The past couple of days have been fairly uneventful. I have been concentrating a lot on getting ahead with my work since I plan to go home at the end of the week, and I have to say, I've never looked forward to a weekend more. Sure uni is great and I'm settling in loads better- its exciting meeting new people all the time, and always having stuff to do, but I miss my family loads. In fact I miss a lot about home.
I think in some ways, when people say uni is like a holiday, they're not far out. It's true obviously you have to do some work (even in first year!), but the sheer amount of activities there are, means you're running about all over the place 24/7. Being at a city uni (Manchester) also means not only are there loads of things going on at uni, but further, all over the city too. In fact, my first thought when looking around the university campuses was that they were exactly like Butlins. There was your swimming pool, the gym, the social activities, all within a two mile radius. Its great but holidays aren't meant to last for weeks on end, and by the time I get this far into the semester (3 whole weeks), I'm completely run off my feet and just want to hibernate for a month or so. So reason number two why I can't wait to get back home is that I can just sleep with no interruptions- no one knocking on my door asking how to turn the oven on or whether I've seen their lost pair of pants!
That leads me perfectly on to my next point- personal space. At home, I'm used to being able to lock myself in my room for hours on end if I want to. My room was my own space- my parents respected that, and let me get on with my own thing if I needed to. Uni however is incredibly intense. Its generally expected that you spend all your time socialising with other people- it becomes incomprehensible if you actually choose to spend time alone- even if its to sleep! In first semester that was great- never a dull moment. Now however, the novelty has worn away. Making conversation every minute of every day becomes tiring, sometimes I have to admit, I do take my dinner up to my room, or have a nap in the middle of the day, simply just to give my mind a rest. Living with people your own age is great but, in first year especially, its very demanding. Coming home brings me back to some peace and quiet.
All in all, I appear to sound extremely negative about uni at the moment- thats completely not the case. I love the lifestyle and freedom of university- being away from home does however make you miss all the things you took for granted. It is nice to go back to that haven where I can just be my moody old self again!
Sunday 21 February 2016
Friday 19 February 2016
A new-found respect for primary school
Update is a little later than usual, since I've had an insanely busy week this week. A while ago, I applied with for a job with 'The Tutor Trust', a charity set up in Manchester that works with local schools to try and close the attainment gap within students from different backgrounds. This week I had all my formal training- learning how to be a tutor.
This first night was an introduction- some of us, me included, had had no experience working with children before, or indeed of having that responsibility of supporting their education. The first night then, was spent going through the basics, including safeguarding- which to be honest was a lot stricter than I ever could have imagined. It was a long night all in all, but they were all very engaging speakers- and the free wine didn't hurt!
The second day was, again, another long one- I have to say I don't think I've had a six hour day since my GCSEs, which was now 3 years ago- awful when you put it like that really! This day was a lot more specific- focussing on actually creating tutoring sessions. Once more, it was slightly unnerving, with an emphasis on learning objectives, learning outcomes, kinaesthetic learning - I had no idea primary teachers put such a huge amount of planning into their lessons- primary teachers, they do the easy stuff don't they? Well, that's exactly why I chose primary tuition as opposed to secondary- I won't lie! The following training session however, proved me completely wrong. Looking through the curriculum, there are words I have never seen before, let alone understand. As for the activities- I'm not sure I appreciated just how complex times tables could actually be- no wonder I found it hard then if I can't understand it now!
So, over the past few days, I've learned so much more than simply how to be patient with children and teaching them things I assumed I already knew. I have a new-found appreciation for the education system - both the teachers and especially the pupils. Currently part way through my undergrad degree, I've looked back on primary school without a second thought, dismissing it as easy- even wishing I was back there again. But actually it turns out it was nowhere near as easy as I thought, mind you if I haven't remembered it now- does that beg the question if it was really worth it?
This first night was an introduction- some of us, me included, had had no experience working with children before, or indeed of having that responsibility of supporting their education. The first night then, was spent going through the basics, including safeguarding- which to be honest was a lot stricter than I ever could have imagined. It was a long night all in all, but they were all very engaging speakers- and the free wine didn't hurt!
The second day was, again, another long one- I have to say I don't think I've had a six hour day since my GCSEs, which was now 3 years ago- awful when you put it like that really! This day was a lot more specific- focussing on actually creating tutoring sessions. Once more, it was slightly unnerving, with an emphasis on learning objectives, learning outcomes, kinaesthetic learning - I had no idea primary teachers put such a huge amount of planning into their lessons- primary teachers, they do the easy stuff don't they? Well, that's exactly why I chose primary tuition as opposed to secondary- I won't lie! The following training session however, proved me completely wrong. Looking through the curriculum, there are words I have never seen before, let alone understand. As for the activities- I'm not sure I appreciated just how complex times tables could actually be- no wonder I found it hard then if I can't understand it now!
So, over the past few days, I've learned so much more than simply how to be patient with children and teaching them things I assumed I already knew. I have a new-found appreciation for the education system - both the teachers and especially the pupils. Currently part way through my undergrad degree, I've looked back on primary school without a second thought, dismissing it as easy- even wishing I was back there again. But actually it turns out it was nowhere near as easy as I thought, mind you if I haven't remembered it now- does that beg the question if it was really worth it?
Tuesday 9 February 2016
Are we all guilty of not truly caring for our hair?
So yesterday, I made the terrible decision of not blow-drying and straightening my hair properly before going to bed. It was late.. I was tired... and I really regret it today. Having a 9am lecture meant I had to choose between that valuable extra half hour's sleep or organising my hair into some sort of acceptable style. Needless to say.. in questions such as these, my bed triumphs every time.
On the bus this morning then, I became very aware, being incredibly self-conscious of my own look, of everyone else's hairstyles. There was some frizzy, some straight, some up and some laced with incredibly blinding colours. I began to wonder at the sheer variety and noticed just how your hairstyle can completely change your look and, to a certain extent, define your character. For me, I definitely aim for that straight, sleek and shiny look, reflecting perhaps my OCD with regards to neatness and tidiness- or perhaps it is just because I have not yet been able to get that 'messy-sheek' look that I have tried so often, without looking like I've had an electric shock. I have to say, the straight, careful appearance is an awful lot easier to obtain than the 'scruffy, couldn't care less' one. So what are my tips to staying away from frizz and maintaining a strong shine?
1. Heat. Despite the fact we are all told not to touch any form of heat-styler with a barge pole, it is necessary if you harbour such a frizzy and untamed mess as I do. Provided you use an essential heat protection, my favourite being TRESemmé Care & Protect Heat Defence Styling Spray, and maintain a distance between your blow-dryer and your hair, or use the lowest setting on the straighteners for example, heat should not cause much of a problem.
2. Never go to bed with wet hair. We are all guilty of having a quick shower before bed and then hitting the sheets before thoroughly drying our hair, but not only does this have immediate effects the next day, but it could also damage your hair in the long run. Moving around on your pillow will create a static between the strands of your hair. Rubbing the individual strands against one another as you move, creates friction and will wear away at them. Even better would be if you could plait your hair or weave it into a style that protects the majority of the strands before going to bed.
3. Use a comb. The urge to drag a brush through your hair when you just need to get rid of a few of those knotty tangles in the morning can be overwhelming. However, all that achieves is pulling the hair with unreasonable force, rendering it weaker at the roots, or even succeeding in tearing out the knot by actually breaking the hair. A far better solution would be to use a comb in order to gently tease out the knots, or even using your fingers to separate the individual strands. In you have particularly knotty hair, perhaps consider investing in a de-tangling conditioner, and comb through your hair while it is wet in the shower.
4. Lastly, a key tip that I'm sure many of you have already heard of, is to change your parting regularly. Not only will that give you a fresh look every couple of months, but further wearing your parting in the same place weakens the hair attached at the roots. If this hair becomes weaker, it is more likely to fall out earlier.
These are some of the methods I use to keep my hair looking better for longer. After all, hair seems to be something we all take for granted, yet if we don't maintain it properly, we'll only realise when its too late!
On the bus this morning then, I became very aware, being incredibly self-conscious of my own look, of everyone else's hairstyles. There was some frizzy, some straight, some up and some laced with incredibly blinding colours. I began to wonder at the sheer variety and noticed just how your hairstyle can completely change your look and, to a certain extent, define your character. For me, I definitely aim for that straight, sleek and shiny look, reflecting perhaps my OCD with regards to neatness and tidiness- or perhaps it is just because I have not yet been able to get that 'messy-sheek' look that I have tried so often, without looking like I've had an electric shock. I have to say, the straight, careful appearance is an awful lot easier to obtain than the 'scruffy, couldn't care less' one. So what are my tips to staying away from frizz and maintaining a strong shine?
1. Heat. Despite the fact we are all told not to touch any form of heat-styler with a barge pole, it is necessary if you harbour such a frizzy and untamed mess as I do. Provided you use an essential heat protection, my favourite being TRESemmé Care & Protect Heat Defence Styling Spray, and maintain a distance between your blow-dryer and your hair, or use the lowest setting on the straighteners for example, heat should not cause much of a problem.
2. Never go to bed with wet hair. We are all guilty of having a quick shower before bed and then hitting the sheets before thoroughly drying our hair, but not only does this have immediate effects the next day, but it could also damage your hair in the long run. Moving around on your pillow will create a static between the strands of your hair. Rubbing the individual strands against one another as you move, creates friction and will wear away at them. Even better would be if you could plait your hair or weave it into a style that protects the majority of the strands before going to bed.
3. Use a comb. The urge to drag a brush through your hair when you just need to get rid of a few of those knotty tangles in the morning can be overwhelming. However, all that achieves is pulling the hair with unreasonable force, rendering it weaker at the roots, or even succeeding in tearing out the knot by actually breaking the hair. A far better solution would be to use a comb in order to gently tease out the knots, or even using your fingers to separate the individual strands. In you have particularly knotty hair, perhaps consider investing in a de-tangling conditioner, and comb through your hair while it is wet in the shower.
4. Lastly, a key tip that I'm sure many of you have already heard of, is to change your parting regularly. Not only will that give you a fresh look every couple of months, but further wearing your parting in the same place weakens the hair attached at the roots. If this hair becomes weaker, it is more likely to fall out earlier.
These are some of the methods I use to keep my hair looking better for longer. After all, hair seems to be something we all take for granted, yet if we don't maintain it properly, we'll only realise when its too late!
Wednesday 3 February 2016
The Puzzle of Individuality
I have just finished reading a popular French short story ('Un Boule de Suif') as part of my French work. If you haven't heard of it before, its about society's condemnation and judgement of prostitutes during the late 1800s, the one in the story termed 'Boule de Suif', literally meaning 'a ball of fat.' Boule de Suif, throughout the story is ultimately used by the so-called aristocratic people and then tossed aside and treated with contempt once she could no longer be of use. This completely reverses all common ideas we have of the class system, so I thought it would be interesting to consider society's judgemental attitudes towards others and how this is a fault or an error we have not really evolved away from. It was present in the 1800s, and arguably it is even more present now.
We seem to be very extreme today with our prejudices. Everyone, we feel, has to belong to some sort of clique, and the way they express themselves determines exactly which one they belong to. There is no room anymore to be individual, since even being individual is a clique itself! As every aspect of our personality is linked, i.e. the way we dress suggests how we might act, or what we do with our spare time, there is not really any room to be your own person, we all become prototypes of one idea or another. People therefore have a tendency to notice one aspect of you and, wrongly, assume all the others. A teenage smoker, for example, may be viewed as rebellious and unconcerned about their future. This after all is the way our minds work, we like to see patterns and come up with logical resolutions. Can we really limit people, however, to some sort of logical code, where everything follow a certain pattern?
I'm at University. The primary time when people learn to develop the personality they want to have, and learn to express that personality. Every day there is such a vast range of appearances and personalities that I come across, despite everyone belonging to the same age group. If there's one thing the past few months have taught me, its that appearance and self-expression does not directly correlate to the personality underneath. The problem is, everyone just wants an easy way of working people out. I disagree when people say you shouldn't judge others. Judging is an essential part of human nature, we need to judge to form opinions, and if we don't form opinions we become passive beings who merely pass through life. So I think the problem in the 1800s and equally today, is people being limited by these judgements. It is fine to judge and even to make assumptions up to a certain point, so long as you are ready to adapt and even overthrow these preliminary thoughts once you have more knowledge.
People are not straight-edged and so cannot fit into a box. I think its true that there is not much that's original these days, perhaps no one has a trait that is truly original, one that hasn't been seen in anyone in the world before, but that doesn't stop us from being individual. We are all different collections of these unoriginal pieces. Okay, so we reuse the same bits, but who is to say that different puzzles can't be put together with the same pieces?
We seem to be very extreme today with our prejudices. Everyone, we feel, has to belong to some sort of clique, and the way they express themselves determines exactly which one they belong to. There is no room anymore to be individual, since even being individual is a clique itself! As every aspect of our personality is linked, i.e. the way we dress suggests how we might act, or what we do with our spare time, there is not really any room to be your own person, we all become prototypes of one idea or another. People therefore have a tendency to notice one aspect of you and, wrongly, assume all the others. A teenage smoker, for example, may be viewed as rebellious and unconcerned about their future. This after all is the way our minds work, we like to see patterns and come up with logical resolutions. Can we really limit people, however, to some sort of logical code, where everything follow a certain pattern?
I'm at University. The primary time when people learn to develop the personality they want to have, and learn to express that personality. Every day there is such a vast range of appearances and personalities that I come across, despite everyone belonging to the same age group. If there's one thing the past few months have taught me, its that appearance and self-expression does not directly correlate to the personality underneath. The problem is, everyone just wants an easy way of working people out. I disagree when people say you shouldn't judge others. Judging is an essential part of human nature, we need to judge to form opinions, and if we don't form opinions we become passive beings who merely pass through life. So I think the problem in the 1800s and equally today, is people being limited by these judgements. It is fine to judge and even to make assumptions up to a certain point, so long as you are ready to adapt and even overthrow these preliminary thoughts once you have more knowledge.
People are not straight-edged and so cannot fit into a box. I think its true that there is not much that's original these days, perhaps no one has a trait that is truly original, one that hasn't been seen in anyone in the world before, but that doesn't stop us from being individual. We are all different collections of these unoriginal pieces. Okay, so we reuse the same bits, but who is to say that different puzzles can't be put together with the same pieces?
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