Making the most of your summer as a student

It's scary to think that this is my final big summer holiday, and I'm no longer going to get a 6-week school holiday a year, or a three-month break from University, instead I'm (hopefully) going to be working a full-time job and joining the 'real world'. As it is my last ever summer, I'm feeling under pressure to make the most of it - in both a professional sense and a lifestyle sense. I'm planning on doing loads of fun stuff with my family and friends, but also doing work experience and giving myself a fighting chance of securing a decent job upon graduation.

Here are my top tips for making the most of your summer as a student:

Network
Networking is so important, meeting people in your industry before graduating will give you a better chance of employment upon graduation as employers will know your name when reading through CV's. If you find the chartered body of your industry, so for me it's the CIPR and PRSA, they often hold networking events/conferences and these are usually open to students as well. Go along, introduce yourself, be confident, ask questions - you never know where it may lead.

Go on work experience
Another important part of giving yourself a fighting chance of securing a job post-graduation is gaining valuable work experience in the industry you are hoping to work in. They're websites such as 'Go Think Big' which offer opportunities to students, but I find emailing companies you want to work with directly is the best chance of getting some experience - make sure you find an email of the MD, or at least a name of someone you can send the email to. Do your research beforehand too - why this company? What do you like about them? What do you want to learn from them?

Have a well deserved break
Uni's hard, so enjoy your extra lie-ins over summer and treat yourself to some relaxation - put on a candle, run a bath, go to a spa.

Go on holiday/travel
Splash the left over student finance on a guilt-free holiday in the sun, when you're working you'll have to book valuable days off to enjoy a holiday - make the most of it while there's three months to play with.

Experiment, set yourself up as a freelancer, start a blog
With more time on your hands, and assignments out the way - why not hone in on your practical skills. Set yourself up a blog, where you can document your summer, give advice or review products. Or why not set yourself up as a freelancer? Start your own business? Experiment with things you've always wanted to do, the worst that can happen is it doesn't go well - and if it doesn't, you learn from your mistakes so when you're in the big wide working world, you'll know what not to do.

See people you miss
Summer is the perfect time to catch up with old friends, and see people you don't normally get chance to meet up with. Go for lunch, spend hours in beer gardens - do things you wouldn't normally have time to do and appreciate it while you can.

Is your social media presence holding you back?

Social media is a huge deal, not only to 15 year old girls uploading selfies and competing for likes, but also for employers and potential employees. Your social media presence could be the reason you do, or don't get the interview and therefore hinder you from securing that dream job.

Employers are nosey, they're human after all, according to onwardsearch.com 91% of employers use social media to check out potential employees and according to time.com, over half of employers have reconsidered a candidate based on what they have found online.

Obviously, all social platforms are different, and all have different levels of privacy. For me, I keep my Facebook on high privacy, and only have friends and family and people I know personally as friends. If an employer searched my Facebook they'd see my prom picture from two years ago and me sharing funny videos - nothing really to see. Twitter, on the other hand, isn't as private - my Twitter is heavily focused around my University degree, my professionalism and my journey into the PR industry (with funny videos and selfies appearing less often). LinkedIn, of course is a professional networking site - and you'd be pretty silly to put anything other than professional updates on there - and if you're reading this and don't know what LinkedIn is - please, go and make an account, its basically an online CV, and you should have one (especially if you're approaching your final year/graduation). Instagram, Vine, Snapchat are all less-likely to be searched by your future boss - but still, having an awareness of what you're portraying on these sites is important - how you come across on these sites, is how people will assume you are - have you seen Catfish?

What shouldn't you be doing online? It speaks for itself that you shouldn't mention drugs, guns, sex, alcohol, etc. More so, you should be careful with spelling, grammar and even strong or contradictory views - shouting about your political opinions for example. Even complaining about work, complaining about your current boss, using social media whilst at work etc all can have an impact on whether you get the job or not. I know someone who was asked to leave his job after posting a rant on Facebook stating strong political views, which the employer deemed as racist. Although, i'm not suggesting you don't post any opinions on the internet, I'm suggesting don't over-do it, and shove your opinion down peoples thoughts, and certainly don't shout about your opinions if they could be considered offensive in any way..

What is the point in proof-reading your CV hundreds of times, ensuring there are no mistakes and that you come across well if your going to have all that ruined the moment an employer clicks on your Twitter?

Many companies, especially in the industry I want to work in, are very very clued up on all things social. They go on courses and study it to find new ways to utilise its use for their clients, and stay ahead of the game. Showing you know how to use social media can make a positive difference to your application for work, show you know how to interact with people, show you know the best way to get your message across - do you tweet in peak times? Do you know not to start a tweet with an @ sign? Do you know the benefit of using a hashtag when talking about a certain topic? Social media can be a hindrance in your career journey, but it can also be incredibly useful.

How to: gel-like nails at home

I spotted the new Super Gel Varnish by Rimmel London in Boots over the weekend, and as my nails are prone to chipping almost immediately after painting, I was excited when I noticed that this varnish's finish can last up-to 14 days - my curiosity made me pick a couple up. It was buy one, get one half price on all Rimmel London products which means you get the top coat at half price (I got 2 colours because I was also buying; foundation, eyeliner and mascara from Rimmel London so I made it 6, to get 3 half price). I chose 'Hip Hop' and 'Perfect Posy' as they're both cute summery colours, and then obviously got the top coat in order to make the varnish gel-like. 

Step 1: File, buff and shape nails

Step 2: Pick your colour and paint

Step 3: Apply the top coat and let it dry

I've had the varnish on for four days so far, and there has been no chipping - which for me is great, as I nearly almost chip after a few hours. I doubt the varnish really will last up to 14 days, but I am expecting it to last over a week - which is good enough for me!

Molly's Birthday Celebrations

This post is well overdue, but I wanted to put something out to remember what we did for Molly(my sister)'s 18th Birthday. Along with the traditional night out, we also went on a spa day to a spa about an hour from us, which was lovely, I had a back massage which was just uh heaven, and spending the day away from the stresses of Uni was definitely welcome. We also had a little party at ours with all the family to celebrate and then on Molly's actual birthday we went down to London to the BRIT awards (!!!) which was just amazing, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate to be honest. 

Tidy space, tidy mind

I am a huge believer in tidy space, tidy mind. If things around me are organised then I feel happier, calmer and like I can give things a good go. As a bit of an organisational freak, I thought I’d but together my five tips for getting and staying organised.

1)    Keep writing lists

Lists are my life, whether it be a to-do list for the day(or week), a list of what I need from boots or a list of when my assignments are due in at Uni - whatever it is, I’ll have a list for it. Lists help me remember everything that needs doing so that nothing can slip under the radar and get forgotten about. It also helps to differentiate what’s important and what can wait. When noting your to-do list, I would add to each point with what needs doing to achieve that point, example: ‘Contact companies for work experience’ firstly, you will need to think of what companies you want to work with, you will then need to find there contact details, double check your CV and tailor it to each company, and then create a cover letter before drafting and sending an email. This way, you can clearly see what needs doing and feel better about starting to work on it with structured things that need doing.

2)    Storage – whether it be make-up, work desk or even your wardrobe

I think storage is a big thing, having enough space to see everything as well as having a structure to it so you know where things are, so for example; my make-up is separated by products e.g. face products have their own draw. Then, my work is separated by what needs doing, what needs to be filed away, as well as assignment briefs/previous work with feedback to refer back to. With having structure to your organisation it means that you know exactly where everything is and you can easily see where everything is along with what you need, it helps me focus.

3)    Calendars

Writing things down is the best way to know what you’re doing, for me personally I’d rather use a little diary and a calendar on my bedroom wall than use my iPhone calendar(I know I need to get with the times) but I just find it easier to write things down and see the whole week/month in front of me. I write everything down, even if its something obvious like when my Uni lecture is, I still write it down just so you can see how busy you are that week and when there is time to fit other things in.

4)    Night-before planning

I also think it’s a good idea to plan for the day the night before, from something as little as setting your alarm so your up in time, to planning your outfit so your not rushing around looking for something to wear. Planning your lunch, and organising your bag the night before will just make the morning run smoother, meaning you’ll leave the house feeling fresher, calmer and ready for the day, iIt also means you can afford to have an extra 10 minutes in bed)!

5)    Bag necessities

For me, it is important to have a big bag with enough room for everything I need for the day. I often have to take my laptop out with me so my bag has to be big to fit this in along with my notebooks, water, lunch, chargers etc etc. I also keep lots of other things in my bag such as; paracetamol, nail files, tissues, hair brush, make-up, perfume, chewing gum – little things which could come in handy throughout the day!

Loved and loathed at the NTAs 2016

 Last night saw the UK's most loved TV stars take to the red carpet and as usual, floods of fashion journalists are profiling the best and worst dressed in this mornings papers. Now, i'm a strong believer in the power of a little black dress and the idea of less is more, so I've pulled together my favourites and least favourites from last nights event. 

LOVE

Alison King. Coronation Street 

Love love love this outfit, Alison pulls of a classy look but stays flirty with a cut out in the middle, she also adds fun with a splash of orange on the feet. A matching orange bag would have pulled the whole outfit together! 

Caroline Flack. The X Factor 

Caroline Flack has proven peter pan collars are still on trend with this cute little dress. Although, a little plain for one of the biggest award shows of the years, she still pulled it off and looked effortlessly chic. 

Holly Willoughby. This Morning, Suprise Suprise, Celebrity Juice

A round of applause for Holly Willoughby, who always manages to look absolutely amazing! This figure hugging, floor length dress complimented her curves perfectly and paired with big curly hair she was definitely up there with my best dressed! 

Vicky Pattinson. Geordie Shore, I'm A Celebrity, Loose Women

With a very similar dress to Holly's, Vicky also looked completely stunning, Vicky swapped her Geordie Shore reputation for an extremely classy dress, showcasing the Vicky we fell in love with on I'm A Celebrity. 

Natalie Anderson. Emmerdale

Another quite simple dress was chosen by Natalie Anderson. This floor-length dress bought some colour to the red carpet, with a lot of others opting for black and white. Her gold accessories added matched perfectly.

NOT SO MUCH LOVE

Emma Willis. The Voice, Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother 

Emma Willis is my all time fave, and normally looks absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! But...what? This dress isn't doing much for me, I think it's quite outdated! 

Fearne McCann. The Only Way Is Essex, I'm A Celebrity

Love Fearne on TOWIE and she did great in I'm A Celebrity, but I don't always agree with her choices of outfits.. this being one of them. I like the lace top and think the colours work well together, but the bottom of the dress kind of reminds me of some curtains... sorry Fearne! 

Jorgie Porter. Hollyoaks, I'm A Celebrity

Jorgie dissapointed me in I'm A Celebrity, she didn't really bring that much to the show, and she dissapointed me further on the red carpet - no one wants to see those bum cheeks! Love the hair and make-up though.

Lydia Bright. The Only Way Is Essex

I love Lydia in TOWIE and she normally looks so so gorgeous in everything she wears, but i'm really not a fan of this outfit. It's not awful, but she just could and normally does look so much better.

What was your favourite and least favourite outfits? 

Lobster, wine and good company

Lobster, wine and good company – what more could you want? And that is exactly what last night consisted of when I finally got round to trying Nosh & Quaff.

Nosh & Quaff is one of the new restaurants to join the city in 2015 – and it has had everybody talking. From the #LetsGetMessy on Twitter, to the pictures of everyone in lobster bibs, it seems to be talked about everywhere and I’ve been looking forward to trying it for ages!

We booked a table as we were told how busy it gets, and we were seated straight away by a lovely waitress. We ordered our drinks, and soon after our food and it all came within less than 10 minutes, which I found rather strange – but it was hot and cooked absolutely fine so, no problem!

The menu didn’t offer a huge selection, if I’m totally honest. However, I didn’t mind, as I was planning to have the lobster either way – but I guess it might be annoying if you go regularly as there isn’t a lot of choice. The burgers and ribs also looked amazing, and I think if I went again I would opt for a burger as they were huge and smelt delicious.

My lobster came with a gorgeous lemon and garlic sauce which complemented it perfectly alongside the chips and salad. It was so nice and I would definitely recommend it, although it is expensive, so I personally won’t be rushing back. I didn’t have a pudding although the sharing waffle was tempting…

Have you tried Nosh & Quaff? What did you think?