Liverpool John Moore University Open Day

It's got to that time of my life where I need to start thinking what to do for the rest of my life, whether I want to go to uni or not, and if so what course and which uni.

I already know that I want to be a Primary School teacher and therefore I need to do a Primary Education degree so now the only question is - out of all the hundreds of uni which do the course, which is right for me?

To help make my decision easier I visited Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) which is right in the centre of one of the nicest cities ever. The city had such a vibrant feel to it, you were right in the middle of everything and the students helping there were so nice and helpful, always free to give advice. LJMU will definitely be in my top 5 that I apply for in October!

These are my 5 top tips when choosing the uni:

1. Go to the open days - the university may look good online or in the prospectus but you can't get a feel for the uni without actually going to visit, ask yourself "can I see myself living and studying here for the next 3 years?"
2. When making your 5 top choices on UCAS, go for one ambitious choice (if you want), 3 reasonable choices, and one safe option. For example, if you're expected to get 3 B's at the end of the year, then maybe apply for one asking AAB, 3 asking for BBB and one safe one asking for BCC. Then fingers crossed whatever your grades there is still somewhere for you. 
3. Look at how many of the students are in further study or in employment in that area, this gives you an idea of how well the students are doing and therefore how good the course is. For example, if only 63% are in education or employment after finishing the course at one uni, and another is 95%, it is much more probable that the latter university is better. 
4. The location is really important. Do you want to be near home? Or would you prefer to be miles away at the other end of the country?! Also, do you want to be right in the middle of a big city - Kings College Uni London, Manchester Metropolitan, Liverpool University, Aston Uni Birmingham. Or would you prefer somewhere much quieter such as Durham, Warwik, St Andrews? This varies person to person so don't just go somewhere just because someone else has recommended it. What they love you may hate. 
5. And finally, don't worry!! If when you get to uni you know it's not right then transferring is usually no problem and won't affect you that much at all. 

Have any questions or want advice then just comment below :) 

xx

Top 10 things in my life

Ok, so this is a countdown of the things in my life that I love the most:

At number 10:
School - However sad this seems, I genuinely love school. Having previously been in a school that I hated and I hardly got on with anyone there, the one I go to now is such a fresh of breath of fresh air and I have never been in a place where I actually find learning fun and I actually (sometimes) look forward to the lessons. I bet I have totally gone down in your estimations now :P

At number 9:
Patterned leggings - I have to admit when it comes to leggings I am a bit snobish. I'd much rather pay for a brand that I know the leggings are not going to be see-through and show everything. So all the printed leggings I own are from Jack Wills and it is my favourite shop in the world. Leggings are a must for me because they are so comfy and can easily jazz up a plain and simple outfit quickly with minimal effort.

At number 8:

My childhood teddies - Without a doubt if my house was on fire and I only had a couple of minutes to go and save something from my home then I would head straight to my teddy bears. At 18 years old I still line all my teddies up down the side of bed in height order, they all just hold different memories and I cannot imagine me ever getting rid of them. 

At number 7:

Going out - I love to socialise with my friends whether this is going for a coffee, cocktail, watching a movie or just meeting up with each other. For those that live anywhere near me (Preston, Lancashire, England) I highly recommend going to 'Kuckoo', it is the best place to get cocktails and the music that they play there is just amazing. If you're stuck for which drink to go for, then I recommend 'Rainbow Road', not only does it come with glowsticks in it which is pretty damn cool but it is so so so nice with such a fruity taste. Here is me with one.. 

At number 6:

My phone or iPad - I have put these two together as for me they are both the same as I just use them to contact people through various forms of social media. 

ps: follow my twitter here: https://twitter.com/Lifeasateen96   

I recently deactivated my facebook as I realised there was too much bitchiness happening on it and it just seemed to be full of messages from all the pages that I liked about 5 years ago and I rarely saw anything useful on there that was any interest to me. Everyone that I want to talk to I have on other forms of social media and I also have their number so I just found it irrelevant to have anymoe. 

At number 5: 

Onesies - Whoever invented these, I salute you! Not only are they fantastic for fancy dress parties but they are the comfiest things in the world. The only downside is when you are desperate for the loo and then you have to get practically naked. I currently own 4 onesies: a plain blue one, a tiger, a gorilla and a reindeer. I suggest the best place for you to get one is Primark, they are really cheap and last for ages. (Obviously not being biased - I work at Primark). Check out these Santa and reindeer ones :D 

At number 4:

Nandos - For me, this one does not need explaining. Nandos is just heaven. I know there are critics who say "its just chicken" or "it's too expensive". But number 1 - I LOVE CHICKEN. And number 2 - THE CHICKEN IS WORTH IT! I go quite regularly to nandos and have never deviated from what I order: I have a half chicken, at a medium spice with chips and garlic bread. I really should be more adventurous as there are many things I know I would like on the menu but now it is like a tradition that I order the above. 

At number 3: 

My bed - I think that this would be high up for most people on their list. I find it so hard sleeping at a bed anywhere else, whether at a friends or in a hotel. Nothing will ever compare to my bed and whenever I am away for a night or two, the first thing I do when I get back is just lie in bed. In fact, I think I spend most of my time in bed, I am in bed now writing this as well. My mattress has just the right amount of bounce in it too and is perfect for jumping on - although I still get told off for this :( 

At number 2:

Music - Whether playing music or listening to it, music has been a part of my life since I was tiny. At nursery my favourite songs were 5, 6, 7, 8 by Steps and Barbie Girl by Aqua. I used to sing Barbie Girl all the time and everywhere, I'm sure I must have said the lyrics all wrong as I am sure my parents wouldn't have allowed me to sing the correct lyrics aged 3. Right now though, my favourite artists are Loveable Rogues (have you checked out my review for them yet?), Olly Murs, Cheryl Cole and Ella Henderson - her song 'Ghost' is fantastic. Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8AfQaUnXM

I also play both the piano and the saxophone to a Grade 7 standard. Out of the two of them my saxophone is my favourite and it has allowed me to play in concerts around Europe including Germany, Holland, Austria and DisneyLand Paris. 

And finally.. at number 1

It has to be my friends/family/boyfriend - They mean everything to me. My family mean the world to me, and not just my mum, dad and sister but my cousins too or are more like brothers and sisters to me. We are all such a close unit and stick with each other through everything. My friends are also always there for me and I couldn't wish for any better friends at all. And my boyfriend, Rob, is just fantastic and my world, I honestly do not know what I would do without him. 

Monthly favourites - June

Ok, so I have decided that on the first day of each month I am going to highlight my three or four favourite items of the previous month and give mini reviews on them and why they have been important.

So to start off this month, I have Avon Skin So Soft. Now this stuff is fantastic! It's a dry oil that I use as a moisturizer and as a substitute for after sun. As it is an oil is can get quite slimey but the job it does is just fantastic. It instantly soothes the skin and when applied onto sunburn gives instant relief for the burning sensation. Another bonus is it contains something (no idea what) that acts as an insect repellent to keep all the bites away. Would recommend to anyone!

Secondly, I have my Dorothy Perkins sandal jellies for just £13 and they are the comfiest shoes I think I own. They are perfect for short walks, going out and just as everyday shoes too. At a reasonably low price they are so worth the money and I think an essential - there are many different colours to chose from if you don't like the mint colour.

And finally, Uncle Ben's Mexican rice. I have to admit, I am not the world's biggest rice fan but when I saw these pouches of rice on offer I thought I would try the plain rice and go for something different - the Mexican. And after trying it for the first time, I think I have been converted. The mix of spice is just right and it is neither too bland nor too spicy. This can be teamed with many things, whether with a curry or as a side to fajitas, I did the latter and it was possibly the best meal I have ever cooked for myself.