Accommodation thoughts...

Hi everyone! 

Hope you've all had a good week, this weeks post is as promised all about accommodation in particular these three bullet points:

• First year and how living in halls was for me
• What I think are the benefits of living in halls
• Tips for those of you that are thinking about living in student accommodation

Let's start this off with my experience of living in halls. So my thoughts were similar to most people who are heading off to uni "living in halls will be great, I'll have amazing flat mates" "I'll never be lonely or bored" etc. Just FYI this post is going to give you a very negative view of living in halls at first but I promise keep reading and you'll realise why I'm being so honest, it gets better is all I'll say.. 

I moved into my flat, I was the first one there which was difficult enough it felt like I was waiting a lifetime for my next flat mate to arrive, she arrived that evening and wasn't exactly welcoming or friendly. She sat in her room and barely came out and this was exactly how she carried on throughout the next couple of months. The next day my other three flat mates moved in, one was so lovely at first we got ready and went out to the first freshers event that night, this is actually the night I met one of my closest friends I've made at university, still to this day we are such good friends. After this everything kind of went briefly downhill in the living department(just to clarify university itself, the course, friends I'd met outside of my flat was all brilliant). My flat mates bar one were not as nice as they seemed and made it difficult to be in the flat, I wont lie it wasn't a good experience. 

HOWEVER...

The team at reception were brilliant, they managed to get me another room in a different flat within a week or two, I moved in just before Christmas break started and that changed my whole living experience. My new flat mates were so friendly and I got on so well with all of them as soon as I moved in, it made everything so much easier having a relaxed, welcoming living environment. 

I think the reason behind all of this is because I was put into a flat where they all had similar interests and I just didn't 'fit' into those interests.

Benefits.. 

• Being independent, not relying on my parents at first was hard but I am so thankful for this now. 
• Meeting new people, although my experience wasn't great first off, I ended up meeting some really great people in the end. 
• Managing work loads, not only having to manage my university assignments but I also had a part time job whilst I was in first year. 

I really did learn a lot from living in halls of residence for my first year and although it wasn't my cup of tea to live in student housing for my second year(I commute) I am so glad I lived in Bedford for a year. I would never have met some of the friends I have now otherwise and I feel like the experience wouldn't have been nearly as good. 

These are some pictures of the halls in Bedford. 

A few tips I would give those of you thinking about moving into student housing or halls of residence for your first year at university:

1. Meet your housemates if you're choosing to live in a student house, there is nothing worse than being stuck living with people you don't get on with and it would be ten times harder in student housing as you don't have people in the same situation next door. 
2. In terms of halls, if there are options to choose the type of flat mates you want to live with i.e. loud, quiet, party people etc.. do so. Make sure you're being honest with yourself and not just picking the party flats because you think thats what uni is all about.
3. Visit the halls/house you're going to apply for. Make sure its convenient for you and has everything you need/want in and around it there's nothing worse than applying for accommodation and then getting there to realise its not at all what you wanted. 

I hope this post has informed some of you into how to make a decision about accommodation, its a scary decision to make so just be sure that you're making the right one. 

Until next time, 

M. 

May... Already?

Hi everyone, hope alls well!

I cannot believe it's May today, that means so many different things, two weeks until uni is completely finished, six weeks till I go on holiday, two months till my birthday.. So many exciting things!

I have had a fairly chilled week really, well apart from Monday. I'll explain, hang on....
Monday we arrived home from a weekend away in London, watching and supporting the London marathon. Got home and thought I had better go and get my poster printed ready for hand in on Wednesday.. Could I find anywhere willing to print it? No I couldn't! It was an absolute nightmare, I was ringing around every printing related company I could find online and also driving from printing shop to printing shop after being directed by the previous shop owner. This was so utterly frustrating because of finished my poster and got t exactly how I waned it but nowhere would print it and if they would it was going to cost around £40 which is absolutely ridiculous!
In the end I managed to get somewhere with a company I found online, I had to upload my poster file onto their website and then purchase a poster size to go with it(nightmare) I then had to wait as they said it would be next day delivery, however it got to about 4pm and I was worrying slightly as by this time it was Tuesday and my poster needed to be in Bedford for 11am the next morning. I ended up having to go and collect the poser myself only to find them all sitting around doing nothing which annoyed me even more obviously. I mean I know it all worked out in the end but far too much hassle took place for such a simple task.. I don't know!
The poster was handed in on the Wednesdays morning and thank god it was, I genuinely think that's been my most stressful assignment yet, even though it was one of the most exciting/simple assignments in my opinion!

Friday I had my second week of placement with years 5&6 which was really interesting yet again! I've been asked to focus on supporting two student innparticular who seem to struggle more than the rest of the class which I am really enjoying. It's nice to be trusted by the teacher and also to get to know the children better than usual perhaps. They're such a great bunch they really are, majority of the children are so great to work with and I've really learnt a lot from them too in terms of gaining their attention, and how to create a good bond with them. It's so refreshing to have children respecting me even though I'm not a teacher.

The weekend is full of work this time, unfortunately not another trip to London... Boo! Then it's my presentation for my poster next week and hopefully I'll have finished my webfolio by the end of next week so I should have a lot to tell you in that post! Oh I'm also going to be discussing accommodation next week, so the whole halls thing, student housing etc.!

Until next time,

M.