Creating Memories At University | Lifestyle

Hi all, how are we doin'? Sorry about the little delay between posts but I've been so busy and then when I planned to write something for this blog I started to feel unwell. Can you believe we are in August already? For us Students that means returning to university is looming, or if you are a first year it'll only be a matter of time before you move to halls if you haven't already! Living in a university/rented accommodation means you are limited to what you can do to a room. I've always taken it upon myself to create super cute collages of photos on my walls, it always keeps me taking photos as I have somewhere to put them and update them and it is a little more creative than sharing them just on social media. I was recently contacted by a PR company on behalf of HP and their new social media snapshots campaign and I thought it would be perfect for you all. Below is the video all about how to print the photos and then I thought I'd talk to you about creating your own photo wall!

Creating a photo wall: 

Once you've printed out a wide selection of photos this is where the creative part comes in. In the past I've cut up snippets from magazines as well as posters to add a bit more colour to the wall. The added a mix of photos in the gaps. Currently my photos are in a fairly toned down display in a 4 by 4 square which suits the room I am in. I would love to one day cover a whole wall in photos with no gaps but I don't have that many friends (jokes who wants to see themselves that many times). Pinterest has some gorgeous suggestions of how to create a photo wall if you are looking for inspiration.

Hopefully this inspired you and gave you some ideas for your new room which awaits you sooooon! 

*In collaboration with HP 

Moving To University, What Do I need? |Tips and Tricks.

I can't believe it's a matter of a week until it is August! Crazy right? For those of you who are going to university means it's only a matter of a month until you move into your halls for university, or if you're going into second year you may have already moved in or be planning to into your new house. I decided to make a little bit of a guide to share with you what you need to take to halls when you're moving into university. I hope you enjoy this post and find it somewhat helpful, I would love to know any ideas you have in the comments also to help those new students.

First things first you need something to pack your stuff in, if you're anything like me you have a LOT to move. When I was looking for ideas of how to pack all my stuff I came across a website called Davpack who offer a huge range of boxes from all shapes and sizes, perfect for moving. On the boxes it even says what weight to put in them and what they are suited for! You can get a pack of 10 for £14.95 and the boxes are suitable for so many different things as well as sturdy.

Now to the check list of what you need to take:

Important documents:
This is usually the last thing on any students mind, but it is really important. I have my own important document box now, which I have collected up all of my documents over the last few years, including my passport, birth certificate, course acceptance letters, student finance as well as your driving license (if you have one) and bank card!

Kitchen and Bathroom basics: 
I cannot stress enough how when you get to university you will not use everything you've brought with you, and if you do it is probably likely to get destroyed in shared accommodation. Go for cheap, your cutlery will probably end up missing, with your cups stained and smashed and your towels destroyed. Of course bringing stuff to university and over buying is normal, but just be wary of what you don't want getting wrecked. For basics for the kitchen you need things like plates, cutlery, glasses, pans etc. For the bathroom you need things like towels, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo. But of course like everything else in this guide don't worry too much if you forget anything.

The bedroom: 
For most university students this is where they will spend most of their time, it is important to bring things from home which you feel you will need as well as the things which will give you comfort. You need things like a duvet, pillows, clothes, possibly a TV, washing stuff, linen. There's so much you could take but it is just about what you think you need. When you move into your halls you don't want to have taken a huge bedrooms worth of stuff to fit into a small one, as it just won't work.

If you need anymore advice or tips feel free to tweet me at @dungareesdonuts! 

If you're purchasing from Davpack, make sure you use the code Student10 for an extra discount!

*In collaboration with Davpack. 

The guide to drinking games | Lifestyle

If there's one thing all university students are good at, it's drinking games. There are so many different games out there, often they change name from uni to uni but they tend to have the same rules, I love the different games that people play as it's a lot more fun than just drinking on your own. Most games just involve a simple pack of cards which is definitely worth having in your flat, so if you don't have any, go invest! I thought today I would share with you some drinking games which are always worth playing with your friends!

Cards Against Humanity: 
I actually found out about this game when I was round my families house at Christmas and played with my Grandma who had no idea what the game entailed. I love the idea behind the game despite it being so messed up! To those of you who don't know, the game involves having 7 cards and then everyone takes it in turns to be the card tsar and reads out a statement or a question and then you have to pick out of your cards which you think fits best. Now the fun part, half of the cards don't even make sense, they include a lot of rude and offensive statements and if you're easily offended it's probably not the game for you, but it's a lot of fun and worth an investment.

Never Have I Ever: 
This one is a great game for getting to know people better, and it's as simple as going round in a circle and someone asks a question starting with 'never have I ever...' and names something, and if you have done that thing you drink. It's an easy and none effort required way to get drunk, and fast.

Ring Of Fire:
This game involves a bit more explaining but it basically involves a deck of cards and a pint glass and it ends with the person who gets the last king in the pack drinking the 'dirty pint' which is made up of drinks placed in the pint glass throughout the game. As there are many different card meanings I thought I would leave this link here to tell you what each card means and how to play.

Ride The Bus:
Another more complicated came to explain with another set of rules but well worth learning them as it's a hilarious game which involves you being very drunk if you're unlucky in this game! The basics of this game are that it involves four rounds and you are asked a series of questions based on the cards e.g. higher or lower and if you're wrong you drink. But if you want to play this game, and need instructions on how to do so check out this awesome page.

Surviving Freshers | Tips & Tricks.

It's that time of year again when Freshers is fast approaching, and for those of you who don't know what that it is it's basically one week (sometimes even two) of meeting new people and getting very drunk! Despite the nerves being in full swing I think the fact that alcohol is involved makes it a lot easier for people to get to know each other especially as it makes everyone a lot less off edge. I decided as my first real post that I would share with you my top tips for surviving freshers and having the best time! 

Tip One:
Stock up on alcohol- you can never have too much alcohol in freshers week and the more you drink during pre drinks, the cheaper it is on a night out, win win!

Tip Two: 
Plan in advance- there are so many different events going on during Freshers week that it's impossible to attend them all, talk to people and find out which ones are good to go to and also which you want to go to as there are many different things taking place e.g. fancy dress and paint parties

Tip Three:
Sleep- this sounds like an obvious one, but if you're up all night you probably need to sleep for a lot of the day, which during freshers is totally normal and okay to do (as long as you attend your welcome week lectures)

Tip Four:
Always have cash- being in a new place can make the lack of knowledge of where things are, I would recommend getting cash out and having some on you for a night out plus then you don't have to take your card out (and end up loosing it like some people *coughs* me) but don't carry around too much as you may spend more than you planned ot.

Tip Five:
Get chatting- get talking to people and get to know people you live with/near and make friends, it's a lot easier on the nights out if you have people around you and also less chance of you getting lost!

If you're starting university this year, good luck and enjoy freshers!