Second dessert of the day? Oh go on then

It's strange to think I've gone from looking forward to a fat free yogurt for dessert to indulging in anything and everything over the last couple of weeks. Thank God Military Fitness starts again tomorrow (it's hard to feel guilty for eating a little lot extra when you've just spent an hour running about like a crazy person in the snow). For those who haven't heard of this gem of a workout, think  military-themed circuit training crossed with a PE lesson in your local park (http://www.britmilfit.com/). It can be an amazingly fun way to burn the calories, especially if you rope a couple of friends into joining with you.

I'm also really keen to get into running this year (it's easy to say this whilst I'm sat indoors with a tin of roses to keep me company). I love the running element of Military Fitness and I've always wanted to push myself distance-wise (don't let this fool you into thinking I'm super fit- I'm not). As a result of an overly optimistic outlook and an odd desire for a new hobby I've decided I want to  join a running club and possibly even sign up for the Liverpool half marathon. Now this master plan may fall through for a number of reasons (the first one that springs to mind is my current fitness level) however in the name of positive thinking I want to fully embrace the challenge. Plus if 13 miles can't give me killer legs what can?!

Is anyone else into long distance running? Or any kind of running really? I'll have just under three months to train if I do decide to attempt the half marathon and so it will be pretty intense but I'm also incredibly excited. This excitement is likely to wear off soon but I'm hoping the determination won't. If all else fails, I'll just work out how much cake each mile would burn off and plan dessert accordingly.

All I want for Christmas...

The majority of blogs I am currently following are giving me serious outfit envy. Considering this is added to the fact that I feel like I'm bursting out of most of my wardrobe right now thanks to an abundance of chocolate coins and other calorific delights, it seems inevitable that I will be hitting the sales at some point this week. There's also something about Christmas and wanting to treat myself to even more goodies (of course I need a new scarf to match the gloves Santa gave me).

Every year we talk about how materialistic Christmas has become and how most of us have forgotten the real meaning of it all. I don't think this is necessarily true. Well, maybe the first part of that statement contains some accuracy (my friend appears to have received half of Urban Outfitters' winter collection in her stocking and has now ventured into town to buy the rest), however sometimes we underestimate how meaningful the festive season really is for people. Sure people are posting photos of their presents on facebook and comparing gifts on Twitter, however amongst these materialistic statuses and tweets lie those expressing delight at spending some much needed time with loved ones and the joy of abandoning the diet in favour of an extra mince pie.

In all honesty, I was pretty much dreading Christmas this year. I think the idea of so much family time (I'm living back at home which probably doesn't help!) and too much food (I'm feeling incredibly fat right now which is never good for one's mood) made me a little apprehensive of the holiday season. Despite all of this, I actually ended up really enjoying yesterday (because of family time and too much food). It's funny how the things you complain about can turn out to be what makes a day. Yes, I was compared to Bridget Jones (by my Uncle), the sister and I started snapping at each other and I ate FAR too much, but who cares? I had the best time with the people who really matter to me (and managed to do up my leather shorts on Christmas Eve despite the overindulging!).

I still find the festive season a little full on however that doesn't mean I need to shun it completely. It also seems ridiculously selfish to even think of complaining about family when there's people who would give anything to spend this time of year with loved ones. This blog post is a bit all over the place (welcome to my thoughts :p) but I guess the main message is to forget the wish list this year and focus on what you really want (which is probably a lot closer to home than a pair of Kurt Geigers... although they would also be gratefully received).

Happy Boxing Day!

Sucks to be a Student right now

I love that my Twitter feed has recently been dominated by people's thoughts on tuition fees and cuts to higher education, illustrating the fact that this is an issue close to many people's hearts (although I am probably following a disproportionate number of student activists!). I've actually been meaning to post something about the whole tuition fees fiasco for a while however I must admit I find it quite difficult to write about the subject as I have such mixed feelings. I won't pretend that this isn't at least partially due to a lack of political insight (I mean why couldn't Clegg just vote the way he said he would? Surely a bit of awkwardness between his new Tory pals won't be half as bad as being hunted down by  a mob of angry students?!). The other reason for my reluctance to commit to one stance is my genuine conflicting view points on the whole matter of fees and funding.


Firstly, I want to make it clear that I do fully empathize with every single student who currently feels they're at the bottom of the Government's list of priorities. Having only graduated relatively recently myself (and now working in a Students' Union) I am more than aware of the implications tripling tuition fees will have for future generations of young people. It's horrendous to think that there are thousands of sixth formers who have suddenly been made to feel like their future ambitions have been snatched away from them. Likewise, the creation of a market in higher education is a thought which doesn't even bear entertaining. There is far too much University snobbery as it is- assigning a monetary value to institutions will just make it even harder for people to see the importance of vocational courses as opposed to simply focussing on the more 'academic' qualifications.

 On the other hand, I don't think it would be fair for the higher education sector to be exempt from all of the recent spending cuts. Whilst University is incredibly important, so is the NHS, our schools and countless other public services which are all struggling for much needed funding. It's all very well fighting for sixth formers to go to University but what about those children entering secondary school without basic literacy skills because their Primary education wasn't up to scratch? I personally think we have a much bigger battle on our hands in terms of this country's education.


Last Thursday was a devastating day for many as we saw the current cap being lifted and a University education now costing £9000 per year. Some of the guys from work went to Parliament to watch the vote and said that there were people actually in tears when the result was announced. When I think back to how my mind worked when I was 18, I am hardly surprised that sixth formers are taking one look at the price tag of higher education and resigning themselves to a degree-less future. I do, however, feel this is where intervention is needed. A lot of the issues surrounding widening participation are down to people's varying perceptions. Student debt is the same regardless of your background- the main difference is the help you may or may not have when it comes to paying it back. I understand that there are some students whose tuition fees will come straight out of Daddy's bank account however most of us are not in that privileged position. The majority of people I know are completely on their own when it comes to dealing with their student debt, regardless of their family's income . A hike in tuition fees is bad news for many reasons however it does not necessarily have to deter people from poorer backgrounds as much as we predict it will. As Clegg and co. said, we need to ensure that every young person is aware of the reality of University costs (ie. you do not need to stump up £9000 upfront!) so that they see higher education as a real option for them and not some out of reach fantasy.


Despite the above points, I am certainly not saying we have to take the increase in tuition fees lying down. Our Government made a promise to us which they broke- of course we need to hold them to account.  I am so proud of the students who journeyed to London at the crack of dawn to take part in the National Demo on the 10th November.  As my friend said on facebook recently: 'the days of apathetic students are no more'. This could not be more true and it makes me so happy to be part of a generation that is standing up and fighting for change.


I could now launch into a rant about my views on the 'protestors' who saw the march last Thursday as a chance to riot and put others in danger however I will save that for another day. Suffice to say, it upset me to see so much good work being undermined by violence and destruction. On a related note, occupying University buildings also seems fairly pointless in my eyes- surely the majority of university staff are bound to be just as angry about cuts to their place of work as students are?!

This already lengthy blog post could go on for much longer however I'll wrap it up now. Whatever your feelings are about the future of higher education, chances are you're impressed by the sheer determination of young people to ensure our politicians don't go down the same old route of broken promises again.

Hi I'm Jenni and, after months of putting it off, I am finally starting a blog. I'm not completely new to this having blogged fairly regularly during my time working at Sheffield Students' Union last year. That, however, was for my role as Welfare Officer and so I'm quite looking forward to writing something which doesn't end with a reference to Nightline or a plea for students to use condoms. Not that that wasn't terribly fun (and of course worthwhile) however it's always nice to broaden one's interests.

The last time I blogged in a personal capacity was many years ago in the form of a Livejournal account where I went by the name of 'dancing barbie'. I'm hoping this will be very different. For starters, I'm no longer stressing about my A levels, the obsession with my local dance school has faded and I now appreciate the value of colours other than pink. I wish I could say that reading my Livejournal back provided hours of happy teenage memories however it mainly just left me cringing at my consistent use of the phrases 'lol' and 'omg'.

Anyway, I have decided to blog again for a number of reasons. Firstly, I like to write. Having studied science at University and, regrettably, not really getting involved with the student newspaper, I'm worried it won't come all that naturally. My English Language A level seems a distant memory and most of the writing I do these days is via email. I guess I see a blog as a chance to develop my writing style (as even trawling through old facebook messages shows how much it has chopped and changed over the last few years). I have long had a magazine obsession (ever since I first got hooked on 'Girl Talk' as a child) and harbour an ambition to write for one of the glossies some day. I know how incredibly difficult it is to break into this industry and so this is one of the reasons why having a space where I can just practice writing about anything I please is important to me.

Secondly, like most people, I am rather fond of talking/ranting. I am aware that not everyone cares about what I have to say and so, in the interests of sparing my friends/family/work colleagues from what's going on inside of my head, I have decided to find another means of expression. This can be my space to chat about whatever I'm getting het up over and, I say this with the hope that I will gain some followers at some point, hear other people's views too.

Lastly, whilst this is by no means an anonymous blog, I like the freedom the internet can give you. I think it's easier to be a bit more adventurous with what you write when you can't physically see anyone reading it (and realistically it's unlikely that anyone who hasn't been directed here by myself will be browsing through my blog anyway).

One of the reasons I took so long to actually get started is because I've been umming and ahhing about what the focus of my blog should be. A friend of mine sent me the links to some of her favourite blogs (mainly fashion/photography orientated ones) for inspiration. They were all amazing however, as it currently takes all of my effort to drag myself to work on time as it is, I don't think I'd have the energy to also provide photogrpahic evidence of my outfits every morning. I do, however, love fashion and so wouldn't mind incorporating this into my blog at some point. Just so you know, this love is more about the excitement of exiting Top Shop with the leather shorts I've been lusting over than the ability to rock the latest catwalk looks. So to summarise, as much as I admire all of the girls (and guys) out there who have beautifully designed blogs detailing their latest purchases, I've came to the conclusion that this approach probably wouldn't work for me. Plus I'm not very photogenic and I'm trying to gain followers not lose them :p

I think, for now anyway, I'm just going to go with the flow and see what happens. Posts may therefore range from vents about my lack of willpower around carbs to my views on higher education funding (yes I work in a Students' Union and so that'll almost certainly be coming soon!). Either way do please stop by and tell me what you think.