10 Books That Have Stayed With Me

I recently got tagged in a Facebook post by my friend Sue asking me to list 10 books that have stayed with me. Now if anyone knows me at all, they'll know that such a list is a huge challenge for me, partly because I love to read, but also because I read very fast and so books tend to flit and flounce across my brain like crane flies. However, I figured that the first 10 books to come into my head would be the most appropriate and rather than simply state my choices, I wanted to explore the reasons why these particularly works have stayed with me. Also, I decided not to include the bible because it's kind of a given that it would stay with me, but also because I haven't finished reading it and I don't think I ever will. 

1) The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath before reading this the only thing I knew about Plath was that she was severely depressed and gassed herself to death. I assumed that her novel would be gross and sticky with self-pity but instead I found myself absorbed in a light narrative with meaningful, albeit slightly dark undertones. It was so relatable that it changed my perspective on mental illness. 

2) Moon Palace - Paul Auster I was given this by Franzi to read on the bus journey between Karlsruhe and Berlin last Summer. It was in a tiny red reclam book with no blurb and no clues on the cover as to what lay inside. I realised that so often I do judge books by their cover and there was something deliciously releasing about diving into a book with no preconceptions. It is one of the best books I have ever read and so many sentences and scenarios still resonate with me on a daily basis.

3) Ballet Shoes - Noel Streatfeild  I used to read this book whenever I was ill or couldn't sleep. At the time I was in the middle of a grand love affair with all things ballet and so was constantly reading books about ballet school and dancing. As I got older, I loved the old fashioned simplicity of the Fossil Family and I desperately wished I could be a child actress like Pauline (surprise, surprise) It has stayed with me because I have read it so many times, but also because it reminds me of all the things I wanted as a child growing up.

4) Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte this was the first book that made me cry and no, it wasn't just those polite few tears rolling down my cheeks, I was uncontrollably sobbing. That in itself is a reason to remember it. Also, I love the story with all its passion and drama. 

5) The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald I was very fortunate to have an incredible class and teacher for my A-Level years. We would sit in this tiny library at the top of the school and just explore, discuss and debate literature. It was wonderful. Anyway, there were many books and plays that have stayed with me on account of those memorable lessons (Othello, The School for Scandal and Spies to name a few!) but The Great Gatsby was certainly the highlight. Those lessons unpicked the mystery behind it and made me fall in love with all the small kooky details that I hadn't noticed before. It also kick-started my long-term relationship with Fitzgerald's writings and I try to read one of his short stories or novels every year. 

6) Anna Karenina - Tolstoy I can't quite describe how brilliant I think this book is. So I won't. All I'll say is that Levin's final passage at the end of the book is just incredible.

7)  Looking for Alaska - John Green I read this book in my final year at school and I've reread it a few times since. It has such a powerful voice and is an excellent example of how teen-fiction can explore adolescence without being cliche or dramatic. I think that's why I liked it so much. Also because I found myself in a similar situation to the protagonist about a year later. 

8) One Day - David Nicholls I enjoyed this book so much that I think I actually read it in one day. Then I made myself read it again to make sure I hadn't missed anything out. It was one of those stories that I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Even as I was walking up Arthur's Seat this Summer I thought about Emma and Dex on their first day together. 

9) If This is a Man/ - Primo Levi I did a course on Levi's work in my 2nd year at University not realising that most of his literature was about his experience in Auschwitz. His memoir is haunting and whenever the holocaust is referenced, passages from this book become vivid and important all over again. Until this point I hadn't really engaged with the subject matter because it made me too upset but this book forced me to recognise that humanity has so much capacity for evil in every generation and that it shouldn't be contained in the past. 

10) The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman this was the first book I read this year. I was in a pretty desperate place, much like the protagonist. I think it sticks in my mind so much because I read it aloud to a very kind, compassionate friend one January afternoon in Berlin. I remember the beautiful words and pictures Gilman creates, as well as the woman's sensation of being stuck behind the wallpaper. It's one of those books that I turn over and over in my mind trying to find undiscovered nuances. 

Now that I've chosen 10 at least 10 others have popped into my mind, but I shall be disciplined and stop right there. 

Celebrate the NOW

At my graduation last Thursday, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the importance of celebrating rites of passage. It's so easy to discount our achievements, to compare them to others and deem them meaningless or stupid. Yet if we do not celebrate them, life becomes one toil after another because the chapters and seasons of our lives go unmarked, unrecognised. I recently read this passage in one 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Now perhaps you don't believe in God, perhaps you do. If you don't imagine something so overwhelming beautiful, brilliant, exciting that whenever you think of it you can't help but do a little celebratory jiggle inside. That's how I feel about God. Now if I'm supposed to do everything, even the mundane things like eating/drinking, to the glory of the thing that makes me want to celebrate, then surely everyday must call for some kind of celebration. I've been mulling this over for the past week and looking for opportunities to celebrate the moments, the people, the day to day activities of my life. On Saturday I decided to celebrate my friendship with Sophie. We've come a long way since we first met and have barraged through life's ups and downs with brutal honesty and a lot of silliness. She is fun and kind, full of dreams and copious amounts of information on completely useless subjects. That's what makes her awesome. So on Saturday we celebrated with Pimms and picnics in the sunshine, followed by a spot of Greek Tragedy at the National. IT WAS SO FUN and now I want to celebrate everything all the time. 

So my challenge: WHAT or WHO can you celebrate this week?

Nostalgia

I am guilty of indulging in nostalgia before the season warrants it. There's something so dreamy and precious about these last few days; throw in a bit of a sunshine and its almost unbearable. I have that familiar itch to throw my arms around the city and its inhabitants. I oscillate between loving and loathing my work, finding moments of inspiration in sterile computer rooms before rushing out to the park so I can lie in the sun and pretend that it's all over already. Everyone is responding differently: some are munching through packets of digestives, huddled in a study-cave, papering their walls with flash-cards and diagrams, others have lost the will to live, the phrase 'I think I did more work for my GCSEs than I'll be doing for my finals' thrown around, some are finished and are scampering around the country on numerous mini-adventures, people like myself are trying to maintain a balance, our simmering spontaneity breaking through at just the right moments. Work hard, play hard, that's the motto. Either way, I cannot help but notice, that despite all the stress, uncertainty and flatness, these are some of the happiest moments of my time here. 

Thankful for...

1) Catching the sunrise on a Monday morning

2) The Multi-faith chaplaincy with all its fruit, toast and delicious coffee

3) Re-connecting with a friend I thought I'd lost

4) Saturday evening garden dinner parties with wine and pals

5) Stokes Croft on a Saturday afternoon

6) This beautiful piece of music

7) This man's voice

8) This man's lyrics

9) The friendly man in the admissions office

10) Housemates that make me belly-laugh and provide countless cups of tea

11) 1 Thessalonians 3:8

12) 6:30am runs on the Downs

13) Dungarees

14) The end of University in 2 weeks time!

15) A future that is hopeful and exciting.

Got that Friday Feeling

A little word of solidarity to all those who are in the middle of exams and are in danger of greeting the next person who says 'you're nearly done'/'not long now' with that grimacing-get-lost smile. You're awesome, keep going, I feel your pain. 

Life Lately - March

1/2 Slow, easy 6am wake-up calls thanks to extra daylight. My favourite.

3/4 Finishing essays in Friska, celebrating with dirty-chai and stomps around the city. Turns out we agree on a lot of things. 5/I spent a Sunday morning in a Clifton Park reading Zelda Fitzgerald - it was GLORIOUS. Bring on a summer of reading for pleasure. 6/ Saying that I'm really enjoying my dissertation research; it's all coming together!

7/8 Two lovely Berliners came to visit and we spent three days indulging our Bristol crush with copious cups of tea and long conversations about life and stuff. 

Weekend Escapades

As soon as the temperature rises and the ever allusive sunshine returns to Bristol you know it's time to ditch the books and plan an escapade, if only to avoid any growing resentment towards libraries and work. My blogging galpal Charity always talks about having a staycation (essentially staying at home and holidaying in your surroundings) and I am determined to embrace this idea for the upcoming months. After all, I might not be living here much longer and there is so much of this wonderful city that I have yet to explore! So, a few Saturdays ago, my pal Amy and I decided to catch up on a spontaneous walk to Ashton Court. I can't believe I have never been before! It is so beautiful. There is something about a country house that inspires a gooey patriotism and a tendency to walk around as if you were in a BBC costume drama. I mean, I cannot think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in springtime!

We grabbed a take-out at Clifton Boston Tea Party, paused at the suspension bridge to admire the view, then swanned across the bridge towards the Ashton Court estate. Four hours of walking and talking in the sunshine is perhaps my best cabin-fever cure to date. 

When the View's THIS GOOD...

you cannot help but fall in love with the city all over again; falling back into step with it's rhythm, resonating with the beat. Bristol you've got my heart. 

Winter Morning

Mornings with skies like this are very necessary, especially at the end of term. Daylight is so sparse that the days don't seem to exist, deadlines are continuous and pressing, thoughts about the future are unavoidable, big life decisions wait for no one and your social life starts to explode with Christmas drinks and activities, which you will happily sacrifice sleep for. Everyone wants to go home and yet there is still time to wish away. Sometimes I stop living and start existing; then I wake up to this blue, still winter morning and my priorities are readjusted. There is so much I could wish away and yet there is so much I could enjoy. It's not so much holding out until the Christmas Holidays but embracing everything that the days leading up to it can offer. 

On a completely different note, this is my first bloggable photograph from my new camera. It's all a bit exciting. 

Housemates

I've had some pretty great housemates in my time. 

But let me tell you that these guys are the bomb-diggity of 4th Housemates.

These was taken about a month ago at our first house meal, as you can tell

we were all a little bit excited and a bit tired of waiting for the timer on my film camera to work.

Since then the weekly routine of eating togetherhas entrenched a family solidarity into our student existence. 

We catch mice,go the gym, bake cake, watch movies, dance to Haim, host parties, watch silly

youtube videos and make sure everyone gets the necessary 4 hugs a day (the required amount for survival apparently!) Amidst the seriousness of final year, it's good to have a bunch of people and a little space where taking yourself too seriously is frowned upon.

Year Abroad Tips: Planning a Work Placement

So you're about to start planning your Year Abroad and you're totally freaking out because it seems like a mammoth task or maybe you're all cool and serene. Whatever. This is a little blog about work placements, how to get them, what to prepare for and what to do if things go wrong. 

1) Do something you enjoy. No seriously. If you don't enjoy at least part of what you're doing you are going to be seriously miserable, because doing a work placement means that most of your time abroad will be spent, well, working. I knew that I wanted to work in a theatre so that's where I started looking. You also need to consider whether you are prepared to work for free. Remember that paid internships will be extremely competitive and you will be up against some pretty competent native speakers. I decided that gaining experience was more important to me than earning money and I managed to do get by with my Erasmus Grant and student loan. There were a few disasters but I'll talk about those later on.

2) Once you've decided on the general working environment you're interested in, make a list of cities/places that appeal to you. I had three potentials for my first Germany placement: Düsseldorf, Leipzig or Rostock. I then made a list of all the theatres that were in those cities and sent out an email and CV to each of them. When I was applying for a job in Italy, things got a bit desperate and I started looking for anything that was available. This might happen to you, but roll with it.

3) Make sure you have a CV that is appropriate to the country you are applying to work in. Germans, for example, have completely different expectations for CVs and Cover Letters than England. Your university should prepare you for this, but do make time to go and see an academic tutor to make sure everything is as accurate as possible. I also advise adjusting your Cover Letter for each place you apply for so that you are really clear about why you want to work for that particularly company/institution.

3) When preparing for the interview, make a list of phrases in case you get tongue-tied. Also write a few key sentences explaining why you want to work with that particular company (so do your research!) Try not to panic, because that will only make it harder to speak in another language. Speak slowly, clearly and concentrate on what your interviewer is asking/saying to you.

If you manage to get a work placement CONGRATULATIONS. That's a massive achievement! Here are a few tips to help you get off to a good start.

1) CHECK THE DRESS CODE. Do this before you board the plane or pack your suitcase. I stupidly forgot and turned up with a suitcase full of jackets, skirts and smart trousers, when in fact everyone was wearing jeans *face palm*  So to avoid extra costs and embarrassment, send your employer a quick, polite email to clarify what is appropriate.

2) Turn up on your first day with all the necessary ERASMUS forms so that you can complete them and get them signed. Try to send them back as soon as possible. This will alleviate any University admin stress and will allow you to concentrate on enjoying your work placement. If you're not being paid for your work, make sure you are absolutely clear on your working hours.

3) BE BOLD. You will be nervous. I spent my first day at the theatre cowering behind a corner whilst everyone chatted and greeted one another, but as soon as I made a step towards the crowd, someone came and said hello and that's when the fun started. So be nervous but DON'T BE AFRAID. If there are other interns GO AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM, they may not seem like your type of people to begin with, but after a few lunchtime chats and drinks after work you will find your language skills significantly improving. Friendship takes work and when I look back on my experience I am so glad that I made the effort to invest time into the other interns I was working with because they are now some of my most precious friends.

4) ASK FOR HELP. If you don't understand something just say. There is nothing worse than sitting at your desk trying to look busy when in fact you have no idea what you're supposed to be doing. Avoid wasting your time and take the chance to learn a new word or phrase. Most people will be sympathetic to your position and will respect your honesty. 

Is Going to University a Selfish Decision?

Since attending University, I have come into contact with suggestions, mainly from Christian circles, that going to university is a self-centered endeavour: it serves only the attendee, puts them in spiritual danger and, like this video suggests, clasps us into a social mould, that turns us into materialistic, 2.5 children clones. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that this is the case. However, those who fall into this so-called ‘trap’ of University, with all it’s social expectations seem to have missed the point of going to University in the first place, namely that...

going to University will get you a degree, not a job.

If you intend to go to University with the hope that it will miraculously offer you a well-paid and ‘decent’ job at the end of it, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. University is a place for the curious. It’s a place to explore, to understand, to question and to take risks, both selfish and selfless. It’s an environment, where you will be confronted with your old thoughts and convictions, then forced to shape, consolidate or change them according to the things you discover. This ‘decent’ job is purely a bi-product.  There’s the argument that a lot of succesful people like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuccaberg, didn’t complete their University education and therefore a degree is useless. However, these people did ATTEND University and those years of attendance will have had their influence. 

The ‘selfish-ness’ of University also has a lot to do with personal approach. In the same way my intentions of pursuing a degree might be selfish so too might my decision to do a year-out with the church, a mission trip to India or start my own business be selfish. In all areas of society, people use their gifts for selfish causes. If a person has been blessed with an academic mind, it is their duty to use it selflessly, in the same way that someone with a leadership gifting must use theirs. 

There are so many opportunities to be self-less at university. You realise very early on, that everyone is just as clever, talented and determined as you, if not more. This takes the focus off ourselves and onto collaborations. There is also a lot of stress on group work for projects and labs: teamwork is highly valued at university. Very rarely do you see a student theatre production that has been written,directed and produced by one person. Students also tend to live together, sharing a living space, creating cleaning routas, making meals for each other and creating a family-like atmosphere. One thing I have always been keen on at University is sharing knowledge. I love to revise in groups after studying by myself, so that we can all put our thoughts into one place, then pick them apart. There are many other examples, such as students who feed the homeless, start up charities, intiate protests, teach in schools, those who want to use their degrees to end world hunger, those who pray in lecture theatres and those that want to change the world. 

I have also never experienced a spiritual richness, such as the one I have encountered at University. 

I agree that University, like many other things, can be a selfish time in a persons life, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it shouldn’t be. We choose the university experience we receive: it's one of those books with a number of different endings and our choices will reveal the conclusion. I’ve said this before, but getting a degree is a privilege and one we shouldn’t take lightly. I also think that getting out of our parent’s houses and learning to live independently is one way of getting over our selfishness and appreciating what we have. But perhaps that’s just me.

Stressful or Grateful

'All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast' Proverbs 15:15

The British exam season has commenced: students across the peninsula are chaining themselves (metaphorically, not literally) to desks of libraries, bedrooms and schools to study for GCSEs, A-Levels and degrees. Those at the beginning of this examination journey are terrified, those in the middle are stressed because university places are at stake and those of us nearing the end are despairing at yet another summer spent indoors drawing mind-maps and gaining weight. I could continue with this train of thought and whine and groan about how much life sucks right now, but I'm not going to. After all, at this level of education, I chose to have these exams! However, this year things have FINALLY clicked into place (about time!) Educators have been saying this for ages, but it's all about finding out how YOU learn best and understanding that, for most people, this is a variety of different ways. There are times when I need to go to the library and slog it out, but university libraries during exam time are unbearable and make me freak out like crazy, so I find alternative places like the University Chaplaincy or local cafes where there's still a hubbub and I'm still away from home, but the atmosphere is not oppressive. There are other times when I know that just walking to the library is a form of procrastination, so leaping out of bed and straight on to my desk with a cup of tea is the best way forward. I know now, that if I need to write something that is coherent then it needs to be written before 1pm, I know that repeating verb conjugations and words aloud are the best way for me to remember them, and I know the best time for reading literary texts is sat in bed with a cup of coffee. 

Last night as I sat in bed with my de-caff coffee, German radio and Brecht's 'Life of Galileo' I suddenly realised that despite working hard and despite feeling stressed, I'm really enjoying this season - it's basically wall to wall learning. What's more I'm learning about things I CARE about. I mean c'mon the very reason I chose to study German at university was so that I could study Brecht! It's finally dawned one me that the only way to get through exam season without wanting to pull your face off is to recognise the value of your education. It's only in the last century that the doors to learning have been opened to all in this country and we need to appreciate the opportunity given to us. If you're doing your GCSEs I encourage you to take them seriously and realise that working hard for the next month or so will greatly increase your future opportunities, for those at A-Level keep your sights on the goal but also remember to enjoy the subjects, because A-Levels can be fun if you MAKE them fun. For those of us at university, who can barely put a meal together or wash ourselves for fear of work-guilt, let us remember that we only have ourselves to blame and that actually by being at university we are among the most privileged human beings on the planet. Go forth with a cheerful heart and try to remember why you chose to study this subject in the first place. I promise it'll transform the way you progress through the next month.

Right, I'm off to have some yummy homemade fish and chips (courtesy of my very good friend) and then settle down in front of Gilmore Girls (in German, because I have my German Aural exam tomorrow - see? Learning can be fun!)

Bank-Holiday Blues

It rained, it was cold, I left the hood of my coat in Bracknell, I left my leggings in Bracknell, I stood like a drowned rat outside Boston Tea Party at 7:30 in the morning and nearly burst into tears when I had to walk down the road to COSTA (boo hiss) because it didn't open until 9, I had lots and lots of work to do and there was no chaplaincy, nor any free spaces left in the libraries. BUT I STILL HAD A GREAT DAY. I hung out with three of my favourite people in the whole world, reading the bible, studying, using my Boston Tea Party voucher, making an amazing tapas lunch and eating condensed milk out of the tin with teaspoons. Exam season bank-holidays are what you make them.

How was your bank-holiday Monday?

My Favourite Disposables

A couple of months ago I pledged to document the Spring term via disposable camera only. It was really good fun, although I did feel proper dorky pulling out my little Kodak disposable at inopportune moments, particularly when I had to spend at least 10 seconds winding it on before I could take the photo! But alas, I'm really, really happy with the results. So, despite the expense (£6.00 per film!) I think the experiment was definitely worth it. I really felt that I spent more time IN the moment rather than worrying how awesome my photos were going to look. Anyhoodle, I promised to show you my favourite snaps, so here they are:

 This was taking on a rather delightful father-daughter coffee date to Sante Fe. They do the MOST delicious vanilla lattes. Dad and I both asked for skimmed milk and got scolded by the waitress for being so weight conscious. Hahahaha. But I love that I captured my Dad's awkward 'not-quite-a' smile.

 This was taken during a rehearsal-break on the 6th floor of the Student Union. The Union itself is an architectural monstrosity, but the views from the top-floor windows are really something. Clifton houses just make me so happy, they're so elegant and beautiful. It makes me feel lucky to live here.

This was during one of our Winter indoor picnics, I remember because we bought fruit-juice and we never buy fruit-juice. But I just ADORE Louis' facial expression here.

The first glimpses of Spring in Bristol and the students get their Ninja on. I love the colours.

This was taken in January or February, I can't quite remember. I just know we went on a walk and there were lots of beautiful snow-drops and Camilla was wearing great yellow Wellington Boots.

 Performing Arts Gets Poshed is one of the must-go events of the year. This time round the theme was the roaring-twenties, hence the curls, the pearls and the red lipstick. I turned up straight after a performance of The Vigil with my taps-hoes on and was just in time to enjoy the silent disco. How gorgeous did my friend L.J look? She's one of my talented fresher musical friends! 

 I think this was just before a performance of Anything Goes or it might have even been the tech rehearsal. Fred and Kita are the coolest couple on the planet. They're so showbiz it's almost annoying. I love this photo, partly because Fred's sitting on Kita, partly because of Kita's cheeky wave and partly because I can't help but smile when I see these two together.

 This was taken during the band-call for anything goes. Adam and Christina were mid-way through 'Friendship' and I couldn't help but take a photo. I believe it captured the mood of the song perfectly. These two bring me so much joy.

 Oh come on! I managed to catch someone in mid-flight! This was taken on a the Pip n' Jay weekend away and as per usual the men were trying to prove their masculinity by jumping across ditches. Fun times.

 This was taken at the wedding of my good friend Dan. I love weddings so much, people always wear the most beautiful things. 

 Hahahaha. On the itchy feet dance floor with two of my favourite people in the whole world. I'm not quite sure why my eye looks like it's about to slide off my face, but Gem and Tedderz look beautiful. HOW CAN GEMMA PULL OF BRIGHT YELLOW!?

 Another Itchy Feet classic. It's the one event where people ACTUALLY get their groove on, but with a live jazz band and some good jiving classics who can blame them? I absolutely love this photo of my friend Joe grooving outside Motion. He looks so cool and edgy. I wish I could be like him.

This was the first photo I took on a disposable. It was the Saturday morning of the Pip n Jay weekend away and I went out to capture the sunrise. It was really quite breath taking. I love the depth of field that film camera provide. 

It may not be cheap, but it does make photography fun. I'm pretty envious of anyone with an iphone at the moment, I'm desperate to get on the Instagram hype! WAAAHHHHHHHH. Meh, maybe one day I'll get my act together and bid for a 3GS on ebay, but for now I'm content with my Nokia blueberry.

MUCH LOVE, Ellie x

Today's Study Aids

It's a cold, wet Sunday afternoon and there's a pile of work to be done before the week can commence. You procrastinate in the warm kitchen making endless cups of tea and stop off in the snug lounge to chit-chat with your roomies for no particular reason, except to perhaps defrost your fingers. You can't sit at your desk without your hands and feet going blue, but you can't get under the covers with out feeling incredibly sleepy.

So what do you do!?

You make yourself a hot ribena and warm up your lavender-smelling-microwaveable dinosaur, pull on some socks and sit ON not IN your bed with all your work spread out. Et voila! Let productivity get underway.

The Ribena warms up my inside.

The Dinosaur warms up my outside.

I love them both unconditionally...for now anyways.

The Workspace

I have a workspace fetish. This does not mean, much to my parents dismay, that my own workspace is ever particularly tidy or organised, instead it means I stare at my desk and wish that I had some sort of Matilda-like power to move everything around without having to lift a finger. This has yet to happen. Thus I have to satisfy my craving for lovely workspaces by browsing tumblr, there is, I kid you not, an entire blog dedicated to displaying workspaces and yes of course I'm a diehard fan.

Here's Mine:

I would just like to say, that I was watching Gilmore Girls in Italian and therefore it counts as revision!

Everyone tells you that a good working environment will increase productivity. For my friend Katie, her workspace is simply her bed. I can't work from my bed because I will just fall asleep and tell myself that napping is healthy and will certainly increase my output once my brain has had a little rest. I also find it extremely hard to work in my room, not because I get distracted by DVDs or my typewriter, or books, or making tea or coffee, no for some reason I seem to find my walls exceedingly interesting, I just sit and stare at my them, FOR HOURS. I can do creative work in my room, like writing blogs or letters or play ideas into little notebooks. I can have my quiet time in my room because I have it, for the most part, a place of rest. Sometimes, I can might be able to read a journal article but only if I find it interesting, it has to FEEL like recreation.

So, my solution: find a good library. By good library, I mean one that makes you feel brainy and inspires you to be like Rory Gilmore or Hermione Grainger. Although I love the ASS (arts and social sciences library) the colour choices (lime, purple and grey) sometimes make me feel a bit queasy. Also, their coffee is horrendous and overpriced. Last year I found the library that ACTUALLY makes me work: the Wills Memorial Library. There are two options, the law section or the earth sciences section and they're both as pretty as the other. I LOVE THEM. Six hours spent in those four walls generally equals a lot of work getting done. YES.

Where are your most productive workspaces!?

Mid (academic) Year Crisis

Recent events have pointed to the glaringly obvious fact that I am not a linguist. A communicator? Perhaps. A grammar geek? Wannabe. Languages buff? Wannabe. Can I can pelt a plethora of foreign words into the air accompanied by wild gesticulations to make myself understood? Yes. Will this get me a degree? No. I always thought, that when the linguistic element of my degree was sabotaging my self-worth, I could seek comfort in the essays and presentations of the more cultural aspects. However, my essays have descended into mere brain farts that, though eloquent and enthusiastic, show no sign of a rational, academic mind. I guess, I'm good at certain aspects such as remembering words, but never the ones considered important. For example, I know the Austrian word for mug: 'Häfel'. I'm good at doing further reading and taking pages and pages of notes, but actually writing an essay? No, no, no. So here I am, sat at my desk, drinking Lady Grey tea and stuffing my poor self-pitying face with chocolate and wondering why on earth I chose to do a languages degree. It is mid-exam week, so these thoughts, although not helpful, are somewhat explainable. I'm tired of exams. I've had 5 years of constant examination. I'm tired of revision. I'm tired of all the coloured pens and the stupid flash cards and the stupid timetables and the stupid booklets and the candidate number ( I REALLY HATE CANDIDATE NUMBERS!) and squeaky chairs and cold halls and clocks that you can't read. BLAH.

Enough. Just because I can't do my degree, doesn't mean life is hopeless, right!?

At this present moment, these are the things I believe to be good at:

Drinking tea.

. Not answering text messages.

. Moving to music (I hesitate to call myself a dancer, but I can move VERY well)

. Not doing my washing up.

. Reblogging things on tumbr.

. Writing lists.

. Talking.

. Making coffee.

. Singing (on most days)

. Saying 'yes' to everything and filling up my calendar.

. Travelling to places that I've never been and staying with people I don't know.

. Tapping (not tap dancing, but I can put my tap shoes on and make a good racket)

. Miming to Bing Crosby.

. Getting library fines.

. Hoarding. (I recently cleared out my wardrobe and found a cork collection in a Hollywood Bowl pencil case and a vast selection of keyrings - WHY!)

. Starting a project and never completing it.

. Putting on mascara.

. Dressing myself (on most days. Although yesterday I actually looked like Where's Wally)

. Wearing glasses. I have no beef with my blind eye. I do not resent having to wear them.

. Ranting.

. Wearing down the heels of shoes.

. Making a mess.

. Wanting to play the ukulele.

. Buying 'old things' ,like broken film cameras and dusty books, and pretending that they're useful.

. Eating humous.

. Highlighting Bible Verses.

. Watching Gilmore Girls in various languages.

. Making my room smell of coffee.

. Putting on weight

. Reading letters

. Wanting to be Zooey Deschanel

. Laughing

. Gesticulating

. Making sweeping generalisations.

. Sitting in coffee shops pretending to have a deep, creative mind.

. Wikipediaing Musicals whilst listening to the soundtrack on spotify.

. Losing gloves.

What career/degree involves all/some of these things!??

How To Beat The January Blues: Get Organised (in a fun way!)

For the past two years I have anticipated the January Blues and bought a DodoPad. This is partly because my Januarys tend to be bursting with exams, revision schedules and rehearsals as well as to-do and to-get lists for the New Year. I have to be organised and tend to rely a lot on my paper diaries or school planners (I still can't do technology when it comes to schedules, mainly because I love the phrase 'I'll just pencil you in' and you can't 'pencil-in' on an iphone!) However, paper diaries can be so dull and intimidating with all that black and white and no space to write little notes (apart from the last couple of pages - pointless). This is where the Dodo-Pad comes in. It's fun, it's spacious, it has places to doodle, it has little boxes so you can plan your day in blocks (LOVE THIS!) and every week the page colours and fonts change, plus there's usually a silly limerick or two flouncing about. This year I went for a mini-pad seeing as half of my year won't be spent at university, so I needed a one that could fit in my handbag (or one of my excessively large coat pockets!) So far, it's continued to exceed my expectations and makes me so happy every time I write a list or 'pencil-in' and appointment. GO BUY ONE - IT'S NOT TOO LATE!