Book Challenges!

I've only recently, over the past couple of years, become aware of the different reading challenges people set for themselves. Instagram is full of posts and updates about how people are getting on with their 30 day reading challenge, or 'Booktober', or whatever else they've chosen to do. Personally, I love the idea of this, and I've wanted to set myself one for such a long time. Reading is wonderful, and so is challenging yourself to read more often and to read different things. 

At the moment I've set myself a 'Booktober' challenge. Over the month of October I plan to read a book per week - any books of my choosing - so I'll have finished 4 by the end of the month. Now that I've finished my work assignment, I have a lot more free time on my hands, time which can be well spent reading! I wanted to challenge myself, mostly because I'm sometimes quite slow when I'm deep in a book, or I don't make the time to read when I know that I can. 

There are so many different reading challenges you can set for yourself. You don't have to use social media to share them with people, but I find it really enjoyable to see what other people are doing and to share my own journey and chat with people about what we're reading. You could do Twitter or Instagram picture post challenges, sharing a different book every day of the month. Invent your own challenge or take inspiration from someone else. Something like;

Day 1 - a book that surprised you
Day 2 - a book you chose based purely on its cover
Day 3 - a book that made you cry

And so on, up to the end of the month. This works best for books you've already read and want to share with others, and there are a lot of bookstagram accounts that follow challenges like this.

Another idea could be to pick a book for each day and post a photo, giving it a one sentence summary/synopsis. Not only is this a fun little activity for social media, but it can also help hone your writing skills. Try to think of something clever, but that doesn't give away too much of the plot. It's definitely something I think would be interesting to try.

Book clubs are also a wonderful way of challenging your reading. Everyone has their own preferences for genre and author, amongst many other things, so reading as a collective group can really help you step out of your comfort zone. You could read with friends, family, or even join in with some brilliant online book clubs and reading groups. There are loads on Twitter, Instagram, and even some on Youtube - every platform has its own version. Discussing books is a great way to see them from a different persepctive and broaden your literature scope.

Whether you choose to challenge your reading by joining a book club, or if you prefer to make use of social media instead, have fun with it. Reading is amazing and enriching and good for the soul :)

~ C xxx
 

Let's Talk Poetry!

I never understood poetry when I was at school. I would only read it because I had to, and I don't think I ever allowed myself to enjoy it. And it wasn't exactly cool to like poetry either - not that I was remotely cool at all - so it was very easy for me to shun it.

It was only when I went to university that I actually started to appreciate, and almost love, poetry. In my second year, as part of my Creative Writing course, we studied a module which was dedicated to poetry. At first I didn't like the sound of it, and the first few poems that I brought to seminars were awful. But I soon began to enjoy writing a poem for each week's class. We were given a different style of poem to write every week, and I found myself becoming more and more confident as time passed by, and more willing to share my work with everyone. We would sit in groups and workshop each other's poems, saying what we liked about them and suggesting potential improvements. 

All of this did wonders for my confidence as a writer.  

After studying poetry, I had a new found appreciation for it and so so much respect for the poets who give us such beautiful things to read.

More recently I've found myself buying more poetry collections to enjoy. I graduated university four years ago, and I miss reading and writing poetry as much as I used to. Sometimes I'll use my lunch hour to go peruse the bookshelves of Waterstones and find hidden gems that I wouldn't ordinarily pick up. I'm not going to lie, it's one of my favourite things to do. 

A Poem for Every Night of the Year, edited by Allie Esiri

Allie has collected a whopping 366 poems into one beautiful collection. I first saw this book on Instagram and it looked and sounded so lovely, so I had to have it. The wonderful thing about this collection is the huge variety of poems it encompasses; from Spike Milligan and Lewis Carroll, all the way to Shakespeare and Sylvia Plath. There's something to suit everyone's tastes. 

In my opinion, it's the perfect book to pick up if you want to start reading poetry but don't really know where to begin. The sheer number of different writers mean you're certain to find one that strikes a chord, and from there you can delve in to the rest of their work. 

I also think this collection is perfect to read to children. I know that my parents championed the bedtime story with myself and my brother when we were kids, and I think a bedtime poem is just the cutest idea. They're short and sweet, and each one is different every day. I can't recommend this collection any more than I already do - I love it.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

I asked for Milk and Honey for my birthday last year. I'd seen bits of Rupi's work all over Tumblr and Instagram, and I was incredibly intrigued by her style of writing. The book itself is gorgeous from cover to cover. I love the illustrations and the simplicity of the design - it's minimalist and that really works with Rupi's poetry. 

The collection is separated into four sections; the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. As you would expect, the poems in each section reflect the theme. Some of her work is simply one or two lines, other poems are longer. I've seen people argue that anyone could write what Rupi writes, and that her poetry isn't any good, but I beg to differ. My favourite poem from her collection is just two lines long; 

i am a museum full of art

but you had your eyes shut

In my opinion, any and all poetry is good if it means something to someone. This particular poem struck a chord with me because of the way I was feeling when I first got the book. Personally, I identified with it, and to be honest there are a whole host of other poems in this collection that I identify with. 

Now I'm just excited to read Rupi's next collection, The Sun and Her Flowers, which came out last week.

The Bees by Carol Ann Duffy

When I think of Carol Ann Duffy's work, it reminds me of my GCSE English classes where I know for a fact I didn't appreciate any of it enough at all. Now that I'm older, I'm so happy that I'm able to read her work with mature eyes instead of the eyes of a bored teenager. 

I bought The Bees for several reasons. Number one, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. If you've read any of my previous book related posts then you'll know that I'm guilty of judging a book by its cover. The Bees is shimmering gold and white, and has a beautiful pattern of a hive all over the cover.  Reason number two is the simple fact that this collection revolves around bees, which I love. They're so important and must be protected, so of course I had to buy this book. 

So far I've only read a handful of poems in this collection, and I love how the bee is somehow woven in to each one, either in an obvious way or very subtly. Imagery of nature has always been one of my favourite things to read, so the fact that this is tied in with so many other different themes is wonderful.

The princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace

I passed by this collection in Waterstones a couple of times before I decided to buy it. It caught my eye one lunchtime as I was browsing the shelves, and then I saw a few bookstagrammers sharing it on Instagram. The title itself was enough to pique my interest, so I bought it. Being a self-confessed feminist, I champion the idea of the princess saving herself. Why shouldn't she? 

Amanda's work reminds me of Rupi Kaur's in some ways. A lot of her poems are very visual, which I really enjoy, and I like the theme of fairytales that runs throughout. I can definitely feel a lot of pain in some of the poems in Amanda's collection, and as a reader it feels very therapeutic to absorb them. 

Again, I've only read a few poems from this collection. One in particular has really stuck with me, especially because the book I'm reading at the moment for my Booktober challenge revolves around body positivity. 

For me personally, this poem is powerful. It really means something to me, and I think that's important.

How about you? What are some of your favourite poets or poetry collections? I'm always looking for recommendations. Feel free to comment and leave your thoughts! 

~ C xxx

The struggles of learning to love yourself

What a concept, eh? To love yourself and have ultimate body confidence. It's a dream that so many people want for themselves, myself included.

I've struggled with liking anything about my body since I was a teenager. I've always had plenty of meat on my bones, which is in no way a bad thing, but it's always made me so self conscious. My stomach is my absolute least favourite part about me and always has been. It's not flat or smooth or a home for rock hard abs. It's soft and squidgy and a little on the wobbly side, which is fine, but in a world full of instgram models and photoshopped magazine covers, sometimes it's hard to like what you see in the mirror. Don't get me wrong, there are things I like about myself a lot and I try to focus on those things, but everyone has bad days.

Much like most women, I've put myself on diet after diet, and tried to train myself to eat the right foods and go to the gym as often as I can. Honestly, I've grown to actually enjoy exercise - which is something I never thought I'd say - so it's less of me forcing myself to go and more of me trying to avoid being lazy. I used to have hopes of beinga size 8 and as slim as I am short, but I'm slowly beginning to come to the realisation that being skinny isn't going to make me the happiest person in the world. 

Shocking fact; it's not a crime to have a tummy. I'm still coming to terms with this. Shocking fact number two; a person's size doesn't define them in any way at all. I can comprehend this perfectly when it comes to other people, but I sturuggle when it comes to myself. I suppose it doesn't help to hear and see other people labelling others as 'fat' and 'lazy' and 'chubby' in incredibly negative ways, and you look at the person they're attacking and think "I look like her... does that mean they'd label me in the same way?" Bodyshaming isn't cool or cute, and makes the struggle of loving yourself through and through even greater.

During my most recent holiday I shied away from wearing a bikini until the last couple of days. Why? I don't really know. My body is nothing to be ashamed of, but it takes a lot of hard work to shake off that mentality and I'm still learning how to do it.

Thankfully, there is a glimmer of beautiful hope in the form of Body Positive bloggers, vloggers, models, actors and social media influencers. My personal favourites include Megan Jayne Crabbe (aka bodyposipanda), Tess Holliday, Iskra Lawrence, Hannah Witton, Sabina Karlsson, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Cassie Ho, Laverne Cox and Winnie Harlow, just to name a few. They all promote so much body, mental health and sexual positivity. I know for a fact there have been several times I've been scrolling through instagram and feeling a little bit crappy, and seeing a badass, honest or positive post from one of them has made me smile. 

Loving myself will be an ongoing struggle, but I know for a fact that I'm worth loving so why not be the first to do it? c:

~ C xxx

A Summer of Reading...

As expected, I managed to get through a lovely little pile of books whilst on holiday in Menorca. The relaxed atmosphere gave me the perfect opportunity to spend almost every single day with my head stuck in a book, which is my dream life I'll be totally honest. I read four and a half altogether - not bad for 2 weeks. It was so nice to have all that time to myself to read when I've been stressed with work and assignments while I've been at home. 

So, without further ado, I'll jump straight into it!


All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 

My mum recommended this book to me, and I was actually reading if before I went on holiday. It took me a little while to finish it but I'm so glad that I did. I found it to be such an interesting concept - mixing truths we know from history with an element of the supernatural in the form of the stone from the museum in Paris. 

The story follows Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a young, blind French girl living in Paris with her father, and Werner Pfennig, an orphaned, young German soldier in the midst of the Second World War. The plot is essentially split into two parts, and we weave back and forth through time, until everything begins to tie itself together. I really enjoyed the way that Doerr chose to structure the novel, because it gives the reader the chance to see where both characters are at the end of the novel, whilst also discovering their journey at exactly the same time. I've read books before with time jumps like this and its really bothered me, but I actually feel like it really worked for this novel.

Marie-Laure was a wonderfully gutsy character, and I definitely feel like I connected with her the most in the novel. She was beautifully written - her disability didn't define her as a person, and was simply something she dealt with day to day. It didn't stop her doing anything, or limit her in any way, and I really loved that.  

All the Light We Cannot See touched on some really important themes; the notion of good and evil and how doing nothing makes you complicit, the importance of communication through letters and through the radio transmissions that Marie-Laure and her Uncle Etienne use, the idea of luck and questioning whether it really does exist or not. 

Ordinarily, this isn't a book I'd go for, but I'm so glad I picked it up, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an engaging, gripping book to read next. 


My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood

I was incredibly lucky to have been sent this by Viking Books UK as part of their Instagram book tour for the publication of the paperback version of the novel. Thrillers and Crime novels aren't usually my cup of tea, but I loved The Girl on the Train, and immediate comparisons between the two books had me excited from the off. 

I enjoyed the suspense, and the twists and turns, and was genuinely surprised the deeper I got myself into the book. I'll be honest and say I read it in about a day, which is seriously fast for me, I don't often do that. But I think the fast paced plot, paired with the fact I really wanted to know how everything was going to turn out in the end just kept me going and going and refusing to put it down. 

One thing I really admired about My Sister's Bones was the fact that it dealt with PTSD in such a raw and honest way. I haven't ever read a novel that has dealt with that before, but it's obvious that a massive amount of research and hard work went into that element of the plot, so huge kudos to Nuala Ellwood for that. 

I'll be totally honest and say that I didn't enjoy My Sister's Bones as much as I enjoyed The Girl on the Train, however I would definitely recommend it (and already have - my mum read it straight after me). If you love Thrillers, then you'll enjoy it, and even if you've never ventured into the Crime/Thriller genre then it's a great place to start!

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Have I gushed over this wonderful author's work before? I think I have, and I'm about to do it again. This book was beyond beautiful whilst dealing with incredibly poignant subject matter. I really struggled to put this book down and do other things whilst I was away, and managed to finish it in a couple of days. It was one of those books that I didn't want to finish though, because I didn't want the magic to end.

Honestly, I just love how Kiran creates such strong, young heroines in her novels, and I know for a fact that my younger self would have read her books over and over and over again. Amihan is a fantastic role model for younger readers for so many different reasons. 

I think what I loved most was the truth to the whole story. It's based around historical events and the island of Culion in the Philippines, and isn't something that would normally be considered subject matter for children. Telling the story from a child's perspective really does make the story hit home - families were torn apart, children taken away from their parents and a whole island ripped in two. Despite the very real human element of the story, Kiran's language and imagery really makes The Island at the End of Everything a stunning read. I loved the imagery of butterflies throughout, and the rich description of colour, from the orange of the mangoes to the house with a blue roof and red flowers growing up the walls. It all creates such vivid imagery in your mind. 

"Some butterflies only live a day, some a week, some a month. But they spend every one of those days busy living. And they make the world a more beautiful place, however brief their time." 

Personally, I think the butterfly's way of life is a good one, living each and every day to its fullest. 

To top the whole book off, the cover is absolutely gorgeous, and is one of the things that would instantly draw me to it, had I not already read some of Kiran's work. I'd 100% recommend this book to anyone. Child, young adult, adult - there's something in it for everyone!


Rebel of the Sands & Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

I honestly didn't expect to love Rebel of the Sands as much as I did. I bought it specifically for my holiday after seeing a picture of it on Instagram and thinking it looked like an interesting read, and I was definitely right! I was absolutely hooked from the very start - I love Hamilton's style of writing and I adore Amani as a character and a heroine. The story itself, for me, felt like a cross between Aladdin and The Hunger Games which was amazing because I love the both of them. It's been a very long time since I've read a book or a series of novels that really made me sit back and think "oh my god, this is so good". Rebel of the Sands and Traitor to the Throne both did exactly that.

Amani's relationship with Jin is electric, and the chemistry they share is clear in every scene they have together. I love the fire between them and the playful banter they share throughout the books. I also loved the other relationships that Amani builds throughout both novels - they feel real and human and organic, which just makes them all the more enjoyable to see play out. Also, the fact that Hamilton writes such complex characters makes me all the more emotionally invested in them, which makes for a rollercoaster of a reading experience! 

I finished the first book while I was still on holiday, and loved it so much that I just had to buy the second one on my Kindle straight away so I could remain immersed in the magic.

If you've read any of my book review posts before then you'll know I'm a sucker for mythology and the Rebel of the Sands trilogy certainly didn't disappoint on that front. The lore surrounding the Djinn and Buraqi and Skinwalkers, etc. just fascinated me - everything was so cleverly constructed and I loved it. 

I don't want to spoil the plot, simply because it's so so worth reading it and discovering all the twists and turns for yourself. I can't recommend this series of books enough and I'm so excited for the last in the trilogy to be released! Yeah, it's Young Adult fiction, but literally anyone can enjoy it.


I'm thrilled that I enjoyed all of my holiday reading. What books have you taken away with you this year? If you have any recommendations then feel free to leave them in the comments! :)


~ C xxx

Visiting Menorca

Just like anyone else, I love going abroad. I'm not hugely well travelled, but I plan to spend my whole life changing that fact. Having two weeks away from real life and responsibilities was wonderful and much needed.

I've been to Menorca with my family about three or four times, and it's such a beautiful island. The quietest of the Balaeric Islands, it spans 697km squared and is lined with gorgeous beaches and quaint, little towns. I love the calmness of Menorca in comparison to other places. Everything feels so relaxed and slow-paced - it was the perfect holiday for me after the past few weeks of stress I've been feeling. 

We stayed for two weeks in Cala'n Bosch in the smartline Cala'n Bosch Hotel. I've never been on an all inclusive holiday before (because I'm such a fussy eater) but I really wasn't disappointed by our hotel at all. The staff were so friendly and welcoming, the place itself was incredibly clean, and it was in an ideal location for getting to and from different places. The food was lovely as well - everything was really fresh, which surprised me as I had a pre-conceived idea that it would all be processed food. I was wrong. 

Over the two weeks we were there, the weather was mostly good. A couple of rainy days showered us, but that's nothing us Brits aren't already accustomed to. With the price we paid for the hotel, we also had access to the water park Aqua Rock. I've been there several times and it's great. I didn't make the most of all the water slides this time, and instead I just used it as a great place to sunbathe & take a dip in the pool.  

Sunbathing played a huge part in my holiday (of course), and I spent the majority of my time reading. I managed to get through four books & started a fifth and a sixth because I was feeling greedy. I'm planning to write a separate post about my books though because there's far too much to include in this one!

In terms of nightlife, if you're anything like me then Menorca will be perfect for you. The Marina was roughly a five minute walk from our hotel and it's filled with bars, restaurants and shops which was enough to keep us busy during the nights when we weren't elsewhere. The Med Bar does the best waffles & nutella and I'll admit I devoured more than one while I was there. The bar at the Valentin Star has some brilliant entertainment every night in the form of musicians and tribute acts, and there was rarely a night when it wasn't full or very nearly so. My dad enjoyed a Brandy Alexander every time we went in. 

Ciutadella is one of my favourite places in Menorca. A beautiful, rustic, traditional port city just a half an hour bus ride from Cala'n Bosch, it's busy both day and night for all the right reasons. Personally, I prefer to go late afternoon/evening time to give myself plenty of time to amble around. There's plenty to see and do, and the photographer in me took so many pictures while I was there. 

There's a shop I love there called Pachamama, which sells beautiful clothes & jewellery. There was the prettiest handled mirror in there that I wish I'd bought but sadly didn't. The traditional stalls in Ciutadella are amazing as well. I much prefer buying handmade products from people because you can see that a lot of time and effort has gone into making them. 

I've posted a lot of pictures on my photography instagram, but here are a few shots I took in Ciutadella.

I hope my photography can do it even a little bit of justice. 

Our trip to Mahon was the only small spanner in the works. It was supposed to be an organised trip to a Fiesta - a traditional Spanish celebration with music, dancers, acrobats etc. Sadly it was more like a fun fair in a car park, which was really disappointing. But we did go off to do our own thing, and found a lovely little restaurant and enjoyed some delicious paella & sangria. The rain did put a dampner on things (ha! I'm puntastic) but I'll never rid my mind of the memory of traipsing around Mahon in the rain, with my parents, wearing a black bin liner. Yes, really. 

I was so sad to come home and back to normality, but it won't be long before I book my next holiday. Who knows where it'll be to next year...

If you fancy seeing any more of my holiday photos, feel free to check out my photography instagram page here. 


~ C xxx

Stress, anxiety & keeping your brain healthy

Everyone has good days and bad days, and I'm a firm believer that everyone has at least a little bit of anxiety in them. I know that I definitely do. It can come on at the most inconvenient times but I'm pretty certain that'll be the case for anyone who experiences it. When I get stressed out, I become anxious, and recently I've been feeling very stressed out for various reasons. 

Money causes me stress, moving house was stressful, planning for my holiday has been stressful, working on my assignment, work in general, and simply not having enough time to get this done are all very stressful! The list could probably go on and on, and all of this has had me looking like a huge ball of stress. 

Stress is such a horrendous feeling. Obviously the experience is completely different for each person. For me, it manifests into a physical sensation. My chest feels tight and my stomach wraps itself in knots. The majority of the time, I feel incredibly tense and on egde, which isn't enjoyable in the slightest. I tend to really retreat into myself when I'm feeling anxious. If I'm incredibly quiet then it's likely that something is worrying me. I have a habit of keeping things to myself, which I know isn't healthy, but it's a really bad habit that I have. 

It's not the end of the world when stress and anxiousness strikes though! 

There are so so many things you can do to help yourself cope. I know that, for me, making lists of all the things I have to do really helps me. I find it so much easier to visualise the things I need to do, and that way I can prioritise them accordingly as well. At work I'm forever making lists for my day ahead. I love being organised, so if I can try to stay one step ahead of the game then that really helps to keep me calm.

A couple of years ago I was suffering a lot with stress in one of my old jobs. My mum bought me The Little Book of Mindfulness by Dr Patrizia Collard, and it's filled with little exercises you can do to relax your mind and really give yourself a break. Mindfulness is all about living in the present moment instead of allowing your brain to wander and worry about other things, and it really makes sense in terms of de-stressing.

Exercise can really help to relax me sometimes. Whilst it's not always something I want to do when I'm feeling uptight, releasing all of that pent up anger and energy can make you feel as though a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. I feel like this probably works well for me because I tend to bottle things up, so a physical release is exactly what I need. If you don't fancy a lot of physical exertion then you could just go for a nice long walk? A Sunday afternoon walk can often work wonders for your mental health.

It sounds obvious, but making time to do the things you actually enjoy doing will help to combat some of those anxious feelings. I know that if I manage to get my blog written and posted during a busy week, or if I get a lot of reading & writing done, then I feel a million times better. When I'm productive, it makes me happy :)

The last thing I can think of that I do to beat stress and anxiety is something that's probably quite niche to myself. Watching Disney films does all kinds of good for me. It doesn't matter which film. I'll simply look through my collection, pick one, and enjoy. Maybe it's the feel-good factors of Disney films? Or maybe it's the whole 'getting caught up in a fantasy world' element of it? Either way, Walt's films are guaranteed to put a smile on my face and warm my little heart. 

I'm toddling off for two weeks now, on a well deserved holiday! Expect lots of posts, updates and pictures when I get back. Adios for now! :)

~ C xxx

Finding the right work/studying balance

Along with having a full time job, I'm also studying for a CICM qualification in Money and Debt Advice. I chose to do it because I firmly believe that if you're presented with an oppurtunity to better yourself in an academic way, and learn and develop, it would be silly not to take it. 

This blog is mostly about how I balance work and study time, as well as other things in my life, and my own studying techniques that I've learned over the years. 

Planning, planning and more planning!

This may sound blindingly obvious, but there were so many times in high school and at university when I didn't heed this advice. I also, cleverly, didn't listen to my own advice when I was given my first CICM assignment in March. I made the mistake of putting it off week after week, until I only had just over a month to finish it in. Not a good idea. 

It's so easy to be overly relaxed about your assigment/coursework/revision as soon as you're given it, but time flies by surprisingly quickly when you're not working hard. I can't stress this enough; don't wait to start your work. Don't use the excuse that you have plenty of time to write it.

Starting is usually the hardest part, so the sooner you do it, the better. Personally, I never start an assignment at the beginning. If it's an essay then I'll miss out the introduction and make a start on my first point because I can always go back and write the introduction later. With my assignment, for example, I look through and find a question that I feel most confident writing an answer for, because that's far better than struggling for ages on the very first question.

It may sound silly, but plan your weeknights when you come home from work. I know that Monday night is Game of Thrones night, so my plan for the evening is really important if I want to fit any study time in. I'll come home, exercise for 30 mins, have a shower, cook my dinner, wash up, do at least 1 hour's work and then watch Game of Thrones at 9pm. 

Make sure you leave yourself enough time to finish everything. That's why planning is key. Hindsight has taught me that lesson many times. 

Create your own workspace

Everyone works differently. Some people work best in silence, while others need a little bit of noise to get the gears in their brain turning. Making sure you have the ideal workspace will encourage you to be more productive. If I sit down in front of the TV with my laptop, I can guarantee that I won't get anything done, and that includes my own personal writing and blogs. If I can see that there's something on TV, even if I'm not interested in watching it, I'll still get distracted. My brain likes to do its best to avoid doing the things I know I need to do, which I'm almost certain is the case for most people. 

At university I managed to write my entire dissertation whilst sat in bed. I had no TV and no distractions in my room, and plenty of space to spread all my notes and paperwork out, so it was the perfect place to work. Well, not perfect because sitting in bed like that for so long isn't great for your posture, but it got me through my dissertation. 

Personally, I can't work in silence. I mostly listen to movie scores while I work (don't call me weird...) because while it's still music, there are no words to distract me or get me to sing along. Half the time if I listen to music with words I end up either singing along or typing the lyrics, neither of which is good.

Know when to stop working 

Sounds counter-productive, but stay with me here.

There's no sense in working yourself into the ground, even if you have a lot to do. You're one person and you can only do what one person can do. So if you get tired, then sleep. Take regular breaks to keep your brain focused. If you've been working for a very long period of time, chances are your brain won't want to co-operate, especially if you've been at work all day as well.

Don't say no to every social gathering that comes your way. Yes, it's important to work had and make sure you fit in study time after work or on weekends, but also make sure you have time way from it too. Go out and meet friends, visit family, go for a walk - anything that gets you away from the computer and the books.

Personally, I find that this is where good planning comes into play. For example, with my most recent assignment, I know that I'll be away for some time just before it's due it. Of course, I'm not taking my assignment on holiday with me, and similarly I can't ditch the holiday to finish the work! So, I've made sure to finish as much as I possibly can before I go, and that way I'm not panicking when I come home and only have two weeks left to do it. 

Balance between work, studying, social life and hobbies is so important. It can feel really difficult sometimes, but once you get it under control you'll feel so productive.

If you've got any tips for balancing work and studying, or just tips for studying in general, feel free to leave a comment!

~ C xxx