University Take Two.

I've now been back at University a week and a half and so far I'm completely loving it! The first week was freshers where all of the first years get settled in, get to know the Uni and their courses and get horribly drunk every night! It was nice being able to spend the week catching up with friends, making multiple trips to the pub/bar and doing some work to prepare for lectures!

This week marked the beginning of lectures and so far I'm loving every module I've picked! You get a lot more choice in second year and I'm really excited to see what the rest of my modules will be like. I've had three lectures so far (Artefacts, Greek Comedy and Peoples and Societies of the Ancient Near East) and I'm set to still have a few this week, introducing me to the rest of my modules (Greek History: Archaic to Alexander, Prospects for Ancient Historians and Egypt and the Greco-Roman World) which will be great! Most of the modules I picked this year with an ancient history side are Greek focused which is easily my favourite period and I'm glad I've been able to specialise that side of my degree that far already as I feel it will give me a good start for doing well this year!

For my Artefacts module, I had to choose 2 of 6 options to focus on. I've picked Pottery and Archaeological drawing with Small finds and coins as back up so I'm incredibly excited to start, no matter which combination of those three I get, as they all look amazing! I think it's awesome how we get to try completely new things like technical drawing as it'll be useful in the long run if I decide to go into Archaeology as a career (most likely!). 

My lectures are a lot more fun this year already because I know so many more people thanks to the dig this summer - I now know the names of most of the people in my lectures compared to maybe 5-10 last year which is really nice! I feel like I've also got a pretty solid friend group now so I'm already feeling like this year is going to be amazing!

This year I've become a student mentor for 12 first year students. The aim is to help them feel more settled and to be able to ask questions to someone has gone through what they're going through. I'm really enjoying being able to help the people who have emailed me with questions and who I've met up with for a chat! It's a really rewarding feeling as I know that a lot of people struggle to settle properly at Uni for a while.

I've moved into private halls this year and so far it's been pretty good - there have been a few problems with doors and radiators but nothing that's too problematic! My room is really lovely with more than enough space and the kitchen is gorgeous with a breakfast bar! It's about half an hour's walk from campus but it will really help me become fitter having to actually travel instead of just rolling out of bed like last year! 

I don't know how much I'm going to be able to post as I have a lot of work to do this year compared to last year...I'll post if and when I can! 

Jess xx

Meeting Lewis Watson!

I was so lucky to stumble across a meet and greet event on Facebook at the HMV in Reading the other day for Lewis Watson's release of his new album 'The Morning', so yesterday I went down there and all I had to do to get in was buy the album from HMV which I was planning to do anyway! I was given a wristband and I was given access!

First off, we got to listen to some of the songs off the album live which was just incredible - he shared the stories and meanings behind the songs and he sounded identical to the record which is rare these days! I was blown away by how much emotion he put into each song and it makes me so happy to see someone that I've listened to and admired for years get recognition!

I did get some videos but unfortunately they won't upload properly, otherwise I would show you how great he is!!

We then got to meet him and get our albums signed! He was so lovely and thanked me for buying the album and coming which was amazing - he was so humble and sweet and I wish I'd had more time to talk to him properly!

Lewis and I, thank you to the security guard that took the photo!

Such a lovely cover!

It's signed! 

I listened to the album on the way home and I'm actually in love, I don't dislike any of the songs which is rare for an album! My favourites from the album are probably holding on, into the wild, stay, close, halo, sink or swim and castle street. 

You can buy the album from HMV, iTunes and Lewis Watson's online store.

You can also listen to the album on Spotify.

Jess xx

I'M FREE!

I finally finished my exams on Wednesday and I couldn't be happier! I actually think most of my exams went pretty well so I'm hoping that it shows in my grades!

It's a weird feeling that I'm completely finished with school/college now and that I'm hopefully moving on to a whole new stage of life in October where I get to be much more independent. I'm so happy I don't have to revise anymore too!

I have so much planned for this week which is exciting - I went round my friend Katie's for a sleepover yesterday/today and I'm going to London tomorrow, then on Wednesday I'm going to my old school's prom which will be exciting! I love actually having time to do things, I have loads to read and do over the next few months.

I've been collecting loads of post ideas over the last month, including reviews, tags, wish lists, the blogger challenges I've missed and a few other little bits and pieces! 

I've really missed blogging so expect quite a few posts when I'm not out!

Jess xx

Spotify!

I decided to create a Spotify account yesterday to help me get through revision with some of my favourite music! 

I was always a little sceptical of it but now I've tried it, I'm in love and can't stop searching bands and artists that I love to find new music! Much easier than trawling through countless Youtube videos of covers or relying on 30 second snippets on iTunes! 

If you want to check my account out, click here and it will take you to my page where you should be able to access my Favourites playlist!

Let me know what you guys think, if you find any new artists through my playlist, and feel free to follow as I'm sure I'll be adding to it and creating new ones imminently! 

Jess xx

This week.

I've been on Easter holiday for the last week which only means one thing for people in my age group: exams are just around the corner. 

As well as revising, I've actually been giving myself little breaks and have managed to meet up with friends! 

On Wednesday, I went to my friend Rob's for a movie night which was awesome fun! We ended up playing a lot of cards, eating pizza then watching Lord Of the Rings at about 12.30am! I've never actually seen it and it was good when I was actually paying attention! We also watched part of the second one on Thursday morning too before leaving and that was also good - Gollum made me laugh quite a lot! My boyfriend also cooked us all bacon so I was pretty happy when I woke up! I had to drive there by myself which was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be - I can drive surprising well considering I didn't know the area! I also drove to Waitrose with Rob to get some snacks before the party started and I managed to park which is a feat too! I haven't been to many parties with college people but they're a lot of fun and not as alcohol filled as I would expect - people just got happy instead of completely incoherent which lead to a really nice atmosphere and I ended up having a lot of fun, it was a nice break from revision!

Today, me and my family also went to the cinema to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier! I've been wanting to see it pretty much since it came out so I was really excited and I was right to be! It might actually be one of my favourite Marvel films so far, each character was brilliant and the whole thing was interesting, it didn't take too long for the action to get going which was great! I also loved the end of credits scene as per usual, they always make me so excited for the next Marvel film! If you haven't seen it yet I really recommend it, it'll make you feel pretty much every emotion available on the human spectrum which is pretty impressive for a film that's just over 2 hours long! 

The next week will be pretty much solid revision which may be a bit dull, but hopefully it pays off in the end! 

Jess xx

Discoveries.

With all of the technology we have available to us now, we assume that we've found most of the ancient material that has survived since Roman and Greek times. This is why I was so excited to read about a brand new discovery - a poem by the Greek female love poet Sappho which hasn't been read aloud since roughly 300 AD (according to here - an alternative translation is also available at the bottom of the post)! 

A translation by Tom Payne, available here:

Still, you keep on twittering that Charaxos

comes, his boat full. That kind of thing I reckon

Zeus and his fellow gods know; and you mustn’t

make the assumption;

Rather, command me, let me be an envoy

praying intensely to the throne of Hera

who could lead him, he and his boat arriving

here, my Charaxos,

Finding me safely; let us then divert all

other concerns on to the lesser spirits;

after all, after hurricanes the clear skies

rapidly follow;

And the ones whose fate the Olympian ruler

wants to transform from troubles into better –

they are much blessed, they go about rejoicing

in their good fortune.

As for me, if Larichos reaches manhood,

[if he could manage to be rich and leisured,]

he would give me, so heavy-hearted, such a

swift liberation.

Another translation is available here. 

It's almost the entire poem which is surprising, usually only small fragments are found and only one complete poem of Sappho has survived! As a Classics student, I got so excited - it's hard to imagine people living that long ago so to find more pieces that were written and performed so long ago is incredible! 
There is also another poem that was discovered (both given to an Oxford Classics fellow together) which is only fragmented so it's an incredible discovery (a little on that here)!

If you want to read the full article with a little historical background and explanation, click here.

Jess xx

Revlon colorstay ultimate liquid lipstick in Brilliant Bordeaux

I'm a major sucker for lipsticks and lip colours in general but I've never tried a liquid lipstick before. So far I'm quite impressed! I bought it from boots earlier today because as I said yesterday, I wanted a darker lip colour for Autumn. I saw this and I was intrigued so I took the plunge and bought it!
I tried it on and it took about three coats to get the colour even and the same as the bottle. It was a little tricky as it dries quite quickly so you need to work with it quite quickly to get it looking perfect.
It's a long lasting product so it's quite drying but it isn't uncomfortable. It's also a good idea to make sure your lips are moisturised before using it though because dry patches tend to show up more. I wore it for about 2 hours before taking the picture below and you can see how well it's lasting! Afterwards, I put another coat on to see how much it had worn out and it was practically the same colour!
It feels slightly sticky when you're wearing it but I actually like the feeling so it's actually a plus point! I also had a drink in between applying and taking a photo so it lasted amazingly well! I can't wait to see what it'll fair like tomorrow in my only full day of college - hopefully it lasts the whole day!
The only problem I have with it is that it's really hard to get off, I need to use my make up wipes to remove it and even then it still takes quite a while to get it all off.
I assume I'll have to moisturise my lips quite a lot with this because it is quite drying but it's gorgeous and I assume I'll only wear it with a few outfits so it shouldn't have a big effect on my lips!

Such a pretty colour!

I love how bright this is!

It costs £7.99 from Boots! 

Jess xx

Petite Anglaise.

This is one of the two books I picked up at the last car boot sale I ventured to with Mark a month or so ago and I'm oh so glad that I did because I love it. I decided that it would be a good read for the train journey to/from college on Friday as I tend to sit alone (after a busy week, train relaxation and alone time is actually rather enjoyable!) so I grabbed it and shoved it in my bag as I ran out of the door. I'm so happy I did. 

This book is a memoir of an English blogger (actual name of the blog is petite Anglaise) who lives in France. I'm only 32 pages in but I'm hooked. Catherine's writing style is so easy to read and quite funny at points, it's really very hard to put down which I can see as being a problem! I can see it being my go-to book for my daily train journeys, except for when I'm lacking in space due to the copious amounts of books I have to carry for my lessons each Monday (you'd be surprised at how much you have to carry for only three lessons...). It's also a hardback so it's rather awkward to fit in my bag. It does mean that it doesn't have the risk of being ripped to shreds by my constant taking items in and out of my bag though. 

I'm really excited to finish reading it and hopefully I'll get some spare time to continue it! 

Jess xx

Last First Day of School.

I'm always nervous to return to school after summer but this year I was more excited! I can't believe that I've already done my last first day of school!

I already knew my timetable as it is the same as last year which is awesome because it means that my teachers are the same and I'm with mostly the same people which is nice, it means I don't have to get used to anything new apart from rooms! 

I really enjoyed going back and seeing my friends, and going back to lessons that I like instead of ones that I don't like, which is what I had with biology last year! My first Classics and English Lit lessons were good, and I got to look at the coursework questions for my English today and I'm so excited because there are quite a few questions that I can use the books I've already read for! I was hoping for some questions relating to Women, Madness or Obsession and I got two of those three in the form of six really nice questions so now the only problem will be choosing which one looks the best! My english teacher said that I have to resit my exam which isn't great though, I was hoping to avoid doing loads of exams but it seems like it's not going to happen! 

Even though I know this year's work will be hard, I know I'm going to enjoy it and I'm looking forward to it already! 

The only not so good thing about college this year is that the first years seem like a bunch of idiots which is annoying!

Jess xx

MotoGP

As a mini end of Summer treat, my dad got our family tickets for the MotoGP at Silverstone on Sunday. It was such a great day out! I've loved it since I was little so actually getting to see the races up close was such an amazing opportunity. We watched Moto 2 (lower class of bikes) first; it was so exciting and the atmosphere was great! The winner was an English man so everyone went crazy and cheered super loudly when he went past and won! MotoGP (highest class of bikes) wasn't as exciting because the leader stayed in first pretty much all the way through. It got exciting towards the end though when people started overtaking and closing gaps, every time someone overtook people cheered! The English guy in that race had crashes in the warm up and managed to dislocate his shoulder in the warm up lap so he didn't race as well as he could have which wasn't good but he still did really well considering!

It was a really great day and an even better end to summer - I'm so glad I got to go!

Jess xx

The University Chronicles: The beginning!

This month, I've been over the whole country looking at Universities! I've only been to 4 and I've been to Devon, Berkshire (not really difficult as I live here...), the Midlands and County Durham. I've been to one of the most southern counties and one of the most northern, it's crazy but quite awesome because I get to see places I've never been before! Looking around Unis is so exciting but scary because it's another completely different step in life which is another step towards independence and 'real life'.

I've already said about Exeter and I'll say now that it's kept as the solid top choice of mine since! 

We went to look at Birmingham next and it was so nice! It was really pretty and the course was fantastic! The only let down was the accommodation, which was no where near as nice as Exeter but actually more expensive. 

Reading was the next on the list! I originally wasn't too sure about it because it's the closest big town to me and I've been there too many times to count so one of my main points for wanting to go to Uni (going away from home and exploring somewhere new) had already been smashed. However, we got there and it was really nice! The archaeology and ancient history buildings were lovely, the staff were enthusiastic and friendly and the course was really really nice! The accommodation blew the other two out of the water by miles, Birmingham by quite a bit more than Exeter still, though! The rooms were bigger, cheaper, cleaner and had so much more storage space! Reading is definitely second choice so far, I was pleasantly surprised! 

Me and dad went to Durham last Monday and I can honestly say it was one of the most disappointing experiences of my life. The accommodation was horrific, the course was no where near the standard of the other three unis, the teachers made it seem like a priveledge to be accepted rather than them being enthusiastic about the course and wanting people to get in and it had a general air of snobiness about it. I've never hated somewhere so much in my life. It was a real shame though because the actual place was lovely, the university however, wasn't. I don't understand how it has the reputation is does really; the course wasn't worth the grades they were asking for and it just didn't seem like a nice place! I think it also doesn't help that I prefer campus unis and Durham is the only non-campus Uni I've seen. I've decided to not bother applying there and look for somewhere else to look instead. Definitely not somewhere I would want to spend 3 years of my life.
I have to wait until September to visit UCL and Bristol so it's not over yet! I'm pretty confident that Exeter will be my firm choice and Reading will be insurance choice though, they're both fantastic unis.
Jess xx