Winter Wonderland!

So I've headed back to university, about to begin my final semester here at the University of Southampton. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown! Although it was difficult to leave my family and home comforts, it has been lovely reuniting with my uni friends and catching up with one another about what we got up to during the Christmas holidays.

Unfortunately, since A-level, I found that my Christmas holidays are never really a time to relax anymore, and were instead devoted to cramming in revision, assignments and this year's dissertation!

However, I am a huge advocate of the work hard play hard ethos and always take time out to relax, take part in activities, or go to social events I enjoy. For this post, I'm going to share one of my highlights from my Christmas period and something that makes my 'holidays' just a little bit more bearable... going to Winter Wonderland!

It is a family tradition of mine to visit Winter Wonderland in London each year and, living in London, it is especially easy for us to get to Hyde Park via the Underground. In fact, I know of quite a few of my friends who take the train into London from all over the UK (especially from Southampton, which is a relatively short train or coach ride away!) purely for a day out at this spectacular festive event.

About the event

Winter Wonderland is filled to the brim with a marvellous array of festive activities and entertainment. Taking place in Hyde Park for six weeks each year, there are over 100 thrilling rides and attractions - including my favourite, the Helter Skelter! One of the major advantages of the event is that it is completely FREE to enter, so even if your budget is a bit tight due to present buying, it is still worth going to have a look around the beautiful displays and witness some sparkly winter magic! Given the extreme popularity of the event, the majority of the major attractions such as ice-skating and the Giant Observation Wheel need to be booked in advance.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of this leading London attraction. As a result, there were a few additional attractions such as The Nutcracker on Ice show and the Sooty Christmas Show for the little ones.

The day itself

My dad very kindly bought tickets to see The Nutcracker on Ice show, so on Wednesday 28th December my parents, my sister and I set off to Hyde Park to watch it.

Splendid backdrop and lighting for Act 1: The Stahlbaum Home.

The show was incredible. I was fascinated at how fast the performers could skate, and how they managed to do such fantastic stunts on ice! Fire breathers and aerial acrobatics also made an appearance. After the show, we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the markets and just enjoying the festive atmosphere.

A typical street in Winter Wonderland.

As you can see we all wrapped up warm in as many layers as we could because it was freezing. I am usually always cold anyway as it is, so I found walking around outside a real struggle and I could not feel my toes for the entire afternoon.

The Arora family prepared for a trip to the Arctic in all of our layers!

Winter Wonderland is London's largest German-style Christmas market, hosting a wealth of tasty food and drinks, which made it very difficult to choose what I wanted to eat for lunch. I decided on a large box of freshly-made piping hot vegetarian noodles from one of the street stands. It certainly did the trick of warming me up from the inside.

Yummy noodles.

Part of Winter Wonderland is a miniature theme park, however the rides were quite pricey (£9 per ride!) and the queues seemed never-ending. Instead we decided to end the day with a trip to the Bavarian Village, where we bought delicious chocolate churros and mulled wine to share.

Bavarian Village beer garden.

A wonderful day out for families, couples or friends, Winter Wonderland really is a spectacular experience for all ages, and year upon year never fails to impress me.

I can't imagine the festive season without it!

Aditi

The twelve days of student Christmas

Hi guys!

This is my last blog post before Christmas! It feels like this semester has gone so quickly and now I'm getting stuck into revision for the January exams...

I thought I'd try something a bit different for this post. Some of you may know that I have my own YouTube Channel and I had this idea back in October of a badly drawn, fake-serious '12 Days of Student Christmas' video!

It took me a really long time as it was my first shot at crude animation - so I hope you like it!

You can find the lyrics in the video description!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Georgia

Holiday Motivation

It feels amazing to make it to the Christmas break after what has been a tough, work-heavy first semester, but it’s also been a great term!

The exams and coursework deadlines seem a lifetime away – a new year in fact – but some of us can still struggle to switch off over Christmas with the overhanging fear of the workload to come.

I know from my own experience the feelings of guilt when I’m not feeling too productive over this period.

But uni work, and indeed life, is always about finding the suitable balance between work and fun so I’m here to offer a few tips of my own.

Do things in a group

When I’m struggling to do work, I like to surround myself with other people, whether it’s with family or friends. It actually proves to be more relaxing in a different environment and you can be in a better frame of mind when you do knuckle down to work.

Equally, setting goals and treating yourself when you’ve succeeded at a personal hurdle is great for morale, like when I went for a Christmas meal with two of my housemates last week, Alex and George.

 A meal out with my housemates

Practice a hobby

It sounds obvious and that’s probably because it is. Being a complete working machine is all well and good but often exercise is the best remedy to revision blues and this has always worked for me. Luckily in Southampton, we have the Common where we can go to get some fresh air and fresh perspective, plus in recent weeks, I’ve been playing tennis, squash and badminton to raise my motivation levels.

Take breaks between working

Everyone has their own personal studying and working techniques, whether it’s doing an all-nighter study session at the library or setting strict hours for when to work and when to relax.

Personally, I’ve never been able to spend hours on end concentrating on the same task without taking breaks, or maybe it’s just that my mind is hyper-active! I also like working in various locations, whether it’s in my room, on Avenue Campus or at a friend’s house, but the main Hartley Library during exam week is just a no go for me when everyone is in full work mode.


The main message here is that it’s important to make the most of this break, both in terms of recharging your batteries and completing small milestones for assignments, which you can do without bashing out 2,000 words in one go. It’s easier said than done, but we’re already almost halfway through the academic year so that’s already one big milestone reached!

Before I sign off, the Erasmus society with which I’m involved recently received some gifts through the post, courtesy of Uludag Erasmus Student Network in Turkey. Every year, all of the ESN societies across Europe send off a special parcel packed with gifts that are synonymous with their own country and their Christmas traditions and below are a few pictures of what we received, including luggage tags, Turkish tea and Turkish delight!

At our Erasmus Christmas meal

Some of the gifts we received from ESN Uludag

Finally, I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas with family and friends and a Happy New Year in 2017!

Paul

Christmas on campus: Christmas Lights Switch On 2016

So, the days are getting shorter, temperatures are plummeting and that can only mean that Christmas is on its way!

Last week the University held its annual Christmas Lights Switch On, which is always the traditional curtain-raiser to the festive period.

It’s the third one I’ve been to whilst at Southampton and even though we’re not quite done for the semester, it never fails to provide us with some much-needed Christmas cheer.

The event attracts masses of students, staff and local residents alike and has been running for about five years now. I remember back in my first year how excited I was, seeing the University community come together to see the Christmas lights being switched on, usually a month before the big day itself.

Last week no disappointment either. The Switch On always takes place on the Redbrick area which is the main hub of our campus on Highfield. The festive atmosphere is enhanced by Christmas carols and an excitable snow machine, plus the campus is a hive of activity with individual huts set up like a proper Christmas market, with societies promoting themselves or simply selling food to raise money for their respective societies.

The brass band helping to warm up the crowds

If that weren’t enough, you’ve also got a host of vans selling an array of quintessential fairground food that you just can’t do without, ranging from doughnuts to candy floss and much, much more. My family more than anyone else know that I just wouldn’t be able to turn down the opportunity to get fresh doughnuts, so I had to take my chance!

Of course, the pinnacle of the evening was the actual switching on of the lights at 6pm, when the button was pressed by Capital Radio’s South Coast presenters, Emma (an alumnus of the University!) and Tom, and suddenly, Highfield Campus was glowing resplendently in blue, draped across the trees.

 Moments before the Switch On!

The illuminations on campus

There’s just something about the lights which makes Highfield Campus look somewhat magical at night, though that’s not to say it doesn’t look great during the rest of the year!

For me, the run-up to Christmas is now well underway and is a period that I look forward to almost as much as the day itself, with all that expectancy.

Furthermore, last week’s event has made me all the more determined to get over to Winchester’s Christmas market in the coming weeks, especially given how renowned it is across the country. You can easily get over there by train or by bus if you can’t find anyone to drive you, plus the tickets for both options are surprisingly cheap. With an ice rink, mulled wine and cider as well as an array of international gastronomic treats, what’s not to love about a good old Christmas market?

 A Christmas event wouldn't be complete without a Christmas tree!

For anyone who didn’t get to see it the first time, you can still get to see the illuminations right up until the start of January. So don’t miss out on getting yourself into the festive spirit on campus!

Paul

Christmas gift tips for students

Despite all the stress associated with buying Christmas gifts, it is amusing how the whole process of sorting Christmas gifts out always creeps up on us...and then you are sat there in the middle of December buying socks for your dad because you gave up on finding something else.

As a student it can be especially hard planning gifts - so here are some tips for the festive period which we are now entering.

Obviously you need some sort of budget and plan for how many people you are actually buying a present for. Lists are glorious to have and prove to be life savers every year.

Then it comes to actually deciding what to get everyone…

Memories! 

This is a gift idea that will suit every budget and will be appropriate for everyone from grandparents,  and parents to partners and best friends. The more pricey examples would be to get concert tickets, a little weekend trip or similar. The more budget friendly way could be a day out, dinner, museum tickets or cinema tickets. If you are a student and don’t have the chance to see someone as much anymore, this is a great, meaningful gift.

For Christmas I got a hotel night in London with my best friend for when she was coming over to Southampton to see me and we had the best time. It was the perfect gift because we are so far apart and only see each other a few times every year.

Homemade things! 

No, I’m not taking about the drawing you made in school that you gave your mum and dad for Christmas 10 years ago (although I’m sure parents still love to receive these types of gifts).

This could be an album, a framed photo or a homemade cup. It could also be several small gifts. The nicest thing is obviously the thought and time that goes into making something for someone, which I’m sure is a winner with grandparents and parents.

I’d love to show a picture of my masterpiece of a coffee mug I made my mum for Christmas 15 years ago in school; she still loves it so much, but it is unfortunately in Norway.

Pampering! 

You might think this is a gift more suited towards females, but this is a gift I dare to say will go down well with everyone – because everyone needs a bit of pampering sometimes, right? A gift card for a massage or manicure, makeup, skincare or simply a new fancy shaving set for your boyfriend, brother or dad. I can’t see anyone not being happy with any of these and this is a great way of giving something most people don’t always take time out or allow themselves to do.

Magazine subscription, books or something similar! 

A year's subscription of someone’s favourite magazine or a gift card for iTunes, Spotify or similar are definitely winners regardless who the gift is for.

I hope this guide is helpful when planning for Christmas gifts and remember, f nothing seems tempting, you can never have too many white t-shirts or socks!

Alexandra

How to organise your Christmas revision

Remember when you were at school, and a holiday was actually a holiday? Sure, you might have had a bit of homework to do, but for the most part you were free as a bird. Those were the days. For me the Christmas break now seems less like a holiday and more like a couple of weeks to finish coursework and start revising.

It can actually be really difficult trying to organise your work at Christmas; you can either sacrifice the whole holiday - except for maybe Christmas and Boxing Day - to dreaded coursework, or you can do what you actually want to do and catch up with friends and family. For me, it’s tricky finding the balance, particularly as I don’t go home very often. This is my only chance to see people who I won’t see again until Easter, but the workload that comes along with doing a Masters degree leaves little time for doing much else.

My balance comes with accepting that sometimes work is going to have to take a backseat, and I will just relax and try to forget about it for a little while. Other days I’ll have to ignore my Mum’s pleas to help her in the kitchen or go shopping and actually get some work done.

Something that has really helped me is delaying my trip home until the end of this week, giving me a few days to catch up on last minute Christmas shopping, finish tutoring for the year and get some coursework sorted. Whilst my parents aren’t so happy that I’ve decided to stay in Southampton a little longer, at least once I get home I can actually be with my family, rather than constantly having to say ‘oh sorry I can’t come with you, I have to stay home and get this work done….’

Even then, trying to get work done at home is not the easiest thing. Here in Southampton I have the library and my desktop computer. At home I have an endless supply of baking materials, and chickens and ducks to look after. Plus, my parents have told me they are buying micro pigs - so no doubt they will be an endless distraction over the winter break!

There won’t be much room for anything else in my suitcase….

Whatever work you have to do, make sure you enjoy the Christmas break and take some time away from work to de-stress and relax with your family and friends. January exams will be upon us before we know it!

Merry Christmas!

Emma

Remaining productive over Christmas

The holidays are at long last here - whether you choose to stay in Southampton or find yourself heading off to somewhere slightly different, one thing remains clear: there’s now a lot of extra time to play with.

With teaching in all its forms taking a break for a few weeks, it’s now very much up to us students to keep things on track, which can be, surprisingly enough, actually pretty difficult. When you’re left to your own devices without much structure, staying productive can prove to be a bit of a challenge. With January exams and deadlines floating around in the ether, now’s a relatively important time for work.

So, in order to keep things relevant and procrastinate from my own University work for an hour or so more, here are a few ideas for how to remain productive when people keep thrusting mince pies and sparkly trees in your face.

Give Yourself a Break 

It may seem a bit strange having the first tip be basically 'don’t work' but there is method behind such madness, I assure you!

Here my reasoning is that it’s called a Christmas ‘break’ or ‘holiday’ for a reason. It’s been a long and solid semester, so taking some time off to rest and recharge is insanely important. In fact, it’s one of the most important things you can do.

Staying in the productive mindset is obviously still essential (we’ll get on to that a bit later), but so too is approaching things with a fresh mental state and an eagerness to work. If you’re shunning any sense of relaxation and staring in misery as all of your friends and family dance around the Christmas tree, whilst you desperately attempt to get that next essay done, you’re going to be distracted. I’m not saying do nothing, but definitely plan plenty of down-time in between the work. You’re allowed a break. Use it.

Work plan: the Relaxation Edition

Keep Tasks Manageable 

I’ve mentioned before how I find lists very useful in general, and here’s where they come into play again. Following on from what I mentioned above, make sure you plan out your tasks for the day, and make sure they’re manageable. You want to have enough time to relax, but also to keep that productive mindset going; you want to feel like you’re achieving something every day. If you fail to do everything you set out to do for that day, it can be incredibly disheartening, whereas staring down at a to-do list with every item crossed through is very much the opposite.

Make sure that the tasks you give yourself are achievable. There’s no point waking up in the morning and saying you’re going to write an entire dissertation; unless you’re the academic equivalent of Superman, realistically that’s never going to happen. Be reasonable, and understanding of yourself.

Organise Everything Before You Leave 

Obviously for those staying in Southampton over the holidays, this won’t be too much of a problem, but for those jetting off somewhere different, this is another important one. There’s nothing worse than getting home, attempting to start an essay but finding that you don’t have the right book, or that you don’t quite understand the question. You’re suddenly stopped in your tracks and you can’t possibly move any further.

Make sure you plan ahead and take out the relevant books from the library before you leave. There’s even extended loan periods over the holidays so you won’t need to live in fear of having to dash back at any point to return them!

Also, don’t forget that Christmas extends to lecturers as well as students: believe it or not they are human beings too. Therefore, do ensure that you ask them any relevant questions before they’re due to leave their office or you may well find yourself lost without a reply for several weeks.

Of course, everybody has their own methods, so if these don’t quite work for you I fully understand, but hopefully they’ll be of some use.

It’s been an incredible first semester, filled with much productivity and merriment; here’s hoping the next is just as awesome.

Merry Christmas from Ben’s housemates on behalf of Ben because Ben is holding the camera

Otherwise, all that is left to say from me is have a very Merry Christmas, and I’ll speak to you all again in the New Year. Here’s hoping it’s a good one!

Ben

Visiting Southampton's Christmas Market

Where on earth has the time gone? It feels like it was just Halloween last weekend and now it is suddenly December. I’m going home in less than two weeks, which is crazy and also very exciting. November for me is a month where I find myself missing home a bit more than usual and with all the deadlines I have had in the last month it’s been hard to really sit down and actually realise that my favourite holiday is coming up; Christmas!

Originally, I was planning on writing my blog post on the Winchester Christmas market, because from what I’ve heard, Winchester was the place to go around here for a proper German Christmas market. I don’t doubt it and I will definitely be making my way up to Winchester this week (hopefully). However, I ended up visiting the Southampton Christmas Market this weekend.

This year’s market - they are actually calling it a Festival -  is absolutely worth a visit and, like last year, located on Above Bar Street (just outside West Quay). All the Unilink buses stop in a walking distance to it, if you don’t live in the city centre.

 

The only thing missing from this picture is snow

The Christmas market has something for everyone, no matter your age. For example, when I was there on Saturday they did a ‘Flying Santa Show’ which I can imagine was a fun experience for the kids who were there. Yes, Father Christmas was there and he flew over the market! According to my sources he does this twice a day, so it’s well worth a visit. They even have music!

I can see you, Father Christmas!

With the huge number of stallholders this year, I actually had to use Google to find out how many there are! According to Discover Southampton, there are over 40 stallholders this year. So if you are lost for ideas on what to get family and friends for Christmas, you should definitely visit as they sell proper hand-crafted things like jewellery, coffee beans, scarves and some really fancy hot water bottles!

In addition to this they have loads of places where you can get something to eat or drink. We especially liked the German Bar, which could’ve been taken straight out of any skiing facility in Norway! In addition to this, there were loads of places selling traditional Christmas food like ribs and turkey, so don’t worry about getting hungry either. They also had several stands selling candy, gingerbread hearts and other treats if you are in need of something sweet.

In all honesty, you don’t even need to go there to buy anything. It’s well worth a visit just for the experience and the gorgeous lights they have put up. Next on my list over Christmas markets to see in the nearby area is the one in Winchester and New Forest. Fingers crossed I will be able to see them both before I go home.

I hope everyone is starting to get into the festive mood even with all the deadlines everyone has before the holiday start. Fellow blogger Ben shared some lovely tips on spreading Christmas cheer on campus, so thank you, Ben – my housemate and I are now in the process of getting a Christmas jumper each! We might not be bold enough to wear it on campus, but at least we can spread some cheer around the house.

In the meantime between essays, coursework and reports, we are going to bake gingerbread, eat rice porridge and drink mulled wine.

Happy December!

Alexandra

Spreading Christmas cheer on campus

The Christmas lights on the University’s Highfield Campus have officially been switched on, meaning that yes, the Scrooges of the world can stop complaining that it’s “too early”. The time to start getting properly excited about Christmas is finally here!

In fact, this past week has basically been overtaken with thoughts of my favourite holiday of the year for a whole range of reasons.

The Christmas lights switch-on event itself on campus was a perfect way to kick things off, with Surge Radio and some special live musical performances providing plenty of those classic festive tracks to dance and sing along to, whilst the cheery yuletide spirit even spread as far as the next issue of The Edge, which I’m proud to announce will feature plenty of Christmas-themed entertainment fun. Yep, the University is definitely embracing Christmas in all its forms.

Whether you’re a Southampton newbie or a seasoned veteran of Christmas on campus, there’s plenty of new and exciting ways to spread the festive cheer around, especially if pre-exam nerves are getting you down. Below you’ll find just some of the many, many ways you can light up the lives of your fellow students this holiday season. The weather may well be inching towards arctic-level chilliness, but it’s easily counteracted with a smile and a tacky jumper.

Dress To Impress 

Southampton is lucky enough to have a whole range of shops in its City Centre (and there’s the internet too), so you’re never far away from a huge, sparkly piece of Christmas clothing. With the temperature lowering dramatically by the day, now’s the perfect occasion to invest in one of those gaudy jumpers you’ve heard so much about.

Not only will it give you that extra layer of comfort in lectures or in the library (the fluffier the better), it’s also pretty likely to raise a smile around campus too, spreading the joy of Christmas even further. If you’re feeling extra cheery, you could even grab a novelty hat too. Any way to make even just walking to lectures that little bit more fun!

 Tacky Christmas wear is the new black

 

Gaze in wonder at SUSU’s Christmas decorations 

You may or may not have had the joy of wandering through the Students' Union building since last week, but if you have you’ll probably have noticed the gigantic fully-decorated Christmas tree now stands proudly in the main entrance. It’s pretty hard to miss and it really is a sight to behold. But of course, it’s not the only festive-themed decoration that’s just come out for the year.

The Bridge has recently been fully kitted-out with an insanely glitzy winter wonderland theme, so if you fancy kicking back with a Christmas-flavoured drink or snack and escaping the library for a quick break, it’s the perfect place to do so. No word of a lie, there’s enough tinsel in there to keep your eyes sparkling for days. It’s positively magical.

Obviously, we can’t forget the University’s trademark Christmas lights. Switched on this year by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Adam Wheeler and our very own world champion Enactus team, the lights are spread across all of Highfield Campus - but the best place to see them in action is on the green by the Interchange. It’s a simple beauty, but a beauty nonetheless, and it’ll no doubt cheer you on through these cold, early nights.

The Christmas Lights on Highfield Campus are well worth seeing 

Secret Santa 

Finally, why not spread a little more than just the gift of cheer, like, well, a real gift? Whether it’s between your flatmates or course friends, getting together and each anonymously buying each other gifts is a great way to make the gradual build-up to Christmas even jollier.

I’ve actually found from doing this the past two years that it can even lead to the creation of a whole new holiday entirely: ‘Uni Christmas’, where all of the excitement of regular Christmas is brought forward several weeks and celebrated right here in Southampton! What’s better than two Christmases? Nothing - nothing is better than two Christmases.

 The SUSU Christmas tree stands tall and proud

There are of course many other ways of celebrating the festive period and keeping things lively on this last stretch of the first semester, but hopefully these are enough to get you started! 

A very merry Uni Christmas to all!

Ben