How I Spend Reading Week

I have been crazy busy lately with university, work and other commitments so have not been able to post as much as I'd have wanted to. Over reading week, I planned to write a lot more posts for you all, however that isn't quite what happened. So, instead I thought I would share with you what I did get up to this past week off uni. 

Looking back on past reading weeks, I have found each year they mean something different. In my first year, reading week was about going home to see family and friends and tell them about all the amazing things I had been up to over the past two months. Reading week in second year for me was about having a break, and in some ways working to earn extra money for the months to come. This year, I feel reading week has been about the future.

One thing I did over the past week was to read and work on my assignments. I treated it is a period where I could gather the bits and pieces together and get my work back on track for the next term. I did this by continuing to wake up fairly early, allowing a little bit of a lie-in (after all it is still a holiday!) and cracking on with work straight away. I gave myself regular breaks where I could do things I actually wanted to do such as watching a new tv series and online shopping (where I add everything to my basket and never buy any of it haha!).

Another thing I did over the weekend was take on a few more hours at work. By doing so, not only have my skills there improved (as I only started at the end of September) but I have also got a little extra pocket money for pay day which I plan to save for any future plans.

No matter what year you are in, reading week is the perfect opportunity to take on some work experience! This week I had the chance to work with an amazing wedding and events planner and had a blast! I learnt so much and got to meet some amazing people. I have even been given the chance to work with her again and can’t wait!

I also took this chance to get on top of every day chores such as washing and cleaning the house ready for the next term. Something that only takes a few minutes but makes a huge difference!

I hope you found this interesting and maybe it will help you when planning your next reading week.

My Study Space

Some of you may know that I am now in my third and final year of university. This means I have a lot more reading, writing and research to do! With that being said, I thought I would share with you my work space at my university house.

I am lucky in that I have a desk at my student house as I know some people whose room may not be big enough for one. If this is the case I would recommend getting a fold up table or even using a study space at uni. I know some people do like to study on their bed, however I find I get too comfy and end up falling asleep or getting distracted. So, I prefer to work at a desk or in the library.

On the wall above my desk, I have a beautiful pink pin board that my grandma got for me a few years ago. It is a great size as it gives me plenty of room to pin things on and it adds a lot of colour to the room and this little wall. I know most student accommodation does have pin boards in the bedrooms which is great! But if you are in student housing like me, I would defiantly recommend getting one. I have used command strips to hang mine, up as they don’t leave any marks or take of any paint at the end of the 

year.

On my pin board, I have my calendar which is an academic one so very handy for a student. I am one of those people who has to be very organised and write everything down as I have a memory like a fish! This calendar was from Tesco and I love that it comes with a little pen as well.

You will notice I have a few to do lists. One of which I got for Christmas a few years ago from a little shop in my local village and another I made from an old till roll I got at work. I find these so handy if I have a lot of tasks to do both big and small so I can remember all the things I have to do. I also love the feeling of ticking things off once I have completed them! 

I then have a little peg thing for any thoughts and ideas which again I got for Christmas a few years ago. I just think it looks really cute and is a great place to peg little reminders or ideas if I have any for a blog post or something.

I also like to pin random bits on my pin board such as pictures, business cards and a list of meals so if I am stuck for any dinner ideas I can look on here. Surrounding my pin board I have some battery powered fairy lights from Primark to make it look a little bit prettier, especially in the evenings.

On the left hand side of my desk, I have a silver metal magazine tidy from Wilko. These are amazing for keeping folders and note books in, as you can see what they are but also keeps your desk tidy. As you can see, I just have some flamingo print button folders from Tesco (one for each module), a few A4 ruled pads and a few smaller note books I use to plan blog posts in it.

On the right hand side of my desk, I have a little box of random bits and bobs. At the moment I have hair bobbles in it (as I like to keep one handy for when I need my hair out of the way when working) and other random things such as stamps and memory sticks. I also have a pen pot full of pens in all different colours and a cute little pad of sticky notes in all shapes.

On the main part of my desk, I have the year calendar given by the university and my laptop which I use to do pretty much all of my work!

So, that is my work space in a bit more detail. It is not a lot, but I find a simple and tidy desk allows my mind to work better as I am not crushed by books and stationary. I hope you found it interesting and who knows, maybe it has helped some of you organise your work space!