*sadface* This is the second time this week. The first time, it was making this horrific scraping noise so we switched it off til the landlord sent out an engineer. He showed me his Gas Safe UK card, which was all fine so I let him in. He took the cover off and had a look around. Ah, a blocked siphon, nothing to worry about then. He drained the built up water and cleared out the siphon (that's a tiny funnel to you and me). I was shocked by the sheer amount of rubbish that came out of it! (all in the sink, covering the dishes that were waiting to be washed by newly heated water...)
Anyway, he put it all back together, switched the boiler on and hey presto! The F L status had vanished, instead there was a reassuring little 'c' in its place, and we had hot water! Straight away, I started to reheat the house, a couple of degrees at a time due to the fragility of my poor rats, who at this point were on heat pads and extra toilet paper bedding. We thought we'd be fine for the rest of the winter now....but are we that lucky? Nah.
The boiler started making the scraping noises again today, not only that, but the hot water has just cut out completely. I've had to reset the thing 3-4 times and it still doesn't work! The house temp is dropping rapidly and I've had to send a slightly more desperate sounding email to my landlord's go-between.
Students, in this situation, either buy an electric heater if you can (there's ones that cost only a penny per hour to run in electrical terms) or go to friends, or home to your parents if you can.
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Monday, December 06, 2010
Christmas is coming!
Most students at this time of year are really scraping the bottom of their bank accounts, it's only a month til new payments arrive but the most expensive holiday of the year is coming up!
I've come up with a couple of pretty simple ideas that I'll be implementing this Christmas myself, to see if I can cover everyone(who's important)'s presents.
- Take full advantage of penny auctions on eBay : I've already bagged a couple of pretty presents for family members, for a fraction of the price!
- Get creative! Craft little presents for friends and family. If you don't do clay modelling, knit something (very much appreciated in this weather!) or paint, create a very personalised Christmas card to make it extra special.
- Get the oven gloves on, and make some festive treats! This year I'm going to be using the fantastic recipes created on this site: http://allrecipes.co.uk/ to make Peppermint Creams, Fudges and Gingerbreads for my family (and myself!) and present them in cute little organza bags that you can buy very cheaply from eBay or craft shops!
It doesn't have to cost very much, and you can manage to include all the important people on your Christmas list. Will post about my attempts at baking when I get started (with pics!) so watch this space!
By the way, I've been looking at my stats and have noticed a teeny tiny trickle of traffic.....HI!!!! *waves* If you're reading this, please leave me a comment with a message saying..well, anything! If there's any topics you'd like me to write about, or if you want to see more rat related articles, just let me know!
I've come up with a couple of pretty simple ideas that I'll be implementing this Christmas myself, to see if I can cover everyone(who's important)'s presents.
- Take full advantage of penny auctions on eBay : I've already bagged a couple of pretty presents for family members, for a fraction of the price!
- Get creative! Craft little presents for friends and family. If you don't do clay modelling, knit something (very much appreciated in this weather!) or paint, create a very personalised Christmas card to make it extra special.
- Get the oven gloves on, and make some festive treats! This year I'm going to be using the fantastic recipes created on this site: http://allrecipes.co.uk/ to make Peppermint Creams, Fudges and Gingerbreads for my family (and myself!) and present them in cute little organza bags that you can buy very cheaply from eBay or craft shops!
It doesn't have to cost very much, and you can manage to include all the important people on your Christmas list. Will post about my attempts at baking when I get started (with pics!) so watch this space!
By the way, I've been looking at my stats and have noticed a teeny tiny trickle of traffic.....HI!!!! *waves* If you're reading this, please leave me a comment with a message saying..well, anything! If there's any topics you'd like me to write about, or if you want to see more rat related articles, just let me know!
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Updates...
Well life has been pretty uneventful the past few months. I have gained some sort of employment with a newly set up website called Cardsmonster.com. I designed their mascot and am working on their home brand of greetings cards.
My poor old manrat, Hugo has developed a tumour on his hip, meaning he's needing some extra TLC and close watching. I gave his colony a bath last night, to great success I think :) I might have to bathe my oldies more often!
I'll try to update with something more interesting and coherent over Christmas...I want to make tiny Santa hats for my boys!
My poor old manrat, Hugo has developed a tumour on his hip, meaning he's needing some extra TLC and close watching. I gave his colony a bath last night, to great success I think :) I might have to bathe my oldies more often!
I'll try to update with something more interesting and coherent over Christmas...I want to make tiny Santa hats for my boys!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Alton Towers!
On Wednesday, I lost my roller-coaster virginity! Myself, OH and a group of friends made it to Alton Towers and despite my horrific travel sickness and general nerves, I was eager to try out some rides.
As pretty much all of the kids have gone back to school, the place was surprisingly quiet...well, not empty but it was hardly heaving, it was pretty nice, as was the weather! I've sat through 9 weeks of solid rain in my hometown, this day was my whole summer holiday rolled into 6 glorious hours of fun.
We decided to break ourselves in gently with the Runaway Mine Cart. I'm the only one who's truly scared of rides but I want to go to Disney World so badly that OH wouldn't take me unless I went on some rides here. First ride was a doddle, and very fun for such a small coaster.
Then there was the Congo River Rapids. I don't like boats either. These things aren't on tracks or held down in any way, which made me seriously nervous...so why did I go on it twice!? Got soaked, and we tried to pose for a funny picture with the map in the middle.
After we'd gotten that over with, we headed over to Air, the only large ride I was excited to go on. But there was apparently a 45 minute wait, so I was dragged, kicking and screaming over to Nemesis. The thing looks horrible. Not to mention sounds horrible...the roar of the coaster as it flies over your head when you're in the queue was almost enough to bring me to tears. I didn't know whether to have a panic attack or cry...
Luckily I did neither. I got on that coaster, and despite having my eyes closed for the majority of the ride, I did it. That was my first true roller coaster ride, and whilst it was a little too intense for me, it was my first 4 g's at 50mph, and set me up for everything else.
After conquering Nemesis, we headed back to Air. The waiting time still said 45 minutes, but we were on within about 20. It was the best.
I couldn't believe how comfy the seat was, and how comfortable I was with being held face down about a meter off the ground before it took off. I really felt like I was flying! Any ounce of fear in me was long gone, and I even managed to keep my eyes open the whole way around, even flying upside down was a breeze. I will definately ride that one again. I didn't even notice the 3.5G's at 46mph.
After a very short lunch, we headed over to Rita: Queen of Speed. I thought "meh, it'll be a blast" ...I was unpleasantly surprised. I'd misread somewhere that Rita goes at 48mph...not true. Her true speed is closer to 60mph, with a G-Force of 4.7. It was just a little too much for me, and I decided not to try her again.
Between coasters, we sampled the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride, and Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back, which I thought was hilarious. The music in there was fantastic and the bad quality of some of the figures in there made it all the creepier!
I think Hex came up next. Again, I was aprehensive because I knew it was a 'pirate ship' type ride, but the theme intrigued me so I had to try it out just once. The backstory and the location really added to the atmosphere, and once we got on the ride and that room started spinning, I didn't know where to look! The room itself is beautiful, and I was so impressed by the way they got my head to spin! Wouldn't be doing it again, but it was great just to see what it was all about.
Another ride I wasn't at first keen on was Thirteen, that new one...I kept seeing the ads for it and worrying that it'd have some sick twist that made it even more terrifying than any other ride in the park, but it was so much fun!
I'd researched it enough to pretty much know everything that happens, but actually riding the thing was great! That first drop is amazing! I'm surprised we only had lap bars it was that steep! The drop in the 'shed' was also unexpectedly further than I'd anticipated, but I couldn't stop laughing the whole time. Definately a fun one for someone new to rollercoasters!
As the day went on, OH and I sat out on Oblivion. We agreed it wasn't much of a rollercoaster, more of a 'thrill' ride, which we're not into. I was here to ride coasters and I could barely handle the speed of Rita horizontally, let alone a vertical drop at a similar speed. Our friends went on it though, and reported that the car tipping over the edge isn't the worst bit - it's the drop. After that it's fine, but there's nothing else to it, so not that great then.
The day was wearing on, and OH and I wanted to get at least one more fun coaster in before our time was up, so we headed over to the Sonic Spinball, previously known as Spinball Whizzer. OH was convincing me it was a kiddie ride, but in the queue, we could see it was something more than that.
Once we were on it, we could see why people were screaming with delight! Very intense for such a small coaster, but so much fun! At the first climb though, OH got a mouthful of flies - I somehow avoided it! But yeah, Sonic Spinball was definately good fun! It is reported online that the ride's sponsorship with Sega will end in 2013 and the ride may be moved somewhere else and rethemed after that. I think regardless of theme, it's a great ride.
After that, we realised the park would be closing soon so the majority of the group quickly headed back for one last go on Rita. I never got my second go on Air unfortunately, and I am still rather gutted I didn't come home with a prized plushie...I will get a Shadow the Hedgehog one of these days >3<
Anyway, that is my recollection of the super-awesome trip to Alton Towers that got me over my fear of rollercoasters! DisneyWorld Florida - Here I come!!!
As pretty much all of the kids have gone back to school, the place was surprisingly quiet...well, not empty but it was hardly heaving, it was pretty nice, as was the weather! I've sat through 9 weeks of solid rain in my hometown, this day was my whole summer holiday rolled into 6 glorious hours of fun.
We decided to break ourselves in gently with the Runaway Mine Cart. I'm the only one who's truly scared of rides but I want to go to Disney World so badly that OH wouldn't take me unless I went on some rides here. First ride was a doddle, and very fun for such a small coaster.
Then there was the Congo River Rapids. I don't like boats either. These things aren't on tracks or held down in any way, which made me seriously nervous...so why did I go on it twice!? Got soaked, and we tried to pose for a funny picture with the map in the middle.
After we'd gotten that over with, we headed over to Air, the only large ride I was excited to go on. But there was apparently a 45 minute wait, so I was dragged, kicking and screaming over to Nemesis. The thing looks horrible. Not to mention sounds horrible...the roar of the coaster as it flies over your head when you're in the queue was almost enough to bring me to tears. I didn't know whether to have a panic attack or cry...
Luckily I did neither. I got on that coaster, and despite having my eyes closed for the majority of the ride, I did it. That was my first true roller coaster ride, and whilst it was a little too intense for me, it was my first 4 g's at 50mph, and set me up for everything else.
After conquering Nemesis, we headed back to Air. The waiting time still said 45 minutes, but we were on within about 20. It was the best.
I couldn't believe how comfy the seat was, and how comfortable I was with being held face down about a meter off the ground before it took off. I really felt like I was flying! Any ounce of fear in me was long gone, and I even managed to keep my eyes open the whole way around, even flying upside down was a breeze. I will definately ride that one again. I didn't even notice the 3.5G's at 46mph.
After a very short lunch, we headed over to Rita: Queen of Speed. I thought "meh, it'll be a blast" ...I was unpleasantly surprised. I'd misread somewhere that Rita goes at 48mph...not true. Her true speed is closer to 60mph, with a G-Force of 4.7. It was just a little too much for me, and I decided not to try her again.
Between coasters, we sampled the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride, and Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back, which I thought was hilarious. The music in there was fantastic and the bad quality of some of the figures in there made it all the creepier!
I think Hex came up next. Again, I was aprehensive because I knew it was a 'pirate ship' type ride, but the theme intrigued me so I had to try it out just once. The backstory and the location really added to the atmosphere, and once we got on the ride and that room started spinning, I didn't know where to look! The room itself is beautiful, and I was so impressed by the way they got my head to spin! Wouldn't be doing it again, but it was great just to see what it was all about.
Another ride I wasn't at first keen on was Thirteen, that new one...I kept seeing the ads for it and worrying that it'd have some sick twist that made it even more terrifying than any other ride in the park, but it was so much fun!
I'd researched it enough to pretty much know everything that happens, but actually riding the thing was great! That first drop is amazing! I'm surprised we only had lap bars it was that steep! The drop in the 'shed' was also unexpectedly further than I'd anticipated, but I couldn't stop laughing the whole time. Definately a fun one for someone new to rollercoasters!
As the day went on, OH and I sat out on Oblivion. We agreed it wasn't much of a rollercoaster, more of a 'thrill' ride, which we're not into. I was here to ride coasters and I could barely handle the speed of Rita horizontally, let alone a vertical drop at a similar speed. Our friends went on it though, and reported that the car tipping over the edge isn't the worst bit - it's the drop. After that it's fine, but there's nothing else to it, so not that great then.
The day was wearing on, and OH and I wanted to get at least one more fun coaster in before our time was up, so we headed over to the Sonic Spinball, previously known as Spinball Whizzer. OH was convincing me it was a kiddie ride, but in the queue, we could see it was something more than that.
Once we were on it, we could see why people were screaming with delight! Very intense for such a small coaster, but so much fun! At the first climb though, OH got a mouthful of flies - I somehow avoided it! But yeah, Sonic Spinball was definately good fun! It is reported online that the ride's sponsorship with Sega will end in 2013 and the ride may be moved somewhere else and rethemed after that. I think regardless of theme, it's a great ride.
After that, we realised the park would be closing soon so the majority of the group quickly headed back for one last go on Rita. I never got my second go on Air unfortunately, and I am still rather gutted I didn't come home with a prized plushie...I will get a Shadow the Hedgehog one of these days >3<
Anyway, that is my recollection of the super-awesome trip to Alton Towers that got me over my fear of rollercoasters! DisneyWorld Florida - Here I come!!!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
New Things
Hello, just thought I'd update.
Our friend has moved in with us, bringing with her copious props, fabrics and other bits and pieces, meaning we've made a start on our own cosplays.
I've cut out all the fabric I need for ONE item of clothing for Link at the beginning of Twilight Princess which needs sewing together.
OH is currently cutting out his sleeves for Seymour Guado from FFX. Can't wait to see how the wig will look XD
What else...my four girls have had their second dose of spot-on tonight, which Shank is currently rubbing up and down my arm as she is in my sleeve right now.
Mimi and Mochi are being surprisingly timid. I guess I need to spend more quality time with them.
Oh! And me and OH had flu this week, yay! Ugh it was awful, but it's behind us now! Our symptoms are ebbing away and we're starting to feel more and more...alive.
In other news, we still need jobs. I'm trying to get some art commissions here and there but no luck so far. The search continues! My girls need a new cage, theirs is rusting and I'm not happy with it. They also gotta eat, and so do I!
Our friend has moved in with us, bringing with her copious props, fabrics and other bits and pieces, meaning we've made a start on our own cosplays.
I've cut out all the fabric I need for ONE item of clothing for Link at the beginning of Twilight Princess which needs sewing together.
OH is currently cutting out his sleeves for Seymour Guado from FFX. Can't wait to see how the wig will look XD
What else...my four girls have had their second dose of spot-on tonight, which Shank is currently rubbing up and down my arm as she is in my sleeve right now.
Mimi and Mochi are being surprisingly timid. I guess I need to spend more quality time with them.
Oh! And me and OH had flu this week, yay! Ugh it was awful, but it's behind us now! Our symptoms are ebbing away and we're starting to feel more and more...alive.
In other news, we still need jobs. I'm trying to get some art commissions here and there but no luck so far. The search continues! My girls need a new cage, theirs is rusting and I'm not happy with it. They also gotta eat, and so do I!
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Sick Day Today
Well, OH has come down with the dreaded man-flu, so we had to cancel plans for today, especially since it's raining.
I'm quite happy to stay indoors actually, just don't feel up for going out at all.
Yesterday we went to the market and managed to bring in the WEEKS shopping for around £20!!!
We've started eating so many vegetables it's unreal, we got almost all our veg for like £5! Then we got about 21 chicken breasts for £10!!!! We worked that out at supermarket prices and it would have been in the region of £35-£42!!!
So we're feeling fantastic about that at least!
I'm quite happy to stay indoors actually, just don't feel up for going out at all.
Yesterday we went to the market and managed to bring in the WEEKS shopping for around £20!!!
We've started eating so many vegetables it's unreal, we got almost all our veg for like £5! Then we got about 21 chicken breasts for £10!!!! We worked that out at supermarket prices and it would have been in the region of £35-£42!!!
So we're feeling fantastic about that at least!
Monday, August 02, 2010
Almost...
Well...it was almost a job.
We can't take it unfortunately, it takes too long to travel there and back - we'd be awake for far too long.
Don't get me wrong, we had fun, it was great, really busy and everything, but we did less than half a shift and it near killed us! Got out of the club at 2:30am and didn't get back til 4am!
Nevermind - there'll be something else out there!
We can't take it unfortunately, it takes too long to travel there and back - we'd be awake for far too long.
Don't get me wrong, we had fun, it was great, really busy and everything, but we did less than half a shift and it near killed us! Got out of the club at 2:30am and didn't get back til 4am!
Nevermind - there'll be something else out there!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wow...
I am totally starting to believe in the power of attraction now!
I asked people on a forum for help with my cv, wondering why it wasn't getting me any interviews. One person helped me out, and the next day I sent mine and OH's new and improved cv's off to a club --- they rang back the same day BOTH of us, to arrange interviews!
We had the interviews on Thursday, and yesterday we were BOTH called back to do a trial shift tonight!!!
I'm so excited! Not only could I have a job, but I'll be working with OH! No heading home alone in the middle of the night!!!!
It's so awesome!
I asked people on a forum for help with my cv, wondering why it wasn't getting me any interviews. One person helped me out, and the next day I sent mine and OH's new and improved cv's off to a club --- they rang back the same day BOTH of us, to arrange interviews!
We had the interviews on Thursday, and yesterday we were BOTH called back to do a trial shift tonight!!!
I'm so excited! Not only could I have a job, but I'll be working with OH! No heading home alone in the middle of the night!!!!
It's so awesome!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Introducing my Crew
Well since so far I've only really namedropped, I might as well introduce you to the motley crew!
First up, my two oldies, Hugo and Mako. They're just over 2 now and still lovely and silky. They're sweet old boys that are putting up with the young'uns like champs.
Next up are the little troublemakers! Tetley, Twining, BigBoy and Fitch. These guys are hilarious to watch and are growing so much day by day!
Then there's my massive boys! Rufus is neutered, and Seamus and Marsh are too vicious to intro with the babies just yet which is a shame as I wanted them all to live togeter!
Then there's the girlie cage! Lavender and Shank were my first two girls, Lavi is mum of all my black hoodies and Shank is a monster!!! Honestly she's a psycho rat...not in the bitey way, just...look at my previous post lol
Then there's our newest additions, Mimi and Mochi. They're beautiful little girls I rescued from a person giving them away as breeders! They're so teensy! They're on pregnancy watch at the moment. We've done week one and Mimi has gone from 91g to 128g in 6 days, and Mochi has gone from 105g to 141g! Hope it's just normal growth!
First up, my two oldies, Hugo and Mako. They're just over 2 now and still lovely and silky. They're sweet old boys that are putting up with the young'uns like champs.
Next up are the little troublemakers! Tetley, Twining, BigBoy and Fitch. These guys are hilarious to watch and are growing so much day by day!
Then there's my massive boys! Rufus is neutered, and Seamus and Marsh are too vicious to intro with the babies just yet which is a shame as I wanted them all to live togeter!
Then there's the girlie cage! Lavender and Shank were my first two girls, Lavi is mum of all my black hoodies and Shank is a monster!!! Honestly she's a psycho rat...not in the bitey way, just...look at my previous post lol
Then there's our newest additions, Mimi and Mochi. They're beautiful little girls I rescued from a person giving them away as breeders! They're so teensy! They're on pregnancy watch at the moment. We've done week one and Mimi has gone from 91g to 128g in 6 days, and Mochi has gone from 105g to 141g! Hope it's just normal growth!
Girls' Night Out
I woke up this morning to OH screaming at me to get downstairs. I stumbled my way down to see him crouching at Rufus, Seamus and Marsh's bit of the Explorer, I was thinking 'Oh god...who's dead...'
Luckily that was not the case - one of the babies had escaped! I knew the boys cage was secure, but that was OH's first instinct that it was a boy.
He found his rubber mould for his talismans had been nibbled:
Turns out it was Shank - she'd managed to pull the middle cage door open and let herself out last night! It only took us a few minutes to catch her under the Explorer. I had no idea she could get down the back of the wardrobe that's next to it though!
Anyway, we put her back and did a head count....Lavender's gone!!! So we started searching down the back of sofas and into the other rooms. In the dining room we found this:
And after a brief search around the kitchen too, we headed back to the living room as I was convinced she wouldn't go too far. There she was behind the wardrobe in the dark! We tried coaxing her with food, I tried holding out Mimi for her since she likes her so much, but she didn't budge. I had to bring out the big guns.
Enter Rufus.
My big neutered hunk was too big to fit down the gap in the wardrobe, so I just had him sniff around the general area and lo and behold! Lavi came out within a few minutes!
Paul is worse off for it than I am I think! After spending 3 hours in the bathroom waiting for Rosie to come out last month, this was nothing! I knew they would be safe.
Just a good thing they didn't go for my computer wires!!!
Shanky's my little troublemaker. I think it's a sign that I neeeeeeed a Savic Royal Suite for the girls heheheh
Luckily that was not the case - one of the babies had escaped! I knew the boys cage was secure, but that was OH's first instinct that it was a boy.
He found his rubber mould for his talismans had been nibbled:
Turns out it was Shank - she'd managed to pull the middle cage door open and let herself out last night! It only took us a few minutes to catch her under the Explorer. I had no idea she could get down the back of the wardrobe that's next to it though!
Anyway, we put her back and did a head count....Lavender's gone!!! So we started searching down the back of sofas and into the other rooms. In the dining room we found this:
And after a brief search around the kitchen too, we headed back to the living room as I was convinced she wouldn't go too far. There she was behind the wardrobe in the dark! We tried coaxing her with food, I tried holding out Mimi for her since she likes her so much, but she didn't budge. I had to bring out the big guns.
Enter Rufus.
My big neutered hunk was too big to fit down the gap in the wardrobe, so I just had him sniff around the general area and lo and behold! Lavi came out within a few minutes!
Paul is worse off for it than I am I think! After spending 3 hours in the bathroom waiting for Rosie to come out last month, this was nothing! I knew they would be safe.
Just a good thing they didn't go for my computer wires!!!
Shanky's my little troublemaker. I think it's a sign that I neeeeeeed a Savic Royal Suite for the girls heheheh
Friday, July 23, 2010
The search continues...
Hello again!
Just updating...myself I suppose. My new baby ratties, Mimi and Mochi are on pregnancy watch, and I am still on the hunt for a job!
I have also put some of my best stuff online in the hopes of landing a job or two illustrating!
www.jsutcliffe.carbonmade.com
I'm hoping this will prove popular, and that someone out there might like my work and want a commission. Fingers crossed!
Just updating...myself I suppose. My new baby ratties, Mimi and Mochi are on pregnancy watch, and I am still on the hunt for a job!
I have also put some of my best stuff online in the hopes of landing a job or two illustrating!
www.jsutcliffe.carbonmade.com
I'm hoping this will prove popular, and that someone out there might like my work and want a commission. Fingers crossed!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Rescue #3
This week I'll be going to pick up a group of female rats advertised as breeders. Makes me so sad to know the oldest has been bred at least twice, but they'll be safe soon.
I'm lucky the owner trusted me, well, what's not to trust? I like to think I'm a nice honest person. I only want what's best for the rats in the end. Apparently she'd had a lot of emails from dodgy sounding people, but they're in good hands with me and the fosterers!
I'll try and make sure I get pictures to put up when I get hold of them, as four are going straight to their foster homes and two little girls are coming home with me :D
I'm so excited!
I'm lucky the owner trusted me, well, what's not to trust? I like to think I'm a nice honest person. I only want what's best for the rats in the end. Apparently she'd had a lot of emails from dodgy sounding people, but they're in good hands with me and the fosterers!
I'll try and make sure I get pictures to put up when I get hold of them, as four are going straight to their foster homes and two little girls are coming home with me :D
I'm so excited!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Well it's been a while
We've been in our new house 3 weeks today! OH and I have spent most of our time pottering about, cleaning out/playing with rats, washing dishes and searching for jobs...y'know, all that grown-up stuff.
It's wearing quite thin on me now to be honest. The jobs pool seems to have dried up. I'd try an online thing but everything is a scam. Doesn't help that you can't have a home business in rented accomodation.
Still, I'm trying to stay positive and have a search around every day. After all, that perfect job might just pop up any day now!
I am at the point where I will take just about any job that will have me. I'm only 'experienced' in bar work or animal care though. Everything else will be new to me, and while that's not a problem for me, a lot of employers are expecting a lot from students that haven't had a real working life yet.
If I did get a job, apart from my rent and bills, I want to save up for driving lessons. It will be the most useful thing in the world! I never liked the idea of joining the drones on the roads, but it's the only way to get around it seems.
Trains just aren't stopping close enough to places I need to get to!
A lot of adults nowadays are moaning that my generation expect everything to be handed to them, job included. Well...no. I'm going through University so that I can make my own work, but whilst my skills in that area are still being polished off (plus I still need to learn business!), I need a job doing anything! I'd stack shelves, flip burgers or mop floors, I really don't care as long as I can make an honest wage! I'd work my arse off for it, but no one wants to know!
Instead of telling teens to pull their fingers out, they should be telling bosses to let them get a bloody foot on the first rung of the ladder! THEN rant about how useless they are if they arse about. I for one, wouldn't. A job in this day and age is like gold dust and I wouldn't risk losing it.
It's wearing quite thin on me now to be honest. The jobs pool seems to have dried up. I'd try an online thing but everything is a scam. Doesn't help that you can't have a home business in rented accomodation.
Still, I'm trying to stay positive and have a search around every day. After all, that perfect job might just pop up any day now!
I am at the point where I will take just about any job that will have me. I'm only 'experienced' in bar work or animal care though. Everything else will be new to me, and while that's not a problem for me, a lot of employers are expecting a lot from students that haven't had a real working life yet.
If I did get a job, apart from my rent and bills, I want to save up for driving lessons. It will be the most useful thing in the world! I never liked the idea of joining the drones on the roads, but it's the only way to get around it seems.
Trains just aren't stopping close enough to places I need to get to!
A lot of adults nowadays are moaning that my generation expect everything to be handed to them, job included. Well...no. I'm going through University so that I can make my own work, but whilst my skills in that area are still being polished off (plus I still need to learn business!), I need a job doing anything! I'd stack shelves, flip burgers or mop floors, I really don't care as long as I can make an honest wage! I'd work my arse off for it, but no one wants to know!
Instead of telling teens to pull their fingers out, they should be telling bosses to let them get a bloody foot on the first rung of the ladder! THEN rant about how useless they are if they arse about. I for one, wouldn't. A job in this day and age is like gold dust and I wouldn't risk losing it.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Baby rats!
I've acquired a young mummy rat, and 7 beautiful bouncing babies! The mum is called Lavender and is an absolute sweetheart, only a young thing herself, and her babies, I'm guessing are roughly 3.5-4 weeks old. They're all so gorgeous.
Looking at them makes all my problems seem to melt away...I feel like rescuing is what I'm meant to be doing, for once I feel at ease with myself, a sense of purpose and self-assurance, it's great!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
What to do when you're bored...
...and time doesn't move fast enough. Iuno.
No one's emailing me back fast enough, and I want to get on with things I need to wait for. With just two weeks left of Uni, I just want all my work done and out of the way so I can get my job and move house!!!
Hopefully in the break between finishing Uni for summer, and moving house, we can squeeze in a trip to Ikea, one of my favourite places in the world :P Need to buy some useless kitchen items in the hopes of having the time to make proper breakfasts.
On the interests front, I've had to put horseriding aside yet again, but rats are coming into play stronger than before. Sounds obscure, but there is actually a nationwide network of rat fanciers who show their rats and even more who rescue. I've been scouring the internet again looking for rats nearby in need and no one's answering my emails! My relationship with my own rats has improved as I've started to take more control of things - I'm working on getting Rufus to lose some weight whilst keeping my oldies in tip top shape.
Ooh that reminds me, I'm going to start a webcomic on here, rat-related stuff. I want to eventually become a children's illustrator so hopefully these comics will lead me on to publishing my own rattie books :)
No one's emailing me back fast enough, and I want to get on with things I need to wait for. With just two weeks left of Uni, I just want all my work done and out of the way so I can get my job and move house!!!
Hopefully in the break between finishing Uni for summer, and moving house, we can squeeze in a trip to Ikea, one of my favourite places in the world :P Need to buy some useless kitchen items in the hopes of having the time to make proper breakfasts.
On the interests front, I've had to put horseriding aside yet again, but rats are coming into play stronger than before. Sounds obscure, but there is actually a nationwide network of rat fanciers who show their rats and even more who rescue. I've been scouring the internet again looking for rats nearby in need and no one's answering my emails! My relationship with my own rats has improved as I've started to take more control of things - I'm working on getting Rufus to lose some weight whilst keeping my oldies in tip top shape.
Ooh that reminds me, I'm going to start a webcomic on here, rat-related stuff. I want to eventually become a children's illustrator so hopefully these comics will lead me on to publishing my own rattie books :)
Thursday, May 06, 2010
A job!? Yes please!!!
HU YEAH! If you have the balls to go in and ASK for a job, it raises your chances CONSIDERABLY!
Omg omg omg It's only a receptionist job, but it's employment! It's getting paid! Oh gawd I hope they want me - what I lack in any real experience I think I make up for tenfold in enthusiasm, especially when I think about how close it is to my soon-to-be house!!!
Tiny post, but a hopefully motivational one - ask and you may receive!!!!!
Omg omg omg It's only a receptionist job, but it's employment! It's getting paid! Oh gawd I hope they want me - what I lack in any real experience I think I make up for tenfold in enthusiasm, especially when I think about how close it is to my soon-to-be house!!!
Tiny post, but a hopefully motivational one - ask and you may receive!!!!!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Why living in your own house is better than Halls of Residence
Where do I begin?
Living in Halls alone, and having my boyfriend and friends living in halls while I visited has made me realise there is just no competition when it comes to figuring out where to live. In halls, we get radiators running constantly, unreliable showers and taps, a fluffy toilet lid (oh wait, that's 10 years of DUST) and ornamental extractor fans (god forbid they actually function!). And that's just the buildings themselves! I haven't even got around to mentioning the types of people that they sling us in with!
For me, I ended up with a bunch of huge German engineers, that actually turned out to be ok guys, but were terrifying and totally inconsiderate when it came to fridge space, kitchen use, and having parties til 4am without inviting the rest of the flat.
My boyfriend has had the pleasure of spending his first year of University living with a bunch of non-toilet-trained gorilla men who like to defecate and urinate anywhere but inside the toilet bowl, not wash a thing, leave crappy rap music on full blast while they go home for the weekend, oh and beat their girlfriends at any given time of day.
My best friend gained a new sleeping pattern thanks to her flatmates leaving at 12 midnight and returning at full volume at 3 on the dot, smoking pot in the kitchen, trashing the place, bringing strange boys over (to a girls only flat) and generally making life hell for her (not to mention the silverfish problem and the liquid crap leaking from the middle toilet ceiling)
My other friend dealt with crappy music, smokers, and then foreign exchange students that didn't bring any of their own stuff, or buy any of their own food - they just used everyone elses!
The cleaners were a joke - Kim and Aggie would be having words, the security is ridiculous (they refused to attend to a boy throwing his girlfriend down a set of stairs, and a guy that almost got broken into while he was still in the room)and overall it just seems to make everyone's first year at Uni an absolute misery.
So...this summer, me, my boyfriend and best friend are renting a house! :D Not only that, but my beloved ratties are coming with me!
So we have to pay the bills separately, at least we'll be living in a secure, quiet house, with our own spacious rooms, double beds, everyone in the house knows how to use a toilet correctly, basic hygene can be followed, we won't get told off for having a BBQ or a chip pan, we don't have to share our space with morons that can't wash a dish or even a work surface. No worries about people stealing things and having them broken/soiled.
OMG we'll have FREEZER SPACE!!! I know it sounds like such a small thing, but being able to buy meat from the market in bulk and freeze it to use as and when we want is just...it's amazing.
My poor boyf hasn't had a scrap of freezer space, and some gross fool didn't put their milk lid on properly, or stole some of his and didn't tighten the bloody lid, causing it to leak, go bad and cause an epic stink. No one would admit it was their fault, so the stink, and the puddle of rotting milk remained, for months. Someone removed the salad tray, and a cleaner had a little go at it (god bless her) but it did nothing, the fridge was covered.
I resorted to cleaning the fridge with actual cleaning products and it worked for like...a day. I even had to turn the coolness up because it was on like, 3...out of 10, no wonder all the food was going bad so fast - we had some philadelphia spread that's meant to last for weeks grow a fetching green hairdo after a few days.
It disgusts me that they even deem the place suitable for people to live. And I can't wait for the house. There will be updates on the move once we're settled and I'll list even more brilliant reasons why it is so much better to live in your own house than skanky halls of residence.
Living in Halls alone, and having my boyfriend and friends living in halls while I visited has made me realise there is just no competition when it comes to figuring out where to live. In halls, we get radiators running constantly, unreliable showers and taps, a fluffy toilet lid (oh wait, that's 10 years of DUST) and ornamental extractor fans (god forbid they actually function!). And that's just the buildings themselves! I haven't even got around to mentioning the types of people that they sling us in with!
For me, I ended up with a bunch of huge German engineers, that actually turned out to be ok guys, but were terrifying and totally inconsiderate when it came to fridge space, kitchen use, and having parties til 4am without inviting the rest of the flat.
My boyfriend has had the pleasure of spending his first year of University living with a bunch of non-toilet-trained gorilla men who like to defecate and urinate anywhere but inside the toilet bowl, not wash a thing, leave crappy rap music on full blast while they go home for the weekend, oh and beat their girlfriends at any given time of day.
My best friend gained a new sleeping pattern thanks to her flatmates leaving at 12 midnight and returning at full volume at 3 on the dot, smoking pot in the kitchen, trashing the place, bringing strange boys over (to a girls only flat) and generally making life hell for her (not to mention the silverfish problem and the liquid crap leaking from the middle toilet ceiling)
My other friend dealt with crappy music, smokers, and then foreign exchange students that didn't bring any of their own stuff, or buy any of their own food - they just used everyone elses!
The cleaners were a joke - Kim and Aggie would be having words, the security is ridiculous (they refused to attend to a boy throwing his girlfriend down a set of stairs, and a guy that almost got broken into while he was still in the room)and overall it just seems to make everyone's first year at Uni an absolute misery.
So...this summer, me, my boyfriend and best friend are renting a house! :D Not only that, but my beloved ratties are coming with me!
So we have to pay the bills separately, at least we'll be living in a secure, quiet house, with our own spacious rooms, double beds, everyone in the house knows how to use a toilet correctly, basic hygene can be followed, we won't get told off for having a BBQ or a chip pan, we don't have to share our space with morons that can't wash a dish or even a work surface. No worries about people stealing things and having them broken/soiled.
OMG we'll have FREEZER SPACE!!! I know it sounds like such a small thing, but being able to buy meat from the market in bulk and freeze it to use as and when we want is just...it's amazing.
My poor boyf hasn't had a scrap of freezer space, and some gross fool didn't put their milk lid on properly, or stole some of his and didn't tighten the bloody lid, causing it to leak, go bad and cause an epic stink. No one would admit it was their fault, so the stink, and the puddle of rotting milk remained, for months. Someone removed the salad tray, and a cleaner had a little go at it (god bless her) but it did nothing, the fridge was covered.
I resorted to cleaning the fridge with actual cleaning products and it worked for like...a day. I even had to turn the coolness up because it was on like, 3...out of 10, no wonder all the food was going bad so fast - we had some philadelphia spread that's meant to last for weeks grow a fetching green hairdo after a few days.
It disgusts me that they even deem the place suitable for people to live. And I can't wait for the house. There will be updates on the move once we're settled and I'll list even more brilliant reasons why it is so much better to live in your own house than skanky halls of residence.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Recipe: Chicken Korma
Since my first year of Uni, I've only had three major cooking disasters. One involved some charred chicken, one involved a potato in a microwave and a lot of black smoke, and the third was not my fault, but the pans...or more accurately, the electric cooker rings. I personally think they're more dangerous than gas ones, but any idiot with no intention of cooking with a gas fire is the reason we're stuck with these.
Anyway, pan coating - it comes off cheap pans and makes your food taste nasty. If you're not a budding chef, a couple of cheap stainless steel pans will do for you. My boyfriend and I are on our second set of pans and our ceramic pot replacement (for stews). We now have stainless steel gear and hope we'll have more luck with it!
Anyway! On to the recipe! Well..it's not so much a recipe as a set of instructions. It's a totally simple dish, that's not insanely bad for you (well, at least better than microwave junk), really yummy, really filling and actually pretty cheap if you know where to get everything.
Chicken Korma!
This was one of our favourite meals for an entire semester. It serves either four quite neatly, or two with leftovers for lunch the next day (it tastes just as good cold!)
You will need:
-Korma sauce (cheapest place to buy sauces is usually Home Bargains - Pataks Korma, our fav is only 69p a jar there, as opposed to Asda where it's about £1.50!)
-Easy cook rice - the cheap stuff. There's not much difference when it comes to this kind of rice. If you have no confidence with real rice, feel free to use microwave stuff if you can stomach it.
-2-4 Chicken breasts. Lol, I said breasts on the internet. Make sure they're within date, fully defrosted (you can freeze meat on day of purchase and use within 3 months, you can also defrost in the microwave if you forget to take it out the night before)
-Naan bread. Whatever flavour, brand or size you like. Asda's own are a pretty good deal, we tend to get 2 packs of 2 naans for about £1
Instructions:
1. Boil a half kettle of water. Get large pan ready for the rice.
2. Whilst the kettle is boiling, wash the rice in a sieve. Use about 1 cup per 2 people - it expands by 300% when cooked!
3. Once the rice is clean, place it in a pan and pour in the just-boiled water til the rice is about an inch under.
4.Leave the rice on a medium-high heat until boiling - then remove from heat and put a lid on, stirring periodically and adding a bit more water if it looks a little dry.
5. Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized chunks and pour some vegetable oil into a frying pan. Cook the chicken on a medium heat until white all over. Cut a larger chunk in half if you think they're done, to make sure there is no hint of pink in the centre. If need be, let the chicken brown a smidge.
6.Pour the korma sauce into the frying pan with the chicken once it's cooked, simmer it gently for about 20 minutes or however long that particular brand needs. Believe me, sauces taste different if they've not been properly cooked through for long enough. Stir it to make sure it doesn't boil over or burn to the bottom of the pan (a common problem with electric hobs)
7. When you have about 5 mins to go, sprinkle some cold water on your naans and place them on a grill or baking tray under a hot grill, turning halfway through cooking time.
8. When everything comes together, you'll be enjoying some true student comfort food.
:)
Warning: Remember to be SO careful handling raw chicken. Wash EVERYTHING it has touched, including your hands, VERY carefully! I can't stress this enough, food poisoning is the worst, you don't want it.
Anyway, pan coating - it comes off cheap pans and makes your food taste nasty. If you're not a budding chef, a couple of cheap stainless steel pans will do for you. My boyfriend and I are on our second set of pans and our ceramic pot replacement (for stews). We now have stainless steel gear and hope we'll have more luck with it!
Anyway! On to the recipe! Well..it's not so much a recipe as a set of instructions. It's a totally simple dish, that's not insanely bad for you (well, at least better than microwave junk), really yummy, really filling and actually pretty cheap if you know where to get everything.
Chicken Korma!
This was one of our favourite meals for an entire semester. It serves either four quite neatly, or two with leftovers for lunch the next day (it tastes just as good cold!)
You will need:
-Korma sauce (cheapest place to buy sauces is usually Home Bargains - Pataks Korma, our fav is only 69p a jar there, as opposed to Asda where it's about £1.50!)
-Easy cook rice - the cheap stuff. There's not much difference when it comes to this kind of rice. If you have no confidence with real rice, feel free to use microwave stuff if you can stomach it.
-2-4 Chicken breasts. Lol, I said breasts on the internet. Make sure they're within date, fully defrosted (you can freeze meat on day of purchase and use within 3 months, you can also defrost in the microwave if you forget to take it out the night before)
-Naan bread. Whatever flavour, brand or size you like. Asda's own are a pretty good deal, we tend to get 2 packs of 2 naans for about £1
Instructions:
1. Boil a half kettle of water. Get large pan ready for the rice.
2. Whilst the kettle is boiling, wash the rice in a sieve. Use about 1 cup per 2 people - it expands by 300% when cooked!
3. Once the rice is clean, place it in a pan and pour in the just-boiled water til the rice is about an inch under.
4.Leave the rice on a medium-high heat until boiling - then remove from heat and put a lid on, stirring periodically and adding a bit more water if it looks a little dry.
5. Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized chunks and pour some vegetable oil into a frying pan. Cook the chicken on a medium heat until white all over. Cut a larger chunk in half if you think they're done, to make sure there is no hint of pink in the centre. If need be, let the chicken brown a smidge.
6.Pour the korma sauce into the frying pan with the chicken once it's cooked, simmer it gently for about 20 minutes or however long that particular brand needs. Believe me, sauces taste different if they've not been properly cooked through for long enough. Stir it to make sure it doesn't boil over or burn to the bottom of the pan (a common problem with electric hobs)
7. When you have about 5 mins to go, sprinkle some cold water on your naans and place them on a grill or baking tray under a hot grill, turning halfway through cooking time.
8. When everything comes together, you'll be enjoying some true student comfort food.
:)
Warning: Remember to be SO careful handling raw chicken. Wash EVERYTHING it has touched, including your hands, VERY carefully! I can't stress this enough, food poisoning is the worst, you don't want it.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hygene in Halls
How to stay healthy during your stay at Halls of Residence.
If your halls are anything like the ones I've visited, you'll know full well why I'm writing this. I know that certain standards have to be met by the halls of residence for students to live in them, and some are better than others. Despite this, there is a different person living in each room, every year, and over the years, stuff's going to build up.
First off, the carpet. It'll most likely be that wirewool chord type stuff you remember from primary school. When you move in, be sure to throw some baking soda over it and hoover it up before you get your stuff in - that'll sort out all the little buggies in there, and all the other bits of fluff, hair, food and bacteria from previous students.
Secondly, the walls. I know this sounds weird, but my boyfriend noticed some splashmarks up his wall in halls. We sprayed some antibacterial bleach spray to get rid of them, and the wall was a shade lighter in that spot! We then went over all the walls with the spray - no harm done to the paint, the room looked brighter and we felt way better for it!
Not much you'll be able to do about the mattress unfortunately, apart from double up on bottom sheets and wash your bedcovers at least once a week.
Drains: if your room has its own sink, throw some bleach down there. If the room has a bad smell, it's probably the stagnant dirty water in the drains after a summer of no use. Bleach the whole sink, and the taps completely too, just to lift any dust, mildew and mould. You'll be washing your hands in that thing remember.
Handles - anything you touch, or put stuff on, you should clean and polish first. Door handles, locks, drawers, everything. Sounds like I'm going overboard? I get my boyfriend to do all these things on a regular basis, but unfortunately his flatmates don't. He picked something up from one of them (shared bathroom) and ended up bedbound for 12 hours, throwing up 11 times before we could get a doctor out to give him an injection. Fun eh?
Kitchen area - Wipe down all surfaces before you start cooking, keep your own cutlery and utensils away from everyone elses, don't let it all stagnate in the sink, and make sure you clean your cupboard area out too before you put your stuff in. There was a spider in one of the kitchen cupboard in my first year - a big one. So you know it wasn't short of things to eat either.
Bathroom - "But the cleaners come in and do that for us" I hear you say. Once a week, for some flats is NOT enough. If you're within earshot of the bathroom, you'll know what I mean, and probably want to throw some bleach down before you use the toilets too. In saying that, some are cleaner than others, some cleaners are more thorough than others, but you don't want to leave your health in someone elses hands. E.Coli is a serious virus, so always make sure you have some toilet cleaner to use (and clean the seat and handles as well) at the opposite end of the week to your cleaner, so it's getting done twice. If you get to know your flatmates, you could even chip in together for cleaning products or have a rota of who does what.
Food Hygene
I have a strong need to add a bit on food to this post. When handling raw meat, especially chicken, you MUST wash your hands and anything else that has touched the chicken. You can't afford to forget about it, and always make sure it's cooked through, right to the centre - no pink.
If you have leftovers from dinner, be it pasta, pizza or even a sandwich or something, wrap it up airtight, in a container, tin foil or cling film and put it in the fridge once it has cooled to room temperature. It should then be ok for up to two days.
If something is left in your room overnight, don't even think about it - the heat will have more than quadrupled the number of bacteria living on it.
If your halls are anything like the ones I've visited, you'll know full well why I'm writing this. I know that certain standards have to be met by the halls of residence for students to live in them, and some are better than others. Despite this, there is a different person living in each room, every year, and over the years, stuff's going to build up.
First off, the carpet. It'll most likely be that wirewool chord type stuff you remember from primary school. When you move in, be sure to throw some baking soda over it and hoover it up before you get your stuff in - that'll sort out all the little buggies in there, and all the other bits of fluff, hair, food and bacteria from previous students.
Secondly, the walls. I know this sounds weird, but my boyfriend noticed some splashmarks up his wall in halls. We sprayed some antibacterial bleach spray to get rid of them, and the wall was a shade lighter in that spot! We then went over all the walls with the spray - no harm done to the paint, the room looked brighter and we felt way better for it!
Not much you'll be able to do about the mattress unfortunately, apart from double up on bottom sheets and wash your bedcovers at least once a week.
Drains: if your room has its own sink, throw some bleach down there. If the room has a bad smell, it's probably the stagnant dirty water in the drains after a summer of no use. Bleach the whole sink, and the taps completely too, just to lift any dust, mildew and mould. You'll be washing your hands in that thing remember.
Handles - anything you touch, or put stuff on, you should clean and polish first. Door handles, locks, drawers, everything. Sounds like I'm going overboard? I get my boyfriend to do all these things on a regular basis, but unfortunately his flatmates don't. He picked something up from one of them (shared bathroom) and ended up bedbound for 12 hours, throwing up 11 times before we could get a doctor out to give him an injection. Fun eh?
Kitchen area - Wipe down all surfaces before you start cooking, keep your own cutlery and utensils away from everyone elses, don't let it all stagnate in the sink, and make sure you clean your cupboard area out too before you put your stuff in. There was a spider in one of the kitchen cupboard in my first year - a big one. So you know it wasn't short of things to eat either.
Bathroom - "But the cleaners come in and do that for us" I hear you say. Once a week, for some flats is NOT enough. If you're within earshot of the bathroom, you'll know what I mean, and probably want to throw some bleach down before you use the toilets too. In saying that, some are cleaner than others, some cleaners are more thorough than others, but you don't want to leave your health in someone elses hands. E.Coli is a serious virus, so always make sure you have some toilet cleaner to use (and clean the seat and handles as well) at the opposite end of the week to your cleaner, so it's getting done twice. If you get to know your flatmates, you could even chip in together for cleaning products or have a rota of who does what.
Food Hygene
I have a strong need to add a bit on food to this post. When handling raw meat, especially chicken, you MUST wash your hands and anything else that has touched the chicken. You can't afford to forget about it, and always make sure it's cooked through, right to the centre - no pink.
If you have leftovers from dinner, be it pasta, pizza or even a sandwich or something, wrap it up airtight, in a container, tin foil or cling film and put it in the fridge once it has cooled to room temperature. It should then be ok for up to two days.
If something is left in your room overnight, don't even think about it - the heat will have more than quadrupled the number of bacteria living on it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Student Security
One of the things that is often overlooked by new Uni students is the security of their Halls of Residence. Take my word for it, just because there are a handful of security staff about doesn't mean they're going to catch someone hopping in and out of your open ground floor window with your laptop and anything else worth selling.
Having spent two freshers at halls now, it's become apparent just how insanely confident fresher thieves are-we've been on site at the time of a robbery and didn't see a thing til it was too late.
In early-mid September, it's still pretty warm, so most of us will leave the windows open to let some air into our pokey little study rooms, and never stop to think that someone would have a go at nabbing your stuff while you run off to the bathroom or kitchen for a second.
Flat parties are also a time to keep watch. Lots of people flooding in and out of an open flat where all the doors are open because that's the sociable thing to do. It only takes a theif a couple of minutes to scope out an empty room and clear out all the valuables.
One time a taxi driver told me that they got a call to my Halls of Residence and there was a guy waiting with loads of boxes and bags. He made up this story that he was getting the train home with all his things but in reality he'd just stolen from several flats in one go and the poor taxi driver had inadvertently helped him escape! He said he looked just like a student and was perfectly calm. He had no idea this guy was up to no good.
The police tend to have a much greater presence over freshers than the rest of the year, as it's become tradition for thieves to prey on the unknowing first years with their brand new shiny laptops and phones. Don't let yourself fall victim to guys like this. There are some very simple things you can do to prevent being broken into.
1. Lock your door after you - especially if anyone else in your flat has an open door policy. If they're letting strangers in, you need to look out for your own things.
2. Make sure you're covered - some of our parents insurance companies might cover contents in halls of residence but some don't, get your parents to check.
3. Only open your window when you're there - even on the first and second floor. You won't believe how determined some people are, don't give them an opportunity.
4. Don't lend anyone else your keys - even just to 'run back and get something they forgot' - usually happens when people are drinking and moving from flat to flat. Unless you've known the person long enough to know they're trustworthy (I mean like, friends before Uni started), don't give anyone your keys.
5. Take the police's advice (and freebies) - this freshers the Manchester Police were giving out timer plugs, UV marker pens and stickers, and little bells to put on your bag/purse to alert you of pickpockets.
6. Keep your cash somewhere safe - hide your wallet rather than leave it out on the desk, and don't keep more than £50 in cash at any one time. Insurance companies only tend to cover about this much in the event of theft.
Having spent two freshers at halls now, it's become apparent just how insanely confident fresher thieves are-we've been on site at the time of a robbery and didn't see a thing til it was too late.
In early-mid September, it's still pretty warm, so most of us will leave the windows open to let some air into our pokey little study rooms, and never stop to think that someone would have a go at nabbing your stuff while you run off to the bathroom or kitchen for a second.
Flat parties are also a time to keep watch. Lots of people flooding in and out of an open flat where all the doors are open because that's the sociable thing to do. It only takes a theif a couple of minutes to scope out an empty room and clear out all the valuables.
One time a taxi driver told me that they got a call to my Halls of Residence and there was a guy waiting with loads of boxes and bags. He made up this story that he was getting the train home with all his things but in reality he'd just stolen from several flats in one go and the poor taxi driver had inadvertently helped him escape! He said he looked just like a student and was perfectly calm. He had no idea this guy was up to no good.
The police tend to have a much greater presence over freshers than the rest of the year, as it's become tradition for thieves to prey on the unknowing first years with their brand new shiny laptops and phones. Don't let yourself fall victim to guys like this. There are some very simple things you can do to prevent being broken into.
1. Lock your door after you - especially if anyone else in your flat has an open door policy. If they're letting strangers in, you need to look out for your own things.
2. Make sure you're covered - some of our parents insurance companies might cover contents in halls of residence but some don't, get your parents to check.
3. Only open your window when you're there - even on the first and second floor. You won't believe how determined some people are, don't give them an opportunity.
4. Don't lend anyone else your keys - even just to 'run back and get something they forgot' - usually happens when people are drinking and moving from flat to flat. Unless you've known the person long enough to know they're trustworthy (I mean like, friends before Uni started), don't give anyone your keys.
5. Take the police's advice (and freebies) - this freshers the Manchester Police were giving out timer plugs, UV marker pens and stickers, and little bells to put on your bag/purse to alert you of pickpockets.
6. Keep your cash somewhere safe - hide your wallet rather than leave it out on the desk, and don't keep more than £50 in cash at any one time. Insurance companies only tend to cover about this much in the event of theft.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Review of Seagate 1tb Expansion External Drive
Hello again. Today's post is going to be slightly different, no rant (yay!). I want to make full use of my blog and have a go at everything really, so as a student, I'm going to review something useful to students, particularly animation/illustration/art students or even ones that just love their games or have to write million page essays every week. The humble hard drive.
The Seagate 1tb Expansion External Drive is a pretty piece of equipment. It's sleek, black, and about the size of a modem so it sits happily on top of my hard drive. It's designed to be as simple as it can possibly be, so you just plug in and play, get all your image/word and music documents on it and watch the space on your OS: drive open right up.
I love how simple it is, it's good for people that aren't computer experts like me, but like to keep hold of every last image and photo they've gathered over the last three years or so. The box itself is beautiful and modern, but I must admit the plug feels a bit cheap. Not that I'm complaining, it's hardly a major gripe when it's the cheapest terabyte you'll be able to buy at the moment. I bought mine from Tesco for £59.97. It even provides protection from viruses and spyware, no manual installation required, just instant space. I like it.
The Seagate 1tb Expansion External Drive is a pretty piece of equipment. It's sleek, black, and about the size of a modem so it sits happily on top of my hard drive. It's designed to be as simple as it can possibly be, so you just plug in and play, get all your image/word and music documents on it and watch the space on your OS: drive open right up.
I love how simple it is, it's good for people that aren't computer experts like me, but like to keep hold of every last image and photo they've gathered over the last three years or so. The box itself is beautiful and modern, but I must admit the plug feels a bit cheap. Not that I'm complaining, it's hardly a major gripe when it's the cheapest terabyte you'll be able to buy at the moment. I bought mine from Tesco for £59.97. It even provides protection from viruses and spyware, no manual installation required, just instant space. I like it.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Why do Students get drunk?
Okay, I've been putting this one off all day, but it is inevitable there will be an article about it sooner or later. Before I start though, I'd like to warn everyone that I'm incredibly biased as I only drink about .1% of the time, the other 99.9% of my time is spent on everything else that proves itself far more important to me.
In my first year, I worked in my student union's bar, which for me, was better than being on the other side of the counter, but I began to notice people's drinking habits, and groups were forming. There were some 'geeky' guys that had all grouped together and just bought drinks as and when they wanted them, there were individual guys buying drinks in pairs, obviously trying their luck with some girls, and then there were groups that would come in at 4 in the afternoon and order shots and cause drama when there was none.
Working on the themed nights, I noticed a lot of people were just drinking themselves stupid because they think it makes them more social, and the higher-ups in the social chain were some of the worst. Not only to themselves, but the hoards of followers trying to keep up with them because it was the 'cool' and 'social' thing to do.
I promise you I am only 20 years old, but I've never had any particular fascination with alcohol. It doesn't excite me, and it doesn't make me feel any better, if anything, it makes me feel more self conscious as inhibitions fade etc. I'm more for quality than quantity, as I learnt trying to 'keep up' at a friend's house party once, making myself sick on cider to fit in. That was the first and last time I'd be doing that, I'll stick with the occasional celebratory glass of Bailey's with ice, or a vodka and coke.
I don't think it's right the way Universities allow their student unions and all the local bars to bombard freshers saying "IF YOU DON'T DRINK, YOU'RE A LOSER". Am I really? I lose out on a hangover, but that's about it. My advice to anyone that has never really drank before due to lack of interest or whatever, is don't give in to the peer pressure. What makes you think the only way you're going to make genuine friends is by forcing yourself to do something you wouldn't normally? Since being laid off by the bar, I never set foot in there again, and I never spoke to another person associated with it. I don't miss it at all.
A lot of people who think drinking is a good way to loosen up and socialize needs to have a go at being the only sober one in the room. It's scary. Drink in moderation, and don't try to keep up with the cool kids.
In my first year, I worked in my student union's bar, which for me, was better than being on the other side of the counter, but I began to notice people's drinking habits, and groups were forming. There were some 'geeky' guys that had all grouped together and just bought drinks as and when they wanted them, there were individual guys buying drinks in pairs, obviously trying their luck with some girls, and then there were groups that would come in at 4 in the afternoon and order shots and cause drama when there was none.
Working on the themed nights, I noticed a lot of people were just drinking themselves stupid because they think it makes them more social, and the higher-ups in the social chain were some of the worst. Not only to themselves, but the hoards of followers trying to keep up with them because it was the 'cool' and 'social' thing to do.
I promise you I am only 20 years old, but I've never had any particular fascination with alcohol. It doesn't excite me, and it doesn't make me feel any better, if anything, it makes me feel more self conscious as inhibitions fade etc. I'm more for quality than quantity, as I learnt trying to 'keep up' at a friend's house party once, making myself sick on cider to fit in. That was the first and last time I'd be doing that, I'll stick with the occasional celebratory glass of Bailey's with ice, or a vodka and coke.
I don't think it's right the way Universities allow their student unions and all the local bars to bombard freshers saying "IF YOU DON'T DRINK, YOU'RE A LOSER". Am I really? I lose out on a hangover, but that's about it. My advice to anyone that has never really drank before due to lack of interest or whatever, is don't give in to the peer pressure. What makes you think the only way you're going to make genuine friends is by forcing yourself to do something you wouldn't normally? Since being laid off by the bar, I never set foot in there again, and I never spoke to another person associated with it. I don't miss it at all.
A lot of people who think drinking is a good way to loosen up and socialize needs to have a go at being the only sober one in the room. It's scary. Drink in moderation, and don't try to keep up with the cool kids.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Welcome, Everyone!
Hi there! I’m TheJess and welcome to my blog! I’m actually excited to be starting this one, as I hope to change a few lives with it, including my own. I basically decided to start this because of my rough start at University. I’m now in my second year and much happier and settled, but I thought it might be a good idea for people, particularly students aged 18+ who are just starting out, to read about a few of my experiences, and how to deal with moving away from home etc.
I searched the web countless times in my short build-up to Uni and couldn’t find anything that could mentally prepare me for moving over an hour away from home to Halls of Residence. It doesn’t sound like much, but if you don’t move to halls with a group of already established friends, and you are not a complete socialite, then you will be lonely. It is hard to talk to people, even the people you are sharing your kitchen and bathroom with. In fact, that’s possibly the hardest bit. You don’t know these people and they don’t know you. They might have friends with them, or have already made friends with other flatmates, and people with so many clashing interests can cause absolute havoc in a flat.
In my first year, my flat consisted of loners. There was one guy I was on decent terms with, but I didn’t have the courage to be better friends with him, a girl from my primary school lived in the next room to me. That didn’t make things any more comfortable, she wasn’t my friend back then, what was going to change about that now? There were several others I didn’t see most of the year, and then there were the German students…I have nothing against international students at all, it turned out in the end these guys were really friendly, but formidable. They were terrifying to approach for some reason. Just getting to the kitchen to make some dinner has honed my listening and sneaking skills to ninja-level. There was a group of them and one little me, and my own lack of confidence ruined my year.
In fact, I didn’t even make it to the end of the academic year. I had to move back home with severe depression and anxiety issues. I couldn’t talk to anyone in my flat, I felt like I was confined to the walls of my tiny study room, and even that was little comfort. My only escapes were class or work, in both situations I made friends, because everyone was more…accomodating. I couldn’t believe how friendly and talkative everyone was, and it was because we all knew we had to work together, so there was no point in causing rifts, despite all our differences, and believe me, there were a lot, we all managed to have a laugh. Why couldn’t that be brought back to the flat? We all had to live together, surely that’s more intense than working together, and requires a lot more patience and effort, but it seems my own lack of communicative skills took over when I could easily just avoid everyone. Well, I thought it was easy, it actually resulted in me being very sick but this is my point; you need to have some confidence, and be prepared and willing to talk to people even after the initial introductions. Find out what people’s interests and hobbies are and you might find some common ground, whether it’s World of Warcraft, Rock Band or fishing, share one of your comforts with someone who feels the same. If not, you can always ask to move to a different flat.
Over the coming months and beyond, I intend to write articles about various aspects of student life, the important bits, that include looking after yourself, budgeting and keeping yourself at peak physical health and happiness so you’ll be able to work hard and get that degree at the end. After all, going to University and being a student is NOT about drinking yourself into a stupor every night and throwing away your maintenance loan on booze and cakes from Sainsburys.
I can’t stand when people automatically assume ’student’ means ‘alcoholic-in-training’. If you like having a drink, and you find clubs a great way to socialize and unwind after a week’s lectures, that’s fine, but I’ve seen so many idiot students ruin themselves at a critical point in their lives instead of grabbing life by the throat and making the very most out of this very expensive opportunity. Being clever about your time at Uni is a must. I didn’t know what I was doing when I applied, my first year was a complete muddle, but I’m starting to get back on track, so whether I do things right from here on in, or make some epic mistakes, hopefully someone out there will be able to find some value in my articles and make the very most of their University experience.
I wish you all the best for 2010 and beyond!
TheJess89
I searched the web countless times in my short build-up to Uni and couldn’t find anything that could mentally prepare me for moving over an hour away from home to Halls of Residence. It doesn’t sound like much, but if you don’t move to halls with a group of already established friends, and you are not a complete socialite, then you will be lonely. It is hard to talk to people, even the people you are sharing your kitchen and bathroom with. In fact, that’s possibly the hardest bit. You don’t know these people and they don’t know you. They might have friends with them, or have already made friends with other flatmates, and people with so many clashing interests can cause absolute havoc in a flat.
In my first year, my flat consisted of loners. There was one guy I was on decent terms with, but I didn’t have the courage to be better friends with him, a girl from my primary school lived in the next room to me. That didn’t make things any more comfortable, she wasn’t my friend back then, what was going to change about that now? There were several others I didn’t see most of the year, and then there were the German students…I have nothing against international students at all, it turned out in the end these guys were really friendly, but formidable. They were terrifying to approach for some reason. Just getting to the kitchen to make some dinner has honed my listening and sneaking skills to ninja-level. There was a group of them and one little me, and my own lack of confidence ruined my year.
In fact, I didn’t even make it to the end of the academic year. I had to move back home with severe depression and anxiety issues. I couldn’t talk to anyone in my flat, I felt like I was confined to the walls of my tiny study room, and even that was little comfort. My only escapes were class or work, in both situations I made friends, because everyone was more…accomodating. I couldn’t believe how friendly and talkative everyone was, and it was because we all knew we had to work together, so there was no point in causing rifts, despite all our differences, and believe me, there were a lot, we all managed to have a laugh. Why couldn’t that be brought back to the flat? We all had to live together, surely that’s more intense than working together, and requires a lot more patience and effort, but it seems my own lack of communicative skills took over when I could easily just avoid everyone. Well, I thought it was easy, it actually resulted in me being very sick but this is my point; you need to have some confidence, and be prepared and willing to talk to people even after the initial introductions. Find out what people’s interests and hobbies are and you might find some common ground, whether it’s World of Warcraft, Rock Band or fishing, share one of your comforts with someone who feels the same. If not, you can always ask to move to a different flat.
Over the coming months and beyond, I intend to write articles about various aspects of student life, the important bits, that include looking after yourself, budgeting and keeping yourself at peak physical health and happiness so you’ll be able to work hard and get that degree at the end. After all, going to University and being a student is NOT about drinking yourself into a stupor every night and throwing away your maintenance loan on booze and cakes from Sainsburys.
I can’t stand when people automatically assume ’student’ means ‘alcoholic-in-training’. If you like having a drink, and you find clubs a great way to socialize and unwind after a week’s lectures, that’s fine, but I’ve seen so many idiot students ruin themselves at a critical point in their lives instead of grabbing life by the throat and making the very most out of this very expensive opportunity. Being clever about your time at Uni is a must. I didn’t know what I was doing when I applied, my first year was a complete muddle, but I’m starting to get back on track, so whether I do things right from here on in, or make some epic mistakes, hopefully someone out there will be able to find some value in my articles and make the very most of their University experience.
I wish you all the best for 2010 and beyond!
TheJess89
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