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

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

What I've missed about university over the break

As I am cracking on with the final touches to my dissertation and although there are plenty of things to do at home, there are some things that I have missed about university life during the semester.

I guess the reason why I am thinking about this is because, as a final-year student, the thought of forever being on a university break is dawning on me; what happens during a four week Easter break will soon be, simply, the norm.

Here are the top four things I’m looking forward to when the break ends:

The People

I miss coming home from the library late at night and heading straight to my housemate’s room for our nightly chit-chat. What’s great about living with other students is that there’s no need to make plans in order to catch up. If I want to have a cup of tea with my other friends who I don’t live with, they are just down the road or around the area.

The other things I miss are communal meals. Currently, I live in a house of seven people so we often eat and cook together. It’s the perfect time to bond and catch up with what we have been up to during the day and food somehow just tastes better when you’re eating with someone else. Of course it can be loud but that just means there is never a dull moment at my student house. Plus, it’s strange seeing the kitchen so clean and the hobs so shiny!

House Christmas meal

The University Schedule

I never thought I’d say this but I even miss Monday morning seminars! I normally have a schedule during the week based on lectures, seminars and meetings. It helps plan out deadlines and tasks for the week. I am even encouraged to go to the gym because I’m already on campus and the gym is so accessible – my Mondays are for spinning class and Thursdays are for Zumba! I even miss the green and pretty campus. I’m sure it would look even more beautiful in full Spring bloom when term starts again.

The Activities

I’m really looking forward to the first Filipino Society committee meeting after the break. We’re planning to hold a Filipino themed Karaoke night as part of Culture Week so that’s something to look forward to! It’s been a while since we last held a social so this is an excellent time for the society to catch up with each other. Of course there’s also society handovers to think about. It’s crazy to think it’s been almost a whole year since I became President. University clubs are the best way to meet people who have similar interests as you. Conversely, it is also a good way to immerse yourself into a different group of people altogether. I am aiming to try out a new society in the last few months.

With the Filipino Society committee

At the Easter Fair held on Southampton Common every April 

The Student Perks

Since I haven’t graduated yet, my student discount still applies. These are definitely something I’ll miss after graduation. Most retailers have exclusive deals for students. Even takeaway restaurants around the city have student deals!

Food tastes better with the 10% student discount…

The second half of semester two starts in a week again and I am so excited. There’s plenty to look forward to: handing in my dissertation, International Culture Week, exam season (maybe not so much for this one!), graduation and, of course, THE GRAD BALL. Yes, there are lots of things coming up so watch this space!

Rylyn

Active resting: staying busy while taking time out

Sitting still has never really been my forte, but with the Easter break now slamming into us at what feels like a million miles an hour, it seems that at least some rest was very much on the cards.

I mean, it is needed; calling this past semester ‘mad’ would be something of an understatement, but with so much still to do I decided to take a more active approach to resting.

We all need to slow down once in a while and catch a breath; it’s not healthy to keep pushing it, even if you’re absolutely certain that you can manage it. At some point, you will just stop working effectively and become some sort of malfunctioning robot.

There are ways to keep yourself busy whilst still relaxing though. It’s what I’ve dubbed ‘active resting’, and it basically involves switching off some parts of your brain (the bits concerned with the extreme worries that you need a break from) but keeping others firmly awake. Not exactly scientific I know, but hear me out.

Dissertations, graduation and other third-year worries have been bubbling away at the forefront of my mind for a very long time. When Easter finally rolled around, it seemed sensible to push them aside – if only for a little while. Without these things concerning me, life quite honestly felt a little empty, so in order to stay active, I decided to rack up some more work experience and have a wander through some fields too.

That’s the active part: resting from one thing, but staying busy with something else. It keeps things interesting and dynamic, but still allows the necessary parts of your thinking to get some much needed recharge time. This past week has seen a cross-country road trip to the heart of Devon with some friends, and more press-related antics in the capital.

Hiding out in the countryside with some friends was a great way to switch off, but keep active.

Driving nearly 500 miles over Easter weekend proved a little more work than I first expected, especially given the mass amounts of traffic on the roads (I should’ve seen this coming I know). However, getting out into the countryside and away from emails, phone-calls and even just my desk was simply perfect. Staying active with some decent scenic walks certainly kept my brain awake too, so it was very much the best of both worlds.

Swiftly following my return from Devon was a trip into London for the press junket of the new film The Huntsman: Winter’s War, meaning that I got to sit in a room filled with famous people and feel important for a little bit longer. This opportunity came from The National Student, a student magazine a little further afield than The Edge. Again, it kept me sincerely motivated to work, especially after finding myself face-to-face with a few of the film’s stars for some one-on-one interview time.

 Work experience helps engage different parts of your brain too. In my case, the fan-boy side.

The whole time these things were going on though, I felt oddly rested. It was as if in doing all of these relatively active things, I was somehow relaxing. This is proof that you don’t have to be lying down or doing absolutely nothing in order to recharge those mental batteries.

So, if you know you need a break from university or school work (we’ve all been there, there’s no shame), but for whatever reason you don’t want to stop, you don’t have to. Just occupy your brain with something else, that’s challenging in a different way.

Anyhow, I’m nearly at the final sprint finish now. I guess that means that all this active resting should probably take a break itself until the summer.

The end is nigh, after all!

Ben

How to make your breaks more interesting

After two very relaxing weeks at home in Norway, I’m now back in Southampton and very ready to finish some of my coursework. However, technically I’m still on a break for another two weeks and although the plan is mainly to do work, breaks are important.

It’s a continuous question; what should I fill my breaks with? Most of the time, I’m on so buried in deadlines my breaks consist of eating or going to the gym – but now I don’t have any immediate deadlines and thus time for more and longer breaks.

Tennis 

There are two tennis courts behind Avenue Campus, which are open to book for all students. The gym is nice to go to when it’s raining, but when the sun is out I’d trade the gym for an outdoor workout any day. Therefore, when the sun decides to come out and the temperature is above 10 degrees I’m looking forward to spending some breaks here. However, a trip to the gym is a perfect break from work if the sun is not out.

Netflix 

It’s nice to be productive while you are having a break, but sometimes it’s even nicer to crawl up in bed and watch Netflix after a long day of course work. At the moment, I’m watching the last season of House of Cards and when I finish that I’m ready to catch up on the latest season of Suits. After that, I need something new to watch, so any tips are greatly appreciated.

Walks 

One of the best thing with having a local boyfriend is that I get to see every part of every area in Southampton. Think you’ve seen Bassett properly because you’ve been to Glen Eyre? Think again. When the weather is sunny I love going for walks and my favourites have always been down to Ocean Village or The Common, but Bassett has now made it to my list of favourite places in Southampton. The Southampton City Golf Course is not far away from Highfield Campus and is located in between loads of cute typical British houses. The surrounding areas around Highfield campus are lovely places and are all worth checking out.

Coffee breaks

I’m sure most of your friends are just as busy as you are with coursework. A coffee break with them is a good way to get something highly needed (caffeine!) and socialise at the same time. If you are on campus, there are several places to go; The Bridge, the Arlott Bar or The Piazza to mention a few. If you are in town I think Bedford Place has some really lovely cafés; Retro Café, Café Monde and Halladay’s Tearooms are my favourites.

I was lucky enough to fly over the spectacular Windsor Castle when I came back to England. One word: huge!

Alexandra

Five ways to make the most of your time as a student in 2016

First of all, Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely and peaceful holiday, without too much university or school work hanging over them.

I bet we all have a few New Year’s resolutions and, whether they consist of joining the gym or starting your coursework earlier, I’m sure everyone’s resolutions could be helped with better time management in 2016.

Here are a few of my personal tips for making the most of your time in 2016.

Make use of ‘dead-time’

By ‘dead-time’ I mean the time it takes for you to get to campus, the time in-between lectures etc., so when you are actually home or at the library you can devote your time 100% to doing work. For example, I often use the bus ride home to check social media, call or text my parents, or read the news. Not too say I don’t do this at home, but when I’m home I can focus on other things and I don’t have anything I ‘just have to check’ before I start doing work.

Structure the day

Writing down everything you need to have done by the end of the day is a good way to plan ahead. This way you can hopefully avoid forgetting that you have to return your course collection book at 11am, or similar nightmares. This includes writing down what work/reading you should have finished by the end of the day.

Sleep

Probably not the most surprising point in this post, but sleep is so underrated. I mean, even if you are sleep deprived and haven’t slept properly in a week you still get your work done, hence it is possible to work without your 8-hours-a-day. However, to do well over a long period of time, having a good sleeping pattern is important. It makes a nice change to sit in those 9am lectures and focus on what the lecture is actually about, instead of focusing on staying awake!

Structure your notes 

I’m personally horrible at this because in lectures I just try to write all the things I find essential (which often is almost everything). However, by structuring your notes, you save so much time later on. Use markers on important concepts and devote one notebook to each, so it’s easier to find later. Instead of copying everything from the PowerPoint, focus on writing down the things the PowerPoint doesn’t tell you. The slides will be available online later anyway.

Stop the procrastination

This one is obvious, but just think about how much time you could save by diminishing the time you procrastinate. OK, you probably think about it all the time, because I know I do, but instead of half doing your work while you keep your eyes on your phone and then ending up with watching a movie, take breaks while you work. Use these breaks to do something other than university work and then go back to your studies. For example, work intensively for 45 minutes. and then a break for 15 minutes.


This year I don’t have a lot of New Year’s resolutions. My three resolutions are to be better at making the most out of my time, calling my grandad more often and start walking more. Yes, I have an obsession with the step counter on my iPhone - I want it to be above 7,000 steps every day!

A little picture from cold, cold, cold Oslo (currently -11 degrees here) 

Happy New Year!

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

How to save your summer

Regardless of whether or not the weather chooses to recognise it, we are currently experiencing what scientists have referred to in the past as 'summer'. To some this means nothing more than a supposed increase in temperature, but to university students such as myself, it has a whole other meaning.

For students, the summer period is entirely what you make it. Almost three months of un-timetabled, un-scheduled blank space to fill with whatever you see fit. Obviously this can come in many, many forms; from work placements, to travel adventures, to simply kicking back and catching up on some much-needed sleep. I’ve been spending the past six weeks trying to mix and match and find the perfect combination of all of the above, but it has definitely proven to be a far trickier task than I first anticipated.

Being away from Southampton was a little jarring at first - a shorter housing contract may have saved me a lot of rent in the long-run, but without a place to stay in the city, I had to head home to Essex until September. Jumping between two very different lifestyles can be quite difficult, and so, to avoid that rather soul-crushing state everyone will recognise as 'boredom', I’ve set out to try and conquer as much as humanly possible.

Taylor Swift was kind enough to help me avoid boredom by performing nearby in Hyde Park.

Whilst many of my friends have stayed in the city and opted for getting themselves a work placement of some sorts - from marketing internships to social media training through the University’s Excel placement scheme, I instead looked towards placements nearer to home. Luckily enough, through The Edge’s connections, I managed to secure a week working with The National Student, a far-reaching entertainment and opinion website based in London. And so, as you read this, I will be joining the ranks of the capital’s army of commuters and I couldn’t be more excited!

However, as important as work is for future experience, the summer still has plenty more to offer. With the University accepting students from all over the globe, I’ve found that even just visiting friends over the summer months can be something of an adventure in itself, giving me the opportunity to explore places I had never been before.

Thanks to my student railcard (an essential tool that no young traveller should be without), I’ve been able to parade up and down the country on any number of trains for a surprisingly affordable price. June took me to Nottingham, whilst this past weekend has been spent on the (not at all) sunny shores of Liverpool.

Catching up with friends on an adventure up to Liverpool has certainly been a summer  

Whether it be one friend or a whole group, travelling up to visit them has proven to be a great way to spend odd weekends and keep in touch whilst separated by the holidays.

Obviously, it’s not all running around though. As fun and thrilling as it was, second year proved to be one of the craziest years to date, so taking some time off to just sit and relax seems entirely reasonable. Catching up with local friends and binge-watching Netflix has helped to slow my brain down to a far calmer pace, and I’m now far more able to look forward to the year ahead and start planning life back in Southampton.

Getting a kick-start on the reading for the new academic year has definitely kept me in check - Hartley Library’s huge collection of e-books has certainly proved useful - whilst continuing my work with The Edge over the summer has allowed my creative juices to keep flowing smoothly.

It seems that even when I’m away from Southampton and the University physically, there’s still plenty to be getting on with!

Ben