Proud to be British

2012 is most definitely a year to remember for Great Britain, not only does it mark the end of the Aztec Calendar but also the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games.

If you had told me five months ago, as I counted down the chimes of Big Ben to the start of the new year, that the following twelve months were set to contain days that I would remember and cherish for the rest of my life - I probably wouldn't have believed you. Yes, I knew that the Olympics would be great for the country and yes I was looking forward to the extra bank holiday we would all receive to celebrate sixty years of HRH Elizabeth II on the throne. But what I was not prepared for was the great sense of pride I have felt for my country over the last month.

As a student at the University of Exeter, I have been lucky enough to take part in celebrations for both of these national events. Earlier this month the Queen paid a visit to the University as part of her tour of the country and to open The Forum - a new and versatile building at the heart of the Streatham campus.

                                                         The University eagerly awaited the arrival of Her Majesty.

It wasn't until the night before the 'big day' that I realised I was actually quite excited about the arrival of the Queen, but when the day arrived I found myself eagerly waiting for an hour and a half on campus to try and catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Unfortunately, at a respectable 5'2" - I am not a tall person. So, when the car drove down towards the forum I was just able to see the royal flag waving from the roof of the car.

As the crowds began to disperse I felt incredibly disappointed, which caught me by surprise - it wasn't until this point that I was aware of quite how patriotic I was: I had loved seeing a sea of Union Jacks waving to welcome the royal pair and the loud cheers that followed the car as it drove around campus brought a huge smile to my face.

However, my disappointment was short lived. As I began to walk across campus towards the Student bar, my house mate, who was acting as a steward for the day told me to wait where I was because the Queen would be arriving at that spot in the following ten minutes - well you know what they say, it's not what you know; it's who you know! So I took this advice, and sure enough ten minutes later the royal car drove by.

I wasn't prepared for the awe I felt as her majesty drove past the few of us stood on the pavement and waved to each of us. Queen Elizabeth is a figure I have always been aware of - I see her face on a daily basis when paying for food and clothes, and often see her appear on the evening news. However, seeing her in person was such a different experience. I suddenly became incredibly happy and had the biggest smile on my face. Although only one lady, the excitement and joy that her presence sparked on campus that day was incredible - even the weather paid it's respects by becoming incredibly hot and sunny only moments before she arrived!

The day continued to only get better. I was able to enjoy the hot sun whilst listening to University Choirs sing and perform and was able to watch the Queen leave the University.

                                                                               Highlights of an incredible day.


Following the visit it was on into the Forum and again, I was amazed. I had heard a great deal about the project through numerous emails and word of mouth, but despite this I was still not expecting to be quite so impressed. To sweeten the deal even further, we were provided with free cup cakes and ice cream - and anyone that knows me is well aware that when supplied with free food I am a very happy girl!

                                                                         THIS is the way to get to my heart!


The royal visit really was a great day and lifted everyone's spirits, a much needed boost for many during exam season! I have always thought that countries such as America are far more patriotic of their country than Great Britain is, and this is something I have often envied. But today - as I walked about Exeter with one of my best friends whilst sharing an ice cream and enjoying the celebrations that had been put on for the Olympic torch - I looked around me and saw a real community. Everyone was smiling, laughing and having fun: Union Jacks were being waved left, right and centre and faces painted red white and blue proved to be a popular choice.

I guess that's what it means to be patriotic - to love your country and the place in which you live. Well this month, I can say I could not have enjoyed my stay in Exeter more and as the country continues to celebrate its great events  over the coming months I will cherish every moment so that I can one day tell my grand children of the many wonderful events our country put on, just as my Grandparents tell me of the 'golden days' when they were young.

                                                                                    Flying the flag with pride!

Family Reunions Cue a Quick Reality Check

One of my favourite things to do is getting dressed up for an evening out. Don't get me wrong, if I wanted to I could easily get myself ready in under fifteen minutes, and for a nineteen year old 'girly' girl I think this is quite impressive! However, there is nothing more I enjoy more than taking several hours over my hair and make up after planned my outfit and shoes more than a week in advance!

Therefore, this weekend in which my family celebrated my Grandma's 80th birthday was a fantastic couple of days. Not only did I enjoy spending quality time with relatives I see once a year, but also I got to enjoy wonderful food and dress up! 

My brother and I, suited up for dinner

However, something I did inevitably have to deal with (considering most I hadn't seen a lot of my family for the past six months), was the dreaded question: 'So what are the plans for the future?'. I, like many other second University students do not have a clue. I know there are many things I would like to do with my life, but sadly the likelihood of many of these ambitions relies upon luck above talent and achievement. 

When trying to express these worries, I felt it was often assumed that my lack of direction was down to my choice of degree. I am a proud Drama student and fully embrace the fact that I will graduate with many 'transferable skills', as I am often reminded by my lecturers. However, as much as I love my course, and would not change it for the world, I do often wish that it could take me directly into a job and therefore I wouldn't have to worry about what I will be doing with my life in twelve months time. But such is life, and being a determined and conscious person, I have set about hunting down work experience for the summer - who knew that would be so difficult!

For the past few weeks I have been seeking away writing, emailing and applying to a great range of outlets. However, to my horror a number of these work placements involve me paying them! We are always being told that experience is invaluable when searching for 'proper jobs' and I fully intend to secure myself with such experience. However, I do think that asking students to pay for this is unacceptable. Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to work for free in order to develop and learn, and most importantly, work out what it is I enjoy doing most. However, I feel that requesting payment from hopeful students, like myself, is discouraging, and will put many off seeking experience prior to applying for jobs. 

Having said this, there are also a number of placements who have been highly helpful during the application process and now my summer is quickly becoming rather manic! There was me hoping to spend my days topping up my tan in the back garden (although, looking out the window right now I am feeling fairly pessimistic towards the arrival of our summer sun). Instead, I will be working away and thoroughly enjoying myself! I think what I find most exciting is that, following the variety of experience I now have lined up - I may actually know what I want to do when starting my final year in September. 

However, I am only nineteen and my working career will be at least fifty years. What I am coming round to is that I have so much time to decide what I want to do with my life. Up until now, I have always been so driven and determined to reach the top of everything I do - I will carry this attitude with me into which ever career path I choose to take, but what I am learning is that I have time to get there, and do not need to reach the pinnacle of my career in the next few years!

So for now, I will enjoy my summer of work experience, but more importantly enjoy the last few months of being a teenager and the better things in life (the three f's!): friendship, food and fun!

An Attempt to be Productive on a Rainy Day

It seems that since coming back from Uni, I can't bring myself to spend a day doing absolutely nothing. Once my favourite past time, I can no longer lounge around in my pyjamas all day watching Disney videos (that's right, video - for me, it's the only way my childhood cartoons can be enjoyed) with a tub of ice cream and the mountain of chocolate I have remaining from Easter. But, regrettably, I seem to be no longer able to have a date with my duvet and sofa without being plagued with guilt!

                                                         What was once a favourite past time, is now nothing more

                                                                                           than a mere memory :(

Now for anyone who knows me, I don't do things by halves. So when it was apparent that the weather today would be unable to decide whether it was going to be sunny, stormy or even pelt down a tonne of hail - I made the decision it was time for a productive day.

9.30am, when any other normal person on their holidays would still be hours away from waking up, there I was   up and raring to go. Not only this, but I was ready and raring to go whilst already at the gym, having already arrived fifteen minutes previously. Now don't get me wrong, I am far from being a fitness enthusiast, but when I do exercise I do exercise, AND makes sure everyone hears about it afterwards ;) But I will save you all the gory details!

Following my fitness kick I was feeling rather virtuous so thought that I was entitled to a bit of television with my guilty pleasure, which is Neighbours. Now I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but I absolutely adore this show, from the Australian accents, to the constant sunshine, to the array of handsome young men they have on screen - often topless (well it is hot out there after all!). So a little date in with neighbours was, to me, a perfectly valid and justified point to check off my To Do list today!

Now, even though it is the holidays my ever so wonderful University knew that no break away from campus is complete without 6000 words to write, joy. But today was my productive day so I cracked on and got down to my essay. However it got me thinking, why are essays so incredibly dull and soul destroying to write? I love writing (hence my blogging!) and yet, when writing essays, the minutes seem to drag by and I have to forcibly remove myself from Facebook and Twitter on countless occasions. Hey ho! I guess that's the way things go!

To top off all of my productiveness I thought it was time for a bit more fresh air so took my beautiful goldie, Mia, out for a trot around the village before getting back home to start devising secret birthday plans for a very special person's 21st next week. I'm the kind of person who gets so excited about surprises and just wants to let everyone know what I am doing - but I am going to be strict with myself and will not reveal anything of my plans until next week! What I can promise though, because I am enjoying writing these so much, is that there will be a blog to follow!

                                                                   My gorgeous girl

So who knows what tomorrow brings, what I do know is that it sadly will not be a duvet day with my favourite Disney characters (which are Belle, Hercules and Woody - just in case you were wondering!) For now that's all I have, but promise to scribble more soon! XXX

First Timer: What to Expect and My New Founded View on Holidays

Okay, exciting times are upon us and I am now writing my first ever blog!

First things first, I am a Drama student and before you start mocking - yes it is a real degree.. I hope to work in radio after graduating next year, but if I'm honest it's all just getting a little bit scary; who knew that University would go by so quickly?

                                                                      So you have a face behind the scribblings :)

So what is it I am going to be blogging about I hear you ask. Well the answer to that is a mix of things really! I am very interested in the theatre and am about to start writing my own play based on Carol Anne Duffy's poetry collection 'The World's Wife', so I will be keeping you all up to date with that and any other anecdotes that may arise from my days.

However, the main point of these blogs is to show you life 'Through the Eyes of a Student' - see what I did there? Personally, I have found myself looking at things very differently since starting life as a student - be that becoming an expert in procrastination, or getting buy one get one free on cereal becoming the highlight of my week. I promise I am more interesting than I sound right now! So, if you are a student and want to share in my wonderful thoughts on Uni life - or are a graduate wanting to relive the 'glory days' or still at school and looking forward to living away from home, then I think you might like what I have in store for you - no innuendo intended :).

So for the last two weeks I have been able to enjoy the luxury of being back at home for the Easter Holidays.

Holidays now have a completely different meaning to me; they once meant a time period where I would watch as much daytime television as I wanted, whilst being coaxed into daily chores of washing up and ironing. But now they are like a four week paradise in which the fridge is always full, I no longer have to wash my clothes or decide what to eat for dinner and most importantly I can enjoy lie ins again!

                                                          A full cupboard is always a great welcome home present!

There is this myth that all uni students do is lie in bed all day - now don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is untrue. Unfortunately, I am a busy bee while I am studying so don't have time for this luxury :(. However, since starting my holidays I have become the Sleep Queen and have perfected the lie in routine down to a tee!

There are of course things I do miss about Uni life while I am at home - it is no longer acceptable to leave my mess lying around the house, and if I fancy a sneaky binge on the tub of Ben and Jerry's in the freezer then I have to sneak about the house like a ninja so that I am not caught and accused of gluttony.

But if I am honest, this is all fine by me because for a short period of time I am reunited with my family. I am very much a home girl and love my family to bits - they support me in everything I do and don't mock my degree too much! So, my new view on holidays? They've always been pretty good and a nice break away from school - but now they really are a God send: a time to catch up with home friends, eat as much as I want, sleep in and most importantly get some home loving TLC.

Thanks for reading and I will be scribbling down more very soon! XXX