Chef Eleanor

   This past week has actually seen me do something I never usually do, and cook proper meals for myself and others. For the first time since being at university I've really been in the mood to cook, and so I decided to offer to do it for other people. Despite the fact none of the dishes were particularly difficult to make, they went down really well, and I felt much better myself for having eaten a proper meal!
   Originally on Thursday I was going to be cooking for myself, Amber and Ruth. However, Ruth caught the flu and has been really ill, so I ended up just cooking for myself and Amber. I was in quite a fishy mood, so I settled for salmon served with lemon butter, sweet potato fries and cauliflower cheese. I am aware that it looks completely unappealing, but it was soooo good! It was really filling and tasty and I'm just really proud of myself that it actually turned out okay and that we both enjoyed it and that neither of us have ended up ill because of it!
   On Friday I cooked for myself and Amber again. When my mum last came up to visit she brought two massive tubs of homemade chilli with her. I'm currently in the process of trying to get through all the food in my freezer, as I realised the other day that I have a fair bit, so I decided it was time to use up some of the chilli. Instead of being stereotypical and having it with rice, I decided to go for jacket potatoes instead. Amber and I were both incredibly hungry so we cheated and put them in the microwave for 10 minutes to cook them through before transferring them to the oven to allow the skins to crisp up. Then we served them with the chilli, soured cream and cheese. It's safe to say it was absolutely incredible, it was such a good combination! We were both ridiculously full afterwards but I'm definitely going to be having it again, it was so so lush!! I read online that sweet potatoes are a really good alternative for jacket potatoes, so I think I'm going to try it that way next time! It also used up a lot of chilli, so hopefully my freezer will be a bit emptier in the next few days!
   Finally, it was Abi's birthday yesterday, so Ruth and I decided to bake her a cake. I'm aware this makes me a baker and not a chef but that's besides the point. We decided to cheat and use Betty Crocker cake mix, but we still put a lot of effort into it! I didn't take a picture of it, which I should have done because it looked so so impressive! We went for a chocolate cake mix and when it had cooled down we completely covered it with chocolate butter cream icing and white chocolate buttons. Amazingly, it wasn't actually too sickly at all! It went down really well with everyone who tried it, so bring on the next birthday and the next cake!!
   I do feel a lot better for having had two proper meals this week, and both Amber and I and Ruth and I are debating cooking meals together once a week, to make sure we all have at least one proper meal. It's a lot nicer cooking with and for someone else rather than just yourself, plus it means I tend to be more experimental!

How To Handle University Stress

   Stress will hit everyone at some point whilst they're at university and have deadlines looming. However, it's something that affects everyone in different ways, and everyone has different ways of handling it, or not. I for one am someone who gets incredibly stressed when it comes to assignments and exams, and I can turn quite vile if I let it get on top of me too much. I'm aware it's not pleasant for those around me, and therefore I came up with techniques to help me handle my stress levels and keep me much calmer. They may not work for everyone, but I'm going to share them with you anyway just in case they do in some way.

Take A Break
   This is by far the most obvious, but I tend to get so absorbed in focusing on my work and stressing when I don't understand it that I tend to completely forget to take a break and will go about 4 hours attempting to work but not actually getting very far with it. It's recommended that you take a 10 minute break for every 50 minutes that you work as that's the time period that your brain works best with, however, obviously this will different for different people. Therefore, whenever you get to the stage where you can't concentrate on what you're doing or you find yourself stressing because you don't understand it, take a break. Go and get a drink or some food or text a friend, just do something for 10-20 minutes to completely take your mind off your work so you can go back to it tackle it with a clear mind.

Get Some Fresh Air
   If you're like me and get to stage where you go into complete overdrive because you forget to break, then my recommendation is to go for a walk or a run. Obviously this break will be longer than 10 minutes, I tend to aim for around half an hour to completely clear my head of all the stressed thoughts I have about my work. Not only will the fresh air wake you up after having been sat down for so long, but it will help you to relax and forget about everything for a while. Consequently, when you get back and go to continue with your work you'll be in a much better mind frame than you were previously, and much more likely to be able to tackle your work more effectively.

Set Yourself A Target
   My friend Lydia introduced me to setting targets as it was something I hadn't really considered beforehand, but it's something that has turned out to really work for me. I'll choose a piece of work and tell myself how much I want to achieve in how long before I start, for example, I may want to do three paragraphs of my essay in an hour. By setting myself the target I tend to work much more efficiently, and find that I've completed the work I wanted to do in less than my allocated time. This is a particularly useful technique to use when you have somewhere to be at a certain time, or a certain TV programme you really want to watch, as you're working towards being able to do something, which is usually pretty big motivation for the majority of people.

Give Yourself A Reward
   This is pretty similar to the last part of the previous technique. Aiming towards a reward is another great motivational technique. Whether it's a TV programme you want to watch or a massive bar of Dairy Milk if you finish the essay, knowing that unless you've done the work you're aiming to do you're not going to be able to watch it or have it is a surefire way to get your brain into gear.

Yoga
   Relaxation is incredibly important when you're stressed as you need to clear your mind of all the negative energy in order to be able to focus properly. Similarly to getting fresh air, yoga is another fab way of doing this. I'm not talking going to a weekly yoga class, although you could if you wanted to, the beauty of yoga is that you can do it in the comfort of your own home. YouTube is filled with thousands of videos that yoga instructors upload for all abilities, so you just need to search around to find the ones that appeal to you the most and you find the most enjoyable. 20 minutes of yoga will put you in a brilliant mindset, as well as helping you get fitter. The beauty of yoga is that is also helps you with your breathing, which will help destress you as well once it's properly under control.

Spend Time With Friends
   Like I mentioned in my homesickness post, your university friends will be going through exactly the same feelings as you, they just might not make them as obvious as you. It's highly likely that they too are going to be stressed about upcoming deadlines, so spending some time together is a great way to destress one another. Whether it's watching TV or cooking a meal together, having some time surrounded by your friends and away from all the work you have to do will take your mind off things and let you relax for the evening. Plus, being at university your friends are the most important people in your lives, so it's essential that you don't let stress and work get the better of you and that you still allow yourself to spend time with them and be yourself.

Downtime
   Having some proper downtime to yourself is also vitally important. Whether it's reading a book or listening to some music, you need to ensure you have at least 30 minutes per evening completely to yourself. Some people may use this time to reflect, but I prefer to text relax and forget about everything that's going on around me. It really is important that you let yourself have some you time, so don't let anyone make you feel selfish for wanting to do it, one of the most important things in life is to love yourself and look after yourself, and having some time alone is a fantastic way to destress and trust me, you'll feel so much better for it the following morning.

   Overall, there are hundreds of different ways to destress and relax during busy time periods, but it's up to you as a person to try them and see which work best for you. You need to ensure that you do spend time relaxing during a busy day or week, otherwise you'll stress yourself out even more and the whole situation will end up escalating and turning out a lot worse than it would have done if you'd simply had some time away from the workload.

How To Handle Being Homesick

   I've realised that recently I haven't done any proper blog posts of how to handle being an actual student, I've written more about my recent experiences. Therefore, for my next few posts I'm going to focus more on what to expect as a student and how to deal with those situations. As a student myself I feel I would have benefited having more advice on what to expect and how to cope with it, which is why I'm going to do it for prospective students.
   I've mentioned being homesick a few times in previous posts, and therefore I thought this should be the issue I first tackle. Regardless of how often you tell yourself you won't get homesick and you won't miss your parents because they've driven you crazy and you want to be away from them, trust me, you will get homesick at some point. It's different for everyone how long it takes to hit them, so I can't give you a precise time, but for most people it tends to be either after the first couple of months, or in the lead up to Christmas.
   The first major thing you need to remember, is that you shouldn't be embarrassed because you're homesick. Everyone will get homesick at some point, some people will just be better at keeping it behind closed doors than others. It's nothing to be embarrassed of, no matter how close or far away you are from home, you're away from your parents who've looked after you for the past 18 years, so it's going to be a bit of a shock having to fend for yourself all of a sudden! Thankfully, there are several really simple steps to help you deal with it and prevent you from becoming an emotional mess.

Skype/Facetime/Phone Call
   The first, and probably the most obvious solution is to get in contact with them. I know this doesn't work for everyone as for some people seeing or talking to their parents will make it worse, but I find that this really works for me as hearing their voices and seeing them puts me at ease.
   Some people may not want to actually see their parents, and therefore a phone call would be the best solution as you'll be able to hear them and talk to them without having to actually look at them. However, other people will prefer to be able to actually see them, as it makes it seem almost as if they're actually there with you.
   It's amazing how much a phone call can change how you feel. Just hearing or seeing them and being able to find comfort in that is often enough to tie people over until they can next see their parents, as you have heard or seen that they are well, and that they miss you just as much as you miss them!

Friends
   Spending time with your new university friends is a great way to take your mind off being homesick, as they most likely don't have any connections with your home and consequently you don't associate them with it. Throwing yourself into university life and focusing on having a laugh with them and enjoying yourself is sure to take your mind off home, not permanently, but long enough for the initial aching pang to go away.
Chances are that they are probably homesick too, so by spending time together you'll be able to help take each other's minds off it. Seriously, you won't be the only one in your friendship group who's homesick.

Day Out/Weekend Visit
   If you've gone to a university quite close to home then this is an obvious and easy option. Simply pop on the train, or get your parents to, and either go home for the day or the weekend, or get them to come to you! Spending a day or couple of days with them will make you feel better and then you'll be ready to go back to university feeling a lot happier having seen them.
   For people like me, being 150 miles away from home, this is an absolute last resort. Therefore, try the previous two steps first to see if they help, and if they don't and you truly are desperately homesick then arrange with your parents to either go home or for them to come and visit. My parents have visited twice and it's been so lovely to have them here rather than me go home, and I've found I've been much less homesick after they've left than I have been coming back to Manchester after visiting home. I love being able to show them round Manchester and it just helps to make me feel a lot more settled and remind myself that actually I am coping really well on my own.
   Similarly, if you have friends at universities nearby then arrange to see them! Jess and I were both getting a bit homesick, and as she's only an hour away on the train I popped up to visit her for the day and we both felt so much better for it! Seeing someone from home, despite being in completely new surroundings, was so lovely, and it definitely helped us both through to when we could next see our families.

   As I've reiterated several times throughout this post, there is no way you are going to be the only person who's homesick. It's simply a case of it hitting different people at different times and being handling things in different ways, but it will hit them eventually. You definitely shouldn't be ashamed just because you only lasted a week before you got homesick whereas your flat mate has lasted 3 months, because chances are deep down he's homesick, he's just putting on a front and telling himself he isn't so he doesn't have to face the ache you feel, because it's not pleasant being homesick.
   It's also important that you remember that your parents will be missing you just as much as you're missing them, they're not going to have forgotten about you just because you've gone to university! The house will be very quiet without you and they're going to be adapting to massive changes just like you are. My three steps will hopefully enough to get you through being homesick, and make you feel much better and ready to continue developing as an independent adult.

Eleanor The Producer

   During TV News last week we were told that in today's lesson we would be creating and streaming a 6 minute long TV broadcast. For some reason unknown to myself I nominated myself as producer, and it's safe to say that I definitely was not aware of the amount of work that that was going to ensue. I was in charge of choosing the packages and ulays, writing all the scripts and getting everything uploaded into iNEWS and making sure that everything ran to time so that our programme was definitely 6 minutes long. Having other assignments to work on at the some time made it even more stressful, so I didn't actually get round to doing any before it got to today. Therefore I was very panicky during our lecture, but we managed to pull it off in the end and it was definitely worth it!
   Inzy had created a package on Phillip Hughes for TV News this afternoon, so I snapped up the opportunity to use it as soon as he offered. Faye and I had discussed having our second package focusing on the Christmas Markets, and as she already had some footage she brought it along so we could add a voice over and then use that. As for ulays, none of us had a clue what to do them on, and as producer I was finding it very stressful trying to come up with the ideas myself. Then Inzy suggested creating one on the delays to the train lines yesterday, so he found photos for that whilst I created the script. Then it hit me that Black Friday was huge in Manchester last week, so I set Libby and Chantelle to work finding photos and asked Abi to find out facts and write a script for that. So finally we were underway! The boys had already filmed a sports piece and the weather, so thankfully that saved us some time and gave us slightly less to worry about.
   Importing it all into iNEWS was the most stressful part in my opinion, as I had to ensure it ran to precisely six minutes. Thankfully, due to a slight technical fault when we broadcast it, it did run to six minutes exactly! Sitting in the gallery watching it all being broadcast was such an amazing feeling, knowing I had, with help of course, put together a six minute TV broadcast. I feel our broadcast looked really professional and ran really smoothly, everyone seemed to know what they were doing! Despite the stress and the panic I felt in the lead up to it, I honestly wouldn't mind doing it again in the future. It's made me decide to join Quays News after Christmas and help out with all the aspects of that as I want to make sure I am experienced in all areas of broadcasting, and not just one, to put me in better stead for my future career.

Hello December!

   Today marks the start of my absolute favourite month of the year, December! I absolutely adore December because it's so festive and magical, plus it seems to be the one time of year where everyone is nice to one another because no one wants to break that Christmas spirit. Not only is there Christmas to look forward to, but also my birthday the week before on the 18th and my cousin's on the 22nd, so December is a very special month for our family.
   December always marks family time for us, as we probably spend more time together over the Christmas holidays than we do the rest of the year. We always spend Christmas Day together which is always just incredible, drinking Christmas wines and ciders and playing silly games in between eating ourselves stupid with turkey and sausages and stuffing! Then we'll normally have Boxing Day together and our annual family trip to watch the Saints play rugby in Northampton a few days later. Spending time with family is really important to me, as your family are always going to be there for you when others aren't, so you need to make sure they understand how appreciated they truly are.
   December also marks Advent Calendar time! I'm such a little kid when it comes to Christmas and Advent Calendars, I look forward to them so so much! I normally use the Advent Calendar my godmother made for me. I didn't want to bring it to university with me so this year I've got a fair trade one. Hopefully my mum will be nice enough to fill up my normal one for when I go home though...
   I love the atmosphere that December brings, everything and everyone is just so festive and happy and the whole world just seems so merry. Everything seems to be better at Christmas, no matter how badly things may be going, Christmas just seems to make you forget about them all for a while. Walking round the Christmas Markets with all the fairy lights up, listening to carol singers and brass bands and drinking Baileys hot chocolate is what December is all about to me - enjoying yourself and getting into the spirit of things.
   I can officially whip out my winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf when it comes to December as well. Plus I can wear leggings and big baggy jumpers and cardigans and thick woolly socks around the place and just be super cosy all the time because it's acceptable to do so at Christmas! I can cuddle up to my puppies in front of the fire and just completely relax and forget about everything else.
   Despite the fact I'll be revising for uni exams, I'm definitely still going to make the most of it, and I know my family will make it magical for me as they always do.

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!

Diabetes Awareness Month

   I didn't know about this until the other day, but as something that is very close to my heart, I thought I should write a post about my own personal experiences.
   I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a month before my third birthday. Normally Type 1 is genetic, however I am the first in my family to have it, so it was a bit of a shock to everyone. Having been diagnosed so young I've grown up not remembering life without it at all, which I believe has benefited me compared to people who are diagnosed later on, as they've grown up being able to eat and drink what they want without having to worry about counting their carbohydrates and injecting themselves with insulin accordingly. Similarly, not being able to remember life without it means that I just get on with it, there's nothing I can do to change it, and even if I was given the opportunity to do so I know that I wouldn't take it.
   I was bullied for being diabetic for the majority of my childhood, particularly when I got to secondary school. I was classed as "disgusting" for having to inject myself purely so that I can live. It got to the stage where I used to have my injections in the toilets so that no one would see me take them, despite the fact I can't help having to do them and people really should just learn to deal with it. Due to the bullying, I found it very hard to find friends who were willing to accept me into their friendship groups. For some absurd reason they seemed to think that as they had a phobia of needles I would inject them if ever we argued! Therefore I found it very hard to settle in and make friends, despite the fact I really can't help the fact that my pancreas just ceased working when I was younger.
  However, diabetes hasn't affected my life in as many ways as people seem to assume that it does. For example, I look like a completely normal person and I am a completely normal person, I just have one organ in my body that doesn't work, it doesn't make me an alien! I can eat the same foods as everybody else, I just can't have foods high in sugar very often, and I need to count the carbohydrates in foods so that I can ensure I have the right amount of insulin. I can still drink on nights out, I just need to make sure I have a carbohydrate based meal when I'm back to absorb the sugar in the alcohol. I can still have a normal job like everybody else, I'm just not allowed to be a pilot, bus driver, taxi driver or ferry driver, as I can't risk having a hypo and putting other people's lives at risk. I am still allowed to drive a car, I just have to take blood tests before I go anywhere, and be reassessed every three years due to potential diabetes related problems with circulation and eyesight which may affect how I drive. However, as long as I maintain good control of my diabetes, which I do, I shouldn't have any problems. Basically, I'm exactly the same as everybody else and I can lead a normal life like everybody else, I just have a few extra safety precautions.
   As I've got older I've become more willing to help families whose children have been diagnosed. Being diagnosed so young put my parents under a lot of pressure, as you can't expect a three year old to inject themselves. So my parents had to learn how to handle and cope with the injections, blood tests, carbohydrate counting, hypos and hypers. This in turn allowed them to teach me, meaning by the age of 9 I could do it by myself and was almost completely self-reliant. Helping other families and young people cope with it all gives me a massive sense of satisfaction, as I'm living proof it's not the be all and end all!
   When I was 13 years old I was incredibly lucky to be chosen to represent Kettering constituency at Diabetes UK Childrens' Lobby of Parliament for the Second Reading debate of the Schools (Health Support) Bill in London in April 2009 to raise awareness of diabetes in schools, as in schools all over the country it wasn't properly recognised and supported by staff. As a result of this Bill things have improved a lot since then. I went to London for the day and met with our MP, Philip Hollobone, to talk about diabetes and how it had affected me. I'm fortunate in that my school and surrounding schools in Kettering were aware of diabetes, but other children and families at the event were being treated appallingly and really needed to fight to change things. I had a really lovely afternoon being shown round the House of Commons and the House of Lords and was treated to free cake, I think he may have forgotten I was diabetic by this point...
   Basically, the whole point of this post is to say, yes, I have diabetes, but it doesn't really make me any different from the rest of you, because I can still do exactly the same things as you, I just have to take it into consideration and keep an eye on myself. We're not "disgusting" for having to inject ourselves at all, it's what we have to do to live, and it's human instinct to survive. We're the ones who have to live with it, not you, please remember that.