The Student Room have been asking freshers to submit videos for their experience at university, and I thought why not? This weeks topic is 'Hopes and expectations.' So, if you want check out my short vlog and others from The Student Room, click here!

P.s excuse how my voice sounds on recordings, it's terribly squeaky!

As I said, the video is quite short, so I couldn't exactly get all my hopes and expectations into that one video, but I thought as my final final post (I say final twice because I was sure my morning post would be the last, but I couldn't resist one more) I could tell you more about my hopes and expectations of university.

My hopes

I said my overall hope in the video, but I also hope to make plenty of new friends, fit in well, go to America, enjoy my classes. I could go on, but I basically just hope Keele doesn't disappoint. I couldn't possibly express how much I want to go to America, and I really hope I do well enough to get that opportunity, because I'd kick myself forever if I didn't do well enough.

I also hope that I can actually do the course. This sounds weird, but I feel as if it's going to be a big step up from A levels, and also I did an English Language A level and I'm going to do an English Literature degree - in my personal statement I had to really show that I had enough knowledge and interest in literature to do the degree! The independent study will be huge in comparison to about 2 pieces of coursework that I had to do 'independently' at college, so I'm hoping I'll be able to deal with the different way of studying.

Another major hope of mine is that going to university will give me more direction in life, I have ideas of what I want to do, but nothing concrete and I hope university will give me that push in the right direction.

My expectations

I said in the video how high my expectations were, and I'm the one that's harnessing this mountainous  excitement. But everyone else have caused my expectations to be so high (it's not a bad thing!), I'm realistic and well informed about the work I'll have to do but I've also been told how fantastic uni is, people keep saying to me 'Oh you will love it!' and I'm truly hoping and expecting to!

I expect freshers to be so fun, to continuously meet new people during my time at Keele and hopefully make friends that I'll stay close to for years to come.

I'm certain that every one has plenty of hopes and expectations of uni, and if you want to share them feel free to head over to The Student Room and share your feelings of being a fresher! (The link I gave above will send you to the thread, and also at the bottom of the thread gives you some information about getting involved).

MissIsGoode

Today is my last day in Cornwall! I must say that this whole summer has gone by exceedingly fast, but the last week has just dragged. I'm overloaded with boxes and bags - and I'm 100% sure I've over packed - I'm a little nervous and very excited. We have to somehow get 4 large boxes (all spilling over), one small box of books, a large bag of shoes and coat hangers, a bag of towels and linen, one suitcase of clothes, one bag of cardi's and jumpers, one of underwear and socks, and then my Mum, Dad, sister and I all in our Ford Escort. Wish us luck with that one! I'd take a picture of the commotion but I've no idea where I've packed my camera!

My last day is nothing fantastic, I'm spending the day alone! My parents are at work, my brother's with his girlfriend, my sister's at home, and my friend just had to go home after staying the night because her Mum's going away and she wouldn't have been able to get home due to the shoddy Cornish transport system. So a nice lonely day for me.

I've got my timetable for next week too! And I'm more than happy to boast my free Monday and Wednesday, and the rather easy going introductory lectures all the other days. My boyfriend was in lectures from about 11 - 5 yesterday, so I couldn't be happier that I can focus on the most important part of Freshers - drinking and making friends!

After hearing the accommodation my boyfriend's got, I envy not having a flat or a house, but I'm sure I'll enjoy my block. I've got it pretty good with such cheap accommodation, it's just the sharing that's going to bother me, I can't imagine anyone will enjoy having to keep certain foods and pans and such in their rooms, but it's all part of being a student - and better than any one being cheeky and using your things!

I'm really excited for the events, some people have told me some of their's have disappointed them, but as Keele SU just got voted the Which? 4th best in the UK it best not disappoint me!

This is likely to be one of my last posts for the next few days, I bought my Ethernet cable last minute as it was the one thing I really hadn't even thought about. If your internet connection hadn't occurred to you, I'd advise you buy a cable now! So, good luck to everyone and I'll be back as soon as possible to tell you all about my experience of Freshers!

To pay tribute to Example headlining the Keele Freshers Ball I shall leave you with the hope that 'If we don't kill ourselves, we'll be the leaders of a messed up generation'.

MissIsGoode

I've been poking around lots of blogs lately and my sister told me about Kate Takes 5, who does a Weekly Listography for everyone to share their lists on the subject at hand. This week the topic is the wisdom women have gathered over the years.

Being only 18, I can't say I have a lot of wisdom to share with you! Although, I can say what I've learnt from those dreaded teenage years!

1. As a woman you'll always have hang ups. No matter what age you are, it seems to me that every one has at least one thing they can criticise their self for. I'd love to be informed that this is truly just a hormonal teenage thing, but that's never going to be the case!

2. Secondary school is truly the best time in your life. It's when you're becoming all 'womanly' and you're wondering where your Mum got those big boobies because none of the boys seem to think yours are all that good. Also that 'I hate school' is a saying common for those teenage years that's transferred on to your French room tables as engravings that you'll one day regret.

3. The diet really doesn't start tomorrow. The body hang ups begin when you're a young lady in school and I can't think of the amount of times I decided I needed a 'diet'. But oh, as a teenager, life was just too stressful to truly ever begin one. And so I've heard, the 'diet starts tomorrow' excuse continues throughout womanhood.

4. Love isn't real when you're 14. Relevant to me anyway. I thought I was very truly in love with every boy I was with during my early teenage years, even after 1 day of a relationship. Being naive is always the case when you're young, and a broken heart can always easily be healed (especially when you're not REALLY in love).

5. Wine is a drink that tastes better with age. When I was young the adults drank wine and the children drank lemonade and Coke, now that I'm 18, the adults drink wine and I drink lemonade and Coke but with vodka, followed by beer and jagerbombs. But, wine tastes a smidgen better each year I take a curious sip at Christmas! So when I'm actually a woman, I'll surely like wine?

MissIsGoode

Strangely enough I've been reading posts on Facebook and the TSR saying how terrified people are about moving to uni, that's not the strange bit, it's weird when these people go on to say how they've yet to feel remotely excited. Personally I feel a world away from that, I can barely sit still because I'm bored of waiting around and thrilled that I've only two days to go! But with these people saying that they've yet to be excited, I'm beginning to ask myself what is there to be excited about?

Firstly, the independence, most people going to uni are entering a stage in their life when they're living away from home, cooking for themselves, in control of their own money and having no choice but to be independent. Personally I can't wait for all of this, admittedly, I'm not going to enjoy washing my own clothes (lazy I know) but obviously I'll still do it. I think independence is important for us to grow up, however mature we may think we already are.

I think one of the most exciting things is all the new people that you're going to meet. With every new thing you do in your life you're likely to meet new people, and at uni, if you don't want to be lonely you have no choice but to make new friends. I can't wait to make new friends, all the people I know who have left for uni seem to have made friends so easily with the people in their flat, house or block and I can imagine that it'll be the same for me and everyone else too.

What's also exciting is simply this new chapter in your life. Whether you're my age or older, university is there to open a door to your future, the course you do may be the specific pathway to the career you want or a way of opening many doors of opportunity.

There's plenty of reason to be nervous and scared, but think about all the people that are in the same boat as you. If you begin too feel anxious about it all, ask yourself what is there to be excited about? You're bound to think of at least one thing. Also, to those who aren't going to uni yet and beginning their applications, if you're vacillating on whether or not to, it's probably so worth it. I obviously don't know from experience yet, but I've heard so much from everyone, and I have yet to hear some one say 'It's not for me.' Of course there may be people it isn't for, but university is what you make of it, it's your new chapter so start getting excited.

MissIsGoode

As the leaving date draws closer, it's time to get serious about how I'm going to handle my student finance. If you haven't even considered doing this, do it now! Be prepared, this is the boring part of being a student.

This is a rough guide, you're likely (if you budget well) to carry over money from your previous instalment to the next. I haven't added that into my workings out because I can't predict how much of it will or won't be - when you're next instalment is just around the corner you can work out how much you've got left over, but having more money than you accounted for will be a nice surprise! (but don't lose your head, maybe keep it back for a rainy day).

If you're being loaned and granted money - or just loaned - through student finance than the first thing you should do (if you don't already know) is find out when and how much you get paid. To go straight to the site, click here.

You should be paid three instalments, for example:

(student finance will show your loan and grant - if given - separately, but I've added it together because it's easier)

24/09/2012      £2000

07/01/2013      £2000

29/04/2013      £2040*

*It's very rare that your payments will be whole figures. 

To get your weekly spending money you need to find out the cost of your accommodation and how you need to pay it (it'll be a certain percentage of the total sum for each instalment). Once you've got all that, you can work out how much you'll have for each week. It is pretty easy to do but if you need any help on how, contact me via my email address - missisgoode@gmail.com. You're likely to have between £60 - £100 more or less depending on the size of your loan/grant.

The spending of your weekly money needs to be seriously thought out. You need to buy food, and you obviously want a good time. A typical family of four spends £70 - £100 per week (this was a hard statistic to find, but the Mums on mumsnet.com continuously give this as an average) so going by that, for just one person, you definitely shouldn't be spending any more than £30 - dependent on how much you eat. When you plan a shop, always take a list and avoid any impulsive decisions to buy loads of on offer things that you really don't need. Also, I'd my advise to always put some money back as savings and then have a sensible amount for a good weekend!

MissIsGoode

Yesterday my Mum, Dad, Aunt, brother, his girlfriend and I went over to my sister's house for a special going away party for me!

I walked in and my niece shouted 'Surprise!' - it wasn't actually a surprise party, I think my niece had a bit of trouble understanding what the party was actually for, no birthday? No wedding? It must just be a surprise party. When I went into the kitchen I was greeted by this:

MissIsGoode

With all the bargain hunting I've been having to do for University, I thought I would share some of my recommendations of where to shop! 

For clothes 

Quite obviously, for a bargain, the sales are the best place to go in most of the high street shops (your choice on where). My own personal favourites may not be yours, although what I can recommend is a useful site specifically for students, called UniDays. I wouldn't advise any one shops at the places it's connected with all the time, especially if you're a money saver, but if you want a frock or some smart casual wear for the freshers ball, then it's definitely worth a look.

For books 

Amazon. The reading lists I've found on the Keele website are specific about which copy of a book you need, from it's edition to it's publication date. It'd be a real pain to go round all the charity shops hunting for the exact one you need, whereas on Amazon you can just type it in and find it. I've began to buy a few already - although I haven't actually got this years reading list (I'm going by last years which I've been told is unlikely to change). I bought mostly second hand ones, and 11 books came to a total of £55 excluding the postage and packaging, which I personally thought was pretty good.

For crockery 

If you haven't already got everything you need for University, family are the best people to turn to. I can't think of anyone in my family that doesn't have far more things in their cupboard than they actually use. Aside from that, I found Argos pretty useful! 

For Food

I've mentioned before my plan to choose the basic, value and own brand ranges in shops, and I'll also shop at places like Aldi, Asda and Lidl. They're both really cheap, but I'll try to use the farmers market at the SU as much as possible. My first shopping list for University will be:

Big bag of pasta

Big bag of rice

Big bag of spaghetti

Noodles - 10 bags

Spaghetti hoops - I'd probably have to buy the Heinz ones because the others just don't taste as good to me

Pasata & Chopped tomatoes

Meat

      - minced beef

Soup - tomato is my personal favourite and if I get the chance I may even make my own

Cheese

Bacon

Cereals

      - Granola

      - Choco pops (cheap version of Coco pops)

Milk

Obviously they'll be other things I'll want to buy and important things I've forgotten off of that list.

For Alchol

I'll be honest and say I don't as of yet know the best places to go around Keele. The SU is the obvious one, and I've heard of a place called 'Bargain Booze'  that appears to have quite cheap drinks and good offers, though doesn't sound hugely appealing. Obviously my advice is to get the info from second and third year students about cheap places to have a good night out, but that's a no brainer.

So, there's a few of my recommendations for you, the shopping list I've included, specifically the pasta, rice and spaghetti, is what I'd advise you buy if you like them. The bigger bags will make the first shop more costly, but then you won't have to buy any more for a while. Obviously for food, just look around for the bargains, and don't be drawn towards the BOGOF (buy one get one free) offers especially if you only want and can store one.

MissIsGoode

There's a lot to pack for University and to be honest some things HAVE to go, whilst others have been slung in by my Mum or other family members - I have a fair few amount of dishes and old tins for storage. I really appreciate the help and free things, but these are the most important things to me (disregarding the obvious must haves; kitchen things/clothes/bathroom items/bedding):

My treasure chest - 

MissIsGoode

I spent yesterday and today with my boyfriend as he's off to University tomorrow morning for a tiring 8 hour drive - at least he's not the one driving! I sat down in his front room at his Dad's house and his younger brother - aged 14 - turned to me and very abruptly said 'This will be the last time you ever see me.' I was a little flabbergasted by his certainty, but I asked why and his response made some sense; he explained he had made the assumption that Julius and I weren't staying together because he was too far away from me, and I was too far away from him. I explained that me and his brother were going to give it a try, rather than just give up, he seemed satisfied enough with my response to reply 'Ooh okay then, that's cool.'

We went for a day out bowling yesterday, my boyfriend's Dad managed to get four strikes in a row. He was last throughout the whole game and he needed two strikes to catch up with Julius and three to win. What are the chances?! Then he managed another one at the start of the next game. The worst thing is, he's really big headed, and the bragging continued when we went for a meal in the evening for his birthday, although the unlikeness of those four strikes didn't loose it's charm, and it was certainly impressive.

We headed back to their house and me, Julius and his brother sat down to watch 'District 9', but to be honest, Muffin - their cat - was far more cute to watch. District 9 is also a bit disgusting at some points - though it's still a good film!

Then today, as you may have guessed from the name of this post, was our last proper Cornish beach day! And where better to spend it then Sennen. Honestly, if you live or come on holiday to Cornwall, Sennen is one of the most gorgeous beaches ever, and I'd highly recommend it for at least one or more visits. I first went there last year and I wish I had gone sooner. Today was the first day I went in the sea and decided to join in the body boarding. I know it's bit late considering I've been to the beach many times this year, it's just I'm an exceptionally cold person so building myself up to go in the sea is pretty hard so I basically avoided it all Summer, which after today, seems totally ridiculous. Although that thought left my head when I was shivering uncontrollably - I must say the shower when we got back to his house was very much appreciated.

I hope every one who's off to Uni is prepared for the move - especially as many are going this weekend, and if you're also attempting a long distance relationship good luck to you and your partner!

MissIsGoode

So tonight, I said a few more goodbyes! I went for a hilarious meal with 6 lovely girls I've known for quite some time. I don't see much of some of them and after today, I realised I don't see enough of them! Worst time to come to that realisation when we're all leaving aye? It was a brilliant night, reminiscing about old school times, coming to the realisation that loads of people from our school year had or were having babies and over all had such a good laugh.

We talked about Uni too, the places we were going, types of accommodation, costs, what we had planned. All the talk got me very excited for University; Cecily and Becky are leaving this weekend, whilst me and Ana are still the only ones we know holding on until the 21st and 22nd! It's making everything seem quite daunting, how close leaving really is now. The summer's gone so fast, and I'm already planning my first holiday abroad (bar a French trip to a convent in year 7!) with my friend Beck to a Spanish festival. Talking about  holidays and university amongst friends - which I haven't really done at all - has just raised my expectations of how everything's going to be, it's made me one hundred times more excited about it all. Living away from home, making new friends, going to Spain and most of all going to America. But, today also made me very aware of how much I missed the people who were at the meal, I see Becky and Erin from time to time, but the other four girls, I barely ever see and it's a real shame, because all of them are hilarious, and the memories we have are worth meeting up to talk about. We were the loudest people in the restaurant which was something my friends and I would always be if we went for meals at the May Tree when we were still in school, so it was like old times again.

I must admit I was feeling a little nervous about the meal, about whether it'd be awkward at all because I rarely see these girls - young women (sounds so weird) - but once I got there and realised no one had changed, I felt so relaxed. We all share the same humorous memories from science classes when Becky fell into the sink, English when Ana and I paid no attention - she would draw some artistic design on my hand whilst I asserted my hatred for literature (how times change?), then there was Drama with Erin and Ana when some one flipped on a chair and broke their arm (though Drama was far too eventful to just spend one night reminiscing about) and history, PHSE and RE with Mich, Cecily and Frances - creating 'Krystal' some kind of drawn example of what women and men are pressured to do by society - when our teacher saw our drawing of 'Krystal' she was shocked that we had written about women shaving their legs, and exclaimed 'You girls shave your legs?!' (She was a real hippy). There were other hilarious and shocking things discussed that only we'll understand and hopefully be able to still laugh about in years to come.

If any of the girls that went tonight happen to read this, I must say it was a brilliant evening and a good idea to do it before we start going away. Good luck to all the girls, those going to Uni and the three staying down here! Seeing old school friends and feeling like nothing has changed is honestly an amazing feeling, it makes you appreciate them more. Having not seen Mich and Frances for a long time, we all still chatted away like we'd seen each other the day before at school! My advice to any one saying their goodbyes at this time is to get together with some people that may seem distant, and reminisce like crazy!

MissIsGoode

At the start of summer I read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. Honestly, I was sucked in right away. The plot is the main thing that makes you want to read it and read on, you want to know how everything turns out, if the separate families collide and whether reunions are happy or cataclysmic. The story is one of huge intrigue, a young doctor is left the decision of bringing up his mentally and physically able son with his female twin, a girl born with down syndrome or to send her in the arms of a young nurse to a special home and bring up the boy as an only children. The decision he makes causes the family to tumble into a world unknown, of sadness, infidelity, denial, secrets and an overall melancholy life for all but the little girl whom the young doctor - David Henry - didn't believe would survive.

As the story progresses you desperately want Doctor Henry to tell the secret, fix the family, but you also question how his wife Norah and son Paul would react to the news of a living daughter and sister, cared for by a humble nurse who just wanted to protect a rejected child who was up against the world right from her entrance into the 1960s society. The two sides to the book follow the life of the Henry's alongside the Gill's, with some intertwining of experiences and events through letters and unexpected meetings and most importantly, the lie of one man that bore the situation both families were created by. The contrast of their lives is what makes the book thrive, the girl believed to have a life not worth living is the happiest person throughout almost the entirety of the book, which is refreshing to read. Also, the decision David makes causes his and Norah's happy marriage to have a disastrous string of events dragging Paul down with them but it brings hope and happiness to the life of Caroline Gill and young Phoebe. Edwards use of irony is quite apparent - David gave Phoebe away to protect his wife from the pain that he had seen his mother experience, but caused more pain for the three of them then he could never have predicted.

The entrance of other characters throughout the story keeps it alive and refreshes the plot, such as Bree, Al, Rosemary, Jack and Robert. All of these characters are significant in their own way and make the story feel very real. The moral question of how down syndrome people should be treated in society is rife throughout Caroline's life as she brings Phoebe up, which is interesting to follow from her perspective as she fights for her daughters education, this also highlights how dislikeable David is as a character due to his decision to not even give the little girl a chance.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book. It's a fantastic read, the story doesn't become boring and you can't tire of the plot, it flows perfectly and you always know what stage in the families and children's lives you're at. You'll enjoy the blossoming of one family, whilst sympathise with and become slightly frustrated by a family that was destined to fall apart as soon as David had caused a single crack.

If you're not up for reading the book, the films on television right now on 5 USA. I've never seen it before, but I would definitely recommend the book!

MissIsGoode

I feel it's about time to talk about some of the books I like and love. I don't truly consider myself a 'bookworm', I have mentioned my distaste for literature in previous posts. That has fortunately diminished and I love to get myself stuck into a good book! I must say, some of the things I've read aren't the best of literature, but they are no 50 Shades of Grey (only going by ear that it's a terribly written book). I'll be blogging a 'Book of the day' post whenever I can as I approach university, and then I'll give you my review on the books I'm reading for my modules when I begin my courses too! So, today's book is:

Wasted by Marya Hornbacher. 

This is a book about a ten year battle with anorexia and bulimia, and unlike other memoirs or books about eating disorders, Hornbacher doesn't look for things or people to blame, she accepts - in time - the fact that she was a very unwell and mentally ill young women. Throughout her struggle, though acting tough, she recognises her cries for help which not everyone hears - eating disordered people are notoriously well-known for their denial. I can't say it's the most amazingly written book, it's raw and feels as if the editor hasn't done their job quite as well as they should have done, but I think that's part of the reality of it. Her age at the time of writing Wasted - 23 - has often been to blame for some drivel that arises. Throughout the book her arrogant, obnoxious attitude sometimes becomes frustrating but, many people - myself included - can see at least an inkling of their own behaviours and desires within her deleterious lifestyle.

The pace is perfect, you follow her life and when she refers to something earlier in the book it's easy to remember that minor detail that connects the events in her chaotic time line. It's a haunting story with victory and tragedy along the way, this makes you want to read onto that very last page and beyond - I can guarantee that most of the people that have read this didn't take long to search for Marya Hornbacher once the book had been set down, just to know how she's doing now. 

The read is, over all, gripping. I've read Wasted a fair few times, perhaps due to my intrigue into the psychology behind calamitous self-destructive behaviours, but more so because Hornbacher's story is inspirational. She pulled herself out of hard situations - which at first you don't sympathise with her for because she got herself into the situation in which her only choices were to live or die - but it's obviously not hard to see her vulnerability.

The only criticism I can give about this book is that she goes too in-depth about her disorder in places - perhaps to make her readers truly understand her pain - but this leads to dangerous tips for those like her, which I honestly don't believe were her intentions. When I say her story is inspirational, you do have to overlook certain things, like the detail she goes into, to recognise her successful recovery and that is what she in fact wants for her readers who are in the same boat. I would recommend this to those who enjoy memoirs or informative books about disorders, but don't use this book as a bible. Marya Hornbacher is a lucky survivor of two hideous disorders and she does go into great detail about how close to death she was, it's not a book of secrets, it's a deterrent.

I hope you'll look forward to more of my book reviews!

MissIsGoode

Tonight I went for a meal with a few of the bakery staff from Sainsbury's as a way to say goodbye and good luck to myself and Katie - who's also leaving for University to do Chemistry. The meal was lovely if not a bit weird - every one talks so much at work it felt as if there was little to say at the meal, but it was funny nonetheless.

All ready for a meal:

Katie and I got a lovely cake, decorated by one of the bakers wives:

MissIsGoode

As you may or may not know I've spent my summer working in Sainsbury's bakery to earn some money before University. After 10 weeks working there having barely stuck to my 22 hour contract (by that I mean they usually gave me 30 or more), today is now my last day. I've really enjoyed myself and I really feel like I've gained a lot from working there, most importantly, confidence. I'm generally a pretty shy person, I get embarrassed easily, and it's not hard to make me blush until I'm completely red in the face. However, whilst working at Sainsbury's I had no choice but to put myself in the situations I used to avoid.

At College, I never even used to order my own lunch, I'd get my friend or boyfriend to do it. I hated asking questions in class, or speaking up to answer them. But at work, customers come up to you all the time asking where things are, ingredients or details of food intolerances, if I'd get them something/enquire if we had it in stock and it didn't take me long to realise I couldn't just run away from the situation. I really liked being put in that position, just communicating with all the customers made me feel like a different person. It may sound ridiculous, but that's really how I feel. The people I served always seemed to like me, I was friendly, and tried my hardest to help them with what they needed.

I think Sainsbury's has also helped me set my self up for Uni, I feel more ready to make new friends simply because of the confidence I've gained from working there. The thing Sainsbury's has also done is demonstrate to me what a hard worker I can be. I've always been happy to go past 10 o'clock when I'm actually supposed to finish work, just to ensure I get the most important parts of the job done - most importantly disposals. This may not be a big thing to some people, but to me it is, because at my last job I phoned in sick all the time. I phoned in when I was at my friends house in Mullion and I couldn't be bothered to bus my way over to the pub I worked at in Coverack. I went to friends houses knowing I wouldn't be able to get to work on time. Bear in mind I was 15 and had that 'I don't have a care in the world' attitude. I should have definitely been more considerate towards my boss, my co-workers, and most importantly my friend Penny who got me the job in the first place, which I've never really thanked her enough for.

But at Sainsbury's I have definitely enjoyed working there and I know I've worked hard. Also, I'm proud to be part of it! 'It' being the Paralympics 2012 which Sainsbury's are the partners of. I would have loved to have gone to London to watch some of the events, or just to experience the fantastic feeling of elation that surrounds the Olympic Park. I'm incredibly jealous of all the volunteers who were really part of it, including old school friends the Batley's who will be on the One Show tonight for being two of the 70,000+ Gamesmakers. However, wearing this t-shirt is going to have to keep me satisfied:

I must say, I'm pretty happy to have this as a souvenir from work and to have been part of it! Go ParalympicsGB! I hope everyone else has got into the spirit of a summer of sport and shown support for all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

MissIsGoode

Counting down the days is often the thing that makes something appear to take longer, but right now I'm not bothered how far away or close it seems. It's exceedingly exciting either way. I have one more day of work and then a week or so to spend with my boyfriend and friends before they all start leaving. Despite how happy I am that I have an extra week, it's going to be hard when some of my friends will have already left. My closest friend, Charlie, who I mentioned in my previous post, is fortunately (for me - selfish aha) staying down here, so I can toast to past and future times with her before I leave - although I'm sure I'll drag her up to stay with me at some point.

I'm still slowly preparing myself for Uni - I'm not going to talk about my emotional preparation, I think you can all gather how I'm feeling at this point. I've been reading list after list of things to take, suggestions from other students, from the University website, but I found this list the most helpful. I've spent under £70 so far - not including any new clothes and I've managed to find some brilliant deals. In the factory shop my Mum stumbled across this bargain:

12 piece dinner set for £7! I'm very unlikely to use all of this, but if someone doesn't have anything when I'm up at Uni then I'm perfectly willing to share. That does not apply to my food though! I don't have to take it all up for this year either, I can save some for the next three years, or even keep it back for after Uni - this is me keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't all get smashed some how. Accidents do happen when sharing a kitchen with 30 people - and with drunken cooking, which I guarantee I'll attempt a few or more times.

Tesco's was the place that I found a lot of my kitchen essentials. I found a plastic jug for 35p, a roasting tin for 98p, and a sieve, grater and pyrex glass bowl, all coming in under £9, I could have probably found cheaper things, but the stuff I've got is hopefully going to last me quite some time. Argos was also a fantastic place to shop, once again I could have found cheaper things but I know the stuff I've got is good and none of it was over £10, from pans, to duvet sets and sheets.

I also bought these amazing tea towels:

MissIsGoode

With a few of my friends soon turning 19 I've been feeling exceedingly reminiscent. Around this week, seven years ago, it would be my first day of secondary school at Mullion Comprehensive, my brother would be in year ten and my sister in her final year - and at the time she was a pain in the arse to live with. I was some geeky year seven kid, long ash blonde hair, a little on the chubby side and with my two closest friends beside me - Charlie and Courtney - ready to see what trouble we could get ourselves into that year.

In my previous posts and in general I haven't really thought or talked about leaving home. I've mentioned who I'll miss, what I expect to get up to but never the actual process of leaving. I suppose this is partly because I haven't come to terms with it quite yet, but now it's only 19 days until I wake up at 4am to begin the 5 hour and 50 minute journey, with the typical arguing parents, one driving, the other giving directions...bad directions at that. So, now it's time to start coming to terms with it. Others have just over ten days before they leave, so I'm feeling a bit luckier to have the extra week.

I live in Cornwall, Porthleven so moving to Keele suits me. It's not some huge city and it's surroundings are rural. I'll miss the sea when I'm up in Keele, being right on the edge of England means it surrounds where I live and I love the scenery around here, it's just so relaxing being outside.

MissIsGoode

Without TV, I began to ponder, what could I possibly do with recreational time? (that sounds awfully sad). When I thought about it, I realised the television in my house is often white noise - when my family are all home that is, the real entertainment is the conversation in the room, tonight for instance my family and I debated rape and cold calls... separate conversations though. Ignore the dark topics of my family discussions. Anyway...

When at University, I won't have my family to have these discussions with - I'm sure one or more of the 30 something people I'm living with (I've recently discovered it's not 26, when I started talking to a girl in room 27) will be perfectly willing to have some sort of debate though. Besides that, I still have the internet to replace television - which I appear to use more anyway.

I began working through series one and two of The Walking Dead earlier this year - well actually I watched the whole of series one in a night staying up until 4am with my friend, Charlie, and towards the end of the night her rabbit died - but not because of zombies. That was pretty traumatic though. I'm waiting until October for the new series to emerge, but it best be good because the ending of series two was a disappointment. I've spent the summer working through the 7 series of Supernatural, and yes that has indeed literally taken up my whole summer, but it was worth it for him:

But for University, what do I have to rely on? Well there's Fresh Meat returning to our screens to coincide with all of us who are about to be the fresh meat of our universities. The Great British Bake Off shall inspire me. As I said earlier I've got series 3 of The Walking Dead to look forward to as well and True Blood of course. I also hear that Game of Thrones is worth a watch. Then there's the wonderful Doctor Who and there shall always, always be Friends. 

Please, feel free to criticise my choices of programmes. And also, please suggest some things for me to watch!

MissIsGoode

Food shopping - What I'll scrimp and spend on

The best possible tip I can give to myself and others is simply to shop in the evenings. Supermarkets really slash their prices in the evenings, the other day I saw 12 medium sized white soft rolls for 9p. Of course, this does mean the freezer will become a best friend of mine and for others too. Everyone knows that best before dates can always be stretched a few days more, plus even if you get a few mouldy ones, they cost less than a penny per roll!

My scrimping will most definitely be applied to carbs, I'd advise everyone to do this. Turn to the basics/value ranges for pasta, porridge, bread, rice and so on. Also, buy massive bags of certain things. These huge bags can be kept in your room and you can grab a handful and throw some in a pan or on a plate/bowl as and when you need it.

I'd advise to spend on things that remind you of home, this can be anything, such as certain meals that your parents cook you or in my case, a box of Yorkshire Tea. Nothing beats a good cup of tea! I'm going to make sure I can afford good (not some pish-posh fantastic quality though) fish and meat - I hate processed hams and such. I don't like 'trimmings' of fish, give me the whole thing. One thing to always remember when you're shopping...bacon. I'll still turn to large packs of frozen things, because as I said, the freezer will become my best friend. For any other freshers' at Keele, the farmers market that goes to the student union will come in really handy! My top advice is, avoid the ready meals, cooking your own meals will prevent the ready meal boredom blues arising - plus they're completely over priced and pretty rubbish compared to a home cooked meal. Here's an obvious note to those students reading - buy a cookbook. Also, watch out for recipes here! I'm sure I'll be able to give you more experienced advice in a few weeks time.

Home sickness

Everyone always says you should surround yourself with things that make you feel at home. My Mum decided she'd wash all my new bedding before I left so it smelt like home, right now I'm just leaving her to it (I don't even notice my bedding has a certain homely smell...?), but trust parents, I'm sure her thinking makes some sense! Also, photos are an obvious way to make you feel at home. I have plenty from the wedding this year, this being one of my favourites.

MissIsGoode