My University Life- The Halfway Point| Carenza Bramwell

It genuinely terrifies me that I am somehow writing this, but I am just over halfway through my time at university. It's cliched to say, but it does feel like yesterday that I was starting uni and somehow I am now a year away from finishing my degree. In today's post, I will be looking back at my first half of my degree. 

The Academic Side

In my first year at university, if I'm being honest, I didn't feel as challenged as a writer as I do now. I felt like I was slowly drifting between projects and assignments. Oh, if I could go back to that now. I am reaching a point where I am so busy with my uni work that it is extremely overwhelming. Nothing quite prepares you for that jump between first and second year. The amount of work I have to do this year is a lot. I do also feel that there are periods where I am so busy I could cry and then there are periods where it feels that I have nothing to do. I would like to find more of a natural balance between these two times rather than running around in a chaotic way. 

Something that I have found interesting in the difference between first and second year is which types of writing I have found the most enjoyable. In first year, I definitely enjoyed fiction and script the most, whereas this year I have enjoyed my copywriting module more. I've also spotted that I have worked out a good work ethic when it comes to my work.

When it comes to the grades I have been getting, they have always been usually around the same mark. I have had a few that have been either higher or lower than average, but I am happily on my way to graduating with a solid 2:1, which is what I want. 

Overall, I would say that I've found the academic side of my time at uni thought-provoking and I would say that I am a better writer than I was when I started. I've discovered a lot about myself as a writer and the type of work I want to go into after I graduate. It's also inspired me to potential pursue a masters in scriptwriting once I finish. 

The Social Side

I have to say that I have noticed that I am way more social this year than I was in my first year. I think this is because I have adapted to the university way of life. I am definitely a very different person to who I was in first year and I am more interested in the social side of things. One of the big changes this year is that I joined a society. I didn't sign up to any in first year as there was none that caught my eye, but this year I am actually on the committee for my universities magazine. Even though at times, it does feel like I have given myself additional work, I've really enjoyed my time on the magazine and I can't wait to continue with it in my final year.

I also feel that this year I have a more solid friendship group outside my housemates. In first year, I only really spent time with my housemates, but this year, I've been spending way more time with people on my course. It actually makes me a bit sad as some of them are going off to do different things and I'm going to miss them like hell. These are people who I think I'll be friends with for life and I'm so glad I got to meet them. 

The Living Side

Something I have grown the most comfortable with is living away from home. I do want to start this section by saying that I love living at home and spending time with my family, but I'm so grateful to the time I've had away from home. I feel way more confident as a person and am able to make decisions all by myself. I've discovered what makes me happy and found a sort of routine that works for me. I've also become very comfortable spending time by myself. This might sound weird, but I do spend a lot of evenings by myself in my room, recharging my batteries and I really enjoy it. It's relaxing, but I also know that I have the opportunity to hang out with people if I want. I can happily say that when I do eventually live by myself, I will feel happy and confident to do so.

I hope you guys have enjoyed this honest post about my time at university. As I've still got just over a year left, I will be making a few more updates on my remaining time as a student. 

Carenza :) x 

How I Use My Planner to Keep on Top of Everything|CarenzaOnBooks

In the past few months, I have become someone who cannot function without out my planner. I have a Harry Potter Moleskin planner that I got for my 18th birthday and I swear by it. I have noticed that I do get more done now that I was this time last year. In this blog post, I thought I would share with you how I use my planner to organise my life. I would like to put in a tiny disclaimer and say that certain bits of information have been blocked out to protect some private information. Although I am sharing how I use my planner, it is important to me to protect personal information and I hope you guys can understand and respect this decision. 

One of the things I like the most about Moleskin planners compared to normal planners is the layout. I like having the week all on one side and then a section for notes. To me, having a section for notes is a key factor. The layout really works for me in particular as it allows me to split my week into certain sections.

At the top of each weekly spread, next to where it says the month, I like to put my overall goals for the week. It's easy for me to see what I need to get done that week without setting aside a certain day for that task. Often as the week progresses, I have to amend what I have planned, so by having my "to do list" at the top, it means I can do a task when I get some time. I also use this top section to track what week it is at university. My university plans things on the financial calendar (for some bizarre) reason and I have it converted into what week it actually is.

Down the side of each week, you will see I have blocked off a section. In this little section I have my timetable. Last year, I wrote out my timetable and it took up too much space in the day boxes. This year it means I can see what I have on each day and still put an individual plan for that day. As I'm getting busier as the term progresses, this is really helping me with making sure I don't accidentally double book myself. 

I use the notes side of the spread to keep a track of my homework/uni work and to track my finances. At the top, next to a short code for each module, I will write the task and when I have to do it by. Once I have written in all my homework for the week, I will track my finances. Obviously, I have covered up this information, but typically I write where I bought something from and then the amount. I have a colour scheme to track everything in my planner to help me keep on top of everything. 

I also use my planner to plan my blog posts and to plan my meals. At the top, next to each day, I write what I am planning on eating that day. I have been very bad at planning weekend meals, but throughout the week I do this to make sure I am only buying food I need and that nothing will get wasted. You'll notice at the bottom of each blog post day, I have written what I am planning on posting that day. Typically, I write all my posts a week in advance, so this helps me see what I have to write when I am working on blog related things.

My colour scheme was something I worked hard on last year and I am sticking by it. I will explain it to you as I feel that using colour makes things a lot easier to manage. You will notes that the majority of tasks in my planner are in blue in. Those are my "to-do" tasks. I found that having them in a different colour means they stand out more. General information is in black as that is typically the colour I write in. Meals are in green so that they stand out and blog posts are in orange, also to stand out. Another colour that I use to stand out is red for important tasks (such as meetings). In the weekly section, if it is near rent day I will have my payments in pink to stand out. Most of the colours I use are for my financial tracker so I can see where I am spending the most money. I found that by doing this it was easier for me to visualise where my money was going. So far this year, my biggest spending have been food and "fun". I have a category called fun so it means I can still treat myself, but within reason. My main expenditure for "fun" is books. I have a blog post all about tracking finances if you interested in going into that in more detail, you can read it here.    

I believe that having a paper planner is an essential for students as I find that by writing things by hand means I am more likely to remember to do them. I am going to be so sad when my Harry Potter planner runs out, but I will 100% be buying another Moleskin one as they are the best planner for me.

Carenza :)x  

A Typical Day in My Life as a Uni Student| CarenzaOnBooks

As someone who watches a lot of studytubers, I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences and day to day life as a Creative Writing student. A lot of student bloggers/vloggers etc I feel are studying more "traditional" courses and often we don't get to learn what it's like to be an art student. I thought that it would be helpful for anyone interested in studying Creative Writing or wondering what it was like to study Creative Writing to share what a typical day in my life looks like.

I would like to start this with a tiny disclaimer- obviously, every day of my life isn't like this and I am going to be merging what I do to give a broader picture. My experience is also unique to me, so what I do as a Creative Writing student might be very different from what other people do.

Gym, 6-9am, 4 times a week

Depending on what my day looks like, I like to try and go to the gym. I have a membership to my university gym, which is a 10-15 minute walk from where I live. I am not your typical gym buff, I don't think I really know how to use the gym properly, but I try my best. At the moment, as I haven't been to the gym at all over the summer and I'm getting used to being back at uni, I'm only going for 20 minutes in the morning. I like to use to cross-trainers and that's about it. I am hoping to increase my time at the gym once I've worked out my schedule properly, but for now, I go for 20 minutes 4 mornings a week. Typically, I try to get there around opening time and I like to be home by 9am, ready to start working. I started going to the gym in my second term of uni as I wasn't getting any exercise and by paying for it, I feel that I need to get my money worth out of my membership. It's a really nice way to start my day.

Lectures, 9am-5pm, 3 times a week

Due to the nature of studying Creative Writing, my contact hours are a lot smaller than some other degrees. I have 12 hours a week split between 4 modules. I don't always start at 9am, but I do finish at 5pm every day. Typically, on my longer days, I'll be in uni all day and work in between my lectures. I'd recommend this rather than going home as it means when you go home you have less work to do and you have a clearer separation between work and home. I will say that this is very different compared to my first year of university. Second-year is a lot more intense and you are expected to do a lot more by yourself. I quite like my timetable this year as the amount I'm in uni isn't daunting but it feels like I'm still learning lots. I've also discovered that I do quite enjoy spending more time at uni and getting work done there.

Studying, various, almost every day

Most of the time when I get home from uni, I try to get as much work done as humanly possible. I do have a bit of a problem when it comes to working, but I am trying to fix it. Sometimes I only do under an hours worth of work, others I work until I am exhausted. It depends what I have to do and when I have to get it done by. On Monday's, for example, I have a lot of lecture notes to write up, so I spend a lot of time on that. But on Tuesday's, as I have the next day off, I feel less bad about taking time off and not working. It all depends on what I've got the next day and what I want to get done, whether that's for uni or for my own personal enjoyment.  

Other Activities, various, almost every day

Obviously, my whole life isn't eat, sleep, study, repeat, I do do other things with my life and I have to try and fit them in. Typically these activities can involve- blogging (I set aside three days a week to work on my blog), running my social media accounts (I have been bad at this recently, but I do tend to do work on at least one of my accounts every day), work (I have a casual part-time job), chores (sadly I have to do these every single day) and reading (I also have to do this every single day). Typically, I'll tidy my room up first thing in the morning. I'll also make sure that at some point during the day, I do my dishes. Reading I tend to do just before bed and although I've been really bad at reading, I always try to make time for it during the day as it's something relevant to my course but it's also something that is important to me as a person.

I hope that this depicts an accurate picture of what my a day in my life is like as a Creative Writing student. I know that this looks daunting, but I promise you that this is a manageable load and is just what it's like to be a Creative Writing student.

Carenza :) x           

How to Make A Uni Schedule| CarenzaOnBooks

Something I decided I want to do this year was made sure I was using my time efficiently. I feel like in my first year of university I didn't use my time efficiently and this year is already very stressful. I haven't even been back a month and I feel the pressure hitting me. So I sat down and made a schedule of how I could be using my time better and I thought I'd share some tips of how you could too.

A brief overview of what my study schedule looks like

Block Your Lessons

The thing that will take up the most of your time are your lessons. My first tip would be to block out when you have lessons.  It will mean you can see when you are free and how you can use your time. For me, most of my Monday's and Tuesday's are taken up by lessons, so I know that I won't have time to study on those days. I also have lessons on Thursday afternoons, so I know that I can spend the mornings studying. It's about working around things that you can't move and making the most of the remaining time. 

Plan Chilled Evenings

Something else I decided was pretty important was to make sure I took time off from studying. I wanted to make sure I didn't feel guilty about taking time off. I have two chilled evenings scheduled in a week, to make sure that I have more than one night off a week. It is important to let yourself have time off and to make sure you are well-rested. Making sure you are well enough to study the next day is just as important as spending all your time studying. 

Manage the Rest of Your Time

If you know if you have something planned such as work or a society, then put it in. That way you will always make time for it. Something that is really important to me is that I go to the gym four times a week. I have that scheduled in so I can make sure I have time to do it and fit everything else in that I want to do in the day. Something else that is pretty important to me is making sure I have time for my part-time job. I have all of these scheduled in so I can make sure I have time to study and get everything done.  

Make it Realistic 

You are not going to spend every waking hour studying. You have to make your schedule realistic, otherwise, you will feel pressure to achieve. You want to feel productive without feeling like you are forcing yourself to work every hour God sends. Plan for hours you will know you will be working, you don't need to map out the whole day. Mine starts at 6am (I usually get up at 7) and ends at 9pm. It's realistic. I'm currently in the process of getting used to using it to manage my time and you shouldn't be disheartened if you can't stick to it straight away.   

How to Stay Motivated as a Student| CarenzaOnBooks

Since starting my second year of university, I've been feeling very overwhelmed and I've only been back for two weeks. I feel the jump between the first and second year was huge and that there is so much to do. So as a way to get out of this slump, I decided that I would write a post about staying motivated to motivate myself. This could just be the biggest form of procrastination, but we're going to roll with it.  I've come up with a few tips to help you stay motivated when your workload could actually crush you.

Set Achievable Goals

This is something I always struggle with is setting achievable goals. I am terrible at this. Setting achievable goals means your workload won't be as intimidating. At the moment, my homework (also known as independent study) usually takes me about three hours per module (I have four modules) and that is a lot of work. So what I do is spread out when I'm doing my work. I have one lecture on a Monday morning and then nothing till the afternoon, so I use that time to work. It means that when I finally finish for the day, I can just come home and chill. I also try to do my homework on different days so I feel like I have a bit more time to myself. Rather than trying to cram everything into one day, I set achievable goals for each day and spread my workload out. It means I don't feel as stressed by how much work I've got to do.  

Take Breaks

This is something I am also terrible at. Half the time I sit down to work, I don't move from where I'm working for several hours. I'm not exaggerating at all. I genuinely have worked for six hours without stopping. This a really bad thing to do and I do not recommend you follow my example. Something I am going to start implementing into my study sessions is breaks. By taking little breaks it means you feel a bit more motivated to continue. I don't know if you can get this app on Android, but if you have an iPhone you can download an app called Forest that helps with productivity but you can use it for making sure that you take breaks. I have it on my iPad and my iPhone. During my GCSEs, I swore by it and I'm pretty sure it's part of the reason why I did so much work. I am going to start using it again as it was very motivational. As the name suggests, you plant a virtual tree and watch it grow. I'm fairly certain after a certain point, the virtual trees you grow start being actual trees through a partner company. I found it really motivational and I am going to start using it again.

   

Make a Work and Fun Schedule 

I have made one of these and once I have settled into a routine at uni, I am going to start using mine religiously. It allows you to see what you should be doing at certain points of the day. As important as it is to see when you should be working, make sure you schedule in some fun or you will go mad. I did this during my early academic years and I did go a little bit mad. I have scheduled in two nights a week off to have chill nights. So far I have been terrible at sticking to these. Once I've got more of routine, I am going to make sure that while I am getting lots of work done, I am also going to be making sure I have downtime as university is stressful. Having a balance means you can live a more well-rounded life and not just be a ball of stress. 

I hope these tips have been helpful and if you have any more tips that you think I should add to this post, let me know in the comments below and I will add them.

Carenza x :)

  

How to Have a Inspirational Workspace| CarenzaOnBooks

Just like any student, actually doing my university work is something I tend to dread. It means hours spent huddled over a desk as you slowly lose the will to live. Something I decided to work on this year was to make sure that my workspace was somewhere I wanted to spend time at. I thought it would be helpful to new and old students alike if I shared my tips on how to have a motivational workspace.  

Use Things That Inspire You

Something I struggle with in particular is motivation so as a way to combat that, I chose to put some inspirational items on my desk. I have an art print of my favourite play propped against my desk and I find that by looking at it, I actually want to do more work. I also have two Pop Funkos from one of my favourite films on my desk. Obviously, this varies from person to person and what subject you are studying, but as a writer, I find it helps to have something by a writer that inspires you near your workspace. I also have a bookcase next to my desk filled with trinkets and books. I like being able to look at this when I need a break from looking at my laptop. A lot of my trinkets come from bookish and writer-related things, which means I am surrounded by even more inspiration.  

Add a Bit of Colour

If you are anything like me, then having a plain room will just depress you. The same goes for my workspace. It's somewhere I am going to be spending a lot of time, so I want to feel motivated to spend time there. I tried to make sure the items I put on my desk were colourful to brighten up the place. I also did this as the furniture around the desk are all dark wood colours and it can feel a bit dark and depressing. I added some plants in colourful pots, as well as brightly colour ben pots. I even have a little ceramic dish where I store my important everyday things (keys, wallet etc) and that looks colourful too. You don't have to go overboard, but a splash of colour can go a long way. 

Functional but Pretty

It's all very well having an Instagram worthy desk, but if it's too pretty then you can't use it. A way to make something motivational but functional is to have funky pen pots. I have a dinosaur mug that I bought from Asda as I loved it so much I knew I needed it in my life. I also have this small blue one that looks like book spines that I bought in Bruges. I knew I needed somewhere to store my receipts and my loose change, so a few years ago I bought these tins. Not only are they functional, but they're nice to look at. You can also add some costers to a workspace which are nice to look at but protect your desk from mug stains. It is possible to have a balance between an Instagram worthy desk and for it to be useable. 

Keep it Tidy

I have come to the realisation over the years that I cannot function in a messy or untidy environment. My desk is the same. For me, having a tidy desk motivates me to work. What I've started doing is to tidy my desk after each task. So if I know I don't need the book I've been reading, I'll put it back on my bookshelf. It's a fairly obvious tip, but if you can't actually work at your desk. I know from experience that working in my bed, while comfortable, means I end up doing less work and often leads to naps. Just take a few minutes every day to make sure your workspace is tidy and then you'll be motivated to work. 

I hope these tips help you to stay motivated during this academic year!

Carenza x :)