Going to University?

Are you about to go to university and embark on the best time of your life? If yes, here are some tips on how to survive your first year away from home and more importantly...how to survive being a fresher!

1. Say goodbye to your sleeping pattern - being in halls of residence you will not get to sleep until the early hours and wake up mid afternoon. Its normal to be woken up to blasting music and noisy flatmates
2. Get used to being poor - you're a student, therefore you will have no money!
3. The fire alarm is your new wake up call - it's ridiculous how many times the fire alarm goes off, so be prepared
4. Decide on whether to spend your money on food or a night out
5. 'Freshers Fifteen' - if you don't eat healthy and exercise regularly you will gain the freshers fifteen. Fifteen pounds!
6. Don't eat on nights out - this is when the fat from the pizza or kehab take-aways will stick to your stomach and it will be incredibly hard to get rid off
7. You will go with a full dining and cutlery set and be lucky to leave with anything - people take things, you've been warned
8. Don't leave any decent food in the fridge EVER - especially on nights out
9. Clean your room and bed sheets - it makes a difference
10. Contact people on your course before going - its nice to go and already know people and arrange nights out to get to know one another
11. Register with your doctor - this is vital! I came down with freshers flu and knowing that I was registered with a doctor if I needed to go or there was an emergency made things better
12. Lock your door when you go home or you may come back to find the whole room covered in tin foil, wrapping paper, balloons, the list is endless
13. Don't be alarmed to find random people sleeping in the corridor/kitchen/bathroom etc after a night out
14. You will hate at least on of your flatmates
15. Do not hook up with your flatmates - awkward
16. It's normal to spend a whole day in your pyjamas/onesie in bed watching a whole tv series
17. You're kitchen will look like a bombsite almost everyday
18. Not having enough money for laundry and end up washing your clothes in your bathroom sink
19. 40% is the new 80% - you might not agree with this now, but you soon will
20. A night out will never be a quiet one - you say you're not drinking much but who are you kidding?
21. You will drink anything, and out of anything
22. Having a shopping trolley in your flat is common
23. Don't take your whole bedroom - you will not have enough room. You're bedroom is literally the size of a box.
24. Go all out on fancy dress nights - if you don't you just look like a tit
25. Decorate your room - this makes you more at home
26. Your accent will be made fun off almost all the time
27. Have fun - university is supposed to be the best time of your life
28. Join in as many activities as possible - you will get to know more people
29. Explore your surroundings
30. And finally...don't drink too much

Sporty Spice

The time has finally come where fashion and sport go hand in hand, and it's about time. Being an active person and enjoying working out, I like to dress so that my clothes show off my figure, as I do work hard to stay in shape, and the fact that sportswear has become a trend is music to my ears. There's now unlimited access to sweatshirts, mini skirts, crop tops and body hugging dresses so you can dress it up or down and pull off the ever so chic sportswear trend. I like to keep it casual during the day with a quilted sweatshirt, boyfriend jeans and a comfy trainer. But when it comes to hitting the town, swap your boyfriend jeans and trainer for a fabulous wrap mini skirt and power heel. Here are a few of my favourite pieces that will be a certain hit.

Future Sports by eaustin featuring Topshop

Song of the day

Instantly puts me in a party mood and is sure to be a big hit.

https://soundcloud.com/leyouth/le-youth-c-o-o-l

Top 10 Holiday Essentials

Throughout the years I have been fortunate to go on some fabulous holidays, from skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado to swimming with some of the most fascinating fish in the Red Sea. However, every year I would pack my suitcase with all the essentials but I would always end up forgetting something. So, I have chosen my top 10 holiday essentials that mustn't be forgotten.

You absolutely cannot forget your iPod! On holiday an iPod is a necessity. It allows you to escape and relax with the perfect summer playlist. Whether you're listening to a playlist full of club anthems or you're the type of person who likes to sit back and enjoy the sound of chilled anthems. Or in my case, I like to escape the sound of screaming children and other annoyances whilst I relax on the beach.

Next is the iPad. I like to go on holiday to get away from the television and other electrical appliances that I spend hours on each day, I do like to take my iPad or laptop so that if I do get a bit bored I have something to keep me entertained. Not only does it keep you entertained what with access to music, films and games, but it also allows access to books (my summer read has been Anatomy of a Trend by Henrik Vejlgaard)

You've got your iPod and iPad, now you need a perfect set of headphones to listen to the perfect summer playlist that you spent hours putting together. My go to pair are Skullcandy Hesh 2 Black/Black. I've only had these about a year now but they were the best investment I've ever made. I like to get a pair that not only produces great sound but also are comfortable to wear, and these are the ones!

In terms of suncream, P20 is the best! You only need to apply it once and you are covered for the rest of the day. Its perfect for any skin and sure to protect you all day.

This summer I have been wearing a lot of orange and coral in terms of my nail varnish. This Gelly Barry M Nail Paint is perfect for summer. It bright and bold, and will go hand in hand with a golden tan.

When I have my nails done, the lips must be done up to. My favourite colour this summer is another Barry M product, and this time its a lip paint in Sunset. Just like the orange nail varnish, this shade will no doubt make your lips pop, and be sure to catch a few people's eye.

When it comes to a beach bag, I like to have one where I can see everything so that I'm not digging around trying to find what I want. And this plastic bag with matching purse is just what you need for a day at the beach or pool. This bag is from ASOS and is priced at £24 which is a great price. Not only will you be able to see everything, but the zip also prevents sand from getting everywhere, which is something I cannot stand!

I love to wear a good pair of sunglasses especially on the beach when you do a bit of stalking. I'm a people watcher and so a pair of sunglasses with dark lenses are perfect for me. Even though I live on a student budget and prefer not to splash the cash on expensive items, these Miu Miu glasses are to die for. This pair is priced at £185, which is not a bad price, but considering I live on a student budget are unfortunately not within my budget.

Every year I go to Marbella in Spain and its one of those destinations where you have to be on form in terms of your fashion as the rich flock to this city every season to party in style. A place that my family and I go to is Nikki Beach, which is ridiculously over-priced and full of bikini clad women where the men are constantly spraying champagne over one another. It's a real beach party. Because I go with my family, I tend not to be outrageous as some women there, but I do like to dress for the occasion. And so my bikini choice is this fringed dip-dye top with matching bottoms. This is priced at £32 and from Topshop. Not only at a decent price but sure to catch a few eyes.

Finally, a decent pair of flip flops. I like to throw on a pair of comfortable flip flops that will do for the beach and also look fashionable for those nights where you go straight from the beach to the restaurant. These black croc jelly sandals are from River Island and are priced at a bargain of £18. Stylish and affordable!

Even though summer is nearly over, there's still enough time to go away and enjoy the luxury of relaxing all day whilst looking the best and having the time of your life.

Summer Style

Now that summer is well under way, its time to have a wardrobe that matches the blazing sun. Whether you're jet-setting across the globe or staying at home you're style need not be forgotten. I've selected my favourite asos pieces for summer that will be perfect for a student budget. Take your pick from gladiator sandals to cute and fabulous dresses.

Top with Kimono Sleeve - £32

Swan Link Necklace - £10.80

Mini Skirt with Wrap detail - £36

Shift Dress with zip detail - £40

Flirt Sandals - £24.50

Crocodile Drop Earrings - £18

OMG Clutch - £19.50

NEXT POST WILL BE ON HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS

Race for Life

Wednesday 26th June marked the 18 year anniversary of my nana's death and to celebrate her life, my mother and I decided to run the 5k Race for Life in aid of cancer research. 

The Race for Life is for women only and you can walk, jog or run the 5k in memory of someone you love or just to help raise money. It was so amazing to see how many young girls and women came out to support cancer research. And the best part was that everyone was wearing pink and some even wore fancy dress. It was brilliant!

When it came down to the actual run part, I thought that because I had only been training for 2 week, that I would jog it with my mum and her friend. But no. I decided to run the 5k with two of my good friends. What a mistake that was. I felt like I was about to die. But it was so worth it. I felt good about running it for my nana and all the other men and women out there who have cancer and are fighting to find a cause for this terrible disease.

I am definitely not going to stop with my running and most certainly am going to participate in this event every year! Here's the start of the race and I am on it even though I didn't even realise they were filming it.

It's That Time

At last! It's here...Wimbledon.

It's that time of year again where the tennis white's come out, the blazers are worn with so much style and strawberries and champagne are in everyone's hands. Yes, Wimbledon has kicked off and the summer has officially begun.

The sports elite have come from across the world to play at the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. And as usual, us Brits are backing our only hope, Andy Murray to win the title once and for all. But will he do it? Will he crack under pressure from tennis greats, such as Nadal, Federer and Djokovic? Or does he have the confidence boost from winning the US Open and most recently Queen's to do it? I pray to god that he does, just so that as a country we are all not devastated just like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

I try not to get too involved in the tournament, but every year I'm sat there, eyes glued to the screen to see if my favourite (Nadal) makes it to the final and more importantly wins.

My predictions this year are:

Men's final - Federer vs. Murray

Women's final - S. Williams vs. Azarenka

Who are you backing this year?

First Year Results

The other day I got my university results, and I was delighted to when I opened the email and the first word was congratulations! A sense of relievement went through my body, as I could now relax and start to enjoy my summer. Even though I had received my results, I felt that they could have been better as I always see room for improvement. And this prompted me to create a checklist for not only second year but the summer ahead:

1. Start blogging again - decided that my last blog was a load of crap. So I've started again!

2. Set up a new tumblr where I can post images that reflect how I'm feeling and also what I'm loving in the fashion world.

3. Read and finish a new book every week - this may be a tad on the optimistic side, but I'm determined to do this.

4. Look for a job and more importantly work experience - the one thing I hate about being a student is the lack of funds. There's just too many nice things out there that I can't afford!

5. Visit more exhibitions and galleries - safe to say, I was a bit lazy in first year when it came to extra curriculum and hardly went to anything. And being so close to London and all the exquisite exhibitions going on its a shame not to go and have a look and broaden my knowledge and understanding of the industry that I wish to work in.

6. Take more photographs - even though I hate having my picture taken, I need to do this. Looking back at first year, I have all these wonderfully hilarious memories yet no images that capture the moments. Therefore I decided I needed to document my time at university more because these are 'the best times of your life' as my dad says.

7. Finally, be a tourist - yes, I did venture into London and do the standard sightseeing; Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye etc. But this time I want to see the whole of London and really absorb the culture and all the different sites out there

Hopefully, I stick to these seven things and you might be able to see how I get on along the way.

Interview

At university one of our assignments was to interview a new talent in the creative field (sounded daunting at first!) and write it up for a magazine of your choice - Rollacoster. I chose to interview a girl who goes to my school up in Blackburn, Lancashire, as she has just been in the amazingly wonderful My Mad Fat Diary series. Ciara Baxendale plays Izzy in the series, and because I know her from school, I thought she would be perfect as she is such a lovely girl. So here it is, have a read and enjoy!

GINGER’S HAVE SOULS

MEET THE FRESH-FACED, ALL THINGS GINGER LOVING ACTRESS THAT HAS ROSE TO FAME THANKS TO THE E4 HIT MY MAD FAT DIARY. CIARA BAXENDALE TALKS TO ROLLACOSTER ABOUT THE SHOW, FAME AND HER FUTURE.

It’s five o’clock in the afternoon, the sun is shining and instead of frolicking in the spring sun we are about to have a Skype interview with one of the rising star’s from E4’s latest hit My Mad Fat Diary.  On the screen, we see a youthful, full of energy and fabulous ginger haired young lady that is buzzing for her first ever interview. Ciara Baxendale, a 17-year-old from Lancashire has been thrust into the limelight after starring as the sweet, yet ditzy one of the group Izzy, in My Mad Fat Diary, a British television series based on the book My Mad Fat Teenage Diary written by Rae Earl. The show follows Rae, a teenage girl who is fresh out of a mental institute and is struggling to fit in with her new group of friends. Ciara is just like her character in the series, lively with an infectious smile and vibrant ginger locks.  Before the interview we had a look at her Twitter account bio where she says ‘I am ginger, as a result of this I don’t have a soul.’ a quote from the YouTube video ‘Ginger’s Do Have Souls’, we could already tell them that she was going to be a real character. Throughout the interview you can see that she is a real comedic character and why she gained the role as Izzy.                                                                                                                           

My Mad Fat Diary was an instant hit and received a very positive response from not just the public but from critics. Ciara explains that the cast didn’t expect there to be such a massive response and that she finds it overwhelming and quite baffling, ‘I’ve even had people from Brazil, Argentina, America, Australia and all over the world tweeting me to tell me that they really like the programme and that’s just crazy’. When the series writer, Tom Bidwell is brought up, Ciara only has positive words for him, ‘Tom Bidwell has brilliantly written the script and I think that the problems the programme discusses are very relevant to quite a lot of people which makes it more relatable for an audience, which is why it has been such a success.’                       

In February 2013, after My Mad Fat Diary had been aired, Baxendale found that new doors were being opened for her, one of these was signing with a new agent, Cole Kitchenn, who represents the likes of Vinnie Jones and Kelly Brook. Beaming an infectious smile, she says that this would never have happened if it wasn’t for the show. E4 recently announced that the series would be signed for another series and no-one was as surprised as the cast itself says Ciara. ‘I don’t know what to expect at all. I’m very much looking forward to it!’ she grins. But she is also looking forward to catching up with her cast mates, as she talks about how she has made some good friendships from the show.

Since appearing in the series, Ciara has started to receive attention from fan. ‘I find it surreal when I get recognised on the street, or when I get sent a fan mail letter’ and she can’t quite believe it because she says she’s just a normal girl from the North West.  So how does she cope with all the attention? ‘I’ve always been told to keep my feet on the ground and I know that success like this won’t last forever, so you’ve got to embrace it while it lasts.'

Ciara started out in school productions varying in the type of roles, from Eugene in Grease to playing not only Cathy in Bronte, but also Jane Eyre. A serious lover of musicals she would love to work on the stage one day, especially one that is a comedy as that is her favourite genre. ‘I like to play comedy roles but I want to play some more serious roles in the future.’ she says as she twizzles her ginger locks.

After joining a local drama class, Ciara signed to an agency in Manchester, called Linton Management, who then sent her for an audition for the short film series  ‘Little Crackers’. From then on, only working as a professional actress for two years, Ciara has appeared in Jane Horrock’s Little Cracker, Gary Nock’s ‘Make it Better’ music video, My Mad Fat Diary and in the upcoming Spike Island.

Talking about the latest British film to be hitting the silver screen, Spike Island, is a film about a rising indie band that travel to Spike Island, Cheshire in the summer of 1990 to see legendary band The Stone Roses in concert. Baxendale explains that even though she has only a small role in the film it was an experience that she’ll never forget. ‘I’ve seen the film and I think it’s great; my friends Nico Mirallegro and Jordan Murphy who play Finn and Chop in My Mad Fat Diary are in it so it’s been great to work on two projects with them.’                                                                

Obviously education is an important factor to Ciara and is focusing on her studies at Westholme School Sixth Form in Blackburn, Lancashire where she studies Theatre, Ethics, Philosophy and Religion, English Literature and Classical Studies. ‘I can’t work on anything whilst I am still at sixth form or else I would miss too much work and fail all my exams!’ Baxendale explains in a nervous manner. But when talking about her future, whether it is higher education or acting, she says ‘I think if I didn’t do acting, I’d love to work behind the camera. I always thought that being a casting director would be a really interesting job.’

Keep an eye out for Ciara when Spike Island is released on DVD mid October. Series one of My Mad Fat Diary is out now on DVD.

Addicted

Every morning when I log onto my computer, I read what's been going on in the showbiz world over at Daily Mail online. This morning was like no other and the article that caught my eye was one on the teenage lothario Harry Styles. Today he was in the headline for getting another ghastly tattoo. That boy, and the rest of 1D are definitely addicted to getting tattoo's and strange ones. The tattoo he has just recently got, might I remind him, permanently got for the rest of his life, is of a giant butterfly/moth across his chest. And it looks ridiculous! Someone needs to have a serious chat with these boys because they just look stupid. People need to stop getting tattoo's because they look good and just felt like it. Get one because it means something to you and you won't mind having it when you're old and wrinkly, because nobody wants to see an old man full of random and saggy tattoo's.

Harry Styles latest tattoo

More of Harry's tattoo's

Zayn Malik's tattoo collection

Liam Payne's chevron road sign tattoo

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2290950/Harry-Styles-gets-tattoo-reveals-HUGE-butterfly-design-stomach.html