UoG Mermaids

Hello all! Long time no read!

Apologies, it’s been a busy few weeks! Getting back into the swing of things at university has been quite nice :) After the Christmas break it’s been really nice to see all of my cheerleaders again :) Training has been intense – we now have our standard three hours on a Tuesday, plus two hours on a Sunday afternoon in a gymnasium with a sprung floor. Even will all of this time we’re investing, I’m so nervous for competition and have no idea if we’ll be ready or not!! It’s in three weeks!! ><

What else has been going on? Well, it’s the Cheerleaders’ first ever fund raiser this Monday, which, as Social Secretary, I am organising; oh my life what if nobody comes? What if lots of people turn up and think it’s rubbish!? Owwhhhh I’m terrified! I just want it all to be perfect!! I can’t remember if I've mentioned the fund raiser to you before, so let me give you the low down :)

• It’s Playboy Bunny themed :)
• There’s going to be a raffle, face painting, pin the tail on the bunny, and hopppefully a special something else that I don’t want to reveal yet in case it falls through!
• I’m going try my hardest to make Sparrow’s (my Student Union) look as much like the Playboy mansion as possible with the tiny budget I have!!

Naturally, there’ll be lots of lovely photos for you the next time I blog :) There’s so much stuff to do!! Firstly, to host an event you need to fill in a proposal form and send it off, then once the SU have got back to you approving your event you can start planning :) But then you have to design tickets and posters and send those to the SU to get them approved and printed and laminated! And thennnnn you can start thinking about decorations and props and all that jazz! :) Busy busy bee!! I was up until midnight last night putting posters up all around the Greenwich and Avery Hill campuses ><

I've ordered most of the props now, so it’s just a case of playing the waiting game until they all arrive! I keep saying it but I am so nervous!! Wish me luck ;)

Anyway, onto other news, being so busy is interfering with my workout plans! I was supposed to join the University of Greenwich’s climbing society, but haven’t been to a single climb yet as so many things keep popping up! In addition, I haven’t been boxing half as much as I’d like; there’s too much coursework, work, fund raising and tour planning to do! Whew! I’ve been ill for a while now, and my housemates keep telling me it’s because I do too much :( I think they’re right, but there’s so much I want to achieve! 

OOOOOOH!! Let me tell you about two films I saw recently :) The first one was Les Misérables – I cried alllll the way through!! Honestly, it’s so sad :( I was sat there with two of my housemates, all of us clutching tissues!! I would definitely recommend going for a cheeky view!

The other film I saw was much happier :) It’s called, “Wreck it Ralph” and I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy it! I went with Kelty (find her blog here: http://gre-kelty.blogspot.co.uk/) and another friend from Secondary school, and I grumbled all the way into the cinema! “I’m not going to like it, it’s going to be rubbish, EUGH!” hahahahaha I was wrong :D It’s cute, and funny :) Go have a watch :)

Anyhoo, I’ve gotta run now, folks! So until next time……

:)

Happy New Year!

Guten taaaaag!! :) (That’s German for “Hello” – notice a theme emerging, guys?)

How was everyone’s Christmas and New Year? My Christmas was average…it’s just not as magical or special as it once was, to be honest :( But the break from Uni is nice :) I start back in just over a week so I’m going to have a “study day” with one of my friends tomorrow :) I want to make sure I’m as up to date as I can be for second term!

My New Year was far more interesting – I went to a party, which was fun :) Here are a couple of photos from the night:

I can’t even lie; the fact that I graduate in less than six months is beginning to terrify me! As much as I’ll be glad to be rid of all the work, I’m going to miss this place!! I’m in the middle of looking into running for a full-time Sabbatical position for the year after I graduate; I want to run for VP Student Activities! I shall keep you posted on my progress!! I’m really nervous about it, as whilst I’m sure I’d be great in the role, what is no-one votes for me!?

Ooh, here’s some news: I've taken up boxing!! I've had two one-on-one sessions so far and I LOVE it!! It’s Thai boxing (I think :\), so I kick and knee as well as the standard punching :) I want abs in time for the TOUR!! In the new term I plan on joining the University of Greenwich’s climbing society too :) Have I mentioned that before? Well I've started taking progression photos of my physiiiquuuuue, so if you’re lucky I’ll upload some once I've reached my target!! :)

Of course, as it was Christmas, Beethoven was on the TV – Beethoven, the film about the dog LOL, not a documentary on the composer :P ANYWAY, I've decided I NEED a Saint Bernard in my liiiiife!! :( I used to want a dachshund (because they are tiny like me :)), but now I've found my calling – a huge, fluffy, soppy, BEAUTIFUL Saint Bernard ^^

Owwhhhh loooooook >< One day, eh? :)

Right, so I mentioned in my last blog that I’m a bit of a grammar Nazi; whilst I appreciate the speed and convenience of text-speak (for example, “ I want to go 2 the shop”), there is one recurring thing that has been winding me RIGHT up lately. It is not text speak. It is not slang, nor is it an abbreviation or a conjunction. It is...

PEOPLE WRITING “DEFIANTLY” WHEN THEY MEAN “DEFINITELY” !!

Oh my goodness gracious it gets on my nerrrrrrves!! It’s terrible! Take note, people! If you don’t know the difference, here it is:

Right, well that’s pretty much all the updates for this portion of the month; my festive period has been filled with events, yet there’s not all that much to report! I've overindulged in food, spent lots of time with friends, enjoyed doing nothing productive most days and am now in full preparation mode for the year ahead :) Wish me luck, folks!

Until next time,

Tschüsssssss!!

Mermaid Christmas Social

Привет, friends! (“Привет” is Russian for “Hello”, fyi) :)

Soooo 14/12/12 was the night of the Mermaids’ Christmas Social!! And the theme? FAIRIES!! :D

Think wings, tutus and wands!! And *glitterrrrrrr*Please see pretty pictures below :D

A few days later was the Mermaids’ Christmas Meal!! But not many pictures have been uploaded yet, so I shall have to post some for you later! :)

Right, now all the fun and games are over, it’s back to coursework! I’m really looking forward to breaking up for Christmas this week :) I’ve just submitted my 2,000 word Strategic Management report and my Ethics Form for my Dissertation…now I’m on a mission to complete my 1,500 word Psychology report and  3,000 word Dissertation Literature Review by this Friday! Eeeeek ><

Ooh, I don’t know if you know, but I am a TOTAL grammar Nazi! I know that in my blogs I always use punctuation marks to make faces and I often add extra letters to words for emphasis (Hiiiiiiiiii, for example :P) BUT, in essays, formal conversation and LIFE, I think grammar, spelling and punctuation are SO important!! Nothing gets me more riled up than seeing “Christmas wreath’s for sale” written outside my local florist -.- It frustrates me so much because it’s so simple! Okay, so fully understanding the differences between a hyphen, en dash and em dash may not be of paramount importance, but the difference between “there”, “their” and “they’re” should have been learnt in primary school! OOF!! Little gets me more fuming than poor grammar!! ANYWAY, I am going somewhere with this rant, I promise – the other day whilst browsing online, I stumbled across this wonderful website:

http://www.grammarbook.com/

I LOVE IT! It explains everything the average person ought to know about the grammar of the English language, and you can even buy it in book form!! Christmas is coming, so if any of you lovely people would like to buy me the book I’d be most grateful :D

Speaking of Christmas again, I am very excited! I promise to take as many photos as I can for my next blog :) There will be lots of photos of food, and as usual, I know I’m going to overindulge; food is my life!! In the New Year I plan on joining the University of Greenwich’s climbing society and going swimming one evening a week!! The weight I’ve gained since summer is not seriousssss!! Still, it is winter…HA!

Ooh, so far in my blogs I’ve mentioned a number of the University’s sports clubs and societies; full lists of what the university offers can be found here:

http://www.suug.co.uk/activities/

Hopefully all of my photos updates and links will keep you going until January, but if not, here’s a website I often visit to kill time (as if I have nothing better to do! Ahaaaaa!)  :

http://iwastesomuchtime.com/

Until the New Year, chickens…

Пока! (<<That means “bye!”)

Christmas is nearly here!

¡Hola! ¿Como estas, people? :) 

Can you believe Christmas is less than two weeks away!? When did THAT happen!? Whew! 

Well, I’m quite aware that the majority of my blogs thus far have focused quite a lot on the social side of my university life, so I thought it was high time I gave you all a better insight to my academic life :) I’m currently in the middle of finishing off a 2,000 word Strategic Management report due tomorrow (eek! ><) and once that’s done I have a 1,500 word reflective report for a group activity I did in Psychology (Human Performance in Organisations) due at the end of term (which is a mere week and a half away!) plus my 3,000 word Dissertation Literature Review (also due the end of term!! Busy busy bee!! *buzz buzz* All of that between cheer, celebrating various birthdays, Christmas parties and Christmas meals! When will I rest!? Well, I say that, but when I have nothing to do I go out of my mind! I’m sure by the end of the Christmas break I’ll be desperate to come back to the heavy workload and hustle and bustle of university life! :)

So I've been thinking, why don’t I give you all an insight into what I enjoy the most and least about my course? Business Psychology isn't a very popular degree, so I’d love to generate some interest in any of you potential students who may have stumbled across my blog! Now, please bear in mind that as we are all different, other Business Psychology students may not feel the same way as I do about all aspects of this degree, but I’m hoping to provide you with a first-hand perspective of the types of things to expect :)

Year one: This year was, in terms of psychology, particularly useful to me; I had never studied psychology before, so this was very interesting! However, for students who held A Levels in Psychology, this aspect of the course was more of a recap than a lesson in something new. Similarly, the rest of the course was more of a refresher for me – we covered most of what I had already done in GCSE and A Level Business; whilst this was a little useful as I had taken a gap year, it was arguably a little dull as I didn't feel intellectually challenged.

Year two: This year was far more interesting; the psychology aspect directly linked to the world of business (we looked at, for example, mental health issues in the workplace, management styles and how different childhood experiences could affect the type of personality an adult would have). Two courses I found particularly interesting were Business Ethics in term one and Cross Cultural Management in term two. Both of these courses were very thought-provoking, and often case studies required what I like to call “real thinking” as opposed to just taking the knowledge I’d been fed and applying it to the given situation. One thing I will say: the more you enjoy a topic, the better you are likely to perform on the exams and coursework! 

Year three: So, I’m already a third of the way through this academic year, I can’t say it isn't challenging! The workload is noticeably heavier than in second year, and to compare the workload to first year would be an absolute joke! Still, I’m not complaining – once I have my degree it will all be worth it! I must admit I haven’t found anything but my dissertation especially interesting thus far this year, but I shall keep you posted; next term I’m starting a new psychology module, Mental Health in Adulthood, and I’m really looking forward to that! I think it will make me sad, though :(; as part of the course we’ll be visiting an elderly people’s home to see older adults with conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc. :(

Three years seems like such a long time when you start your degree, but TRUST ME it zooms by so fast!! 

The best piece of advice I would possibly give would be to ENJOY IT!! Prioritise and get your work done, but take some time to stop and really make the most of the experience! No environment compares to that at university, and I honestly feel that joining a sports team is the best decision I ever made since joining. I've made some amazing friends who I never would have met otherwise, and because of them not only do I have the best social life here, but I also have a great support network if I feel down about my course, or if I need people to talk to besides my course mates. A great number of my course mates have never been to the Students’ Union at Avery Hill (Sparrow’s – my playground! :D) and literally only know the people on our programme or programmes we've shared lectures/tutorials with; those individuals, in my opinion, have not truly gotten the most out of their university experience. Yes, they will have a degree, but in addition to my degree I know for a fact I will have gained some wonderful memories and lifelong best friends once I graduate.

Of course, all of the above is just me! Different people want different things out of life, so I’d definitely take the time to read the other student experience blogs to get a more balanced view of student life here at the University of Greenwich :)

I hope you've enjoyed this blog! Until next time, folks - ¡Adiós! ¡Hasta pronto!

Managing Time

Hello, possums :)

So, where to begin this time? Well the Mermaids are no longer going to Winter Wonderland :( Things got very complicated and in the end it was easier to just give it a miss :( But never mind! There’ll be other times for ice skating :)

On another note – how dark is it getting these days?? And so early! This seems rubbish, but can only mean one thing: the shortest day on the year is approaching! Again, this seems terrible, but think about it; what happens after that? The days gradually start getting longer again! Don’t get me wrong, it’s still going to be a lonnnng 6-7 months until summer, but let’s try to be optimistic :)

Speaking of summer, I watched ‘500 days of Summer’ the other night; I hated it! That ‘Summer’ character was horrible!! (I won’t reveal too much else for those of you haven’t watched it) I definitely wouldn’t recommend watching it. But what do I know? I’m a Business Management student, not a Film student :P

Want to know what else I watched the other day? :D TWILIGHT!!  The final film in the series!! Aaahhh it was so good!! :D Crazy ending, though! It was different from the book :) I went to watch it with my best friend, Kelty (her blog is also on the Student Experience page – go check it out!) :) She spent the duration of the film scoffing all my popcorn – what are friends for, eh? :D

Anyway, let me fill you in on university stuff :) Having left things to the last minute, I am now snowed under by coursework and looming deadlines >< It’s all my own fault, but there’s a great lesson to be learned by all of you out there: PLAN CAREFULLY AND MANAGE YOUR TIME CORRECTLY!! Basically, learn to prioritise! :P

I can’t complain, really – I work far better under pressure. Like a diamond :) *cheeeeese* hahahahaaaaa ^^

Ooh, I almost forgot to tell you some excellent news!! The Mariners had their second match of the season Sunday 18^th November :) It was against Westminster I believe…..AND THEY WONNNNN!!!!! :D YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYAYAYAYAYAYAAAAAAAY!! Everyone was so happy :) Especially as the referees discounted two of our touch downs (with no good reason)!! The CHEEK!!

Anyway, here are some photos from the match..enjoy :)

                                                                              Look! There’s me! :D

Until next time, folks :)

Dee xxxx

Initiations

Heyyy! :D So firstly, as promised, here are some of the photos from the Cheerleader initiations J

Yay! :D So, as you can finally see, everyone had a really good time and the night was definitely a success :)

So, since initiations, what have the Mermaids been up to? Well, just this week we’ve been very busy bees; Friday 2^nd November we went and cheered at the 10^th annual University of Greenwich Rugby fund raiser in memory of Thomas Mulquin, a student who unfortunately died ten years ago of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome during his first Rugby practise. The fund raiser raised over £1,000 which will be split between two charities, and the Mermaids were all very pleased to have been able to support the cause.

Just a few days later, on Sunday 5^th November we went and cheered on our American Football team, the University of Greenwich Mariners, at their first away game of the season against Kent. It was freezing!! It had rained heavily that morning, and by the time we reached the University of Kent, the pitch was totally waterlogged. Here is a picture of what my (once white) plimsolls now look like:

My feet were completely numb by half time. Pity me? You should! Haha :D

Unfortunately our boys didn’t win this time, but their next game is at home against Westminster, so I’ll get back to you on the result of that! :)

University life is pretty much the same; I submitted my first assignment of the year last night :) I was sat doing it the library at Avery Hill, with every intention of staying until midnight when it closes, but had to call it a day at 10:30pm; it was so cold!!

 I’ve got a group meeting tomorrow for Strategic management – we have to prepare a presentation on alliances within business. Fortunately I’ve got a really good team for that presentation; group work can prove very difficult when you’re working with social loafers!!

It’s so weird that we’re mere weeks away from Christmas! It seems to come around faster and faster every year. I’m really looking forward to the Christmas period, though; all of my friends from secondary school get together as much as we can, catching up whilst over indulging in food and drink :) We see one another less and less each year, which is sad, but it makes Christmas time with them even more special :) We’ve all pretty much decided not to exchange gifts this year – poor finances seem to have hit us all even harder this year than in previous years :( Still, I’d much rather have the company of my nearest and dearest than any old present anyway! :)

Well, I’m off for now. My next blog will most likely contain photos from Winter Wonderland (I’ve arranged for the Mermaids to go ice skating!!) and updates on Mariner matches, coursework and my dissertation :)

Until then, take care, chickens! :)

Dee xxx

My House

Hello!

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get this blog to you; I’ve been a very busy bee over the past few weeks!

I’m finally all moved in and settled in to my new house; it’s really nice and the girls are lovely (thank goodness)!! J Here are some photos of the rooms:

Besides moving in I’ve been running around like a mad woman trying to organise these cheer leader initiations. We’ve managed to recruit 35 or so new girls this year, which is AMAZING as, including the returning girls, we now have over 40 Mermaids!! Last year there were around 20 of us, in my first year there were 8 or so of us, and the year before there were only 3!! So, now we have over 40 Mermaids all preparing for competitions this year (we’re planning on going to at least 5 of them, so I’ll keep you posted as and when they happen!) :)

Anyway, back to cheer initiations. They were supposed to take place on Wednesday 17^th October, but the Student Union (SU) told us we couldn’t do it as football submitted their initiation booking form first, and as there are so many of them, the SU couldn’t host our initiations at the same time L Boooo :’( So, I’ve had to reschedule, but, despite the extra time, I’ve still be running around like a headless chicken as things keep going wrong!! :(

Still! Once initiations have taken place, I promise to reveal the theme (none of the Freshers know it yet!) and upload lots of fun photos :)

So I suppose I should talk about how my dissertation is coming along; I’ve decided to do it on governmental corruption in the Philippines (my Mom is Filipino, hence why I chose The Philippines) and how it affects the wellbeing of Filipinos throughout the country. Because the topic is so close to home I feel I’ll be able to really get into it – I’ve enjoyed the reading I’ve done already, so hopefully it will only get more and more interesting!

My other courses are going okay; if it wasn’t for this scary dissertation I’d be really confident about this year! Oh well, I suppose I just need to stop worrying, start prioritising and get my work done!!]

In my next blog I’ll update you on cheer initiations, academic stuff, and whatever other interesting things I can think of :)

Talk to y’all laterrrrr :)

xxx