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.
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Monday, January 25, 2010
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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