The nights you cant remember, with the friends you wont forget.

When I started university, one of the worst things was how many friends that leave. As you all go to your chosen universities it is inevitably that your friendship will disperse to various parts of the country.

I stayed at home to go to uni in London, but some of my closet friends moved away and as many texts and phone calls as you like do not fill the void that they leave in your life, most of these are the people who I really grew up with and who made me who I am today.

In my first year I made it through with hours and hours on the phone and texts, facebook etc… but this year I finally took the plunge and went for a visit…My only opinion now is why didn’t I do it sooner?
National Express Coaches run from London Victoria and Hammersmith and run to loads of places in the UK, including many major university towns.

I went to visit my friend in Southampton and my return journey cost less than a London day travel card! Seats cost from as little as £1 per journey (10 seats per coach are allocated this) and because of this I was expecting to be squashed on a little seat for two hours, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The seats were leather; big enough to be comfortable even next to somebody, there was air conditioning and even free wi-fi for the journey! Travelling in style if you ask me!

To make it even better, I’d forgotten how expensive London is; everywhere is about half the price outside of the capital. University cities are inundated with student bars, discounted club nights and a night out is honestly about a third of the price! All you need is a friend willing to spare a part of their bed or a spot on their floor and you’re golden.

So take the opportunity to catch up with friends, have a great night out and even see the country a bit more… I’m already organising my next trip...

Amie x

The only girl in my world..

Is turn up your speakers and watch this..



Great song and video from Rihanna. Once again, one of the coolest woman in pop gets it oh so right!
It is a definate 'feel good' song that makes you want to dance around your room and sing into your hairbrush (you know you want to!)

Au revoir

Lucy X

Frosty Weather Casts a Spell...

Unless you live in a cave, or Wigan*, you will have noticed that a white sheet has covered the grounds of England. I'm lucky(?!) enough to live in one of the areas hit hardest in the south east and Outside my house is something like 18 inches of snow greeting me whenever I brave the cold and try to leave my house, and I think as a country we've all unanimously got a huge case of cabin fever. But do not fear, there's the perfect remedy... it's fun, can take as long or short as you want, will give you a chance to wash the festival mud off your wellies and the best part? It's 100% FREE.

GO HAVE FUN IN THE SNOW!!!

Bring out your inner child, invent sledges out of any flat object, have snowball fights, build a snowman or just make snow angels... guaranteed hours of fun, or minutes if you're that way inclined. So go on, pull on your warmest clothes, layer up, pull those wellies out of storage and enjoy the days of plausible excuses for missing uni/work- we don't get the chance that often! But make sure you've got a dry pair of socks to pull on and a kettle for a hot drink when you come in!

Have Fun!

Amie x


*thats not a dig at Wigan, they just havent had snow apparently :)

Meet Stan the snowman..

This morning me and my house mate ruined the lovely white layer of snow that had fallen on our garden to make this little man. Despite having a nasty cold, I put on my hat, scarf, coat and gloves and braced the chilly temperatures..Stan is currently sitting very happily in our garden and we are keeping an eye on him from the warmth of our kitchen!

Wrap up warm!

Au revoir

Lucy X

How to Procrastinate Successfully

I've got an essay due in in one week, I'm snowed in and home alone. Best time to get it done, right? Of course not... there's loads of stuff that I need to do before I could possibly pay attention to my very important essay. So for everyone like me, who simply loves the thrill of having to rush the essay two days before the due date (you work better under pressure anyway, right!?) here's some simple hints as to how you can procrastinate successfully:

1) Tidy your room/ wardrobe- now is most definitely the time that your room needs a good spring clean, your clothes need a good sorting out and its imperative that you now choose the outfit to wear next Saturday/ to that Christmas party/ new years eve

2) Organise your CD's- much better when they're in alphabetical order, or if your collections a bit more impressive then how about by genre, then alphabetical... or rate them and put them in order from the best to the ones you bought in the sale/got as a gift that are actually a droning voice over a buzz of guitar and drums...

3) Do some online shopping- your Internet might keep freezing and it takes 7 minutes for each item on topshop to load- but you need to plan what to buy when you do finally have money/ the next installment of your loan

4) Compile a 'do your work' playlist on itunes- I'd recommend nice slow and chilled songs, or just songs that you love which can play in the background (mine, at the moment, is leaning towards some Bowie, Adam Lambert, Foals (total life forever, not antidotes), the slower Libertines tracks and Peter Doherty's solo album- my essay is on Peter as a celebrity so they could count as research even!?!)

5) Go play in the snow!! If you are as lucky (or not) as me to be practically snowed in then whats a better excuse than to make the most of the snow and have an epic fight, build a snowman or generally just play around (I'd like to suggest basically re-enacting Wham's 'Last Christmas' music video for some funtimes)

6) Make a detailed essay plan, several times over... headings, what to write in each paragraph, what quotes to use etc... it's also nice to decorate this, maybe give it a nice page border or something?

7) Gather every possible resource that you could need- books, notes, download quotes from online, trawl through google scholar (i.e. any students holy grail) and find anything that relates at all to your essay without actually writing it

8) Update your twitter about your progress/lack of progress every five minutes (including photo's of your notes and research)- your friends and followers are clearly desperate to know how you're getting on (this applies to facebook too, and any other social network site for that matter)...

9) Write a blog entry about how you're procrastinating and encourage others to do so as well

Well, I hope that helps you all out, I'm going to go have a cup of coffee and wonder how I'm ever going to get this essay done then.
See you next week when I haven't slept for doing work and stressing out to the max

Amie x

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..

Happy 1st of December!

It is now officially the month of Christmas and it is definitely time to start buying presents and drinking hot mulled wine. For a student, Christmas really falls at a bad time of year as everyone is trying to survive of the last few pounds from Septembers loan and is on the hunt for that annoying part-time job at a clothes shop that you really do not want to be doing. This is the situation that I usually end up in, and being an avid present buyer, I find it impossible not to buy my family each a variety of presents for them to open (and pretend they LOVE) on Christmas morning.

Of course, in an ideal world, I would buy everyone everything that they wanted, but I have a feeling that most of those presents would be used once and then it would sit at the back of the cupboard for the rest of the year. I find that there is more pleasure in giving them something that contains a bit of thought rather than something from there endless Christmas list..after all it is all about the quality not the quantity folks. Here is a list of things that I reckon make small but perfectly formed pressies:

• A bottle of spirit (Dads favourite whiskey or something your Mum likes to mix with tonic)
• Over sized chocolate bar (so they feel like they are unwrapping something BIG and exciting)
• Download and album and put in on a CD (who needs the real deal?)
• A mug that says something stupid ('Yummy Mummy' etc.)
• Nice smelling bath soap (just in case they didn't get enough from the Grandparents)
• A poster (Edward from Twilight? Harry from the Potter? Whom ever takes your fancy)

The list is endless..all you need is a few pounds, festive thoughts and a few ideas to send you on your way. People often appreciate gifts more when you actually take the time to think about the presents rather than just splash the cash. A trick that I learnt from my mother is to start listening to people from November onwards, and pick up on little bits and bobs that they mention they might need or want. So when it comes to Christmas morning they will a) realise you do actually listen to them and b) think that you put some thought into the present.

Its the little things that count..remember its only 24 shopping days left until Christmas so get a move on!

Au revoir

Lucy X

Backstreets of Brixton

Feeling hung-over and not having much cash in your bank account is not a very nice feeling. However, the idea of going out for dinner and possibly (if you can stomach it) hair of the dog always seems like the best cure. Brixton is home to a variety of places to eat and drink but I would suggest first starting at the Rest is Noise, which is on Brixton Road and just next to Plan B. Briefly stopping off here for a few glasses of their ice cold Rosé to shake that queasy feeling off definitely does the job and you even get to sit on some seriously comfy sofas while your at it. It has a very relaxed atmosphere and is a perfect watering hole before heading off for a big night out. 

If you do not want to face the bright lights on London, then head down the road to Fujiyama  on Vining Street. It is a small Japanese noodle bar that offers a massive range of food from creating your own sushi platters to a whole selection box of different foods.  This was my rather over enthusiastic order..

I defiantly had eyes that where bigger than my stomach but that did not stop me from eating every last bit, with the exception of a few lettuce leaves. I had the vegetable spring rolls, cucumber sushi rolls and then the chicken teriyaki Bento which was far more exiting to look at than it was to eat. Word of advice, do not get Miso soup as I am sure it came from a packet and was mostly powderd lumps, yum.

If you still have energy to kill and are not suffering from a massive food baby then The Prince is a cheap and cheerful pub that is just on the corner next to the huge KFC. Although they always insist on play unnecessarily loud music, a Jack Daniels and Coke is only a measly £3.50...bargin. It is a good place to finish off the night but you might find yourself having to shout at one another to have a conversation.

For a place that has not had the best reputation in the past is now an area that provides pretty much everything you could want for a night out, but sometimes you have to escape the main roads and dig a little deeper in the backstreets..(just be careful!)

Au revoir 

Lucy x