Reflections on First Year, Drama and Jumping In

Bit of background before I get into this post. I recently graduated from Keele University with a degree in Physics after an amazing three years there. I originally wrote this at the beginning of my second year, and thought as I have just started a new course in journalism, it is still applicable now.

First published on the Keele University blog, October 2016.

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If someone asked me how I found my first year at Keele, I would immediately say variations on the word 'amazing', because honestly how could it not be?

I made some great friends, got put with a great bunch of people to live with and achieved some great things in both my course and in societies. My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner. I joined seven societies at the Fresher's Fair, but attended next to none of their events in my first semester.

My first semester at University was a rather sombre affair. Instead of the usual partying until the sun comes up that you would typically expect from a student, my nights were spent having TV show marathons. Whilst that was great on one hand, I finished the first semester having only made maybe 3 or 4 great friends.

To my disappointment, I hadn’t met a million new people from all over the country like I’d hoped, and I hadn’t really properly participated in any of the societies I had joined. This was, of course, my own fault as I let my less than social tendencies get the better of me.

However, when I started my second semester, I was determined to do this one differently. So I auditioned for the Drama Society’s first play of the year; in which I got a pretty big role.

The two months of madness that followed me being cast were wonderful. My time was filled with mad rehearsals, socials and meeting and getting to know some awesome people - who are now some of my best friends at Keele.

After discovering how much I enjoyed being in this society, I realised something that I should have known from the beginning - I should have joined earlier. My biggest regret (no honestly) from my first year at University is that I didn't get involved in Drama from the jump.

Honestly, you may think this was an obvious one, but even just to audition took a lot of convincing from one of my (3) friends. I was super nervous to meet new people and be sociable, as I'm not what you'd call a "social butterfly". If it hadn't have been for her encouragement, I would not have auditioned and probably wouldn't be on committee now.

Most Freshers are very willing to jump in and get involved, and that is brilliant. However, if you are like me and are nervous about jumping right in - don't be. I know that's the most hypocritical thing ever to be saying, but if you get past the nerves and join in, I implore you, listen to Shia LaBeouf...

DO IT!

Are You Prepared?

August last year, I wrote about  my AS results day, and the frantic feeling I had on that dreaded day, however, I failed to write about how I felt just before the exams I had taken the two months previously.

This year, however, I am writing this the day before my first A2 exam, and to put it bluntly, I am feeling less than prepared.

Despite the fact that I will start answering a past paper, and after about 5 minutes on the question I'll suddenly stop, put my pen down, and squint at the paper and think "I've done this before...", in my head I need a lot more time before I'm going to be ready for this exam. Actually, I am never going be ready for any exams.

I realised this a few weeks ago, after learning some of my, what feels like, 4000 definitions. Despite completely ticking off your list of things to learn, there's always that nagging feeling inside you that there's something that you've missed out. Your mind then skips to that one question you did on that mock paper once, that you simply couldn't do.

Panic sets in and you spend the next hour staring blankly at your textbook desperately trying to see inside the page to scour for that secret fact that will get that you extra mark, when in fact, it's not there. It then dawns on you that you've just wasted an hour of your day and learnt nothing, an hour which could have been used more productively doing useful things like sleeping or making brownies.

At which point, you make those brownies, eat them all in one go, explain why you and the kitchen is covered in cocoa powder to your mum and then proceed to sleep for four hours, or perhaps that's just me...

The number of stupid marks I have lost when doing past papers these past month would add up to a good solid A at A-Level now. Although it is daft and I know that I am not the only one experiencing these last minute silly errors, now is the time to make those mistakes and hopefully next time you'll remember that 2x2 is in fact 4 and not 2. Nice one me.

So, just before your exams, don't panic, get enough sleep and if that's not working for you, eat brownies until you feel better.

Snowy Spring

If you’re expecting a detailed insight into this year’s unconventional weather, with quotes from learned meteorologists as to why the white stuff is back in spring, then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.

Britain is currently on its third bout of winter weather. The first was welcomed by teenagers and children everywhere as the possibility of school closures emerged and parents went into panic mode. Shouts of “You’ll be fine, there’s only four inches!” and “See it’s not that slipp—Ouch!” rang out across the country as parents struggled to get their children out of the house.

The second, longer spell of snow arrived in February, and teenagers and pupils everywhere thought themselves the luckiest people in the world, and once again parents despaired. Park hills were worn down even more, with countless numbers of sledges turning hills into sheet ice, again. The makeshift tobogganers with various sizes of tarpaulin sheets, bin lids and, once I spotted, a garage door arrived in their masses, only to be very much out done by the snowboarders.

We thought that was it, no more snow: hooray! A month later, however, on spring equinox, the weather reporters predicted snow, and then went into hiding. They were right.

Three days solid, the white stuff fell from the sky. Scotland had power outages, there were abandoned cars and crashes everywhere. Twenty to forty centimetres fell in the peak district, prayers were said for anyone going on D of E, and everyone shut the doors, windows and curtains and broke out the hot chocolate. Snow is fine, just not when the seasons say it should be spring.

Not only was there snow, but poor south west England had landslips and floods. “This is it. The apocalypse is upon us. Everybody hide!” was what everyone was secretly (or not) thinking. Alas, no apocalypse, just an unusual numbers of colds for March.

So is it that it for poor Britain? I seriously hope so. I’ve run out of hot chocolate.

Motivation is a hard thing to find

So, it is half term and I have piles of work to do, but instead, I am sitting on my laptop writing about the piles of work I have to do, rather than doing them.

The art of procrastination is a fine one, which I seem to have mastered to a level never known to man before. I procrastinate in many different forms, such as writing, which isn’t too bad because at least it is a form of work, but I will also do things I hate.  I will offer to help with the gardening, which is unheard of, tidy my room, which is even more unheard of and spend at least an hour washing my hair.

Yes, it’s a bad habit and I really need to buckle down and get some work done. I have my first AS exams in January and it’s probably a good idea if I start revising now, judging by my recent grades on my tests.

The motivation however is extremely hard to muster. I am one of those people who can work continuously for a good two of three hours once I get started, but getting started is the thing I find the most difficult.

There are websites which suggest different methods of getting started such as doing the work before you go out, so you have an incentive for doing it. Starting work first thing in the morning so nothing else can distract you, came up on quite a few websites.

Unfortunately, mornings aren’t really my thing and all my friends live quite a way away so it’s difficult to arrange something to encourage me to do work.

Maybe having my computer right next to my work isn’t the best plan. Twitter and Tumblr just seem to call to me when my German grammar book sits open waiting to be written in.

If you are one of those people who can get started on work easily, I applaud you, to me you are a hero.

Big News!

I am so, so, so, so sorry for not posting in a very long time but things have happened that I couldn't help such as GCSEs, A-Levels and Sixth Form (which is a bit scary...).

My big news, however, is that I am no longer just a humble blogger with big dreams, I am also a bone-fide journalist. I am no longer that faceless girl sitting at her computer writing a load of rubbish for the internet. I am now a girl sitting sitting at her computer writing a load of rubbish for a newspaper.

I still haven't quite got used to the whole 'opening the paper and seeing your own face thing'. It can be quite scary at times to think that someone has been reading what I have been writing and nodding, shaking their head, laughing or tutting at something I have written. I realise this has been happening on here for a while but now there is something physical to hold.

The newspaper in question is The Nottingham Post and if anyone is in that area, I am in on a Friday on the Youth Page sometimes and I am very excited. This is a short post because now I have to go and write my column which is due in for Tuesday and I have no idea what to write about yet...

Geeky Inspiration

I recently read my good friend Katie's post entitled "The BEST Genre of Music Out There", it claims that the best genre of music is to be found on adverts and I have to say I agree that some are rather excellent. Although I do not think it is the best place to find good music. I shall first explain that my life is rather a nerdy one, I enjoy Doctor Who marathons on a regular basis and I am also partial to a Sherlock marathon once in a while (although that does take rather a long time, nine hours in fact...). I often try to deduce things about new people I meet, taking inspiration from the original Sherlock Holmes himself. I find nothing better than staying in on a Saturday night playing video games and watching videos from this year's VidCon (which I REALLY wanted to go to) and...listening to music. This is where my post really begins.

Due to my frankly startling obsession with all things Doctor Who I have discovered a band I rather like. They  are called Chameleon Circuit and, I can put this no other way, basically, they write songs about aforementioned Doctor Who. Before you stop reading and run away from the blog never to return, please hear me out. The music is rather good, some songs are about specific episodes (Big Bang 2) and some are about characters (Mr. Pond).

I will emphasise this, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIKE (or even watch) DOCTOR WHO TO LIKE THE MUSIC. Obviously it helps, because you will understand the references to the show but you can still enjoy the music even if you do not understand what it is about. The band consists of five members, all YouTubers, Charlie McDonnell, Alex Day, Michael Aranda, Liam Dryden and Ed Blann. They are all really good vloggers in their own right but together they are BRILLIANT.

So basically what I am saying is, yes Katie, some of the best music is to be found on adverts, but in my opinion, the best music, once in a while, comes from some geeky inspiration.

Watch Charlie McDonnell's video about their album Still Got Legs here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg6b-yuabjI

Dorset

So, half term was a couple of weeks ago now, and it was pretty good, I suppose. To be honest it did not really feel much like half term, what with Study Leave, but I did go to Dorset. I had been before and I do not really want to go back, because well, it's a bit boring... I am a city girl at heart and all that green just got a bit tedious after a while... It may have been a bit boring but there were a lot of dramas during the week.

I will start with the weather. I have never in my whole life seen rain like it, or felt wind like that! The only thing that came close was being in the middle of a hurricane when I was in the mountains of North Carolina in the USA. In other words, it was like standing under a helicopter with blades the length of the Great Wall of China while having a bucket of water poured on your head. People say I exaggerate. I do, but not in this case...much. Opening the back door took two people otherwise you would be flung across the field behind the house. Closing the door? That took a Roman army prepared to battle anything, and it really was a battle. Plants were blown over (dramatic huh?), dogs chased toys that were being flung down the field (no, seriously) and umbrellas turned inside out. Ok, so just re-read that sentence. Doesn't sound very dramatic does it? Um....this is awkward.

Anyway, next drama. The beds. Oh. My. Croft. It was like sitting on a trampoline that had collapsed. You sat on the bed on the first floor and descended into the basement. I do not know who had been sleeping on there but my days they must have been BIG. My back by the end of the week must had molded to the bed I'm sure because it hurt, a lot. I tried to sit up, but ended up just rolling backwards into the wall. Oh dear. If I'm honest, I've had better nights sleeps.

Oh yeah and the big problem. Big is a good word to use because simply put, the house was not big, at all. I am 5'11" and my head wasn't a comfortable from the ceiling and I walked into the ceiling on numerous occasions. My mum had the same problem and I really don't know how the owner coped because he must have been at least 6'3". 

So some up the 'holiday' in a sentence? I've had better.