Hello, my name is Laura Flynn and I'm a first year student at the University of Nottingham. After recently escaping the drooling application process of UCAS, I can happily say that I found a top University. All over (Thursday, 15th June 2006)As anticipated, the atmosphere was exceptionally jubilant at the beginning of this week, witnessing the whole campus easily content with lounging around, having very little to do with themselves for the first time all term. However, today I have seen a drastic turnaround. I,ve had to say goodbye to three of my housemates earlier today, and devastatingly I shed a tear, feeling utterly miserable! This is the moment when I suddenly realised it's all over! Nottingham has surrendered a magnificent temporary home this year, though it is now that I feel it has been far more than just temporary! It is not just a settlement, it is where I have lived, experienced and expressed myself over the past year.  | | Everything's okay! |
Hall life has been ultimately amazing! Offering three great meals a day, and friendly cleaners who will empty your bin and regularly clean your room, has meant leaving the profoundly comfortable and surprisingly luxurious life as a student extremely hard to give up, as I know next year I will not be so lucky! With the prospect of working behind a smoky bar, while the sun shines outside all summer is not anything to get excited about, but hopefully it will all be worth it at the end of August, since I have plans to inter-rail through eastern Europe with some friends here from University. This does of course depend entirely on how much I can scrape together from the hectic bar work, but the intention is there to see me through the long hours of hard work! Don't worry though I will happily keep you up to date with my exciting adventures over the summer period! Take care! x Party time (Monday, 12th June 2006)The Exams are over! After plenty of revision, I only sat two out of four exams due to the AUT strikes! This was such a frustrating time, since I only found out two days before the exam that it was to be cancelled, having revised expecting to actually sit it. With only completing two, the end of the exam period seemed a massive anti-climax. Still, I am glad they're over, though I have recently discovered that there will be no rescheduling of the two exams that were cancelled, and my department are only offering a 40% pass rate. This is ultimately far more frustrating, since working hard all term and putting in long hours of revision has accumulated to only just passing the modules. I do not feel that 40% is a true reflection of what I could have achieved if I had the opportunity to take the exam. The University campus has chilled out a lot more, with many students already leaving for home. The Summer Party confirmed the end of the exams, with an incredible party held on the downs with many impressive acts headlining such as Trevor Nelson and Pendulum. The party, which went on most of the day and all the way through the night, was complete with greasy burger stands, helium balloons and yes the smelly porter-loos of course. It was a very memorable night, and a fantastic party to start the summer. Last week I joined over 600 other students in Newquay's blissful sunshine for four days. Staying in a cramped caravan with seven other girls was a huge challenge, (yet good practice for next year when I will be living with six girls) but everyone was in high spirits throughout the short holiday break, spending most of the days on the beach, sunbathing and playing volleyball. The evenings were just as superb, executing all the popular clubs in Newquay, and enjoying civilised BBQs in the warm evenings. Coming away with an impressive tan, I was sad to leave, especially excited by the seven hour journey home, but we returned to another of our infamous Hugh Stu Hall parties! Again, this party was no let down! It proved very successful with outstanding performances from Judge Jules and old school DJ Luck and MC Neat. With entrance into VIP (due to my dedicated ticket selling) I happily immersed myself in the free alcohol on offer, which led to a very cheap and amazing night! There aren't many events left now, with this last week a case of winding things up in preparation to leave for home on Friday. I am beginning to realise how little time I have left to enjoy this incredible place, and am becoming increasingly woeful at the thought of going home for three whole months to earn money to pay off my substantial overdraft. Although I miss home now and then, nothing could seem as good a place to live than here thus I am regretful that this year has come to an end so quickly. Late night library sessions (Tuesday, 16th May 2006)With only a month left before University term winds up, there's an enormous mass of preparation I must fight my way through. The revision pressure is accumulating, and as usual the library is constantly packed full of students burying their heads in their books. It's quite surprising that even at midnight there can still often be a struggle to find a seat! Having just recovered from tonsillitis I am trying hard to find motivation to organise myself, when all I want to do is stay in bed and watch countless episodes of 'Friends'. However it's only two weeks left now to pull myself through, then I can immerse myself in as many episodes, and proceed to as many parties on offer as I desire! In the meantime, there's little socialising, a sufficient deprivation of alcohol, and plenty of late night sessions in the library to get excited about! Week One auditions (Sunday, 7th May 2006)This last week had been glorious in terms of the weather, though it meant it was a particularly unproductive week getting anything else done. After completing my final piece of coursework, I spent most of my time relaxing out in the sun, playing frizbie, and being positively lazy. The week got off to a great start with Bank Holiday May Day, seeing the cancellation of lectures (which is my busiest day!) and getting involved in our crazy hall activities. The human size blow up table football went down well, as teams were carved up as we all challenged each other in a competitive, but highly amusing tournament. After enjoying several pitchers of Pimms throughout the day I was nicely prepared for the Week One rep hustings, which took place later that afternoon. Myself, along with my friend Natalie united to run for the positions, where if we get it, will lead the Freshers through the hectic affairs of Freshers' week! The hustings consisted of passing of milk through a line of mouths, dunking hair in water, followed by flour to retrieve an apple (yes it was extremely messy!), swapping clothes with the opposite sex, waxing some body hair off some poor individual and running a three-legged race around the hall! It was totally immense, and utterly humiliating, but I am sure many enjoyed the performance of those of us stupid enough to sacrifice our dignity! I hope for some more sunshine this week, as it sets off a great atmosphere around campus. But it does not prove supportive of the ghastly revision, of which I have loads! Returning home (Monday, 24th April 2006)The Easter Holidays are over. After four weeks of intense family time, I am ready to return to life as a student in Nottingham! The usual home comforts have been good, with plenty of rest, food and sky, though too much MTV has proved unrewarding for the first time! To pass some of the time, and to take the pressure off the overdraft, I worked at my local zoo, promoting a train ride for the kids! And no I didn't get to feed / play with the animals as I have so frequently been asked, but the majority of the day was spent watching the animals. It was possibly the easiest and most amusing job I have yet done, and there have been many rubbish ones, with the elephants by far appearing to be my favourite, closely followed by the monkeys and giraffes. I have only just realised how much of a kid I still am! Of course there was plenty of partying and the usual catching up which I took part in over the holidays, which meant all the money I earnt working at the zoo somehow disappeared! I made a short, but splendid trip to Worcester to see some mates from Uni. It was great to see where they lived, and was treated to a legendary night out to their usual nightspots, which happen to be so similar to my standard nights out at home. Returning to Nottingham felt like returning to home, though there was massive unpacking that was required to get the room back to my high standards in comfort, things were back to normal, something which I had been desiring for, for a while! The campus seems far greener and pleasant as we are returning to the summer term… I have huge expectations for a great summer. Subsequently spirits are high, although not for long, with exams looming for the weeks ahead. I have two weeks now of final lectures, before I am plunged into my dreaded final exams! No more skirts (Sunday, 19th March 2006)The week that has just past has been most eventful. From our last formal of the term on Tuesday to St Patrick's on Friday, the week has been remarkably hectic. Wednesday at Isis saw the fashion society's splendid fashion show where two of my mates actually hosted the show. It was an exciting night with great performances including dancers and fire swingers, and of course the models were looking convincingly hot! Though the most memorable night this week, has to be St Paddy's day on Firday, where our charity organisation 'Karni' took us around Nottingham on a boisterous bar crawl, dressed in green and drinking (…well trying to on my part) some healthy Guinness. All of the bars gave some generous offers on drinks which I happily indulged in, though utterly regretted on Saturday morning when I had to participate in a hall game of netball against some ex-Hugh Stu players. Not really a wise decision from whoever organised the match to be played straight after a bar crawl, but the fresh air, and let me emphasise how fresh and cold it really was, soon woke us all up. The match, which we lost, was a complete disaster as you could imagine, since I actually fell over quite atrociously, cutting my knee and elbow! I don't think I will be wearing skirts for a while, with the state of my knees! Early retirement (Sunday, 12th March 2006)The weekends here are frequently weary and quiet as many go home, visit people, or just sleep for 48 hours! The remaining few of us still around decided to sign up to a 'ragraid' to Liverpool on Saturday. I have only been on one before this, but they are great fun, and a good way of spending a day if you're not up to much. With a shockingly early start of 7:00am, the bus ride up was merely a case of recovering from the night before at Ocean by snoozing. Our collecting charity this time was The Marie Curie Cancer Care, wearing yellow hats and selling daffodil broaches, we managed to raise a good amount of money on the streets of Liverpool. I stunned everyone when I received two £20 notes in the space of half an hour. I think it was the big bright yellow hat that did it, but I was very impressed with the generosity of many people! I got to meet up with my brother John, who is at University of Liverpool. I haven't seen him since Christmas, so it was nice to catch up with him. Though it was a brief catch up since I had to rush back to the bus to travel back to Nottingham. The huge incentive to freeze on the streets of Liverpool, collecting charity, was the journey back, where extra strong Karni cocktail is copiously consumed. I consumed so tremendously that as soon as we arrived back, I managed to find my way to bed by 9.00pm… the earliest I have ever retired to bed since I started University! University highs (Wednesday, 8th March 2006)The last two weeks have been exhaustingly busy. The most hectic experience recently was having two heavy essays tragically coinciding with each other, leaving me to organise my time efficiently… something which I haven't managed to grasp just yet! I'm sure one day I will learn not to leave everything to the last minute, but my excuse for now is; 'I work better under pressure'. Last week I had three friends from home to come and stay with me. It was great to see them, catch up and to show them where I've been living over the past seven months. I took them to experience a wild student night out in Nottingham to Oceana. With plenty of cocktails, dancing, and joking about, it was like old times. I was sad to see them go but we are all living our own lives right now, doing different things and it makes it far more enjoyable when we meet up like this. Since completing some vital essays, I felt I was due a visit home to reward myself with some pampering from the parents. My mums 'spag bol' was on top form, while I spent my weekend aimlessly absorbing Sky, something that I have dearly missed. Again it was great to catch up with people I haven't seen for a while and visit familiar places in my hometown. My journey back up to Nottingham was another exhausting experience, since travelling by train on a Sunday meant a 3-4 hour journey with an average of three changes. Forget that! Instead I opted for the National Express, which was preferable, but only just… as when I arrived, I was told it was full and would have to wait three hours for the next one. As it turned out, the miserable driver reluctantly squeezed me on, and only charged me £10, since he didn't have any change. What a result!! The Varsity football was something not to be missed. Nottingham University vs. Nottingham Trent football match managed to gain so much hype; the turn out on Monday night was immense. There was such rivalry surrounding this game, with constant chants, and cheerleaders it was hard not to get excited in the electric atmosphere. I am so proud of our lads, as we completely dominated the game, resulting in a clear win of 2-0. Following the success of the football match, everyone in high spirits, congregated to our loyal student night at Oceana. Another wicked night! Average of 58 (Monday, 20th February 2006)The return of my exam results was a daunting experience, particularly as I have been given no real feedback for what I've learnt so far. Therefore it was relieving to learn that I passed them all satisfactory with an average of 58. Although some people around me did exceptionally well, and thankfully there were no real shockers for anyone, I am pleased with how they went. Now we're into our fourth week of lectures and due to the large amounts of money having been spent on alcohol consumption over the past couple weeks, this week is going to be relatively quiet. I have numerous presentations to prepare for and two hefty essays to write, all within a two-week time scale. I am feeling quite sorry for myself, but once it's out the way I think things will seem a lot easier for me! Fingers crossed! Unfortunately, I recently found out that one of my close mates is leaving the University. It just goes to show that university life isn't for everyone and not everyone gets it right first time. It's going to be sad when we go for a meal this week, on her last night… an event that I'm not looking forward to at all, but since spending the last five months with her, we will keep very much in touch! Re-freshed? (Sunday, 12th February 2006)The partying is over, with an end to "Re-freshers" week, we are thrust straight into our lecture timetables and already I have been given deadlines for essays and dates for presentations. Although it is a shock to the system, I am grateful to have some sort of structure to my days, as opposed to staying in bed, watching episode after episode of the O.C. This last week has reminded me of the aftermath of freshers week, with everyone feeling ill, and lecture theatres congested with continuous and brutal coughing. I am fighting a destructive cold off, but with repeated late nights, my body is likely to surrender. Since the lectures have begun, the sport has thankfully resumed. I have missed some essential exercise, with consuming copious amounts of alcohol and the never-ending meals on offer in halls, the weight has inevitably been building up. Netball is now my saviour! I played for my hall on Wednesday, a day that nothing really happens on, and I will quite happily spend in bed. Our team played really well, but unfortunately lost by a two-goal difference (21-23). I still keep putting that down to the fact that the opposition umpired the whole game! Surely we were at an unfair disadvantage. It was a good game though, and did the job of some essential exercise. Tomorrow I get the pleasure of finding out how well, or how badly I've done in my exams. I am not that excited, yet I do not feel I have done particularly poor, I am still nervous to find out. With three lectures, and a seminar, tomorrow will be a very busy day to contend with. 4 out of C-14 (Tuesday, 31st January 2006)The exams are over! The past month I have dedicated myself, surrendering my entire life to the library, in fact becoming a recluse! That is now history, making a vow to avoid the library at all cost for at least a month, I am going to regain my social life and indulge in some seriously intense partying! The exams went okay I think, but to be honest I really can't tell. I will just have to wait for the results at Easter, when I have to do it all again. The first night out was on Saturday after my last exam where practically every first year participated in the famous Campus 14. "C-14" as it is also known, is a crawl to every bar on campus, including the student union's "Ark". However, pathetically I only made four of the bars, as it was such hard work to get a drink, with a huge volume of celebratory students also packed into the small bars, I just gave up! There are many more nights ahead of me though, with a great night out at Ocean last night and our first formal dinner this term tonight to look forward to. It's a great relief to have finished the exam period and get back into a routine of lectures and student night outs again! I have new exciting modules this term to get stuck into, with a new subsidiary in Ethics, replacing Classics last term. I love having the opportunity to study different courses on top of my rather diverse film and sociology degree. It was a concern for me in the beginning, that I wouldn't enjoy my course, but after completing a solid term, it is clear that I made the right decision… everything is still just as exciting as when I first arrived! Exam time (Wednesday, 18th January 2006)I'm in the thick of my exam revision, having sat my first exam on early Monday morning I have since been preparing and working hard revising for the other two, next week. The atmosphere is increasingly tense on campus, with the library constantly busy, day in day out with people's heads hanging hopelessly in their books. Surprisingly there are not many distractions surrounding me as I thought there would be, instead everyone seems to be taking their exams seriously, and holding back on the partying until after the exam period. I guess this is a good thing, as it allows me to also get my head down and revise. Although there is plenty of pressure, I don't feel a tremendous amount of stress, luckily as my exams are fairly spread out, unlike some of my friends who are certainly feeling the stress with exams tightly timetabled one after the other. Once they are over however, there will be some serious partying to be done! Pressure break (Thursday, 12th January 2006)Returning after the Christmas period was a mighty ordeal, having only less than a month ago cleared out my Uni room, I now had to bring everything back in boxes and bin liners, and attempt in a big effort to make my room look personal once again. However, once everything was in its place, I had an overwhelming feeling of relief to be back in Nottingham. While Christmas at home was lovely, after experiencing University life, home just seemed quiet and almost too predictable. Unavoidable, tedious questions asked by friends and family, slow pace of days and an impossible amount of food which you somehow manage to shovel down your throat, leaves you feeling rather strained. I guess this is what everyone experiences and is perhaps what makes Christmas, because the same events inevitably happen every year! It was great to catch up with friends and visit family though, but by tragically working hard in my local pub to earn some vital dosh meant that there were very limited hours to do anything else. With two essays to complete and plenty of revision required, a relaxing break was not on the cards, only plenty of pressure! No worries though, I've learnt the tricks of the trade… caffeine, with a copious dosage of coffee, pro-plus, and red bull to see me through! This is definitely the case as I enter into the revision period, preparing for my first exam on Monday, I am feeling pushed to the edge, anticipating a breakout of spots any day!!! One down (Thursday, 15th December 2005)With the first term tragically coming to an end, there are compulsory parties to attend. Last night was the popular student night at Isis, getting into the Christmas spirit with a continuous soundtrack of Mariah Carey's festively delightful "All I want for Christmas is you!" I now know all the words! The last week I have had stressful essay deadlines to meet, thus sadly spending more lonely time than I would wish in the library. So much so that I encountered the desperate announcement of closing time at 10:00pm! All this exertion of hard work led to a horrible cold, which I have only just recovered from. So many people here seem in a similar condition with the sharing around of Lemsips becoming a daily experience. Now it's the end of term, ahead of me lies the unfortunate business of packing up all my stuff that has cluttered my room for three months. It's going to be a big job, and one I'm not looking forward to. Over Christmas I have two essays to complete and three exams to revise for. Not only that but I have to juggle working at my local pub in order to get myself out of my horrendous overdraft, while maintaining some sort of social life. There's no prospect of a relaxing Christmas for me! Amsterdam by coach (Wednesday, 30th November 2005)Recently I have not had anything exciting to write about… until now! On Thursday I spontaneously agreed to a hall trip to Amsterdam for the weekend. Having decided I would join my friends on the ridiculously cheap trip of £70 at 6:00pm that evening, we then left at 9:00pm! Yes it was a rush, with three hours to pack, but I think the spontaneity was what made it so exciting. We travelled by coach, bringing back uncomfortable memories of long school skiing trips when I was 13 years old. This journey was not much better though, and arriving in a wet, cold Amsterdam, and a dingy hostel, made me begin to question if this was really worth it! However, the trip increasingly accelerated uphill after the rain stopped, and I learned of a beautiful, yet remarkably liberal city. The stories I heard before I came were true. My parents warned me - stay away from the 'Coffee Shops', and 'the Red Light District!' - but I couldn't go to Amsterdam and not experience the real reasons why people go! It was a completely surreal city, where it is commonplace to order a spliff with your coffee! The Red light District was worse than I imagined, a cross between a bizarre circus and a seedy movie! Thankfully not spending too long in the district full of sin, we successfully located a Dutch student club, not too dissimilar from the student nights in Nottingham! After partying hard the night before I felt a cultural trip to Anne Frank's house would seem more fulfilling than just sitting in coffee and pancake houses. While other people visited Heineken and sex museums, we felt worthy of the cultural experience. The trip was awesome; I definitely made the right decision to go! Home distractions (Wednesday, 16th November 2005)It has been well over a week since I last updated the blog… I'm sure it seems like I have been slacking! Although my excuse is reading week, being swarmed with heavy reading material, plus encountering my first, rather hectic return home. Before I left for home last week, I played in the halls netball match on Wednesday. It has been four years since I last passed a ball around a netball court, but like riding a bike, I found the skills came flooding back to me. It was surprising how well I played after so long, and as Goal Shooter, the hand-eye ball co-ordination was a little rusty, but 10 minutes into the game, I was on a roll. Although I encountered a few broken fingernails, it was worth it. I spent the majority of my reading week at home, in hope I would get more work done there than in the busy, and equally distracting environment at Uni. However, I spent most of the time watching TV, something I have dearly missed so much over the past two months. After spending four days planning I managed to complete my first essay for Sociology, only just making the 5 o'clock deadline. Being at home was strange. While it was good to see my friends and family, and sleep in my bed again, I realised it wasn't the same as being at Uni - constantly surrounded by people. My mum wasn't too pleased with the amount of washing I brought home either, particularly after discovering my cocktail soaked clothes I wore to the "Rag raid" the previous weekend, which had mould growing on them, since being left in the plastic bag for so long! Now back in the restless home of 'Robin Hood' I have been trying to catch up with the extensive reading material I should have immersed myself in during my particularly unproductive reading week. With a second essay in the pipeline, I am beginning to train myself to actually work! I hope it lasts! KARNIage (Sunday, 6th November 2005)I have made a conscious effort to cut back on going out this week, due to the unpleasant discovery of my tragic bank balance! Now living heavily in my overdraft, it seems unlikely I will see myself out of it anytime soon! So instead of following the hardcore party crowd to "Ocean", I stopped in and treated myself to a DVD. That is one good thing about living with students… everyone has a great selection of DVDs to choose from, with no price to pay for the entertainment! After a steady week, and proud to mention I have not missed one lecture yet, the weekend allowed for some hair to be let down. I signed myself up, along with some friends to join the "Ragraiders" pursuit to Leeds, organised by the hard working Karni reps in aid of raising charity! I saw 7.00am for the first time since I have been here, which was not a delightful experience, having just got in from "Ocean" Friday night, (Saturday morning) at 3.00am. I spent most of the journey up to Leeds sleeping and consuming caffeine, but once we were up there the crispy cold air soon woke me up! We began selling poppies for the Royal British Legion around the city centre and found there was a really good response! My arm is hurting today from carrying so much money in the bucket! It was a really fulfilling experience, chatting to the people of Leeds, while collecting money and having a laugh at the same time. On the coach ride back, we encountered absolute "KARNIage", contributing £5 - we immersed ourselves in a bin full of cocktail. After five cups full I was well on my way. The highlight was the cocktail fight towards the end… sorry driver your coach was fairly soaked, but probably not as much as I was! It was an awesome day, definitely worth doing again, even with the early start! As the posters say... Everything's Okay (Sunday, 30th October 2005)Finally I am writing back in my room, on my laptop! While the hall computer room served a good purpose, it has proved inconvenient these past few weeks, so am delighted to have it back. The highlight of this week was definitely the seven legged bar crawl, but there have been a few enjoyable moments during nights out with the approach to Halloween. Wednesday night... Isis displayed the first signs of Halloween with large groups such as the netball squad dressed not quite menacing but more fancy dress. However, it was not the hilarious wacky costumes that provoked attention, instead it was the slightly disturbing photo shoot of girls who lacked clothing. Bizarrely in the middle of a student club night sparked a rather tacky, yet amusing photo shoot with girls with no tops on posing for an equally unpleasant photographer. Still, student nights forever deliver wild events and on this occasion the boys were not complaining! Over the past few weeks' people have become increasingly aware of this blog, particularly at university. This could be down to the group of lads in my halls who found the picture of me (just above) with my thumbs up worth duplicating and posting up around the hall in an attempt to declare that "Everything's Okay". I am not sure whether to be embarrassed or impressed that my face appears in the most obscure places, but either way I am beginning to know more people in my halls because of it, after strangers have approached me intrigued why "Everything's Okay"!? This weekend I escaped to Sheffield to visit a friend who is there at University. Other friends from back home also came up as seven of us 'Leighton' girls conquered the big city nightlife in Sheffield, armed with high heels, wine and some crazy dance moves! After an extravagant night all seven of us piled into my friends average sized student room, where I acquired a small, hard and uncomfortable patch of floor to sleep on. No it wasn't the best night sleep I have had, as you can imagine with seven girls sprawled on a firm floor, but as students I'm learning you can't complain! Seven legs better than one? (Tuesday, 24th October 2005)Wow, I had an awesome night last night, taking part in one of the largest bar crawls Nottingham has ever seen, the "7 Legged Bar Crawl"! The bars and streets of the city were bombarded with teams outrageously dressed people tied together, attempting to manoeuvre themselves up stairs and past other equally entangled teams. With about 3, 500 people from our university taking part, the atmosphere on the streets on Nottingham was electric! After an amazing night and not getting to bed until 5.00am, I woke this morning to meet my friend from back home who took me out to lunch! It's a great treat when you're a student! It was so good to catch up with him, remembering good times from 6th form last year. Somehow though, university life just doesn't compare, it's in a completely different league to 6th form as you can imagine! With only having to attend one seminar, I had quite a pleasant, leisurely day. I really should pick up pace with the work soon, but for the time being I'm enjoying not straining myself too much, apart form when it comes to 7 legged bar crawls! Off to Brum (Sunday, 23rd October 2005)Again I am being forced to write this in our hall's naff computer room due to my laptop still being fixed! It has been well over a week now since I was last able to use the laptop and life has become incredibly inconvenient, though I am expecting a call tomorrow to inform me of the good news. This week didn't start very well with the Coc Soc incident in Ocean (read below) but developed into quite a productive one. After the first sociology presentation which I shamefully messed up, I felt I needed to retrieve some fundamental marks. This I feel I did on my second presentation for sociology, perhaps because this time I actually read the text and wasn't wrecked the night before! This weekend was the first time I left the campus, finally able to tell people I'm doing something interesting, as most people either go home, or visit friends / boyfriends etc at the weekend. I travelled to Birmingham to see a friend who is at university there and also met another friend who came down from Sheffield. It was great to see where my friends are studying, and the new friends they have made. We had an awesome night, with Birmingham not too dissimilar to Nottingham at night; ultimately I didn't feel like I was away! Feeling slightly sick (Tuesday, 18th October 2005)Unfortunately, I have been unable update my 'blog' for a few days due to recently discovering over 200 detected viruses, happily nesting in my laptop! After a frustrated phone call to the University network helpline, who told me I gained these buggers on the network, I was then informed I couldn't get it fixed until Thursday! In the meantime I have been resorting to using the Library's computers, who aren't best pleased with me after the whole 'fine incident' last week, thus keeping my head down as I walk past reception. The weekend began with a nice surprise visit from some friends from back home on Friday night. Joe, Dave and Billy came up to Nottingham from my ghetto home town of Leighton Buzzard, (near Milton Keynes) and showered me with some much missed Leighton love! We went to a bar that was in fact a converted church, called Pitcher and Piano. If you are in Nottingham, I recommend this place, with the structure of a cathedral, and the converted interior of a classy bar, you feel slightly sinful for drinking in such a place. The rest of the weekend was again a time to sleep and to catch up on some vital reading. The week ahead of me posed some important, but neglected presentations. Already we are being assessed on what we participate in our seminars, so it's quite a daunting thought, if you aren't on top of things. I encountered another fire alarm on Sunday night, though this time it wasn't a drill, instead some bright spark left the kettle on directly under the censor resulting in everyone evacuating their beds at 1.00am. With four hours of lectures and seminars on Monday, I was not thrilled! Last night (Monday), was a night I had been looking forward to for a while. It was the first 'Coc Soc' night since joining the society, and with cocktails on sale for £1 each, everyone took advantage and had a great (yet cheap) night, unless you were chucking up behind the sofa in Ocean… Yes I did see a few! Today I was not in a very good state, perhaps the worst I have been since I got here, but I wasn't alone, I heard numerous suffering in the early hours of the morning from my neighbours! After a not very impressive presentation on 'Globalization' at 11.00am, I returned to bed for the rest of the day. I don't think it's going to be a big night tonight, due to the previous destructive evening, though it is our last formal for a few weeks. I am a little sad about it, but I was running out of dresses to wear to the occasion so it could be a good thing for the time being. Morning call (Wednesday, 12th October 2005)Being woken up at 7:30am in the morning by a fire alarm was not the best start to Tuesday. Standard procedure apparently, though I'm not so sure 7:30am was an appropriate time due to most people having a heavy one at Oceana the night before. With everyone dressed in their pyjamas and slippers and feeling rather stupid, the general atmosphere was not one of amusement. After being woken, we felt a need to take advantage of the breakfast we have so frequently never made. However, the kitchen staff are quite strict on who they serve for breakie… subsequently if you are wearing a dressing gown or bed wear you aren't getting your eggs and bacon! The rest of the day was dedicated to the fashion shoot for the university's magazine (Impact). I helped to get the models ready with hair and make up and then after selecting clothes for the Victoriana theme, I added an artistic perspective with the styling and photography. Hopefully I will add the photos on here when they are chosen and edited so you all can see how well we did. I really enjoyed the day as it gave me a great insight into fashion and styling for a magazine. Today was not a particularly amazing day, firstly enduring a hefty hangover, then taking a visit to the campus library to sort out my fine. It would seem I'm famous among the library staff who seem to find my writing about the unnecessary fine… interesting! Thank you for your generous fine of a shocking £11.20. Yes, for a late return of a few hours, but still the same day due, results in £5.60 per book. How silly of me to think that I can use a student library for free. After reading only two chapters before it had to be returned, I was forced to buy the book, which in fact cost the same price as the fine itself! To save myself and the library staff the palaver in future I think I will just buy the book, then I might actually be able to read more than a chapter before having to return it. Congratulations to the individual who put enforce the 'short loan' system… you must be making a packet from us students! Library Fines (Monday, 10th October 2005)The last few days have not been that exciting. Hence I didn't feel the need to bore you with my sleeping patterns as that is what I did most of the weekend. I went to Ocean, a local student club, on Saturday night, where they promoted the evening with £500 dropping from the roof. What a result, I managed to scrounge £10, even after much light elbowing in a desperate brawl. My cousin nicely surprised me with a visit on Sunday, taking me out for lunch. He is doing law here and has invited me and some friends to join him in a club night him and a friend are organising this Wednesday. The evening should be a good turn out, potentially a good few law students to socialise with!!! Today was the beginning of the second week of lectures. Again I had four hours of lectures which was quite tiring and at times uninteresting, but I feel like I am really settling into the course now. I have an awful amount of reading to do out of my overly expensive text books and now found out today I have already incurred a library fine. I took out two books over the weekend on a short loan, and although they were due back today, I didn't return them before 10.00am. Since when do libraries have time limits to return books! I have refused to pay the stupid £8 fine and have a meeting with the library supervisor tomorrow to try and get the fine dropped. Ill let you know how I get on! More dressing up! (Wednesday, 5th October 2005)I am well into my second week now, living as a Nottingham student, and surpassing the popular Freshers Flu! After a non-stop week of partying hard, things have caught up with me, along with the rest of the population of students on this campus. There’s no escaping it as lecture theatres are increasingly pestered by noisy and consistent coughs. Every Tuesday evening, our hall is treated to a traditional formal dinner. Yesterday evening was our second formal since arrival, where everyone dresses in his or her best attire. But for most of the lads, their outfits consist of a mix match of blue trousers, black jackets and brown shoes!! If only they had some help from their mothers! Nevertheless, everyone makes an effort, as we are waited upon by our amazing catering staff for a three-course meal. It's a great event, one I will look forward to every week. After the splendid formal, our hall congregates to a student night at one of the city's clubs, Ocean. This week at Ocean held the Medic's ball, which we gatecrashed! Equally a great night out as we experienced another fancy dress party, this time courtesy of the Medical students. Today I had a bright early start to attend my first 'Classics' lecture, which is one of my subsidiary modules. We spent most of the lecture viewing scenes from the famous epic 'Spartacus'. It can only get harder, surely? Later in the afternoon I attended a meeting for the Student Magazine, 'Impact', where I was presented with the opportunity to participate in a fashion shoot this coming weekend. This is a girl's fantasy… to borrow clothes from a top high-street shop, play around with them and take photos, on location! It seems too good to be true… lets hope I do a good job! From toga to tennis (Monday, 3rd October 2005)After a wild 'Toga Party' in our halls on Friday night, I attended the University tennis trials the next morning. This was an experience in itself, but being hung over and absorbing the heavy, windy weather while stylishly trying to get the ball over the net didn't seem to impress the coaches. I was in competition with a good number of 2nd and 3rd years, not to mention the county players, so I was not surprised when I wasn't asked to play again. However, due to my early departure, I happily made it back to my halls in time for Brunch! Had I wowed the coaches with my tennis skills I would have missed it! The weekend for me consisted of a large, but well needed amount of sleep! On Saturday night we headed to the Student Union bar, called The Ark. Having to queue for 20 minutes and pay £3 to get in, I was expecting something amazing. In fact it offered no more than the average Student Union. Still it was a good night, and later we joined a party in one of the blocks in our hall. We casually chilled out until the early hours of the morning, with everyone sharing their excitement for the week ahead of lectures! Sunday was the last day of Freshers Week, so to celebrate getting through it (…only just) we attended a big bash at the Rock City/Stealth complex. Here Body Rockers and one of my favourite DJs Trevor Nelson treated us to live gigs. Bizarrely I also met Radio 1 DJ Steve Wright! As a former Nottingham student himself he seemed happy to chat to the students and reveal what an amazing time he had studying here. Bright and early 9 o'clock on Monday morning doomed the end of Freshers Week and the beginning of my lectures. I had four hours of lectures… unable to catch my breath, but instead was pushed into the lecture theatre with a pen, pad and a rather large headache! Still, this is what we are here for. After the first lecture, I began to enjoy the other three, and met some great people on my course… (potential note takers?!) I had more books to buy today, this time £40 for one book. I hope they are helpful, or a good read to get my moneys worth, though somehow I doubt it. I am beginning to miss home a bit, my friends and my family in particular, but every day I meet new and interesting people who I can share my experience with. There is a great atmosphere on the campus and everyday I remind myself how lucky I am to be here. My first... donner (Friday, 30th September 2005)Last night was again a top night. I was a bit sceptical of the title (Red, Rude and Raunchy) but as I walked into the club, which was a mob of red, I soon realised everyone adopted the same approach. These student nights are a good way of meeting new people from different halls and campuses but asking the same repetitive questions and getting the same answers is beginning to seem a tedious process. The night ended in a desperate kebab hunt, as I experienced my first 'donner' from Nottingham. Already I am living the perfect student lifestyle! After another ridiculous early start to meet my tutor from my Sociology department, I was informed of how my compulsory text books were going to cost £70 each. Until now money wasn't much of a worry, though now I can see why my dad warned me to budget for expenses like this. If all my text books are going to cost £70 each I may have a problem! After this bad and shocking news I visited the local shopping centre to lift my spirits! Possibly not the most sensible thing to do seeing as my student loan has yet to come through, but I went to buy material in preparation for tonight's party, which is a 'Toga Party' in our halls. The infamous 'Toga Party' is where everyone uses their bed sheets as Greek robes and attaches branches around their heads. The bed sheets, (which are the property of the University) are used by most people, but I intend to receive my deposit for my room at the end of the year, so invested in some cheap material instead. The weekend is approaching and hopefully offers me some sleep catch up. I have Tennis and Netball trials on Saturday and Sunday which I'm looking forward to, but am aware that the standard will be high, however I am willing to give it a go. Bikinis in September? (Thursday, 29th September 2005)This is my fourth full day living as a student at the University of Nottingham. After enduring another late night last night, this time a beach party at The Works, I dragged myself out of bed to join a weary long queue to purchase tickets for another planned student night ahead of me. I have felt increasingly exhausted but I am determined to keep it up… to live up to the average student reputation! Last night however was an amazing night. Dressed as a beach girl in a rather flimsy hula skirt (yes I was cold!), I danced in a foam party, with everyone imagining they were in Ibiza, as opposed to the windy weather of Nottingham. Boys donned their rather unfashionable Hawaiian shirts, while the girls reluctantly put on their bikinis! All in all it was a night that I won't forget. Still in the thick of Freshers Week, whilst experiencing awesome nights out, I still have to attend boring and possibly pointless library talks. Today wasn't quite as hectic as it was yesterday when I had to hunt for my subsidiary modules, again impatiently suffering long queues, yet library talks aren't anything to get excited about. Ahead of me tonight is "Red, Rude and Raunchy!" A title you may think could be advertising adult scandal… but I suspect it's another student opportunity to dress up, drink a wee bit, and a chance to meet a few new crazy cats! I will let you know how it goes!! Making Friends (Wednesday, 28th September 2005)I arrived at The University of Nottingham on Sunday, accompanied by my emotional parents, with feelings of nervousness and excitement, I discovered a campus where I would spend the next three years of my life. A daunting thought, but uncovering the beautiful campus, which is set in extensive woodland put my mind at ease. My first wander around revealed the buildings and woodland to be so attractive that I felt immensely proud to be part of it. Saying goodbye to my parents was for a short moment emotional but I soon began knocking on doors and meeting my new neighbours. I chose Nottingham as my place of study because it had the comfort of an on-campus University, yet the convenience of being only 10 minutes from the heart of the busy city. The day of arrival was spent adding personal touches to my room, as I felt a lot better once surrounded by my fluffy cushions, hair straightners and photos! The evening was a case of mingling with fellow first years in our hall bar, repeating the same questions and answers of "where are your from?", "what are you studying?", and then embarrassingly forgetting their name five minutes later! Through this unavoidable and slightly tedious experience I did however meet some great friends. The next day was equally as exhausting as I attended early talks with my departments, all of which I was late to and had to walk through rooms of already seated students. This was because I found myself lost and with a severe hangover, which grew worse as I impatiently waited in queues for registrations! It's all part of being a student I hear! In the evening the students dispatched to the city to attend a popular nightclub called Oceana. This was an awesome night. I was particularly pleased when I managed to persuade the bouncer to let myself and a couple of friends into the VIP lounge where only reps were admitted. After another late and boozy night I dragged myself to more department talks, but also visited the "Freshers Fair". Here there were masses of societies which were constantly cornering you and encouraging you to sign up to their obscure hobby. After politely dismissing certain societies I joined up with the Netball and Tennis teams and “Cock Soc" which is a society for cockTAIL lovers! Get involved is the motto here! In just three days I have met new people, joined new societies and found myself new challenges through living an independent new life. However, its not completely independent as I have three meals a day provided for me, cleaners twice a week and I only have to walk two minutes to my lectures… so really I'm living quite a cushy life, and enjoying every moment - so far! | 
