STUDENT COOKBOOK: - SAUSAGE CASSEROLE AND HOMEMADE CHIPS

So this is the first in my STUDENT COOKBOOK series. I understand how daunting it can be choosing what to eat, how to cook it and wondering if you have enough money when you're no longer living at home. That is where I step in!

Having lived the student lifestyle for a year now I have learnt many things about food, freezing and budgeting and I aim to share some tips with you!

All of the ideas and recipe's that I share are my own creations and ideas and so if you have any questions, feel free to comment below or tweet me - @itsstudentsense

Let's get started!

SAUSAGE CASSEROLE AND HOMEMADE CHIPS - makes two maybe three servings

You will need:

Passata - one carton
Baked Beans - one tin
An onion (chopped) - medium
Sausages (cut into small pieces) - six
Vegetable stock cube - one
Salt and pepper to taste
Potatoes (cut into chip-like pieces)
Vegetable oil

Tin Foil
A baking tray
Two medium sized saucepans
A wooden spoon
_________________________________________________________________________________

FIRSTLY
Brown off the sausage pieces and onion in a pan with a little oil.

NEXT
Add the tin of baked beans, the passata and the vegetable stock cube.

STIR ON A MEDIUM HEAT

NOW
Boil the potatoes until soft in a medium pan of water and preheat the oven to 180/200 degrees.

THEN
Put tin foil over your baking tray and cover with a bit of oil.

AFTER
Drain the potatoes, remove from pan and put on the baking tray ensuring that they're coated in oil. Season with salt and pepper and put them into the oven.

TAKE THE POTATOES OUT OF THE OVEN AFTER 15 MINUTES OR WHEN BROWNED AND CHIP-LIKE.

NOW SERVE.

TRUST ME, IT'S DELICIOUS AND SO CHEAP!

It's student sense.

Love, Miss Indecisive Xx

FRESHERS' FLU

A common occurrence during the first term at university is the dreaded Freshers' Flu. Whilst at university you are subjected to hundreds of different people from different parts of the country - or even the world; that like to breathe, cough, cuddle and share food and drink with you.

This is great, until you start getting a sore throat, having night sweats, headaches, runny nose, sneezing etc.

As well as mixing with different people, your first term at university is usually where you learn to shop and cook for yourself. This means that most of the time you are not getting your '5 a day' and you are not drinking enough water. Your diet consists mainly of Pasta and Tesco Value Vodka.. right?

Here are my 5 Top Tips to combating the deadly Freshers' Flu:-

1) WATER - without trying to sound like an old woman, get drinking the water! After a night of drinking alcohol your body is dehydrated and it's important that you re hydrate it! Also, drinking and peeing more regularly will help to get rid of any nastiness in your system!
(In my first term at university, I found that Sambuca shots helped my sore throat. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be encouraging this but well yano, you want the honest truth.. right?)

2) ALDI  - This supermarket is a lifesaver! I have been known to feed myself for 10 days, good wholesome meals for under £10! It's a common thought among students that eating good food is expensive - IT'S NOT! Every few weeks Aldi sell 6 different fruits and vegetables for a BARGAIN price, they call it their Super Six. It's a good way of getting a variety of fruits and vegetables at an affordable price!

3) REGISTER AT YOUR UNIVERSITY DOCTOR - It is recommended that if you've moved to a different part of the country to go to university, you should register at your university doctors. Personally, I hate the doctors or anything even a little bit medical but I have found this service invaluable. It's not scary to register either, just walk in, fill out a form and book an appointment if you want one! Simple.

4) WRAP UP WARM - There is nothing worse than being cold so...layer up! Put on your woolliest jumper and a coat and you'll be better in no time! Being cold can so quickly turn into having a chest infection and nobody wants that so do what your mother says and put a hat on!!

5) If you've done everything mentioned above and you are still no better there's only one thing for it:- VITAMIN DRINKS. TABLETS. LEMSIP. HONEY. BED. Take a few days off.. it'll stop the spread of your germs too!

It's Student Sense,

Love Miss Indecisive Xx

Procrastination.

So this summer I have had nothing to do and so I wrote lists of things I'd like to do. It is now Autumn and I haven't finished any of them due to being distracted and what not.

I wanted to:
- design and make a Slipknot bodysuit. I bought the body suit and drew up a vague design and that's about as far as it's got.
- Finish my Elvis painting that I started 4 years ago. (Truth be told it only came out of the wardrobe to take the photo)
- Finish my pastel interpretation of The Scream to give to a friend before he goes to uni. He's at uni and the piece hasn't been touched since I started it last year.
- Create a feminist canvas for my new kitchen.

This is how far I've got with all of them:-

I started a blog as a way of showing myself that I can complete on going projects. I'm a super organised person and always, always make lists but getting things done is another story. If I'm like this with hobbies then I dread to think what I can use to procrastinate with when trying to start back at Uni!


Anybody got any tips on procrastination?

It's student sense... right?

Love, Miss Indecisive xx

HERE TO HELP 04: - OUT OF HOME AND INTO HALLS

We have reached September and may I take this first opportunity to congratulate everybody that got into University this year! So.. many first year students will be moving out of home and into halls or student houses for the first time this month and I'm answering some FAQ's to help put your mind at ease!


I'M WORRIED ABOUT MAKING FRIENDS, HELP?
A lot of people are worried about making friends once they get to university. The main thing to remember is that everybody is in the same boat and just as worried as you are! When your parents have left and you're sat in your new room on your own it can be very scary - especially if you're not a very confident person. Put on a smile and knock on a few of the doors in your flat, go into the kitchen to make a cup of tea or even offer to help your other flatmates move in! Take some biscuits with you as they're a great way to make friends - who's going to turn down a free biscuit?! Food is always a winner! You have to remember that these people know nothing about you and you have to make a good first impression, just be yourself and you will find so many people will want to be your friend.

Your university will have a Fresher's planner/timetable to get you involved in as many activities and societies as possible, these are a great way to make friends! Don't worry about going to these things on your own, there will always be somebody to talk to - even if it is the person running the activity.

WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE MY FLATMATES?
In my first year at University I didn't get on or see my flatmates that much and this is where I had to go out and actively find new friends. It was hard at first because all of the people I knew from my sixth form were becoming besties with their flat mates and mine, well.. it just wasn't working out! Firstly, don't judge your flatmates straight away - yes first impressions count for a lot but everybody is nervous and you have to give them a second chance and see if things improve, you're not going to get along with everybody you meet but you do have to live with these people! Secondly, whether you like your flat mates or not, knock on the doors of other flats, invite them out with you, introduce yourself! Finally, there are plenty of people on your course that you will meet in due course, so don't stress! In your first year and throughout university, you meet lots and lots of people, I'm sure you'll find lots that you get on with!!


HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN I GET THERE?
Your university should have some halls reps or even fresher's reps around on moving in day for all of your queries and questions! There should be a timetable online for the first week, take a peek before you go! Also, once you've met your flat mates maybe you could all go together and then bond over a cheeky Nando's later on?


I'VE HEARD THAT FRESHER'S WEEK IS EXPENSIVE, I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY.
Don't worry! Not every body has a million pounds to spend in Fresher's Week ( I certainly didn't). I'd say the best thing to do is to look online for the shops that sell alcohol the cheapest and grab a bit before you go, that way you will have something to drink at 'pre drinks' and it won't cost you a fortune from the Student Union shop! (Also, if you drink enough at pre drinks you can get away with only buying one drink at the club!) You will only be going to student clubs during Fresher's week anyway and so drinks will not be too expensive!

Clubs and societies usually charge for you to join but it's only a small sum of money and membership does normally last a year!

Finally, make sure you check out the Fresher's fair! Every uni will have one and places such as Domino's will more than likely be thrusting millions of vouchers into your hand!

WILL I BE FORCED TO DRINK A LOT?
This was something I was worried about when starting university, I'd heard horror stories of friends' bad experiences of Fresher's week and I'd never really drank alcohol before starting university. Now, I know the stereotype for students is to drink and sleep all the time but I didn't find that people were particularly forceful. There is obviously drinking games and chants but at university everybody is at the age where they can respect your decisions to not drink or not smoke- whatever the case may be! Just a simple 'no, I'm ok thank you' will be fine and enough to stop you doing anything you don't want to!

IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO GET A JOB IN MY FIRST YEAR?
I always thought that a job may not be the best thing for my first year as I didn't want to alienate myself from things going on because I HAD to go to work however, I knew people that did have a job and they made lots more friends because of it. I personally didn't but I had a lot of 'contact hours' at university so a job would have been unsuitable. If you are struggling for money then yes by all means, get a job. There will be loads around - in the student union, bars, clubs, promoting, everything! I guess it's personal preference, but please remember.. you are paying £9000 for your tuition, don't waste it for a part time job because you 'had to work last night until 3am'.

If you have any more questions that you would like me to answer on my blog or a personal opinion, feel free to email me or leave a comment and I shall be sure to respond as soon as I can.

Have fun, good luck and see you soon!

It's student sense.

Love, Miss Indecisive Xx

Whittard of Chelsea

Ever since I was little I’ve visited the Whittard of Chelsea Factory Outlet shop with my parents. As a small child it was amazing, every little box and packet was so pretty and the best part of all – there was tasters around every corner! Ok so I was little and probably didn’t like most of the things that I tried but hey I thought I was very sophisticated by doing it!

I should probably explain what the shop sells. It has a range of teas, coffees, hot chocolates basically any kind of hot drink I guess. Now I STILL love this shop and I can’t walk past without having to go in (I will link the website at the end). All of the products that I have tried, I’ve loved! So here they are;

Whittard of Chelsea Luxury Hot Chocolate...

I’m not always keen on hot chocolate and I have to be in a certain mood, but this you can’t go wrong.. a little pricey but definitely worth it.

Turkish Apple...

I actually bought this product at a student shopping event – wow how student-like buying ‘posh’ tea.. NOT. It was on offer and I’d never tried it before so I thought I’d experiment. As with all the Whittard granulated teas like this, you can have them hot or cold and from my experience, they’re perfect both ways! Hot before bed or cold in the daytime as an alternative to cordial.

Dreamtime Tea...

Cranberry and Raspberry...

Royal Albert Hall Tea Bags...

I’ve not tried these but I had to include them because I HAVE purchased them previously. This probably sounds a little strange but I actually bought them for a friend as an anonymous present to turn up at his door. I don’t think he’s actually tried them, just keeping them as a little keepsake I guess (he now knows I was the secret present buyer) but I couldn’t resist a little gift to put a smile on somebody’s face who I care about dearly, from one of my favourite shops!

Now these are about £5 each but they last a long time and you've got to treat yourself every once in a while... right?

It’s student sense.

Love, Miss Indecisive Xx



((This is just my opinion, I have not been asked to promote these items in any way))

HERE TO HELP 03: - RESULTS DAY AND CLEARING

So we're approaching A Level results day and I must say it was one of the scariest days of my life so far. I thought I'd share with you some tips about how to deal with the day and getting your results.

KEEP CALM
So you will wake up in the morning (or perhaps you won't have slept), you will be frantically checking UCAS and refreshing your email to see if anything has changed about your application. You have to try and keep calm. Rushing around on that morning will not do you any favours at all. It's a stressful day not only for you but for your parents too so try and keep your cool!

BE SELFISH
Ok so if you're hoping to go to university, you should know exactly where you want to go and what you want to study. Only you know where you will be happy and nobody can tell you otherwise. If you get to school on results day and you find that you don't have the grades you want DON'T PANIC there will be people around to help you. There is a UCAS advice line and of course your teachers - they want you to succeed too! One thing I would say, don't worry about your friends. If you don't have the grades you want, don't worry about staying around, speaking to your friends, saying thank you to teachers. GET HOME AND GET IT SORTED. Your friends will understand, I promise! Even if you don't speak to them for the whole day or ask them how they did!

DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT YOU WANT
It's very easy when going through clearing to lose sight of why you wanted to go to university in the first place. From personal experience, I found that going home and speaking to my parents whilst looking through the newspaper and online an emotional roller coaster and it's very easy to become distracted by different suggestions. It's true that you don't HAVE to go to uni that year, you could try a different course, you could get an apprenticeship or a job, but if you want to go to uni then don't lose sight of that.

DON'T BE SCARED
It's very easy to feel isolated on results day, you feel as if maybe you're the only person in the whole country to have not got the grades you worked so hard for. Don't be afraid to talk to people, to ring universities - even if you can see you haven't met their requirements, they might say yes! Also, don't be afraid to talk to people that have been in this situation before; try people in the year above, teachers, parents, family members, people online, if they've been through it then I can guarantee 99% of them will be willing to help in the best way they can! Universities are really understanding on results day, if you're unsure about a course or a place, ring them. Visit them. Ask them. It can't do any harm! They want to help you make the best decision you can and they're there to help!

DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT
When calling a university to ask for a place tell them everything! Try and build a rapport with the person on the other end of the phone. Truth be told they've probably heard a million and one people crying down the phone before you so don't worry about just showing your personality! If you have 40000 A*'s at GCSE, TELL THEM! If you help out at an old people's home in between school, TELL THEM! Whether you're a street dancing champion or you've just dabbled in a bit of ballet, it's worth telling them anyway..right? It shows you have a lot more to your personality than just a few letters on a piece of paper, they get to understand you as a person. They understand that you're nervous and upset but this is your time to show the university who you really are.

MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION
It can all be very daunting trying to think on the spot about what you want to do with your next few years but don't be swayed into something you're not passionate about because it will only end up backfiring on you! If you don't know what to do, if you've asked everyone you know, take some time out and have a walk, have some time to yourself and come back to it later on! Thousands of students around the country will be doing exactly the same thing!

FINALLY.. DON'T GIVE UP
It's never too late to do something about it! My advice would be to force yourself to look through the clearing places straight away even though you may not feel up to it. If you don't find a place suitable for you then don't worry, I tried for up to 3 weeks after results day to get a place at university, I rang lots of places every day. So if you don't get a place on results day, don't panic!

There are always options, there are always people around to help!

It's student sense.

Love, Miss Indecisive xx




UCAS Helpline:- 0808 100 8000

HERE TO HELP 02: - Choosing a degree and University

Throughout the UCAS process I was as indecisive as ever and thought about doing many subjects. My personal statement wasn’t difficult to write as I’d done and was doing so many things with my time, the difficult part was choosing the course. Eventually, I thought of a way to aid my decisions – order as many university prospectuses as the post man would deliver and go through them crossing out which courses I DEFINITELY didn’t want to do or my subject choice wasn’t quite qualified for. I hoped that this way my interests would come out and I would narrow down the bazillions of choices I had in front of me.

I visited many universities on open days and made an opinion about them almost straight away. I had a kind of university snobbery and I only wanted to attend the elite to get my degree.  I wanted people and future employers to look at me and my CV, raise an eyebrow and be surprised as to where I graduated from. I finally decided on my course, after a long narrowing down process and many online quizzes, I decided what my favourite subjects were and combined them to decide my degree - Economics. I was not at the time interested in what I considered to be Economics – ie. The 2008 Financial Crisis that flooded the media, in fact I turned it off or changed the conversation when Economics was even slightly involved but nevertheless I continued with my decision.

I also had found the institutions I wanted to study, two of them were old polytechnic universities of which I had no intention of going to but I chose them as I was told to ‘pick some for safety’.

I really, really, really wanted to go to University One, when I visited I loved the city, the university and the way it was laid out, I loved how pretty it was and I knew that I would do well there. Unfortunately they didn’t make me an offer and so I had to become more excited about another University on my list.

The next was University Two , the day I visited, I stepped out of the car, turned to my then boyfriend who was next to me and said ‘this is it, I love it’. And I did, I loved it more than University One, I loved the people, the setting, the countryside, the layout, I loved everything about the place and University campus and I knew it was the place I wanted to be for the next 3 years of my life and my degree.

I visited University Three and loved the course and the academia of it all.

I visited University Four (one of my safety choices) and discarded it almost instantly as it felt to me like a sixth form college as opposed to a University.

Finally, I visited University Five (my other safety choice) and I hated it, as soon as I arrived I could see why it would appeal to some people but not me, no way. I had to keep it as a backup though. I visited more times to see if my mind would change but it just didn’t, I didn’t like the feel of the place, nor the people that I met, nor the reputation the institution had (cue university snobbery), and I certainly didn’t like how close it was to home.

When it came to choosing my top two universities ( firm and insurance choices) I had to ponder over it a lot and I changed my mind many times (Surprise surprise!). I guess the reputation of the two institutions played a big part in my decision. I soon decided that I wouldn’t get the grades needed to attend University One and I changed my choices to having just University Two as my firm choice. I didn’t want an insurance choice as by this point I thought ‘if I don’t get the grades to go to University Two, I don’t want to go anywhere’. Also, the only other institutions I had to choose from were ones I knew from the very pit of my stomach I definitely did not want to attend, just the thought of going to University Four or Five to read Economics made me feel nauseous. 

The story ends where I had to go through clearing, I am still studying Economics but I had to reapply to University Five. The thing is I didn’t intend to study here but I’ve had a wonderful first year, I’ve met many people and I love my course.

My advice would be to follow your heart, when you find a course you’re interested in, read around the subject a little find out what parts of it you’re interested in, seek advice from past students and don’t be scared to email the university! They’re there to help you! Go to all of the open days, get a feel for the place and ASK THE STUDENT AMBASSADORS, they know more than anybody what it’s like to study at their university and they will be totally and completely honest – they know how hard the decision is and they don’t care about admissions numbers, they’re just there to add a few quid to their drinking pot and help everybody out along the way! 

I hope reading my journey has helped, leave a comment if you have any questions!

It's student sense. 

Love, Miss Indecisive xx