Life Update!

 

I'm coming to the end of the academic year and it's time for another life update post! It's a busy time of year at the moment being in the midst of exam season, along with some new responsibilities so I apologise if my uploading schedule is slightly unusual whilst I find a new routine.

University Updates

As I mentioned, it is currently exam season for most university students across the UK. When this post goes live, I will have completed three of my exams already with just two to go. Online exams are definitely a new experience for me as I didn't complete any alternative assessments like this last year. I think they're a great opportunity to really showcase how you can critically engage with sources you've used throughout the year. For me, all of my exams have been officially termed as 'open-book' which has been a huge relief because it's allowed me to learn a whole new way of revising and engaging with academic materials. 

I've also selected my modules for next year which is a really exciting update. I'm so glad to be dropping my language, as most of you will know I was doing Italian this year and I've worked so hard but really struggled with it. I've come to the conclusion that I just don't have a language brain, I'm but better at other things! As for new modules, I've applied to do Political Communications, Geopolitics and War, Security & Terrorism. Of course, these are subject to change if I have a clash but I'm hoping to start focusing my degree on the human geography/politics side of things. 

As a bit of a reflection for the year, I'm really proud of how I've adapted to online learning and how I've overcome some of my struggles with Italian. This year has most certainly taught me patience and determination. I know a lot of people have mixed opinions on online/hybrid learning but I have to say there's aspects of it I would love to keep for future years. As much as I love going onto campus, I also love the option to work from home, lectures work amazingly from home because in my case there's very little lecturer - student interaction in those classes anyway. Seminars I do miss being in person, because it tends to stimulate a little more discussion and actually allows people to meet each other which is something that has been lacking this year. 

I think in last years review I mentioned that I has some regrets about not joining a society, this year I made an effort to get involved with the Liberal Arts Society, this was one of my best decisions. It allowed me to meet some new people in various year groups that are also on the same course as me. It's also led to some exciting news, I'm going to be on the society committee for the next academic year as the Secretary. Two of my good friends also from Liberal Arts also have roles so it'll be a great opportunity to do more things with them. 

Lifestyle Updates

Some more exciting news is that I now have a new job, I've been applying for things for a while now because once I'm done with exams, I'm going to have all the time in the world. Not only is it nice to have an additional income, it's also nice to get some new experience and learn some new skills. So I'm now a part of the Lakeland family, working as a retail assistant four days a week. So that only gives me three days to do day-to-day things, whether thats tidying the house, getting blog posts written, seeing family and friends. It's a new kind of routine for me that I'm still getting used to so that's why I apologise in advance for any irregularities with my uploading schedule. 

I'm also in a bit of a predicament with my content niche at the moment as well, I'm getting closer and closer to 100k readers and now university is winding down for the summer, I want to use this tine to really experiment and try different posts within the lifestyle sector. As much as I still love clothes, I haven't felt as passionate when writing about it recently, I'm loving the lifestyle and general wellness niche, whether it's chatting about skincare favourites, interior design, cooking or student life insights. 

I'm working on a big blog post that should be coming towards the beginning of June, it's a review of beauty subscription boxes and that's something I've wanted to do for a while now. I'm wondering whether I could start to create short videos to go with my blogposts explaining products a little more in-depth, showing you how I use them and things like that. As always if you have any post suggestions please do let me know as I would love to hear them. 

Whilst restrictions are easing, coronavirus still exists, let's all play our part to keep our loved ones safe. Remember to observe social distancing guidelines, wear a mask and keep up to date with government legislation. 

Stay Safe xx