Almost at the end…

May 19th, 2011

Well, we are now half way through the month of May and with two exams down and one to go, I can feel the stress of University work and the examination period slowly dissipating as summer creeps ever near.

It is my opinion that first year is purely a starter year where you catch up and recap over everything you’ve studied at a-level and generally, test your knowledge of what you already know. I believe this is why I haven’t found my first year as challenging as I had hoped. Hopefully, second year will prove a lot more difficult as I am faced with new areas of English Language to get to grasps with and write about. I am sure it will be and I am very much looking forward to this because who doesn’t like a challenge?

My first two exams within my first two weeks back at University were actually a lot simpler than I had imagined or I had just revised so thoroughly that, to me, I felt I had passed with flying colours and done very well. So, feeling confident, I have begun to tackle the work for my final exam in about two weeks time when I have to return to Liverpool.

At the moment, I am at home to ensure I have the peace, quiet and much needed sleep I need to tackle the final topic of grammar for my first year studying English Language. I have to say that I am missing the University life a great deal right now, especially my friends. However, it is a relief not to have to worry about buying food and other such expenditures at the moment.

So, as I go off to continue with yet more revision, I would just like to say to all future students that your first year at Liverpool Hope University will be one of the best year’s of your life so savour every moment for once it’s gone, it’s gone and then before you know it, you have to deal with the real world of work and bills on your own.

By Katie Windridge

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Royal Wedding Jitters!

May 8th, 2011

Most people weren’t too excited in the run-up to the Royal Wedding. There was talk of criminality by insurgence and terrorist groups, there were anti-royalists calling for the end of the tyranny of the monarchy, and not to mention the tremendous speculation (by feminists mostly) as to what the young Catherine Middleton’s title would be and whether if their first born was female whether or not that child would have any rights to the throne, which was obviously treated as a gross effrontery to modern feminism.

Yet thousands of people from all over the world find themselves celebrating with the Royal Family and their guests the joining of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and millions more watched avidly from their TV sets, examining brides wonderful wedding gown and the other showy frocks and hats, the celebrities and politicians and quite simply to see the wedded couples happy faces as they sat in that beautiful service.

In truth I feel lucky to have been there and had a piece of that amazing day. Whatever you think about the Royals you must admit, the Middleton’s are a fine addition to the Royal Family and Catherine Middleton looked beautiful and exceptionally regal. Plus, it didn’t rain!

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Exam Stress and Packing Horrors

May 8th, 2011

I can almost smell the exam stress in the air. It’s something that comes over all students at this time of the year no matter what level you are. It becomes so much more of unattractive time of year when you can feel the first rays of the English Summer on your skin and you know it won’t last long so you’re itching to get out and enjoy it, staring wistfully from your window.

Being incredibly organized and focused at this time of the year is possibly the most difficult ideal to achieve. But it is probably the most important skill you could possibly learn for the world or work, there are going to be many pressure filled arenas of your life whether work or personal it’s your job to work out a way to handle those situations.

Now you may also be having to contend with your moving arrangements whether they be directly to the house your going to be living in next year, or transporting those things home it’s important to consider a plan of action not so you’re not blind sided and having to rush in the future. It is probably sensible to be looking at ways of packaging your personal belongings and finding a cheap but reliable company to transport your things to wherever. Make sure if you’re doing an international move that you have a company that can handle that as well as if you need packaging materials. There are also various companies in the city that will handle of these things for you including MailBox etc.

If that all gets a little to complex (which it might) you can always get a family member or friend to do you a favour. It might be a good idea to pay petrol money

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Back to University…

May 4th, 2011

Yesterday was a very hectic day as I moved back into halls. After a very long drive, very little to eat and drink and a lot of rushing around, I was finally back and off straight to an English lecture. By the end of the day, I can honestly say I was shattered. Welcome back to Uni!!

Today, I have woken up early to get a good full day of revision in ready for my exam tomorrow to ensure I can get the best grade possible.

Alongside all my revision and preparation for examinations, I also have to ensure that my work as a campus journalist does not suffer. As I am returning home next week, I shall only be able to complete blogs within this time. Until I go home, I shall be attending events and promoting the chaplaincy as per normal. The event which I shall be attending on Saturday evening is being held in the Chapel. This is a gig in which the band Sons of Korah shall be performing supported by ENViSAGE. If you want to come along on Saturday night, the event is due to begin at 7.30pm and end at around 9pm.

I also have the added pressure of attending a very important interview next weekend for a job at a camp over the summer in which I would be in charge of running different activity classes; if I get the job of course (touch wood)! The interview is to take up an entire day for which I have been told to dress in sportswear meaning there is going to be a lot of physical activities completed on the day. Despite the fact that I am not the sportiest person going, I do have a sports leadership certificate, plenty of swimming certificates, dance awards and have completed both a cycling awareness course and water rescue course. I think these are some of the reasons why I have been asked to interview and hope that these skills will stand me in good stead on the interview day. Not only will this job provide me with money for my second year at Liverpool Hope University but it will also look great on my CV.

I cannot stress how important it is to continue building up the different things on your CV ready for when you graduate university. In my second year at Hope, I also hope to take up some voluntary work as a reading mentor in one of the schools within Liverpool but also get a job to fund my second year because, as of the end of this academic year, I shall no longer be a campus journalist. Any employment or volunteer work will look great on your CV as will completing awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh award so you should definitely consider this throughout your years here at Liverpool Hope University.

Anyway, I better get back to my revision but will update all current and future students some more on what it’s like to be a Liverpool Hope University student later in the week.

By Katie Windridge

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Two Week Terror!!

May 2nd, 2011

As I sit at home and write this blog surrounded by mounds and mounds of suitcases, I am contemplating the two weeks back at University which lie ahead. These two weeks could really determine my future and have a great impact on my final grade which I will receive in two years time upon graduation.

Tomorrow will consist of a two and a half hour drive back to Liverpool and quick food shop with my Mum and then a three hour lecture and seminar which will prepare me for my exam on Phonetics and Phonology for English Language on Thursday. In the meantime, I plan to spend my free time locked away in my room revising to ensure that I am fully prepared and get the best grade possible and the grade I most deserve.

After the stress of this exam is over on Thursday morning, I shall then settle down to a nice lunch and then head off to my afternoon class where I am going to get my Psychology essay back. This fills me with not only dread but also excitement. I have always been the type of person who loves getting grades back and seeing how well I have done after putting in so much effort on an essay but on the other hand, there is always a sense of worry that I may not have done as well as I had hoped. This was the essay which a few months ago I was finding very difficult and spent hours and hours preparing to write, finding references and research studies and then finally – eventually – finished the piece of work and was happy that I had produced a good quality, well written, informative essay. Therefore, if I do not get the grade I am hoping for, I will be very disappointed. Hopefully, the day will go well so I can reward myself with some free time Thursday evening.

However, this free, relaxation period will not last long as I am up again at 9am on the Friday morning ready to complete a SPSS mock exam for Psychology. I am, hopefully, going to use this mock to my advantage to find out my strengths and weaknesses amongst the topics and in general, to find out the format of the exam because until then, I can honestly say I have no idea how the exam will be done.

I am then free again until the Tuesday when I have another lecture and seminar and then in again on the Friday morning for the real SPSS exam, so what should I do with all this spare time in between classes? Well, I will be revising of course. I really want to do well in this first year to set me in good stead for my future grade. However, it is very important for me and all students not to revise TOO much. This can lead to stress and health problems. Therefore, it is important I spend time to myself relaxing, making sure I am properly nourished but that I am still prepared for the exams.

Alongside these measures, I would like to make future students aware that there is a phenomenal amount of support available on campus from lots of members of staff, older students and fellow students studying the same year. For myself, I have found that all students are willing to help you if you need it because they are all going through or have been through similar experiences and would have welcomed the help in their situation. There is also a great deal of staff that are available to help, in particular, your personal tutors and hall tutors. Counselling is also available to students who are really struggling.

As you can see, Liverpool Hope is a very close community of different people who are all working together to help you achieve you goal and are willing to give you the support you need in order to do this. It really is a great place to study and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

By Katie Windridge

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Easter!

April 30th, 2011

Well, this Easter has certainly been an unusual one for me. Normally, with the approach of exams, I’d have my heads stuck in the books everyday to ensure that I get a good grade. Instead, I seem to have done a lot of the opposite.

Over Easter, I have spent my time mostly with my mother doing the usual mother-daughter activities such as shopping, watching lots of DVD’s and visiting the grandparents on a regular basis. I’ve also managed to fit in time with the rest of the family, some of my local friends as well as daily exercise. Despite all of this and the sheer lack of revision which I feel I have done, I could not feel more prepared for my examinations. At first, I sat and questioned why this was and then remembered that I had spent a good majority of the final weeks of the second semester already preparing for these examinations and learning the basic ideas for each exam. This meant that over Easter, I have only had to spend a handful of my time going over the facts I already know and doing a few exercises here and there to keep the facts fresh in my mind ready for the exams.

The message which I am trying to show current and future students here is that, if you organise yourself properly and ensure that you never fall behind, or even better, get a head start on work and revision then you will have a lot more free time over Easter then you originally would have if you had left everything to the last minute.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my Easter and cannot wait to go back to Liverpool Hope University on Tuesday and spend my free time brushing up on my revision ready for my two exams then after the two weeks, I can go home knowing that I only have one exam left. Similarly, I will balance a lot of fun and free time with revision and then return to Hope for one day to complete my final exam then I am free to enjoy the summer until I return for what sounds like an even harder, more challenging second year at Liverpool Hope University which, I have to say, I am extremely looking forward to.

By Katie Windridge

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An Omen?

April 27th, 2011

What really kept a lot of us exchange students wondering over the past couple of weeks was the question not only whether or whether not to stay in the UK for the summer, but to try to stay here for good. A lot of the feedback we got from local personalities here in Liverpool like the much cherished Liverpool Erasmus Society or Wirral O.W.L, or the people from the Atheneum really welcomed us to their homes this term not only to demonstrate to us what makes them proud about being English and in particular, being a “Scouser”, but also to show us in which way the British society could profit from the International input expats like us can contribute to this country.

A great memory or – to rephrase it – a story to be continued remains the hospitality we received from the University as much as the people of this city. It might not be the cleanest, I admit, and it might not be known for subtlety or delicacy in human interactions but a city of honesty and character, where taxi drivers sometimes swear in the most entertaining ways and where students can have a good time and contribute from their experiences on and off campus. From the security staff to the lecturers, from the gardeners, to the chaplains and the pro-vice chancellors and the chancellor everyone was mostly helpful and very open minded even about the very simple needs that concern student life.

So I wondered for a while whether it might be interesting to continue my studies here in the UK until I walked into Liverpool Central Station today for the first time in weeks. And then it struck me. Is this an omen? Or a mere coincidence? I think my UK experience is a story to be continued.

CIMG65142

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First Preparations

April 26th, 2011

With a sentiment of confusion and curiosity I started packing one of my first parcels this morning. I am progressively going to send some of my belongings back to Germany over the next few weeks since my return is coming closer and closer. The countdown has started and with excitement mixes a sentiment of melancholia that lies within the time that I get to spend with my friends here together slowly coming to an end. Many went back home for easter and returned just this weekend telling me that back home nothing had changed really which seems to be the great fear for everyone – to return to a home that has not changed and that nothing is going to last of this time here.

But this is not true. Every day we get to spend together with the people we have lived together with for four and with some people for as much as seven months is now even more cherished in the knowledge that in the next couple of weeks we will again depart for our home countries into different parts of the world – some more, some less reachable. What we have gained is the knowledge, that no matter where we come from in this world, what career we aspire to take, what we intend to do with our lives or have done with them so far, we are basically the same. A universal consciousness that lies within every individual on this planet that has equiped us with more respect and more understanding for the other and made us – as Bishop Ian Stuart put it in the beginning of my time here – “truely international people”.

What I am truely going to miss is that in Aigburth Park, there was always someone around the corner, a friend to talk to, a friendly conversation, a late night discussion about what really matters about life and what impact our generation will have on the future. It is those cafeteria conversations between classes, meeting friends on the bus to Uni in the morning, and coming back shopping for groceries together or even cooking together after a day’s work. We are almost like an international family now. In a couple of days the parcel service is going to pick up my parcel and ship it home. But where is that now? Is it a fixed location? I think I will have to find out another time.

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Time to breathe…

April 20th, 2011

Only a few days ago, the Easter break came upon us like an unsuspected but very welcome guest. And with it, we had some of the most beautiful weather in the area yet. This circumstance enabled us to go on some trips to parts of the city we had not discovered yet. One of these places that I went to several times over the past few days – alone or with company – was the “Another Place” exhibition in Waterloo, Crosby. Waterloo is one of the few parts of the city that have an actual beach with miles and miles of sand. The only disadvantage is that the view towards the city skyline is blocked through the port structures that reach into the sea to a length of at least three football fields. If the tide is low however, and if you are willing to get your feet sandy and muddy and don’t mind getting them cold either, you can walk out and see the skyline from there, which can be particularly interesting during sunset, when its windows reflect the red glow of the sun.

The actual exhibition is very impressive and even worth a visit when the weather does not seem suitable. In contrast to the windfarms that are quite close to shore and to the hills of Wales which in the haze of the evening seem even more gigantic than they actually are, this installation of metallic statues seems very vivid. A friend of mine even wondered why so many people were starring out on the water since he could only see the shadows until he realized that they were actual statues.

Another interesting but rather shabby part of the city is the actual port-area. Many red-brick buildings and dockyards show the way the Albert Dock used to look like and there often many gigantic cargo vessels anchoring in the area. One of the attractions there at the moment is the Royal Navy Supply Vessel “Fort George” which is a victim of the current budget cuts and which is about to be decomissioned by a specialist company in the port. In order to get to Waterloo beach and Crosby you will have to head along the dual carriageway that goes past the Albert Dock in Northern direction and then head for Liverpool Port. Keep heading north past the port and you will arrive in Waterloo, where you can find signs to the “Another Place” exhibition.

Another attraction I discovered was the Woolton Forrest which is basically one of the biggest green areas apart from Sefton Park within the city boundaries. It even features a golf course and a botanic flower garden. The reason why this area can be recommended is that there are not as many people in this park even on a nice day as there are in Sefton or Otterspool Park. So for those who like it rather quiet this Park can be recommended.

There is also a negative side to the Easter vacations however. Many international students took the chance and went home over the hollidays either just for a while or for good. Some melancholy mixes with the nice weather and the spring atmosphere when the wheels of the trolleys of those who are departing can be heard, particularly those who are not coming back after the break. Aigburth Park is now basically deserted which at least leaves the resident tutors some time to breathe. They play soccer and read in front of the Trinity room every day. But at night, when all the lights are out and nobody can be heard all of a sudden the halls seem like a scene from 28 Days Later. Let’s hope that people will be back soon enough. Cheers to all of you! Enjoy your break! And to those of you who left for good: You will not be forgotten!

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Jetting Off!

April 6th, 2011

Time whisks us onwards and the academic year seems to have flown by in a flash! Thank goodness, I’ve handed in all my assignments now, all that is left are those annoying exams! Well this year I decided to make revision something to look forward to and enjoy…

Last Saturday I was getting some leisurely shopping done in Chester, when I passed Thomas Cook’s travel agency. Recklessness and wanton excess came over me and I just could not resist popping in! Within 20 minutes I had booked a week away on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey! I know this may seem completely mad, especially as I’m travelling alone – but you see that’s the beauty of it! I have a ton of revision to do, probably wouldn’t have got it done at home with all the social distractions and bacchanalian feasts of debauchery I’d be forced to attend, so why not do it in the sun and make revision fun! Just think this time next week I’ll be sunning myself by the pool, Cosmo Cocktail in hand, with the occasional glance at an exam revision text book – well I do need a little down time!

I understand I’m coming across awfully smug here – but I like to feel I deserve the break just a little, lets just hope it has the desired affect of my exam results!

One thing’s for sure – I’ll be one of the more chilled and glowing students sitting in the exam hall, either that or I’ll be sun-burnt and an emotional wreck!

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