Review: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

After studying for an English degree for the past three years you'd think that I would be bored of reading. However, since completing my degree, I have been trying to make an active effort to carry on reading as much as possible. I chose my degree because I love reading, a lifelong hobby that I don't think will ever leave me. This is the most recent book that I have finished: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler.

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

    

Apologies for my absence! There have been exams and reading and working which have all gotten in the way of me writing a new blog post BUT I'm back for the summer and really excited to share my summer in Falmouth with you. 

For this post I want to share my initial thoughts on founder and CEO of Vintage online store Nasty Gal, Sophia Amoruso's new book, #GIRLBOSS. This book appeals to me in so many ways from the get go; written by a woman with drive who created her own business from nothing and skyrocketed in a mere 7 years. Sophia is very down to earth about her success and emphasises hard work and determination at all points of the book. I find her witty tone charming and interesting to read alongside her appreciation for the people who have helped her along the path to her present situation. 

I'm only a quarter of a way through the book but I am struggling to put it down. It's so inspiring and motivational, particularly for young women aspiring to be business leaders. I love her honesty about the business world, especially with regards to the 'boring' stuff AKA finance which she still keeps in mind and values the person sorting this out for her. Even though I'm only part way through I would urge anyone to go out and buy this book simply for the magical, charming, witty voice of Sophia and her inspiring but extremely honest story. 

Thanks for reading xo

Scary Second Year

So second year has hit me... hard.

The past few weeks have taught me that I need to learn to say 'no' a lot more or just be a lot less interested in everything that goes on around campus. I have to admit that I am ridiculously nosey. I have learned this through deciding at the end of first year that I'd like to be involved in society committees and have some responsibility for second year, fair enough. However, my first year self cleverly decided, along with taking awful notes all year and barely reading a single book, that I could manage a role on FOUR society committees. Really?

Okay, I love it. I love every society I'm involved in: Oxfam, the campus Jazz band, CSM Netball, and the English Society. I love the people, the events, the socialising, the meetings, the organising. I also love sleep... But that isn't possible right now.

I like to be busy and this seemed like the best way to stay as busy as I can for the rest of the year. I have made a plan to chill out society involvement around serious hand-ins and especially around my exams, just in case I actually want to revise this year (next joke, please). I would definitely advise first years to get as involved as possible while they still have the chance and their marks don't really matter as much. My involvement in societies during first year gave me so much experience and I met so many new people just by turning up to things, it wasn't hard. P.S. Society and Sport involvement looks AMAZING on a CV (not joking, you get experience doing something you love) and I'm definitely ahead of the employability game with my experience. Just need to sort my grades out now...

Thanks,

K xo

April Challenge Update: Revision

It's got to that time of year again. Yes, it's almost exam time!

It's funny because I thought that university would mean as few exams as possible yet, although I have less exams this year than last, I'm still spending a longer amount of time sitting exams as each one is 3 hours long. Yes, 3 hours!! I'm a little worried because I can barely concentrate for 1 hour, let alone 3. Writing for 3 hours straight is also going to take a lot of practice. Oh, and learning quotes from the set texts because it's a closed book exam.

I have a lot to do and I'm not really doing it. Just complaining about it, typical student! On the plus side, however, I have made a revision timetable and am attempting to stick to it. I honestly didn't realise how difficult keeping to a timetable would be at home, especially as all my friends are home too and I want to make the most of seeing them. I'm trying though!

Wish me luck!

K xo

April's Challenges

"30 Days hath September, April, June and November..."

Only 30 days in April. There's something that I find so appeasing about even numbers.
With April just around the corner, I thought I'd set myself 5 challenges (I know it's an uneven number but it's one that I feel comfortable with) to complete over those 30 days. I was going to attempt to do something every day but I've never tried anything like this before so thought I'd start with a realistic goal. Here are my 5 goals for the next month.

This April I want to:

1. Try out henna tattoos.

2. Start running.

3. Create a revision timetable and actually revise!

4. Plan a visit to see my friends in Birmingham.

5. Create a arty piece of work that I'm proud of.

Fingers crossed that I'll manage some (if not, all) of these. I thought I'd keep them as 'aims' rather than 'I-will-definitely-be-doing-all-of-these' things. I don't like pressure and I don't respond well to it.

Hope to keep you all updated,

Kxo