Dissertation!!!!

Hello again :) I have amazing news! I have finished my dissertation! Yaaaay!!!! A week early! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!! I have been on top of my work. I also finished the other 2 assignments early. It is a really good feeling to get it all out of the way. After I finished my dissertation and printed it all out, I felt this huge sense of relief and a sense of achievement. This is the biggest piece of work (10,000 words) I have ever done. I actually went over the work limit.

The final title of my dissertation at the end was- 'An investigation into young women's perceptions of the role of prostitution'. Starting the dissertation was a little difficult for me as I kept thinking about the amount of words I had to do. But I did in segments which made it a lot easier to complete. I carried out a research on young women in University of Greenwich and I was genuinely interested and excited about the responses I will receive. The participants were amazing! I had a great response and the quality of the responses were exactly what I was looking for. Doing the dissertation was an interesting, scary and exciting journey. I was going to do a placement this year instead of a dissertation. I am so happy that I changed my decision and did the dissertation. I would recommend everyone who is going to university to do a dissertation. It might sound like a lot of work but if you do it on a topic you are interested in then it is a lot easier and fun at times, and finally finishing a piece of work that you might have thought you could never do, is a wonderful feeling. After finishing mine, I couldn't stop smiling :) 

Now I have one last piece of assignment to do for my 'formation of education' module. I am so happy to have chosen these modules. They are so interesting. At the moment I am doing research and I hope to get this done early as well so I can start my revision. I have 2 exams coming up. So along side the assignment I will be preparing for exams. I finish of the 17th of May! :D 

Finishing university makes me happy because all the stress is over and sad because I will miss the amazing people I have met, the student life, the student house I live in, the house mates, the student nights out, the lecturers and the university itself. On top of this, it is also scary to go into the real world. I spoke about this before, about getting jobs and everything. I have now finished doing my CV and I will start applying for jobs now. Some of my friends have started applying already and some have already received job offers. It is an exciting process I think and I really like interviews. I am excited to start applying and get a job. I will let you know more about it next time :)  

Love,

Av x

So much work, little time!

The last official month in University of Greenwich 

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine :) summer is finally starting! It is a shame that there is so much work to do :( It downed on me a few days ago that this is the only chance I have to work hard and get the 2:1. Being in university and living the student life you don't realise that one day when this is over then no more days off during the week, no nights out during the week and being able to just spend the whole day with friends without any worries about anything other than education and yourself.  

For the past weeks I have been working hard and playing a little less. I will have a big celebration on the last day of my exams. I cannot wait for that but mean while I have been living in the library. The library became 24/7 after Easter holiday. One day I was  in the library all day and I left at 5:30am. It went really quick because I had loads of work to do but at the end of it was hard to keep my eyes open. 

I also met the writing fellows last week. They are an amazing service in university who look at your work and help make it better. They are so busy all the time, I have been wanting to see them since christmas! I was lucky to get one appointment with them just before I had an assignment due. I hope I get one again if they have any more cancellations. Make sure you book appointments with tutors, lecturers or for any help that you need early in the year. It is worth it. 

While I have been working hard, I found it necessary to take breaks. I would go mad if I was in the library everyday. I have been mainly taking time off on Saturdays going to birthdays and parties. As a student I would definitely recommend that you take a little time off. It has made me work better :) So many birthdays are coming during this stressful time. Most of the people will be celebrating after uni has finished and celebrate with no worries. 

Speak to you soon. Enjoy the sunshine! 

Love,

Av x

A busy Easter!

Happy Easter!!!

  

Hey guys! It is the time of the year to have loads of chocolate!!! :D I am not a big sweet tooth but when it is Christmas or Easter I do tend to eat chocolate. It is not even Easter yet and I have already had an egg and a few Malteasers MaltEaster bunnies :D 

Did you know- The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever was made in Italy in 2011. At 10.39 metres in height and 7,200 kg in weight, it was taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant! 

This month I will be going to Canterbury to work with young people. It is for the same project I went to France for. The French kids will be coming to England!!! It will be a much shorter trip but I am still excited to be involved in it. All the student mentors had such a good time in the last trip and we all really bonded in the last trip. I am sure this trip will be as much fun as last time. 

With uni work- less than 2 months left! I cannot wait to get it all done. During Easter there are some really interesting assignment topics I will be writing about. One of them is about binge drinking in the UK which focuses on young people and how they are represented in the media. Another one is about female criminals and how they are viewed in the society compared to male criminals. The last essay I have to do is on education system, the discussion of private and public schools in UK. On top of this my dissertation topic is on 'prostitution', young women's perception on it. I am usually keen in controversial topics which people don't tend to talk about. It makes it much more interesting and fun to ask people their opinions. Makes it even better when someone is very opinionated and is not afraid to have extreme views about such topics. I have already done my research for my dissertation which was questionnaires and I was really pleased with the responses. I love that young women today have such strong views and are not afraid to express their thoughts. 

After all of these assignments are the exams. My last exam date is the 17th of May!!! :D I will be so happy that day! Will keep you updated on my work :)

Love, 

Av xxx

Uni Uni Uni !!!

Hey everybody! So how did you spend your mother’s day?! Flowers, gifts, chocolates…. I am sure it was amazing! I went to visit my parents for the weekend to spend some time with them J

Alright so at the moment the university work load has started to pile on. With only 3 months left I thought it was time to take action. Better late than never…right?! J So I have made a tightly scheduled timetable. I it is basically; university or work followed by library all day then to the gym. This routine has been going on every day and it is turning out to be effective as I have started to do a lot more work and feel healthier. As a third year student I would recommend to have this routine from the beginning of the year. Also giving yourself some me time is essential which can be gym or just hanging out with friends after you have done sufficient amount of work. As I was not organised enough during the year, I now have to do this routine without any breaks but I am still going to the gym. I also had to leave Cheerleading as I do not have time for training or any distractions. The priority of being in university is your degree, not social life, especially in your third year.

On top of this I will not be going to ‘I Love Tour’ trip which was with all the cheerleaders. It is shocking to know how much less time I actually have to get all the work done. I have a dissertation due in on the 30^th of April which is 10,000 words and I have only done about 5,000 words. Additionally I have two more assignments due straight after Easter holiday! All together they come to 6,500 words. I am stressing as I am writing this but I have made university work my priority and that is all I am doing. I will get it all done!

Apart from this there are a lot of important things that will be happening after I finish uni. I cannot wait!!! I am super excited about everything! Jobs! Moving out! Birthday! Holiday! Graduation ceremony!

So excited! Speak to you soon!

Love,

Av xx

Stress management

Hello again :) 

How are you all? I am super stressed! All my assignments are getting closer and my dissertation is just round the corner. I have been so busy with everything other than uni work. When I was in my first year and I met third years who said how much work there is to do, I definitely underestimated the amount of work you have to put in the third year to do well.

Although it is not too late to get on top of things. To deal with the stress I searched what to do as it is normal for university students to get a little stressed. I found the following tips - 

Looking after yourself. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself "me time" in which you can choose what you want to do: Rest; do nothing; try a relaxation technique, massage or yoga; have a long hot bath; spend time with friends; treat yourself to something special. Taking proper breaks and eating well do help to combat stress.

Confronting the problem Try to stand back and look at the problem carefully. Break it down into manageable parts. Talk it through with someone else, brainstorm solutions, or get help if you need it. Try to manage your time effectively and learn to say "NO". Avoidance won't make the problem go away and can often make it worse. Leaving everything to the last minute is a major source of stress for students. Think about why you are finding it hard to get started: uncertainty about how to do the assignment, fear of being judged or failing? Starting a piece of work effectively reduces stress levels as it frees your mind, putting the thoughts of failure back into perspective. If you've had a row or a misunderstanding with someone, it rarely helps to avoid the issue. Talking it through with the other person or with someone outside the situation, often helps you express your feelings, regain a sense of proportion, and identify a way of resolving the differences.

Find some distractions Sport and physical activity helps you to relax physically and also releases endorphins in the body which produce a real feeling of well-being. Walk, cycle, swim, join a gym or a sports team. Joining a club or society, maintaining an existing hobby or learning something new, talking to other people... can all help you to take a mental and physical break.

Express yourself Talk about it, write about it, shout or moan about it: expressing your feelings can help to relieve stress. Acknowledging a problem to yourself and to others can be the first step in dealing with it. Sometimes having a good cry or bashing a pillow can release emotional pressure and calm your feelings of anxiety.

  

Looking at these tips the first this I realised that I have found too many distractions which means I will need to eliminate a few of them. On top of this, I have moaned and complained enough about how much work I have to do so I just need to stop and get on with it. Also I have had more than enough unproductive time to myself so no more 'me time' from now on. In terms of confronting the problem, the only thing I can do is start my work so at least I know I have done something. I hope these tips help you too if you are stressed about work.

On top of the uni work load I have to think about what I will be doing after uni. I have finally found a few jobs that I would like to apply to, so I just need to write up my personal statement and make my CV perfect. I cannot wait to get into the real world and start work.

Speak to you all soon.

Love,

Av x

Amiens in France - CROIS Exchange Project

Bonjour!

How are you all? So I went to Amiens in France for the CROIS exchange project. It was extremely cold and windy in France but it was soooo much fun! As a mentor I had my own team with French and English young people. We saw some beautiful and interesting places like the cathedral, museums, WWI battlefield and many other historic places.

War Museum

The Cathedral

The battlefield ground memorial

The overall experience was brilliant! All the mentors become closer and we all worked well together. I cannot wait for the French students to come to London! I love student trips!

I have been involved working with young people since I was 13 years old with Youth Coaching Academy and was awarded Youth Peer Coach of the Year 2007. Being involved in projects with young people has definitely been one of the best things in my life. I was born in India and moved to London when I was 13 which is when I started to work with Youth Coaching Academy and has become one of the first youth peer coaches in the UK. It was one of the best decisions I ever made! 

It has always been amazing working with young people and watch them come out of their comfort zone and grow. The last time I went to Youth Coaching Academy’s Youth Summit, I met some amazing young people who had blown me away with the events that had taken place in their lives, and during one week of the trip they had learned how to deal with things and had come out of their shell. It is a proud moment when a young team member shines.

I have been to international events with young people before, for example, Anthony Robbins Foundation’s Global Youth Leadership Summit, where hundreds of young people from all over the world get involved. These events are extremely beneficial for young people to meet new people, emotional development and team activities, building them to become leaders.

The French student mentoring trip was a little different because it involved students who did not speak English, but even with that difference I had great communication and connection with my team. It is wonderful to know that language does not limit us from being able to have a relationship with someone.

A little about uni now. Cheerleading has been a lot better! I have been doing a lot more as my foot is healing fast! I cannot wait for the next competition so I can take part in it. With doing the academic work, I need to do a lot more than I am doing at the moment. I have joined the gym as well and I literally have no time for anything else but work (job), work (uni), gym and cheerleading. 3 more months now and it will be over… Need to make the most of the time I have…

Oooh and Valentines Day is coming up! Hope you all have a weekend filled with loads and loads of LOVE!!!!

Love,

Avneet xxx

Excitement and stress

Hello again :) Hope you are well. It has been snowing at the right time of the year. Stuck at home I have been doing loads of work and having loads of tea. I really don’t like the snow because its gets messy afterwards and I slip and fall :( But not this year! I bought my first pair of wellies ever! So no more falling over :D

I haven’t done much in this New Year but that is about to change because I am going to France in two weeks!!! This is for work though university. Working for the university has been one of the best things ever! I have a few jobs in uni and one of them is the student mentor job which is based on working on a CROIS Project. It’s an exchange project, so some students from England will go to France for 3 days and then the French students will come to England for 3 days. I am extremely excited about going and meeting French students and explore their way of life. There are some lovely young people participating from Isle of Sheppey. We are going to north of France so it will be really cold and wet :( But I got my new wellies to sort that out :). The most fun thing about preparing to go to France is learning French. I did a little French in school but did not carry on. The only thing I knew few days ago was Bonjour but now I know so much more! I would tell you what I know but I can only speak French, not write it.

This term I literally have no free time! If I am not doing uni work then I am working. I have been going to the library nearly every day staying till midnight! It has been paying off so far. I got a 2:1 for my first essay and 78% for my presentation which is a FIRST!!! Fingers crossed the rest of year goes well.

On top of work and uni I have to think about the future plans. The first step I will be taking is getting my CV and personal statement done. We have advisers at the uni to help us with this which is really handy. I need to see them as soon as possible so I can start applying for jobs. I still don’t exactly know what field I will be choosing so it will be difficult. As a sociology student there are a number of jobs I can apply for so I will apply for most of the relevant jobs and see how it goes. This year is all about doing well at uni and getting a job. Life is getting more serious… Time is flying by and essay deadlines are getting closer :( Time to knuckle down and get the work done.

Sad news, I broke my foot last year and I was in a cast until Christmas time, so I have not been very active or been able to do cheerleading  It makes me really sad that I will not be participating in the next competition but I am going to attend the competition and cheer for the rest of the team :D Hopefully my foot will get better and I will be jumping and doing stunts soon… I will keep you updated on that :).

Love,
Av :) x