STUDENT Life ISSUE 26 • MARCH 2019 • SUFFOLK
Lifestyle Magazine by Students, for Students PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
COVER IMAGE BY KIERAN SEYMOUR
Don’t miss a single issue... subscribe online at www.student-life.co 1 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
this month...
Editor’s WORD
5 ENTERTAINMENT
Music, the Grammy’s & top games of 2018
13 FASHION
Suit styles, trends & your Spring wardrobe
19 BEAUTY
Eyelashes & Ufford Park review
Readers will notice the change of head shot opposite and for 1 month only (we hope!), I will write a few words, because Rachel has been through a tough time.
23 TRAVEL
Tenerife plus airport tips & tricks
27 CAREERS
Rushed into hospital last month for an emergency operation, Rachel has been recovering and is now wrapped up warm at home. It really shows the impact that a colleague has in an organisation when they are off work for an extended period of time. Rachel has been an ever-present at Student Life HQ from day 1 and we can’t wait to have her back!
Introducing our new careers platform
29 MENTAL HEALTH Loneliness, anxiety, stress & more
44 SUSO
So our very best wishes go out to Rachel for a very speedy recovery... after all, she is getting married next month!!
Our anti-bullying campaign
49 WHAT THE FOOD
This month is all about Rachel.
In the meantime, please enjoy March’s SL and we hope that we have done Rachel proud in her absence.
ultural differences C & becoming veggie
55 MY LIFE
Study smarter, uni experiences & LGBTQ+
65 TECH
Richard
Richard Stewart Chief Exec
Hughes review – the perfect laptop
70 STUDENT FINANCE
Travel on the cheap
72 WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
UOS Experience Society & book review
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Contact us
01473 35 35 12 rachel@student-life.co www.student-life.co @studentlifeips @studentlifeips @studentlifeips
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STUDENT Life
NEWS
A selection of news from Student Life HQ. Follow us on Insta and FB @studentlifeips to keep up to date.
Go Ape We are delighted to announce our partnership with Go Ape at Thetford Forest. We will be teaming up with Go Ape in 2019 and beyond to bring readers closer to nature and to the correlation between physical health and mental health. In the meantime, if readers fancy a free trip to the Treetop Trail and the Segways in the Easter holidays.... in return for reviewing the facilities, then contact us via the details opposite.
Newmarket Racecourses Another partnership... this time with Newmarket Races. We will be offering students the chance to experience working trackside, as well as attending as a spectator to review the facilities for us.
Healthwatch Suffolk We are excited to announce our partnership with an organisation that listens to your experiences of health and social care services in Suffolk, so that it can use your views to make services better. Healthwatch also provides information and signposting to help you navigate the health and social care system and understand what to do when things go wrong. More details will follow in the coming months. 4 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT CO-EDITOR LOUISE DICKMAN
BURY A FRIEND Billie Eilish ON THE LUNA Foals Foals are a band I’ve listened to for quite a while, that aren’t too famous, so I hope you can now go discover a new band that you like! This is a teaser from a new album on its way, coming in March. The riff throughout this song is so catchy and one I definitely want to learn. This too makes me want to hear more from them and what their album has to offer.
Starting off with one of my favourites of the month. Bury a Friend. Not just the song though, the video is also art. It’s got quite the horror and creepy vibe but it keeps you watching regardless. In the song it feels as though she’s questioning death and what happens after we die – after all it’s a worry but also an interest for many other people. Although, Billie herself said all of the questions and the song itself is from the perspective of the monsters under our beds.. fits the creepy but awesome video. The song is so catchy along with the beat and incredibly creative. Most times that I listen to it I also accompany it with the video.
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DINNER AND DIATRIBES HOZIER BREAK UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND, I’M BORED Ariana Grande I’ve never really been the biggest fan of Ariana Grande but what she’s made towards the latter part of 2018 to present I’ve really enjoyed especially ‘Break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored’. For a start, it’s an absolute jam, you can’t not move along to it or sing along. As it implies, Ariana is really wanting that guy to break up with his girlfriend and she will do what she can to see it happen so she can have him. As always, her harmonies and vocals are outstanding and so varied which makes almost all her songs such a pleasure to listen to.
Another song released from Hozier’s upcoming album is ‘Dinner and Diabrites’. The main thing that made me fall in love with this song is the guitar melody. Accompanied with the steady kick drum throughout it’s absolutely ‘headbanging’ worthy. The small part just before the chorus is the part I look forward to each time I listen to it. It’s just the vocals with the bass and it’s SO good. This song along with the others that have been teased just makes me want the album released even more.
SOMEONE YOU LOVED Lewis Capaldi Moving on to the saddest one on the list being ‘Someone You Loved’. It’s very emotional as you can probably tell by the title alone. Lewis Capaldi has such a unique but warming voice making the song even more upsetting. It appears he’s singing about a loved one that is no longer in his life anymore to help him get through times he finds difficult. His video features his relative Peter Capaldi, who was a former Doctor Who. He portrays his character in this video very well making it so much more emotional but it’s definitely worth the watch. 6 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
Greta Van Yeet-this-GRAMMY-into-the-garbage:
Is this really God’s Plan for the music industry? WRITTEN BY AARON VINCE
Ah, another year, another GRAMMY award ceremony – and what an award ceremony! You might be thinking, “hold on there, Aaron, not only have you never written any previous articles about the GRAMMYs, but I don’t have any spare change, I keep telling you.” Well, isn’t that just too bad?
First off, well done to Donald Glover, a.k.a Childish Gambino, a.k.a one Mr. Childish (only to me) for securing a total of 4 nominations and 3 wins. Unfortunately, Childish, along with Kendrick Lamar and Drake (we’ll get to him later) all refused to perform at the ceremony – it has been well documented that the recording academy has a sort of unspoken repulsion regarding rap music, always finding a way to sneak them into the nominations but very rarely acknowledging the cultural significance and relevance of their work, in an almost “well, we tried!” fashion. Notwithstanding the ambiguity surrounding the defining characteristics of particular categories (how does “Song of the Year” truly differ from “Record of the Year” if TIA won both categories? Why does the “Best Rap/Sung Performance” have to be distinctive from “Best Rap Song” – what if they happen to be the same? Why, oh WHY
did “God’s Plan” have to win “Best Rap Song” next to Kendrick’s “King’s Dead”? HOW ON EARTH did Cardi B win “Best Rap Album”?). I am personally quite happy for the awards Gambino took home, even the one for TIA: “Best Music Video”, for which (and for once) I thought was not only well deserved, but was actually a music video that enhanced the song’s message and gave it a sort of cultural and contextual applicability that made it almost impossible not to award it with the accolade. Kendrick accumulated 5 nominations but was not awarded a single GRAMMY, which demonstrates my absolute frustration with the Recording Academy’s inability to recognise a culturally relevant artist in his prime, as if their mission statement is yet another fluff piece drudged up to drive record labels to tell their artists “Hey, look! You do what your producer tells you and I mean it, this will be GRAMMY-worthy.”
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Recording Academy itself. We’ve got Weezer, Alice In Chains and Fall Out Boy – apologies to Ghost, they haven’t done much wrong other than simply be too niche to win – but then, my friends, we get the wonderful Greta Van Fleet. Greta Van Fleet. Jesus. Whilst the other nominees’ idea of “hip” is ensuring that their depends aren’t visibly risen over the waistline of their trousers, Greta Van Fleet has decided that “hip” means to grab one of rock’s most beloved and talented plagiarisers (whom we shall call “Zed Leppelin”, for legal reasons) by the hips and in turn, make a porcelain replica of their “Award for Best Package” and present it to the academy in some sort of sick, self-masturbatory exchange of phallic nostalgia. The depends are out, folks – cast your vote for either a load of out-of-touch old dudes whose bones audibly creaking probably have more artistic merit than the artists they currently support, or a bunch of out-of-touch young dudes, already so disenfranchised by today’s musical and artistic climate that they took their loved one’s skin, flayed it and then put it on just for the warmth.
DG AT THE GRAMMYS
But goddamnit, Drake, or Aubrey, as I shall now refer to him, he actually won. “Best Rap Song”. It makes me question whether or not the Recording Academy is subscribed to any YouTube channels other than Vevo. For an award ceremony claiming to “cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture”, not only have they completely disregarded the context of rap music within its respective community of fans and on a global scale, but they give it to the Canadian? Low blow, man. I’d love to discuss the Classical, the Jazz, Bluegrass and Blues categories – I’d love to have a right moan about the concept of an “Award for Best Package” category and why I haven’t won it every single year running, but there is a much, much more serious and grave matter that needs to be addressed. That matter, is “Best Rock Album”. A genre very dear to my heart, with a legacy probably unparalleled in contemporary culture but one which I accept is slowly being washed away, assimilated into other genres in new and horrible and fantastic ways, the nominees in this category I feel might make up the age bracket of the
Can’t wait for next year’s GRAMMYs!
Aaron Vince is a literature student with an unfortunate proclivity for the arts and an even more unfortunate opportunity to write for Student Life, finally able to inflict his opinions onto complete strangers.
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Netflix Review
BLACK MIRROR WRITTEN BY HARRY MA JORAM Black mirror: Bandersnatch, debuted December 28th, 2018, is the first interactive film tailored for adult viewing, containing the occasional scene of violence, gore and adult humour, nothing short of the expected. At the start, the viewer is introduced to Stefan Butler. Stefan is influenced by the viewer’s decisions throughout. At points during the film, the viewer is presented with two options at the bottom of the screen, and a time bar indicating the allotted time left to make a choice, this usually happens when Stefan encounters a pivotal decision during the film. Each decision selected by the user, results in different outcomes which could possibly unlock new endings. In total there are 5 main possible endings, however this adventure consists of many more unsuccessful endings, so choose wisely… In the beginning, Stefan is portrayed as an aspiring computer game developer, in the film setting of 1980s South London, who reaches out to a professional gaming development company, Tuckersoft. Hoping to extend his success with computer games, Stefan pitches his resurgence of Bandersnatch, inspired by the choose-your-destiny book. The book is said to follow several, complex paths, however results in fixed endings, as if fate is set, or controlled for you…
An interesting underlying motif throughout the film, is the sense of freewill, or rather lack thereof. Brooker cleverly implements Stefan’s realization of reduced freewill as the film progresses. It becomes clear to the viewer that Stefan’s increasing awareness accelerates later into the film, this creates a faster, more captivating storyline towards the end, keeping the viewer engaged up until the final moments. The media streaming giant, Netflix, have renewed their support for the platform’s exclusive series, and I’m glad they have. Bandersnatch provides an intriguing and engaging experience for the viewer as they watch how their optionally irresponsible choices can unfold resulting in irreversible consequences. On the other hand, repeating the film to experience different endings, can become tedious after re-watching a sequence of scenes several times. However, unique ideas and themes, definitely out weigh the negatives. I would highly recommend this film as an innovative and unequalled viewing experience, but after all it is your choice… “Harry is a 16-year-old Sixth Form student and has decided to get involved with Student Life because he believes it is a great experience to allow someone to broadcast their thoughts and opinions to a wider audience”
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HAVE CRIME DOCUMENTARIES GONE TOO FAR?
WRITTEN BY CARA FOLLON
There’s always been an interest in crime documentaries; some of the best and well-made documentaries focus on crime. As a society, we all find something addictive about these types of documentaries. We find the crimes abhorrent but can’t look away. Several documentaries have been made about notorious serial killers and the most recent one, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, alongside a film set to be released starring an ex-Disney star has raised questions that have been on the tip of critics’ tongues since crime documentaries became regular viewing.
how these criminals are glorified, and the victims are forgotten. This documentary was promoted as an insight to Bundy’s mind, which it failed to do. Instead, it seems to subtly romanticise the killer. I lost count at how many times Bundy was described as ‘intelligent’ ‘good-looking’ and ‘handsome’, holding on to to that glorified man who didn’t exist.
I, myself can’t judge. I do enjoy the majority of crime documentaries made by Netflix. I can’t help but find them interesting but after watching this particular one, it was as if I had a sour taste left in my Ted Bundy killed over 30 women. mouth. I couldn’t sleep properly and He was glorified at the time, being cited when scrolling through Twitter to see as an unrealistic killer because of his the controversary over not only this documentary but the film, I couldn’t charisma and good looks. help but agree. One belief is that if we watch a crime doc featuring a notorious The release of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly case, you’ll suddenly know exactly why they Evil and Vile has reinstated that. One did what they did, and your interest will be argument is that the glorification is part fulfilled. That never happens. And probably of the film, from Bundy’s then girlfriend never will. And it certainly didn’t help with perspective who obviously didn’t want to this documentary. believe he committed those crimes. And that the charm was part of Bundy’s act, how Surely by creating these documentaries he lured women into helping him to only and films we’re just giving into these people. commit those awful crimes. Ted Bundy was known for loving attention and here he is, 30 years after his death, back There seems to be two sides of viewing. On the right, you have people who are interested in the limelight. We should be remembering the women who lost their lives at the hand in crime and why these people commit of this awful man, not snuggling up with these awful acts, wanting to know about the popcorn to watch a film presenting him in a psychology. On the left, you have the people way that is untrue. who are truly disgusted at the interest, at 10 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
TOP GAMES OF 2018 WRITTEN BY WILL STARLING
Monster Hunter: World When making a game, developers will constantly ask themselves, “Is this what our audience wants?” In my opinion, the developers at Capcom nailed this and have created a game that is not only fun to play but beautiful to experience. Monster Hunter World boasts locations that don’t feel too vast; interesting weapons and play-styles to fit you; breath-taking scenery; endless customisation options; an immersive and exquisitely animated story; the chance to make your own cat… I’m not joking. The only thing that could make this game better is cross-platform support which would allow friends from anywhere to team up and beat up big monsters, truly the most fun you could ever have.
Marvel’s Spider-Man In the span of 36 years, 34 games have come out about everyone’s favourite web-slinging, Brooklynborn, college boy. One of the the game’s most successful titles was Spider Man 2 in 2014 simply because of how much fun you could have: combining an open world with fastpaced web slinging gave the player freedom and made them feel like spiderman – the point of the game. So, when Marvel’s SpiderMan was announced in June 2016, fans of the genre hoped that the developers would create a graphically stunning game with all the best bits from previous titles. Thankfully, they delivered. Boasting 9 million sales worldwide by December 2018, Marvel’s Spider Man combined the open world and web slinging of Spider Man 2 with beautiful scenery, Peter Parker’s quirky personality and a plot worthy of the Marvel name.
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Donut County In contrast to the games above which are about shooting, slashing and slinging your enemies around, Donut County is simply about holes. You play as a hole and your objective is to swallow up the citizens of Donut County with said hole. Short, sweet and fun. The plot is interesting, the dialogue is charming and the art style is adorable.
Honourable Mentions
Every so often, indie games like Donut County, Journey (2012) and Life is Strange (2015) will come along and awe the community with their plots, creativity and enjoyment factor. These kinds of games always beg the question, “Can video games be considered a form of art?” I think they can, how about you?
ortnite Battle Royale – The most polarising F game of 2018: you either loved it or wished it would cease to exist. Regardless of the hate this game gets for being unoriginal and ‘cringey’, Fortnite is miles ahead of the competition because of it’s full cross-platform support (something the gaming community has been begging for since Minecraft was released in 2009). mash Bros Ultimate – The newest title in S Nintendo’s current trend of re-vamping classics. Nothing much has changed in the gameplay and story department which is why this game has been so successful: it combines the nostalgia of Smash Ultimate from the Wii with shiny, new graphics and a larger character roster (including Joker from Persona 5). A must buy if you own a Switch.
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FASHION
SUPPORTED BY
FASHION EDITOR PAM DAVIS CO-EDITOR TSHEQUA WILLIAMS
THE POWER OF THE SUIT We know all the benefits of wearing a finely tailored suit – it makes you feel refined and put together. Suits are no longer considered part of just a male attire, they are definitely as with so many other items Unisex clothing. A double breasted jacket is the perfect way to add a commanding and powerful element to your work ensemble.
Traditional styles are often too masculine, too stuffy, with shoulder pads and certainly not flattering. And I’m willing to bet the last time you even thought about the suit that’s stuffed at the back of your wardrobe it was for a job interview, and then you threw it right back into its hiding place. Suits are precious investment pieces in any wardrobe, you don’t have to worry about your look, as this outfit can be worn from work to special parties.
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It’s an easy-to-style apparel, that has an incredibly strong appearance. The great thing about a suit is the easiness of styling. As you can buy plain coloured design and wear it with your favourite bags and accessories. A suit is the epitome of stylish—and it makes getting dressed a doddle!
SUIT STYLES THE CHECK SUIT Set yourself apart with various check patterns perfect for work to evening wear.
Personally, I love suits with high-waisted pants and side pockets. I love having fun with different colours and styles. Depending on our body shape, we can choose from boyfriend inspired sizes, loose-fit pants, as well as fitted, edgy and slim ones. There are suits to suit every style, featuring cool colours, leg lengths and widths and shapes. Whether you’re into pastels or bold colours, prints or textures there is something out there for Men and Women.
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DRESS IT DOWN SUIT To keep yours from skewing too formal, pair a matching blazer and pants with a simple white tee, and throw on some Vans or white sneakers. If your job (or the occasion) allows it, swap out the pants altogether in exchange for tailored shorts.
MIX & MATCH
GO BOLD
Great way of mixing and matching contrasting jackets and trousers for a super stylish look
Have fun with colours, you can go from classic white and black to purples, greens, yellows the list is endless. Be brave with different textures and patterns too!
TURTLENECK Layer your suit with the classic turtleneck for that transitional time between winter and spring
CROP IT Cropped suits with some playful shoes completes this look. Even a Bermuda length (think: cut right above the knee, but fitted through the thigh) will make any suit look way more casual.
ACCESSORIES Don’t forget accessories are the key to completing any outfit. Adding jewellery and accessories: keep it bold, and eye-catching.
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Second Hand
SAVINGS
Chloe is a 22 year old Fashion Communication & Promotion student at UoS and decided to get involved with Student Life to share her life experiences and love for fashion.
WRITTEN BY CHLOE LAMB
QUICK TIPS TO HELP YOU:
Look on every rail
When I was 17, I started experimenting with my style however my bank account wasn’t my friend. When my mum first took me into a charity shop, I was apprehensive but then I realised I was in heaven. You can find some absolute gems and for a lower price - what’s not to love! What I love about charity shops and shopping second-hand is the fact that you might have something that no one else has. When people ask you where you get it from and you say ‘a charity shop’, you can watch their face drop with horror because they realise that they can’t get one themselves unless they looked in charity shops and second-hand places. Fast-fashion is becoming an increasing problem, not helped by the rise of ‘haul culture’ amongst influencers. Large fashion retailers create inexpensive designs that are similar to the catwalk and rotate them quickly to match what’s on trend. This means so much clothing goes to waste. By shopping second-hand, you are reducing this waste and not taking part in fast fashion.
Look on the rails that are your size and that are bigger than your usual size. If you find something that’s in a bigger size, then you can always take it in or wear a belt! The men’s section is usually a treasure chest if you are a fan of slogan t-shirts or band t-shirts! I found a genuine Harley Davidson shirt for £1 and it’s my favourite find ever.
Check the item thoroughly
Make sure to check the item all over before buying it. With white shirts, check the underarm for yellow stains from sweat and deodorant. If you think you can fix a hole or get something fixed, then go for it.
Put time aside to shop
Shopping in charity shops takes some time, it’s not something to do if you don’t have a lot of time.
Don’t be sad if you leave with nothing
There have been so many times I have left a charity shop empty handed and that’s perfectly normal. I always have at least one thing in mind to look for when I go in, but I don’t get my hopes up too much as it’s based on luck!
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CAPSULE WARDROBE WRITTEN BY TSHEQUA WILLIAMS Spring is finally here! As we welcome back the sun it is the perfect time to start investing in some key pieces that will take you through the season until summer. Although it will (hopefully) begin to get warmer, there will still be cold and rainy days, so it is important that you still hold onto some of your winter wardrobe through spring.
3. BASIC BLACK JEANS Spring is the perfect time to invest in a new pair of jeans, particularly black, as these should take you through the rest of the season (until the lighter, looser, ripped denim is on trend) and into autumn/ winter 2019.
Here are 5 items to add this spring! 1. A LIGHTER JACKET OR COAT Essential for the chilly mornings and evenings, a lighter jacket or coat will allow you to wear less bulky clothes and still be warm enough when the sun sets. Styles such as a denim jacket or a trench coat/duster coat are perfect for keeping you warm and still compliment many outfits. 2. THINNER JUMPERS After being drowned in thick knits all winter most of us will want to steer clear of jumpers, however there is definitely a place for them in our spring wardrobes. Lighter coloured thin turtlenecks or looser jumpers look good paired under a denim or corduroy pinafore/dress or alternatively with jeans and a denim jacket. Thin jumpers are perfect for layering too which means that you can adjust your outfits according to the temperature.
4. TRAINERS For footwear, winter is usually the time for boots and darker colours. As spring begins, consider adding a lighter coloured trainer into your wardrobe to add a more casual feel to your outfits. Obviously, the spring season brings inevitable rain showers so don’t put your more practical shoes away yet! 5. T-SHIRTS Although most people have t-shirts in their wardrobe already, it is a good time to sort through them and decide which ones you actually wear, what you need to replace and what you need to add. Basic black, white and grey tees are so useful to pair with loads of different outfits, so are essential to have in your wardrobe. When purchasing any t-shirt, it is important to consider the quality/ longevity and overall style of the fit.
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TRENDS
Love or HATE WORDS AND PICTURE BY CHLOE LAMB
There are so many trends in front of us at the moment. I never used to be very on board with them but because I have loved the recent trends, I have been keeping an eye on them and trying to figure out how to incorporate them into my wardrobe. Here are 5 trends and my thoughts on them.
ANIMAL PRINT I was apprehensive to try this trend as I wasn’t sure how it would look on me, but I have adored it. It can really add some detail to a plain outfit or you could create an outfit around one statement piece like a faux fur leopard print coat. My personal favourite has been leopard print. I found some gorgeous leopard print ankle boots in Primark and they look great with black jeans and a white top.
CHECKS Whenever I think of checks, I think of Cher Horowitz in Clueless with her yellow check co-ord, so when this came into the spotlight, I wanted to live my 90s dream. With all the main high street and online chains jumping on the check bandwagon, it has become so easy to find different colours of check. They are such a statement piece and so easy to style up.
PLATFORM SHOEs If you need a little bit of height, then platforms are the answer. Platform trainers are becoming so popular especially the sort that Baby Spice made so iconic. Platform heels are set to take over 2019, just take a look at the Miu Miu signature platforms! A bit of extra height really seems to add some confidence.
CYCLE SHORTS Now, this is one trend I really can’t get on board with. They remind me of the hideous shorts I used to wear in the very early 2000s in the summer – they make me cringe. If you have the confidence to rock them then go you, you work it. You definitely won’t ever see me in them!
XXL TOTE BAGS I’m all about having a bag big enough to carry my stuff but I don’t want to lug around a huge bag. I have seen so many bloggers using them and I feel like your outfit should be the main focus, not your bag.
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BEAUTY
SUPPORTED BY
BEAUTY CO-EDITOR ROSIE MAY
EYELASH EXTENSIONS VS FALSE LASHES For the past year I have been a huge fan of eyelash extensions. I’ve had them continuously on, refill after refill and I absolutely love them. However I do miss having the freedom to do a colourful eye look and pop some falsies on, but they are very handy! I tend to go for American Volume lashes. The classics aren’t really full enough for my liking and I love how the Americans make my eyelashes look so fluffy and full. A full set is around about £60 which
is a hole in my pocket! The upkeep for monthly infills is £35, and because my lashes are fairly used to them now I only need to infil every 4 weeks which helps with the money!!
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Extensions do make me feel so much more confident with no makeup on. They make me look less rough and give me a confidence boost as soon as I look in the mirror in the morning. However, I can’t put any makeup on my eyelids in fear of getting them dirty! And it’s quite a bit of hassle to remove it after. I love being able to sit down in front of my dressing table and just create a colourful and bold look. Even if I’m not going anywhere, it’s a fun way to practice and make my evenings fun! I love pairing a bold eye with a fluffy, bold pair of false lashes. Some of my favourites are from Huda Beauty and Unicorn Lashes. However with eyelash extensions, I can’t do that and have to have the same (ish) makeup look for the whole time they’re If you on. It can get boring!!
months this year to allow my lashes to grow back underneath and to have some fun with other full glam makeup looks! Looking after extensions is pretty easy too. I try and avoid getting water on them in the shower but I will dip them in every now and then to give them a little clean. They give you a little spoolie brush to take away with you when you have them done, so you can brush them and make them look neat when they start to get out of place. I find sometimes if I’ve had a nice lay in on a weekend I’ll wake up with my lashes looking crazy! But a little brush does the trick. This will also brush out any extensions that have fallen out, so it keeps your eyes looking neat and tidy.
have never tried false lashes with black lash glue then it is a must have!!
If you’re thinking of having them done, I would definitely recommend to do so if you are going on holiday or have a special event coming up. It makes holidays so much easier, especially as I don’t wear makeup on holiday anyway! The chlorine doesn’t affect it and leaves you feeling tanned and pretty! However, I think I will take breaks in the
One thing I dislike about false lashes is the dried up glue and being able to see it on your lid. That’s why I love black lash glue ESPECIALLY if I have eyeliner on! It blends in perfectly and helps to fill the gap to the lash line too! Making everything 10x easier and sleeker.
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Review
UFFORD PARK The day started with tea and coffee in the bar area, which like most of the hotel had recently been refurbished. We had the assistance of the manager and other members of staff, who were very helpful and attentive to ensure we had a enjoyable morning.
BY KE RR I BA XT ER , LIL LY BR AM E AN D LE AN DR A BR AN DE NB UR G
CRAZY GOLF
Half of our party (Leandra and Marnie) went off to the spa, whilst the other half (Lilly and Kerri) enjoyed a Bacon Bap and further coffee in the bar, where we sat at a table with an amazing view of just a small area of the 120 acre golf course.
We started off the second half of the day with the Congo Rapids crazy golf course. Ufford Park introduced this just two years ago as part of an initiative to encourage families with children of all ages to come here. The course is filled with fun, and is appealing to not only children but also adults. First, pull yourself across the river on a raft, then enjoy an animal themed 18 holes of fun! To add to the experience, as you go around you have the chance to win a cookie in the shape of a dinosaur nest with an egg in it by collecting stamps.
LUNCH TIME! Despite only half of our party going to the spa, we were all allowed to sit in the relaxation room and eat. Marnie and Kerri had a chicken and bacon salad, Leandra had ‘naked pasta’, and Lilly had fish cakes. All were amazingly tasty and an added bonus was they were very healthy too! 21 21 •• M ABE R CH A UT2019 Y •• S TUDENT S TUDENT LIFE LIFE
Spa Review WRITTEN BY MARNIE WYNCOLL We were very excited for a morning of pampering and so we slipped on our complementary robes and slippers and made our way to the spa. On opening the door of the thermal suite, we were instantly greeted by the warm and relaxing atmosphere and the sweet scents. We were free to wander between the different parts at our own pace. There was no rush – we could savour every moment.
DRIVING RANGE The driving range was our next destination, and this too did not fail to impress. Due to professionals trying to practice their shots, we had to be very quiet. This however was great as it gave us a chance to focus on our shots and have a relaxing time. There were two levels to the range, and by going on the top our shots looked so much more impressive! For some students, the price of these activities could be quite expensive, however it is definitely value for money and can be a great treat to de-stress.
The soft sauna was at the perfect temperature – not too harsh, but warm enough to make us feel like we could fall asleep at any second. The aroma steam room cleansed us physically and mentally. We breathed in the vapour and strong essences and breathed out all our stress, along with any impurities. It was important to always stay cool and hydrated with the help of the sink of ice and cool showers. My favourite part was the hydro pool, with the massaging jets that worked to gently alleviate all the tension in the muscles. A massive highlight of the day for me was of course the treatment I received – a shoulder, back and face massage. To be brief, it was sublime! Relaxing in the spa at Ufford Park was a really enjoyable experience. It was especially great for having fun with my friends, whether that included daring each other to go in the ice shower or taste-testing herbal teas in the relaxation room. The chilled atmosphere made us feel comfortable to completely de-stress while also enjoying a good laugh.
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TRAVEL WRITTEN AND PHOTOS BY CAMELIA ATOMEI
I started getting involved with Student life quite recently as I wanted to improve my student experience by getting involved in something innovative.
TENERIFE, SPAIN Since I came to university I have different periods of time, especially when assignments are around the corner, when I am stressed and anxious of what is going to happen. However, March is for me a month that has more excitement, as part of my Spanish
module we are having a trip to Spain. This trip is organised for us to see the tourism area and to analyse the high and low points from a professional point of view. The schedule is quite flexible for some days, which is giving us time to enjoy and discover the area.
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This year we are going to visit Tenerife, an area full of tourists all year around as it is the most populated island of Spain. Analysing different destinations in class made me want to focus more when I visit a specific area, so that I can enjoy the full experience. Therefore, in this trip there are some specific things that I look forward to trying and observing. ood, people and places are three of F them that I am most interested in. The meals are quite different from what I am used to in England, and much more similar to what we have in Romania, my home country. In this way I can compare three types of food and see which one I enjoy most. eople and places fascinate me as P well, as their stories are sometimes full of history and they are the ones that can explain the best, how tourism developed in their area.
The 3 days spent there will mostly be busy for us, as there is going to be a carnival that we will attend. I want this trip to give me more confidence in myself in terms of speaking the language, getting to know the people and their way of living, and most important to gaining the ability of enjoying the moment while learning. The idea of visiting Tenerife makes me happy, however visiting in a carnival time makes me more excited. The theme of the carnival, the costumes, the people and their way of celebrating would be all new to me and I expect that all these will be at their highest quality. Being able to study while travelling has always been my ambition and putting this in practice will only make my dream come true. Creativity and originality are something that I believe I will find in terms of organising and entertaining the tourists. Therefore, I believe that visiting and learning at the same time can help in assimilating the information better and by going to Tenerife I will continue to enrich my knowledge in the tourism area, by combining the information thought about in class with the experience created.
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AIRPORT TIPS AND TRICKS WRITTEN BY TOMMY CURRY I have spent most of my life travelling through airports often travelling to new countries up to 3 times a year. These are some of the best tips and tricks I have picked up.
1. SCREENSHOT YOUR BOARDING PASS
3. CARRY A PORTABLE CHARGER
If you’re using a boarding pass on your mobile phone, take a screenshot of it and save it in your pictures folder on your phone (rather than relying on the airline’s app or on a good internet connection at the airport).
Your phone can be a massive advantage when travelling. Have a portable charger close at hand to avoid your phone running out.
2. ALWAYS PRINT OUT YOUR BOARDING PASS Although we live in an age where you can check in with your smartphone and email, you never know when your phone may just run out of battery or pack in.
5. WEAR EASY TO PUT ON SHOES
4. REMOVE YOUR CROWN JEWELS At security, if you don’t want to set off the alarms after waving goodbye to your hand luggage, keys, mobile phone, laptop etc, make sure you remove all the Crown Jewels you are wearing. Anything that might be metal put it in that tray to be scanned, if you want to save even more time take off all jewellery while waiting in the line.
Often now at airports they require you to remove your shoes for security, which means taking them off and then the mad rush of putting them back on the other side while worrying you will miss your flight. Save time! Wear easy to put on shoes!
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6. SET AN ALARM SO YOU DON’T MISS YOUR PLANE 7. GET SOME WORK DONE Connect to WiFi and get some work done. I do a lot of my work for Student Life while travelling, it’s a great opportunity to get work done.
Set an alarm on your phone to go off at boarding time, it’s easy to get distracted in the departure lounge.
9. BUMP YOURSELF UP TO BUSINESS
8. DON’T QUEUE TO GET ON THE PLANE Sit comfortably in departures where you can see the boarding desk and (assuming you have a pre-allocated seat) read your book until the last possible minute. When the queue is down to one person, get up and casually stroll through the departure gate onto the plane. The plane won’t leave without you until they have at least called out your name.
Always wait until the ‘flight closing’ announcement before boarding the plane. Then, if you see any empty seats in Business Class, as you work your way through to Economy, sit in one of them, on the basis that it must be available, given that the flight was closing. Hope that the flight attendants won’t question it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t!
10. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAVE Whenever you get up to leave somewhere at the airport – in a café, a bar or at the gate – always turn round and make sure you haven’t left anything behind – like your tickets. That. Would. Suck.
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CAREERS
SUPPORTED BY
“Nobody ends up where they actually want to be and the whole process is a waste of time” ANON. QUOTE FROM YEAR 11 STUDENT
WORK EXPERIENCE Mention the words ‘work-experience’ to students and a high percentage will openly tell you that they are dreading the statutory 2 weeks if they haven’t been through it yet, or if they have, that they thought it was unhelpful. A lot of students that Student Life has spoken to talk about not getting experience in the industry or with the organisation that they wanted or if they did, not experiencing enough variety of work with the business. A selection of organisations that we have spoken to talk about unmotivated students, who openly talk about not being placed in their preferred industry
and who in a number of cases don’t see out the full work experience period, for a variety of reasons. A selection of school staff that we have spoken to talk about bearing the brunt of student, parent and ‘employer’ negative feedback, but not having a viable solution to the annual event. However, what if this work experience wasn’t just concentrated into 2 weeks in June? What if, along with the statutory requirement for work experience, experiencing the workplace could be a year round event?... and what if students and employers alike could guarantee a match?
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Get Involved Do you want to help shape a unique digital platform for students to source experience of different workplaces? We are putting together a student-led steering group which will revolutionise the way that students and alumni can gain valuable experience. Email: info@student-life.co for more information.
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SUPPORTED BY
MENTAL
HEALTH
SUPPORTED BY
Suffolk
MENTAL HEALTH CO-EDITOR LEANNE ARNOLD
MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES ARE LIKE WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN We can spend so much time ignoring the issue that the root spreads. Digging deeper identifies the root; removing the root, removes the problem. 29 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
this month...
29 LONELINESS
Imogen talks about loneliness and what you can do
30 DEALING WITH BAD DAYS
Editor’s WORD Hi guys!
Everyone has them but how should you cope
33 ANXIETY AT CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying those sunny days we’ve been having? Leanne is away from the office at the moment, so it’s my time to occupy the MH Ed’s hot seat!
Tips for dealing with anxiety at music events
35 PRODUCT REVIEW
The Headspace App is reviewed by students
37 W HAT DO YOU DO?
Tommy talks more about how walking can help relieve stress.
39 MH IN THE WORKPLACE
Keeping your cool when working life presents you with challenges
40 OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Mental health can have a huge impact on your life, don’t let it hold you back
42 USEFUL CONTACTS You are not alone – speak to someone if you are struggling
It’s been a great month for us here at Student Life – busy as always! Schools are always joining us and more and more students are getting involved. Especially, those who want to become MH Ambassadors! This is so great to see – the more we can get involved and talking, the quicker we can all make a difference to attitudes towards MH and breaking the stigma! This month we have brilliant articles (when don’t we?!) all full of advice like self-help which we all need to make sure we do - take care of ourselves. Also, how to deal with going to concerts or being in large crowds which I’m sure is an anxious situation for some of our readers. We’ve got reviews of the app ‘Headspace’ which I would recommend... as I know there are quite a few apps to choose from, so go and see if that one is for you. As ever, let us know if you want to write or get involved. xo Louise
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Contact us
01473 35 35 12 rachel@student-life.co www.student-life.co @studentlifeips @studentlifeips @studentlifeips
LONELINESS BY IMOGEN MOOS Loneliness can mean something different to every person you ask and there are so many types. It may be the sort where you are in a room full of people who are talking and laughing with each other but you still feel isolated and out of place. It may be the realisation that you have no romantic interest when all your friends do. It may be the kind of loneliness that can come from being in a new situation like moving to a new school, or a job, or even moving house and away from everything you’ve known previously. All of these can have such a negative impact on our mental health and whether we have only experienced these feelings a few times or this is a daily occurrence of not feeling significant, there are often ways to combat it. Talking and interacting with friends and family is an obvious solution but this can be difficult to do when you don’t feel understood or listened to.
Imogen is 16 years old and got involved with Student Life because she enjoys writing and photography and thought writing articles for the magazine would be a great way to include both.
My main source of loneliness comes from being in social situations where everyone is conversing and I just don’t feel that I’m needed because I have nothing to input. In these circumstances I find myself fiddling with my phone and distancing myself in order to pretend that I don’t want to be involved or I do not care about the conversation. I am a very introverted person who finds it difficult to speak with a group of people that I don’t know well but when with close friends I can be loud and obnoxious. I’ve realised that the best way for me to overcome these feelings of loneliness is to speak with those I have the closest relationships with because that is when I am most myself and feel included in the situations.
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So, my main points of advice to help you get through feeling lonely are to try to interact with your closest friends more or generally place yourself in more social environments, to try not to cop out by distancing yourself, subconsciously or otherwise, because you
may end up feeling more alone than ever and, lastly, to make an effort to rid yourself of these feelings because unless you really want to get past them, you won’t be able to. You cannot change someone that does not want to change.
Dealing with the Bad Days BY ELAYNE LACORTE Everyone has a bad day. Some have a bad week. Or even a bad month. And we understand. It is difficult to do work, and at times, it’s difficult to even get out of bed. It happens, even to the best of us. Guilty as charged. See, I could tell you that motivation will find you eventually, or I could tell you what you don’t want to hear, and that is that you have to grab motivation by the horns and... Just. Do. It. I know, easier said than done. But start slowly, start with getting up. Find a mantra. Chant it over and over and over. Sometimes, the urgency is enough. The deadline is tomorrow and that’s when you’re at your desk, actually doing it. But what if it’s not enough? Don’t jump straight into it. Start slow, work your way up. It does get easier, even if it doesn’t feel like that in the beginning. Do a little bit a day, and eventually, it will feel as easy as breathing. If you start a habit of sitting at your desk and getting what you can done, it will be tough to break, even on the darkest days. In fact, you’ll probably feel grateful for a routine like that to distract you. The key is to remember that you’re doing this for a reason. There’s always an end
goal. And it’s insane, but the path to get there means reading that book or revising for that exam. Sometimes, those dark days means you lose sight of that goal. And it might be 4pm on a spring day, but for some reason, it’s totally dark. Don’t wallow. Again, guilty as charged. Pull yourself up. Chant that little mantra. Pulling yourself up tends to be the hardest part, but as soon as you’ve done something you don’t want to do, even as little as getting up, your brain goes through that sequence of, ‘what now?’ until you’re at your desk. I make it sound easy. We all know it’s not. But we’ve all been there, and we’ve all shouldered through. And it’s common sense, but you can’t have the good days without the bad. So it’s okay to do a little less on those bad days. There will always be tomorrow.
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Dealing with Anxiety at Concerts and Festivals WRITTEN BY TSHEQUA WILLIAMS As last month’s topic on music and mental health showed, music can really influence your mood and act as an escape from reality. Personally, for me there is no better escape from the world than going to a concert or festival and being surrounded by my favourite music and people who share the same appreciation for the artist as I do.
Having been to many gigs and festivals since a young age, I’ve almost become used to the whole process. However, I can see how some people might find the thought of it overwhelming and triggering for anxiety and stress. Therefore, here is some advice to help make your experience more enjoyable if you are planning to go to a concert or festival this year.
TRAVEL AND HOTELS When the dates are released, it is important to find out what time the curfew of a venue is as if you are using public transport, you will need to find out the last train/ tube times. At all the concerts I’ve been to since I moved away from London, I have needed to stay in a hotel and travel back the next day. Once we decided to catch the last train home and we had to leave the concert early and only just made the train by literally 2 seconds. It was very stressful and we missed part of the gig, so unless you are sure that you can make it in plenty of time, the best bet is to book a hotel. In terms of festivals, most people will
drive as camping gear is very heavy! If you don’t drive, there are usually coach services that can pick you up from all over the country and take you to and from the festival. Latitude Festival runs a shuttle bus service from a nearby train station which is a life saver if you can’t get a lift (I’m sure other festivals would also run a similar service).
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THE ACTUAL CONCERT THE AFTERMATH
If you do suffer from anxiety or struggle with large crowds, then I’d definitely suggest taking someone with you that is aware so they can support you. Take a small bag with essentials to ensure that you get through the bag checks quickly. Although you get the best atmosphere from standing in the crowd, seats are probably better if you feel anxious due to the masses of people and the potential of mosh pits. Seats mean that you can take a break and still return to your seat and you also avoid being in the crush. Nevertheless, if you do purchase standing, you will usually make friends with the people around you and the stewards are on hand near the barriers to give you water and can carry you over if it all gets too much.
Once the concert has finished, there is always a massive crowd of people trying to get out of the stadium at once. Although you might seem inclined to rush out, the best thing to do is take your time and make your way slowly out. If you are in London, the Underground will be packed so you are better to wait for the crowds to disperse a bit before getting on (there are usually tubes every few minutes anyway).
FESTIVALS Out of the two, I think that festivals are easier to deal with. Even though there will ultimately be a bigger crowd of people, there is less pressure as you don’t need to always be amongst everyone. There are usually seating areas/ bandstands in the main arena where you can still get a good view of the band due to the screens they have. The open space and smaller stages mean that you can always find a nice little place to sit and relax when it becomes overwhelming. This is helped by having the campsite nearby as you can easily go back to your tent etc with anything you need and take a break. Again, it is a good idea to go with a group of friends who can support you and ideally know the festival well (if it is your first time going) as this should give you some reassurance too. All festivals will have a team of people that can look after you if you feel distressed.
Most importantly, the best thing to do is try and relax and have fun. If you can overcome the stressful, anxious thoughts, you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time!
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PRODUCT REVIEW
HEADSPACE APP This month, we asked a couple of students to review the meditation-based app HEADSPACE. According to the official website:
“Meditation has been shown to help people stress less, focus more and even sleep better. Headspace is meditation made simple. We’ll teach you the life-changing skills of meditation and mindfulness in just a few minutes a day”. Bold statements, but what do our students think?
Hello, my name is Lucas, I’m 15 years old and I first joined Student Life as a means to have a say, to tell the world my thoughts and I was highly inspired to show people that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Anyways, I have always struggled with problems throughout my life and I have seen an ad’ about an app called Headspace, but never checked it out….so when I got the chance to do this, I thought it was a great idea to check Headspace out as I’ve heard that it’s a great way to relieve stress. At first I was anxious; I have always been a man of religion and I’ve always been used to praying and waiting for a miracle to happen, which it has, many times. I thought that meditation would ruin that, but now that I have tried it, it seems like there is barely no difference. When I first started Headspace, it had a vast selection of meditation options and me being me, I chose the one about maintaining focus my one weakness. I immediately started a 5 minute session and when I first heard the man talking, I got startled. I didn’t expect a voice but as it continued, I felt an easiness in my heart, almost familiar,
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a peace that I hadn’t felt in a while. The first attempt was a disaster, as I got distracted on the meditation about focus, which was a funny moment, but I do look forward to using this again, it has been a great experience.
My name is Sadè, I am 17 and currently studying Level 3 Creative Media and Technology. I decided to get involved with Student Life to try out something different and I am looking forward to the future with them! Headspace is an audio guided meditation and mindfulness app that helps people live a healthier and happier life. You shouldn’t feel outcasted if you haven’t meditated before, as they guide you through it. If you can learn audibly and want to help your health, then this is for you. Headspace prompts you to pick a topic that personalises the experience, topics such as; anxiety, anger, productivity etc. You are given a course based on the topic you chose – first session free – along with the basics course; I chose stress and anxiety. Once you have settled in, a soothing voice guides you through each session in 3-5 minutes (depending on experience). After listening to a session, I felt calm and relaxed, also motivated to learn more! Headspace’s goal to ‘help people practice meditation in order to bring a calmness’ is achieved here, yet it seems unreachable if you don’t dig out some coins for it.
The free version comes with; the basics, your chosen topic, and a sleep course (sounds to help you sleep). To unlock the full experience, prices start from £9.99 monthly to £399.99 for a lifetime. A young person may not be able to afford the lifetime expense, yet the monthly rate seems achievable. In all fairness, without paying, you really don’t get the benefits from it. The app is easy to use with calming graphics and an appealing layout. The idea of the app is brilliant and has relevant topics that affect young people which Headspace deals with in a comforting way – although the help that young people will seek in the app won’t be in full effect until they pay.
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What do you do?
STRESS CONTINUED WORDS AND PHOTOS BY TOMMY CURRY
Last month we asked our writers ‘what do you do to release stress?’ I described how I will go on a long walk and I wanted to go into further detail. Walking is always a great stress release. It gets you moving and allows your mind to wander and will calm you down. I’m really lucky that I live in the countryside with some amazing views over fields to help with the calming process. Bring able just to stop and look around. Can do a world of good, but only if you allow it.
I encourage anyone reading this to just go for a walk. At least once a week. And see the benefits it can yield. Pick a direction and walk. If you know there is a park in that direction, great! If you have no idea where you are going, even better! Have fun exploring. Seeing things you haven’t seen before. IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT ANY• EMOTIONS 37 • M A R CHUP 2019 S TUDENTTHAT LIFEYOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
I usually walk for just under an hour. It’s about 3 miles long to some people that seems quite long, so start off small, do half an hour or just 15 minutes. Anything helps. This works for me, it might not work for everyone, but it works for me. Go out and find an activity that works...golf? Swimming? Or even writing for your favourite student lead magazine... Us!
We want to know what you all do to relieve stress. So contact us on any of our social media platforms. Let’s work together to come up with as many ideas as possible. And work as a team to help others, it’s as easy as that. 38 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE WRITTEN BY DR KATE BLACKFORD
Keeping your Cool Working life can present us with many challenges, not least when we are faced with a difficult situation. Keeping cool when we feel under fire is a useful skill to develop and can foster more constructive relationships and a pleasant working environment. Unfortunately, when faced with a difficult situation our bodies still react physically as they would have in more perilous times. And whilst running (flight) or fighting (fight) might be appropriate in a zombie apocalypse (for all you Walking Dead fans out there…) it is not a constructive response to a challenge from a colleague or your boss. When we feel threatened our body prepares us to react and that means releasing adrenaline to enable us to react fast and diverting blood to major muscles so we are prepared for action. This naturally draws supplies from our thinking, reasoning brain and we can lash out with disastrous consequences – whether that is saying something we later regret (fight) or walking away in a huff and leaving a bad impression (flight). Here are some simple tips that can help avoid making a difficult situation worse when practiced (and unfortunately it does take practice because these skills do not necessarily come naturally):
1. Take a deep breath before you respond – this gives your brain a few precious seconds to respond calmly 2. Think before you speak – what is the person really trying to communicate? Sometimes when people have a difficult request to make they can come across as pushy or rude simply because they are feeling uncomfortable at having to ask, so thinking past the way something is asked to what is being asked can help you to respond in a way that is constructive rather than a way that exacerbates the situation
3. Consider that the person you are speaking to might have had a terrible day / week / month and it is coming out at you. This helps to depersonalise what might feel like a very personal attack and enables you to respond with consideration rather than annoyance or frustration
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4. Acknowledge the anger / frustration of the person speaking to you before you respond – often people get angry or frustrated because they feel as though they are not being heard and don’t know how else to get the attention they need to communicate their message. A simple “I can hear that you are upset about this” can indicate that you are hearing them and put them in a better space to have a constructive conversation about how you can work together to resolve the issue
5. If you have tried all of the above and the person is still really going at you – you have a right to walk away. It is not OK for anyone to speak to you in a rude or aggressive manner, so if you feel able to, calmly let the person know that you are not comfortable with the way they are speaking to you and that you are going to remove yourself from the situation. It is then down to you to find a way to open the conversation in a more constructive way at a later date – whether that is with a mediator present, or through escalating the issue to a manager.
Overcoming Obstacles WRITTEN BY CHLOE LAMB
Chloe is a 22-year-old Fashion Communication & Promotion student at UoS and decided to get involved with Student Life to share her life experiences and love for fashion. Mental health can have a huge impact on your life, it can hold you back from doing so much. Feeling like you can’t do something because of your health can just make you feel worse. I know, I have been there.
At the end of the day, we are all human and we all have off days, so firstly give the benefit of the doubt (especially if the person is acting out of character). Creating a space where everyone can communicate honestly and respectfully is vital in fostering good business relationships and getting the most out of your work, and putting in the time to developing your skills in keeping cool will pay dividends in the long run. 4 0 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
IMAGE CREDIT: CHLOE LAMB
From a young age, I always knew that I was different from most girls my age. They would all do something one way, but I did it another. When I was 15, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and this made so much sense to me. It made me realise that I think in a different way to everyone else and I act differently. Asperger’s affects my communication and social interaction With my social interaction, I struggle to understand other people’s feelings and emotions, which can make me look insensitive if the reciprocating person doesn’t understand me. After being around a large group of people I have to have some time alone as I become incredibly overwhelmed. I also have highly focused interests that I do have a tendency to talk about a lot when given the chance, one of these interests is fashion. I do have sensory
sensitivity, so I can’t stand loud piercing noises like an ambulance siren, I have to cover my ears. I could talk to someone and not give them eye contact, or someone could make a joke and I would take it literally. Being a teenager is hard but being an autistic teenager made it so much harder. Growing up I came to accept my quirkiness, I never saw my autism as a bad thing. If I didn’t have it then I wouldn’t be me. Most of the time no one even notices that I am autistic. I am a very open person now whereas when I was younger, I felt ashamed to be different. I feel like it’s better to be open about who you are so people will understand you better. When I say, ‘I’m autistic’, people immediately conjure up the image of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory and no, I’m not like that (although I do have a specific spot on the sofa).
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When I was younger my mum got told by professionals that I wouldn’t go to University and that I wouldn’t be able to hold a relationship. Well, they are very wrong. Yes, I have struggled in relationships in the past as they didn’t understand that I needed my own personal space sometimes. Whereas now, my partner of nearly 2 years understands me completely. He knows what overwhelms me, how to calm me down and that when I go to a new place, I have to map everything out beforehand. He is supportive and understanding and that’s what I have always dreamed of.
I always knew I wanted to go to University, from about 13 I was already starting to think about my future and map it out. Of course, my future changed a lot, going from wanting to be an actress to an environmentalist and then I found my area, English. I loved to read and was always found with my nose stuck in a book. I excelled in this subject and knew it was something I wanted to do. Fast forward to 2017, I got an unconditional offer from the University of Suffolk to study English and I cried an enormous amount. I had proved all the professionals wrong and I was going to study at University. In early 2018 I transferred from English to study Fashion Communication & Promotion. When I started the English course, I knew I wanted to be a fashion journalist and that after my 3 years at UoS I wanted to go on and do a Masters in Fashion Journalism at the London College of Fashion. Don’t get me wrong, the English
course is absolutely incredible with some lovely teachers and I met three of my best friends on this course. The subject just wasn’t creative enough for my own taste. When I saw the Fashion Course, I knew this is what I wanted to do. I am aiming to graduate with a first-class degree in Fashion Communication & Promotion. I have overcome what people said I wouldn’t be able to do because of my Autism. I feel that they gave me the push I needed. I wanted to prove them wrong and with the help and support of my mum, sister and my partner, I certainly did.
Never let other people define your ability to achieve.
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CONTACTS
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CONTACT NHS OUT OF HOURS SERVICE: 111 OR CALL FOR AN EMERGENCY AMBULANCE: 999 Otherwise you can contact other services including your local GP www.nhs.uk/service-search/GP/LocationSearch/4
Advice, guidance and practical support
01473 252607
We’ve got lots of advice about looking after yourself
Arts in mental health and wellbeing
0800 1111
www.insideout community.com
www.4yp.org.uk
www.childline.org.uk
Supporting and empowering women who have suffered or are at risk of suffering domestic abuse
For confidential suicide prevention advice contact
01473 228270
www.lighthousewa.org.uk
We offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way, about whatever’s getting to you.
116 123
www.samaritans.org
Support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse
07765 052282
survivorsintransition.co.uk
0800 068 4141
www.papyrus-uk.org
Improving teenage mental health by stemming commonly occurring MH issues at an early stage
www.stem4.org.uk
Providing a wide range of health and wellbeing services
www.turning-point.co.uk
0300 111 6000
www.suffolkmind.org.uk
Advice, information and guidance to those affected by low mood, depression and suicidal thinking.
www.studentsagainst depression.org
Whether you’re stressed, anxious, low or depressed, we can help
0300 123 1503
www.wellbeingnands.co.uk
IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT UP ANY EMOTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
SPEAK UP
SPEAK OUT
ATTRACTING COUNTYWIDE INTEREST We have several meetings planned in the coming weeks to discuss funding and of course, our four planned films in 2019. If you would like to get involved with any aspect of our anti-bullying message, please email info@student-life.co 4 4 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
Filming at Fore Street swimming pool on Saturday 2 March. Our grateful thanks to Ipswich Borough Council.
Filming at Ipswich Buses maintenance depot on Wednesday 27 February. Our grateful thanks to Ipswich Buses. B roll filming ready to go.
Laurence Scott from Offset Films underwater!
Cast and crew at the Ipswich Waterfront Innovation Centre. Offset Films’ Amphibico Professional underwater camera – a great piece of kit!
IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT ANY• EMOTIONS THAT 45 • M A R CHUP 2019 S TUDENT LIFEYOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
Introducing SIT “You don’t deserve this shame it’s not yours. Speaking out and getting support isn’t a weakness but strength. It may not be an easy journey, but it allows you to break free and be you. As you aren’t defined by the past, you deserve a future. You deserve to be heard” This quote is by Beth, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and an advocate for the work of Survivors in Transition (SIT). Student Life is delighted to be working with SIT on our ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ campaign. SIT understands how much courage it takes to access their help and with this in mind, they have tried their best to make their support as safe, useful and supportive as possible. SIT views their survivors as an inspiration – breaking the silence and urges them to remember – it is NOT their shame.
www.survivorsintransition.co.uk 07765 052282
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SEXUAL ASSAULT AND VIOLENCE AWARENESS WEEK – CONSENT Here are some rules that everyone should know for clarity: he legal age of consent is 16 in T the UK or 18 if the other person is in a position of authority. onsent should be confidently C given because you feel comfortable to participate without pressure from your partner.
The 4th – 10th February marked Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness Week where the focus was #ITSNOTOK. Sexual abuse and violence come in many different forms, can happen at any age, could happen to anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity or class and will impact everyone differently. It’s not okay that anyone should have to go through this and if they did, it is not okay that many victims are left scared, afraid and feeling alone. To raise awareness, we have focused on the topic of consent. There is also a list of numbers on the next page to help if you are going through anything but are not sure who to contact for support. The definition of consent is to give full permission/ agreement to take part in a sexual activity. Sometimes there can be confusion over consent and whether it is valid or not. There should never be uncertainty in whether consent is given or not.
ou cannot give consent if you are Y under the influence of drugs or alcohol, are unconscious or have certain mental disabilities. t any point you feel A uncomfortable and don’t want to continue, you can change your mind and stop. This applies to all times, even if you’ve done it before. ou should be fully knowledgeable Y about what is involved, including the use of contraceptives/ condoms. If this changes without your knowledge, then it is not consensual. ou should be comfortable with Y what is involved. Only do things that you want to do and not that you’re expected to do. aying yes to one thing does not S mean you have given permission for anything else.
IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT ANY• EMOTIONS 47 • M A R CHUP 2019 S TUDENTTHAT LIFEYOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION
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WTF
WHAT THE FOOD
DISCOVERING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES WRITTEN BY CAMELIA ATOMEI
2 Types of Meals BRITISH-ROMANIAN Food preferences can be discussed and analysed from different points of view. Even people born in the same country can still have totally different ideas and opinions about the same dish. However, when there are also cultural differences everything becomes more interesting. Being in England just for a year and a half I did not have the opportunity to
try many traditional dishes, but I heard good feedback about The Roast dinner. I was really thrilled by it and I decided to try and cook it. To compare it with a dish from Romania, I was advised that Steak with salad and vegetables will make a good match. In this way, I started my adventure of cooking and discovering similarities and differences.
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It always fills me with joy when I manage to go out of my comfort zone and all the process of finding the recipes and cooking the food was part of my adventure. In cooking these two dishes I had some help from both English and Romanian friends, I can say that it was a multicultural brainstorming. The two dishes are quite different in terms of type of meat used, and the sides that come with it. The Romanian dish contains a steak, salad, some sweet potatoes and mushrooms. It is a common dish eaten on Sundays when all the family gathers together and enjoy some free time. The meat can be cooked differently, fried or barbequed and the salad that comes with it helps in digesting everything better. I had help in preparing it, but it is not hard to cook it as I saw it being done a few times back home. The Roast dinner was an entire adventure. I asked a classmate for the recipe as I wanted good quality of information. It was
not hard to cook it, probably the thought of discovering something that I am not used with was the issue that I needed to overcome. The result was better that I expected. Having vegetables on the plate made it a bit familiar, but what I can say is that in Romania, the meat is much more than the vegetable, something that I was told is different in here. A cultural similarity that I found out about these two dishes is that they are both a common dish eaten on a Sunday when everyone is resting and are celebrating what they have achieved in the previous week. After all the differences between the two dishes I realized how much I enjoyed trying something new. Therefore, cooking and getting to know about traditional dishes and differences between the two cultures made me more curious about what England has to offer and how I can make connection with my country.
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COOKING ON THE DIME
HOMEMADE BEEF BURGERS WRITTEN BY CHEV MITCHELL
TIME: Approximately 20 minutes
METHOD
SERVES: Makes 10 small/medium sized patties but will vary depending on your patty size
INGREDIENTS 750g Mince 1 Egg Paprika Black Pepper Salt Cooking oil
Optional: Cheese Oven Chips
1. Put your mince into a mixing bowl and mash together with your hands. 2. Coat your hand in cooking oil to prevent the mince from sticking to your hand. 3. Once all mixed in, add the paprika, black pepper and salt to your liking (You don’t need too much salt). 4. Mix all the seasoning into the mince, ensuring there is an even coating. 5. Add 1 egg to the mixture and mix again until the mince consistency starts to thicken. 6. Optional: grate cheese and add to the mince mixture. 7. Once done, using your hands, use the mixture to make the patties. You can choose the thickness and size of them but bear in mind, during the cooking process they may reduce in size. 8. In a frying pan, heat some cooking oil on medium heat. 9. Cook your patties evenly for 3 minutes on each side. 10. Serve in burger buns with salad garnish. You could also add oven cooked chips.
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BECOMING VEGETARIAN WRITTEN BY TSHEQUA WILLIAMS After eating meat all my life, 2 years ago I decided to become vegetarian. My main reasons were the fact that when you eat meat you only get 15 minutes of enjoyment while you are eating it which is not really worth it when you think of some of the industries’ practices and the environmental effects of the industry (lots of water and energy goes into the industry leaving a massive carbon footprint on the world). Although vegetarianism isn’t for everyone due to health issues etc, I think that everyone should try and make even a small effort to try and reduce their meat consumption to contribute to helping the planet. One of the difficulties that I knew I would face was trying to replace the meat element from my meals as obviously when you plan a meal, you usually plan around what meats you have. To help combat this, I decided to start off as pescatarian (a vegetarian that still includes fish) to ease my body into it, as well as give myself a chance to find good meat alternatives. Now I am pretty much fully vegetarian, and each day gets easier as I find alternatives that are nice. Here are some of my favourites:
MINCE-BASED DISHES
Rather than the stereotypical Quorn mince, I actually prefer supermarket own brand Soya mince as I think they have better flavour and act more similar to normal mince when in a sauce. My favourite recipes include Chilli Con Carne and Spaghetti Bolognaise where I will usually cook all the other parts (e.g. mushrooms and kidney beans) as normal then add the mince in the last minutes according to the packet instructions. Alternatively, my other favourite is a bean chilli which is so warming and comforting! For an easy meal, Jamie Oliver has a Smoky Veggie Chilli which you cook in the microwave for one minute and it is delicious.
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SAUSAGES
This has to be my favourite replacement I have found – Caldron’s Lincolnshire or Cumberland Sausages. At around £2.50 for 6, these are definitely the most similar to pork versions in terms of taste and texture! Obviously, they can be eaten with a fry up or in a sandwich for breakfast, but I have also incorporated them into pasta dishes and roast dinners! (Any classic pasta dishes such as classic tomato and mozzarella, mac and cheese or tortellini are also life savers). I also think the party sized vegetarian sausage rolls that you can find in the freezer isle taste identical to pork ones. My favourites are Tesco’s own brand however most that I have tried are delicious. Another honourable mention comes from the Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll. Despite the controversy, they are a godsend if you catch the train early and buy breakfast on the go. I’m not too keen on their other warm baked options for vegetarians (Cheese and Onion Bake or Vegetable Bake) which makes the vegan sausage roll a perfect option!
EATING OUT/ TAKEAWAYS One thing I knew was going to be difficult was finding restaurants that actually have nice vegetarian foods. Despite my worries, I have actually found lots of nice food which makes eating out a lot easier. My favourites include: Brazilian Black Bean – LEON
Mushroom and Halloumi Wrap – Nando’s Veggie Lasagne – Wetherspoons
CHICKEN
For me, chicken has been the hardest meat to replace. Although the Quorn chicken pieces and fillets are okay, I feel like they do not have the same texture or taste (almost lemony) to actual chicken. Despite this, the nuggets and escallops are the best I have found so far. The Quorn Nuggets are similar to normal chicken nuggets with a nice taste and texture. I would say that they definitely need some sort of dipping sauce as they can taste dry on their own. The Quorn Escallops come in three flavours – Garlic and Mushroom, Mozzarella & Pesto and Cheese & Broccoli. I think I have tried all of them and they are all really tasty and almost succulent, as well as being ideal to have with dishes such as cauliflower cheese or with new potatoes and salad.
Goat’s Cheese Penne Al Forno – Prezzo Yaki Soba (Yasai) - Wagamama
Mixed Vegetables in Black Bean Sauce with either Egg Fried Rice or Plain Egg Noodles – My usual Chinese
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FOOD WARS USA v UK Who doesn’t love a pancake? Well this month we put two different styles against each other. The USA short stack and the UK adopted crepe.
SHORT STACK Thick and fluffy. The American Short stack is filling and will leave you in a food induced nap. Reminding you of the comfort of home. With a simple way of changing the flavour by adding chocolate chips or blueberries it’s a great way to start your day right.
CREPES Thin and light. The UK adopted style of the crepe is great for a light snack. They are quick and very easy to make making it a great bite once you get home from work if you don’t have the energy for a full roast.
WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER? Which looks better? Let us know on one of our social media platforms and see what others are saying. What I’m saying is; I’ve got one mess to clean up now.
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MY LIFE WRITTEN BY MARNIE WYNCOLL
DEAR PAST ME... Marnie is 16 years old and decided to get involved with Student Life because she wanted to be a part of a community of students sharing their ideas and opinions. I know that right now you’re completely overwhelmed by so much stress and pressure due to GCSEs. You’re burning yourself out in the hopes of finding what you have been looking for – I’ve been there before! And I know now that you can’t find it because you’re searching for the wrong things – good GCSE grades will not give you instant happiness! Instead, what you need to find, and what I now have is perspective and acceptance. GCSEs are not the be-all and end-all; in fact, they don’t even cross
my mind at all. I’m studying a-levels knowing that they are just a period of my life that will not decide everything I will do for the rest of my life. Although I’m proud of the grades I got, I’m much happier now that I’m prioritising my mental health – like you should too. Still, while I’m here, I want to do my best and enjoy it. Except I accept that my best is all I can do – if you do just that, you will be proud of yourself whatever you achieve. There is nothing more you can do!
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IMAGE CREDIT : YOUTUBE CHLOE’S STUDYTUBE
WRITTEN BY ROSIE WEDGE
STUDY SMARTER NOT HARDER ‘Study smarter not harder’ is a term that many of us seem to hear, but don’t always understand the full concept of this popular phrase. This phrase is hyped massively, and encourages students to follow its basic guidelines to ensure they get the most out of their studying, and find their full potential. However, I feel like this can also be a very damaging ideology, and should be carefully considered when reorganising your studying schedule. The phrase essentially encourages you to change your attitude towards studying to make sure that you get the most from your time and retain as much information as you can. However, the main element that makes this such a popular notion is
that it encourages you to retain as much information as possible in a condensed amount of time. No, I’m not talking about cramming; cramming for exams is 100% not recommended. Many of us are made to feel like the success of our revision is defined by how much of it we do, whereas actually it is as simple as quality of revision not quantity (wow, I sound like my mum!) Psychological studies have even been done in favour of this mindset to show its benefits, and suggests that we would be more successful if we did eight 30-minute sessions of distraction-free revision a day, with a 15-20 minute gap between each, than if we did six consecutive hours with no break. The brain tires easily, and is thought to actually require more energy to recall and revise information we already vaguely know than learning brand new information, based on new information being more interesting.
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‘Study smarter not harder’ has many beneficial, great pieces of advice. It encourages you to maximise your work space by clearing all distractions, having everything you need presented and stored in an organised manner, and also encourages a change of scene now and again to keep you pro-active and reduce fatigue. It also encourages the use of methods such as splurging, mind-mapping and flashcards long before practicing essay writing or practice questions, because these shorter, more condensed forms of information are easier for the brain to digest, and thus retain. Many StudyTubers enforce this idea and show how we can be smarter and more efficient in our studies to achieve the top grades, like many of them do. However, this is where I feel this can be a damaging ideology for some people. Surprisingly, studying has a lot of stigma around it; you get slagged off for not studying and being a layabout, you get slagged off for doing revision and being a nerd, and we are constantly forced to define the outcome of our future on some grades on a piece of paper; and worst of all, we constantly compare our success to others.
not by your retention of information; you can’t put BTEC Art onto a flashcard because the whole thing is practical-based. We need to make sure we study not only in a way that suits our personal advantages, but what suits our topic of study too. Most StudyTubers study subjects such as Sciences, English and Maths, which are easy to condense, and do not take the long hours it does to plan, film and edit a 5-minute video. I am not saying either is better than the other, however the strong encouragement of ‘study smarter not harder’ as the key to success can be damaging for other people who cannot apply this idea, and are left feeling like they’re cutoff from success. Check out Kesgrave student Chloe’s StudyTube channel; as an art student, she highlights the importance of taking this ideology with a pinch of salt, and shows how sometimes success comes from long, gruelling hours of work; but it always pays off! https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCZighl3KRshViMACrViQDFg/ featured
Some subjects are simply not designed for a ‘study smarter not harder’ philosophy. As someone who did Art BTEC, GCSE drama, and both film and media at GCSE and A Level, not all subjects benefit from this. Some of them require hours upon hours of fine-detailed working, and they cannot be condensed.. A large proportion of the grade is determined by your practical production of work,
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MY UNI EXPERIENCE WRITTEN BY MARIA LAZAR
My name is Maria Lazar and I started studying at the University of Suffolk in September 2018. I am writing this article to present the lifestyle of a foreign student. It has been six months since arriving here. I am proud to say I have finished the first term with only firsts. At university, the main emphasis is on the work you do on your own. Lecturers will teach you the basics, yet the important part is applying said knowledge to your work. The coursework is always relevant to the course itself, but most importantly, to your future career. Despite all this, I have learnt that nothing is as important as you. Taking a day off when you’re having a bad day is the best thing to do; no grade is as important as your mental health. Moreover, having a bad week doesn’t mean you aren’t a good student.
Take the time you need off and put your wellbeing first. Trust me, you can catch up on uni work. The university itself also offers a wide variety of societies, which encourages students to make friends and socialise. I strongly recommend joining one or two if you are able to find the time. I have personally joined the Christian society, where I have met amazing students who
were all more than friendly and sociable. They made me feel welcome immediately and acted as if we had known each other for ages. I regret having to give it up, but working part time, going to university and having a boyfriend leaves you next to no time left. On the same note, the most difficult thing so far was to find a bit of time to myself. As you always have something to work on and I also work the weekends, when I do get to lay down for a while I can’t even relax properly. I feel it at the back of my head that I’m procrastinating something. However, all the hours of hard work have paid off enormously. There’s rarely something as satisfying as submitting an assignment, closing all the related tabs and knowing you’re done with it.
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UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE WRITTEN BY ROSIE WEDGE
Since starting university, I’ve had multiple people ask me some very common questions, and so I thought why not compile them into a little Q&A feature for this month? Should I choose the higher ranked university that I didn’t think was as nice, or the lower ranked one that I felt was nicer? Usually, I would say choose the one that makes you feel more comfortable, 100%. You cannot expect to thrive when you aren’t feeling comfortable, or don’t have as many opportunities and activities, otherwise you become bored and lose interest. You will get from university what you make of it; not from what the university makes of itself. However, there are some exceptions. If you want to go into a career that always requires a degree, and one university is several ranks higher than the one you prefer, I would recommend you choose that one, as unfortunately, many jobs today have strict qualification requirements, and will choose based on your university’s prestige. However, if they are only 2 or three ranks apart, then go with the one you felt most comfortable at!
What if I only want to go for the experience? This is a tough one. On the one hand, university has been a phenomenal experience for me so far, and it’s only been one semester. However, if you aren’t aiming for the degree, or won’t put it to any use, £47,000 (average) is a large debt to put yourself into, when memories can easily be made elsewhere. If you don’t want anything to do with the degree, then I’d say don’t go, and if you’re considering the possibility of wanting the degree as well, then take a gap year; if you’re still rooting for it a year later then chances are it’s meant to be!
What if my friends aren’t going? Still go! I’ve made more new friends in my first semester of university than I did in my two years of sixth form; you will have new friends in your life, as well as your old ones to cherish and make memories with!
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Living at Home at Uni WRITTEN BY JOSHUA HODKIN I started studying at university in September 2018. It’s certainly been a learning curve, let me tell you! So many new systems to understand, buildings to learn, people to meet. It can all seem quite overwhelming, especially for an introverted person like me. Today, I’ll be focusing on my experience of living at home while studying. It suits me perfectly. I can only speak for me personally, but living at home for uni wasn’t only the logical choice for me, but also the safest one. As a person suffering with less than perfect mental health, it was really important to have a support network around me whilst going through such a fastchanging time in my life. Some of the best support I
could ever wish for comes from my family. To have that taken away like a rug from under my feet would’ve been incredibly detrimental to me.
Not only do I live at home for reasons of my health, but it simply makes sense! I live around five miles away from the University of Suffolk, so paying out for student housing seemed completely unnecessary. However, I’m very jealous of my friends who can roll out of bed at 8.50am and appear in a 9am class without breaking a sweat. That’s something I’d love to experience! People often talk about the lack of a social life you may experience when living at home for uni. Whilst I’m
not really into nightlife, the couple of times I have been for nights out, I have ended up having to pay out for a taxi home, or staying at a friend’s place. These options aren’t particularly convenient. However, for me it isn’t really an issue. It’s still just as easy to pop to a friend’s house and hang out in the daytime as it would be for someone living in halls. It’s just that I am a few miles further away! Here’s the bottom line. If you’re into going out at night and love the idea of living with lots of other students, living in halls is almost certainly a good bet. However, if you’re more like me and you’d prefer cosying up with a book than staying out all night, living at home is great. You may even get your washing done!
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THE CHANGES MADE IN OUR LIFE BY ELENA HARRIS As we go through life we find that our lives change in some shape or form, it can be something big like moving schools or something small like a change of fashion choice. The word “Change” can be thought of as something scary, and sometimes as humans, we fear it. I’m here to discuss the changes we make in life, positives and negatives.
Let’s start with the positives! There are lots of positive changes that we go through in life, for instance a change in interest, you might start to like different things compared to what you have liked a year ago, showing growth. Currently, I have left high school and have now started my first year at college. I will admit, before I started it was very nerve-racking, I was unsure if I would enjoy college, I had a choice, ether stay at my high school’s sixth form or go to college. When thinking about college, I had doubts, thoughts would flutter around my mind, “should I just stay where I am?” “would I like a change of scenery” however, I made the leap of faith and decided to go to college, this was probably the best decision I have ever made, it changed my life for the better, I have met so many interesting people. There are negatives when it comes to change. A family member may have passed away, therefore
changing your outlook on life, perhaps you have broken up with your significant other or just having a change of someone who used to be there for you and is now gone, leaving an emptiness behind. In life changes like these can be heartbreaking and sometimes leaves a negative impact on our self. I’ve lost contact with friends over the years, good friends, due to change, but I cannot stop and wonder… was it for the best? Each decision I make and person I lose marks a new chapter in my life. Yes, change is scary, but it does help when moving on with life. The way we embrace change is entirely up to us, we choose if we would be happier or not and how long we accept the changes, it may take a long or short time to get used to change but it is down to you if you’re willing to accept it.
Elena is 16 years old and has decided to get involved with Student Life because she loves to write and share stories that will hopefully help others.
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Life Changes WRITTEN BY CAMELIA ATOMEI
Changes are happening all the time, even if they are bigger or smaller, personal or professional we all change one way or another. As a child: going to school, listening to my family’s advice and always thinking of my grown-up life, of what I will be able to do, what I can achieve and what choices I want to make have been always something that my mind has thought about. Growing up, things changed and because my family was torn apart as my parent passed away we all had a big shock and that changed everything. At the beginning I did not feel it that much as I had lots of family but as I was growing up I started feeling alone and for a while I had a low morale and motivation. Studying and reading helped me, changed me and polish me in what I am today. Along with these there are friends that I am grateful too, as they showed me how many wonderful things are in the world and that we do not need to live in the past. My life has changed so much since I realised all the good things that I can do. Once the personal life changed in better, I started thinking of my professional one and I realised that I by going abroad I will
not only enrich my knowledge, but it will give me the opportunity to meet new people and see other perspectives as well, and this change is definitely a big improvement. Over the years, I thought that changes are not constructive, that they only bring sadness and bad luck, but now because time passed, and I managed to develop personally I learned that changes are just a new way of learning. My big change was in my childhood, but I feel that now I change constantly in terms of perspective, of goals and seeing myself as a person who can overcome hard times. I am thankful for what I am today, proud of the work that I accomplish and ready to see where life is going to take me. Therefore, even if my insecurities are still there I learned that everyone is changing, what is important is not to forget who we were and who helped us grow and move on. Being grateful is an act of kindness and for me is the best way to thank someone that helped me go through a difficult stage of my life. Change is good in life, as it makes us be more mature and motivated.
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THE CHANGES MADE IN OUR LIFE BY ELAYNE LACORTE If there is one thing in our life that we are constantly going through, it is the state of change. For the most part, it is a change for the better, though it may not seem like it in the moment. But what does it mean to me? It means learning, growing, evolving. It means, things are different now, and some people don’t know how to deal with that. And that is totally fine. Naturally, when your world shifts, and things fall out of place, you are at a loss for words. You have no idea what to do. That’s because different means you cannot predict what is going to happen next. As boring as predictability is, it is comfortable and easy. It is your safe zone.
So, why do things have to change? Simple, because it is part of time. It is a bittersweet human thing. We are born, we live, and then eventually, we die. That is the cycle, and believe it or not, it is a cycle of
change. We do not stay the same. It is almost impossible to. We have to adapt, it is practically in our blood. Sometimes, we change because we have to. Because the way that we are, and the way we are living life, just is not working out. Sometimes, the change is inevitable. Someone is thrown into your life who shakes up your usual routine, and you cannot do a damn thing about it. In my opinion, those are the best changes, the ones that come unexpectedly. And they take time to get used to. It is different for everyone. Some people adapt just like that, while
others need a couple of days, or months, or even a year, to get used to the shift. Even throughout that period, things will change. But there are far, far better things ahead, than any we leave behind. Throughout the changes in your life, you will find the people and the things that will stay. You will need them to remain a constant when you are undergoing a change. What is important is, regardless of what changes in your life, you remember that you are in control of some of those changes. It is your life. You can change what is changing, you can step in. But, it is probably happening for a reason.
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Coming Out WRITTEN BY JOSHUA HODGKIN I am openly and proudly bisexual, but it hasn’t always been that way. I’ve spent a long while thinking about, reflecting on, and becoming comfortable with my sexuality. It wasn’t something I chose, but it’s something I love. Here’s my story. The first time I realised that I may have been interested in the same gender was when I was in sixth form. I developed a huge crush on my best friend. My male best friend. I didn’t know what to do, I knew he wasn’t interested in boys. I didn’t know if I was wrong to want him, but I couldn’t help it. Whilst I knew that the crush would remain only a crush, which was disappointing at the time, it opened my eyes.
Worries about my sexuality and how it would be perceived plagued me for a good year or more. I didn’t know what to think. My friends were supportive, but I was worried to tell anybody. Then, I received some excellent advice; nobody should care – and if they do that’s their issue, not mine. If they do have a problem with my sexuality, then they don’t love me as a person, the true me. They don’t deserve my time. This advice changed how I viewed one of the biggest parts of my personality. I learned to love and embrace my sexuality.
So, where am I now? Well, I came out to my mum around a year ago. I sent her a text, I probably could’ve picked a better method, but it worked! Then, I told my sister, my dad and my I realised that I loved boys, and I loved grandparents. Did they hate me? them in the same way I loved girls. No. Were they offended? Nope! Instead, what happened? I got more support than I could’ve I got over the crush I had on my friend, and wished for. I was loved just the same as I I developed a crush on another boy. I was always have been, I was told there was no clearly non-heterosexual, but I didn’t know need to worry! I feel much more confident how I felt about it. Should I feel okay about it in myself now. or not? What would people think? 6 4 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
‘S
This is LGBT Q’s. A new monthly feature for anyone to ask anything about and within the LGBT community. Let’s share our experiences and break down the stigma! Pop your questions to joshua@student-life.co and I, or one of the team, will answer them! ‘But who do you fancy more? Boys or girls?’ ‘How do you know you’re really bi?’ ‘But if you’re bisexual, why do you sometimes call yourself ‘gay’?’ These, and many other questions, are what I, as a bisexual, am asked on a daily basis.
Now, why do I, sometimes, call myself ‘gay’? After all, my sexuality isn’t what the dictionary would define as ‘gay’! Quite simply, I like to identify with that label, I think it works for me, just like ‘bisexual’ also does.
Who do I fancy more? Well, I fancy both genders equally, and if anything, gender is the least important factor in a partnership. I love people for their personality, their interests and the moments we spend together. I don’t have a ‘preference’, I just love people, it’s that simple.
People can use whichever labels they wish to describe themselves, because it’s all about the individual fit.
So, how do I really know I’m bi? How do I know I’m not 100% gay, or 100% straight? Is it weird floating around in the middle of the spectrum? Well actually, no, it isn’t! I have fallen in love with men, and I have fallen in love with women. It shouldn’t matter how many men or how many women I have loved. I don’t feel weird being between the two extremes, many people are in the middle! And no, I’m not ‘greedy’. Love is love and love is natural; when you fall in love with someone, you just fall in love with them!
People can even live label free! The label ‘gay’ works for me because it helps me feel more integrated into the beautiful thing which is the LGBTQ+ community. At the same time, ‘bi’ is a more factually correct description of who I love. I simply use ‘gay’ to mean ‘not straight and I’m PROUD of it!’ I think it’s beautiful that I, and all my LGBTQ+ friends, are able to be proud of who we are. I think that, simply, love is love. The fact we can love whoever we wish is such a fabulous advancement in society! Thank you for reading, I hope I made you chuckle, or that you resonated with this. And remember: if you’ve got any questions, email joshua@student-life.co
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A FRESH START WRITTEN BY REV. TOM ROUT
It was once common for people to ask their local vicar about baptism (sometimes also called ‘christening’). There was a time when baptism was viewed as a kind of spiritual insurance policy – the idea being that baptism booked you a place in heaven. Nowadays there’s less cultural pressure to get baptised, and we’re able to be clearer with people what baptism is really all about. Very simply it’s about making a fresh start. (Not any kind of fresh start, mind. There are a great many personally significant lifeevents, that baptism wasn’t designed to mark) Baptism is specifically about making a fresh start with God. Many people know they’ve gone wrong at points along life’s way and wish they could start over. The good news is, God promises us a fresh start, and a new life with him, if we reach out a hand to Jesus. Baptism is God’s way of marking that promise to us in a tangible and public way. It’s a powerful symbolic act performed in church with water. (The amount of water doesn’t matter. Some give you a little splash, while others submerge you completely!) But it’s more than mere symbolism. It’s real! If we take baptism at face value, believing God’s promise to us, then God is true to his word – we’ll have a fresh start with God that transforms our lives. For me, the most memorable baptism was probably the first one I took, as a trainee vicar in Leicestershire. A couple were asking
for baptism for their son. But as we talked the father said he’d not been baptised. We discussed how important it is for parents to set an example for their children to follow in. So the father decided there and then that he’d like to get baptised too. He’d do it with his son, to mark the beginning of a journey with God that they could both go on. We’re still in touch with that family, and father and son are still following Jesus to this day. The ‘still following’ bit is important. After all, there’s no point making a fresh start, unless we mean to go on. That’s why we encourage people to come to church for 6 months before thinking about baptism for their children. That gives people time to consider the implications of making a fresh start with God – throwing yourself fully into life with God’s family, the church.
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TECH
REVIEW
HUGHES’ VIEW Whilst the Laptop market can appear confusing, breaking things down into smaller segments make your choice far simpler. Think about how YOU want to work on your laptop, and focus on that feature as being the key. Rental can also help you to afford the model that you want and need
THE PERFECT LAPTOP FOR THE PERFECT PERSON WRITTEN BY LOUISE RICHARDSON Ever found yourself lost in a world of the latest technology? There are thousands of mini minds, what we call laptops out there on the market. There is a laptop out there suited to your lifestyle whether it is for professional or personal use. Ashley from Hughes Electrical explained to us how to find the most compatible laptop suited to your needs and within your price range.
It doesn’t always have to be the latest make and model that you are instantly drawn to, whether it’s touch screen, the size or a rotational screen. You have to think of a laptop, as if it were a person. With many options continuing to become available in 2019 and for many years to come, such as iPhones, iPads and Play Station consoles, laptops are still a fundamental base to complete your daily tasks.
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The first step to finding the right one for you is by starting to look at the processor; the higher the processor, the quicker the functioning will be and this will afford those who love to multi task, an easier life. We appreciate that budgets aren’t always flexible, however in the long term, sometimes it is better to pay that little bit more for extra quality. The next step is to concentrate on the size of the RAM (Random Access Memory) and hard drive. If you expect to do the simplest tasks, a lower RAM will be adequate. The higher the RAM, the higher quality workload it will produce. This step comes alongside looking into the hard drive compatibility and again this goes back to the higher it is, the more ability the machine will have. Following these steps, it then gets narrowed down to your personal preference regarding the brand and appearance. For those that are constantly on the go, a smaller screen will be ideal, due to it being compact and you can take it everywhere you go. For those that are desk based, whether it be career or studies, a bigger screen is
likely to be more beneficial. Lastly, you need to think about your personal taste when it comes to keyboard layout and what feels comfortable to you as the user. Before you know it, you have whittled it down from what was a daunting thought of picking out of thousands of options to your decision becoming easier. As some of you may be aware, Hughes have a rental option available on appliances, technology and gadgets. This could mean you can have the latest version for as little as £9 a month; however, this year especially for Student Life readers, Hughes will offer the first 3 months’ rent, HALF PRICE. If this doesn’t tickle your fancy. I don’t know what will.
your home connected
hughes.co.uk/smarthome
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GOING PAPERLESS A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE FINANCE CO-EDITOR JOSHUA HODGKIN There’s plenty of discussion at the moment about how to save the planet. We all know that we need to do our bit to reduce our personal impact on the environment, it is really important to ensure that future generations have a well-groomed, sustainable planet to live on. How do I do my bit? I avoid using as much paper as possible during my studies. Instead, I do all my work – and I mean ALL of it – on my iPad or my laptop.
The main element of my paper-free mission is my iPad. Its size and speed, along with its battery life, make it an ideal companion for my time as a student. I have chosen to use the Microsoft suite of apps, I mainly use Word for writing essays and OneNote for taking notes in lectures. I also use Excel and PowerPoint. OneNote is by far my favourite app in that cohort. I use a couple of accessories to enhance it – the Apple Pencil to make handwritten notes, mind-maps and that kind of thing, and the Logitech Slim Folio
keyboard case – that’s for typed notes along with all other typing – I even write my essays on here! The main reason I chose the Microsoft suite of apps is that my university uses them on the computers – that way it’s very simple to synchronise what I’m doing in my lectures onto the computer, and then I can get all my notes wherever I am – again, without the bulk of carrying paper. There’s only one issue – I do still need to either have a computer, or use the uni ones, for one thing. One programme that my course uses (SPSS, for statistical analysis) is definitely not replaceable with my iPad – I have to use it on the computer. However, besides that one programme, I am able to use a tablet for everything! I love the freedom that it gives me, as I’m able to work from anywhere at any time. Whilst I could, admittedly, have a smaller laptop, I just think that working on an iPad is more fun and encourages me to get things done – I don’t think I’ve ever been able to say that I enjoy doing my uni work quite as much as now.
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STUDENT
FINANCE WRITTEN BY JOSHUA HODGKIN
TRAVEL ON THE CHEAP Exploring the UK is truly wonderful, I’d highly recommend the experience. This country is steeped in history and so full of life. But let’s face it, travel is super expensive, especially as a student. My favourite way to travel, and arguably the most convenient too, is by train. It’s so fun to watch the world fly past your window and to have coffee on tap at the café bar! So that you can travel by train more often and for less, the train companies of the UK offer what is called a ‘16-25 Railcard’. This card costs £30 and
is a way to save 1/3 on the cost of your train ticket. The cost of the card sounds expensive; however it really does help to bring down that cost and make travel even more fun! Whether you’re travelling for a day trip, a holiday, or even a university open day, I think travelling by train is the easiest way to do it. I’ve been to many places around the country by train, and every journey is an adventure. It’s such a good way to spend time with friends, you learn so much about your friends on a long journey together – it’s great.
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One of the best train trips I’ve ever taken is to Bangor, North Wales. My friend had a university open day and interview in the town, she invited me to go with her and make a weekend out of it! It’s a stunning place. The journey there took the best part of six hours, split into three legs. It took us through the luscious, winding, calm Essex countryside to bustling, fast-paced central London, where we couldn’t help but explore before we caught our next train. After we had a short-lived self-directed sightseeing tour, taking in the attractions (such tourists!), we caught the tube to Euston station and embarked on our train up to the north. Steeped in history, the route took us through the heart of industrial Britain, gorgeous greenery contrasting with forlorn former factories. It was truly a whistle-stop (pardon the pun) tour of the industrial revolution. Our journey came to a break in Crewe – quite fitting for a train journey considering its railway heritage. Quite soon, we were being whisked away through the Welsh mountains to Bangor. What a beautiful journey. I took a photograph out of the window, a girl questioned me as to why I would want to do this. “It’s so boring round here, it’s just mountains” she complained. Little did she know that, actually, I’m from a faraway land without mountains! Once we arrived, we explored the quaint, historic town. It was blissful – so quiet. I can tell you now that the journey wouldn’t have been possible without a railcard. The journey cost just shy of £90, and whilst that is very expensive, without a railcard the same journey would cost just over £135. Therefore, on just that journey alone, the card paid for itself and STILL saved me £15. That isn’t the only journey
I’ve made by train this year! I’ve visited friends in Norwich at a cost of £12 rather than £19; I’ve also been to London for my studies for £29 as opposed to £44. I even went to an open day in Nottingham, and by booking tickets in advance online in addition to using my railcard, I managed to get halfway across the country and back for just £15! It’s truly worth it, especially if you’re planning to study away from home and live in student accommodation, as you’ll be able to visit home more often! (Or, of course, visit home the same amount but have more money in your pocket). One idea I’d definitely give some thought to is to look into the freebies that student bank accounts offer. As of February 2019, for example, Santander offer a deal where you get a free 16-25 railcard valid for four years as a perk of their 123 Student Current Account. Whilst there are other accounts and other freebies out there (stay tuned for a piece about student bank accounts soon!) if you wish to save yourself tons on your train travel for free, I’d definitely give it a look. They also offer an overdraft of up to £1,500 at 0% interest, if that’s something you’d find useful. So, I hope I’ve helped you see the benefit of having a 16-25 Railcard! Let me know your train travel stories and finance questions at joshua@student-life.co
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WHAT ARE
YOU SAYING? UOS EXPERIENCE SOCIETY We are the University of Suffolk Experience Society, a society put together by students who wish to make the most out of university and what it has to offer outside academia. The aim of our society is to give the students at the University of Suffolk an opportunity to make their university experience about more than just their degree, to provide them with memories that reflect on more than just time spent in a lecture or stressing about deadlines, and to encourage them to see what Suffolk has to offer. University should be about so much more than studying and the biggest aim of our society is to give students an opportunity to explore this by trying something new and different!
At the UOS Experience Society you can expect to do new and different activities, be it an experience, a challenge or just pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. We try to arrange a new experience at least once a month so you can try as many things as possible. These experiences can range from charity work and volunteering to participating in team sports and activities like paintballing In addition to this, we provide an opportunity for students on different courses to come together and meet one another, hopefully building friendships that would not exist without us! We use your suggestions including your bucket list ideas, stress reliever activities and even your favourite hobbies to create events that make your experience at UOS more fun and memorable.
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Our team, who are working hard to make your experiences happen, are: COMMITTEE PRESIDENT
COMMITTEE SECRETARY
COMMITTEE TREASURER
AMY YELDHAM
KEVIN DE KEIJZER
SARAH LANE
Studying BSc (Hons) Bioscience
Studying MSci Strength and Conditioning
Studying BSc (Hons) Radiotherapy and Oncology
A bit about me... A few things I enjoy are travelling, languages, and fitness. I look forward to exploring Suffolk together!
A bit about me... Northern Lass who loves a good Porn Star Martini, but misses having the countryside at her back door.
Experience wish list 1. Work with people in need 2. Learn to snowboard 3. Embrace Suffolk’s nature
Experience wish list 1. Learn more about animal conservation 2. Camping in Scottish highlands 3. Trekking through Amazon or a desert
A bit about me... Part Essex girl, part something else... Contrary to what you might think, I’d rather get my hands dirty and explore, than get my nails done and hit Starbucks. Experience wish list 1. Summit another mountain 2. Learn a new skill 3. See the Aurora lights
COMMITTEE RECRUITMENT OFFICER
GEMMA HATTIGAN
Studying BA (Hons) English A bit about me... My tattoo says ‘Carpe Diem’ so I’ll try to seize every experience! If I had to name a weakness it would be prosecco. Experience wish list 1. Learn sign language 2. Raise money for local charities 3. Push myself to try new things
Body Worlds London
Whether you attend the University of Suffolk or not, if our society sounds like something for you, why not come along to one of our events or follow us on social media?
Escape Rooms
Facebook: UOS Experience Society
Rock Climbing
Instagram: UOS_Experience_Society
Go Karting
Alternatively, you can find us at: https://www.uosunion.org/societies/ uosexperiencesociety/
Some of the activities we’ve done so far include: Paintballing
orking with local charities W including the Salvation Army and Good Gym Ipswich Sober Socials to Wiff Waff And many more...
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BOOK REVIEW
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi WRITTEN BY JAMES WILLIAMS 5/5 The first book in a series set in an alternative 19th Century Paris where magic also takes root, The Gilded Wolves follows the story of Séverin Montagnet-Alarie and his band of fellow misfits. After he is coerced onto a mission from the Order of Babel, an organisation set on protecting the secret location of fragments of the Tower of Babel, Séverin is offered a treasure he never imagined: his true inheritance. From there they explore the dark yet decadent heart of Paris where what they find might change the course of history if they manage to stay alive.
magic system works. Throughout, Chokshi sprinkles these little pieces of information which helps the reader to not get too overwhelmed, however there were some moments where I was overloaded when learning about the method of thinking the group used to solve a number of puzzles, as well as when finding out the history of one character at one point. Despite this however, Chokshi astounded me with how intricately I came across this book a number of times before its release at the beginning of February detailed, yet clear she manages to write the whenever someone would post on social media scenes when it came to about their anticipated releases. the group puzzlesolving.
When I first read the synopsis for it, I wasn’t sure what to think; I liked the sound of it, but at the same time the slight vagueness of the plot, in my personal opinion, made me assume that it had a chance of being a story that didn’t live up to how good it was said to be. Oh, how wrong I was! Right from the get-go, Roshani Chokshi dives head first into this world rich with magic and history, the prologue laying out action as well as some small bites of information about the way the
The Gilded Wolves is written with multiple point-of-view chapters, switching between five characters in total, something that was successful as I was invested in each character. Chokshi brings such a wide range of diversity to her cast which I loved, from racial, to sexuality, and to disabilities, with one of the point-of-view characters being autistic. I could not recommend this more!
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COMINGSOON We report back on our trip to London to film interviews for the Chrissy B Sky TV show. Chrissy will discuss our journey to reduce the stigma of opening up about your mental health.
Subscribe online now at www.student-life.co DON’T RISK MISSING OUT!
Don’t miss the release of our competition to win the chance of attending Sundown Festival with press passes.
We launch our self-harm film project in collaboration with the NHS in Suffolk and ask for readers to get involved in front of and/or behind the camera
Find out the latest news about our roll-out to Lowestoft schools & colleges – our first chance to engage students in the north of the county.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE UPCOMING PROJECTS, PLEASE EMAIL louiser@student-life.co 75 • M A R CH 2019 • S TUDENT LIFE
Our STRATEGIC PARTNERS
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many more coming soon...
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