FRESHERS: 9 Stylish Back To school Items

1. Small Cactus Notebook

2. Rushton Holdall

3. Raindrop Multi List Book

4. Indian Foil Storage Box

5. Harry Potter Notebook

6. Stardust Stationery Set

7. Baxter Dome Backpack

8. WHITE OUT – 2016/17 Academic Wall Calander

9. Umbrella Pattern Pencil Case/Pouch

 

(From left to right)

1. Small Cactus Notebook from Not Only Polka Dots at Etsy.com : £4.00 + P&P 

If you’re still not quite ready to let go of summer then keep the holiday feel alive with one of Not Only Polka Dot’s tropical notebooks, they’re cute and vibrant bringing a bit more colour to your everyday! They also have a clipboard and larger version of this notebook available!

Link: Not Only Polka Dots

2. Rushton Holdall Bag from Topshop.com : £29.00

Make this one of your cheapest and best investments this year! It’s black and it’s spacious, what more can you need from a bag? This holdall goes with everything and is ideal for carrying all your everyday essentials. It’s both smart and casual.

Link:  Holdall Bag

3. Raindrops Multi List Book from Paperchase.com : £8.00

OK, so admittedly you can probably make your to do lists in a normal notebook if you’re really organised, but what’s the point in being average? What better way to make yourself seem extra pro-active than with a tasteful, bright to do list that is perfect for slipping into your bag.

Link:  Multi List Book

4. Indian Foil Large Stationery Box from Paperchase.com : £12.00

Maybe not an essential, but if you have the extra cash why not opt for this cute box to style your boring University room. Stash those revision cards away in style and for some extra organisation why not add dividers to not only keep them out of sight, but also easy to locate.

Link: Large Stationery Box

5. Harry Potter Notebook from Simply Notebook at Etsy.com : £5.30+ + P&P

For all those Harry Potter fans out there, what better way to distract yourself from the reality of uni than imagining you were casting your spells at Hogwarts? Simply Notebooks has a beautiful collection to suit all types of personalities, from stylish marble covers to more graphic planners there’s one for everyone, see whats on offer on their website!

Link: Simply NoteBooks

6. Stardust Stationery Set from Accessorise.com:  £7.00

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a massive fan of stationery, and when it comes to it I quite like for them to be matching and as well as that I’m a  big christmas fan and this is why this stardust set is perfect. It has a christmassy feel with its golden colour scheme and star patterns and gives you everything you’re realistically going to need, get some post-stick notes and you’re ready to go!

Link: Stationery Set

7. Baxtor Dome Backpack from Accessorise.com : £35.00

Accessorise always have plenty of bags to choose from, but this season along with the blue Amani Mini Backpack this has to be my favourite. The autumn colour as well as it’s backpack style makes it the perfect day-to-day bag. With two additional side pockets, you should be able to fit everything you’ll need whether you’re going to campus or going into town.

Link: Backpack

8. WHITE OUT 2016-17 Academic Year Wall Calendar from Shot Tower Studio at Etsy.com :  £15.00 + P&P

Subtle, yet, classy. If you’re not into having pictures of some random dogs or cats on a calendar why not go for a more slick and sharp option that’s a lot more pleasing to the eye. Then you don’t have to worry whether it matches your wallpaper or get impatient waiting for the month with the picture you like the most. They have more to chose from, but most keep the formal and simple vibe.

Link: Shot Tower Studio

9. Umbrella Pencil Case from Elena Illustration at Etsy.com : £8.00 + P&P 

Unlike no.1 if you’ve finally accepted that the sunshine is disappearing and the nights are getting longer than embrace the weather by buying one of these adorable watercolored pencil cases, that despite the weather they represent remain colourful and cute.

Link: Elena Illustration

 

 

 

FRESHERS: 6 Alternatives to a Night Out at the Club

When people think of students and the uni lifestyle, something that instantly springs to mind is the drinking culture. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good night out, but sometimes the thought of dancing for hours in a packed room and spending money on overpriced alcohol simply doesn’t appeal. So here are some great alternatives to a heavy night out.

The cinema

Because who doesn’t love a trip to the movies? The cinema is a relatively affordable way to spend your evening if you don’t fancy a big night clubbing. It’s a great way to see friends and to get out of the house. Most cinemas have a particular day where it’s cheaper so keep a watch out! Also Keep an eye out for your university cinema as they often show new blockbuster films much cheaper than the local cinema in town!

Movie night

If you really don’t want to leave the comfort of your own house (only enough to rush out for snacks), then perhaps one of the simplest and most enjoyable alternatives to a night out is a good old fashioned movies night. Pop to Tesco’s to pick up a supply of m&m’s, biscuits and crisps, change into your PJ’s, settle down on the sofa in a pile of blankets and enjoy your movie!

Cook

Whilst you could pop out to dinner to a fancy restaurant (well as fancy as you can get on a student budget) it can be just as fun to cook a meal! Make an effort to buy all the trimmings, spend the time cooking and settle down to enjoy some good food. One of the favourites in my house was fajitas, simple but delicious!

Music

You honestly can’t beat live music. Whether it’s a band at the local music venue, an open night mic, or a new music event somewhere you can’t go wrong. Keep an eye out at different venues for cheap tickets, most pubs will have live music at least once a week. You’re student Union also normally offers a great ranges of artists!

Cocktails/Pub

Sometimes you may not feel like going on a big night out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a trip to the local pub for a pint! Cocktail bars often have happy hours and student discounts, so if you only fancy one or two drinks this is a great and relatively cheap way to spend your evening. You can’t beat a pub quiz or a bit of karaoke at your student bar!

Board game night

Sounds simple I know, but board games can provide endless amounts of fun, especially those that go on for hours. But be warned, make sure you know the people you’re playing with, these games can get extremely competitive and even jeopardise relationships.

By Niamh O’Connor

FRESHERS: Routine -Let’s Not Make it So Hard

So whilst I know some people haven’t started or are still in the process of experiencing their freshers week, here’s a post for after all the madness of freshers has died down and the real university begins.

A routine is something so many people wish they could accomplish – one that includes: meals, exercise, work, jobs done and relaxation. But, it’s all so much easier said than done! I’m one of those where it works perfectly for a couple of days and I feel like Superwoman then something throws me off and I just can’t get back into it! I’ve started to learn what works best for me and I think that’s such an important aspect of getting into a routine. You can’t just look at someone’s life and think I’m going to give that a go. You may copy their routine but it might just not work out the way you want it to!

I understand now what times are best to do certain things and which work for me. So this is roughly how I go about trying to be in routine (this is a general routine and more applicable to me being on my university break):

• I try and get up early (but it doesn’t always happen) and when I mean early, I mean 7.30/8am not ridiculous times like 5.30/6am. That just does not work for me because I’m really not a morning person, but I never feel like I’m missing out as I still have plenty of time to get what I want done, if I prioritize the important stuff for that day! And I take my time to enjoy my breakfast in the morning and check emails because I feel more ready for the day when my morning’s aren’t rushed!

• In relation to university work, especially during busy periods I’ve come to learn I’m more productive before 12pm and after 4pm. I have no idea why! I get tired very easily and in these 4 hours I tend to lose my energy and can never sit down and get stuff done efficiently! I usually take a nap or just take some time to myself and just listen to music. Obviously,being at home I have more spare time but, even with lectures and seminars my body still works in the same way so I just fit my work in around my lazy hours! and that’s going to be different for everybody so find your least productive times and work with them not against them!

• I CANNOT exercise in the morning, my body just does not function! I’ve already mentioned I’m really not a morning person and I think people feel exercise has to be done first thing! Most studies show people actually feel more active between 4pm and 7pm and that’s around the time I try to do some exercise myself. I try and do it about 6pm or 7pm at the latest so that I’m not eating too late! Otherwise, after a shower and eating it’s time to go to bed before I know it.

• Evenings are normally spent with my friends and family or whatever if I manage to get my work done earlier in the day. But if I workout earlier I tend to do a little extra university work in the spare time I have before I sit down to relax. I get into bed about 10.30pm so that I can read for at least an hour to wind down. And I set my alarm to wake up 8 hours from the time I close my eyes. (I’m a bit of a fan of the whole sleep cycle thing)

• Another really important aspect of creating a routine in my opinion is making sure I try and eat my meals at the same time each day, and not just when I can be bothered. Having certain times for my meals means I’ll always eat properly and wont get distracted by other things, which can lead to me snacking too much or eating too little in a day!

So that’s more or less how I go about my daily routine and I understand busy schedules can make it harder! As I’ve mentioned over and over this is what suits me and you just have to find times of the day that are most productive for you and base your own routine around that aspect! If you can get your work done way better at night time then make sure during the day you take the time to relax and do the things you want like see friends.You won’t feel as guilty then when you have to say no to those pre-drinks so that you can do your work!

FRESHERS: From The Eyes of a Graduate

Where to start with freshers week? With all the emotions that you feel it’s safe to say it’s unlike any other week you’ve probably experienced or will ever experience!

Having experienced freshers week from different perspectives this article will give you a brief low down on what to expect when you first head off to uni…So shortly after results day you’ll become exposed to a whole realm of different people trying to interest you in events. From your soon to be student union to private event companies and clubs you’ll be invited to a lot! Be it themed club nights, bar crawls, picnics or beach trips with academic societies you’ll be spoilt for choice!

It’s important to mention here that although a big drinking culture has and still is associated with freshers week not everyone drinks, and not all that do have drunk before coming to uni! Coming from a small village in Cornwall and only recently turning 18 before starting at university meant that the first few days of freshers week was a massive eye opener for me, as it will be for many freshers this year!

From working for both the university and the students union at Exeter during freshers week as part of The Welcome Team, in both my second and third year, I can guarantee that the situation new students find themselves in are not unique and the staff have probably dealt with similar situation loads of times before!

It’s important to remember that The Welcome Team are there to help you, they’re part of a volunteering project to help you get settled into your new home both day and night. The Welcome Team help make it easier for a lot of clubs to take care of drunk people, but as a fresher it can be a tiny bit under appreciated. We don’t get paid and we give up our own freshers to ensure that everybody is safe and taken care of, but it’s was such a fantastic project to be involved in and very much worth the long hours! Each Welcome Team member will have their own individual experiences of freshers and will know exactly what you’re going through so don’t be afraid to approach them and ask for help!

To help you settle in over the first few days here are some tips:

• Wedge your door open for the first few days to get to meet as many of your corridor/flat as possible!
• Don’t shy away from just knocking on people’s doors and introducing yourself!
• Think about how you’re going to get home from nights out before you go out! The city will probably be completely new to you so make sure you’ve got a taxi number saved or at least know how to walk back to your halls of residence!
• It may be worth saving your universities security team or campus patrol in your phone so if you’re completely lost or have any issues they can be soon on hand to help out! Many universities increased their response staff during the first two weeks of term to ensure that student safety is maintained so don’t be afraid to give them a call!
• TRY NEW THINGS! So many societies put on taster sessions to try and get you to join up! Over he years I’ve done everything from climbing to kayaking and shooting! This will also let you get to know some of the committee for these clubs and societies and properly get to know how social their club is.

 

By Jack Caulfield

FRESHERS: Easy Pre-Drinking Recipes

For a fresher pre-drinks basically becomes a ritual before any night out, as we all try to save as much money as we can by drinking ourselves silly before stumbling our way to the club, but there’s being cheap then there’s drinking a whole 2 litres of Frosty Jacks at the price of literally nothing. So here’s a few classier drink recipes to spruce up your pre-drinking game, all quick and easy and used from alcohol usually found sitting around in your student accommodation. 

–

SEX ON THE BEACH (One Glass):

200ml Cranberry Juice, 100ml Orange Juice, 75ml Vodka, 75ml Peach Schnapps.

Method: Mix all the ingredients together, and serve with ice! Add the alcohol first, or it will float to the top!

–

CHEEKY VIMTO:

One WKD Blue, 50ml Port, 25ml Vodka.

Method: Mix together the bottle of WKD with the Port. Then add 25ml of your Vodka. Easy as!

–

CRANBERRY PIMMS:

375ml of Pimms, 100ml of Gin, 1l of  Lemonade, 200ml Cranberry Juice, 1 Lemon Sliced, Mint Leaves and Berries to Garnish (optional…we are students after all).

Method: Fill one quarter of a large jug with ice cubes. Pour in the Pimms, gin, lemonade and cranberry juice, stir well. (Add the lemon, mint and berries to garnish, and serve.)

–

STRAWBERRY & APPLE COCKTAILS (One Glass):

3/4 cup of Boxed Red Wine,  1/4 cup Apple juice (Berries and a Slice of Lemon)

Method: Mix together and serve with berries & lemon.

–

WATERMELON WHITE WINE SPRITZER (One Glass):

2 Cups of Watermelon Chunks, 1 Tbsp of Agave Nectar, 1/2 cup of Boxed White Wine, 1/2 cup of Soda

Method: Put the watermelon chunks and the agave nectar in a blender and pulse until smooth.  Use 1/4 of the watermelon mixture and in first, top up with the wine and soda! Enjoy!

–

SANGRIA:

Depending on how much you’re making use 3 parts Red Wine, 1 part Orange Juice, 2 parts Lemonade, Sliced fruits and fresh mint (Optional to Serve).

Method: Mix all the ingredients together in a large jug. (Add more red wine, orange juice or lemonade according to taste and desired strength) Garnish.

FRESHERS: Quick 10-Minute Make-Up

After waking up with the world’s biggest hangover this fresher’s, the last thing you’ll want to do is put a full face of makeup on before heading out the door. So here’s a tutorial that shows you how to achieve the most from as little products and effort as possible.

1. First off, always make sure you’ve hydrated your skin with a good moisturizer and let that sink in for a few minutes. I use the Estee Lauder Day Wear Cream as it leaves my skin soft with a nice glow.

2. Cover any blemishes with a good concealer, I love the Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On-Glow Highlighter and Concealer, just dab onto your problem areas and sweep under your eyes to brighten up those dark circles, plus apply the tiniest amount on your eyelids and dab using your finger.

3. Then we need to highlight important areas of the face to brighten up your complexion for the day. The MAC Strobe Cream is a favourite of mine to use when not wearing as much makeup because of it’s creamy texture, use your fingers to apply to your cheekbones and up to your temples, the tip of your nose and the cupid’s bow on your lip and the arch under your brows. (Alternatively you can mix this into a tinted moisturiser or your foundation as well to get an all over glow.)

4. Just to add a bit of definition to your face, apply a non-shimmer bronzer, like the Peaches and Cream ‘Sculpt’ pressed powder underneath your cheekbones. You can also apply this over the socket of your eyes to add definition here too.

5. If you’re a lover of the winged eyeliner look and can’t bare to even think about leaving your bedroom without it, this is a toned down, more natural approach. I’ve used the MAC Eye Pencil in ‘Coffee’ across the top of my lash line. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect like your usual liquid liner, I sometimes even smudge it to make it look a bit more natural.

6. Apply 2 coats of your favourite mascara on your top lashes and a tiny bit to the bottom (only if you feel you need to as sometimes it emphasise your tiredness), this will open up your eyes even more when you’re feeling a bit under the weather after the night before. My favourite for years has been the Maybelline Colossal waterproof mascara in black.

7. And lastly, to add a bit of colour to your face, a product that has many uses: the NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil, you can use this to line your lips and then fill them in with some colour, it also acts as a gloss too! (Another use I find it’s handy for is to sweep and blend it onto the apples of your cheeks to add a bit colour.)

 

So there we go, a minimal makeup tutorial that will have you looking fresh in just 10 minutes.

By Cara Slater founder of Coco Belle 

 

**Check out Cara’s Social Links for more insight into her business Coco Belle**

 https://www.facebook.com/caraslatermua/

https://www.instagram.com/caraslatermua/

FRESHERS: What Happens When You Think You’re Too Old for University?

Freshers. One of the most exciting words to enter the mind of a wide eyed teenager working towards the end of their college education. The culmination of two years of work in college is to scrape the grades needed to get into their subject of choice at their chosen university. Once they’ve achieved the bare minimum required to get in, the real excitement starts. Forget budget planning and getting essential items, the conversation turns to the clubs they’ve scouted in their area that offer the most exciting entertainment in the first two weeks of university life.

New groups of people forced together through sharing a grotty student flat congregate in their temporarily clean kitchens to sink pre-drinks to get over their inhibitions before hitting the dance floor. The loud music and bright lights of the city dazzle for the opening two weeks before becoming an expensive oasis in the desert, but for those two weeks the freshers are untouchable kings of the city.

For the reasons stated above I am absolutely dreading the prospect of freshers this month. I’m 24 years old. As much as people have repeated the cliché to me over the last few months that “you’re never too old for university”, frankly, I probably am. Those that know me know that I have a mental age of around 56. This is not ideal when you’re preparing to embark on a university course with the doe eyed teenagers that look forward to freshers week, six years after I last attended college.

First and foremost, I’m not a big fan of clubs in general. I don’t like the fact I have to pay to get in and to hang up my coat. I don’t like the music that gets played at conventional clubs and I don’t like the volume at which it is played. I don’t like the fact I have to pay in excess of £4 for a bottle of Budweiser or Carlsberg because I don’t want to spend the night drinking shots of tequila or vodka and lemonade just because they’re on special offer for students. I don’t like shouting the same anecdote in someone’s ear four times because they can’t hear me. I don’t like the humourless baboons that are hired as bouncers and I don’t like dancing. Give me a good traditional pub any day.

Second, I’m not the best person at meeting new people. This is something I have improved over the last few years but I’m still undeniably awkward at meeting people for the first time. It’s not some sort of underlying trust issue I have, but I like to figure people out before I put my chips on the table. Once you get to know me I like to think I’m pretty good company, but for the first few meetings don’t be surprised if I seem a little wary or reserved. It will pass.

Thirdly, mental age aside, I’m going to freshers as a mature student that will be six or seven years older than a lot of the people around me. You have to take things like this into account when you’re planning various aspects of living in student accommodation. I knew that when I was choosing my room, it would have to have an en suite bathroom. Partly this was for my own sake so I didn’t have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night and tiptoe around a pile of vomit and passed out teenagers to have a quick piss. But perhaps more so I was selflessly aware that the teenagers I could potentially be sharing with might walk into the shared bathroom one morning and stare in disgust at the old man that lives with them trying in vain to shave his back while they’re trying to spray their hair or whatever young people do these days.

Finally, and probably most importantly for someone brought up in the north of England, the simple cost of freshers is enough to make me sweat. I’ve spent the last six years working full time for a betting firm. I’ve been an assistant manager in the branch for the last five years. Over that time period I reckon I’ve earned around £80,000. Of that sum I have saved precisely £775 to take to university. It’s not something that I’m particularly proud of, but I’ve had a hell of a time and some great memories over the last six years.

That being said, I’m now going to be living on the breadline for the next three years. My maintenance loan will just about cover the rent. Student Finance Wales have kindly given me a grant of £79 that I don’t have to pay back. I am grateful for it but I don’t really understand why they’re paying it to me in three instalments. On top of that I’m going to have to work a part time job to be able to eat and live. I really, really cannot afford to spend the first two weeks of my university life partying away what little money I actually have,

Through the clouds of negativity, I have conjured up that there is a big shiny light beaming through that is university life itself. Once freshers is over, everyone will be too poor to go clubbing during the rest of the year so I’ll be able to quietly segue into finding a decent local pub that I can go to with like minded new friends that I will make. Despite my social inhibitions, I know I’m going to make new friends in university. It’s almost impossible not to in such an environment. The fact I’m going at 24 is probably not as big a deal to other people as I presume it is. A lot of my best friends are younger than me so I guess I’ll be well prepared for spending time with that demographic both in my accommodation and on my course.

So I guess if you’re reading this my advice for freshers starting this month, just get through the first two weeks. If you enjoy it, great! Have an absolute blast, it’s what those two weeks are there for. If you don’t enjoy it, it doesn’t matter; chances are the next three years of your life are going to be the best experience of your life so far. Soak it all up, make new friends and do your best to make something of your life.

And the money? I figure it’ll work itself out somehow. If not, I’ll have to sell my body parts on the black market to survive. Doubt my liver will be worth much by October though.

By Harry Freebe

FRESHERS: How to be TeeTotal at University & Enjoy It!

Boozing it up seems like the rite of passage for many becoming a university student. For some they come into university as a seasoned drinker, for others university will be the first time they drink anything more than a glass of wine with Sunday dinner. However, there is often a forgotten minority who don’t drink at all at university. This was a group I was firmly part of for the first two years of my university life. In a place where drinking is so prevalent it can be hard to be the one not drinking. When I came to university I was surrounded by people who were very understanding which helped me a lot. While there there were some nights that I really did struggle, the majority of my time at university the lack of alcohol hasn’t been a problem. Here I will share my experiences and tips for a teetotal university experience.

• Embrace University Life

University life has the potential to be whatever you want it to be, but the most important thing is to embrace university in however you choose. This is general advice to anyone, but especially non-drinkers. If you want to have nights in with friends, do that. If you want to go and live it up in your local club, do that. Drinking doesn’t define the activities in which you’re allowed to participate. Do what makes you happy and comfortable.

• Find Alcohol Free Events

University societies are usually required to have at least one non-drinking freshers event. These are great events to meet people in a relaxed social setting. These could be sports taster sessions, or meet and greets in a cafe. Make the most of these to meet people,  in turn it’ll make drinking socials easier as you’ll be around familiar faces. If on alcohol based socials just do what you are comfortable with. If in doubt look for the sober committee member (societies are usually required to have one), they will more than likely be happy to chat and help.

• Don’t Be Shy

Alcohol is seen by many as a way to top up their confidence. If you aren’t drinking, certain social situations may not flow as easily as they seem to for other people. Just be yourself and enjoy everything you do. Don’t hold back from introducing yourself to people, don’t shy away from a particular social, go and throw the craziest shapes in that club.

• Don’t Let it Define You

You’ll inevitably get questions about why you don’t drink. People can generate a lot of preconceptions about what someone who doesn’t drink may act or be like. From experience there are a wide reasons why people choose not to drink. More people don’t drink than you think, and the variety of personalities is huge. Be yourself and don’t conform to any preconceptions. If people don’t react well to someone not drinking, they aren’t worth being friends with anyway. But don’t try and hide it, honesty will always be easier.

• Embrace the Benefits

There are very obvious benefits to not drinking at university , so try and focus on them rather than any issues you may have. Firstly nights out will be extremely cheap compared to your drinking counter parts. If you’re a good saver this will benefit you greatly, however if you’re like me this extra money will just be spent on coffee. Secondly you’ll avoid the dreadful hangovers. You can proudly turn up to a morning lecture while your peers struggle with last night’s headache.

FRESHERS: Best Cover Ups for the Morning After the Night Before

With your freshers just around the corner and your packing pretty much done, you’re probably beginning to plan all of the events and nights out you’re going to attend. If it’s your first year then you’re more than likely going to end up at all of them. If you’ve done the whole Fresher’s thing a few times you might have decided to take it easy. Either way, all that drinking and lack of sleep is going to play havoc on your skin. So here’s an insight into my 5 best cover up’s so you can look fresh, bright-eyed and ready for your 9am lecture the next day – even if you don’t feel particularly great, you’ll look fab!

1.MAC Pro-Concealer Palette in Light

This is one of my all time favourites when it comes to covering up those under-eye bags. I use it after I’ve put on my foundation, or sometimes without if I want a quick fix before heading out the door. I use the pink tone mostly to counteract those dark circles, and if I find it’s too heavy for my skin when I’m not wearing a lot of makeup that day, I add a couple drops of MAC Prep and Prime Essential Oils to get that dewy feel.

2. W7 Hide ‘N’ Seek Colour Correcting Concealer Quad

If you don’t want to break the bank on the MAC palette (face it you’ve probably already spent most of your student loan on clothes and a new Macbook), this is a great cheaper alternative. I bought the anti-redness palette to cover up the spots I get on my chin when I’m run down, and a little bit of this goes a long way underneath your foundation. 

3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On-Glow BB Highlighter Pen

I love this pen! It’s a concealer and highlighter in one! It’s perfect to use on top of foundation when contouring, or just sweep straight onto the skin and underneath the eyes to brighten up your complexion. And true to the Double Wear trait it will last for hours leaving your skin looking radiant all day. 

4. Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser Treatment and Concealer

This is another that won’t make you feel guilty after you’ve bought it. The sponge tip on the pen makes it easy to sweep under your eyes, and it does what it says on the front too, it will actually erase those dark circles you’ll have inherited after the not-so-fresh Fresher’s Week.

5. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

And last but not least, another favourite of mine is this miracle in a tube. A lover of all things NARS, I was love-struck when I discovered this beauty, it covers up problem areas completely and with it’s creamy and smooth finish it will leave your skin looking flawless.

By Cara Slater founder of Coco Belle

FRESHERS: Dealing with Anxiety During Fresher’s Week

It’s incredibly hard for me to sit here and break down all the advice I want to give for dealing with anxiety (or any mental health issue); every individual has a complex reaction to anxiety triggering situations. It’s so difficult to pin point exact ways that you can deal with your personal anxiety as it varies for every individual.

So, instead this post offers a few immediate actions that you can take that will work to calm and comfort you in the short term. Although, never be afraid to seek professional medical, you’d be surprised how many people suffer during fresher’s week and beyond, visiting a counsellor or seeing the doctor is not uncommon.

Tip 1: Breath.

Breathing exercises can be incredibly useful. Deep breathing can be a powerful tool in calming any symptoms of panic and you can do this subtly in any given situation. Just put your hand on your stomach, exhale, pause, inhale so you can feel your stomach inflate, pause, exhale and repeat. For more information on this (and a demonstrative video) visit anxietycoach.com. (http://www.anxietycoach.com/breathingexercise.html).

Tip 2: Write things down.

You could keep a journal or list things it doesn’t matter, but there are benefits to writing down how you’re feeling. Your thoughts will feel more structured once you’ve noted them down, they may seem clearer or they may seem more manageable when you see them in physical words on a page.

I recommend writing a list of positive things that have happened during the stressful period of freshers or writing down all the reasons you originally came to University. The act of writing solidifies these positive thoughts, makes them definite and also becomes something you can refer back to when needed.

Tip 3: Create a safe place.

My safe place throughout the whole of first year was the bathroom. There’s just something about a small space that I’m familiar with that makes me feel safe, like I couldn’t be accessed by anyone outside that room. I would go in there to calm down and take a few minutes every now and then.

I’m not saying you should shut your self away constantly. I’m just saying it can be a good idea to have somewhere to escape to, somewhere that’s private and is always available.

Tip 4: Recreate your happiest moments.

This tip requires some reflection and thinking, but it can help you beyond freshers week to maintain a happy lifestyle. After your first few days try to pinpoint the situations, the moments that have made you feel the most relaxed and happy. Who was there? Where were you? What were you doing?

Its likely that revisiting the elements of this happy moment will once again make you feel happy! However, its all about trial and error in finding the things that help you. For example, during first year, I felt happy watching ‘American Horror Story’ with my flatmates. Although, when I tried to watch it on my own, I found I wasn’t really enjoying it. What I liked in the first situation was everyone being together and making jokes about the show.

Tip 5: Push yourself in small doses.

In CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) they teach you about something called ‘exposure therapy’. Sounds daunting, but it can be very effective if you keep working at it. The basic idea is that you expose yourself to the things that make you anxious so that you can better deal with them. The more you do the thing that makes you anxious without any distractions, the more you’ll adjust and the stronger you’ll become.

This concept can be terrifying despite its beneficial effects. I recommend not trying to do too much at once, just push yourself in small doses. Take small steps forward instead of expecting yourself to instantly stop being anxious.

I hope these tips are reassuring and helpful to you, whether you’re anxious in anticipation for your fresher’s week or struggling with anxiety in general. Remember, no matter how effective any of these tips are they are no replacement for professional help. Don’t be afraid to speak out, you are not alone and you don’t have to put up with the way you feel.

By Emma Tanser

 

*Emma has a brilliant blog that covers all sorts from style diaries to advice, all from her personal view as “An Anxious Twenty-Something” so make sure to take a look for some more great posts!*