Author: Martin

Celebrating university life in all its diversity. Helping to achieve a full, entertaining, productive, and successful experience.

A New Medium: Great Links Worth Reading

I recently started writing over at Medium. It’s a convenient place to post anything not quite so student related. And more stuff that is!

I thought I’d link to a few posts of mine and others that you should take a look at.

You can keep track of my latest posts and recommendations at my profile page.

—

Check out some of my first posts to Medium:

Writing on Distraction-Free Writing – 7 tips to help you concentrate on just the words.

What ‘Preparation’ Really Is – Getting to finish means getting through start. This is an updated version of an old TUB post.

Dead Is Dead – When you stop using a service, that doesn’t mean it should stop existing.

And here are a few great posts from other awesome peeps:

How to College – Some great, down to earth advice on making the most of your time at university. By @EricJorgenson

Take Your Ideas For a Walk – Sometimes the creative process needs you to take a journey. By @IanSanders

I Never Win Because I’m a Girl – “The piano doesn’t care who you are. Neither does the ground when you run.” By @luckyshirt

Dear Dumbphone: A Millennial’s Declaration of Love – Not all of us are so quick to embrace smartphones. And when we do, how does it change us? By @steffiexplores

—

The top reasons people tell me they aren’t able to write online are:

I don’t have enough time;
I can’t think of anything useful to say;
I can’t write.

First, it doesn’t have to take a long time. Second, you have more useful stuff to say than you realise. Third, you can’t write if you don’t write, so get writing!

Considering how many millions of people are now writing prolifically online, I’m still surprised to see so many people still not creating their own content. If text isn’t right for you, try audio and video. Go beyond status updates and sharing stuff with friends. Push your words out to the world.

The Real Reason Why ‘Be Yourself’ Gets a Bum Deal

There are many times when you hear the advice ‘just be yourself’:

Meeting new people;
In unknown social situations;
At an interview;
When giving a talk or presentation;
Trying to achieve almost anything;
Making an application

‘Yourself’ seems pretty quipped to win all the prizes.

So what’s going on? Why are so many of us not being ourselves? It seems like a pretty easy thing to aspire to.

Two little words. Ten letters in total. It doesn’t amount to much and it promises the world.

— BE YOURSELF —

Herein lies the problem. The advice is vague. It doesn’t mean enough in isolation.

Yet ‘Be Yourself’ is often touted as a solution. It is not.

Just stay the way you are and be true to that… Nothing is solved by that. Being yourself is not a talent.

You are not fixed in place. Seek to better your skills and experiences. Find out more. Try harder and keep trying. Hardly same old, same old.

To be yourself is to owe yourself better each day. When you fall, you pick yourself up. You accept and you either move on or you try again. What you don’t do is give up or do something you don’t believe in. Challenge yourself and do new things, but do it with purpose and with your own interests at heart. Do what you need to do, not what you think people would like or expect you to do.

You are not unchanging. Yourself is a term that exists in many different states. (photo by Send me adrift)

There’s little point in trying to emulate someone else either. Susan Cain makes the point nicely in her book, Quiet:

“Bill Gates is never going to be Bill Clinton, no matter how he polishes his social skills, and Bill Clinton can never be Bill Gates, no matter how much time he spends alone with a computer.”

However, there are many things you can improve without changing how you are as a person. At the beginning of his career, Mars Dorian was told that a lack of empathy was part of his personality and he should find something that didn’t involve customer communication.

Rejecting the idea that Dorian had a flaw that could not be rectified, he looked to learn and improve his understanding and skills in that area. In his words, “I worked hard to become my best self”.

There we are again. The ‘best self’ is not sticking to your guns and shirking improvement. Neither is it a refusal to learn new things. Being your best self is about discovery, renewal, and at times surprising everyone, including yourself.

The more you strive to be your best self, the more you should embrace change as a necessary part of finding what works for you.

Think about very young children. When a parent delights at how their son or daughter thrives on just being their own person, they acknowledge a child that is learning all the time and adapting to their circumstances.

Let’s recap. To be yourself is to find what works for you at any given time. To be yourself is to question your actions. To be yourself is to embrace change in yourself and have the confidence to accept you’re not perfect and that you’re always learning.

How often are you told to be yourself on those terms? No wonder it gets a bum deal.

Keep Your Desk Tidy (No Matter How You Use It)

What is your main working space like?

When you sit down to study, what do you encounter?

A haven of minimal zen mastery? A sea of junk that’s pretty stormy at its best? A makeshift area of whatever space is currently available?

Because where you work matters. Presentation shouldn’t be left to your work. You need to get serious about your surroundings too!

A typical student’s desk. Okay, okay, perhaps the mechanical stamp is a step too far…

Some desks are (supposed to be) for nothing more than study. In reality, that leaves a lot of space begging to be used.

Other desks have multiple purposes. Work, entertainment, storage, you name it.

However you use your desk, let’s take a look at how to keep the space tidy.

For a dedicated work space:

Use your desk as a desk – A smooth surface is such an easy dumping target. It’s easy to succomb to temptation. Make sure you have a system in place and remove things you don’t physically need there.

Accessibility is key – Keep the important items nearby and find appropriate housing for everything. Boxes, holders and folders give active spaces for everything and keeps you focused on your work, rather than where your stuff is hiding. A focused mind is crucial, since it can take around 23 minutes to recover from interruptions. Ouch.

Love your space – You need a welcoming area to inspire you. But there’s a fine line between too sparse and too distracting. Have just enough to inspire and cheer you.

Have a 2-minute clean-up process – You know how quickly things can get messy. Clear up each evening so you’re ready for the following day. If you don’t create too much clutter, you could do a 10-minute clear once a fortnight instead. Think ‘little and often’. A short and simple system is easy to keep on top of when you get used to it. Make a habit of removing the rubbish straight away.

—

Not everyone has the luxury of a work station. When you use your desk for several purposes, remember these things:

Prepare your space – The stuff around you competes for attention and importance. Make sure you have enough space to do work. Arrange the space in advance as far as you can. A makeshift space at the last minute doesn’t help productivity at all.

Stick to priorities – With junk all over the place, you’re easily distracted. You can also spend too much time looking for necessary books and equipment when they aren’t laid out in a suitable place. Consider the priorities you need, not the priorities you want. When coursework and reading is important, ensure your desk is primed for that priority. Everything else takes second place. If other uses take over, it’s time to take action.

With no dedicated study space, a basic order is a must – I used to put everything in random piles so I could hide them out of sight very quickly. I soon realised that it’s far better to give everything a suitable home. It was easier for me and it looked even more presentable than keeping everything hidden.

—

You live and learn! And now you’ve read this, you can start as you mean to go on. You tidy, wonderful person, you!

Savvy Shoppers Save – 15 Ways to Keep Your Food Bill Down

Freshers rejoice! We’re coming to that time of year when universities across the land welcome new students through their proverbial gates.

And what’s one of the first things a new student needs to do? Food shopping.

Research by Studentbeans.com found that meals are frequently skipped at uni. More than half the students polled had no more than £2.50 to spend on food each day. Best be prepared to make your cash go as far as possible. There are ways to save money without resorting to missed meals.

Before I started uni, I didn’t do much food shopping. As a newbie, armed with a limited budget and self-catered accommodation, I had to learn fast. In just a few weeks, I had a crash course in savvy shopping.

Shopping can be grim, but it’s got to be done. (photo by Funky64) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

I’d like to offer what I learned in my quest to save money. Here are 15 tips to keep your bill as low as possible. You’ll be shopping like a pro in no time.

1. Don’t go in hungry

Physical and mental fatigue serve you poorly. You’ll end up buying everything in the shop if you’re not careful. Go when you’re thinking logically about grub, not when you’re primed to pick stuff up as if you’ve been starved for days.

2. Spice things up

Change flavours easily and enhance regular meals so they always have an element of surprise to them. All you need are a few herbs and spices at the ready. Pickle, chutney and sauces also enhance your cheap eats.

3. Learn a few meals to use over and over again

I recently decided–on a whim–to start baking cakes. After just a few dedicated hours*, I had a standard loaf cake recipe that I can now change to suit my mood. I can return to the same technique every time, replacing sultanas for blueberries, date syrup for sugar, and so on.

You can do this for any meal. Get a basic stir fry, salad, curry, or whatever you fancy. When you know what you like, you can do it all the time. With a few tried and tested dishes, you don’t need to think about what you’re doing any more. No more fussing and no more reliance on ready meals.

*Several hours spent over a number of sessions. Not all at once. I didn’t bake a dozen cakes back-to-back, you know!

4. Shop when the offers come out

Most supermarkets reduce short-dated stock at particular times in the day. Each place is different and some shops slash the prices while others are stingy. If you find a place with good discounts, find out when the big reductions happen and, if possible, shop at those times for cheap grub.

If you don’t know when the big reductions happen, you could be cheeky and ask. I’ve asked in the past and most staff told me straight away.

5. Shop on a strict list

List approaches didn’t work for me at uni, but it may for you. Loads of shopping advice suggests you should stick to what you need, make a list, and stick to it so you don’t pick up all sorts of other items as you browse.

Special offers get overlooked this way, but at least you won’t be tempted to go off track and spend more than you had planned.

6. Plan meals in advance

At the start of each week, spend a few minutes working out what food you want.

Setting the menu in advance is useful for several reasons:

you won’t have to waste time thinking about what’s for dinner every day;
buying will be strategic and not a mish-mash of stuff you may or may not get round to eating;
it will limit the temptations because you’ll better know where you stand;
you can plan batch cooking efficiently (see Point 7, below).

7. Batch cooking

I didn’t do this enough. Don’t make my mistake!

Cook a large dish that’ll keep you going for several meals. One cooking session, three or four meals, one happy student.

Put the portions in containers either for the fridge (if you’re going to eat it over the next few days) or freezer (if you’d prefer to space it out).

Yes, I know fridge and freezer space is a problem in many a student household. I’ve experienced it first hand. My thoughts go out to you at this difficult time…

8. Get groceries delivered

Save time and temptation by getting a delivery service to bring your food to your door.

Be prepared to spend a few quid on delivery. If the extra charges annoy you or you can’t easily spend enough to qualify, ask housemates if they want to join in. That way, large minimum orders are easier to work with and delivery charges can be split in half (or more, if everyone wants to join in!).

Remember to factor in your own time and transport costs. For instance, if home delivery costs a pound more than your bus fare, that extra pound may be worth it for the time and bother saved in the process. Many companies offer big discounts on your first order too.

9. Cook with housemates

Talking of joining in, why not team up for cheap eats? It’s not always feasible, but some students shop together and make a lot of meals as a group. It’s usually cheaper if you can manage it, but you need to be around at the same times and enjoy a similar selection of food.

If you’re one of the few who can reliably tick those boxes, you could even get a cooking rota going so you can take turns to make meals. Everyone else you know will be jealous of you and your foodie mates.

10. Go to the market

If you’re near to a weekly market, farmers’ market, or even a local farm shop, consider going for cheap, quality fruit and veg. You may bag yourself a bargain compared to supermarket prices.

Many universities have a fruit and veg sale on campus or in the SU. This is a good place to start if you want to test out something new, or if you live on campus and don’t want to carry heavy foods all the way through town.

11. Compare prices

Never assume something is cheap. Be on the lookout and keep tabs on how much your favourite foods usually cost. That way, you know when a bargain is genuine.

And just because it’s a larger pack doesn’t mean it’s better value for money. I often see bigger so-called ‘value’ packs that cost more than a couple of the smaller packs. Don’t take anyone’s word for a deal except your own.

12. Be brand fickle

When faced with ten different makes of the same food, the default decision is usually to go with the brand you’re used to.

Challenge yourself. Go for a cheaper option if there is one. Don’t be fooled by colourful packaging and fancy marketing words. Some supermarket brand versions of a product can be made by the manufacturer with a premium price product.

It’s all to play for. The worst that can happen is you’ll go back to the original brand next time.

13. Buy loose groceries

Drop the packaging. Buying loose items is often cost effective. Less waste is also an environmental plus.

I’ve heard people say that loose food feels less hygienic and that the produce may not be as high in quality. In reality, you should wash your fruit and veg, no matter how it is presented. As for quality, buying a product that has been placed in a bag for your convenience isn’t a magical sign of better quality. Presentation can deceive.

14. Find alternatives to your faves

I love chips. For years, I would buy frozen oven chips and get through a pack way too quickly. And each time I walked past a fish and chip shop…Let’s be honest, I didn’t walk past, I walked in. The lure of chips had me in a flash.

Chips aren’t the most expensive item in the world. But it’s still cheaper to buy a big bag of spuds and make them yourself.

The only thing you need to do is chop the potatoes into whatever size you want. No peeling necessary. Just pre-heat an oven dish with a bit of oil, chop the potatoes up and chuck ’em in the oven. If you’re feeling adventurous, season with a few herbs, a bit of smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt.

Cheap chips. Yum.

When you want an alternative way to make your favourite food cheap, a quick Internet search will provide loads of quick fixes.

Look, if you can make a chocolate cake in 5 minutes, there’s no stopping you do anything. Right?

15. Shop around

My friends thought I was mad, but I went to at least four different supermarkets on a regular basis. I’d rush around the one my friends were at, then dash in to the others. Luckily, the shops were all next to each other.

My task was to find all the special deals and only buy what was on offer. I regularly came back with double the shopping to everyone else, whilst spending roughly the same amount.
I wouldn’t call that mad. I’d call that determined.

It’s also the reason why I didn’t like strict lists…

—

What have I missed? If something worked for you and I’ve not mentioned it, let us know. Let’s get the advice out there. The more, the merrier.

TheUniversityBlog

Life shouldn't stop when you study. Be the student you deserve to be.