Happy Blogmas 2015! - Day 1

Hello my lovelies!

I think I've finally managed to get blogger working for me again so all the posts from the last few weeks will be going up in a block at some point this month however I've got a whole lot going on this December so I think I'm going to be treating this as a bit of a journal/diary kind of thing for Blogmas as well! Feel free to join me on a little journey through my life this month...

Mug cake! 🙊🙊 #mugcake #cream #sprinkles #chocolatechip #foodblogger #foodie #foodbliss #happy #bloggers #bblogger #lblogger #fblogger #sblogger #instafood

A photo posted by Tamsin Rebecca (@tammybecks) on Nov 30, 2015 at 4:29am PST

1st December 2015

Well today has been crazy. I had lectures as usual as it is a Tuesday, but I have so many big things coming up soon that it was incredibly hard to concentrate on what anybody was saying. These next couple of months are a huge turning point in my life and I am terrified it's all going to go topsy-turvy. I have interviews for postgraduate opportunities and I will be telling you all about them as they happen so you'll be joining me on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster this month! 

I've been doing a lot of foodie things lately but I decided I'd keep things simple with a chicken hotpot microwave meal today. Oh the glamour of student life! I am determined to use a lot more fresh foods this month though, I feel like I rely way too much on frozen things or really unhealthy foods. Yesterday I attended the Food Fest at Chester Uni and stocked up on some delicious locally produced foods. There was fresh fruit and veg and some delicious sausages. Fresh coffee beans, cupcakes, tea, jam, chutney... so much deliciousness! I treated myself to some clementines, apples, sausages and a cupcake - come on, every girl deserves a little treat when she's stressed! - so I'll be using them all over the next week or so! 

It's a workout day 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 #weightloss #fitness #workout #student #plussize #getfit #happy #healthy #bloggers #lifestyle #bblogger #lblogger #fblogger #sblogger #chester #mychesterstory #neverpostedanythinglikethisbefore #kindahatemybody

A photo posted by Tamsin Rebecca (@tammybecks) on Nov 23, 2015 at 4:56am PST

I'm so nervous for this week, I have my interview for a schools direct program and then a selection day and it's absolutely terrifying! All I've ever wanted to do is teach so I'm putting in everything I have and more to try and make my dreams come true. I think that having a goal is always good, it keeps you motivated and allows you to explore your limits. I have a whole lot of preparation still to do, even though I feel like I've done a lot already! I think I'm also going to squeeze in a little workout before I go to sleep, I've been doing a lot of home workouts lately as I think exercise is such a good stress relief. Then again, so is magazine reading!

I get to go home tomorrow so I'm super excited to see my family but for now I really ought to do some work on my interview bits and pieces so I shall see you all tomorrow for another daily chat!

Love you all!

T

xxx

Change is good

**WARNING: This is a rather ramble-y post**

Hello my lovelies!

It's been a while! But now I'm back and I have lots to tell you. Keep an eye out for lots of new posts over the next few weeks telling you all about my summer and my future plans... but first let's focus on the here and now. This year has been super tough, I don't know why but I've found everything very challenging. I've had to make a lot of hard decisions and there's been many ups and downs. However, changes and choices have me in a great place and I'm feeling very positive about the year ahead. 

If you read this earlier post, you will know that I was looking for a flat for myself. This is not what I've ended up with at all! I looked at several lovely places and did eventually settle upon a flat that came with a job, but after being messed about a lot by the company I decided to drop the job and therefore lost the flat. In a last minute scramble I have managed to secure a room in my best friends shared student house. It's not ideal, and it's certainly not what I wanted, however I think things are going to be okay. The house is lovely and I know a couple of people living there already so it should all be rather pleasant. Choosing to give up the job I had been offered was so difficult for me, many of you may not know this about me but my financial situation isn't the best. I, like many students, rely solely on my student loan and whatever savings I have. I have no overdraft which means I have to be twice as careful about my spending but I've got myself in a really good position after saving loads of my summer earnings and hopefully I'll be able to get a job during my final year in Chester. 

My grades at the end of last year left me feeling a little deflated, I know I could have done a lot better. However, rather than panicking and worrying about how to pull my grade up, I've decided to take a new approach to my learning. I have three days a week where I need to be in lectures and I shall dedicate at least 3 hours of every day each week towards further reading and study. I've been training myself to be twice as organised and I plan to follow a strict routine in order to help my brain function more efficiently. A lot of my choices regarding uni this year relate to a change in attitude and organisation. I am determined to do better than ever. 

Enough of the blahhhh though, let's focus on the happy things. I have had the best summer with some wonderful people and although I still have lots of difficult decisions to make over the next few months, I have such a great support network of friends and family that I know things are going to be okay. Mentally, I'm very stable and although I'm still having some anxiety episodes, they are no where near at the same level as they were during my first few months of university. I'm really happy with my progress and I'm learning so much about myself with each new day. 

I'm so thankful for all of you. You guys are such wonderful people and you fill me with such happiness. Every time I receive a kind email or a tweet from one of you, it reminds me that I'm not alone in the world and so many of us go through the same things in life. YOU give me hope and that's the best gift anyone could ever give. 

If you are ever having a tough time, feel free to get in touch, all of my contact details are here and you can tweet me directly @tammybecks. If you'd like to share some kind words and positivity with complete strangers, let's use #loveliesspreadthelove whether it's Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. I'll be keeping an eye out for all of you! 

I love you all very much. 

Thank you for sticking with me! 

See you again soon...

T

xxx

Freshers: Making the Choice - Be Part of It

Hello my lovelies! 

I think it's about time I did another university post. I know a lot of you guys are roughly university age (18-25) and I get a lot of questions about how I knew Chester was the uni for me so this post is going to be a bit of a tips and tricks for picking your university. Also, I'm going to tell you all about a great campaign being led by St Mary's University in Twickenham which might help you out. Choosing your university can be such a difficult thing and can be incredibly daunting, many students feel like they are pushed or rushed in to choosing, but you shouldn't have to feel that way.

Image source: http://www.transitionresourceguide.ca/sites/transitionresourceguide.ca/files/img/hero/choosing-schools.jpg

I think a very important factor when you're choosing your university is knowing what it is you're getting yourself in to. Not only knowing what the course is like, but what it's like to live and study at the university as a student. It is so important that you go and visit any university that you're thinking of going to, especially if you've already applied and are choosing your offers. St Mary's campaign 'Be part of it' encourages you to think about what factors are important to you when choosing a university. Whether it's the campus, the facilities, the location, the course or the atmosphere, you need to know it all. 

For me, the course was more important than the campus, but i still wanted to be somewhere I felt at ease. I was very focused on finding a university that felt right and offered the right support for the students and I asked pretty much every student I saw and knew the same question - 'what's it really like at uni?'

This video by St Mary's students shows you some of the things current students find important and gives you a great idea of what you should be thinking about when picking where to go. It picks up on factors that some students feel are hugely important, and others that you may not have thought about. They have a series of great videos which can be found on their website that look at some things in greater detail but this highlight video is a good starting point.

Not only do the videos encourage you to think about what you want from your uni, but they also encourage you to get involved in as much as you can once you've made your choice. They are the best years of your life and you should live them to the max. I'm a huge fan of this approach to choosing your university and I encourage you to go and check out everything on the site, even if you don't want to go to St Mary's because it's all useful stuff!

****I know it may seem to you that this post is pushing St Mary's University however, remember that I go to the University of Chester and looked at a series of universities when applying. I'm going through a similar process of choice for my post-grad studies now so this is truly all about the idea of their campaign rather than encouraging you to choose them.****

I found that applicant days and open days really helped me to make my choice. Universities will often have student ambassadors dotted about campus or students showing their accommodation and they are usually happy to honestly answer any questions that you might have. Don't be afraid to speak to students at these days, they will not be afraid to say what they truly think and will be able to give you a much more honest view of the university than any of the staff.

If you're currently in the process of choosing your university, all your key dates and information is on UCAS and I really do encourage you to check out every little detail on there as I found it to be such an incredible help when I applied. Also, if you have any worries about your application just give them a call (Undergraduate applications +44 330 3330 230) or even tweet them (@UCAS_online) they're super helpful. You can also call or email any of the universities you're thinking of with your questions and there should be someone who can help you.

St Mary's can be found at:

St Mary's Website - http://www.stmarys.ac.uk/bepartofit

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/yourstmarys

Twitter - https://twitter.com/YourStMarys

I really do encourage you to make the most of the time you have at university and make sure that where you pick is where you really want to be. if you ever have questions, I'm always open to answer, all of my social media links are in the sidebar or you can find them here. 

I love you all!

T

xxx

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, all views are that of myself and not of the brands, affiliates or companies with which this is associated.