Epigram 342 - The Croft

Wellbeing Students open up about quitting smoking| p. 8-9

Food Cocktails to put a fright in your night | p.10

Style Easy makeup for last minute costumes | p.14

Travel Save ahead for reading week breaks | p.22

the croft

Orange October

From tasty treats to traditions we give you the lowdown on Halloween

the croft issue 3 | october 28 2019

Front page image: Epigram / Isaac Haigh

Editor Daisy Farrow Deputy Editor Hendrike Rahtz Digital Editor Emma Holding

the croft editor’s no tes

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s Deputy Editor, I welcome you to what is already The Croft’s third issue – which has come around so fast! Gradually, our image as a lifestyle magazine has been building into something that will become engrained into the University of Bristol’s student culture. A new development has been the launch of our Instagram – make sure to check it out!

Bat earrings - Style takes you through makeup, costume and accessory ideas for Halloween

Our ‘spooky season’ issue is bursting with Halloween and autumn themed pieces, from a Halloween costume quiz in the Style section, to recipes for Halloween cocktail concoctions in Food – and if you don’t drink, check out page 5’s article on ideas for an alcohol-free Halloween. Discover even more throughout this issue to get you in the mood for (in my opinion) one of the best seasons of the year!

Yeah it’s cold, but what better excuse for buying that new coat you had your eye on? I love this season because it’s not late enough in the year to properly stress about grades, and there are loads of parties to go to - not just for Halloween, but all the other events of the season. This means meeting new people, no matter what year you’re in, which is one of the most exciting things about university. Plus, that familiar, warm Christmassy feeling is looming (however I do find the selling of Christmas stuff at the same time as, if not before, Halloween problematic and disturbing) which adds to our ever-festive mood.

Drinks - Food teaches us how to make some spooky cocktails just in time for Halloween on pg.10

Meditation- Wellbeing discusses the usefulness of healthcare apps on pg.8

The clocks are also going back, meaning the days will get shorter and the nights longer. It’s time to spend more unnecessary cash on hot drinks, wrap up in our fave jumpers, have cosy and cute movie nights in with your significant other/flatmates, and basically anything else to help you get through the wet, windy and dark days that lie ahead. Turn to our article on the next page to discover autumnal themed things to do whether it’s sunny or raining outside – we may have lost the beer garden but there’s something equally inviting about the warm, cushioned atmosphere inside pubs.

From this issue, I hope you find at least one thing to (pumpkin) spice up your season of festivities and get your dress up on.

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King Street- go on your next date here... or not? Disover autumnal date ideas on pg. 4

Hendrike Rah tz The Croft Deputy Editor

Dublin - Your next reading week getaway and why on pg.19

Dear

consult

‘Playlist Perfectionist’

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I decided to expand my dating experience, and explore the boys that existed outside the Bristol uni bubble. This included going on a couple of dates with a guy from BIMM (the music uni based in Stokes Croft). I was looking forward to dating a guy who had a bit of an edge on your standard Bristol uni lacrosse player. He was really nice, good looking, and pretty stylish. When things progressed to the bedroom, I was at first impressed by his sex playlist on Spotify. It was a bit weird that he paused mid-foreplay to put the playlist on, but it set the mood well. But this guy was obsessive - if the song wasn’t right, he’d stop and skip. Then, as the general mood of the sex changed, he changed the whole playlist - this time not ‘sex’, but ‘rough sex’. He also had ‘romantic sex’ and ‘drunk sex’.

I appreciated the extensive effort he had put into setting the mood, but pausing mid-action to find the perfect tune, or to change playlist definitely killed the mood. I wondered - would a UoB guy do this too, or is this a BIMM thing?

Epigram/ Hendrike Rahtz

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‘Misogynistic mind-f*ck’

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I was speaking to this guy on Tinder once... he seemed kinda cute, a little older than me, but a nice guy. We were texting for a bit, talking about arranging to meet up when he said that he didn’t want to take me out on a first date because it might be a waste of his time, so we should do a practice date at Spoons instead. First red flag. Later that night I was out at a bar having drinks with my friends when he messaged me saying that if I needed help getting home, I could go back to his. Bearing in mind we still hadn’t met yet, I told him that it would take a bit more than that to get me into bed. He then proceeded to tell me: ‘good, I’m glad you said that. Because some girls have no self worth and it’s really sad to see.’ Second (and final) red flag. Was he testing me? Did he just offer me to stay at his place because he wanted to see if I had any ‘self worth’ ? Misogynistic and gross. Suffice to say, we did not end up meeting.

thecroft...

It’s been a month since I moved into my second year house, and I really don’t get along with my flatmates... they’re really loud and have no respect for me and my other flatmate. I don’t know what to do It has only been one month so far, but I understand it feels daunting espcially since there are still eight months of the year left.

You and your other flatmate should try to talk to the others at a good time and when you are in a good mood, so probably not when you’re pissed off because they’ve woken you up at 4am. Make clear exactly what you’re upset about, without getting angry and making them feel bad - they are probably not being malicious, they may just need a gentle reminder to be considerate of others in the house. For many students it is the first time they have lived independently (bar student halls) and they tend to get a bit ‘over-excited’ at the prospect. Just have a friendly and calm conversation with them, and be honest - you live there too, it’s just as much your space as it is theirs!

The cold weather is getting me down, I don’t have as much motivation to go out and go into uni and see friends

As hard as it is, try and make plans for your day the night before. If you know what you have planned, it may motivate you to go out and do them - especially if you have planned to meet someone. Also, sometimes it is the lack of vitamin D that causes depressive symptoms, so perhaps invest in some vitamin D supplements. Let your friends know how you are feeling, and organise outings and nights in so you are spending quality time with others. If you have things to do, like studying or reading, try and make your room brighter and tidier.

Love, your Editors x

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Have a story to submit to Bristol in Bed? Or a burning question for Consult the Croft? We are taking submissions by anonymous Google Forms, available on The Croft’s Facebook Writers’ Group.

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Autumn and winter dates

Third Year English student, Alice Manning, gives you some inspiration to get out of the house and enjoy the autumnal season vegan, and gluten free options.

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ith summer fading into obscurity, beer gardens and golden hour are eclipsed by freezing flats and puffer jackets. The new academic year brings with it autumn and winter, for some the most arduous seasons of the year. To help you brave the next few months, we have compiled some cosy autumn and winter activities to do with flatmates, friends or significant others.

walking into a cosy pub with a roaring hearth and feeling the blood rush back to your cheeks. The sensation makes you feel like a Dickensian character spending the last of your wages on a hearty meal. One of my favourite pubs is The Lansdown near Manor Hall, which quenches the thirst for a quaint English pub, and it makes a change from the usual Spoons haunts.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Colder weather means warm food and preparing your immune system for the imminent freshers’ flu. Making your own soup is a productive and tasty way to appreciate the season, especially if you use seasonal vegetables like pumpkins and squash. They’re a solid reminder of wholesome home cooking after weeks of eating beige.

If you fancy eating out for a change, I can think of nowhere more autumnally appropriate than Pieminister, offering a range of pies and patties with vegetarian,

We all know the Clifton Suspension Bridge is a Bristol must - an all-round crowd pleaser for visiting family. In the autumn, the panoramic view of the bridge’s surroundings are complete with brilliant shades of orange, red and yellow. Find a crisp autumn day to visit the bridge - remember to bring a warm jacket!

Pubs

There’s nothing more wintry than

Food

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There’s nothing more wintry than walking into a cosy pub and feeling the blood rush back to your cheeks Seasonal baking

Make use of seasonally appropriate spices such as ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon by making a batch of baked goods with flatmates or friends - a great flat bonding exercise with tasty results. They also double up as great gifts for others, being relatively inexpensive and a thoughtful handmade gift that any friend w o u l d cherish.

For the ultimate w i n t e r experience, serve with hot chocolate.

What’s on: Bonfire night

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St Werburghs City Farm At St Werburghs there is a bang-free Bonfire Night party, with no fireworks but lots of other festivities.

Tickets £8 09/11/19

Westbury on Trym This ‘Fireworks Extravaganza’ is a firework display in Westbury on Tyrm, complete with fireworks, food stalls, and more festivities.

Tickets £5 early bird / £6 05/11/19

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Epigram / Hendrike Rahtz

Cinema

Cinema trips offer a perfect cosy retreat after a day of studying; after hours of reading, I jump at the chance to relax and experience something visually. Some noteworthy films out at the moment include Joker, Judy, and Downton Abbey.

The Odeon offers cinema tickets for students for just £5. If you want to add a bit of Hollywood glamour, the Everyman on Whiteladies Road offers a more luxurious viewing experience, with plush velvet seats and a bar in the foyer.

Canford Park The Canford Park firework display is one of the largest in Bristol, and is accessible on bus routes from the university area.

Tickets £5 in advance / £6

Bristol’s haunted hotspots

Film and TV Digital Editor, Laura Aish, recounts some Bristol ghost stories What better way to get into a spooky mood than reading up on some of Bristol’s most intriguing and well-known haunted locations? Here are a bunch of famous haunted hotspots from across the city to check out this season with your mates.

Unsplash / Daniel Tom-

The Christmas Steps

Several occurrences have been documented over the years at the Christmas Steps; sightings of a young Victorian girl, the sounds of men shouting by the gallows that used to exist nearby, and ghostly women dressed in dark clothing.

It has also been suggested that part of the area is potentially built on a former cemetery – adding an extra level of spookiness.

Pembroke Road

Pembroke Road in Clifton is allegedly haunted by the ghost of an infamous highwayman who committed many of his crimes in the local area.

Legend has it that once he was eventually caught the highwayman was then hung in the gallows that used to exist nearby, and his ghost can be seen by people visiting the road.

Arnos Vale Cemetery

The unique Arnos Vale Cemetery, located between Totterdown and Brislington, is supposedly haunted by several female ghosts including a woman crying over the grave of her husband, and two figures whose presence is said to be accompanied by a distinctive feeling of sorrow for visitors. The ghost of another woman, who was allegedly buried alive on the site, has been previously spotted roaming the cemetery, appearing distressed and crying.

Bristol Old Vic Theatre

The historic Old Vic Theatre, described on its website as one of the oldest running theatres, first built in the 1700s, has some spooky sightings of its own. A former actress who was involved with the theatre is meant to haunt it – people who have seen her or felt her presence nearby are said to smell sweet fragrances including lavender when she appears. The sensation of someone inexplicably brushing past is also meant to be quite common when visiting the theatre.

Broadmead Odeon Cinema

The Odeon cinema is not just home to the odd fictional horror flick. Famously, the cinema is purportedly haunted by a former manager who was murdered in his office in the 1940s during a robbery gone wrong whilst a film was playing in a screen next door. There have previously been reports of seeing the manager around the cinema, screen number three in particular.

Halloween without clubbing

Film and TV Editor, Leah Martindale, shares some alternative ways to enjoy this Halloween

Trick or Treating Okay, I know we’re a little old for this now, but hear me out! Trick or Treat is a phrase that could have so many meanings, and I think we should reclaim it from children. This is the perfect opportunity to

Movie night As your resident film-buff, it would be amiss of me to forget the cultural institute that is the Halloween film! From the tantalising to the truly terrifying, there is a Halloween film for all sensibilities and scare-abilities. Witches of Eastwick (1987), Halloween (1978), Scream (1996)… the list of spooky movies is never-ending.

Night of the occult If you are a little braver of heart, why not indulge in what Halloween is really about: the occult. Palm reading, tarot cards, crystal balls, Ouija boards… let your most mysterious friend run wild and expose each other’s secrets with a night of teasing the beyond. From reading the future to summoning the past, you can take this superstitiously seriously, or take some fun out of it! Disclaimer: I officially take no responsibility for any possessions that may occur.

Epigram / Leah Martindale

Costume party Never one to turn down the opportunity for a costume, I couldn’t neglect the best bit of Halloween from my list: dressing up. Get some prizes in for best costumes, force your friends to do a catwalk, and vote for your favourites. Everyone gets to show off their creative side, pay homage to their favourite characters, and get those Halloween-y insta pics. (Keep a look out for Film and TV’s list of iconic characters to dress up as this year!)

set up tricks and traps for your friends, all under the guise of seasonal japes! Teepee your flatmate that uses all the bog role, roll a stink bomb under your smelliest flatmate’s door, draw a moustache on the first one to fall asleep – and, of course, give each other little treats to make the tricks worth it.

IMDB / The Witches of Eastwick

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f Sober October has taught me anything, it is that university is an alcohol-fuelled environment. Throw in an excuse to dress up, and it can seem impossible to avoid the booze. For anyone like me embarking on the month sober, our friends who avoid alcohol in accordance with their faith, or just anyone sick of the hangovers and bank account depletion, I’ve compiled a handy list of Halloween activities that don’t centre around clubbing.

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Wellbeing

Editor Bethany Harris Deputy Editor Rosie Angel-Clark Digital Editor Diana Toma

My experience using healthcare apps

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Toby Barnes discusses the use of healthcare apps for meditation

Unsplash / JD Mason

take a seat on the floor of the Multifaith Chaplaincy Building, before closing my eyes – beginning my morning meditation.

So, how did I get here? Specifically, how had Buddhist teachings reached a university student in the south-west of England?

In my case, the answer was Headspace. The healthcare app – co-founded by Andy Puddicombe in 2012, intends on demystifying meditation, making it more accessible to a Western audience.

Headspace has a simple and admittedly gratifying formula – it uses a combination of videos and audio-meditation-guides to teach you topics such as: healthy eating, sleep along with methods to better Ep deal with stress. igr am / Tob One internal study found that in just 10 y Barnes days of using Headspace – a person’s stress was reduced by 14 per cent. Currently, there are over 65 similar research projects being conducted on Headspace, many of which point towards the benefit of using the app.

As the University of Bristol continues to grapple with its own mental health crisis, alternative methods of stressrelief, such as Headspace – have never been so important.

Having had some trouble with my own mental health, I decided to download the app and give it go. I used

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Headspace for 10 days so as to complete the ‘basics’ training, to see if I would become more focused, less stressed and generally a happier person.

The meditations that I did were all simple, I would be asked to: focus on breathing, to scan my body for tension or to visualize my thoughts.

Having a voice guide me through the meditations gave me greater focus than when I have practiced self-guided meditation. It was also very easy, although I am someone that finds it difficult to commit themselves, I had no excuse to get out of bed and do a 10-minute meditation.

Perhaps, the most important feature of Headspace, is that it removes the feeling of self-consciousness associated with larger group meditations.

A study from 2014 found that in a survey of 500 English-speaking adults, the majority preferred an internet format of mindfulness intervention to a group format.

However, there were instances when technology got in the way. During one session, notifications on my phone continued to interrupt, before finally – I got up and ended the meditation.

I was also aware that my mental state was dependent upon an app, the advantage of self-guided meditation is that you have the agency. Therefore, I didn’t have the same feeling of self-control.

Yuval Noah Harari, the author of Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow has recently expressed that the use of healthcare apps such as Headspace, represents a growing dependence upon technology.

It seems unlikely that we will become less dependent on technology any time soon. Therefore, we should think pragmatically, incorporating more healthy habits when using technology. With healthcare apps providing one possible avenue.

Headspace is not advertised as the ‘solution’ to mental health problems, it simply offers to alleviate some of the symptoms. Perhaps, it is best seen as a stepping stone towards further practice of meditation.

So, as I sat there on the floor of the Multifaith Chaplaincy Building, I knew that I still had questions, though I also knew that Headspace had helped me on my journey in finding some answers.

How to cope with long distance friendships Ellie Strahan shares three ways to maintain long distance friendships

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This may seem like a bit of an obvious one, but it can be easy to lose contact with your friends from home when you’re not careful. Keeping up to date with friends while hundreds of miles away may seem pretty impossible, but regular contact- from calling each other to even sending letters- makes things far easier and more enjoyable.

As well as this, make sure to Facetime your friends rather than texting them all the time if you can.

This is so much more personal and means you can talk way more in a shorter space of time, which is useful when you’re busy meeting new people and starting a whole new course at uni.

Make sure to meet up with your friends when you can as well; if you’re going home for the holidays then this is often the perfect opportunity to meet and catch up!

Don’t go overboard

Balance old and new

Meeting so many new people Making new friends at uni doesn’t in Freshers’ week can be seriously mean you’re rejecting your old stressful, but whilst it’s tempting friendships. Whilst it’s important to to ring up your friend every night keep in contact with your friends from instead of talking to your flatmates, home, it’s also vital to form new ones this can be pretty detrimental to your whilst at uni. Having a own growth at uni. balance between Make sure to give your friends talking to old a little space as well, especially friends and if they’re also starting uni spending elsewhere. Realise that time with they won’t always be new people available to chat and know will keep that this is okay. Everyone you fulfilled, will be busy adjusting to a giving you whole new environment and the best of Un sp it’s good to give yourself and both worlds in las h/ your friends a little space to do terms of uni and Paul Hanaoka this without being in each other’s home. Lastly, make faces all the time. Having a regular sure to just enjoy yourself! time where you chat with your friend Freshers’ week is a really exciting can really help with this and means time, so try not to get too hung up on that no one gets too upset if the other home and really put yourself out there isn’t available to talk. to make the most of your time at uni.

Unsplash / Priscilla Du Preez

Keep in contact

Unsplash / Alexis Brown

aking the move to uni can be a really difficult time. Whilst it’s widely accepted that it’s normal to feel homesick when you first move away, missing friends who have also left home can be just as difficult and is far less talked about. Here’s three tips to cope with long distance friendships at uni, because it may be easier than you think!

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Student accounts o

Daisy Lacey, MA Comparative Literatures & Cultures

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sensory memory that no smoker will forget is the first time they had a cigarette. Although the stories themselves differ slightly amongst smokers, the taste and olfactory sensations are not only ingrained in the mind, but they are also the hardest part of quitting smoking.

I remember the first time I had my cigarette aged 15. I was a stupid teenager who thought it would be really cool to smoke and I struggled to quit smoking since. That was until I was 25 years old and thought after ten years of smoking it was time to retire my lungs from their carcinogenic exercise.

Smokers don’t often realise they are victims of addiction; there is something I used to find so unusually comforting about the sensation of inhaling warm nicotine into my bloodstream. Even when the European Union took control of marketing - not only the easiest access of demerit goods but addictive as well - it still failed to curb my craving for nicotine. When they stopped selling ten packet cigarettes I still continued.

The moment I decided to quit smoking was at the end of 2018, when I found I was spending nearly fifty per cent of my wages on cigarettes each month. As an asthmatic too, I noticed how much it affected my respiratory system once I had decided to quit.

After my GP performed cartwheels of joy over my news to quit smoking, she prescribed me champix. These pills of doom are Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which is a scientific way of saying that it triggers your brain into thinking that you have consumed enough nicotine whilst it simultaneously convinces you that nicotine tastes awful.

I started the course and felt the effects of the tablets kick in roughly three days into the 12-week treatment plan. After that point, I was on my own. I will admit that I did suffer with some rather colourful side effects such as nightmares and – the most common side effect – nausea.

However, I felt that champix had released me from the trap of the addictive cycle of smoking.

I also need to mention that I was advised by my GP and the practice nurse to write down a list of reasons why I wanted to quit smoking. This was to ensure that if I felt like I would cave in after the 12-week treatment, I could counteract the need for a cigarette by reading the list aloud to myself.

As a reader you may be questioning why I didn’t consider this magical approach before. When you are addicted to anything, your brain feels the dependency on the substance to the point you think you cannot function without it.

Nicotine is so addictive that there are studies to say that heroin is easier to give up.

My advice to quit smoking starts with

Unsplash / Dominik Kempf

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Whilst many students claim they are ‘social smokers’, others begin their student life battling a smoking addiction.

writing a list of reasons why you want to quit. You should then go to your GP where they will be able to suggest various treatments and methods to help you give up smoking. If you’re ever tempted to take the habit back up, just think about the positives from quitting.

My senses have gone back to normal; I’d forgot how much I liked the smell and taste of certain foods. My stamina has improved immensely (although the stroll to the Clifton campus is a bit strenuous for this flat-footed northerner), and I can breathe much more easily.

Until qutting, I never realised how much I missed out on social events. Whilst my friends would be inside in the warm giggling away, I would be sparking up my Malboro light, shivering in the cold and damaging my immune system all for a drag of a cigarette.

Dear reader, I hope this article makes you question what you miss out on as a lover of tobacco. I cannot lie and say that quitting any addiction will be easy, but the sense of accomplishment you gain when you have stopped cannot be compared. Now that was a sensory memory as an ex-smoker which I will never forget.

of quitting smoking

Brian McQuater, First Year, English Literature & Community Engagement

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hree years ago, visiting the doctors during yet another bout of severe bronchitis, I was told, “Stop smoking, or the next time you are like this you will probably die. Put your affairs in order and make a will.” I reacted badly. I was very angry – not at myself, but at the doctor. I had smoked for over forty years: I was a dedicated, fully committed smoker and she was telling me to stop. Death as an option did not dawn on me at the time.

A leaflet about where to get help was thrust into my hand. I almost binned it, but fortunately I did keep it. Once I focused on the cause of my dilemma, which was obviously not the doctor, I focused on recovery from illness. When I was well I took the next step: prevention. I looked at the leaflet, phoned the helpline and joined a stop smoking clinic. Attendance at the clinic was planned for roughly twelve weeks and was run by a health professional in a fairly local community hospital. The atmosphere during the clinic was always non-judgmental, relaxed and very supportive. Around ten of us attended each week. We all

had to blow into a device that measured carbon monoxide, a by-product of incompletely burnt tobacco. Needless to say, mine was the highest of the group.

On the first day after the measurement cycle, a short talk was given on what burning tobacco does to your body, addiction and the other reasons for smoking. This was followed up each time a new team member started.

Other talks were based around stopping smoking and the range of products available via health professionals. There were patches, sprays, gum, lozenges and my choice: oral medication. The oral meds were designed to reduce the agony of cravings. Coming off the highly addictive nicotine and the habit of smoking itself is really tough.

I gradually cut down the number of cigarettes I smoked, which was not a viable long term plan, but by January, 2017, I’d given it up completely. I continued going to the clinic for eight more weeks. The group sessions were the catalyst to stop; one-to-one clinics would have failed. I daren’t start smoking again.

Dealing with unexpected grades Aisling Duignan-Murphy reminds us that no grade is forever

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hat makes for an ‘undesirable grade’ will differ from person to person, yet we all end up feeling a collection of similar emotions; including anger, sadness and disappointment. However, the most overwhelming feeling is likely to be confusion, especially if you have worked hard and knew the topic well. So why haven’t you got the grade that you wanted? Often the answer to this question is not simple. Reasons can be as wide-ranging as being new to university or being new to a specific module. However, one of the biggest problems for new students – and older students too – is reconciling with university grading systems. After having (likely) achieved high grades at school, it might seem a bit absurd that 70/100 is a pretty amazing – and hard to attain – grade. As a result, university grading systems are a bit of a shock to the system for most students, meaning that the large majority will not do particularly well at first. If this happens to be the case with you, don’t let it get you down as you are not alone and there are lots of solutions! But before this, you should give yourself time to feel however you do upon getting a disappointing grade. It is okay to panic and feel like it is the end of the world, but I promise it really isn’t and putting more pressure on yourself will not help you in the future.

Alternatively, planning for next time will help to assuage any panic or negative feelings. So, onto some practical solutions: Reread your work and any feedback given. Try not to feel Un sptutors want you to do well! personally attacked by this, as your las h Paul Hana Read the marking scale/scheme for/your course oka to ensure that you understand what you are actually being assessed on.

For example, higher marks are often awarded for original ideas!

Ensure that you’ve read through any exemplar work. Note down anything that stands out to you as being good.

Talk to friends on your course and look at their work. Even if someone only got one mark more than you, you can learn a lot from this.

Seek out a writing fellow - someone who can help you with the clarity of your writing.

You won’t get everything perfect on the first try, and that is beyond ok. Academic staff will and want to support you. You only need to ask. They’re less scary than they seem, trust me.

You’re being marked on the same scale as your professors who have studied the discipline for years, so if anything, be proud of your grade!

And after all of this remember that one disappointing grade is not going to ruin your entire academic run at university! No grade, whether it’s for your first ever essay at university or your dissertation in final year, will define the rest of your life. There are plenty of great graduate schemes and jobs which do not require a 2:1 or a first!

Finally, remember to always put your mental health first.

Many people will suffer in silence because they feel embarrassed or anxious about a grade they are unhappy with, but keeping it locked up won’t help. If you ever experience any mental health needs as a result of a grade, please talk to your academic tutors, a wellbeing advisor, friends or even me!

All of the University resources are accessible through the Wellbeing Service page on the UoB website.

My dad once gave me a great piece of advice: no choice that you make at the age of 19 is going to follow you forever. Believe me, in a year’s time you’ll look back on your ‘disappointing’ grade and how much it hurt to get it and you’ll hardly even remember what that was like because, honestly, no grade is forever.

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Food

Editor Virginia Campbell Deputy Editor Emma Bayley-Melendez

Halloween cocktails: drinks to lift your spirits Aaron Wilkinson shares his recipes for a great Halloween night

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It’s October and that means things are going to get pretty spooky round Bristol. If you’re planning on holding a Halloween party or just want to impress your friends, family, and/or flatmates, then why not try these Halloween themed cocktails?

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Halloween is one of the great student nights out of the year. Dressing up and having a laugh with mates, what better way to spice up your night than with some themed drinks?

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Bristol Blood:

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For a 4 person serving Into a large mixing bowl add the vodka and rum. Drop the raspberries and strawberries in and mash them up to create a pulp that still has some solid bits.

If you have any, add some grenadine at this point. Next add both bottles of cider and stir to mix in the fruit. Add a bag of ice and then top up with an entire carton of cranberry juice. To garnish, add some more berries and if you’re feeling particularly cruel to your guests some jelly eyeball sweets.

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Ingredients: 4 shots of Vodka, 4 shots of White Rum, 1 Bottle of Hard Cider, 1 Bottle of Mixed Berries Cider, 1 shot of Grenadine, Cranberry Juice

Epigram/Aar on W ilki

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Black Cat:

In your shaker, add the blue curacao, vodka and some ice. Shake well. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up to around ¾ of the glass with lemonade and then slowly drip the cranberry juice in to top up. Garnish with a slice of lime either in the drink or on the side of the glass.

Ingredients: 1 Shot of Vodka , 1 Shot of Blue Curacao, Lemonade, Cranberry Juice, Lime Wedges

Flat Liner:

This one has a bit of a kick as it mixes two shotting favourites: sambuca and tequila.

Simply take a 50ml shot glass and fill half and half tequila and sambuca. While this will definitely liven up your night, the kicker comes from a dash or four of hot sauce.

The Grave Digger:

Ingredients: 1 shot Tequila, 1 shot Sambuca, 3-4 dashes Hot Sauce,

Simply take a tall highball glass (or plastic cups if you want to save on the washing up) and drop a shot of whisky of your choice as well as two shots of hard cider. Add a few cubes of ice and top up with ginger ale to taste. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can use crushed ice and add a slice or two of orange to garnish.

Ingredients: 1 shot of Whisky, 2 shots of Hard Cider, Ginger Ale, Ice

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Use a 50ml shot glass and fill half and half with gin and whisky.

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Silver Bullet:

Ingredients: 1 shot of Gin, 1 shot of Whisky A longer version of this article is available online at epigram.org.uk, including money-saving tips and plenty more cocktail recipes!

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Ghoulish treats from the supermarket aisles Emma Bayley-Melendez explores the sweeter side of Halloween

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This will make you Scream! If you need a break from the chocolate but still need a rush this Halloween try these Soreen toffee apple loaves. The perfect study snack to raise you from your midday lull!

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Epigram/ Emma Bayley-Melendez

Soreen Scream Toffee Apple Loaves, Sainsbury’s, £1

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Epigram/ Emma Bayley-Melendez

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Milkybar Halloween Monsters, Sainsbury’s, 50p

Cadbury Goo Heads, Sainsbury’s, £2

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Need to spice up your current movie snacks? Why not treat yourself after a devilish week with these pumpkin lollies.

You definitely don’t need to be a child to enjoy the perks of Halloween treats.

They’re bound to give you the thrill you need.

Get trapped in this delicious web! Waitrose have stocked up on some eye-catching cupcakes with a deathly chocolate sponge and caramel buttercream tha that aren’t for the faint hearted.

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Pumpkin Lolly, Waitrose, £1.35

Waitrose, Spider’s Web Cupcake, £1.25

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on’t be tricked into thinking that Halloween is just about boozy nights out!

Supermarkets are stocked with lots of spooky treats that you can enjoy with friends and not feel like the undead the next morning.

Both Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have some super fun things for you to buy. in store and online to spice up your Halloween.

A spooky twist on your average creme egg; Cadbury have redesigned the classic.

Stuffed with plain fondant and a fun design don’t miss out on these eggcellent bites.

The Halloween stands at Waitrose and Sainsbury’s will help you dig out some ideas for how to give your plans some life!

Epigram/ Emma Bayley-Melendez

Epigram/ Emma Bayley-Melendez

Epigram/ Emma Bayley-Melendez

Find a freaky friend in Sainsbury’s and add one of these Milkybar treats to your next weekly shop.

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Recipes: Hojarascas & Atole de Vanilla Our Food Editor gives an introduction to an oft-forgotten festival

With the spooky season drawing ever closer, our food section has ventured outside of the classic halloween bubble to visit Mexico. Teaming up with The Croft’s Travel section, Virginia Campbell gives you a taste of the ‘Day of the Dead’ with these traditional Mexican treats.

This year’s ‘Día de los Muertos’ runs from 31 October - 2 November.

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Hojarascas

Hojarascas are cinnamon cookies that are easy to make and even easier to eat!

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 celsius 2. Mix 65g sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

3. Add egg, baking powder and butter. Combine well.

4. Pour the flour in gradually, mixing as you do so.

The mixture should become difficult to stir. At this

Ingredients

point, use your hands to knead the dough until

• 1 egg

smooth.

5. Roll it out to 1/4″ – 1/2″ inch thick and cut into roughly 3 inch wide discs. Place on an ungreased

• 1 tablespoon baking powder • 65g cup sugar (plus sugar for coating)

cookie sheet and bake them for 10-15 minutes.

6. For the coating, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Once the cookies are done and while they are still warm, gently toss them in the cinnamon sugar combination until fully coated.

Atole de Vanilla

Atole de Vanilla is a traditonal vanilla milk drink - perfect for dipping the Hojarascas into!

Ingredients Epigram / Hannah Ross

• 85g cane sugar

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• 120ml water • 720ml milk of choice • 30g corn flour • 1 cinnamon Stick • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons of cinnamon (plus 3 tablespoons for coating) • 1 cup butter or vegan alternative •

385g all-purpose flour

Method: 1.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine cane sugar and water

2. Whisk in milk, cornflour and vanilla extract.

3. Submerge a cinnamon stick. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue stirring frequently for 30-35 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve and serve in mugs.

A trip to Mexico: Editor’s picks Editor’s picks:

Cornflour (‘Harina de Maίz) is an essential for Mexican cooking. It can be used in so many recipes, from cakes to Atole di Vanilla (opposite) and of course in soft tortillas and tortilla chips.

Mole Tipo: a warming, spice-laden sauce that can be paired with chicken, pasta or whatever you fancy.

Beans: black beans, refried beans, the list goes on. Pulses are a huge staple of the mexican diet - and helpfully very cheap!

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

Otomí is also full of Mexican gifts and home decor and can be found at: 4 Boyces Avenue, BS8 4AA

Storecupboard basics:

Pickled Cactus: not something you’d find in Sainbury’s, so a sure-fire way to bring something interesting to your table.

Tajin: a chilli and lime based seasoning.

Jazz up a fruit salad or popcorn! ‘Único Latina’: Fried pork rind. A pub classic remade Mexican-style.

‘Pulparaindo’: described as a ‘hot and salted tamarind pulp candy’, this sweet offers something entirely different from the corner-shop sweets you’re used to.

Epigram/ Virginia Campbell

exican food, much like most cuisine found outside of Europe, is often butchered and altered beyond recognition by us Brits.

Inspired by this week’s feature by our very own Croft Travel section, here are some insights into how to enjoy this exciting fare at home, courtesy of Otomí, an authentic mexican shop in Clifton Arcade.

Epigram / Virginia Campbell

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Virginia Campbell delves into a hidden gem in the centre of Clifton

SOS! I think I’m addicted to Taka Taka: Aunt Sorrel Agony Aunt Sorrel helps out a student with a certain Greek food addiction

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ear Auntie,

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You will be able to ease yourself back into cooking real life food

“

First of all, take a deep breath wherever you are and don’t panic. A Taka Taka addiction is a right of passage for any true Bristol student! However, it is important for you keep Taka Taka as a treat. You don’t want the Magic Rolls to lose their magic.

Try and scale back the amount of Taka Taka you are currently consuming. This will be a shock to the system but I prom-

Epigram / Virginia Campbell Epigram/ Arianna Robertson

I’m worried about my Taka Taka addiction.

Since Freshers’ Week I have become a robot, programmed to eat copious amounts of their Greek goodness but now I feel trapped. I fear that I have spiralled and permanantly lost my ability to cook. Send help!

ise that you will be able to ease yourself back into cooking real life food for yourself.

Start simple! Dishes like pesto pasta or chilli are easy to make and still contain lots of flavour helping you to recover from no longer indulging in halloumi fries or gyros!

BrisFood post lots of relatable food content and failing that BBC Good Food or cracking out a dusty Delia cookbook your mum gave you can’t hurt.

Remember to take slow and steady steps and speak to friends if you feel like you’re going to give in to your Taka Taka urges.

Have you been having trouble in the kitchen and don’t know who to turn to? Contact Aunt Sorrel via our Facebook page: Epigram Food Writers 2019/20

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Style​

Editor Orin Carlin Digital Editor Laura Mallinson Deputy Editor Lilly Hill

Easy-peasy Halloween makeup

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Orin Carlin shares some simple, last-minute looks

Print 1. Use a golden cream eyeshadow stick to draw a cluster of misshapen ovals. They don’t have to be perfectly arranged, in fact it looks more natural when the spacing is sporadic.

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id the spooky season creep up on you or is your attitude towards dressing-up most adequately summarised in an unashamed, ‘I can’t be bothered’? Regardless, here are some fool-proof Halloween makeup looks that can be banged out in under five minutes.

2. Next take a felt tip black eyeliner and haphazardly outline each oval, leaving some random breaks. Also experiment with different thicknesses as inconsistencies look really effective.

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3. Finally use a gold glittery eyeshadow to paint over a few leopard spots to add a bit of Halloween sparkle!

1. Draw three more straight lines, one from the outer corner of your eye, up to the tail of your eyebrow and the other two equally spaced between the two.

2. Take a felt tip eyeliner pen and draw a straight vertical line from the inner corner of your eye up towards your eyebrow.

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3. Then draw continuous curved lines between each straight line in a sort of wide U-shape. Finally, (and you’ll notice this as a running theme!) take a silver glittery eyeliner and paint over each line to add yet more shimmer!

Fashion for the fireworks

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Jessica Gadd transforms your look from spectator to spectacular

t’s that time of year again, the days are getting shorter, the weather is growing colder and before you know it Bonfire Night will be right around the corner. The 5th of November has always been the more stylish and sophisticated sister of Halloween, so get ready to focus on your Firework Night look.

‘November Night’ Black Black doesn’t have to be boring. What it lacks in colour, it can make up for in texture and shape. From faux fur to a full-leather look - these picks will keep you warm all night long.

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Smoky Sequins Bristol has a thing for throwback fashion, so it’s time to go disco-mad with asymmetric necklines and plenty of sequins. I’ve chosen silver and grey metallics to make the transition from day to night a piece of cake.

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Bold Accessories Finish off your Firework Night look with a bang.

These accessories are fun yet practical, as they’ll keep you cosy until long after the bonfire has fizzled out.

GLOVES, £15 | ASOS

Autumnal Orange It’s time to abandon the pastels and move towards the warmer tones that autumn has to offer. Burnt oranges and rusty reds are the colours of the season: vibrant yet soft.

These colours are best worn with a slouchy silhouette to maximise comfort and cosiness.

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Ode to ‘Dino stompers’ Lilly Hill sings the praises of a Bristol classic: the chunky trainer

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once received an extraordinary insult - if you can call it that - from a group of 13 year old boys. ‘Oi! Dino stompers!’ they hollered, as I marched past feeling ready to destroy the world in my Fila Disruptor IIs.

Did I take offence? Initially, I went a bit pink, yes. However rather than retaliate, here I am writing an article to defend my beloved chunky trainers which are causing so much controversy.

And it’s no wonder they’re so popular. Those extra inches really do make all the difference, making you feel like a bad ass bitch who’s ready to take on literally anything.

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Although they may be a Bristol student footwear cliché, chunky trainers - particularly Fila Disruptors are all the rage at the moment H 5 | S C UH , £8 I in all the trendiest cities.

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Editor Orin Carlin

If getting caught in the rain or working up a sweat in the gym is leaving you looking like a panda, your mascara needs an upgrade.

Tubing mascaras are non-smudging and work by using polymers to coat your lashes, as opposed to normal mascaras that instead cover your lashes in pigment.

Essentially, tiny tubes are formed around each individual eyelash although admittedly this does mean the formula is trickier to remove than a typical mascara.

In terms of comfort, I also find that my Filas far exceed any other trainer I’ve owned. Their large size makes them really easy to slide on and off - a real winner if you, like me, are too lazy to untie your laces every time you take Don’t worry, getting this look shouldn’t them on and off (sorry mum). consitute an assault on your bank balance.

(No, that’s not what your overdraft is for!)

Chunky trainers come in many forms, like these funky leopard print ones I copped last week for only £35.

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Mascaras that won’t budge

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In a culture where ‘bigger is better’, why shouldn’t the same apply to our shoes? As someone who was initially dubious myself, I can confirm that once you go chunky, you can never go back.

So if you’re on the fence, put aside your pride and embrace your inner dinosaur, I promise you won’t regret it.

L’OREAL PARIS PARADISE MASCARA £11.99 | BOOTS Both of my choices are suitable for day and night usage. L’Oreal Paradise is great value for money - it gives lashes a great lift and makes them look luscious and thick.

HIGH IMPACT CURLING MASCARA £21 | CLINIQUE Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara does exactly what is says on the tin; in fact I would struggle to achieve a comparable effect using an eyelash curler.

Plus, it is truly excellent for both length and definition.

Halloween costume calculator Lilly Hill gives you guidance on what to wear this spooky season Did you dress up last halloween?

Yes

No

@danny_lincoln

@bekirdonmeez

Do you keep your costumes in tune with the times?

Pumpkin carving is...

Fun!

Boring!

Costumes should be...

Funny

You got…

A GHOST! If it involves any effort at all, it’s not for you.

This year, why not ditch your usual excuse of ‘I came dressed as my friend’ and save yourself all the scathing looks?

If cutting two holes into a bedsheet is still too much to ask of you, we’re dealing with a lost cause.

I prefer something classic

Yes

Political costumes are...

Are you any good at makeup?

Sexy

Nope

I’d say so

The best!

Not for me

You got...

You got...

You got…

JOKER! BORIS! A ZOMBIE! You’re always up to With Brexit and Everyone’s always in date with the latest Halloween (hilariously) awe of your Halloween fads. Although Heath occurring on the same outfits, and this year’s Ledger will always be day, there’s no denying not going to be any your favourite Joker, you the relevance of this different. You make should give Phoenix’s costume.

What’s more looking scary seem easy version a shot this year terrifying than the (in a nice way, obvs.)

Why not teach yourself political climate? All you (after all, you did think how to do some special need is an awful blonde his suit was pretty cool in the film). You’d better toupée, a few years at FX scars, or even a be the best Joker at the a private school and a maggot in a wound? party! massive ego.

You got…

A DEVIL! You’re not much of a risk taker, but you prefer simple things done well. We think the devil costume is perfect for you - take a red dress and some horns and Bob’s your uncle! You can even add some fake blood and contacts if you want to spruce things up a bit.

editors’ picks

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, £14.99 | BERYLUNE ‘Penguin’s Clothbound Classics are all beautiful but this cover of Pride and Prejudice is almost as brilliant as Alison Steadman’s take on Mrs Bennet in the 1995 mini-series.’

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RAYMOND THE CHEESE PLANT ‘My favourite thing this week has to be my cheese plant, named Raymond after Brooklyn 99’s best character. Bring a little plant energy into your space for an instant interior lift.’

EARRINGS, £8 | ASOS ‘It’s fricken bats, I love Halloween!

These earrings are so cute, but is it socially acceptable to wear them all year round? The answer is obviously a resounding YES. Disagree? Don’t care!’

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I did it in the cafe…

If you’re not registered, you can’t vote.

Registering is quick and easy.

Do it now gov.uk/registertovote

Travel

Editor Lily Donnelly Deputy Editor Emma Loubser Digital Editor Will Holmes

Dublin: a real reading week

Where to read

Where to relax While the city’s coffee and cultural scene fosters a fresh working environment, the evening is the perfect opportunity to swap books for booze and let off some steam. The Guinness Storehouse is Dublin’s number one tourist attraction and for good reason.

Each of its seven floors add a new layer to the story of Ireland’s most famous drink, finishing in Gravity Bar which offers panoramic views of the city and a complimentary pint. For your next stop, traditional pubs such as Temple Bar, O’Neills and Mulligan’s all come highly recommended. If you’re looking for a truly memorable experience, I’d recommend The Cobblestone. This pub has been around for five generations; it’s heaped with character and advertises itself as, ‘a drinking pub with a music problem’. With a buzzing atmosphere and Irish folk music performed live, this pub will transport you back in time so that you’ll soon leave your stress behind. Whether you’re looking to read or relax, Dublin is a fantastic city that will leave you feeling energised and ready to tackle the rest of term head on.

Unsplash/Hosein Emrani

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A few days in Dublin will undoubtedly help you to strikeup the right work-life balance

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Lily Donnelly

Dublin is more often associated with a pint of Guinness than a cup of coffee, yet the city’s cool café culture is flourishing and boasts a range of cosy, independent coffee shops that are perfect for flicking through a good book or typing out an essay. Some top picks include Kaph, Vice Coffee Inc. and Network, all of which frequent tourist travel guides and top ten lists. Kaph is located in Dublin’s creative quarter and provides a light, airy working environment. Network, meanwhile, has a cool, minimalist vibe and is a popular library-substitute among students and young professionals. Vice Coffee Inc. offers a quirkier, colourful setting and award winning Irish Coffees to give you a bit of a buzz even on the chilliest of mornings.

Inevitably, you’ll hit a writer’s block at some point in your trip. When this happens, you may want to turn to the city for inspiration and its literary

heritage is a great place to start.

In Merrion Square, the Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture commemorates the Irish playwright’s lasting influence on the city. Alternatively, the James Joyce Centre, a museum based in an 18th century Georgian townhouse, celebrates the life and work of Dublin’s most iconic writer. If museums aren’t your thing and you’re willing to brace the cold autumnal weather, then Dublin’s city parks offer a beautiful setting for a study break. Whether its St Stephen’s Green, Herbert Square or the gardens surrounding Dublin Castle, a breath of fresh air and a brisk walk through the fallen leaves are sure to boost your productivity for the rest of the day.

Unsplash/Cathal Mac an Bheatha

t’s no secret that, for most of us, very little reading is actually done during reading week. After a busy and stressful start to term, it’s just too easy to retreat back home for a bit of R&R, or spend a low-key week lazing about in Bristol, forgetting that ominous pile of coursework growing ever higher. This year, maybe it’s time to take a different approach by taking a trip to Ireland’s capital city.

Dublin is the perfect autumnal escape and offers the best of both worlds. As a UNESCO City of Literature and home to writers such as Yeats, Heaney and Joyce, the city’s rich literary history is sure to inspire your creativity and boost your work ethic. And with a high pubto-person ratio, you can also take some time off to enjoy the vibrant nightlife that the city has to offer. A few days in Dublin will undoubtedly help you strike up the right work-life balance.

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Jessica Gadd tells you where to read during reading week...

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Holiday reads at home Tess Skelly recommends what to read for your half-term holiday Educated, Tara Westover

Feel like you're back at the pool with these favourite holiday reads

There’s a reason President Obama called Educated ‘remarkable’. Westover grew up in rural Idaho where she and her six siblings were homeschooled by their Christian fundamentalist parents. Educated is her memoir of growing up in, and eventually leaving, a household where education was sporadic and based on the Bible, and where physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of her unstable dad and older brother were expected. Now, Westover holds a BA from Brigham Young University, a PhD from Cambridge, and was a visiting fellow at Harvard University. Educated explores Westover’s journey in pursuit of an education, bringing her further and further away from her family and community, and whether it’s possible to reconcile that space.

Bad Blood, John Carreyrou What happens when a technological giant and the star of Silicon Valley turns out to be based on a completely fake product? In 2004, Elizabeth Holmes created Theranos, a company she believed would one day create a machine that could run all blood tests from a drop of blood and be kept in people’s homes. By 2014, Forbes estimated Holmes’ net worth to be over four billion dollars. A year later, Carreyrou began publishing a series of articles in the Wall Street Journal questioning the legitimacy of the company; two years later, Holmes’s estimated net worth was zero, where she was charged with fraud and a potential 20 year prison sentence. Bad Blood is Carreyrou’s follow up where he explains how one of the biggest tech coverups was able to grow to such proportions without having a working product.

Dark Places, Gilian Flynn Flynn’s second novel may not be as well known as Gone Girl or Sharp Objects, but it’s just as creepy, thrilling, and suspenseful. Libby Day’s family was murdered by her older brother, Ben, when Libby was a child. 25 years later and cash-strapped, she agrees to talk to a group of amateur investigators about the massacre for a fee, and from there starts investigating the murder herself.

Never let me go, Kazuo Ishguro Set in a dystopia, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth meet as children while at boarding school. A teacher lets slip that they are actually clones of real people created to be organ donors, and once they have fulfilled their purpose, they will die. As they grow up and date of donation looms closer, a love triangle forms as they try to find out whether true love will be enough to save them.

Beautiful yet subtle, Never Let Me Go is a brilliant exploration of humanity, hope, and the value society places on love and life.

Unsplash/John Mark Smith

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Into the Wild, John Krakauer Arguably Krakauer’s most famous book, Into the Wild is about Chris McCandless and what drives people to the wild, even when that drive results in pain and death. McCandless is controversial; people either see him as an idealistic romantic who should be admired for his unwavering love of nature, or an idiot who should have brought a map into the backcountry.

To defend McCandless, Krakauer adds in some autobiographical chapters to describe his strained relationship with his dad and his own experiences in the wild to draw parallels.

Dia de los Muertos

Lily Donnelly explains why this isn't just a Mexican Halloween

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Turn to our friends in the Food section of The Croft to make Atole de Vanilla and Hojarascas.

Eat like a local on Dia de los Muertos & discover where they would go to find the Mexican food in Bristol...

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Unsplash/Miguel Bruna

up their favourite foods, putting up their pictures and creating altars adorned with calcas (skeletons) and calaveras (skulls), transforming death U from something that one should fear into another that one should embrace.

The marigold is known as the flower of death in Hispanic culture, acting as a sensory signpost for the returning souls who follow its scent and illuminating petals to said ofrendas left by their living loved ones. Said skulls and skeletons decorate homes, towns and people alike, and are always painted with a smile so as to laugh in the face of darkness.

The renowned Mexican poet, Octavio Paz, wrote that ‘The Mexican…is familiar with death. [He] jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it. It is one of his favorite toys and his most steadfast love’, perfectly articulating the defiance of death that this country is proud to celebrate.

Every year, there are altars both in private and public – one is a place for family members to come home to, and the other calls upon the ancestors of the nation to pay visit.

An emblematic example is Frida Kahlo, who represents a cornerstone of Mexican cultural heritage and has become a dearly loved one of the country herself. The alters become a piece of vibrant art themselves, attracting many tourists each year to feast their eyes upon the spectacle of the spirit.

A film that encapsulates this (with a rather impressive 97% on rotten tomatoes) comes from Disney, and is none other than 2017’s Coco. Frida makes a grand appearance as one of the great departed, and is just one example of how she has become one of the most recognisable faces at the festival.

If reading week falls on the first weekend of November, Dia de los Muertos is a festival you won't easily forget. sh pla ns

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ontrary to very popular belief, the day of the dead is not merely Mexico’s version of Halloween. With roots in the Aztec world, the celebration is a culmination of centuries old tradition and Spanish colonisation, because of which the people of Latin America had to adapt their customs to Catholic culture during the 16th century.

The festival of both death and life calls souls from beyond the grave to join the commemorations and celebrations held by their living loved ones. Dia de los Muertos is most founded in Mexican culture, and marks more than just an annual festival in the calendar – so before you decide to go to that Halloween party as a calaca or calvera (that’s skeleton or skull to you and me), prepare yourself to explain what’s behind the face-paint (if you’re able to remember after your third drink of the evening).

Taking place on the first and second of November, the days of the dead were not chosen arbitrarily - otherwise known as All Saints and All Souls day - the summoning of souls has very religious connotations, reflecting upon Mexico’s Catholic heritage.

Aside from the Church, the festival coincides with the completion of the agricultural cycle – namely of maize, the country’s largest crop. This reflects upon death as part of the cycle of life, making way for new crops to grow whilst remembering what has already been harvested from earth. Bestowed a place on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, the celebration deserves to be distinguished from its neighbour, Hallow's Eve. Offerings, or ofrendas, are the centrepiece of Dia de los Muertos. Relatives remember their lost ones by cooking

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Frugal finds

Laura Aish tells you how to reach destination budget on time

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There are plenty of well-known options when it comes to budget accommodation such as Airbnb and youth hostels. Both Easyjet and Ryanair now offer cheap hotel deals through hotels.com and booking.com, as well as a range of reasonably priced holiday packages that include flights and accommodation. Another way to stay somewhere cheaply is to explore volunteering and working abroad

The most important things when booking on a budget are staying safe, researching everything and using common sense

Lily Donnelly

Staying there

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Once you have decided that you want to go on a travel adventure, how to get there is what needs to be considered first. There are several railcard options available to suit your needs, however these will only really be worth the money if you travel regularly via train. Booking your rail tickets in advance can often provide a variety of cheaper discounts as well, including occasionally finding cheap tickets in First Class for that extra touch of budget-friendly boujieness.

Established budget airline companies such as Easyjet, Ryanair and Norwegian Air all offer a range of reasonably priced flights. If you’re flexible about when you can travel, it’s worth looking at different dates as flights can often vary in price each day with some budget airlines. Booking a Megabus, riding a car with friends or with new faces from car sharing platforms are also moneysaving options.

schemes, often designed for students.

Many of these opportunities will allow you to stay in return for helping out and working whilst you are away, with the most popular option being the website Work Away. To give you some starting ideas check out: statravel.co.uk.

In addition to this, if you have creative

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Getting there

Unsplash/Fabian Blank

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t is a well-known fact that travel is an excellent way to have amazing new experiences and recharge from the stresses of everyday life. However, travel can seem expensive – perhaps even out of reach or too much of an indulgence and luxury – on a student budget. This is not the case if you know where, when, and most importantly how to look for the right things. Get ready to check-in to destination budget below with these starting ideas.

interests, you could also explore applying to artistic residencies. There are a plethora of residencies for all sorts of different artistic mediums, with some covering the majority of costs involved: this may include travel, accommodation and also providing a stipend for the duration of your stay. Other residencies can offer free accommodation in return for working on an artistic project or subsidised rental rates for studios and accommodation. These are often highly competitive, however not impossible to obtain.

Budgeting Planning what you are going to spend ahead of time and having a strict set amount that you use whilst you are away is a good idea. This reduces the risk of overspending and helps you to stay on budget. If you take cash with you, make sure you do not keep it all in one place - unless it is in a secured hotel safe - otherwise it could be easily stolen or misplaced.

Another way to save on additional luggage costs, especially if you are only going away for a short trip, is to use a backpack or small suitcase as your hand-luggage item – though size allowances for hand-luggage vary between airlines, so it is important to make sure your bag fits ahead of time. A neat tip that Bristol-based travel blogger Meandering Thoughts (Instagram: @_meanderingthoughts_) taught me is that eating at restaurants or shopping for souvenirs away from the tourist attractions can make things considerably cheaper – even if it is just one street away. This has saved me a bundle on my travels!

Ultimately, if you do your research and plan your trip ahead of time, you will likely be able to find cheaper ways to travel. The most important things when booking on a budget are staying safe, researching everything, and using common sense.

Digital Editor Tom Taylor was there to catch the sad moment Bristol’s iconic Ursa the Bear, the inspiration for The Croft logo was removed from The Bearpit on 26 September.

Seasonal change

Bristol has been subject to downpour this past month, but autumn doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.

Autumn is the coolest season to head off to the Downs for a run, as shown in this pic by Investigations Correspondent Isaac Haigh

The Croft Editor Daisy Farrow enjoys a sweet treat with a friend in a rare break of sun ahead of Halloween.

Co-Editor-in-Chief, Patrick Sullivan, recommends trading the rain for a gig at SWX.

Style Digital Editor Laura Mallinson snaps seasonal veg at Reg the Veg in Clifton.

Have any good photos of Bristol or student life? Submit them to thecroft.epigram@gmail.com for a chance of featuring on the back page!