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Lifestyle
17th October 2023
Get hooked on crochet! Caitlin Bennett Lifestyle writer
We’re in the age of arts and crafts. Now at our fingertips we have manuals for any hobby we wish to lend our hand to and, currently, crochet and knitting has grown in popularity. For hundreds of years, crochet has been used as a necessity in households, predominantly undertaken by women; it was a core way to produce clothes and recycling materials, and also, as a pastime too. Crochet has many origins from all around the world and dates back to 15th and 17th century, and a little known fact is that we cannot yet replicate it with machines and therefore any genuine crochet garment will be worth more money due to the fact it was made by hand. If for any reason a crocheted garment is not priced
accurately, then we must question the ethicality of its manufacturing. Crocheting is the art of producing woollen crafts with a hoop, of varying widths, and wool, again of varying ply. These are the basic and
"It can be a really rewarding and useful hobby"
essential tools needed to create nearly anything you wanted too out of crochet. Popular items to start are granny squares, which grow quickly and are easily sewn together to form an impressive blanket. You can crochet scarfs, bags and anything square based off of this premise. More complicated
Credit: UEA Stitch 'N' Mix
items could be clothing, toys and items with increasingly difficult stitches or patterns. Most patterns can be found on YouTube with step by step guides on how to mature the skill! The reason why crocheting could have gained popularity at the moment is due to its repetitive and, once learnt, relaxing nature. In this time of ditching the screens as much as we can, and with the cheap materials simple crocheting requires, it can be a really rewarding and useful hobby. Also, the rise of social media has meant that it is easier to go viral or set a trend, so we’ve seen much inspiration on these social platforms; once a hashtag gains momentum before you know it there are people flocking to Hobbycraft! Before you know it you’ll have concentrical mug coasters, place mats and runners for tables, everblooming flowers for ever-pretty vases, hats, scarfs or stool covers. The items made
also make really thoughtful and charming gifts, so maybe get into the spirit of Yuletide now and have the gifts ready for the 25th. The other way to make this hobby even more rewarding is to start with others, bring friends and family in on the trend, or use a club to build your circle. The UEA has its own knitting and crochet society and in September was holding taster sessions, but as with every
society, will be sure to be holding more events throughout the year!
"The other way to make this hobby even more rewarding is to start with others"
The realities of student housing and off-campus living to get a full deposit back. The Huffington Post UK reported on a study that found that a quarter of student homes are infested with rats, mice or slugs, and nearly a third are riddled with damp, condensation and mould; meanwhile, not even a third have
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Mia Galanti
Lifestyle Editor
Like many students, I lived in student accommodation during my first year of university. The nowfelled Ziggurats (rest in temporary peace) was a perfect place to cut my teeth at living by myself for the first time. I was situated in the very middle of campus, no further than a ten-minute walk from anything, with enough independence that I felt like an adult, but also with the safety net of the Residential Life Team and my parents on speed-dial in case anything went wrong. It certainly came with its set of challenges— during Freshers we passed around
"Isn't the student experience all about living in less-than-perfect conditions?" Covid and various other flus to each other like hot potatoes, going into lockdown on the second week and sadly watching all the student inductions through our windows—also, our fridge broke three times—but it was an invaluable part of my student
"Nearly a third [of student houses] are riddled with damp and mould" carbon experience, one I still look back on fondly. After all, isn’t the student experience all about living in less-than-perfect conditions? Moving into a house with friends in second year, however, proved to be the real taste—and test— of adulthood. Unlike in first year, where a cleaner had come in biweekly and mostly sighed at us to move our steadily-growing pile of dirty pots and pans, we were left to fend for ourselves. We quickly had to work out a cleaning rota, a washing rota, a perpetually-maintained grocery list of communal products we needed more of and who should buy them. Council tax crept up on us like a bad surprise, only realised after finally opening the
plain white envelopes that had come through our letterbox throughout the year, and we filed our exemptions by the skin of our teeth to avoid paying an addition fee per month. Despite it all, we were fortunate with our house. Our letting agent was quick and responsive, and our friendly landlord moonlit as our maintenance man, coming in to fix our bathroom light and my housemate’s splintered bedframe. However, I have friends who weren’t so lucky. I heard horror stories of black mould, in some places growing up to several feet big; neglectful landlords who refused to do anything about broken locks or leaky ceilings; the wrangle
monoxide
detectors.
Not only is it disgusting, it is also a complete violation of health and safety codes and can be dangerous. Long-term exposure to damp and mould can result in respiratory issues, problems with sleep and migraines. Vermin infestations can result in a number of diseases such as salmonella and hantavirus. Moreover, many students have reported accidents happening as a result of landlord negligence, such as in one case a sink coming off the wall and cutting a student’s leg, resulting in them needing eighteen stitches. Another student reported that the locks on their doors had been changed without the tenants being notified, and on one occasion had selflocked and trapped occupants
in the kitchen: a total fire hazard. Exploitative landlords and predatory housing schemes are nothing new, but they are especially prevalent when it comes to students, famously one of the poorest demographics willing to suffer minor discomfort to secure housing. However, there is a different between minor discomfort and squalor. It is not just because of financial reasons that students are easy to exploit, but lack of experience. The same study reported that over half the students were unsure if their deposit was protected, meaning that landlords were effectively able to take predatory, undeserved cuts of the deposit without the students realising they had the ability to contest it. Thus, in light of the recent closure of the Ziggurats and the subsequent displacement of over 170 students offcampus, it is a reminder to read up on your tenant rights and understand what you are
entitled to. (And that your deposit is always automatically entered into a tenancy deposit protection scheme, so know that it is protected!)
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17th October 2023
concrete-online.co.uk/category/lifestyle/ | @ConcreteUEA
Anne Glia Your Agony Aunt
Q: I feel paranoid my friends don’t really like me and that they just tolerate me being around. How do I know if my friends properly like me or if they wouldn’t care if I wasn’t there? I feel like they always leave me out or forget I’m there when we go out. A: It’s normal to go through peaks and troughs with your friendships. You may go through a patch where you feel a certain friend isn’t making enough effort, and they likewise, but it’s important
"It's important that if this is the case, you make your feelings known to them" that if this is the case, you make your feelings known to them. The more you bottle up your feelings, the more they’re likely to turn into resentment. Be honest with your friends (if you feel comfortable enough to do so) and tell them you feel left out or unappreciated. If they don’t take this well or
make you feel bad for talking about In all honesty, you can only figure your feelings, you will know they’re out what a sports club is like by not the right people to be around. giving it a go. If after a taster session or even joining a club you get the A proper friend will acknowledge impression that it’s an unfriendly or their faults or make an effort to even toxic environment, then understand your feelings. If your don’t stay and put up with it. friends aren’t willing to acknowledge There are too many sports how they’ve hurt you, then it clubs for you to be wasting might be time to move on and find your time in the wrong one! better, more long-term friends. Q: Should I join a sports club? I want to stay active while being at uni, but I’ve heard they’re quite cliquey and I don’t want to feel like the odd one out. A: Joining a sports club at UEA is a great way to keep fit and socialise at the same time. There are a huge range of sports clubs to get involved in, from rugby, to karate, to yoga – there’s something for everyone! Taster sessions are a great way to give a sports club a go before committing financially, but as we’re part-way through the Autumn term now, that may be slightly more difficult. Keep an eye out for taster events throughout the year and even ask friends about their opinions or experiences with certain clubs. UEA runs the society and sports fair again in the new year so there are always more opportunities to learn more about the individual sports clubs then.
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Night out or night in? The student job dilemma Eve Attwood Co-Editor-in-Chief
It’s Friday night. Your friends are all getting ready for their big night-out, either pre-eing in the kitchen or doing their makeup on the stairs, whilst you’re getting ready for an early night before you start your shift at 9am. The infamous ‘student job’ – you’ve either had one or been lectured to get one by your parents. There’s no secret that getting part-time work whilst studying is a great way to gain financial security, and it provides you with useful work experience that’s not going to hurt once you graduate. But taking on part-time work alongside studying can be a juggling act, particularly when parttime hours turn into full-time ones. I’ve worked my fair share of retail jobs by this point, but have had two solid jobs during my university experience so far. I was lucky enough to get an eight-hour job, mainly working on a Saturday at a baby and maternity
clothing shop, and I now work on a casual basis at the Sainsbury Centre. My job at the maternity and baby shop fit in with my university timetable easily, and I liked being able to earn for myself. Unfortunately for me and the rest of my colleagues, the after-effects of COVID and the rising rates of inflation led to the shop being permanently closed, and we were all made redundant. I
"Taking on a parttime job alongside studying can be a juggling act" spent months prior to getting the job applying everywhere and anywhere, desperate to even be given an interview. And despite having previous retail experience, I had gotten nowhere. The amount of jobs
available in Norwich in comparison to the huge numbers of students applying for them both from UEA and NUA, meant that it was close to impossible to get my foot in the door. However, before I was helpfully made redundant, the job had worked well for me. Having a part-time job is genuinely an experience I would recommend to most students. It’s good for your mental health (on the whole) to not always be chained to the university campus, and to have a life outside studying, even if it is just working once a week at a local supermarket or a shop in the city. Part-time jobs are a great way to meet new people and gain confidence interacting with customers. I’ve made friends and acquaintances who’ve worked on campus, in the city, or near their student house, and the money they’ve made has been extremely helpful, particularly when maintenance loans often only just cover rent, and rarely living expenses. That’s not to say there aren’t downsides to working a student
job though. I’ve had my fair share of horrible customers who treat you like you’re a bit of dirt on their shoe. It can be demeaning and honestly soul destroying, yet you’re forced to stand and smile because ‘the customer is always right’. On top of that, working a part-time or full-time job alongside your studies often means you have less time than the average student to catch up on all your work. It can be incredibly stressful trying to find the right balance between the two, and it can be difficult to not feel like you’re missing out when you see your friends going out whilst you’re stuck working. It’s well known that universities such as Oxford and Cambridge have been notoriously strict with how many hours students can work
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during term-time, often resulting in backlash, particularly from working-class students who have no choice but to work alongside their studies. Oxford University’s current statement on students working is that you must not exceed 20 hours of work per week, allowing students from lower income backgrounds to earn continuous income. Similarly, UEA advises that students work no more than 20 hours a week during term-time, but for those students who are working that amount, it is impossible for it to not interfere in their studies. The sacrifices many students are having to make during the cost of living crisis makes you wonder if university is becoming a luxury only few can afford.