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Winter Edition 2018 � #2

DON’T JUDGE

ALSO INSIDE • HALLS TO HOME: MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DORM

MY PATH IF YOU HAVEN’T WALKED MY JOURNEY

• 2018 FASHION MUST HAVES • STA TRAVEL SPECIAL OFFERS

MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH

• STUDENT DISCOUNTS ...AND MUCH MORE

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Welcome to Welcome to our second issue!

Only one issue down and we’re already making waves! I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our extremely talented team of student writers, whom without their dedicated hard work, would not have resulted in Student Pages Magazine being awarded Best Student Life Multi Media Publication 2017 by TMT Magazine.

We’ve jam-packed this edition with useful tips to help you through the new term. We also have some fantastic new features being introduced this issue, including our new Fashion Must Have’s. There is so much more, like exclusive student discounts just for our readers, all the way to Quirky Hobbies you have to try; to ideas for spicing up your Student Digs. For life on and off campus, we’ve got you covered.

So there you have it; the start of 2018 and we’re here for the ride, bigger and better than ever! Whatever your goals

are this year, make sure to really push yourself and blow them out of the water, be audacious, and above all else, make 2018 a year to remember!

Giving students the chance to get involved, write and be heard is at the heart of what we do and is why we started Student Pages Magazine. We are constantly on the lookout for on-campus student correspondents, magazine distributors, and campus ambassadors. If you’d like to be part of the Student Pages team, get in touch to find out more at joinus@studentpages.biz.

Also, remember to check out our website for the latest articles, insights and reviews www.studentpages.biz.

Gareth

Editor-in-Chief and Founder

INSIDE FEATURES Exclusive Interview with Peking Duk 6-9

Don’t judge my path if you haven’t walked my journey 11-17

Exclusive Interview with ROMANS 28-29

Exclusive Interview with Correigh Killick 36-37

STUDENT LIFE

FASHION

CAREERS

TRAVEL

How to Salvage Your New Year’s Resolution 5

Interview with British Vogue Editor, Julia Brenard

Hannah’s Story: From Part-Time Student to Full-Time Career 32-33

Must see Cultural Wonders to Explore

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What Travelling Taught Me

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9 Quirky Hobbies to try in 2018 18-19 Halls to Home: Making the most out of your Dorm 20-21

PUBLISHED BY Student Pages Media Group Ltd. 199 Bury New Road Whitefield Manchester M45 6GE Tel: 0203 6016035 www.studentpages.biz EDITOR IN CHIEF & FOUNDER Gareth Rifkin PRINT Wyndeham Group DESIGNED BY Alison Cutler www.alison.graphics

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In Our Wardrobe 24-25 Accessory of the Season

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Best Buys under £50

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7 Traits you need to develop at University to start a business 34 Job Profile: Wedding Photographer 35

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Saul Posel SUB EDITOR Edward Jones SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR Anouska Levart CAREERS FEATURES EDITOR Emma Rosen FASHION FEATURES EDITOR Riana Pervez CONTRIBUTING STUDENT WRITERS Elaine Zheng SOCIAL MEDIA Peter Martz & Margherita Turrin

SPECIAL THANKS Robyn Smith, Rudi Pediani, Patrycja Domeradzka, Josh Lambie, Cassie Walker, Billie Ramsey, Lucy Openshaw, Eilidh Tyler Reid, Becky Reed, Catrin Haberfield, Elise Jackson, Shevek Imogen Fodor, Charlotte Stevenson, Amelia Hartley, Rosie Cappuccino, Jodie Goodacre, Oli Regan, Emmie Togneri, Jonny Benjamin, Tazmin Pye, Emma Wilson, Zehra Khan & James Hughes DISTRIBUTION Guerrilla Marketing Ltd. ADVERTISING Gareth Rifkin To advertise call 02036016035; or email advertise@studentpages.biz.

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How to Salvage your

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

“New year, new me”: The words you hear so many times that they’ve become a greater irritation than all that Uni work you’ve come back to. Your mum’s saying it; your friends are saying it; and you’ve even caught yourself thinking it. But the sentiment is good, or at least it was for the few days that you actually committed to hitting the gym and eating healthily. Now your resolutions lie in tatters like the mounds of torn wrapping paper after the ecstasy of Christmas morning. But fear not. This is not the end: only a bump in the road. That productive, healthy, and happy person you envisioned for yourself is well within reach.

There are as many different new year’s resolutions as there are people, but underlying them all is the same desire for change. A yearning for a happier, better lifestyle. Your resolutions might be just a bit of fun: I probably shouldn’t eat so many sweets, maybe I’ll try not doing that. Or they might be more serious issues that have been weighing on your mind for some time: I need to stop smoking/ I should really lose some weight.

The first step to taking back control is remembering why you wanted to change this behaviour in the beginning.

If you can remind yourself of this fact when you feel like caving, you’ll have more power over your tendencies. And you will have to make sacrifices, but they’ll make the results all the more rewarding.

Persistence is hard, though. As motivated as you might be to change your life for the better, how do you deal with the insurmountable temptation of going drinking when you’d put time aside to learn your new hobby?

Or order the salad when you really, really just want the burger? We have a tendency to let our minds race, especially once we step outside of our self-prescribed comfort zones.

You might find yourself thinking about all of the burgers and drunken night-outs you’ll miss out on, but try to detach this one choice from the bigger picture. Take it one day, one choice, at a time. It’s much easier to persuade yourself to exercise just this morning, than exercise every morning for the foreseeable future. Of course, that’s what you’re aiming for, but breaking your commitment down into

manageable events will make the world of difference.

This is equally effective if you’ve already fallen short on your commitment. It’s easy to think, well I’ve failed now, I may as well give up. But you only missed that one opportunity to better yourself. There are infinite opportunities going forward. If you dropped one grain of rice on the floor, you wouldn’t abandon the whole meal, so keep at it, and you’ll find yourself more in tune with the person you want to be.

Whatever your new year’s resolutions are, we wish you the best of luck and hope this article has offered you some motivation. So don’t give up, and find new hope. We believe in you!

By Edward Jones

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PEKING DUK talk EDM, parties, Icona Pop, and their debut UK live performance

One of the biggest names in Australian electronic music, since the EDM duo formed in 2010, Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles have managed to take the world by storm, hitting the biggest clubs and hottest music festivals.

Student Pages caught up with the Australian duo on an Open Bus Tour around London, in-between releasing their tripleplatinum selling tracks and touring around the world.

Origin Behind the Brand The name Peking Duk originates having been grounded in drunken nights out. “We used to hang with friends in nightclubs and after too many ‘beers’ one would be peaking like a duck,” the Aussie duo explained.

“We would say, for example, ‘Dave is absolutely peaking right now’ seeing Dave in the corner with rolling eyes and a scrunched-up duck face. When we had a couple of songs in the bank they sounded very clubby, so we just changed the spelling a tad and went for Peking Duk.”

Music Their music is an electro fused indie take on dance music, with a spin of house and backgrounds in hip-hop and rock. Adam describes their style, “Banging, emotional, electronic music.

It stands out ‘cos you can cry to it or bang your head till it falls off to it.”

The pair has over 130 million streams online, won the 2014 AIR Awards for best dance single, the 2016 APRA Awards for most played Australian work, along with dance work of the year, and an ARIA Music Award for song of the year in 2017. Peking Duk also had two hit singles in the top 5 of Australia’s Triple J Hottest 100 equivalent to having Radio 1’s two most-played songs. “Right now, in the last 2 weeks, we’ve achieved more than in our whole lives. We just got an ARIA award (Australian version of the Brit awards) for song of the year,” they said.

The duo has been surprised at their triple platinum certification, “Pretty wild to be honest. We never thought anyone would buy 1 copy of something we’ve created, but here we are.”

was Coachella. “We played the Sahara stage, and it was absolute madness.

In general, festivals are probably more fun, but nothing beats a club where everyone has bought tickets purely to go see you. The Clowntown tour was an incredible example of just that.”

Peking Duk’s first track of 2017 was the feel-good summer hit Fake Magic with Aluna George, and the duo describe how collaborating with the UK powerhouse was one of their greatest dreams come true. Reuben explained “Aluna has a voice like no one, which makes her the definition of an artist.

Her lyrics made the collaboration so easy, she is fire!”

The Journey Before moving to Sydney, the pair grew up in the capital Canberra, which is 1.5 hours from the beach, 1.5 hours from the snow, and conveniently covered in skate parks. Although they went to different high schools, they would see each other at the skate park and go to the same parties. After ending up in college together, a mutual friend gave them a mixtape of primal club music, and that’s when they were like, “holy shit, let’s try and make this.” And their

lives haven’t been the same ever since.

Adam Hyde explained they heard electronic music that they never knew existed sonically. “Music from Fake Blood, Crookers and The Bloody Beetroots got us so excited as to where people could take sounds in such a primal way. We became best mates, which led to us starting to make silly beats together way down the track on Garageband. The transition into actual club tunes was purely thanks to YouTube explaining how to produce on Ableton Live. The duo spent close to 2 years playing with beats on their laptops and trying to recreate sounds they loved from Crookers, Justice and The Bloody Beetroots, before creating their own sound.

Inspiring Others The Aussie duo were very open and honest with their unwavering support for inspiring and championing young and upcoming artists.

For Adam, he felt aspiring artists should avoid following trends too closely because by the time you have nailed that trend, it may just be irrelevant. “Never put yourself in a box…

The Aussie duo have performed at some of the craziest music festivals, such as Coachella, TomorrowWorld, Stereosonic, and Splendor In The Grass to name a few. According to the duo, their best festival experience

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Ruben, on the other hand, pointed out that for students interested in going into the music industry that one should, “learn and perfect the conventions of your art, then learn how to break them and not stick to them.

Picasso nailed all forms of conventional painting completely before breaking the rules and inventing his own. Don’t stress about where you should be right away. Take your time with it, and be comfortable with yourself because everyone is beautiful.”

money off our housemates and used to get in little scraps over who gets the instant noodles for dinner (literally). But we learnt a lot from that, and it made us grind harder...we wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for those times,” said Adam. “We had no money and couldn’t afford our rent, but we persisted in creating music every single day, in turn incurring more and more debt amongst friends and family,” replied Reuben.

The consistent drive paid off, and they never let ‘I feel like giving up’ moments affect their music, “They’re the best times to monetarily stop forcing it and allow new influences to enter your life.”

Struggles and Challenges

London on an Open Top Bus

When the duo decided to move to Sydney, they explained that it was now or never at that time in their lives. The ride hasn’t always been easy as the Aussie’s describe that after 6 months of complete hell, one of their songs was eventually added to their national radio station – Triple J, and then everything changed. Before that big break happened, one of their biggest challenges was overcoming that move.

“We took a massive risk, and it paid off in the end. We had no money for about a year though. We borrowed rent

Courtesy of The Original Tour and Blondies Bar London, we found ourselves riding through London with gin and tonics in hand, where we took the opportunity to ask the Duo how their collaboration arose. The Aussie duo explained they bumped into Icona Pop a week before creating the song at a studio in Stockholm; “they were working in a room next to us, they showed us some of the stuff they were working on, we showed them stuff we were working on, and we had this idea like, imagine if Icona Pop got on this”.

unless it’s a fun box. Play the game or live in the mountains”.

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Icona Pop explained when they heard their song, their immediate reaction was to do a recording with the duo.

The hit song was their favourite to create and was produced on Pete Townsend’s (from The Who) boat studio, docked on the river Thames.

“The vibe and flow of the day was incredible and we wrote the song in just 3 hours.” We asked them where the inspiration came from, “It came from that shaggy banged up boat belonging to Pete, also from the movie Candy featuring Heath ledger. Icona Pop were in our minds while writing the song, so we sent it straight to them with our fingers crossed. “The first noise we heard on that boat was this huge awfully squeaky door, so straight away we were like let’s just start with that, and recorded that squeaky door, you can still hear it at the start of the track.”

Always dressed with style, the Aussie duo chilled at the front of the bus, all cool in black, with leather jackets, shades and slicked back hair. When it comes to fashion inspiration from, Adam explained, “I like wearing big obnoxious jackets and boots, so I’d say I’m copying porn stars from the 70’s for sure. Travelling is fun; you see so much stuff you are like wow, it’s the same with me, and I’ve had this for 9

years. It’s all about like going back to the things that you have.”

The kind of message that the EDM’ers want their audience to take from their songs is to have fun. “Don’t take it so seriously, have a great time, it’s fun music, and like, you can choose to take it and digest it in an emotional way if you want to” With Let You Down, you can cry to it in the shower or dance to it in the nightclub”.

Recently having debuted their UK live performance with their December gig at Koko, they describe how they were buzzing after it was sold out, and how they never thought they would be playing in that room in a million years.

“Koko holds a very special place in our hearts as we saw Mr Scruff there last year... it was truly one of the most beautiful moments of our lives as he closed with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes - Don’t leave me this way,” said the duo. “London is such a special city for music as well so for us to be given the opportunity to play on that stage, we made sure we made it the sweatiest night those walls have seen.”

They explain that their transition from electronic to live music was fun, as new is always fun and challenging. “Now we are going back to live which is a million times funnier than all of it because we get to incorporate both elements into the live show. It’s a sweaty electronic rock show now.” We asked them what their thoughts are on the increase in popularity of EDM, “There is probably too much EDM everywhere nowadays. Hence we’ve started putting together a live show and started producing new styles,” replied Reuben.

calls the event along with other wild stories, “he definitely takes the cake.

I suppose the writing experiences in London and Stockholm last year took us on adventures we would never have dreamed of, too many stories to choose from!

Staying Grounded In Adam’s free time he likes to listen to mostly rap and techno, “from 21 savage to ZZT it all gets me wet,” he said. While Reuben loves flying Cessna planes, dodging their native flocks of bin chickens – better known as ibises.

For Adam, balancing everything is helped by skateboarding and exercise, as they help with keeping the mind clear in between the madness.

Although he has always been an anxious person, it tends to really show with the constant travel and being in large spaces with lots of people, having to shake hands and smile all the time.

“I think the only advice I could give is to tell people how you feel and just remember everyone is human. At the end of the day, everyone’s anxious, but some people have it worse than others so always be there for anyone who’s suffering it severely,” he said. We asked Peking Duk who their music influencers were and they said anything from The Strokes to Savage Garden, from The Beatles to Kayne, or from Radiohead to Slipknot, “song writing and producing can be sporadic

and the less formulaic it is, the more fun it is.”

Right now, Peking Duk are working on songs in a new style to their previous tracks, “Could turn out bizarre but hopefully will eventuate into something we love!” They also think the music industry currently needs more Jai Paul, and dream collaborations involve Kanye West or Damon Albarn. Future goals for the electronic duo include: More music.

More sweat. More noise. “In Australia, we’ve achieved more than we could have ever imagined…but internationally not much of a dent has been made.

We’re looking forward to bringing our new live show across the world next year and testing new waters!”

The duo did not take any music related courses as there were none in their hometown at the time, but they explained that they did get in the studio with lots of other producers to learn little tricks. “It seems everyone used to learn from Future Music magazine and YouTube instructional videos.”

You can catch Peking Duk on Soundcloud and Spotify.

Stay tuned for plenty of new tracks and collaborations in 2018, and be sure to look out for their tour dates.

Peking Duk’s fans do whatever it takes to get a bit of the Duk – from supporters copying the duos personal tats to enthusiasts getting their lyrics tattooed, the Wikipedia page fan tops them all. Back in 2015, a dedicated fan edited their Wikipedia page listing himself as a relation in a bid to get backstage and share some beers with the Aussies, and it worked. Rueben re-

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A

life A mental health stress support line and money service for the music industry. anxiety pressures Call 0808 802 8008 depression relationships illness or injury unexpected changes 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Email MMM@helpmusicians.org.uk

Scan to listen to Tyni’s Fighter, the official theme song for #MusicMindsMatter

Help Musicians UK is the working name of the Musicians Benevolent Fund 7-11 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JS | Registered Charity No. 228089 musicmindsmatter.org.uk | helpmusicians.org.uk | @HelpMusiciansUK

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Don’t judge my path if you haven’t walked my journey: MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel like this? How do I make it go away? This is what ran through my head, along with more than a quarter of students in Britain who are suffering from mental health problems. I thought I was alone, but more than half of students know between one and five sufferers of mental health issues.

There’s no point in hushing it under the rug – we are all going through a rollercoaster of a time as a student and the last thing anyone needs is someone saying, “You’re just sad, you’ll get over it” or “It’s really not that bad, chill, you’re over thinking things” or the famous “You need to just pull yourself together.” Ignorance drives the stigma that it’s something to hide, but it’s not.

You might not even realise it’s happening until you are sitting alone in your room wondering how you got to that mind set, or you may have a diagnosis and know exactly what’s going on. Either way, everyone needs to understand that it is normal to go through these challenges, it doesn’t make you any different or any less human and there are places and people to turn to for support.

You face a lot of challenges throughout university, whether that may be the transition, academic pressure, or financial strain, but you can get through it. By sharing student’s inspiring stories, and raising awareness about mental health, it will help students who are suffering alone, as well as create a new stigma that it is okay.

By Anouska Levart

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I dressed as a pumpkin to help spread mental awareness two charity societies in her second year and realises the impact that students can make at university by being involved with charities.

Her position of RAG Officer at her Student Union led her to pick MIND as her university charity, with students and staff raising £1000. We asked her why she chose MIND,

If everyone starts working together to fight the stigma and spread the message that it is okay, then students will begin to feel like they can open up more and that there’s nothing to be ashamed about. Zehra Khan, City University, was involved with

“Mental health is a common problem that many students face but do not have the courage to seek help or know where to go to do so. Many students also struggle to accept or are not even aware that they are experiencing mental health problems and therefore do not actively go and seek help – that is why we felt it was such an important charity to support and promote on campus.”

Zehra encourages all students to

spread awareness and do something similar. Explaining further Zehra said, “It does not have to be on such a great scale as a RAG week. Students have the ability to make a significant difference from something like donating 5p during a fundraising event, to volunteering and helping to spread awareness on campus (cake sales and on-campus campaigns are the easiest).

Even just having a chat with a group of friends would help to start spread the conversation that needs to be taking place between students.”

Zehra described that when she was running for the position, she felt there was not enough awareness from students about the readily available opportunities that students can get involved with alongside their degrees.

“It can also make an impacting difference to the lives of others, I wanted to help try and change that,” she said.

What happens if I have no one to talk to?

A higher education charity, The Equality Challenge Unit, conducted a 2014 survey which revealed that more than half of students had not received help for their mental health issues.

Seek help for your mental health, as 78% of those students who looked for help felt that it benefited their studies, with only 5% considering the experience to be negative.

Universities are equipped with experienced staff that can help better your mental health, so don’t feel shy to ask for help – they have been doing this for years, they are used to it.

The Samaritans are also available 24 hours a day to provide you with anonymous help whenever you need it.

They have a team of 20,000 volunteers

offering emotional support, no matter who you are or what life had thrown your way. No matter how small something may seem Samaritans is there, they can offer a safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings, hopefully helping you on a path to recovery.

Precious Jeffers, Community Outreach Manager of Samaritans, explains this further, “The most important thing that someone can do

is find someone they trust to talk. It could be friends, family, a doctor or other health professional.

If you don’t feel you can open up to them you can, of course, contact the Samaritans for free on 116 123, they offer confidential and non-judgmental help 24 hours a day, seven days a week every day of the year. Sometimes people find it easier to contact us by texting or by email: jo@samaritans.org.”

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Depression and anxiety are taking over The most common mental health problems, according to a 2016 YouGov survey, is depression (77%) along with anxiety related issues (74%), while 74% of those who suffer from anxiety-related challenges, deal with depression as well.

The feeling alters from person to person. It can be the thumping of your heart, the worry, the dizziness, the flush, the shortness of breath, the feeling of being on edge. The term anxiety covers multiple disorders, such as generalised or social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and specific phobias.

Lucy Openshaw had always suffered from anxiety and random attacks that would have her petrified at what her body was doing. She was unsure why she was experiencing these things, and recalled how not knowing what they were was scary.

Lucy’s panic attacks were at their worst when she lived alone, but supermarkets were a huge fear for her,

and she couldn’t go in them.

Lucy explained, “I wouldn’t go in supermarkets, and would wait until it was super late at night before going anywhere, so there were less people about.”

She also found it hard to work and would lock herself in the toilets, or on some days, not be able to get out of her car in the car park.

“I had to get a manager to come and sit in the car with me until I calmed down, I had to get a sick note eventually, and that was a spiral of being unable to leave my house. I locked myself away in my little world where I was safe away from other people, just my cats and me.” Lucy found that it was hard on her friendships and relationship at the time, “I lost a lot of good friends as I was no longer able to go out and have fun; be the life and soul of the party,” she said.

Getting a diagnosis for Lucy really helped her understand what she was feeling, “I worked with a therapist on tackling my demons, and I also started medication to try and limit the panic attacks as I was having up to 5 a day.”

Lucy found it had to go to the doctor’s surgery, and found it scary to admit that she was suffering from anxiety.

“There was a massive stigma, and I felt like when I walked into work everyone was staring at me. Trying to explain that I’m terrified but not being able to pinpoint what I was terrified of was really hard. “

Emetophobia makes me scared to eat in case I’m sick Lucy also suffers from emetophobia, “My fear of being sick is pretty much where I can stem everything back to,” she said. “For years I wouldn’t eat anything unless I cooked it, I wouldn’t eat out, I wouldn’t eat anything I hadn’t eaten before, I wouldn’t eat for fun, the thought of eating for pleasure and enjoyment - I couldn’t get my head around. I wouldn’t eat at school or my old job, people used to think I was anorexic, but it wasn’t anorexia.”

For Lucy, you ate just enough to survive, and going out for a meal was her idea of hell, “In a room with loads of people eating food that I hadn’t cooked or known if it was fresh or clean, I never understood having food as a treat.” Lucy viewed it as a necessity, and if you had food in your stomach that means technically you could be sick. “No food in the stomach and you won’t be sick. That was my

theory I believed for way too long,” she said. It’s only in the last 2 years that Lucy has enjoyed going out for meals, socialising and enjoying eating and trying new things.”

Emetophobia still affects Lucy every day, and she checks food and washes her hands constantly if she is cooking.

“I’ll make my partner eat the same food to make sure it’s okay - I carry travel sickness pills with me and am always careful where and what I eat. My worst nightmare is still being sick but looking at it - I’ve spent less than 1% of my life being sick but a huge percent worrying about it.

I think I’ll always struggle, but I’ve got to a point I can eat out and try different things now - I still worry and still on a lot of medication to stabilise my mood, but I think I’ll always need them,” she said.

“It took a long time to get an active social life when I was poorly; I gave

myself little goals – to meet my friends somewhere, even if it was just for 5 mins. Then the next time 10 mins.

Then build it up gradually, baby steps. I built up going out again every day, and I now hold a full-time job at an animal rescue centre in the cat sanctuary, I struggle some days, but I love spending my days looking after the cats.”

Anxiety UK wants to highlight that it is important to seek support early on, “Don’t battle on alone as a problem shared is indeed a problem halved.

Anxiety UK provide timely access to talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – a proven treatment for anxiety and depression as well as access to other support such as the popular Mindfulness app, Headspace. For further details visit www.anxietyuk.org.uk, email: support@anxietyuk.org.uk or call 08444 775 774”.

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You stopped me jumping off Waterloo bridge Jonny

Benjamin, an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer and writer, created The Stranger On The Bridge – a documentary about his global search to find the stranger who stopped him jumping off Waterloo Bridge. We’ll re-wind. Jonny was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at the age of 20 (a hybrid of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) when he was in his final year of studying drama. When he got the diagnosis, it was as if his whole world had suddenly stopped, “I literally went from being a university student one day to a patient in a psychiatric hospital the next. I was terrified. I also felt very alone and ashamed.”

For Jonny his Jewish faith was always a big part of his life, living in a Jewish community and attending a Jewish school, but his sexuality caused him guilt. “When I realised I was gay, I felt a huge amount of shame and guilt that I believe hugely contributed to my eventual breakdown. After that, I turned away from my faith for a while. But when I began to really accept myself and my sexuality in my mid-20s I reconnected back with my religion, spirituality is important to me and has helped on my recovery journey.”

We’ll forward. Jonny ran away from the hospital he had been sectioned at and was ready to end his life on that bridge. Jonny expresses how lucky he is to be saved that day, “The stranger, Neil, who I now work together with, was a source of huge compassion and understanding. He listened and spoke to me in a way I had never experienced. And when he told me ‘you’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about’ I began to change my mind about taking my own life. To know that someone gets what you’re going through when you’re in utter despair and doesn’t judge you for it is an unbelievable relief. Everyone deserves that level of compassion when they’re struggling, but sadly they

I can like who I want A higher likelihood of mental health issues are found amongst LBGT students, at a figure of 45%, which is considerably higher compared to 22% of straight students.

The LGBT charity Metro conducted a survey, reporting that 52% of young LGBT people have self-harmed, while 44% have considered suicide.

University can be a tough place, with one in five LGBT+ students having been subjected to bullying or harassment on campus. Research conducted by NUS revealed that being completely safe on campus was only felt by one in five transgender students, with serious considering of dropping out being felt by more than half.

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Coming out at university can, however, be a positive experience. Eilidh Tyler Reid explains that everyone has a different experience when coming out – it can be one of the scariest, most vulnerable actions you can perform, especially if you’ve grown up in an environment which lacks LGBTQ+ presence. Eilidh felt that her experience of coming out at university was encouraging, and The University of St Andrews fantastic network in its LGBT society and student services really helped.

Eilidh describes the feeling, “I went from having very little exposure to the LGBTQ+ community at home to being surrounded by people who were out and absolutely proud; it was a strong

often don’t receive it.”

For Jonny, making videos and speaking out about mental health to educate people and challenge stigmas gave him a purpose and direction, which he lacked for a long time after his diagnosis. “All my goals in life vanished as my confidence plummeted, but making videos to help others was the start of a new journey, and trying to make a difference for others keeps me going.”

Things are very different now for Jonny, and he wouldn’t change anything, but he explains that if he had been given more support and knowledge about his condition, it would have helped him a lot. “I know it’s easy for me to say now I’m through it, but it’s important to remember that ‘all things must pass.’ I really thought the darkness would last forever, but it cleared eventually, and that happened when I began opening up and sharing my thoughts and feelings. At first, it was embarrassing and challenging, but opening up about my mental health and my sexuality was the best thing I ever did. Most important of all is to keep in mind that you can and will overcome! “Fall down 7 times, stand up 8” is a Japanese proverb I use as my motto for life.

motivator and an even greater comfort.” She describes university as, at some level, the perfect place for a person to scrub clean their plate and present their true selves. “Keeping my identity to myself for so long was really

detrimental to my mental health. It’s very easy to convince yourself that you are isolated in this, and my choice to come out had a positive effect on my mental health. I came out in an environment where I was surrounded by many people in a similar situation, and it’s so important to feel that you

have a support network.”

If you are afraid to come out, Eilidh advises to explore your sexuality through the media and gender studies, “It was a massive and wonderful revelation to find out how many prominent people I admire share

my sexual identity. Learn to love your identity and the rest will come when you’re ready. Make the most of the good resources available at university, and become part of a community who will embrace you and your identity.”

My brothers Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy triggered my Dependent Personality Disorder People who have Dependent Personality Disorder can feel a fear of abandonment or separation, and face difficulty with decisions and disagreements, while feeling helpful when alone. “Unlike a lot of people I can pretty much pinpoint when my depression began,” noted Elise Jackson. “The summer before uni we lost my older brother to SUDEP, and it was a week before his 22nd birthday and my 18th.” Elise was in the middle of her A-Level exams and had a maths exam the following Monday. That summer she had also moved out of her family home and moved to university. “Bereavement, along with two or three other huge life changes just overwhelmed me, and I believe my DPD started then as a kind of defence mechanism. That carried onto university in the way that when I felt stressed or overwhelmed, my body’s first reaction is to depersonalise,” she said.

For Elise, DPD is close to having an out of body experience. “Some say it’s like feeling drunk all the time, and

I first realised it was DPD when we were on a trip to see my family up north. In the car, I realised I couldn’t feel my heartbeat, and then I realised I couldn’t feel my fingers or legs.” Elise found that university has been really good for her mental health, and while she has suffered some hard times, and found that homesickness doesn’t exactly help, being around lots of people and bustle was a good distraction. She describes that “even when the last thing I wanted to do was be around people, the uni has things in place like Nightline and the Counselling service which are great help. Because my symptoms are based around physical and mental detachment, I practice mindfulness and things like yoga to try and ground myself in my body.”

“If you feel alone I think the most important thing to do is tell someone,” she said. Elise explains that university is a once in a lifetime opportunity, in terms of there are people around ALL THE TIME, so there’s always someone close by. “Look into your university’s mental health care systems and make

My looks don’t define who I am Transitioning to university isn’t easy, and neither is transitioning your sexuality, which can cause many students to feel isolated. You have to deal with the struggle to find genderneutral toilets, transphobia as well as the awkward conversations and classes.

Shevek Imogen Fodor transitioned at university from, as they put it, a lesbian woman to a non-binary quoisexual. “It was quite odd, and something I never really expected to happen,” they

said. Shevek read various articles and blog posts that were shared on feminist pages on Facebook, met non-binary people at uni, and read gender theory on their course, which made them realise that they were more comfortable not identifying as a woman anymore, and that understanding themselves as a nonbinary made a lot more sense.

Shevek still faces many challenges, such as being misgendered, which they find really annoying and saddening. “I present quite androgynously so

use of them. Talk to your tutors and

your flatmates. Crucially, don’t believe it is forever. It isn’t.

Mental illness does come back in waves so it can sometimes feel like you’re not progressing just because you aren’t levelling out. Finally, you’re still young. Think of yourself as not just a student of education but a student of yourself as well. It’s a time of learning, and you’ll be a better person out of it in the end.”

it’s frustrating if I’m wearing a suit, or really masculine clothes, to be referred to as ‘she’, cos I’m like: can’t you see I’m not a woman.”

“It also makes me feel pretty anxious because, if I am misgendered, I have the internal monologue of ‘do I correct them? How will I do that, so it’s not awkward? Oh, it’s too late now, the conversation has continued. But I should have corrected them because now they won’t know, and I should let them know that I’m non-binary to raise

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awareness.” Shevek understands that people make mistakes, but explains how it never feels nice because it feels like people aren’t recognising you for who you really are.

Communicating with people who had known Shevek before they began their transition was another challenge. They explain this further, “Letting them know that you would like different pronouns or a different name seems that they have to start seeing you in a different way, even though, you haven’t really changed, you’re just understanding yourself in a new way.”

Shevek found it especially hard with tutors, as well as the consistent need to have to explain yourself all the time and answer questions that you don’t really know any of the answers to, as you are confused yourself. “Just having to make decisions about my name, my pronouns, my clothes, do I wear a binder, and everything – it just impacts every

part of your life, when really you just want to do my course and comedy and hang out with friends.”

Gaining help from their LGBTQ+ officer by talking and asking questions helped Shevek, as well as conversing with their comedy society to try and make things more open and inclusive to everyone. They wish that more casting roles were flexible and could be cast gender-blind, “I just wish more emphasis was put on this really, instead of just keep on doing the same old plays and things which just help perpetuate queer erasure. It’s so hard, as well, trying to foster an inclusive environment for anyone who wants to get involved because everyone everywhere is dogmatic and scared to change.”

If you are unsure of your sexual orientation or feel scared to speak out, Shevek advises to look out for your LGBTQ+ network. “There are people

who

should be more than happy to help you work things out, and you’re not alone!

Whoever you are, however you identify, you are worthful and loved, and things will be okay.

It’s okay to take things at your own pace, to seek support, both academic and pastoral, to work out who you are and how to do things in a way that is comfortable to you.”

My Borderline Personality Disorder felt like I carried a ‘dirty little secret’ Borderline Personality Disorder can cause you to act impulsively, feel intense emotions and emptiness, struggle to find a sense of who you are while dealing with unstable relationships, fear of abandonment and anger.

“Everyone with a diagnosis of BPD is different, but the main way I describe it for myself is having intense ‘highs’ and ‘lows’,” explained Rosie Cappuccino, a master’s student in Medical Humanities.

“When I’m in a ‘high’ I feel in love with everything; my thoughts will race,

ideas will spark, and I’m flooded with an unstoppable sense of joy.

It sounds great, but it’s too much.

It’s like being electrocuted, and it’s painful.”

Rosie described that when she is in a ‘low,’ she feels like she is drowning in sadness and shame. “I have suicidal thoughts and think about selfharming. I become convinced that everything is ruined, especially my relationships with people I love. The fear can make me panicky and frantic.”

For many years Rosie remained silent about her mental health problems because she felt like she carried a ‘dirty little secret’, and lived in fear of it being discovered. “This made the shame I felt about my experiences multiply. It was unbearable at times. When I was first diagnosed with BDP just before my finals at university, I started blogging about my experiences anonymously online. Almost immediately, I gained the relief of knowing I wasn’t alone.

That has been really powerful.”

Rosie also uses drawing and writing to

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communicate what’s in her head, and to come to an understanding of what’s happening, “The process of relating to others and having them relate back to me through my blog and Twitter, Talking About BPD, has been enormous.”

Being shortlisted for the 2015 Mind Media Award was a huge honour for the blogger, “The way Talking About BPD has been received shows that people with a BPD diagnosis still feel stereotyped, shamed and silenced.

Talking About BPD is a place where I’m sharing my experiences to show people that I am a stereotype, that I don’t deserve the shame and I will not be silent.”

“Some people want to talk about their mental health problems, and some people don’t. Either and anything in between is okay. If you don’t feel safe enough to talk yet, and you want to, I would try it anonymously online. BPD impacts my life deeply, but it doesn’t define me. I want everyone to see that.”

My pride was my downfall at university; I left it far too long before I sought out help

Many students feel uncomfortable to seek help at university and suffer alone, with their grades being affected at the same time.

Emmie struggled at university in a lot of ways with her anxiety. “I wasn’t as outgoing as I would’ve liked to have been,” she said. “I only went out twice during Fresher’s week, both of which ended with me in tears at home with my then boyfriend, sobbing about why I couldn’t be normal and just enjoy all that stuff. I didn’t join societies (even though some of them sounded so much fun) because groups of strangers sounded like the worst kind of hell for me.” She went through a period of not being able to leave her room for a week or so. “My then boyfriend had to walk me to the bathroom and back and bring me food - it wasn’t a great time. I was missing lectures and not seeing my friends, but it got better as I learnt to handle everything better.”

For Emmie anxiety felt like she was being followed, that feeling when you can sense someone’s eyes on you even if you can’t see them. “It feels like there’s always something there in

the back of my mind. The logical side of my brain is telling me it’s wrong, but my anxiety is much, much louder a lot of the time,” she said.

Explaining how her pride was her downfall during her time at university, she said that she left it far too long before she sought out help.

“Eventually, after a break down at home, I ended up on medication from my GP which really helped. I took advantage of my universities free counselling - which was a fantastic outlet for me at the time. I also built up the courage to speak to my lecturer about what was going on in my head, and he was fantastic! We had an honest chat, and he offered alternatives for me for the times I felt I just couldn’t make it into class.”

“All of these things helped me to gain a better understanding of my anxiety which gave me the control to handle it more efficiently. If you feel like you are struggling, don’t just let it get too much. Speak with your tutors and explain the situation. They are there to help you, and can help them see you aren’t just being lazy.”

Emmie now works as a full-time barista which she would have never previously imagined due to the sheer amount of customers. “Obviously I still have days where I am struggling with my anxiety; however, I have learnt better-coping methods over the years meaning I can live a pretty normal life.

(Despite a couple of panic attacks on the bar!) Don’t leave it too late!

There is absolutely no shame in asking for help. It doesn’t mean you aren’t capable if you are struggling and it doesn’t make your achievements any less valid if you ask for help.”

Post-university depression hits you hard After spending years at university, many will call it home. But when it comes down to the time of leaving, it can be pretty hard to tear yourself away. Learning about this at an early stage in university will make you prepared if it does occur. “I think what causes it is the transition from student to adult life, it’s extremely sudden,” said Tazmin Pye. “It was as if the world suddenly expected me to have a job, be an adult, know what I want to do, who I want to be – but that’s not how the world works, that’s not how humans work, and it put a great deal of pressure on me.”

Tazmin said her experience with mental health has been a whirlwind, but she is on her way to a diagnosis for Borderline Personality Disorder.

By getting a learning contract with

her university, it was okay if Tazmin needed an extension or didn’t arrive to a lecture, and she disclosed it to her tutors who were incredible.

“I ensured that I surrounded myself with good, positive people. When you’re in university you may enter several friendship groups at a time until you find your groove; I just became good for realising who influenced me positively and stuck with them,” she said.

Tazmin describes how writing is a great way to change the world and inspire others, “I’ve been writing for my blog Awareness for over two years; I love it. I love writing. Always have. Not enough people talk about mental health, so I created Awareness to raise Awareness for what is in all of us – mental health.” She explains how it is important to find out the

things that bring you mental peace, joy and happiness, and keep with them, “Be honest with yourself and more importantly kind and compassionate – some days will be bad, but some will be amazing and, at the end of it you’ll remember those the most.”

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8 QUIRKY HOBBIES

you need to try in 2018 It felt like it was only yesterday when the countdown was starting, cheers were ringing, and 2018 was being forced upon you, stagnant with a mixture of never-to-be-completed New Year goals and hope that this year may be slightly better. With January being National Hobby Month, what better way to try something new!

By Anouska Levart

❶ Parkour If you are unfamiliar with this outdoor pastime, it combines running, jumping and climbing at an efficient fast-past throughout urban landscapes.

There are many reasons to start this free hobby which you can practice practically anywhere. Firstly, it gives you a full body workout, builds a strong core, increases your stamina, balance and coordination while developing bone strength. Secondly, you can start off with easy simple moves which anyone can practice, and it encourages quickthinking skills and confidence.

❷ Latte Art If you enjoy your regular fix of coffee, tea, or overpriced frappe’s, then this can make a great winter-time hobby when your locked inside, and can make some cute Instagram pics at the same time. There is some science behind this form of art, and it centres on the milk. The physical characteristics of the milk are altered when steam is added, creating this ‘microfoam’ which you use to make the designs. The heart and Rosetta leaf are the easiest to start with, but use whole milk for a real velvety effect.

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❸ Nail Art You don’t need to be a fantastic artist to try this creative hobby. It’s definitely affordable (even the pound shop has nail varnish), and it doesn’t take up as much room as a drum kit. Plus, it feels nice when your nails look cool, and people notice it.

QUICK TIP: use a toothpick, pin or small brush to create dots and swirls, or cut up a kitchen sponge, paint three stripes of colour onto it and then dab on your nails for a sunset effect. To marble them add some nail varnishes to water, create toothpick-swirls then take a dip. It’s an enjoyable winter hobby during the nonstop rain, and the nail-art community is awesome: YouTube Simple Nailogical or cute-polish for some charming designs.

❹ Sign Language Learning sign language equips you with a very useful skill: you will be able to interact and help people that may be deaf.

When applied to any work field having the knowledge of this increases successful interactions with customers and can increase your employability as it looks great on your CV. Bilingualism enriches your cognitive processes and heightens your memory. Check out YouTube for some helpful videos or download some apps to practice, but remember to choose which one you want to learn – BSL (British Sign Language) or ASL (American Sign Language).

❺ Bullet Journaling Beautiful intricatelydetailed layouts in a hip journal.

What is this and why should I start it?

Well, if you really need to keep a journal but have always failed, suck at organisation, love stationery and notebooks, and want to start keeping track of your to-do’s and goals then this is for you. Not only will your DIY planner easily track your targets, activities and progress, but it will help you sort out all aspects of your life, and will ensure those assignments get done. Short sentences, quick notes, symbols to show the progress; you can include an index, daily tasks and calendar pages, collections, and future and monthly logs; simple or extravagant you make the rules.

n ❻ Meditatio In search of inner peace, relaxation and stress-free days?

Unwind and focus to relieve anxiety, reduce stress, and worry less about the insignificant things in life. You may think it won’t work, but there’s no harm in sitting down for just 2 minutes to try it out with an app that will provide the instructions, music and timer. It may not seem like anything the first time, but it’s something you need to stick with. Don’t worry too much about how you are doing it, just go with the flow, and see what happens. You will feel calmer and more collected, like a rejuvenating kick of self-awareness and inspiration. If first semester has turned you into an insomniac, it can even help you sleep. Why not try out these apps: Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer, and The Mindfulness App.

hy ❼ Calligrap It never hurts to improve your handwriting, but there’s more to this one. Calligraphy’s popularity has grown over the years, especially on Instagram which is a perfect muse for ideas. The possibilities are endless, and the results can be quick. Pick punchy words to practice with and doodle until you get rid of all of those shaky lines with this cheap therapeutic hobby that you can practice while waiting for your lecture to start.

❽ Ukulele You don’t need to sit on a beach and play Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ to get in the ukulele swing. This fun miniguitar has only four strings and is easy to pick up; don’t worry about reading sheet music as there are helpful YouTubers out there like Ukulele Underground and The Ukulele Teacher. You can buy ukuleles on Amazon for roughly £20, making it a really cheap instrument to learn. The best part about them is their portability – you can put it in your backpack and practice in any location, or take it down to the park for a jam session with your fellow ukes.

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HALLS TO HOME: Making the most out of your dorm room

By Anouska Levart

There are three types of students when it comes to halls: the ones who want to make their room homely, the ‘I don’t really mind’ types, and then those who are sleeping on the plastic of their mattress ‘cause they haven’t got a bed sheet yet. Whichever one you are, you are going to be living there for a year – so you might as well make the most out of your room.

Check out Student Pages decorating tips to transform your bland prison-cell into an MTV Cribs #DormEdition.

LIGHTS

Lights are the icing on the cake, they can really help transform your room entirely. It’s also nice to have some soft light for a more chilled vibe if you don’t want the harsh overhead lights. If fairy lights aren’t your thing you can invest in a small bedside lamp, a star-gazing light, a disco or plasma light, light-up signs, electric tea light jars, or change the bulb to a remote-controlled multi-coloured one.

THE BED

This can be the hub of the room – everyone huddles up on the bed for a movie, a game of FIFA or a good gossip. The amount of time you will spend over-sleeping or recovering from hangovers means it’s worth kitting out. Your parents might have palmed you off with the spare bed-set, or you got hurried to the nearest supermarket to buy some plain coloured sheets – yeah, they do the job, and are perfect for in-between washes, but why settle for something boring? Just a quick Google search and you can find an assortment of crazy bedsheets with designs of galaxies, pizza’s, wolves and trippy patterns.

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THE FLOOR

Not much attention goes to the floor, I mean you walk on it and use it as a secondary wardrobe but that’s it right, or is it? Lot’s of students forget the power of the rug and the doorstop.

Rugs can really bring a pop of colour to your room and hide that dark-stained floor. Now, the doorstop. This is a must – it instantly makes your room a social hub. I’m not talking about some boring wooden doorstop either; you can get fallen ice creams, squirting paint tubs or melting chocolate. Added seating can definitely make your room the go-to place so it’s worth looking at cheap beanie bags and poufs so you can all chill in your room when you get that kitchen noise complaint. If you want your room to smell like ‘summer delights’, ‘popcorn’ or ‘roasting hazelnut’ then purchase a plug-in room freshener to have your friends commenting on the smell in no time.

STORAGE

The size of your hall’s room can be a hit or miss – you can get a decent room or be stuck in Harry Potter’s cupboard. Creating extra storage is a great way to maximise your room space and stay organised at the same time. Let’s face it, there is never enough room in the wardrobe. How do they expect you to fit a year’s worth of clothes and all your shoes at the same time?! Invest in storage boxes for under your bed, you’re not going to wear summer clothes in winter so store them and then swap them around for maximum wardrobe space. You can also hide away all the things you don’t use without it looking like everything got shoved underneath your bed. Shoes can hang in fabric shoe-organisers on your door while dividers can free up draw space.

Inside your wardrobe, you can go for colourful or velvet hangers for an extra touch.

THE WALLS Onto the walls, they are the place to add some personality. You can pretty much do anything you want.

Adding posters to your walls will make your room feel homelier and add your unique touch, you can also do this with postcards and pictures.

Washi tape can also be used to create frames and vibrant designs on your walls, or you can make use of the cheap black and white printing to make monochrome wall art.

This also includes the door (both inside and outside) – decorate it and show everyone that this is your room.

Hanging plants can add a holistic jungle vibe to your cave, although cacti are the easiest to look after; if you can barely remember to feed yourself opt for a fake one.

THE DESK

The desk can end up being used for everything else apart from its actual usage: to study. Those stacked plates and scattered papers just get in the way. Organising your desk will increase your chances of utilising it, and when it’s too rainy to head to the library, you’ll be glad it’s all set up to go. Desk trays or folders are great to sort out your papers and work into different modules, while scissors and Sellotape are vital things that you could forget until you need it. Jazz up your desk with some work stationary (stapler, Mason jar pen holder, notebooks) and stick up a calendar along with some inspirational quotes to keep you motivated each day. Funky bookends are also handy to keep all your books together and stop them falling. For girls, it’s useful to invest in extra pouches for your makeup and jewellery, so your desk isn’t scattered with different lipsticks.

Bringing a few trinkets from home can also turn your hall into a cosy cave so grab some extra items next time you go home.

So, instead of spending Saturday sleeping the hangover away, shake off the laziness and start decorating now (before you know it the year will be over, and you will wish you had)!

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Student Pages talks to

British Vogue’s Sittings Editor, Julia Brenard, on the season’s key pieces, how to stay stylish yet professional in the office, and how to forge a career in Fashion

Which trends do you like for SS18 and feel are the most prominent for the upcoming season?

Lilac, tassels and embroidery, interiors inspiration, 80’s continuation are all great trends that we are going to be seeing across all stores throughout Spring and Summer next year, and personal favourites of mine.

Why is Fashion important to you?

I have always thoughts of Fashion as a form of self expression. Depending on the impression of yourself that you want to put across, you can demonstrate this through what you are wearing. Whether that be professionalism in the office, creativity or passion for the arts, a strong message is sent by the simple choice of what you decide to wear.

What is the boundary between looking stylish at the office and professionalism?

What tips would you give to maintain this balance?

Be aware of the company’s particular dress code. In some offices, it’s good to show personality, where in others, they might prefer a more structured and formal look.

What pathway would you recommend for someone that wants to work in the Fashion Industry?

Work experience is extremely important if you aren’t doing it throughout your course already. Try to incorporate as much as possible into your degree or your free time. This will prepare you for leaving, and you might learn something that you wouldn’t necessarily be taught at University

What is your all-time favourite purchase and why?

A great pair of classic timeless black heels are always a great investment and can be worn from day to night.

By Riana Pervez

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In Our Wardrobe

TOP SHOP Skirt, £35 (www.topshop.com)

LOOK NO FURTHER THAN TOPSHOP FOR THIS MUST-HAVE SKIRT Your student discount can help towards this great investment staple, a chic waist-tied skirt that can be coupled with a fitted white shirt and statement necklace to the office, or with a cropped black top for a figure flattering evening look.

You could even wear it to a festival in the summer with a cropped lace top and long necklace. It’s an all rounder.

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www.STUDENTPAGES.biz

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Moss London, Skinny Fit Blue Check Jacket, £99 | Moss London, Skinny Fit Blue Check Trousers, £70 | Moss London, Skinny Fit Blue Check Waistcoat, £60

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WANT TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION AT WORK WITHOUT LOOKING TOO FORMAL? Invest in this Laptop Cover from The Cambridge Satchel Company. With lots of room to store your work and laptop, it is also a great option for your Final Year before you graduate. It also is a great quality bag which will look good on your arm for any interviews.

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Best Buys Under £50 TOPSHOP

Embroidered skirt, £45 (www.topshop.com)

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BOOHOO

Men’s Jacket, £35

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INTERVIEW WITH ROMANS It takes a lot of courage to leave school at 16 in pursuit of a music career. After numerous collaborations with charttopping artists such as Gorgon City, Clean Bandit, Olly Murs, Birdy, Disclosure, Louisa Johnson, Craig David, and Little mix, it’s safe to say that Sam Roman, AKA ROMANS has got it.

But his passion for music began long before his debut in Naughty Boy’s Home which launched him into mainstream appeal, and he was signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. From childhood, poetry and a love for learning instruments has driven ROMANS. “I think when I was about 16 I realised I wanted to do it as a career,’ he says. ‘So just about when I was leaving school.”

Deciding to leave education was a big leap, and ROMANS had considered taking a year off, and going to university. Getting signed to a small development deal at 16 changed that, and it turned into a lifetime of work. “It took about 9 or 10 years

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after leaving school to start being successful as a writer, I think I needed that time to perfect my craft.”

Once Roc Nation recognised his talent, ROMANS was initially signed as a writer-producer before signing a record deal as a vocalist. His accomplished song writing saw him working with his own childhood inspirations such as Alicia Keys and John Legend. ‘I’ve worked with Elton John, who has been one of my biggest heroes since childhood. He grew up on a street a few down from where I grew up in Pinner, so eventually collaborating with him was pretty surreal.’

“Before being signed I had spent years working with lesser known artists. Then suddenly overnight I found myself in LA working with StarGate, one of the biggest production teams in the world. A few days after arriving home, Kylie Minogue came and stayed with my whole family for the weekend, which was very strange. I used to have a studio in my parent’s basement, and I remember my mum having her hair done in

www.STUDENTPAGES.biz

“ Richard Branson’s quote has served me well...

If someone offers you a great opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes and learn how to do it later.

”

the kitchen, the hairdresser totally unaware of who was downstairs.

The next thing, Kylie has walked in singing “I’m spinning around” and dancing.”

On striking a balance between the inevitable lifestyle that comes with success and staying true to his art, ROMANS says, “My true passion is making music, I’m not necessarily interested in all the other activities that go along with it. I just enjoy the process of making it and watching the initial reactions of people who’s opinions I value. I suppose when a song’s out, I do relentlessly check the stats to see how it’s doing and update my phone a few thousand times a day, but apart from that, I’m not really bothered, as long as I’m happy with the song.”

But his prolificacy leaves little time to experience others’ music. “I’ll listen to Spotify’s New Music Friday, and I listen to the pop playlist just to keep an ear on what the new trends are, but I rarely listen to music for pleasure anymore which is a shame, I just don’t really have time.” With the little time he has, ROMANS likes to indulge in retro tunes, as he grew up on the Beatles before discovering Motown, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Soul. Now ROMANS’ favourite genres support an expansive list. “I listen to music to learn from it, I’ve been going to Nashville and writing country music recently, so I find myself getting into that.” For someone who told people he loved all music but country and classical, he now finds deep pleasure in classical music, too. ‘That’s probably what I listen to the most for just pleasure when I want to relax.”

Mainstream music isn’t all on his to-do-list, as ROMANS plans to score a film and write a musical: his two life goals. “I

love film music and composition. It’s something related to what I do but requires a different approach and that’s what interests me. I’ve also always been a fan of musical theatre and again, writing songs with the level of narrative that theatre allows would be a new discipline.”

ROMANS has had times where he felt like giving up, too.

“I think when you go into any creative industry, especially music, it’s very difficult if you don’t know people. So, I went through a long period of time not getting anywhere and not progressing - not necessarily because the music I was making wasn’t right, although I don’t think it was - but there was no way of taking that music forward and no way of presenting it to people and being taken seriously.”

“So, there were plenty of times it felt like I was just hitting my head against a wall.”

“I’m luckily in a position now where people listen to my opinion, and where people send work my way. I think the music I’m making these days is definitely of a higher standard, but as the old saying goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Sadly this industry will probably always be a bit of an exclusive club, the trick is finding a way to let yourself in. ” Looking to the future, ROMANS wants to continue making music and challenging himself.

“I don’t really care what capacity that’s in, I just want to keep loving my job.”

“ If you are doing a degree to get into the music industry as a creative, an A&R or a manager then be realistic about the actual opportunities out there, they are few and far between.

If one of these rare opportunities comes up, grab it with both hands.

”

29

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Training and progression?

What Is The Hidden Job Market… and How You Can Access It? The ‘hidden’ job market refers to jobs that aren’t advertised through public channels. This accounts for up to 80% of all job vacancies.

So if you’re starting to look for a job - part-time while you study, a summer internship, or securing a graduate opportunity - how do you find out about these secret jobs? Better yet, how do you get an interview for one?

The answer comes down to a single word: networking.

There are a huge number of ways you can network, both online and in person.

The first move is to talk to as many people as you can about your job hunt, from friends and family to tutors and your Uni’s career staff – all the way to your hairdresser.

It’s all based on the premise that you never know who might know someone recruiting for a job that you might be interested in. Your academic tutor will not only know people who work within academia, for example.

Sometimes though, you might know someone working in an industry you want to gain experience in, but they are not currently recruiting – openly.

This is your opportunity to ask them to meet you for a coffee (where you offer to pay!), so that you can find out more about their company and what working there is really like. You do not need to directly ask for a job then and there, but you are starting to build a relationship with that person and their organisation, so when there is

an internship available in a couple of months’ time, they are more likely to ask you first, or at least say yes when your cover letter and CV land on their desk. You can target either the HR manager or the person whose job you’d like to learn more about, preferably both.

You can also reach out to people through Linkedin. Start by fully completing your profile and specifying exactly what you are looking for in your summary. Linkedin is essentially Facebook for professionals, and everyone will have a profile. By upgrading your account to a premium subscription (free for the first month; you can cancel it after that), you can directly message as many professionals as you like whose careers you’re interested in. Asking to arrange a video or phone call after a few emails can be a really helpful way to create rapport with someone when you don’t live in the same city.

Depending how much experience

you have, asking for a week’s informal work experience once the person has gotten to know you a little is much more likely to get a positive response, than from an anonymous CV. If you have a bit more experience, this approach will mean you can get to know the person and the company better, and when a job does come around, they might well think of you before they advertise for it.

Building genuine relationships is key here though, this should not just be a one off; you should make sure that you stay in touch by sending a friendly email every few months.

You can do this with as many people as possible, which will allow you to slowly build an entire network of valuable contacts. Whilst most won’t lead to an internship or job, some will, and when you do enter the workplace, your value will come not just from your skills, but also from the network of people you have access to.

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y r o t S s ’ h a n n Ha E CAREER

TO FULL TIM T N E D U T S TIME FROM PART

When Hannah Mulholland started her Events Management degree at The University of Birmingham, she had no idea that eight years later she would be overseeing the activities programmes for nearly 4,000 residents across 60 of Barchester Healthcare’s 200 care homes for the elderly.

What started out as a job to fit around her studies and fund her passion for travel has turned into a lifelong career using her degree in ways she never thought she would.

Hannah talks to the Student Pages about the power of self-belief and how a student job can take you on an amazing journey.

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From pocket money to a passion

Making the difference

“Like many students I wanted some extra money while I was studying. I love travelling and didn’t want to give that up while I was on my course. I knew I didn’t want to do bar or banqueting work, so when a friend suggested doing some domiciliary care for the elderly, I thought it sounded much more interesting. The job meant working in the morning and evenings, before and after my classes – I would help older people in their homes get ready for their day and then prepare them for bed at night, and I really enjoyed meeting the people I was supporting.”

“Our residents have such varied and fascinating lives and we want them to continue their interests when they come to live in our homes. Just because people live in a care home doesn’t mean we can’t introduce new things. I have taught a 101 year lady to Skype so she can talk to her son in Canada – how amazing is that?”

However, Hannah couldn’t stop thinking about the people she looked after during her day. As an events management student, it was on her mind what activities an elderly house bound person could do during the day.

“I would worry my ladies and gents were sitting there staring at the TV, watching programmes that didn’t really interest them and not living their lives to full potential. So, with some of the money I earned, I would go to the charity shops and look for things that I thought would interest them, a jigsaw puzzle or a specific DVD, it all depended what their interests were.”

“It really got me thinking not only about how much we can learn from the elderly, but also what they can learn from us. It should all be about the quality of life they deserve.

There’s a perception that the elderly want to just sit drinking tea and watching TV, I decided that with my events degree I could blow that perception out of the water.”

Believe in Yourself However, like many things, the road is not always straight forward. Hannah had watched Barchester Healthcare build Harper Fields Care Home five years ago in Balsall Common – close to her own home. By then, Hannah knew she wanted to use her Events Management degree to bring an amazing, varied and vibrant activities programme to the residents of Harper Fields.

“I called Harper Fields and asked if they had an Activities Coordinator. I was told the role had already been filled, but I didn’t let that stop me, you make your own future. I asked the Manager to meet me, what harm would it do? I really believed I could make a positive difference to the residents in the home. I planned well for my meeting and pretended that I already had the job, so I mocked up some leaflets and worked out a timetable for the residents.

My determination worked – I was made Activities Coordinator and the other lady became my assistant. I was thrilled. Finally, I could use my Events Management degree to enrich and enhance people’s lives.”

Hannah’s degree taught her an event is an event; no matter who is attending or where it is, you can make a positive difference. From this belief, Harper Fields has developed a 24/7 calendar of events ranging from cinema evenings and Reiki classes to swimming club and ‘mindfulness and meditation’ in which all the staff are involved.

“We also run a variety of trips for our residents, with the theatre being one of their favourites. I recently took a gentleman to the ballet at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre who had never been before. He was in his 80s and I took him to the front of the stage and showed him what it all looked like, he was in awe. Watching his face was magical. He was having the chance to experience something new at the age of 80!”

“I really enjoy planning the bigger events; bonfire night is one of my favourites. We have even held a Vegan Festival (I am passionate about veganism).

But for all events, big or small, you have to think of every element; the marketing, press releases, entertainment, budget planning, and all the finer details that make an event perfect.”

Go as far as you can Hannah’s passions, her degree and belief that you can do anything you set your heart on has meant she is now heading up a new pilot project across 60 homes which will ensure all residents get the vibrant activities programme they deserve. It has also meant she has won many awards including, Barchester Healthcare’s ‘Activities Coordinator 2016’, and ‘Veggie Hero Award 2017’ from Vegetarian for Life.

“I had never considered a career in the care sector, I just wanted to do something that has a buzz, energy and a purpose to it. At Barchester not only can I can use my degree to help people to live a full and happy life, but I’m also invigorated and fulfilled.”

www.barchesterjobs.com

33

7 Traits YOU NEED to Develop at University TO START A BUSINESS Ben & Dan Ritsema co-founded Cranes Drinks straight out of university.

With Ben attending Exeter and Dan at Leeds, the twin brothers, who both had a passion for keeping fit and healthy, wanted to create an alcoholic drink that they could enjoy whilst being health conscious.

Student Pages spoke to the boys about what advice they would give to anyone who is thinking of doing the same and this is what we learnt.

“Attending university requires a level of selfmotivation, however if you plan on starting your own business straight after finishing your degree, then you will need to find a whole other level of motivation. No one will be there pushing you, telling you what you need to do or how to do it.”

ion

ivat ❶ Self-Mot

“We always look back and think we would have made much quicker progress with Cranes if we had worked in the industry beforehand. You only really understand the value of experience when you have to make an uneducated decision which could lose you money. Neither of us had any real experience behind a bar or in a brewery.

Therefore, we had to learn a lot very quickly, sometimes from making the wrong call. If we had worked in the drinks industry we both feel we would have reduced the mistakes we made. Although no job will prepare you for setting up your own business, and the commitment this will take.”

❷ Industry experience

g your first ❹ Acceptin will likely fail a e id n a f o n iteratio “We changed our product in excess of 6 times, from branding to formulation. Naturally working in any industry, you will learn what people like and dislike about your product or service, so will have to adapt to the market and what the consumers and professionals say.”

“You will have more ups than downs, being able to cope with that is important.

You will have to work through times where you just want to give up. Nothing worth having comes easy.”

e ❺ Resilienc

❻ Knowing no when to say

g trends in t ic d re P ❸ ck) (and a bit of lu “If you work hard you can make a business successful (depending how you define success), but to make an extremely successful business compared to the likes of Fever-Tree or BrewDog we believe you can break this down proportionately:

• • •

40% - is down to the timing and whether the market is ready for it. Launch a product too early and the consumers may not get it or accept it. Launch it too late and the market will be saturated. For example, Fever-Tree launched their premium tonic waters just when there was a surge in gins in the market and an increased consumption of gin and tonics. To time this right is extremely hard and there is a lot of luck involved.

30% - is the team, the people behind the marketing and operations.

30% - is down to the product. “

34

“When we first started Cranes, we found that a lot of people approached us with a variety of different opportunities, from charity events to guest speaking.

When first starting, these all sounded very exciting and could have potentially been good but you must be selective. It is not possible to do everything; you will get more out of it if you focus your efforts. “ “Starting any business, you need to have the entrepreneurial spirit and self-belief to pull you through the tough times. You will get people who don’t understand or believe in what you are doing. But you do need to balance that self-belief resilience with reality and keep your feet on the ground.”

f ❼ Self-belie

Written by Emma Rosen

www.STUDENTPAGES.biz

Job Profile:

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER Being a wedding photographer in Ibiza is just as incredible as you’d imagine .

In September last year, I stepped off a plane onto the sunny coast of Ibiza to spend a week working with Gypsy Westwood Photography: a small but successful photography company that cover weddings of all sizes, styles, and price ranges.

Early the next morning, I drove to my first location: an intimate 50-person ceremony overlooking the Balearic sea. As a second wedding photographer, the first thing I noticed was how vastly different an experience it was to capturing wildlife, urban landscapes, and selfies. The wedding party rely on you not to miss a single magical exchange or moment of intimacy, so your concentration can’t lapse for a second, which is surprisingly exhausting. But capturing the perfect shot of everyone laughing at the best man’s punchline or the first dance, doused in the perfect lighting, and immortalising those precious moments makes all your effort worth it a thousand times over. That said, you need to carefully time bathroom breaks, and, for all the stunning shots you take, there are long period of monotony; there are only so many different shots you can take of the same people dancing for four hours, and absolutely no one looks good eating, even the bride.

“To indulge

your artistic side for a living is a real treasure, something few people are lucky enough to do

I was relieved when the night came to a close at around midnight, but my work was far from over. I spent days poring through the hundreds of photos, cherry-picking and editing the best.

Then was time for my advanced Photoshop and Lightroom lesson. I got the hang of it after a couple of days, and soon realised that a photography job entails far more than just snapping photos. A large part of it is expertly manipulating your images to create the best possible results. For every hour you spend at a wedding, you’ll spend three more in front of your computer screen amidst endless cups of coffee.

Overall, my experience as a wedding photographer gave the right-hand side of my brain a serious workout, and the rush of euphoric creativity was to die for. To indulge your artistic side for a living is a real treasure, something few people are lucky enough to do, especially when your work brings such joy and will be cherished by clients for the rest of their lives.

35

CORREIGH: From Dental Nurse to Underground Ibiza Rave

36

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Long before Correigh would go on to perform in an Ibizan rave, and score a three-album record deal, a hunger for music and performance was stirring:

“ I did drama for GCSE, then I went to sixth form and ended up doing musical theatre, and that’s when I realised I actually preferred the singing so much more to the acting side.

”

This led to Correigh joining a local band. Following a few gigs, her sister put her in contact with her now music partner Ben Amesbury. Following their introduction, they started to collaborate, and thanks to Ben’s experience as a recording engineer, they were able to develop tracks that were very special, imbued by Correigh’s raw ideas, developing her into the artist she is today.

from there go straight to the airport, get back” … “so kind of like two days of being up, and not being able to sleep”.

The natural next step, of course, is playing to a cave party in Ibiza. One of Correigh’s fondest memories when she started was the time she found herself performing at Es Verdra “a party in the caves”, as she put it best. She explained that they had to turn up at 1am in morning when it was pitch black.

“We walked down these steep steps by the sea and then just ended up in this cave and it was mental; they had all these cool lights they had set up and then brought down these decks and amps and we ended up playing a part and singing there… It was all really really surreal but that was a really fun gig because it was really intimate.”

Replacing a nursing job for writing music every day is quite the feat.

For Correigh, this move was very difficult. She explained that people’s perceptions immediately lent towards her just chilling all day, writing songs and go to the studio, which couldn’t be farther from reality. Correigh is one of those people who likes to have an itinerary. With movement into the music industry, she found herself very much out of her comfort zone; “when I did my Under the Influence EP last year (2016) and we did some stuff in Ibiza, that was also really crazy, because it would be like: get flight at Heathrow in the middle of the night, get there that morning. “We would wait around all day, get to the evening to then play our set,

research, just know that you’re sure, and you know that it’s something that you actually like…

Do like a placement or something, take a week off your other job, go and get somewhere, work there for a week and then see how you feel then, and then you need to start thinking about it.

”

For Correigh, regardless of your journey, positivity and self-belief are fundamental.

Prior to Correigh’s move into the music industry, her career took the path of a dental nurse, where she worked at Stoke Mandeville hospital, in Buckinghamshire.

“That was right where Ben lived. I managed to go to the studio in the evenings and stuff, even though I was working full time.”

“ Definitely do your

When it comes to chasing your dreams, for Correigh it’s a no brainer.

‘Yeah I’d say go for it, but kind of research, and really think about what you are going to do, and how you are going to do it. Don’t just say “I’m going to switch career; right, I quit my job.”

For Correigh, you need to be more mentally prepared, and know what you need to do to get where you want to go. During her transition from dental nursing to music, she ended up cutting down her days and doing three days a week. The reality at the time, was that Correigh was adamant about following her passion, however, was also fully aware of the unknown. In order to solve this, she ended up doing a bit of both, which eventually led her to getting signed, and the rest is history.

She admits she was embarrassed of failure, which she regrets as by her own admission, “I didn’t want to put myself out there”. The reason, was her view that if she failed everyone would know…

“Thinking about what other people think is something you should not want to do ever. When you get there then it just keeps going. It’s like if you surround yourself with negativity then you’ll keep being negative, whereas if you stay positive and don’t think about what other people think then you’ll be cool.”

Correigh believes it is vital to believe in yourself and keep at it. To never think that you’re not good enough “because everyone is good enough”…”whether or not you think you’re good enough within yourself.”

You can catch Correigh’s Under the Influence EP on Soundcloud and Spotify. Stay tuned for plenty of new tracks and collaborations in 2018.

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MUST SEE

Cultural Wonders to Explore REPUBLIC OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH, ARMENIA Travel to the self-declared Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. Predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians, it has its own government, flag, stamps, and national anthem. Despite this, its existence as a state is unrecognised by any other state and it can only be entered from Armenia. One of the main draws is a striking statue just outside the capital. The sculpture, called ‘We Are Our Mountains’ was made by Sargis Baghdasarian during the Soviet era. Reminiscent of an elderly couple in national costume, the statue is supposed to symbolise the unity of the Karabakh people with their mountains.

It is universally referred to as Tatik yev Papik (sometimes Mamik yev Papik) (Granny and Grandad).

THE REGISTAN IN SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN Buildings of breath-taking beauty in the heart of regal Samarkand caught imaginations for centuries along the ancient Silk Road. The Registan, with its central square and three golden madrassas, is Samarkand’s biggest draw and feels like you’ve just discovered a forgotten wonder of the world.

Visiting in Autumn, you will be one of the only tourists there, and will have this entire city to explore at your leisure, enabling you to get close to the building’s physical details and linger as long as you like.

BUDDHAS OF KARGIL IN KASHMIR, INDIA Kashmir contains one of the only remaining spectacular giant Buddha, standing 7m tall at Kartse Khar. It is the far less famous but no less impressive than the ill-fated Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Dating back to the 600-700 AD, this statue was carved by early Buddhist missionaries, and the depiction of the body, jewellery, and hair are typical of the Kashmiri style. Four other Buddha carvings, including the standing Buddha at Mulbekh, are also found within the Kargil.

ZOROASTRIAN ‘TOWERS OF SILENCE’, IRAN Yazd in Iran is a town long associated with Zoroastrianism, and just outside the walls are the Dakhmeh, Zoroastrian ‘towers of silence’, that seem an Iranian version of Tatooine. In accordance with Zoroastrian law, in Achaemenid times (550-330 BCE) the dead were not buried, but were exposed to the elements and their bones later gathered to be placed in ossuaries or tombs in rock. In later centuries large circular stone walls were built on rock, and the bodies of deceased Zoroastrians were placed on the open stone platform inside. A small central pit, filled with sand, charcoal, and phosphorus to prevent pollution of the earth, acted as the drain. These towers are no longer in use - Zoroastrians are now interred in the nearby cemetery within a concrete chamber to avoid pollution of the earth - so visitors are now encouraged to climb up and learn about ancient Zoroastrian culture.

BRAN CASTLE, TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA Bran Castle looks exactly the place you would expect to find Dracula. It was, in fact, built originally by the Saxons in 1377 to protect the gateway to Transylvania at the Bran Pass. The Gothic portals, narrow staircases carved into the stone, secret stairs and passageways, vaulted halls and arches make Bran an atmospheric and impressive destination. The man behind the Dracula myth, Vlad III Ţepeș, spent several nights in the castle as a prisoner of the royal Hunyadi family.

41

What Travelling Taught Me

For many, setting foot on foreign soil presents a break from routine: a chance to recharge by leaving their worries behind and approach the simple joys in life without being burdened by responsibility.

Below lie three lessons gathered from my travels in the past year, what they have taught me, as well as their potential application to our daily pursuits. A further inquiry into the nature of travelling may be beneficial as it serves as a reminder of the necessity of living a life from which no escape is necessary.

I. On Perspective “What is he doing?” my friend asked as an old man made an obvious move to empty the contents of his esophagus along the dusty streets of Beijing. “Is he…? No. It can’t be. That’s disgusting.

Where has civilization gone?” The commentary mellowed down as the day went on, and upon witnessing the third fluid secretion upon the pavement, she sighed in defeat. As she processed the visual information against what she had been taught to be normal, the remaining conclusion assigned causation to the lack of progress within ‘the East’.

Thus, perhaps the broadening of one’s perspective begins with the analysis of the act of reasoning itself, rather than travelling. This is not to imply that witnessing other instances of subjectivity is not beneficial to the individual.

Nevertheless, its contents

could be wasted on a mind that has yet to learn about its own idiosyncrasies, thereby dumping upon the world additional instances of self-proclaimed objective “fact”.

II. On the Search for Meaning “If I were in Europe or Asia right now, instead of this city where nothing ever happens, I would be a lot happier.”

Surely, this thought has crossed your mind before, especially during times of prolonged distress. If only I could just go away, we sigh, then, everything will be alright. For most, the thought ends here: mere wishful thinking. For the more determined, one thing leads to another and suddenly you find yourself setting foot in a world of strangers.

Travelling will teach you to avoid disillusion from associating the unknown with happiness, and allow you to search for the latter on your own terms, rather than in some city, proclaimed to be life changing from mass-produced articles.

Ultimately, you will learn to choose with regard to making

additions to your life rather than fulfilling a temporary escape. Likewise, there remains merit in engaging in activities or heading to places deemed overrated as long as you can appreciate them for what they are: not the missing piece to your happiness, nevertheless, meaningful to you.

III. On Gratitude and Appreciation Three weeks into my summer trajectory, from braving the indecisive Islandic weather, to a near deportation in Slovenia involving my friend and her ability to lose everything everywhere, to - at last - sailing the opaque Croatian seas, laying under the sun, all I could think of was how much I missed my bed.

The same feeling tends to creep upon me at the six-month mark following my break from home. Often, it manifests itself as nostalgic melancholia, and unlike the fleeting feeling of tiredness acquired from a long vacation, refuses to leave.

Being away from home can increase our appreciation and gratitude for things we once took for granted.

Similarly, it provides us with a new perspective to reframe the issues we’ve encountered in the past.

By Elaine Zheng

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