How To Survive College | Getting Organised

I have been in college nearly a year now and to be honest, it hasn't been the easiest for me. I thought I would be one of those people that loves college and makes the most of being there but it turns out I'm not...

I think a lot of what's wrong it just because I have taken lessons that I am not enjoying. Well, I'm not enjoying 2/3 of them. Although I'm not enjoying them its either because I don't like the teacher or because I'm not understanding all the new things I have to learn. But, don't let that put you off college, just make sure you take classes you enjoy. But anyway, enough about that.

This post is going to be some of the things I think you need to know to survive college. 

Here we go...

- Be organised from the beginning:
    I would recommend that you get enough folders, pens, highlighters and equipment to last you for the first year before you even start. For this I would say get a folder for each lesson and a bigger folder for all revision sources, get pens and a pencil to write with, highlighters, revision cards etc. I think this helps because you won't be overloaded with work at any point and it will all be in order. 

- Make revision cards as you go:
    A fault that I made for my GCSEs was not making revision cards until we were actually meant to be revising for the exams. So, I decided I wouldn't be making that mistake again (although I kind of have). Making revision cards from the beginning means that when it comes to end of topic tests (or any other tests)  you will be well prepared and be able to revise easily. 

- Make friends!:
    I know that for a lot of people making new friends might seem a bit daunting but if you make friends from the beginning you will find college a lot easier. When I made new friends I found out that we were all in the same boat and having friends in all my lessons definitely made them easier and seem like they go quicker. When you get to college you will find that you and all of your friends will have different timetables so making new friends means that you probably won't have to spend a study period by yourself as well. 

- Take notes:
    College definitely isn't like school. Make sure that you make notes right the way through all of your lessons because you won't always have sheets given to you and your teacher will be expecting you to learn what your taught out of lesson time too. Making notes also makes your revision cards a lot easier too. 

- Spend your study periods studying:
    I have to admit, I am not always spending all of my study periods studying but they do help when I have homework, coursework or studying that I need to do. If you spend all of your study periods just sat talking to friends you'll find that you get overloaded with work a lot easier than someone that uses their frees to work. Even if you don't have any work you need to do you can always make your revision cards so you don't have to at home. 

- Try different ways of revision:
    I know I keep talking about using revision cards but that's because that's my way of revising. If you don't work well by using revision cards then you can do other things like getting someone else to test you, past papers on the same subjects or apps such as quizzlet. Once you find the way that fits you best, revision will become easy.

- Go to teachers as soon as you get stuck (if you do):
    If you get stuck on any piece of work but don't feel confident to ask for help there and then make sure you stay behind afterwards and talk to the teacher about it. If you don't understand one thing about that lesson it's likely that someone else didn't either and that work that links will then make more sense too instead of you not understanding that either. 

- Revise for a certain amount of time a week:
    Revising for a certain amount of time a week will make your lessons all seem a bot easier because you will be able to follow what is being said a bit more. As well as this, it will make any tests that you have a bit easier to revise for because you would've already been doing it through the week.

I hope some of these tips help you get through college!

See you soon x 

My Favourite Music Right Now!

Recently, I have been listening to a lot of music.

Usually I only listen to music on my journey to and from college. However, because of having a half term I was doing a lot of travelling on coaches so was listening a bit more than usual. Additionally, just to make things a bit better, I have put my brothers old speakers in my room which makes listening even more fun. So, while I'm listening to my music I thought it would be good to post about some of the music I have been loving recently. One of two of the artists on here you might not have heard of so feel free to check them out!

1. Ed Sheeran (his whole Divide album): Ed's new album has been such a popular one to listen to recently and I have to admit, I am one of those annoying people that kept on playing it over and over again when it was first released. Some of the songs on it I'm not sure whether I really like it or not but some of them I love e.g. Supermarket Flowers and Happier.
2. Ann-Marie - Ciao Adios: I don't know what it is about this song but I just love it! I think Ann-Marie is a really good singer and whenever this song comes on I have to just turn up the volume and start singing and dancing haha.
3. David Guetta - Light my body up: I don't usually like songs that have a beginning like this but the chorus of this song just made me like it. I'm still not too keen on the beginning but still like the song and it is in my Spotify playlist. 
4. Jon Bellion - All time low: Both Jamie and I start singing and dancing to this song! It is just a really good song and although I have never listened to Jon Bellion before, I'm sure I will end up listening to more of his songs in the future. 
5. Bugzy Malone - Beauty and the Beast, M.E.N, I Suggest, Aggy Wid It: I got introduced to Bugzy Malone by Jamie and considering I don't usually listen to grime, I love Bugzy and what he produces. I would say that even if you aren't a grime person, you will like Bugzy.
6. Julia Michaels - Issues: This song has just been really catchy to me but I feel like it would be one that if you played it over and over you will end up hating it. So, to solve that problem, I just haven't played it over and over haha. 
7. Clean Bandit - Symphony: I quite like a lot of things released by Clean Bandit and I think this one would be a really good song to play in the summer as well, especially if you have any parties. 
8. Stormzy, MNEK - Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2: Again, this is another song that usually I wouldn't like but when I listening to this the whole way through I soon started to like it. 
9. Tinie Tempah - So Close: I have to admit, the only reason I listening to this song was because Bugzy was in it and I saw him posting about it on his social media. However, Tinie Tempah does always release good songs so I knew it would be a song I liked. 
10. Martin Solveig, Ina Wroldsen - Places: This would be another good song to play in the summer when you are with your friends or at/having any parties. It just makes you want to get up and dance which is always what a song like this should do.

If you decide to listen to some of these, I hope you enjoy. There is a mixture of types on music in that list (because I'm clearly not a very fussy person when it comes to music) so hopefully there is something for everyone!

See you soon x

10 Tips For Travelling

Due to doing so much travelling I thought I would post some tips for those of you that also love to travel to different places. Some of these may just be something that applies to travelling on coaches/public transport but others could be applied to any travelling situation. Being prepared when travelling is the best because you don’t have to worry about whether you have forgotten anything or whether something is going to go wrong that you could’ve prevented. So, without keeping you from reading the tips much longer I will start….

1. Pack lightly – One of the most important things that I recommend is that you pack lightly. When I say this I mean you should only pack what you have to. If there is a way of you washing your clothes then there is no need to take the same amount of clothes as days you are staying away for. If there is no way of you washing your clothes though, try taking outfits that you could wear more than once and avoid taking anything unnecessary. Also, when I am travelling I will usually take a suitcase with my clothes and a backpack to take things such as my phone, iPad, notebook etc. Even if you haven’t got a full suitcase you could put things in that you buy when away or put things from your backpack into your suitcase.
2. Take a diary – This will probably just apply to other bloggers or people who do something similar. Taking a notebook or diary away with you means that if you come up with any ideas when you are out and about you can write it down, or write the whole post or bullet points about it if you are travelling for a long period of time. But, even if you aren’t a blogger I think that carrying a diary or notebook would be a fun way to keep track of everything you are doing so that you can look back on things and remember the day and memories that you built within it.
3. Book in advance – Booking in advance could give you some of the best prices compared to buying things a week or so before. I find that by coach, if you book far enough in advance you can get trips for almost half as what they are a week before. I know sometimes it can’t be helped if you find some sort of last minute deal but that’s where my next tip could help…
4. Check all ways of travelling – I know a lot of people travel to places by train because of how much quicker you can get there. But, I would recommend that you look at all the different types of transport so that you might be able to find something cheaper. Any money that you can save will help you throughout your trip because you might be needing to pay for food, travel around the area, gifts etc. It all adds up in the end.
5. Search for discount codes – Quite a lot of the time when I am booking coaches I will Google for promotion codes and a lot of the time I find some. These can help a lot as the different percentages of discount vary and you can save quite a lot. Again, saving your money is important and even if you don’t spend your money on the trip you can always save it for another journey.
6. Find a travel partner – Travelling along can be so boring if you have nothing to do, and awkward if you end up sitting next to a stranger. So, finding a travel buddy could be the perfect way to solve these problems. If you are in a relationship you can always ask your partner to go with you but even if you aren’t, you can ask your best friend. Having a travel partner that’s your friend can also mean that you make even more memories to remember and laugh about together.
7. Take a charger – If you are travelling by plane then you’ll probably face the issue of not having anywhere to charge your phone. But if you are travelling by coach, train and sometimes just normal buses now, you should have somewhere to charge your phone. Forgetting your charger doesn’t mean it will be the end of the world but if you are early/late arriving to where you need to be you will want to let someone know and that will be hard to do without a phone that has battery.
8. Find some form of entertainment – Long journeys are the worst. But, if you have Amazon Prime, Netflix or some games your journey could seem like it went a lot faster. I usually download a tv series to watch on Netflix or a film on Amazon and my journey seems to fly by. Games can also be the same if you can find one to play offline. Other things such as Spotify can come in handy as you can listen to music just to pass the time.
9. Take pictures – Taking pictures is the best way to remember a moment. I find taking my Instax Mini 8 to places comes in handy because the pictures will instantly print and I can hand them on the line that I have hanging on my wall. If not, just taking pictures on your phone or camera can be good enough and there are plenty of apps you can download onto your phone that will get the pictures printed for a small prince. Free Prints is a good one because you can get 45 free prints a month and only pay for postage which is around £2.
10. Print/Collect your tickets as soon as possible – A lot of the time I forget to print my ticket and it will get to the morning that I am leaving and I will be rushing around trying to print the ticket. Although you could just show it on your phone or get the confirmation sent to you via text, printing it out gives you a definite space on whichever form of transport you are going on. Say if your phone died or you had no mobile data for some reason, having a printed copy of your ticket wouldn’t just leave you being stranded in a place that you don’t know.

I hope some of these tips help you and feel free to leave any other tips in the comments,

See you soon x 

Being In A Long Distance Relationship

Long distance relationships - they are never going to be easy. Just like you would in any relationship, you will have loads of obstacles being thrown your way, you'll have arguments but the distance can put even more stress while these types of things happen. 

I know many people see long distance as being such a negative thing. But truthfully, for me it is one of the best things I have 💗

Between my boyfriend and I there is 120 miles. Yes, that may not be many compared to some relationships but for us it is a long way. Neither of us can drive so we rely a lot on trains and coaches to bring us together. Also because I am in college and Jamie is in full time work, we can only see each other on the weekends or until I get holiday. Jamie and I spend a lot of time on Facetime and playing the PS4 to make being apart a bit easier but if we apart for long periods of time it definitely affects us. 

Luckily, Jamie and I get to see each other quite frequently (every 1 or 2 weeks) so being apart doesn't seem so bad. If we have any birthdays or events on both of us can usually also get there. However, when we can't make it to each others birthdays or have to go without seeing each other for a long time, we tend to get upset and a bit more agitated with things.

If you are considering getting into a long distance relationship, just make sure you're 100% sure you know what you are getting into and how hard it will be. Obviously, the feeling when you get to see your partner is the best but the times when you're apart take their toll. 

Building memories is also easy, I have plenty with Jamie and not all of them have been when we are together. Some of the best things have happened to us when we have been on a phone call or on Facetime. 

Some tips for being in a long distance relationship:

• Don't think about how long you're going to be apart for - thinking of the time you won't be together will only make you more upset. Take everyday one step at a time and make sure you keep busy, then your mind will be taken off it. 

• Arrange times to meet in advance - arranging things in advance is a very good idea. That way there is more chance of getting holiday from work (if you're working) and travel costs will also be cheaper. Last minute bookings can be quite expensive. 

• Look into different options of travel - depending on how far apart you both are, different ways of travel will be cheaper than others. I find that coaches are the cheapest and although they might take longer, you save money for you both to go out and do things. However, you might find a plane/train is faster. 

• Talk as much as possible but don't overdo it - making sure you stay in contact is vital. Obviously you can text throughout the day but having phone calls/video calls can make things a bit easier. But, don't overdo it as talking all day everyday could make you a bit argumentative with each other, we all need our own space sometimes.

• Make memories - making memories can bring you some of the best things to laugh about. When things get a bit bumpy, Jamie and I love to talk about some of our best memories to lighten up the mood and make each other laugh. Happy memories are always the best ones. 

There are so many things I could say about being in a long distance relationship and so many tips I could give you but I would be here forever. Just always remember, it isn't always easy. Things will always be thrown your way. But you CAN get through it. 

Thanks for reading,

See you soon x 

Half Term | Week 1

To kick start the first week of my half term I spent my Saturday travelling to Birmingham so that I could spend some time with my boyfriend (as you might know). Having a 4 hour journey is never fun so we just spent the rest of Saturday chilling around the house and got the pool table and darts out so had a couple of games on each. Of course, I won the darts but gave up during my one game of pool because my boyfriend was too good (typical me). 

On Sunday Jamie (my boyfriend) got his nephew and his girlfriend round so that we could all spend some time together. But once they arrived I had found out that one of my Internet friends called Emma was also in Birmingham. So instead of chilling on the really hot day it was we decided to go and meet her. After walking for what was nearly an hour, we got to the train station and just because we all have so much luck, the ticket office was closed and the machine wasn't working, we also had a 45 minute wait for the train. When the train eventually arrived, we got on the train and managed to get through all the other gates on the other side without buying a ticket.

It had been about 2 years since I last saw Emma but because of how far apart we live, it felt like so much longer. It was so nice to be able to see her again and it made my day so much better. After arriving home, we decided to spend the evening chilling and watching movies as Jamie had work the next day.

Well, I thought he did...

At 7 o'clock on Monday morning I thought Jamie was waking me up to say goodbye before he went to work. But, when I fell back to sleep, I was soon woken up again. I was so confused and just thought that Jamie was trying to annoy me. Then he explained to me that he wasn't going to work but I still needed to wake up. Now, I am not the best morning person so just wanted to go back to sleep, until he told me we were going to Drayton Manor for the day. So, I got up and ready for the fun day ahead. 

When we arrived the first ride you can see is one that goes up and drops straight back down at 50mph called Apocalypse. When Jamie and I got in I decided that should be the first one we went on, just to ease us into things... not! Throughout the day we went on all of the rides and the park wasn't too busy either which was good because we only had about a 15 minute wait for each thing we wanted to go on. I would say that the best ride of the day was probably Apocalypse as I am not too keen on loops and G-force had one that you go round slowly and then another that you go round quickly. I decided not to go on Shockwave as I wasn't keen on the idea of basically being stood up on it, but I didn't stop Jamie from going on it. All in all it was a really good day and it was nice to be spending some time out somewhere with Jamie. 

For the rest of the week, until Friday, I spent my time doing homework (which wasn't fun). On the Friday we went back down to mine so that I could be there for Easter when the little ones came over for an Easter Egg hunt and it meant that I also got to see my sister and nephew (they live quite far away so I don't get to see them as much as I would like).

When getting ready for the Easter egg hunt, Jamie and I decided that it would be good if we sellotaped some of the eggs to the roof of the shelter outside my house. Obviously the little ones wouldn't be able to reach and didn't think of looking up there either. It was so funny to watch them run under all of the eggs and not even notice. After we finished the hunt we all had a family barbecue which was nice apart from the weather was starting to get a bit chilly. 

After a long and eventful first week, Jamie and I spent 7 hours coming back to Birmingham where I will be spending the rest of this week. I don't think we will be getting up to much so I might not post about the second week of my half term. 

Thanks for reading, 

See you soon x 

Going To Birmingham For Half Term!

For this half term I decided to spend the 2 weeks in Birmingham with my boyfriend. Due to me always being in college and him being in work, we never have time for me to go up to him. Instead, he is always coming down to see me. However, when I have the time to go up and see him, I do. I say I go up just to see him but really, I love seeing his family again too because they are some of the nicest people I have ever met and after some long periods of not seeing them, it's nice to be back.

Tomorrow, at 8:30, I will be setting off on my 4 hour journey, once I arrive we will go back to his house, drop my things off and because the weather is meant to be really nice we will probably go for a walk in the park. During the weekdays, unfortunately, my boyfriend will be working but while he's there I will be planning some blog posts, doing homework and will probably watch some Netflix too. On the Friday however, because it is a bank holiday, we might be going to the zoo which will be really nice because on the same day it will mean we have been together for 14 months.

As it's Easter the following Sunday and I have younger cousins and a nephew, we are going to be coming back down to mine so that we can help out with the egg hunt. I love doing things with the younger ones in my family because they all get so excited and to have them all together at the same time is also really nice. If the weather stays nice we will probably walk to the park and play around there too.

Travelling back on the Monday will be exhausting though because it is such a short time between both journeys and the weekend will be full of things to do. After arriving back in Birmingham I will stay again for another week until the end of the half term. Leaving my boyfriend at the end of any time we spend together is always the hardest because you are never sure when you will see each other next, anything could pop up at any time and make the time you spend apart even longer. I will be doing a post about long distance relationships soon though so read that if you want to know what it is like for us, or if you're in a long distance relationship it might make things a bit easier to know that you aren't alone in feeling sad etc. 

The things that we are going to be doing aren't really definite but I will be taking my laptop with me so each day I will write a bit about what we get up to and then post it at the end of each week. There will probably also be some other posts going up as well so keep your eyes open for those! 

Thanks for reading,

See you soon x

About Me & My Blog

What better way to start off my blog than by letting you know a bit more about me and what I am going to be posting about on my blog. 

About me
Hi, my name is Georgina but most people call me Georgie so it seems a bit odd to be putting 'Georgina'. I am 17 years old and live in the UK (which has its perks, even though the weather is rubbish 99% of the time!). I am currently in college studying Sociology, Psychology and English Language which can all be very interesting to learn about. In the future I am hoping to go to university and continue studying Sociology. In my family we have 2 dogs, one of which is mine. We have a Yorkie called Barney and my dog is a Jack Russell called Lola (who is a lot of trouble). Also, I am in a long distance relationship which yes, is hard at times, but is also one of the best things to happen to me. I'm sure I will be posting a lot about us and the things we get up to... we love to travel. Some of my hobbies include; reading, working out, watching Netflix (of course) and cooking/baking. 

Why I am starting to blog
I thought that starting a blog would be a good way to keep track of all the things I get up to, the experiences I may have and to share some things about my interests/hobbies because, let's face it, I'm not going to be the only one with these interests and hobbies. Also, I think a blog would be a good way to find other people with similar interests and interact with anyone that enjoys reading my blog through social media. I know a lot of people will probably read my blog thinking 'she's only doing this to try and get big' but really, I am doing this because I love to blog and I am using this as a place to keep a diary of what I get up to. I think it will be really nice for me to be able to look back on everything in a few years time.

What will I post? 
On this blog, I will be posting about the events/places I go to and am also going to make this a blog about fashion and beauty. Occasionally there might be some more serious posts or rants about things that happen but I hope that through some of my posts people find that they can relate to me and enjoy reading. I will be trying to upload as regularly as I can but it shouldn't be too long between each post because it's a casual blog. Also, as I am 17 I think there will be so many new things that I will be experiencing that I can post about and I think this would be a really good time to start posting.

I hope you all enjoy reading my future posts. 

See you soon x