissful sunshine and unexpected autumnal warmth, but I couldn't help but focus on worrying about that poor man. I took the photos for this blog post on my phone in a (frankly) vain bid to distract myself from overthinking the situation that had just unfolded before me. Again, I really hope he's well now.
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I'm back off to Uni this September, (did I mention that?!) so I thought I'd give myself a bit of a challenge: I'm going to set myself some goals to complete over the next month or so!
Buy my own bodyweight in stationery.
Because a girl can never have too many pretty notepads and pens.Spend valuable time with friends & family.
I'm going to be totally rushed off my feet soon, aren't I? So, I've realised that I need to spend quality time with family and good friends before I'm a student once again.Enjoy the summer as much as possible.
I'm awful for just concentrating on worries and not appreciating good weather, (rapidly shortening) long nights, and halcyon days like I should. It changes now.Embrace my inner bookworm.
There's a huge pile of books in my room that need reading before I end up waist-high in books solely about news. (FUN!)Go to the seaside!
It's been years since I upped and went to the seaside. I was supposed to visit Skegness a few weeks ago, but unfortunately, it was the day when all that trouble kicked off, so we never got to go! (All because we were hiding at home waiting for the police.) Here's hoping we make it soon!Continue learning new skills.
Wow, I'm boring, aren't I? Why sit back and enjoy the summer when you can get stuck in and learn stuff?Learn more recipes.
I'm such an incompetent adult in a culinary respect. It'd be great to actually learn how to make a few staple dishes & maybe even write about them on here too!Make more YouTube videos!
I've made a few new YouTube videos recently, which I've throughly enjoyed. So, before I become a student again, it'd be good to make more! (Incidentally, what would you like me to make? Let me know in the comments below!)
Be a better blogger.
I definitely haven't been the best of bloggers lately, so I'm going to try and knuckle down and get KW in order. I've tried to be as upfront and honest as possible about the reasons why I've struggled to publish posts consistently, and voiced my worries about producing quality content that I'm happy with on a regular basis.It'd also be great to implement some kind of schedule that works both for myself and you lovely readers! (Mainly because I'm acutely aware of how shabby this current 'only-post-when-you-have-something-to-say' schedule is.)
What are your goals for the summer?
Is it nearly that time of year ALREADY? A-Level results day has been and gone, and now it's almost time for the academic year to start. It's three years since I finished Uni now, but I'm about to start a Masters! So, here are my top 5 tips for those of you who are starting Uni!
Enjoy it! (Because it'll be over before you know it!)
Those three years will fly by, trust me. So, have fun! And knuckle down and get a good degree too, obviously...
Being a student isn't all about hard work, it's time to enjoy early adulthood, before you're back down to earth with a bump as a graduate. In all honesty, I don't really think anything prepares you for the shock of leaving Uni for the 'real world'. So, enjoy your time as a student!
Get the work/life balance sorted.
During my third year of Uni, I was pretty close to burning out all the time. By the time I left, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Don't make that mistake. Make sure that you leave time for socialising and having fun, because it'll make the hard work so much easier to contend with!
I really can't stress enough how important it is to look after yourself. Make sure you eat properly, sleep as well as you can, and don't drink too much. (And that's my cue to move on, as I probably sound like your Mum.)
Make sure you're doing the right course.
Now, that might sound like a really stupid point, but there are several people I went to Uni with who ended up swapping courses along the way. Sometimes, that means that you'll end up with a bigger loan hanging over you. So, it pays to make sure that you're doing what you'll enjoy, and what'll get you decent career prospects too.
You definitely don't want to make the mistake that I did the first time round, by picking a course that won't get you a proper PAID job. Make sure that you get plenty of experience relating to your post-uni career of choice too, while you're still a student, because that'll really help your job prospects.
Grab as many opportunities as you can, seek them out yourself, because they're not going to just come to you.
You definitely don't want to make the mistake that I did the first time round, by picking a course that won't get you a proper PAID job. Make sure that you get plenty of experience relating to your post-uni career of choice too, while you're still a student, because that'll really help your job prospects.
Grab as many opportunities as you can, seek them out yourself, because they're not going to just come to you.
Spend your first year settling in & getting used to things.
I don't know if all Unis are the same as the one that I went to in this respect, but my first year didn't count at all towards my final degree classification. So, that meant that I could spend the first year finding my feet and getting to grips with university life. (And Harvard Referencing, because it's surprisingly hard... Especially if you're rushing it hours before your deadline.)
This also helped us to get used to the University system: the grading, the coursework submission, and all of the other student-y admin stuff. That doesn't mean to say that you don't need to try very hard, but it's a lovely not to have the extra pressure of worrying about your final classification piled on.
Keep organised.
Nothing will help you through Uni more than getting organised. (Except intelligence, perhaps.) Seriously, honing your time management skills and devising some sort of helpful schedule will keep you sane! You probably don't need telling that you'll need to keep track of deadlines, exams, and lectures/tutorials/seminars, so treat yourself to an academic diary. (Because everybody likes buying new stationery!)
And if you're on a budget? Use a handy free calendar app like iCal or Sunrise Calendar instead!
KatieAnd if you're on a budget? Use a handy free calendar app like iCal or Sunrise Calendar instead!
Are you headed to Uni? Let me know in the comments if you've got any questions or advice!
x
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Tomorrow, I turn 24. Here are some lessons I've learned whilst being 23:
Trust your instincts. Initially, if you believe that someone's an idiot, in all probability: You're right. You know that feeling in your gut? Trust it.
Adulthood is hard. Responsibility? Bleugh.
Don't let others make you bitter. Good people keep their heads held high no matter what other people do.
The world is absolutely BRIMMING with idiots. But there's little you can do about it. The key to getting around it? Do stuff that helps you rediscover the beauty in life.
Time flies. Even if you're not having fun.
Start looking after yourself. Now's the time to learn how to stay healthy, before it's too late.
It's your responsibility to better yourself. No-one else is going to grab opportunities for you. BUT, it's okay not to know what you're doing and what you want from life yet.
Hobbies are fun! The more you have, the better!
It's okay to be selfish. Sometimes. Sometimes you really need to protect yourself and put yourself first.
Ignore the haters. Life's too short to get dragged down in petty arguments. Don't bother getting angry at people you're never going to see eye-to-eye with.
Procrastination is awful. Seriously, the things I could've got done instead of incessantly scrolling through Instagram looking at photos of cats with moustaches.
Nobody's life is perfect. It's so easy to believe that other people live the perfect life because of Instagram or their incessant Facebook bragging. (But perhaps they're making up for something they're missing in life.)
No-one knows what they're doing. You know when you're a kid and you think adults know everything? They don't. We're all just endlessly meandering through life trying to avoid messing up.
Money doesn't go far. And that makes me really sad.
Being a geek isn't bad. When I was at school I was a hardcore square, which was a very bad thing. Now, knowing stuff is good. Don't ever let anyone take the mick because you want to learn new and exciting stuff!
You can't help some people. Learn to stop bending over backwards for people who don't even appreciate it.
23 isn't as old as it once sounded. It's not that bad, or that old. That doesn't mean I'm looking forward to being 24 though...
Appreciate those close to you. It's not 'uncool' to be close to your family or friends. Make time for them, because there may be a time that they're not there anymore.
Learn when to stop. I'm terrible for putting loads of pressure on myself to achieve unattainable things, and it's been hard trying to force myself to take a break from striving for the best. But, every now and again, it'll do you good.
Rejection. It never gets any easier. And that goes for any type of rejection.
People aren't a commodity. It really isn't nice being used. Don't do it to others unless you're willing to be used yourself.
Don't lie to yourself. If you're not happy, don't try and pretend you are, even to yourself. It doesn't work and it makes you so much unhappier in the long run not to admit the truth to yourself.
Life isn't a race. Oh, this has been such a hard lesson for me to take on board. Life definitely isn't a race: It's not about who can get the best job, who can buy a house first, who's the first to get married and have kids. It's not about that. People progress through life at different rates, and that variety is what makes life all the more beautiful.
Don't lie to yourself. If you're not happy, don't try and pretend you are, even to yourself. It doesn't work and it makes you so much unhappier in the long run not to admit the truth to yourself.
Life isn't a race. Oh, this has been such a hard lesson for me to take on board. Life definitely isn't a race: It's not about who can get the best job, who can buy a house first, who's the first to get married and have kids. It's not about that. People progress through life at different rates, and that variety is what makes life all the more beautiful.
Hope you lovely readers can relate to some of the above! Here's to more incessant rambling as a 24 year old!
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A bit of tranquility in an otherwise bustling town.
I love this place. In fact, sometimes when I get overwhelmed by wanderlust, this is the only place that reminds me that it's not so bad being stuck in Belper. If you read my last post, you'll know that things have been a bit rubbish recently, and it's going to places like this (where I'm not constantly looking over my shoulder) that keep me sane.
It's just a park, basically, but it's so serene compared to the rest of the town, that it's easy to forget that you're by a busy road, a train line and in a bustling town centre.
So, I thought I'd shoot a little video just to show you lovely readers one of my favourite places right now! Hope you enjoy it!
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Back in the day, when I was in sixth form, I had a part-time job at a local supermarket. Pretty standard, right? Except, I genuinely hated it. I only worked there for six and a half months because it made me so miserable. I spent eight and a half hours each week serving customers at peak times, most of the time on the tills.
Why did I hate it so much? Rude customers. A supervisor who HATED me with a passion for no apparent reason. (To be fair, she hated most of the other women, but was all over the men and teenage boys.) Managers who expected me to make a part-time job my main priority instead of my A-Level exams. Oh, and getting paid less than £5 an hour.
I can be philosophical sometimes, you know? Here are a few things I've learned this week. Don't ever say this blog isn't educational.
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