My University Survival Guide

It's gotten to the time of year where freshers has ended and you're actually getting used to living away from home and managing your own time!

Trust me I know it's a massive shock! 

As many of you know my uni experience was a bit of a roller coaster! It reached a point where I wanted to quit and that is just not in my nature! So I set myself some rules and they helped me massively... so this is my university survival guide!

1. GET INVOLVED 

    The best thing you can do is get yourself involved, join a society, pick up a sport, volunteer or take a year abroad. Most importantly take every opportunity that's thrown our way because it won't happen again and what's the worst that can happen? 

2. BE YOURSELF 

    Don't change to fit someone else's perception of what's right; be yourself and if they don't like it then it doesn't matter. There is literally thousands of other people at the uni who will! 

3. BUDGET 

    Boring one I know but my god does it help! If you budget food etc you have way more fun.

4. DON'T BE PRECIOUS 

    Don't be precious about your things, if you agree to it being communal just accept it is gone forever.

5. FIND YOUR HANGOVER CURE 

   Mine was a pint of fresh orange, a pint of water and a pinch of salt and the occasional pizza mmmmm pizza! It'll change your life I promise! 

6. SPEAK TO PEOPLE

    If you're struggling get help, speak to someone after all everyone's in the same boat. Every uni has people you can speak to whether that's staff or students! Just don't bottle it up no matter how small it is.

6. LOVE AND LIVE EVERY MINUTE

    Don't hold back who cares? Enjoy every minute it's a once in a lifetime experience and it really will be some of the best years of your life! 

Hope these helped they certainly made a huge change to my uni experience!!

Xx

Life Update- AFRICA

I have had the most amazing summer of my life, I was lucky enough to go to South Africa for 5 weeks with my university. 

I spent 4 of those weeks volunteering in an incredible orphanage in Durban and the last week having fun in the Cape.

The orphanage I volunteered in was a unit for 0-18 year olds  it was split into two departments, the baby unit 0-6 years and then the elder kids lived in age organised self contained cottages. I worked with the baby unit in the mornings and the cottages in the afternoons. 

The mornings were always jam-packed with crazy children, jumping on the trampoline and being used as a human climbing frame... tiring to say the least but we created priceless memories! 

During the children's nap time we painted the little tots outside play area with lots of fun and stimulating pictures, we also helped clean the activity centre. We got the opportunity to help with the preparation of the children's medication, this was something that became very close to my heart, there were a lot of sick children and they take a lot of medicine it was quite difficult to see, especially when you create such strong emotional bonds with the kids. 

On the first day we all decided on what age group we wanted to help with when at the cottages, I chose the middle aged girls,11-16. Each day we did a range of activities including helping them with their homework... it was heartbreaking to see such beautifully talented kids failing school because they just don't have the kind of support or equipment necessary to keep up. Don't get me wrong the Aunties (carers) do their best to help them, but the majority are actually in a worse off position than the children education wise.

After the water balloon fight... I lost

A few Presents that the money I had donated helped to buy!

There were days that were consumed by homework, trying to juggle 9 sets of different homework all at different levels was a challenge, however we had a lot of aswel, enjoying activities such as baking (BIG FAVOURITE), water balloon fights, face paints, bracelet making and much more. My personal favourite was when the girls taught me the dances and songs that they loved there was A LOT of Justin Bieber.

Down time became challenge myself time, I chucked myself out of a plane and ran off the edge of a mountain. In between that I tried an oyster, climbed Table Mountain, visited the only country within a country Lesotho or Cow country as I like to call it, too many cows too many many cows, went to Robben Island, lay on the beach (paley), stroked a Cheetah, visited the penguins, partied and thoroughly  enjoyed myself!!

Skydiving

Paragliding

Excuse the face I had just climbed Table mountain

The View from the top AMAZING!!

Cheeeeetahhhhsssssss took around 15 minutes to get this photo one very lively cat 

Penguin Beach

I really have had the best summer of my life and there is a lot of people who I need to thank for getting me there and who made it the experience it was. 

The donated money I received was spent on things that the orphanage needed, it helped pay for medicine, medical equipment, their Christmas dinner, homework supplies, games, painting supplies and the biggest hit of all KFC night. Yep KFC for 60 children...            they loved it!!

So here's a MASSIVE thank you!! 

Lots and Lots of Love to everyone

Hayley xxx