Salford Varsity and SUBC 50

   Last Saturday saw the annual boat race take place at Salford Quays between our university boat teams and Manchester's. It's one of the most hyped about events for the university, and its safe to say that we were all pretty nervous when it came round.     Despite plenty of training and early mornings we weren't fortunate enough to win due to the strength of the Manchester crews, but it has made us all the more determined to train even harder to ensure our victory next year. It was still a huge event for the university, and it was lovely to see the amount of people who had come to support us, even though the weather was appalling and there was very little shelter! It definitely reminded us that despite being the underdog university we work incredibly hard, and can only keep striving to achieve what we know we're capable of.    The evening brought with the annual rowing ball, which was particularly important this year as it was the celebration of our club having been running for 50 years. I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but it was a spectacular night and I'm incredibly grateful to have gone. It was a very formal event, and everyone looked incredible, and it definitely made a pleasant change to seeing everyone half asleep in their training gear at 6:30 in the morning! It was an opportunity for us all to celebrate how hard we've all trained over the past nine months, as well as to be able to give something back to the club. It also reminded us of how far we've all come, particularly us freshers, as many of us only started rowing in September, but it's such a huge part of our lives now.     Throughout the night there were various awards, allowing our captains to reward us for all our efforts. I was fortunate enough to get a gift for being part of the senior women's WeHORR crew last month, which is an event I will never forget, for both good and bad reasons!     It's safe to say it was emotional having to say goodbye to a lot of the crew who we've become so close to as they are now graduating, but we all know they'll be there with the supporters at the varsity next year! It was a day and night full of reflection on how far we've come, which is actually a pretty scary thought! It's crazy how huge a part of my life rowing has become, but I definitely wouldn't have it any other way.

Rowing Christmas Dinner

   So yesterday saw both the Fresher and Senior rowing teams unite for the Rowing Club Christmas Dinner. After a pretty successful first few months for all four teams, we decided it was time to let our hair down and celebrate together. Our meal was booked at the Slug and Lettuce, somewhere I've never been before, so I was looking forward to trying somewhere new!
   We'd already preordered from the christmas menu, which made the whole event a lot more straightforward. I chose to order Camembert for my starter, turkey for my main, and chocolate and amaretto cheesecake for my dessert. We'd got a special offer on bottles of wine, which allowed us to have 15 bottles between our four tables for £6 each. For someone who's never been a big wine fan I ended up having a whole bottle to myself! They also had cocktails on a buy one get one free offer, so Ruth and I paired up and shared the cost of the cocktails between us. We ended up having 5 each... They were lush though! I find in a lot of restaurants that the cocktails aren't presented nicely or they're not blended properly, but the Slug and Lettuce definitely know how to make cocktails! My favourite cocktail by far was a Merry Cherry - a limited edition Christmas cocktail. It was made up of Absolute Cherrys, Disaronno and Coca-Cola, and came served in a Christmas bauble! I definitely recommend you get one if you're ever in a Slug and Lettuce around Christmas, it's a classic cocktail and the bauble is just such a cute way of serving it!
   The food itself was also really good, especially bearing in mind that they were producing it for a lot of us! The only thing that I was disappointed with was the fact it was fried Camembert, rather than one big one served with lots of bread to dip in! However, given the size of our group that would have been rather expensive to produce, so I can understand why they went for the more simplistic way of serving it... It certainly made me feel festive, as it hasn't really felt like December much this month! Being altogether eating turkey, drinking, pulling crackers and wearing paper crowns just made it feel much more special and much more like Christmas was coming!
   After the meal we went to Revolution on Deansgate to properly relax and dance off all the food we'd just eaten! We all began to sober up pretty quickly, as we'd started drinking so early, which was properly a good thing on behalf of all of our livers! It was raining and being typical Manchester weather, but overall it was an amazing evening, and the perfect way to celebrate a first semester for us new rowers! We've all improved so much over the past few months, and we've become like a little family, particularly since bonding with the seniors. I know that next semester we'll continue to become a stronger team, and I can't wait to race again and to have another rowing social.

White Rose Head 2014

   Yesterday saw me in my second rowing race, the White Rose Head 2014. I was ridiculously excited to be racing again, because despite injuring myself in my first one, the adrenaline rush and the atmosphere of a race is absolutely incredible. Once again, we were up at 6am to meet everyone at 7am and set off for York. Instead of going in cars, this time we had a minibus, and I think more or less everyone slept on the journey there! Despite the fact we all had hundreds of layers on it still didn't keep us warm, it was absolutely freezing! All any of us wanted to do was get set up, on the water and race as quickly as possible.
   Despite being freshers, we were racing as seniors, due to the fact we had our captain, Ciara, in our boat, and York know from last year that she's a senior. However, Ciara said we shouldn't let this put us off as she would compare our time with the other freshers instead. When we began rigging up BSE it all started to go wrong. In order to split her on Friday night to go on the trailer, the footplate at number 4 had to be removed and then put back on after she'd been split. However, when the footplate had been reattached it hadn't been tightened as securely as it should have been. This meant that when she was on the trailer travelling to York the vibrations had caused the footplate to come loose and it had fallen off. Obviously you can't row when you're missing a footplate... There was absolutely no way we were going to be able to race at 10:30am as we were supposed to, and despite hunting for a spare footplate there weren't any as they're not really something you tend to carry around with you. Therefore, Ellen and Frankie went on a hunt to borrow a boat we could use, as there was no way we could race with BSE. It's safe to say it was a very stressful and hectic morning, none of us knew what was happening! Ellen and Frankie couldn't find us a boat to allow us to race in Division 1, but they could get us one for Division 2, but this meant we would need a different cox, as both Ellen and Charlie were either racing or coxing in Division 2. This is when all the chaos really started! Ciara went running round asking everyone if they had a spare cox, and the University of Hull came to our rescue, providing us with both a cox and a boat for Division 2, so we were going to be able to race after all!
   It was all a bit hectic from then on, as we only had nine minutes to get in the water before penalties started, and we were all in an unfamiliar boat with an unfamiliar cox and it was all just a bit crazy! Anyway, we managed to get to our starting position, the penultimate boat, and then had to sit and wait until it was our turn to start. It's safe to say by the time we did start we were absolutely freezing so were desperate to get warmed up! It was a slightly shorter race than in Cheshire, only 3km instead of 4. We were in a men's boat which was absolutely rubbish because the shoes are soooo much bigger than in a woman's, but we all managed and we were all really impressed with how well we kept a decent rate going throughout. It was just the most amazing feeling to be racing again, and I didn't catch a crab this time so I was absolutely over the moon about that! We got a lot of support from Hull supporters, as being in their boat and having their cox, I think we confused everyone a fair bit!
   After we'd finished we went back and surprised Abi with her birthday cake and just had a laugh on the journey back. Then it was all about getting showered and ready to go out and celebrate Abi's birthday! Overall, it was just the most amazing day and it was the most incredible feeling to be racing again. I could definitely tell I'd improved since the last race, and how much the intensive training last weekend benefited me as well as I felt my technique was much sharper than it has been previously. We were absolutely over the moon to find out we'd gone and won, bring on the next one!

Rowing Camp

   So this weekend we had an intense training camp for rowing. Both days were long, 8am-3pm and 9am-3pm, and it's safe to say they were killer! The whole aim of the weekend was to focus on our technique, so that we can therefore row to a higher standard and continue to do well in races. I've definitely noticed a difference in how I row over the weekend, so hopefully that'll put us in good stead for the race next Saturday!

Saturday 29th November
   Dragging myself out of bed at 6:30am was honestly the worst feeling in the world on a Saturday, the one day of the week I like to lie in! Plus it meant I had to walk to the bus stop in the dark, and anybody who knows me knows I hate walking when it's dark, I like to be able to see things properly!
   When we arrived we were told we were going to be doing various different sessions over the weekend, which would be overlooked by our coach Josh. Our first session was a water session. As there were only 3 of us fresher girls we were put in a boat with 5 seniors, which was really beneficial when it came to pushing ourselves and improving our technique, as we could mirror the seniors. We were lucky enough to be on the water for around 2 hours, compared to the 45 minutes we usually get. Having a longer session was so useful, as we got to put everything we were learning into practice for longer until we got it. Rowing so early in the morning was really peaceful, and it definitely woke me up too! We focused on rowing using just our arms and then building up to a quarter slide and a half slide, so that we could fully understand the order in which our body has to move to give each stroke the most power.
   Our second session was on the urgs. We had to do a power session to get us more used to just how much power we need for races, as well as help us with our recovery. We did 3 reps of 12 minutes with a 4 minute break in between - 2 minutes at rate 15, 2 minutes recovery, 2 minutes at rate 20, 2 minutes recovery, 2 minutes at rate 25 and 2 minutes recovery. By the third rep we were all pretty exhausted, but it really helped us realise how important power is to get the boat moving, and how important recovery is to get you ready for the next stroke or set of strokes at a different rate.
   Our final session was on the play boats, as there wasn't enough of us to do anything too hardcore. The play boats are one man boats, and they looked really confusing! I was feeling a bit queasy, so decided against going in as you are completely in charge of the balance and I knew I'd wobble all over the place! I loved watching everyone else in them though, and I know I'll have a go next time as they'll be good experience and may help my rowing technique even more as I'll have two oars to contend with and not just one!

Sunday 30th November
   Today wasn't quite so bad as we didn't have to be there until 9, so I got to lie in until 7:30 which I definitely appreciated! Once again the day was built up of sessions, however we didn't get a fun session today in the play boats, we had four proper sessions to work on technique and help build our strength.
   Our first session was weights. We had 8 different stations including a dead lift, bench press and plank, and we had a minute and a half to do 10 reps per station, unless of course you were planking in which case you had to plank for the full minute and a half. Once we'd completed a full circuit we had a 2 minute break before doing it again. In total we did it three times and it's safe to say I didn't think you'd sweat doing weights, but we all did! I was actually quite surprised that I could lift any of the weights as well, because for those of you that know me you'll know I'm normally pretty weak... Surprisingly I'm also looking forward to doing more weight sessions as well, as I know it'll make me a much better rower.
   For our second session we spent 20 minutes on core exercises, which has made me decide that I definitely don't have a core... After having already planked for a good four and a half minutes I was nearly in tears at the fact I had to do another two minutes. I definitely think I'm beginning to improve on core exercises however, as I now seem able to hold them for longer than I could during my first circuits session. It's actually quite a nice feeling afterwards and the following morning as well being able to feel that you've really worked them! Again, much as I may moan when I have to do them and much as I really detest having to do core work, I know it'll make me a much stronger and fitter rower, which is obviously exactly what I want to achieve!
   We had a brief break between our second and third session as Agecroft were in training their senior teams, and there aren't enough urgs for all of us! We didn't have to wait too long though as they started during our core work, so it was only around a 10 minute gap. Urg sessions tend to be the most dreaded sessions by everyone, as they're usually the most intense. Today's session was slightly easier than yesterday's. We did 3 reps of 10 minutes with a two minute break in between - 8 minutes at rate 18 and 2 minutes at race rate (I did it rate 28). Similarly to yesterday's urg session, by the time it came round to our third rep we were all pretty knackered, but again it helped us to understand the importance of pacing and recovery.
   Our final session was a water session. Normally I love going out on the water but by this point I was so exhausted I just wanted to go to bed! Instead of properly rowing we focused very heavily on technique compared to yesterday, which I definitely think we all benefited from. We started off with working on our timing, in fours we would all run up the slide and then slap our oar on the water. It took several attempts to get us in time but we got there eventually! We then worked on our posture, making sure we sit up straight and keep our arms straight for as long as possible and our hands level so that we don't unbalance the boat. This instantly made a massive difference as we had a lot more power rowing with the right posture. I got compared to a bull in a china shop at one point, as apparently my recovery up the slide was far too fast and I got told I needed to be a "cocktail waitress" and slow it all down which got a few giggles! Despite the fact we didn't get to do as much actual rowing as yesterday I felt a lot better about my technique when I left as I noticed an improvement in the boat and now I just need to make sure I remember to keep it that way!

   Overall, exhausting as the weekend was I think it was really beneficial to all of us. There's no point being fit and strong if your technique is rubbish, as you simply won't be able to row properly. I've definitely noticed improvements in my technique over the weekend, and hopefully when I next race these will become obvious and I'll become more confident. I also feel a lot fitter after all the weights, core and urg sessions, and I know that the hard work will begin to pay off soon enough!

Head Of The Dee 2014

   Yesterday was such an exciting day for me as I had my first ever rowing race! It's safe to say I was stupidly nervous and it was the most tiring but amazing day and such a great experience. The race was in Chester, so we had to leave at 7am to get there on time! There were four different teams racing from Salford, two senior quads and two fresher eights. There were loads of races going on at the same time, but the event organisers split the day into two divisions, with roughly 120 boats in each division, so it's safe to say the river was pretty hectic throughout the day!

   As soon as we arrived, after about an hour's journey, we had to help unpack the trailer and put the eight back together as we had to take it apart the night before in order to be able to fit it onto the trailer. We had to begin by carrying the boat down a muddy slope to find a space before we could put it on the trestles, this took aaaaages as there were so many boats around! Then we had to fit it together, screw it and go about placing and screwing all the riggers and seats in place. Although we all worked quickly and efficiently it still took a fair bit of time as we had to make sure it was perfectly put together so that we didn't have any accidents on the water! 

   The boys were racing at 10am, and originally we were racing at 12noon but this got pushed back to 2pm due to the tide. The race was 4km long, and before we could even start the race we had to get in at the finish and row all the way to the start, so basically it was an 8km race rather than a 4! Us girls had it slightly luckier than the boys, as they had to row against the tide, so they were absolutely exhausted by the finish, whereas, although we were exhausted too, we were rowing with the tide, which made it slightly easier for us to get a fast time. Both teams had to row facing the sun, which was absolutely killer as it was so so hard for anyone to be able to see! Thankfully, we had an amazing cox, Charlie, who was able to tell us exactly what we had to do to avoid any accidents or collisions. 

   Before our own race we went to support the boys eight and the two senior teams, as a little support can really help you keep going when you're so exhausted towards the end. Standing amongst hundreds of supporters all cheering and clapping politely, we did feel a bit common when we saw our three boats and started shouting and screaming "COME ON SALFORD!". However, it seemed to work as we could see our crews smiling and they sped up for the final run.

   When it was finally time for us to enter the water and row to the start it's safe to say we were all absolutely petrified! It was cold and windy and we were all so nervous! There were 5 of us freshers, and 3 senior girls. We all did our best and our captain and cox were both incredibly proud of us, particularly seeing as it was our first race. We managed to do it in 19 minutes! We would have been faster but unfortunately I managed to catch two crabs, meaning we had to stop briefly so I could recover it. I managed to whack myself in the jaw the first time, and I will warn you now, it is painful as hell and the bruise and swelling you get the next day is fabulous! My whole jaw went numb and I was in a ridiculous amount of pain and stupid as it may sound, it did shake me up a fair bit. However, it has made me even more determined to train harder and keep going and pushing myself further and further so that my future races are more successful and we get faster times! It was such an amazing day and such an amazing experience, now the first race is done I know we can only get better and produce amazing results!

Manchester Nightlife

   Manchester is THE place to go for a decent night out and amazing nightlife! Coming from a small town, we didn't really have a lot going for nightlife at all, we had about 6 pubs and 2 clubs, only one of which was actually decent. Therefore, my first night in Manchester was a huge shock, as there's clubs and bars absolutely everywhere, who are on a mission to get you absolutely slaughtered so that you either can't walk, remember your name, or remember the name of your accommodation. Not only that, but they are absolutely huge! Each has at least 2 floors, which are normally split into at least two or three rooms, each with their own bar, and a huge outside area. I still find nights out quite overwhelming, but I haven't had a bad night out once since being here!
   As with everything in Manchester, different clubs and bars cater for different people, and so some differ in their dress codes, as some prefer you to turn up in a dress and heels, whereas you wouldn't look out of place in others in jeans and converse. Therefore, definitely suss out the dress code before you hit a Manchester club by looking at the photos on their Facebook page, as you don't want to turn up either over or under-dressed! However, saying this, everyone in Manchester seems to dress up, so if in doubt go with  that! I for one hate going out if I'm not in a pair of heels and have some lipstick on! There are constantly offers on absolutely everywhere, as the clubs are all very competitive with one another to get the best reputation and most packed dance floor, so you won't really end up spending too much money on a night out, but still keep an eye on your money!

My current favourites
Having only been here 3 weeks, I can't really comment majorly on the nightlife, but I can definitely give you a lil summary of my current favourites:

• Lola Lo's - this is definitely a dressy club. It has a slightly more classy atmosphere than the rest as it specialises in cocktails, although they cost an absolute bomb, and it's definitely my favourite club so far! It has a lot of themed nights such as Tequila Wednesday's and Pinup Thursday's. It's definitely somewhere I recommend going on your next trip up to Manchester!
• Tiger Tiger - yet another packed club, but slightly more casual as you can get away with jeans and a blouse. It's rooms taste in music definitely differs a lot, including a 70s/80s room! We tend to save going in there until we're rather drunk... 
• Orderly Conduct - I actually can't remember a lot about the night we went here, but what I do remember was that it was definitely dressy and it had such a good atmosphere! It was packed everywhere you went and the drinks were cheap, so overall it made for a very good night! 

Job Hunting

   I've finally decided that it's about time I became sensible and go about finding myself a job in Manchester in order to sponsor my nights out in Manchester and just life in general. Living in a city there are hundreds of jobs available, however, there are also several hundred people applying for them, so competition is very fierce!
   Having worked at Next back home, ideally I want to stay in retail, although I am quite interested in working at Trafford Stadium doing hospitality, as my friend Libby works there and recommends it. I've always been a people person, which is why I chose retail originally, but I'd still be able to use the same or very similar skills working in hospitality. Trafford Stadium also offers the opportunity to work in VIP hospitality which I will definitely be applying for due to the fact I would be over the moon serving the rich and famous who go to the various games and concerts held. This is yet another reason why I love Manchester, the opportunities are so diverse and endless.
   Alongside applying to the Trafford Centre I'll also apply to a few retail jobs such as Next, Topshop, Gap and H&M, as that's my comfort zone and I know what I'm doing! Despite the fact I've already worked in retail the atmosphere in Manchester will be very different being a city and I'll definitely be rushed off my feet all the time! However, it's something I'm looking forward to as I'm not going to be living in Kettering forever so I might as well get used to the hustle and bustle of city life to put me in good stead for the future.
   For anyone currently looking for a job, I definitely recommend Indeed. Whether you use the website or download the app onto your smart phone, they are by far the best job searcher in my opinion. You simply put in your location and what kind of job you're after and it'll bring up all the current vacancies, which may lead you to finding your ideal job or something completely different to what you originally thought you wanted! You honestly cannot go wrong with them, so make sure you use them.
   I reckon I'll probably apply for around 10 jobs and hopefully I'll be lucky enough to work with one of them! Having come from the comfort of having a stable job I am a bit nervous about having to reapply and go through the online application and interview process again, but I know it'll definitely be well worth it when I get a nice pay cheque going into my bank account! As a student, I think getting myself a job is a very sensible move, especially in my first year as that's going to be much less hectic than my second and third years, so if I can get myself some extra money for the next two years while I can it'll be incredibly beneficial to me in the long run.

Goodbye Student Loan

   These past two days I have discovered that I have a serious online shopping addiction. My student loan came in on Thursday and I've already spent far too much! I've actually been incredibly well-behaved for me, but it's still been a bit ridiculous. For some absurd reason I've decided I need a completely new wardrobe and make up and accessories for my room, despite the fact I already came with plenty! Although there's absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of retail therapy, do not do it as soon as your loan comes in, trust me it's a bad move! Thankfully I'm a bit of a bargain hunter when it comes to shopping, so I did get a lot for what I spent. All my uni friends keep calling me a shopaholic because there's constantly parcels waiting for me in reception. The only advice I really have, is that although you will want to go crazy when your student loan comes in, remember that you need to live on it for the next three months! Therefore, choose what you really need to buy, and don't buy anything just for the sake of it because you can, because you'll regret it when you can't afford any food!

Citizen Khan

   Tonight turned out to be absolutely incredible! My friend Inzy rang to say that he had been able to get tickets to go and see the filming of Citizen Khan in the BBC Studios and that I was one of the people he wanted to go with him!
   It's safe to say that it was definitely bizarre watching the programme from a studio perspective rather than an audience member at home. Although I was already aware of the amount of work that goes into creating an episode of any programme, I was still in awe of the number of cameras, microphones and people on the set! It must be such a surreal experience acting a scene on the receiving end of all those orders and technology!
   I used to think that all TV comedies used a laugh track in order to emphasise key moments the director saw as funny, however, it's safe to say that Citizen Khan doesn't use a laugh track, it's all genuine laughter! What I particularly loved was the fact that not only were there moments where the whole audience was laughing, but also moments that some found funny but others didn't as I feel that this shows how diverse different people's senses of humour are. Although I laughed a hell of a lot at the actual scenes, I laughed a fair amount due to Inzy's laugh! I also loved the fact that there were people from all over the country there and from different backgrounds and cultures, showing how diverse a community the BBC brings together as one.
   The actors never broke character between scenes which made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable, as they ensured they stayed in role to make the scenes more realistic, rather than looking too staged and fake like some programmes do. Alongside this, they also had Ted Robins there to host the whole thing and keep us all entertained between takes! Having grown up watching him in The Slammer it was crazy to be in the same room as him! He kept us all entertained with stories, jokes and picking on various audience members.
   The actors messed up lines and dropped props and forgot what they were supposed to be doing at various times, which I loved as it reminded you that they were real people! They laughed it off and it was just so obvious throughout that they all absolutely adore their job and realise how lucky they are to be successful in such a hard and competitive industry. It's made me a lot more determined to do well in journalism and get my dream job of being a television presenter! Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
   Overall, tonight was absolutely unbelievable and I am incredibly grateful to Inzy for the opportunity. I already loved Citizen Khan but now I love it even more! I cannot wait for the new series to start, and to sit watching the final episode knowing that I'm one of those laughs in the background! If you ever get the opportunity to go and watch something being filmed at the BBC then take it! Trust me, it is not something you will ever regret.

Rowing

   So, today was my rowing taster session - the day I've been dreading! I was petrified the whole day leading up to it that I was going to fall in and make a twat of myself in front of everyone, but amazingly I managed to avoid that! Luckily 5 of my friends also signed up for rowing, and that definitely calmed my nerves and made me feel a lot more comfortable.
   We started off with a general talk about memberships, and what we should expect from rowing and what they'll expect from us. The more I listened the more it seemed like something I'll actually enjoy, and that maybe I did make the right decision signing up. It'll be a great way for me to up my fitness and be more active, alongside giving me something to do days I'm not at uni. Plus, it'll keep me motivated to actually get my work done and not just sit around watching TV all day on my off days!
   Our second workshop was learning how to properly use the ergs (rowing machines to you and I), as it turned out none of us could do it right as gym's lie to us! The proper way of doing it is definitely more painful but you can feel your muscles properly working, which I find particularly beneficial as it makes it seem much more worth it as I know it's having an effect. I know that a few months of training up to four times a week will definitely get me fitter and looking more toned, and if that's not motivation then I don't know what is!
   Our third workshop was a talk through the boat and a tour of the boathouse. This was followed by a run as we finished so quickly, and it's safe to say that proved how unfit I am because I got a stitch after about 30 seconds... Then we finally got to go in the boats! It's safe to say it was very confusing and I was pretty rubbish, but at least I can improve and not get any worse!
   Overall I actually really enjoyed myself, and I think I'm going to give it a go and get fit! I think it's something that I could definitely get into, and hopefully I might actually turn out to be quite good at it. Plus, it's safe to say that all of the boys we saw were incredibly muscular, and I wouldn't mind getting myself a boyfriend who's a rower! Ruth, Abi and I were getting all giggly at them, so just watch this space!

First Night

   Luckily enough last night definitely did make me feel a lot more comfortable and now I definitely feel ready to settle into university life. Despite the fact I woke up with a killer hangover I remember everything that happened and all the names and faces that I met. Thankfully my parents were taking me out for lunch today, so that cleared up my head in no time!
   Nearly everyone I met was a first year, although some were 19 as they had either taken a gap year or attended a different university last year before deciding on a change in course. Everyone is from all over the country as well, which makes it all a lot more interesting, and it gives us all an opportunity to laugh at each other's accents! Everyone seems really friendly and down to earth, which is a relief when you bear in mind how petrified I was at the initial thought of having to go upstairs and introduce myself to a group of strangers when I'm so used to having a very tight knit group of friends back home. Thankfully, I can see some of my home friends traits in quite a few of them, which I believe will make it easier for me to bond with them. Quite a few of us hit it off really well last night, so I think I'll already have a close group of around 8 over the next week or so.
   One of the first people I met was Abi, who'd actually added me on Facebook over the summer! She was too scared to come and introduce herself at first as she didn't want to admit to having added me on Facebook, but we both recognised each other straight away and when we eventually got round to talking to one another we realised we have a lot of similarities and we both know we're definitely going to be close friends!
   Last night proved to me that it's all well and good being scared of meeting new people, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take the opportunity of going to meet them. If Matt and Will hadn't come down to my flat last night to tell me about the party I don't think I would have gone, as I wouldn't have felt welcome. In hindsight, this would have prevented me from the initial bonding I had with everyone last night, and would have made the situation worse, as I'd be having to start fresh with a group that already knew one another. Therefore, my advice to any first years is to take all the opportunities you get to go and meet your new flatmates or the people in the surrounding flats to you. A few of us even ventured into other flats last night to meet the people living there! The last thing you want when you've already had so much thrown at you is to feel left out because everyone else is already bonding and beginning to make friends, purely because you were too scared to take the same opportunity that everyone else did. So bite the bullet and go for it, because trust me, I'm so grateful that I did.

Moving In

   So, today was the day! It's scary how quickly it came around, and it's bizarre to think that I am currently sat at my desk in my new room typing this, rather than my room at home!
Fortunately for me, moving in was a straight forward enough process as instead of having to cram my million and one bags and boxes into the back of my parents car, my boyfriend Jake was willing enough to drive me down, allowing me to distribute everything between the two. This also meant that, as we set off two hours ahead of my parents, we were able to get the majority of my things unloaded and set up in my room before my parents arrived with the rest of it. Consequently, this made the moving process flow a lot more easily and made it much less crammed and stressful than it probably would have been otherwise!
   It's safe to say that my room is pretty small, however, I personally find it really cute, and coming from a small room at home I'm not that bothered about the size of it. However, I definitely brought far too much stuff! Having unpacked the majority of my things we've already decided that it's necessary for my parents to bring up two extra storage units when they come up to visit next month in order to give me more floor space. I quite literally have things crammed into every nook and cranny I can find!
   Overall, I think my room looks rather homely so far, due to the simple additions of cushions and fairy lights. I am planning on getting some photos printed off via Photobox of me and my friends, which I feel will make it look even cuter. I'm lucky enough to have a corner desk in my room and I absolutely adore it as it takes up so little space, yet will be vital to my education and gives me a lot of surface space and drawers to store things!
   I'm the only one who's currently moved into my flat. I know that there's another first year girl and then 4 international students, all of whom are second years and therefore won't be moving in for at least another two weeks. My flat seems like a bit of a ghost town! Luckily, I posted on Facebook that I was on my own and two boys came down to find me and invite me up to a flat party upstairs later, so that should be a great opportunity for me to make friends with people in the surrounding flats in my block, Blake, meaning I don't mind being on my own down here if it's only going to be at night!
I'm petrified about being away from home, but hopefully it should be an enjoyable night, therefore making me feel a lot more comfortable. My room is nearly perfect, and hopefully soon enough it will be a home away from home!

Packing

   For someone who hates packing, packing for university was horrific. I can barely pack for two weeks to go on holiday, let alone for a whole year away from home?! Thankfully, I have some very wonderful friends who were willing to come and give me a hand and make the whole process a hell of a lot more enjoyable.
   I did leave my packing until the last minute, as I was on holiday the week prior to moving, so I only had 4 days when I got back to buy everything and get it all boxed up before I was off! This is something I definitely do not recommend to anyone! It's absolutely killer. However, everything is now boxed up ready to go tomorrow so I can breathe a massive sigh of relief as I look at the million boxes and bags in my hall. 
   Although I did have to buy a fair bit of new stuff to take with me, such as bathroom towels, bedding, cleaning products etc, it's really handy being able to take so much of the stuff I already have at home. I'm a massive stationery hoarder, so I didn't need to buy any new stationery apart from a FiloFax! 
   Packing was a really useful way to rediscover things I'd completely forgotten I had, I've found so many old clothes that are absolutely lush, so they're definitely coming up with me for the winter months! My friend Katie wants to work in fashion when she's older and she's always up to date with the current trends so she came round and we spent the afternoon choosing which clothes, bags, shoes,  jewellery, makeup, nail varnish, perfume, bags, shoes and other accessories I should take with me. I'm so grateful she was able to help because it would have taken me days on my own! 
   Now I'm packed I'm genuinely so so excited to get up to university, it's a completely new chapter in my life and I just can't wait to start it!

My advice to first years:

• Do not leave packing until the last minute - trust me, you will regret it!
• Get your friends to help you out, it makes it so much more fun!
• Have a thorough look through what you already have before you buy anything new - you never know what you might find
• However, do buy some new things, it'll make you feel a lot more grown up
• Pack underwear and stationery in bags you want to take to university - the less boxes the better!
• Hang any hung clothes up in the back of your car, then you can just transfer them straight into your wardrobe rather than having to faff about with hangers once you're there

Shops I recommend looking in:

• Dunelm Mill - everything in there is such good value for money! I got a lot of my bedding and bathroom accessories from here
• Argos - if you need and/or your university allows you to have one, Argos is the perfect place to get a good value, good quality mini fridge
• Tesco - all my food, cutlery and crockery is from Tesco and it's been incredible value for money! I also got my duvet and pillows from here. They have a lot of student offers on in August, so definitely go and have a look!
• Primark - this is the place to go for bedding, hangers and cheap and cheerful pyjamas! 

A Fresh Start

   So, as a Broadcast Journalist student I thought I'd be stereotypical and set up my own blog to document my first year at university. I've never been particularly good at keeping diaries so it won't be daily updates but purely what I found interesting enough to think you'll want to read!

The main aim of my blog is to allow sixth form or college students to know what university is really like, and that it really isn't the be all and end all if you don't get the necessary grades to get into your first choice.

About me

   Okay, so, my name's Eleanor Haigh and I'm 18. On September 13th I'm travelling up to Manchester to become a first year undergraduate Broadcast Journalism student at the University of Salford. Salford might not be the biggest or most heard of university in the world, but it's definitely perfectly positioned for any prospective journalism students as it's right in between the two new BBC buildings! 

   Despite giving me an unconditional offer following my interview, Salford wasn't my first choice for university. I wanted to go to the University of Leeds and had absolutely set my heart on it. I worked incredibly hard throughout year 13, studying for 4 A2 exams and 2 AS resits. Unfortunately however, my efforts clearly weren't hard enough, as I fell two grades short of the compulsory AAB grades Leeds wanted. Of course I was absolutely devastated and wanted to resit the year. However, after talking to family, friends, teachers and neighbours I came to the conclusion that it would be pretty stupid to turn down an unconditional offer, as during my interview Salford clearly saw something in me that they really liked and felt they  could work on to develop a well rounded broadcaster. Therefore, I accepted my offer and am in the process of boxing up my life for the next year! 

   The more I think about it the more excited I am to go to Manchester, and I realise it would have been silly for me to resit the year as there is absolutely no guarantee I won't be in exactly the same position next year, something which I definitely wouldn't be able to cope with. There's also no guarantee that Leeds or Salford would offer me a place again next year, as they may believe that I've already had my chance. Therefore, for any of you currently in that position, or anyone in that position next year, you really need to weigh up all the pros and cons, is it really worth resitting the year? At the moment I'm considering a transfer to Leeds in my second year if I get the grades to do so, however, this may change depending on how I find Salford when I actually get there! 

   Despite it feeling like the end of the world, I'm incredibly excited about what my new life will be like when I start it in three weeks. Also, not getting into Leeds has made me more determined that ever to finish my three years at university with a first. As many people have already said to me, sometimes, it's not meant to be, but, everything will work out in the end, even if it's not quite how you expected it to.