Student Life October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 

STUDENT Life 

Lifestyle Magazine by Students, for Students 

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY 

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7 ENTERTAINMENT 

Music, movies & more 

 

15 GAMING 

All things gaming 

19 ART 

Your poems, books 

27 FASHION 

The latest news 

33 BEAUTY 

Look after yourself 

39 TRAVEL 

Where to next? 

 

43 MY PLANET 

Environmental issues 

 

47 SEXUAL HEALTH 

Helping you stay safe 

 

49 CAREERS 

New opportunities 

51 MENTAL HEALTH 

You are not alone 

 

71 PHYSICAL HEALTH 

Get up, get out 

 

75 WHAT THE FOOD 

Restaurant reviews 

 

77 MY LIFE 

Your thoughts 

85 LGBT 

Questions answered 

89 TECH 

The latest tech 

93 MY MONEY 

Tips and tricks 

Editor’s 

WORD 

Hello and welcome to 

October’s Student Life! 

It’s officially my favourite 

season with the cooler 

evenings, warm jumpers and fun flavoured hot 

drinks and of course, towards the end of October 

things can turn a little spooky! 

This month we are proud to boast a whole 96 pages 

of content for you! That’s 16 more pages than 

normal. This means we have been able to pack in 

more great articles for you across our sections and 

provide more opportunities for you to get involved 

in what we do. Whether that is by submitting your 

writing or photography or joining the business 

development or design team- we’d love to welcome 

you on board! 

This month, we look at how to subtly style for 

Halloween, with Instagram influencer April Gant 

(@adoseofapril) and take a look at why our co-editor 

Josh believes ‘Plastic is a dirty word’. 

In addition, we hear from a student who has been 

over 250 times, the reasons why you should give 

your local Parkrun a go. 

We have welcomed on board some new 

collaborating schools 

and colleges this month 

and I can’t wait to 

welcome more! 

As always, get in touch if 

you have an idea. 

Rachel 

Director of Editorial 

Contact us 

01473 35 35 12 

rachel@student-life.co 

www.student-life.co 

@studentlifesuffolk 

@studentlifesuffolk 

@studentlifesuffolk

MEET OUR CO-EDITORS 

Our magazine wouldn’t be possible without our Co-ed’s but we 

are always on the look-out for more! Get in contact if you are 

interested in joining the team – rachel@student-life.co 

ENTERTAINMENT 

CO-EDITOR 

FRAN MULVEY 

Hey, I’m Fran your 

new Entertainment 

co-editor! I decided 

to get involved as 

it allows me to expand my creativity. 

Studying English at the University of 

Suffolk, and an aspiring author, I’d love 

a career in publishing. 

GAMING 

CO-EDITOR 

LOUISE DICKMAN 

Hi, I’m Louise, your 

gaming co-editor. 

I also occasionally 

write for the mental 

health section in the magazine. I am 

really passionate about gaming and I 

plan to expand and make the section 

as interesting as possible! 

ART CO-EDITOR 

KAY SABERTON 

I’m Kay, your Art 

co-editor! In the 

upcoming months 

the section will be 

introducing more 

artwork and creative pieces. Creativity 

is vital to us as, ‘To practice any art, no 

matter how well or badly, is a way to 

make your soul grow. So do it’ – Kurt 

Vonnegut. 

FASHION 

CO-EDITOR 

TSHEQUA 

WILLIAMS 

I’m Tshequa, Fashion 

co-editor alongside 

Pam. I’m doing A’ 

Levels and aspire to have a career in 

journalism/media in the future so I’m 

grateful for the opportunities I get 

working with Student Life. 

3 • OCTOBER 2019 • STUDENT LIFE

BEAUTY CO-EDITOR 

LIBBY DAWSON 

I’m Libby, an English 

Literature and Media 

Communications 

graduate, working 

with Student Life 

to gain experience in Marketing, 

Business Development, Social Media 

Management and now, work in 

Editorial! It is a great platform to be 

involved in. 

TRAVEL CO-EDITOR 

CAMELIA ATOMEI 

My name is Camelia 

and I am studying at 

University of Suffolk. 

I started getting 

involved with Student 

Life because I wanted to get to know 

more people, be more confident, but 

mostly because I felt that university 

experience is also about what I do 

outside classes. 

LGBT CO-EDITOR 

LEANNE ARNOLD 

Name’s Leanne, and 

I am the director 

of mental health 

at Student Life! 

I decided to get 

involved in the LGBTQ+ section as I am 

passionate about the inclusion of the 

LGBTQ+ community as well as being 

part of it myself. 

PHYSICAL HEALTH 

CO-EDITOR 

LOUISA SADLER 

Hi, I’m Louisa. I am 

the co-editor of 

Physical Health and 

an English student 

at University of Suffolk. I am really 

interested in Publishing as a career 

and I’m thankful to Student Life for 

allowing me to join the co-editing 

team. 

CO-EDITOR 

RACHEL MITCHELL 

Hi I’m Rachel and I 

am the current coeditor 

for My Planet, 

Sexual Health, My 

Life, Careers and 

Food! However, I would love to find 

some students who are interested in 

being a co-editor and taking on some of 

these areas! Let me know if that’s you! 

TECH & MY MONEY 

CO-EDITOR 

JOSHUA HODGKIN 

Hello! I’m Joshua, 

co-editor for Tech 

and My Money. I also 

write for the Mental 

Health and other sections. I think it’s 

important for money issues to be 

talked about, and I want to talk about 

how cool tech is! 


WHY NOT 

GET INVOLVED? 

We’re looking for: 

WRITERS 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

DESIGNERS 

BUSINESS 

DEVELOPMENT TEAM 

MYSTERY SHOPPERS 

& REVIEWERS 

DISTRIBUTORS 

“Since working 

with Student Life I have 

gained both confidence 

and knowledge within the 

business and journalism 

sectors.” 

“My roles at 

Student Life have 

shaped my leadership 

and decision making 

skills.” 

Take the first step, 

email us to find out more 

info@student-life.co 



NEWS 

A selection of news from Student Life HQ. 

Follow us on Insta and FB @studentlifesuffolk to keep up to date. 

Award Winners! 

We are delighted to announce that we have 

now added two more awards to our collection 

following a double win at the East Suffolk 

Business & Community Awards. We won 

in the ‘Great Idea’ category and the ‘People 

Development’ category. We are hugely proud 

of all the team for their continued hard work. 

Self-Harm Project 

The filming and production of our Self- 

Harm film has now been completed! 

We are really excited to bring this film 

into schools and colleges as part of 

our self-harm workshop. A huge thank 

you to all who have been involved in 

this project- from those telling their 

stories in front of the camera, to those 

involved behind the scenes in filming, 

sound, production, makeup and editing. 

It wouldn’t have been possible without 

your talent and support. 

Winter Ball 

We are excited to announce that we 

are holding our first annual Winter 

Ball on the 1st February 2020 at 

Ipswich Town Hall. This event will 

be an opportunity to celebrate and 

share all our hard work and success 

so far alongside individuals and 

organisations that have supported 

us. We look forward to sharing with 

you more details about this over 

the coming months. 

Welcome On Board 

We have been very busy in the new academic term, visiting and presenting our 

workshop to East Bergholt, City and Coastal College, Canterbury Academy, Knole 

Academy, East Norfolk 6th Form College, East Coast College and Ormiston Academy. 


ENTERTAINMENT 

CO-EDITOR FRAN MULVEY 

IMAGE CREDITS 

TSHEQUA WILLIAMS 

MUSE 

BY JOSHUA HODGKIN 

AND TSHEQUA WILLIAMS 

As part of an extra leg of their Simulation 

Theory tour, the colossal rock band Muse 

played The O2 on the 14th and 15th 

September. Joshua and I went along to 

the first night, which we found out was 

being filmed for release into cinemas 

next year! As we had standing tickets, we 

arrived early afternoon to queue for a 

good spot near the stage. 

Beforehand, instead of getting the tube 

to North Greenwich, we got the Emirates 

Air Line cable cars over from Custom 

House to Greenwich where The O2 is 

only a short walk away. If you’re heading 

to the arena or are just in the area, it’s 

definitely worth checking these out as 

it’s a really inexpensive experience that 

allows you to get an interesting elevated 

view of London’s skyline and landscape. 

Once our tickets had been scanned, 

wristbands applied and our bags 

searched, we made our way to the stage 

where we got an amazing view only a 

couple of rows from the barrier. For these 

dates, Muse were supported by Nothing 

But Thieves. 

7 • ENTERTAINMENT • STUDENT LIFE

Muse have been my favourite 

band for a number of years. Their 

variety of music is truly amazing, and 

Matt Bellamy (frontman) really knows 

how to handle a guitar. I’ve never had 

the opportunity to see them live, so it 

was a real treat. 

Their set was a balanced mix of material 

from their latest album ‘Simulation 

Theory’, including Thought Contagion 

and Propaganda, as well as old fan 

favourites like Plug In Baby and Knights 

Of Cydonia (one of my favourite songs). 

Their catalogue goes back 20 years, 

so there’s plenty of songs for them to 

choose from! 

I think one of my favourite things about 

the show has to be the staging. Muse 

tend to build themselves a runway into 

their staging so that Matt can run down 

the stage whilst playing his legendary 

riffs. The show also uses dancers 

who are dressed in light-up suits, all 

reflecting the rhythm of the music. It 

was really cool! 

All in all, I had a wonderful time at the 

concert. It was a privilege to see my 

favourite band live! The merch was 

really cool too – I wear it with pride! 


After wanting to see Muse and 

loving their music for a long time, I knew 

they’d be really good live – however I 

wasn’t expecting just how wonderful it was 

going to be. As with every artist, how they 

perform live is always a determiner for me 

of true talent as replicating recorded music 

on stage is the ultimate test of an artist’s 

capabilities; Muse certainly exceeded my 

expectations. 

It was exhilarating to witness their music 

in the best way (live and loud), alongside 

their sci-fi inspired production – a spectacle 

of dancers, an appearance from Murph 

the robot-monster and an overall amazing 

visual design with the graphics, lighting and 

costume. Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme 

and Dom Howard are truly skilled musicians 

and you could really appreciate the beautiful 

complexity of the guitar and drum riffs in 

their music. 

Another thing that I appreciated was the 

lack of extreme shoving from the crowd – 

everyone loves a mosh but when people 

start pushing and crushing people, it can get 

really dangerous, especially if you’re near 

the barrier, so being amongst an energetic 

but controlled crowd was really nice! 



WALKING PLAY LIST 

BY RAHUL ANEESH 

Whenever I go outside for a little stroll I often 

take a pair of headphones with me and I feel 

even more relaxed as I walk along. Here are 

my favourite songs for me to walk to: 

12. NIKI – LOWKEY 

This relaxing instrumental coupled 

with a beautiful chorus provides the 

mind-set of me in a field of flowers. 

The chorus provides most of the 

enjoyment for this track and is the 

main reason I go back to it. But for the 

most part it’s calm in every way. 

11. RICH BRIAN – GLOW LIKE DAT 

The chorus is catchy and I love the mild 

guitars as well, I especially love the prechorus 

too. Whenever I listen to this song I 

instantly feel so relaxed which is why this is 

one of the songs I play when I go for a walk. 

10. SWAE LEE – HURT TO LOOK 

In the start it features the sound of waves 

to set the scene, the instrumental is 

smooth, I really like the synths, the smooth 

vocals and catchy chorus. This excellent 

setting makes this a nice song for walking. 

9. BRYSON TILLER – BEEN THAT WAY 

I like the calm synths and the light drums in this song as well as a nice hook. I also 

really liked his album “Trapsoul” with this particular song being one of my favourites. 

This gives off a nice cloudy aesthetic and this gives a good walking theme. 

8. KENDRICK LAMAR – YAH 

This is one of the calmer tracks in “DAMN.” 

This features a melodic tone from Kendrick as 

well as soothing drums which are easily the 

best part of this track. I like a lot of Kendrick’s 

smoother stuff and this is easily one of the 

more replayable and relaxing tracks from 

Kendrick I’ve heard. 

7. PnB ROCK – SELFISH 

This was one of my most replayed 

songs in 2017 partly because of the 

chorus which I used to play a lot whilst 

walking. It is beautifully sung and the 

production has a nice R&B groove. 

Also the synths help contribute to the 

beauty of this track. 


6. DRAKE – FEEL NO WAYS 

My personal favourite of 

“Views” this features a sad 90s 

disco groove and Drake sings 

beautifully and the chorus is just 

the cherry on top for a divine 

walking song. This is also perfect 

for a drive but that’s out of 

context, it’s still equally as good 

to listen to when you’re on foot. 

5. XXXTENTACION – SAD! 

I listen to this track whenever I’m walking along 

the school halls. This has nice sounding keys. I 

also like how well constructed this track is since 

it’s also got drums and guitars appearing as 

the track progresses. Also the chorus is catchy 

too and this is what makes this track good 

for walking in halls (just don’t get caught by a 

teacher). 

4. J COLE – NO ROLE MODELZ 

One of J Cole’s well known songs 

of my favourite J Cole album “2014 

Forest Hill Drive”. This song has a 

calm and motivational feel and has 

an inspiring message of not having 

role models but still making it. This 

inspiring feel encourages me to have 

a wonderful time whilst walking 

along the pavement. 

3. JADEN – SUMMERTIME IN PARIS FEAT. WILLOW 

This is one of the soft spots on his recent album “Erys” and this song easily matches the 

title, it feels like Summertime in Paris or in fact summertime anywhere. This features 

relaxing guitars and drums as well as smooth singing from Jaden and Willow. This track is 

also about falling in love so it makes sense for this song to be calm and relaxing. 

2. JUICE WRLD – LEGENDS 

This is a track with serious subject 

matter and it’s a tribute song to Lil 

Peep and XXXTentacion. This has 

a wavy guitar instrumental and 

mellow drums and hi-hats. This 

song is perfect in the rain or just 

when you’re in a bad mood. I just 

listen to this track purely for that 

soothing tone. I just love it when 

Juice WRLD works with smooth 

guitar production. 

1. JOJI – SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK 

This has to be number one. It contains 

one of the most brilliant choruses I’ve 

heard this decade. It’s also got well 

produced synths and I love the build-up 

during the chorus. This is also another 

great track off “Ballads 1”. This great 

combination of all the wonderful things 

about this track makes this my personal 

go to for walking. 

10 PB • OCTOBER MARCH 2019 • STUDENT LIFE

EUPHORIA 

NOW TV REVIEW 

BY LEANNE ARNOLD 

After seeing a post by my celebrity 

girlfriend, Zendaya, I became excited for a 

TV series that she described as a ‘raw and 

honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and 

the difficulty of navigating life today’. 

I was apprehensive at first, unfortunately 

mental health isn’t always portrayed very 

well in TV and film, and as one of the shows 

main focuses there was a lot riding on this. 

However, without giving it a chance how 

was I able to make my decision on this? 

After watching the show it’s clear that 

there is a strong love for two of the main 

characters; Rue and Jules. Having watched 

the series, I can confirm that I am an avid 

Rue fan… but here’s a wee overview of 

both of them. 

As the show starts you get a feel for 

Rue pretty quickly. She’s a quirky 

loveable character, and battling with 

her own demons, you get a sense of 

protectiveness over her. Fresh out of 

rehab Rue is a recovering drug addict that 

has no intention of staying clean. You 

are taken on a journey of her struggles 

with her addiction and the impact this 

has on the social, mental health, family 

and educational aspects of her life. 

Her character, although making many 

decisions which are at her own demise, is 

loveable and un-apologetically fun. 

However, being my celebrity 

girlfriend, I may be slightly biased 

so let me redeem myself. 

Jules, a transgender female character 

enters the scene fairly quickly as the new 

girl, and you can recognise that she has 

some hidden demons in which she is still 

battling. Coming from an LGBT community 

I absolutely adore that the actor who plays 

Jules is a huge advocate for the LGBT+ 

community and is herself transgender. 

I believe the producers made a very 

smart and welcoming move with casting 

Hunter Schafer to play this role. Jules’ 

backstory is heart-breaking and the more 

you learn about her the more you come 

to love the character. Jules had a rough 

childhood filled with trickery, self-harm, 

gender dysphoria, and divorcing parents 

– to name a few. For me, her story was 

played well, and you are able to relate and 

connect with this character. 


I don’t want to discuss the ins and outs of 

the show as I don’t want to risk spoiling it 

for anyone who may be inclined to watch 

it. What I can say is I thoroughly enjoyed 

it and found myself looking forward to 

getting home and watching another 

episode. I don’t recall at any point thinking 

that the episodes were dragging, nor do 

I remember there being an ‘unnecessary’ 

storyline… up until the ending anyway. 

The ending disappointed me, and not just 

because the show had finished. 

When I sit and think about it, I realise that 

some of it does make more sense than 

I first realised. And maybe some of the 

disappointment I feel stems from the fact 

that it didn’t end how I wanted/envisaged 

it to end. But the last episode was a fair bit 

longer than the others had been, yet I felt 

that so much of that precious finale time 

was wasted on stories that weren’t really 

going anywhere… or at-least on stories 

that could have been cleared up a whole 

lot quicker. There was a very odd but welldone 

scene with Rue and an hallucination 

she experienced, however it wasn’t until 

I did some further reading on this that I 

understood it was from a memory rather 

than the present time – the structure 

was a bit off for me and I did feel very 

disappointed. I’m kind of rooting that we 

will get to understand that final episode 

more when the first episode of season 

two is released (this has been confirmed, 

eeek!). 

So, although I was taken on a journey 

of excitement and sadness with thrills 

and shocks along the way, I did end up 

feeling disappointed. However, I think 

the key thing to take away from that is, 

even though I felt disappointed I’m still 

raving about the show and encouraging 

my friends to watch it! Surely that speaks 

volumes. 

What would I rate it? 

3.5/5 stars. This was difficult, I wanted to 

give it 4 but the ending doesn’t quite match 

up to a 4 star rating for me! 

12 PB • OCTOBER MARCH 2019 • STUDENT LIFE

ANGEL 

HAS FALLEN 

REVIEW BY HARRY STANFORD 

Authorities take Secret Service agent 

Mike Banning into custody for the failed 

assassination attempt of U.S. President 

Allan Trumbull. After escaping from his 

captors, Banning must evade the FBI and 

his own agency to find the real threat to 

the president. Desperate to uncover the 

truth, he soon turns to unlikely allies to 

help clear his name and save the country 

from imminent danger. 

After 4 years, Gerard Butler and Morgan 

Freeman return for another film in the 

series – once again providing us with a 

variety of exciting shoot-outs, a thrilling 

storyline and an interesting series of 

characters. This time though, the film 

stems from a different perspective, by 

taking the infamous Mike Banning and 

twisting the story to portray him as the 

enemy. What this film brings though, 

is a really surprising and action-packed 

storyline – but does it deliver or does 

the film crash and burn? Here are my 

thoughts. 

Firstly, I’ll start off with what I liked about 

the film. What I love about this film and the 

series is how they begin, by taking the time 

to really get to grips with the characters 

and their surroundings and relationships 

it helps to establish them as not only an 

action character but also as a normal 

person too. By throwing us straight into 

an army training exercise, not only did 

the quick and fast-paced scenes ensure 

that the film got our attention right from 

the beginning but the immersive battle 

scenes and chases gave us subtle hints 

and messages that Mike wouldn’t be a 

character to mess about with. 

The film doesn’t take the time to tell us 

everything about his past and his life 

which is important because it ensures that 

throughout the film we only focus on the 

important elements of his character and 

what is important to the story of the film, 

keeping our focus on the exciting parts to 

his character. I love how well thought out 

the characters act and feel here though, 

throughout the film the dialogue always 

feels really immersive and engaging which 

helps to show how the characters really 

feel and to personify their emotions, 

for example Mike and Wade’s early 

conversations really help to make their 

friendship feel realistic and genuine, and 

this is backed up by the stories that they 

tell us – further cementing their genuine 

feeling and also giving us fun little pieces of 

information about the characters. 


Mike isn’t the only character who feels 

really exciting and engaging here too, 

the whole character set feels really 

immersive and realistic in their own 

ways. For example, seeing how protective 

the president’s bodyguards are in the 

hospital scenes makes the feel realistic 

and genuine, whereas other characters 

such as the enemies are made to feel 

exciting in their own way which is expertly 

communicated to us. Seeing them in a 

really mysterious way helped to build up 

our interest in the enemies, quick shots 

where we see what they are doing but 

have no idea who they really are, ensure 

that we latch on to them, this leads us to 

feel engaged and asking ourselves, “Who 

are they?” “What are they doing?” “Why?” 

Which then means that they feel much 

more exciting. 

I thought that the way in which the film 

immersed us in the story by using action 

and meaning behind the story really was 

the best part of the film, seeing how the 

characters really genuinely made us feel 

as if they believed Mike was guilty was 

really great because it solidified them 

as characters and made us question it 

ourselves, even though we had seen 

the events. 

As the film progresses though, a variety 

of cool and exciting elements help to 

keep the storyline and the film exciting - 

seeing new characters coming in and out 

really help to keep the film feeling fresh. I 

especially liked Mike’s Dad, not only did his 

fort and explosives bring a lot of action to 

the film, but also an element of humour 

that we didn’t know we wanted, but it was 

effective and proved to be useful in making 

him feel unique and likeable. 

A key issue that many films like this face 

is that the characters don’t make realistic 

choices, that isn’t the case here. I thought 

that the choices made by Mike not only 

felt realistic but also clever, seeing the 

variety of clues he left on his journey and 

how they were executed really made Mike 

feel clever and actually as if he was secret 

service which I loved! 

What makes this film stand out from 

the others is that the narrative is more 

plausible than other action films and you 

do see Butler dealing with the results of his 

profession. 

If you’d like to read more of my 

review on Angel has Fallen, as well 

as many other film reviews, visit 

www.filmtalk.wixsite.com 


GAMING 

CO-EDITOR LOUISE DICKMAN 

UNCHARTED 4 

REVIEW (PS4) 

BY LOUISE DICKMAN 

It has been over 3 years since Uncharted 

4 was released… is it still worth it? 

Absolutely! If you haven’t played it yet, 

it is a must, especially if you are a fan of 

action-adventure games and have played 

the 3 previous games (all remastered for 

PS4 too!). Uncharted 4 is full of smooth 

combat, sleek parkour, amazing graphics 

and plenty of puzzles. 

Nathan Drake returns to us for a final, 

unforgettable treasure hunt. It is an 

exciting and funny, yet emotional at 

times, game, due to its ever fantastic 

story line which is always present in 

the Uncharted series. While Nathan 

is trying to live a normal, retired from 

treasure hunting, life with wife, Elena 

Fisher, his presumed-dead brother, Sam, 

finds Nathan. Sam presents him with a 

proposition of returning to his old life 

that he finds difficult to refuse. 

As I mentioned earlier, Uncharted 

4 is incredibly slick and polished. 

Including the climbing, the new use 

of the grappling hook to swing on 

and off cliffsides and the sliding down 

steep paths of gravel which is totally 

unrealistic but very fun too. Naughty 

Dog definitely expanded the terrain, 

making the game much more explorable 

compared to its predecessors. But, it’s 

not anywhere near open world and 

there aren’t huge benefits to exploring 

everything apart from the occasional 

collectible treasure or alternative route 

to the next destination. 

15 • GAMING • STUDENT LIFE

There are definitely more opportunities to 

stealth around the mercenaries (enemies). 

There are many hiding spots such as long 

grass mainly used for silent takedowns. I 

also am a big fan of being able to aim at 

enemies and tag them to track them and 

their movements. If you ever walk into the 

enemies line of sight, you are not detected 

immediately, you probably have a few 

seconds to find a hiding place before they 

realise it is you (Nathan). If they do realise 

it is you though, you can try and lose them 

and hide again, and the process starts all 

over again. 

Uncharted 4 brings a great end to the 

series that feature Nathan. The brilliant 

send-off basically confirms that Naughty 

Dog won’t make a 5th of the series, but 

don’t worry, we have the ‘Lost Legacy’ and 

probably other titles under ‘Uncharted’ 

to come! 


GAMING AND ME 

BY LOUISA SADLER 

There has been a lot of discussion recently 

about gaming and the way it affects our 

mental health after recent shootings which 

have happened once again in America. A lot 

of gamers came out and protested against 

the view that gaming, and the violence in 

those games, are the reason behind the 

shooting. They even talked about how gaming 

impacted on them positively in terms of 

their mental health and how they have made 

friends through their love of gaming. 

For me personally, gaming has 

had such a positive experience 

for me mentally. 

I’ve never been into the most violent video 

games out there, my favourite games include 

Kingdom Hearts, Tomb Raider and Spyro. 

They all have a violent element to them due 

to being fighting games but I played these 

games for the escapism not the violence. 

Whenever I felt sad, angry and just wanted 

to escape reality for a few hours I would 

either read or game as being transported to 

another world allows my mind to relax and 

take a break from everything. It allows me to 

follow a story that I am in control of and can 

follow at my own pace whereas I feel that life 

controls the pace of my story and I can never 

seem to follow what happens next. Gaming is 

such a stress relief for me and is one of my 

coping mechanisms when my mental health 

gets too much. 

Now don’t get me wrong, despite being 

a stress relief for me, gaming has also 

caused me to rage like you wouldn’t believe. 

There have been many times where I am 

screaming at the telly and wanting to throw 

my controller at the screen because I just 

cannot defeat the boss that I am stuck on 

(Kingdom Hearts is the worst culprit for my 

rage despite it being a Disney game) and 

therefore progress the story on. However, the 

feeling I get when I do finally defeat the boss 

is such an overwhelming feeling of relief and 

triumph it makes up for the frustration I go 

through. 

Overall, gaming is such a positive source 

for me through its ability to allow me to 

escape reality and is one of my most effective 

coping mechanism when it comes to my 

mental health. 

17 • GAMING • STUDENT LIFE

RAINBOW 

SIX SIEGE 


Recently my friends encouraged me to 

try out Rainbow Six Siege, usually this is 

a game that I wouldn’t get, however I’m 

super glad I did. I think after the small 

amount that I’ve played I’ve realised that I 

need to give new games more of a chance 

as I do actually enjoy them. 

Rainbow Six is a stealthy and strategic 

game where you either attack or defend in 

a squad of five. I think the experience for 

me has been improved as I’ve been playing 

online with a few of my friends, so we can 

really play strategically by talking about 

our next moves via the party chat. It’s so 

frustrating at first playing a new game as 

you’re not entirely sure what you’re meant 

to be doing, especially with a game where 

you only have one life. 

The thing I like about R6S is that it’s quite 

realistic, unlike CoD, you get one life and 

you can’t jetpack around the map. Yes, 

you have pretty cool gadgets that maybe 

wouldn’t be as effective as what they are in 

the game, and they would definitely take 

longer to use. But they are sort of realistic 

and you can get a sense of some sort of 

realism from the gameplay. 

When you’re attacking you can grappel up/ 

down walls and buildings, yeet through 

windows and shoot holes in walls that are 

destructible by bullets. The thing I love is 

that you can really plan out an attack if you 

think about all the uses of your equipment 

and working as a team brings that into an 

even better arrangement. 

Defending is not that different with regards 

to team play. As you are able to select 

different characters with different loadouts 

you can utilise equipment to put up 

barricades and traps to secure the room 

you’re within. 

The one thing I don’t like is that friendly fire 

is always set to on, so if you matchmake 

with randomers you always run the risk 

of being killed off by a teammate – yes it 

happens and it’s infuriating! The one thing I 

can say is that they have tackled this with a 

warning system and a way of kicking team 

players if they aren’t well… team players. 

Would play again and again. Would 

recommend. 


ART 

CO-EDITOR 

KAY SABERTON 

HALLOWEEN COSTUME 

POEM BY LUCY TATE 

October rolls around and the pumpkins come out, 

It’s Halloween time – candy time! 

So you get your mother to paint your face, 

Your lips red with blood, and some fangs to bring it all together. 

Super scary. 

Knock, knock, knock on the door 

“Who are you supposed to be? Dracula! Oh wow!” 

You know that you can leave this house with any candy you choose. 

Line up to take a photo: 

Tongue out, hands up. 

But now October rolls around and the legs come out, 

It’s Halloween time – party time! 

So you and your friends paint your faces, 

Your lips red with lust, and some eyeliner to bring it all together. 

Super sexy. 

Click, click, click of your heels, 

Who are you supposed to be? No kids’ clothes anymore. 

You know that you can leave this party with any guy that you choose. 

Line up to take a photo: 

Chest out, stomach in. 

My, how your costume has changed. 

19 • ART • STUDENT LIFE

NOW AND THEN 

POEM BY ETHAN BISHOP 

Roses are red, 

Violets are blue, 

Everyone attached to their phones like glue. 

It’s all the same, in every door, 

Melancholia past the grave of folklore. 

Thou dread the deadly dragon’s death 

Now death to drake’s difference. 

Here lies love of lindwurm, luck and wonder. 

Replaced with fame and media’s blunder 

We are caged at what age? 

Lest we fear the mage’s rage. 

. 

Our swords, spells and soldiers 

made with honor 

Could pierce the trickster’s bargaining, 

Trolls and goblin’s mischief 

And even giant’s hide. 

Never could fae’s purity, 

Be touched by devil’s hands, 

Skeletons, zombies, phantoms 

or even reapers. 

Behold our half feathered lords 

Basilisk, griffin, Pegasus and even 

the manticore. 

As we fade, 

You wouldn’t care 

Your beauty means nothing 

Thine beauty is vanity. 

You’ll need us when infinity is found, 

But no. 

You’re the ones who’s missing out. 

All of those like me. 

IMAGE CREDIT: ETHAN BISHOP 


THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ 

GALLERY 

Tucked away on Ramillies Street just off Oxford 

Street in London, The Photographers’ Gallery is an 

independent gallery you might not have heard of 

but should definitely be on your radar. Showcasing 

photography from all around the world, one of the 

gallery’s main aims is to shed light on international 

art in the UK. They have also recently introduced 

an annual exhibition and mentoring platform for 

emerging UK artists and photographers. While 

we were at the gallery, the featured exhibition was 

Urban Impulses: Latin American Photography, with 

work spanning from 1959 to 2016 that contains 

work documenting the events that have shaped 

Latin America: the Cuban revolution, military 

dictatorships and mass social movements. The 

exhibition runs until the 6th October. 

As a hobbyist photographer, I was captivated 

by the work on display at the gallery. I spotted 

the bright yellow signage of the exterior and 

was immediately intrigued. For just a £2.50 

entry fee, we were able to explore the fourfloor 

installation. 

The eclectic mix of work on display, the 

featured exhibition being Latin American 

Photography alongside a variety of work from 

up and coming artists, was really enthralling. 

Visiting the exhibition encouraged me to pick 

up my camera again and get outside! 

Overall, I loved The Photographers’ Gallery. 

Its charming, unimposing entrance hides a 

variety of outstanding art documenting the 

history of recent times. This gallery is well 

worth a look if you’re passing by! 


BY JOSHUA HODGKIN & TSHEQUA WILLIAMS 

I love how the gallery dedicates 

itself to photography. As I study 

photography at A Level and 

having a particular interest 

in documentary photography, 

the work shown in the Urban 

Influences exhibition was 

fascinating – the way they 

managed to capture the 

overlooked history of Latin 

America, the struggles, the 

conflict, the moments of calm 

and the aftermath of everything. 

If you study photography or 

art, and use a film camera, The 

Photographer’s Gallery shop has 

an amazing selection of film – 

everything from your standard 

black and white or colour 

films, to coloured Lomography 

films and experimental films 

with special effects. I picked 

up a Psychedelic Blues Film 

(@psychedelic_blues_film on 

Instagram) which I’m very 

excited to shoot as the films give 

very interesting but beautiful 

effects on your images. 



BY MILLIE SIMON 

"I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality" 

FRIDA KAHLO 

Young people’s creativity 

has never been as 

important as it is now. 

Despite course work being 

almost entirely taken out 

of the education system, 

the creative arts will always 

hold a special place for 

young people in Suffolk. 

Whether it be through the 

climate protests, or by 

exploring extra-curricular 

activities, creative skills 

have allowed young 

people to explore their 

strengths and widen job 

opportunities. 

The BLOC team are a 

group of youth led people 

from Suffolk who believe 

creativity should be 

celebrated far more than 

it already is. Whether it 

be poetry, music, dance, 

artwork, speeches or 


comedy, we want young people to 

show off their creative skills and be 

part of an amazing community that 

celebrates your strengths outside 

of the classroom. 

We're a holding an event where 

young people can showcase their 

talents. The Takeover Festival 

is happening on Saturday 9th 

November at Ipswich Library, with 

workshops running from 11am to 

5pm, and live music from 6:30pm 

to 11pm. 

We can all agree that celebrating 

creative strengths is incredibly 

important for giving young people 

the best chance to be successful in 

what they want to achieve. 

If you love to make music, craft poetry, create 

artwork or just perform, then please email 

arts@suffolklibraries.co.uk to find out how you 

can get involved in the Takeover Festival. 


SHORT STORY 

COMPETITION 2019 

CALLING ALL WRITERS! 

Do you enjoy short stories? Fancy having 

a go at writing one? Student Life welcome 

your short stories in any fictional genre 

and on any subject; stories with compelling 

characters, sparkling dialogue and strong, 

original voices. 

The competition will run from September 

1st to December 31st. 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: 

The competition is FREE to enter but 

is limited to one entry per student. 

Word limit: 1,000 words maximum 

(no minimum). Title not included. 

PRIZES: 

Shortlisted entries will receive 

tickets to Student Life’s Winter Ball in 

February (along with a +1) where the 

winner will be announced. First place 

will receive £100 and a certificate 

of achievement. 

Please email your entry and any 

questions to: kay@student-life.co 

Happy writing and good luck! 


BOOK REVIEW 

CALL ME BY 

YOUR NAME 

by André Aciman 

REVIEW BY ANASTASIA TRUFIN 

4.7/5 

Call Me by Your Name is a relatively modern 

novel released in 2007 by the American 

writer André Aciman that really blew up 

when the film adaptation was released in 

late October 2017. 

The story is about a 17-year-old boy, Elio 

Perlman, the son of a very open-minded 

and academic father and mother. Elio falls 

quickly for Oliver, a 24-year-old postdoc 

teaching at Columbia who has come to Elio’s 

residence on the Italian Rivera for six weeks 

during the summer holidays to work on 

his manuscripts. The story is based in the 

mid-1980’s which gives the novel a more 

unpredictable and riskier presentiment as 

we know that LGBTQ+ relationships were not 

as widely accepted, and people were not as 

open and welcoming towards homosexual 

relationships. 

Call Me by Your Name is a story that follows a 

powerful romance that blossoms between the 

two characters and what makes it even more 

gripping is that we get to see how Elio’s mind 

develops and how he discovers more about 

himself and his needs. We get to see how he 

acts with both boys and girls and are shown 

how indecisive he is during his first love. 

Although Elio is an adolescent, he is an 

extremely emotional character with depth 

which is shown through André’s powerful 

writing. He feels love powerfully, if not even 

more intense than most people nowadays. 

Oliver is an extraordinarily academic and 

developed adult, and for me one of the best 

parts of the text happens when he begins to 

talk to Elio after showing a lack of interest 

and attraction initially towards him. We can 

easily say that the relationship between the 

two boys at the beginning of the text can 

be compared to the relationship between 

Romeo and Rosaline in the well-known 

Shakespearean play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ – 

which is also known as unrequited love. 

The story is extraordinary, André Aciman 

really took the world by surprise with this 

beautifully written novel. It is truly a book 

that everyone should read at one point 

during their lives. It is brave, brutal and 

tender at the same time. Call Me by Your 

Name is one of those books that makes you 

look at life in a different way. 


SPOOKY 

SEASON 

to be read 

BY ROSIE WEDGE 

October is easily my favourite month for 

reading – it’s spooky season. It’s getting 

darker and colder, meaning a month full 

of pumpkin spiced drinks, cosy blankets, 

as well as beautiful oranges and ambers. I 

often save up all my spooky themed books 

whether they be paranormal, thrillers 

or crime to read during the month of 

October as it has an atmosphere like no 

other month. So, if you fancy getting into 

some creepy reads that fit the seasonal 

festivities really well then look no further 

than this selection of some of my personal 

favourites. Light some candles, turn off the 

lights, and get stuck into something spooky! 

THE EXORCIST 

BY WILLIAM PETER BLATTY 

Probably the most infamous cinematic 

tale of demonic possession, yet many 

people are unaware that the cult classic 

horror is based on a novel of the same 

name. This eerie tale tells of a young girl 

who is seemingly possessed by an ancient 

demon from the Far East, and the reckless 

behaviour she unleashes upon her mother 

until her fate falls into the hands of a 

renowned exorcist. 

‘SALEM’S LOT 

BY STEPHEN KING 

One of King’s earlier pieces of work, this 

novel follows an author who returns 

to the town many years after leaving 

to write a novel based on his younger 

years there. However, upon returning 

strange goings on occur and talks of a cult 

practicing vampirism begin to surface. 

This is an incredibly powerful book with 

a fantastically eerie reading atmosphere 

radiating from it. 

THE WOMAN IN BLACK 

BY SUSAN HILL 

I’m sure many of us are familiar with the 

Daniel Radcliffe horror, a narrative that 

follows a young lawyer who is sent to an 

old mansion located on a small island to 

go through the paperwork of a recently 

deceased woman. He soon finds out that 


the classic character through 

corny remakes, not many of us know 

the real, dark story behind this classic 

spooky figure. 

THROUGH THE WOODS 

BY EMILY CARROLL 

If long books aren’t really your thing, 

then this graphic novel could be perfect 

for you. It comprises several spooky 

stories all relating to the woods (surprise, 

surprise!) which are accompanied by 

some super eerie illustrations that totally 

suck you in. Emily Carroll has a beautiful 

flair for creating the perfect illustrations 

to bring her creepy tales to life, and 

whilst the stories may be short, they really 

pack a punch and will leave you feeling 

slightly ill at ease the next time you visit 

the woods. 

the house boasts a dark secret and 

an unexpected inhabitant. Hill’s novel of 

the same name which gave the film its plot 

is a good old classic ghost story, and at 

only 200 pages it makes for a quick read 

if you’re just looking for spooky book for 

Halloween day itself and not the whole 

month. 

DRACULA 

BY BRAM STOKER 

If you’re not a fan of classics perhaps 

steer away from this recommendation, 

but if like me you’re an absolute junkie for 

classic Gothic horrors then this vampire 

classic is definitely the read for you! This 

one is a little harder to get into at first as it 

is an epistolary, however once you adjust 

to the writing style this novel boasts one of 

the creepiest antagoniist literature has to 

offer. Whilst many of us are familiar with 

TOP RECOMMENDATION 

THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL 

BY PETER JAMES 

Peter James steps away from his 

well-renowned crime novels to revisit 

his roots in paranormal horror with 

what is possibly my favourite haunted 

house novel of all time. Unlike most 

cliché haunted house novels, this one 

truly brings a chill to my spine and 

has been a spooky-season re-read for 

me across several years. His writing 

style is very easy to get in to as he 

is a master of short chapters with 

thrilling cliff-hangers. James writes in 

a way that is well fleshed out without 

being too descriptive or droning 

on. This book is definitely my most 

recommended on the list! 


FASHION 

EDITOR PAM DAVIS 

CO-EDITOR TSHEQUA WILLIAMS 

SUFFOLK FASHION 

SHOW 2019 

The 3rd October marked one of the most 

important events in the Suffolk fashion scene 

– Fashion Candy Style’s annual Suffolk Fashion Show! 

As the Director of the Suffolk Fashion 

Show, Pam has been working extremely 

hard on making the event perfect, as 

she has for the past 7 years! Similar 

to last year, the show was held at 

Trinity Park and proceeds of the show 

supported Lighthouse Women’s Aid, 

an important charity which provides 

support to domestic abuse victims and 

their families. Showcasing both men and 

women’s fashion, diverse models of a 

range of ethnicities and body shapes 

graced the catwalk, with clothing 

collections provided by Quiz Clothing, 

Hall Street, Truffle Clothing, Twist & 

Shout, Melissa’s Boutique, Moss Bros, 

Maud’s Attic, Boltons Eco Collection 

(by Florence Bolton), Apples & Pears 

Boutique, Zest, Francesca R Palumbo, 

Cake & Catwalk, Laura Jane Boutique, 

Impulse Fashion, Pink Ostrich and 

Simply Splendid. 

27 • FASHION• • STUDENT LIFE

Above all I would like to thank everyone 

that purchased tickets and celebrated 

with us for the 7th year of the Suffolk 

Fashion Show. It would not have been 

possible without each and every one of the 

sponsors and the participating retailers. 

I remain immensely proud that this was 

the 7th Year for the Suffolk Fashion Show 

brand. My company Fashion Candy Style 

is delighted to have presented the annual 

Autumn/Winter event. This is a very proud 

achievement from the entire dedicated 

SFS team. 

Fashion Candy Style offers a 

one stop shop for all fashion 

events, alongside my job as a 

personal stylist. 

Each year my role as Show Director 

allows me to indulge in all of my passions; 

fashion, styling, hosting, modelling, event 

management and music! 

Additionally, for the past 2 years I have 

been lucky enough to join the team as a 

regular model at ITV This Morning. I am 

thoroughly enjoying my journey with my 

The Fashion Candy Style Model Bank has 

also now been fully launched. We have 

recruited a diverse range of fabulous 

“real” models, all used on the catwalk at 

the show. 

The event this year attracted some new 

collaborations with new businesses 

throughout Suffolk – the support and belief 

has been amazing. For the second time, I 

chose to support Lighthouse Women’s Aid 

as our charity this year. They are based in 

Suffolk providing support to women and 

their children experiencing domestic abuse 

in personal and family relationships. This is 

an amazing local charity and the work they 

do is invaluable. 

My vision and ethos have always been to 

create an annual fashion event for Suffolk 

and to put us firmly on the County’s 

fashion calendar. I sincerely believe this 

is continuing to be achieved. I remain 

humble but very proud to share our 

journey with you all. SFS19 was a great 

success and I would like to thank everyone 

for their continual support through our 

journey. 

favourite daytime programme. Pam Davis x 


As Pam made her final speech and 

closed the show, I found myself 

welling up. I didn’t expect to get 

emotional, but it was clear to see 

just how much hard work the whole 

Suffolk Fashion Show team had put 

in. From the overall design of the 

stage, to the dressing of each table, 

every detail of the show had been 

planned and preened in order to 

make the night perfect. 

With all the models used coming 

from Fashion Candy Style’s model 

bank, it was beautiful to see a wide 

representation of people, confidently 

presenting each collection. For both 

the men’s and women’s fashion, 

there was a great selection of 

brands, showcasing everything from 

causal and outerwear, to formal and 

occasion wear, meaning there was 

something for everyone. Pam hosted 

the night, talking through each of 

the brand’s collections, giving us 

an insight into the inspirations and 

background information. 

During the evening, the Suffolk 

Fashion Show hosted a raffle which 

helped raise even more money for 

Lighthouse Women’s Aid, with some 

amazing prizes donated by the 

supporting organisations. 

Pam and the whole team at SFS 

2019 should be immensely proud 

of themselves for creating such a 

wonderful event! I had an amazing 

time and I will definitely be saving 

the 8th October 2020 into my diary 

as the Suffolk Fashion Show is 

definitely not one to miss! 


I attended 2019’s Suffolk Fashion Show 

with Tshequa and it was really fun! The 

collections demonstrated at the event 

were very innovative and showed real 

skill on the Suffolk fashion scene. Whilst I 

enjoyed all of the outfits on show I was, as 

could be expected, more drawn towards 

the men’s fashion. 

My personal fashion tends to be quite 

smart, so I really enjoyed the formal 

collections displayed by Moss Bros, Twist 

and Shout, and Hall Street. The suits and 

jumpers were perfect for me and I will 

certainly be paying a visit to some of the 

shops. 

The show’s catwalk was innovatively 

shaped to make the most of the small, 

intimate room. It was circular which 

allowed the models to pass one another 

and was perfectly designed so that each 

part of the audience had a clear view. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the fashion show! 

It was wonderful to see the latest trends 

being explored in Suffolk; bringing the 

displays from the world’s fashion capitals 

to Ipswich was a really good experience. 


IMAGE CREDIT 


29 • FASHION• STUDENT LIFE

WHAT’S THE TEE? 

Events in Fashion September 

BY TSHEQUA WILLIAMS, IMAGE CREDIT TSHEQUA WILLIAMS 

As always with the start of a new season, the fashion industry has 

been at its busiest this September! I went to London a few times last month to give 

you all a piece of what’s going on in fashion at the moment – from London Fashion 

Week to a presentation with Vogue Japan’s Editor-at-Large Anna Dello Russo, as well 

as the launch of a new brand to watch Palones, there is a lot to tell you about! 

PALONES LAUNCH PARTY 

On the 5th September, myself and Joshua were 

invited to the launch party of a new ready to wear, 

affordable luxury fashion brand Palones. Their 

concept is to create limited pieces in a sustainable 

and ethical way, striving to use archive fabrics and 

recycle wherever possible, as well as sourcing their 

materials close to the factories where everything is 

made. They are based in London and I believe will 

be leading in the British fashion scene, focusing 

on good quality and well-fitting garments that are 

built to last and complement each other. Their 

first collection includes a bit of everything – from 

beautiful coats and suits, to delicate blouses 

dresses, there are so many pieces that I adore. 


What a night the Palones 

launch was. The venue in 

Covent Garden was beautifully 

dressed with samples of the 

brand’s innovative creations 

hanging from the ceiling. 

Palones have a wonderful 

ethical conscience and 

cares about sustainability 

above everything else. One 

of the things I liked was the 

inspiration behind their 

unique name. To understand 

its true origin and meaning 

we have to look back into 

history. In the early 20th 

century, homosexuality was 

criminalised in the UK. The 

LGBT community needed 

a way of communicating 

without drawing the attention 

of police officers. A secret 

language called Polari enabled 

people to communicate, and 

‘palones’ is the Polari term for 

‘woman’! 



IN CONVERSATION WITH 

ANNA DELLO RUSSO 

Anna Dello Russo is an extremely successful 

fashion journalist and personality, working in 

Vogue Italia as Fashion Editor for 6 years before 

becoming Vogue Japan’s Creative Director/ 

Editor-at-Large. I was invited to her presentation 

at the Instituto Marangoni London to hear her 

masterclass in a ‘Life at Condé Nast’ (moderated by 

British Vogue’s Gianluca Longo). 

She talked about her life and experience working 

at Vogue, as well as shared her view on the 

industry within the publication and fashion as a 

whole. Her biggest piece of advice on working 

within the fashion industry was the importance 

of being organised and perceptive – continuously 

editing, observing, processing and refining in 

order to create the desired effects of the article/ 

photoshoot’s concept. She explained how her job is 

20% creativity and 80% organisation and discipline. 

“Forget your ego, fashion means to observe. It 

isn’t about what you like or not - you don’t have 

to like it, you have to understand the thought, 

creativity and aesthetic behind it.” RUSSO 

The topic of fast fashion was also discussed – the 

idea that all of the urgency and pressure put on the 

industry to keep providing may cause an adverse 

effect and put the ‘romance’ back into the care and 

appreciation of fashion design as an art/ creative 

process. Nevertheless, sustainability in fashion is 

definitely a problem that needs to be addressed. 

LONDON FASHION WEEK 

While we are all just about 

to embrace the cosiness of 

autumn, the fashion world 

is already looking ahead to 

spring/summer 2020, with 

September’s London Fashion 

Week showcasing some 

beautiful looks ready for the 

next season. Stand out shows 

for me included Henry Holland, 

Burberry, Dom Sebastian and 

Christopher Kane. 

Looking at all the collections 

overall, the main trends 

embraced were a large use of 

patterns and prints (including 

plaid, polka dot, floral and 

monochrome stripes), tailoring, 

delicate but extravagant fabrics 

and once again, silk scarfs. 

As well as welcoming the new 

trends, Extinction Rebellion 

staged a number of protests 

across the weekend to highlight 

the impact of fashion on 

the environment and how 

the consumerism of the 

industry plays into it. While 

sustainability is clearly a big 

issue that needs urgent action, 

some have highlighted that it 

is more of the high street fast 

fashion brands that are causing 

problems, than the luxury 

brands showcased at London 

Fashion Week. Nonetheless, 

it is still a great way to gain 

attention and get people 

talking about the cause. 

31 • FASHION • STUDENT LIFE

SUBTLE 

HALLOWEEN 

STYLING 

BY APRIL GANT 

As we move into October it can 

only mean one thing - Halloween 

is very quickly creeping up on 

us and pumpkins are starting to 

make an appearance anywhere 

and everywhere, even in our 

coffees. It’s about time to start 

talking about the season of 

tricking and at times treating. 

I’ve always been a lover of Halloween 

and in particular ways of incorporating 

spookiness into my everyday style whether 

that be work attire or going about the town 

without scaring anyone along the way. 

The great thing about how popular Halloween 

has become in recent years is that nearly 

every shop you walk in has something on 

offer that enables you to represent Halloween 

in some sort of way. Hair accessories, 

t-shirts, dresses, nails...you name it and 

there’s bound to be something Halloween 

themed for every sort of person. 

With that being said, styling Halloween in 

real life outfits couldn’t be easier and really 

affordable. For me, a set of earrings is the 

easiest and most subtle way of showing your 

love for Halloween, you can pick up a set of 

8 assorted pairs from Primark for as little 

as £2.50. If you’re feeling a bit more daring 

then a set of skeleton hair clips or Halloween 

phrases are also a good way to go, they’re a 

little more out there but can be styled really 

easily for work or a shopping day and at 

IMAGE CREDIT 

APRIL GANT 

prices as low as £2, it won’t be breaking the 

bank. If you’re wanting to make your love for 

Halloween a bit more known, then there’s 

always an abundance of themed t-shirts from 

Halloween puns to skeleton hands which are 

easy to style with a midi skirt or jeans. 

Another great way to add a subtle 

dash of Halloween is by using a 

spooky themed shopper/tote bag. 

In Sainsbury’s they have the most 

adorable cream canvas tote with 

the cutest illustrations of cats, 

pumpkins, moons and stars and it 

was only £4! 

Places like Primark, New Look, all good 

supermarkets and home stores like B&M are 

brilliant places to find pieces that can easily 

be added into an everyday outfit. Failing that, 

even just the addition of orange or black 

to an outfit can get you feeling a bit more 

festive for Halloween. 


BEAUTY 

CO-EDITOR LIBBY DAWSON 

SUPPORTED BY 

HALLOWEEN 

MAKE-UP 

BY HOLLY GARDNER 

We are now entering October which means we are approaching the 

spooky season! This means surely you will be wanting to try a new 

Halloween look? I have created a step by step guide to one of my 

favourite and most simple looks, and I have included pictures to help 

you out! Turn over to get started. 

If you want to see any more looks that I have created, check out my 

Instagram @hollymaries_beauty 

33 • BEAUTY • STUDENT LIFE

STEP 1: First, I used the Illusions Liquid Latex 

and applied it to the neck. I then added small 

pieces of ripped tissue. I built the layers of 

tissue up and waited for it to dry. TIP: Don’t 

worry if it doesn’t look neat because it’s 

supposed to look gory. 

STEP 2: I cut the tissue to where I wanted the 

slit to be – be careful here! As the latex dries, 

it becomes an elastic texture which makes it 

easier to make it look like flappy or ripped skin. 

STEP 3: I then used the Milani 2 in 1 Foundation 

as a base. I mixed the foundation with the white 

cream to match it more to my model’s skin 

tone and so it makes it easier to blend. I then 

used the LA Girl Pro Concealer over the top, 

which I then set with the RMCA setting powder 

and the Benefit Hello Flawless Compressed 

Powder which I patted into the latex. I applied 

the products with a foundation brush and a 

disposable sponge. 

STEP 4: I then used the Morphe 350 

Natural Glow Eyeshadow Palette to create 

a red background around the cut; I used an 

eyeshadow blending brush. I then used a lighter 

brown shade as I worked further into the cut. 

As I reached the inner corners of the cut either 

side, I used the fake blood. I also blended this 

inside the cut and I added drips of fake blood 

around the outside to give a natural effect. 

STEP 5: To finish if off I used a dark brown 

shade at the top and bottom of the cut to give it 

definition and detail. 

And there we have the finished product. As you 

can see, this is a super easy, realistic Halloween 

make up tutorial that you can create with 

products from your everyday make up bag – all 

you need is some liquid latex and fake blood 

which you can find online. This can also be 

recreated on other parts of your body, like your 

face or arms if you’re going for a zombie vibe! 


SUPERDRUG 

REVIEWS 

B. Dual Wand HD Mascara 

This B. Dual Wand HD Mascara has 

everything you could possibly want 

and need for your lashes and I would 

highly recommend it. The wand 

gives your lashes instant definition 

and gives a long lash effect for each 

one of your lashes. This mascara is 

a dual wand, so it has a wider side 

which gives you that volume effect. 

The small brush end is good for 

your bottom lashes as the brush is 

quite thin so it allows you to get to 

the more difficult places. Both ends 

allow you to access all lashes to 

make sure none are left untouched; 

it gives you that full lash loom we 

all love. This mascara is suitable 

for vegetarians and vegans and 

you can purchase this amazing 

and life changing mascara on the 

Superdrug website. 

HOLLY GARDNER 

The B. HD Dual Wand Mascara is 

a very useful and handy product. It is 

small enough to slide into a make up 

bag, or even just a bag. It is really useful 

because it is a dual, so you can decide 

how your lashes look. The mascara is easy 

to open and very easy to use, especially 

as it has two ends. I have never used this 

mascara before but I highly recommend it! 

RUBY WARREN 


I’m not one for 

make-up but I do 

need mascara to 

cover up my tired 

eyes and give 

them that oomph. 

When I received 

this mascara from 

Superdrug I was 

excited to see 

that you can use 

both ends. One 

is the original 

mascara brush, 

then you also get 

a smaller brush 

on the other 

end that you 

can use to get 

those annoying 

spots or use 

to separate 

those pesky 

lashes that 

would usually 

stick together. 

Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed 

with the overall product as I found myself 

constantly going over my eyelashes to 

make them thicker and give them a boost. 

I like to save time in the morning so this 

wasn’t ideal – overall I have pretty mixed 

feelings about this product. 

LOU RICHARDSON 

After using the mascara in different 

social situations, I was impressed 

with its lasting look effect – although 

I found that the smaller brush was 

too much for my bottom lashes, I 

used it to thicken out my top lashes 

after using the thicker head. I took a 

risk with this mascara and wore it to 

Thorpe Park – went on wet rides and 

was pleasantly surprised when the 

mascara didn’t run! Defo recommend 

this product, cheers Superdrug! 

LEANNE ARNOLD 

I really liked this mascara because of the dual wand. The little brush is really good for 

separating lashes as well as coating the bottom ones. I also liked the larger brush to 

add volume. It did take a while for me to get the full amount of volume that I wanted, 

however I think for the price, it is definitely a good mascara to have. 

ANONYMOUS 


DERMAPLANING 

Dermaplaning is a safe and highly 

effective cosmetic procedure. It requires 

the use of a sterile scalpel to remove 

excess dead skin and fine hairs (known 

as peach fuzz). This physical exfoliation 

procedure has many benefits, including 

better product penetration, increased 

stimulation of collagen and elastin, as well 

as glowy, soft, bright and smooth skin for 

2–4 weeks. It also improves skin texture, 

lessens acne breakouts and gives flawless 

make up application post treatment. What 

more could you want for your skin? 

BY LIBBY DAWSON 

Initially, when I found out that my 

aesthetician was removing the top layer of 

my skin with a blade, I panicked in fear of 

getting sliced; I also thought it was going 

to be painful. Thankfully, I could not have 

been more wrong. I was made to feel at 

ease and the procedure was completely 

pain free – I actually think it felt quite nice! 

The whole experience was super relaxing 

and I cannot express how perfect my skin 

felt afterwards; I even got a free sheet 

mask. My skin is the best it has ever been 

and writing this three days later, it still 

feels flawless. 

I’ve always been lucky in the sense 

that I have quite “good skin”, but I was 

completely shocked at how much dirt, 

dead skin and hair was removed from 

my face; it’s actually pretty gross when 

you think about it [as you can see from 

the picture]. I think this proved that this 

treatment really is for every skin type 

and everyone will benefit from it – my 

boyfriend is even booked in to have 

it done next week! 

I received my treatment 

from my aesthetician Georgia 

(@beautybygsturmer), she is based in 

Colchester, Essex, and I would recommend 

this to absolutely everyone. I cannot wait 

to go back and have it done again! 


SKINCARE HACKS BY LIBBY DAWSON 

It is important to look 

after our skin all of the 

time, however, now that it 

is coming into the colder 

months, it is really important 

that we take care of our skin 

so that it doesn’t dry out. I 

want to share some of my 

favourite budget products 

that I use to keep my skin 

glowing throughout autumn 

and winter. 

I have been lucky in the 

sense that I’ve never 

really had ‘problematic 

skin’ however, I do 

sometimes suffer with 

dryness which can be 

really frustrating. 

Some of my favourite 

products to combat this are 

crazy cheap, and ones that 

you may not think to use! 

Firstly, my all time favourite 

has to be the Childs Farm 

Baby Moisturiser. Yes, a baby 

moisturiser, but I use this 

religiously, day and night! 

There is an un-fragranced 

one and a Shea and Cocoa 

Butter one which is the one 

I favour, it smells fab. I have 

fairly sensitive skin so I think 

there is nothing better than 

using a moisturiser that I 

know has no artificial or 

harmful chemicals in there; 

if it’s good enough for babies, 

it’s good enough for me. I 

also love that the packaging 

is 100% recyclable. 

My second favourite is the 

Vaseline Aloe Soothe Body 

Lotion or the Intensive Care 

Cocoa Butter. Again, a bit 

of a weird one as these are 

body moisturisers, but they 

work so good on my face! My 

skin always feels hydrated 

and the bottle is really big so 

it lasts a long time. You can 

also get this in Poundland or 

Savers so it is really cheap! 

Sometimes I think it is better 

to opt for these alternatives 

rather than spending 

hundreds on a Clarins or La 

Mer product – they do the 

same, if not a better job! 

Finally, I’m not going to 

single out a specific brand, 

but I love a sheet mask 

and using one regularly 

can transform your skin 

and keep it hydrated and 

refreshed. I used to favour 

the Garnier Moisture Bomb 

ones, but because they’re 

owned by L’Oreal and aren’t 

an ethical brand, I’m trying 

to opt for alternatives and 

there are so many out there. 

You can find lots of different 

brands on Beauty Bay and 

there are even Sheet Mask 

subscription boxes which 

I’ve recently discovered and 

am definitely going to treat 

myself too! 

I think it is definitely worth 

researching different face 

creams and moisturisers, 

to save your pennies but 

also your skin – it definitely 

benefits from change! 

Another tip is to change up 

what you use on your skin 

and experiment with new 

and different products. 


TRAVEL 

CO-EDITOR CAMELIA ATOMEI 

ITALY – A 

FAMILY TRIP 

BY CAMELIA ATOMEI 

Travelling is a passion that will always 

stay with me and every time I find an 

opportunity to visit some place, I will 

try to accomplish it. 

Last week I went to Italy for a few 

days. It was a trip planned quite a while in 

advance in order to go hand in hand with a 

student budget. 

I choose to go to Italy as my sister lives 

there with her family and it was a way of 

spending some time together. 

The trip itself was quite an experience as 

after I got there, we went to a lake called 

Bracciano where we camped for three days. 

I have not been camping in a while and I am 

not sure what I was expecting but I enjoyed 

every moment of it. 

The place was amazing, many spaces for 

camping, lots of people whose wish was 

just to relax and enjoy the weather. People 

were very friendly and the smell of coffee 

from the café which was just in front of our 

tent was so tempting in the morning. 

I would recommend it as it’s a good place 

to relax. 

The weather helped as 

well as it was very sunny, we could go in 

the water and swim or try at least, it was 

something that I needed before uni starts. 

My sister’s husband has a passion for fishing 

and the ability to do it, so every other day 

we had fresh fish which we fried most of 

the time. 

Being with my sister, I realised how much I 

missed being around family and how much 

independence I’ve gained in these two years 

that I have been spending at uni. 

Relaxation is important for all of us, going 

away for a weekend or a few days will 

improve our work progress and our ability 

to succeed in what we do. If you feel that 

you need some days off from the normal 

routine take them as after that everything 

will be easier. 

39 • TRAVEL • STUDENT LIFE

5 DESTINATIONS TO VISIT 

BY ANASTASIA TRUFIN 

1 BATH-ENGLAND 

Bath is a historic Roman and Georgian 

city and it is mostly famous for its 

built baths. In my personal opinion, 

Bath is one of the most beautiful 

places you could visit in England as 

it has outstanding old architecture 

and this can easily be highlighted 

from the superb buildings where we 

can observe every single detail and 

even travel back in time while you 

are standing there surrounded by 

everything this historic city presents. 

2 ANNECY, FRANCE 

Annecy is an alpine town in France 

and it is mostly known for its old town 

(Vielle Ville), which looks like it is out of 

a storybook due to its pastel-coloured 

houses and small streets. This town 

gives out a romantic vibe just as you 

start walking around it and you feel 

like you are walking around in a film 

set, but it is actually all-natural. The 

mountains around also add to the 

story vibe and if you are thinking about 

visiting Annecy, you should definitely 

consider doing it in spring time as 

everything is blooming, and the town is 

as colourful as ever. 

3 GIETHOORN, THE NETHERLANDS 

Giethoorn is the best place you could visit 

if you ever wondered about simple Dutch 

towns, far away from the crowds from 

places like Amsterdam or Rotterdam. It has 

no roads, but it is connected by canals and 

the people that live there use punters to 

get around. It is just one of the places that 

genuinely want to make you sit down on the 

grass leaning with your back against a tree, 

get out your favourite book out and read for 

hours and hours in nature. 

4 BRUGES, BELGIUM 

Bruges is one, and if not, the best place to go 

to if you want to visit Belgium. This is mostly 

because it is not as big as Brussels but it is 

similar, and alongside that it is very intimate 

and just as beautiful. The best time to visit 

Bruges, in my opinion, is around Christmas 

time as the place looks absolutely magical 

and it leaves you speechless with its beauty. 

5 BRASOV, ROMANIA 

Brasov is a city in the Transylvanian region of 

Romania and it is surrounded by mountains 

all around it. It contains a lot of gothic 

architecture, the main attraction is the Black 

Church, but the town square contrasts the 

gothic vibe with many colourful old buildings 

which gives the city a more extravagant 

look, as you can explore 2 different parts of 

Romania in 1 place. It contains lots of history 

and it is a must-go for every travelling lover. 


COLCHESTER 

ZOO 


Being an avid animal lover, I’ve always 

loved going to the zoo! When I was a child 

my mum would always take me to Banham 

Zoo, being closer to where we lived. It 

wasn’t until my adult years that I got to 

experience Colchester Zoo, which is much 

bigger and has a much wider range of 

animals to see! 

I think the zoo is super interactive, holding 

lots of feeding talks and hosting the well 

sized petting area where you can see 

the cute goats and sheep. I have mixed 

feelings about the goat petting area as 

when I was younger I was caught by my 

mum feeding the goats what I thought was 

their food… it actually turned out to be 

their poop (oops) and on top of this, I was 

once chased and rammed by some angry 

goats… so the idea of going into the areas 

does frighten me somewhat! But I did 

manage it, after much encouragement by 

my girlfriend! 

I got to feed the giraffes which was fun. 

At first, I was worried I wouldn’t get the 

chance as there were so many people who 

also wanted to do it. But they were really 

good with accommodating the big queues 

and managed it well. 

A highlight from Colchester Zoo for me 

has to be the elephants. I absolutely adore 

elephants; I think they’re the cutest big 

animal in the world. So, I was very excited 

to walk around that corner and see them 

in their huge exhibit! I felt really lucky 

as someone was doing the zoo keeper 

for a day thing and was interacting with 

one of them, so I walked around to get a 

closer look. The elephants have such great 

characters and it was so good to get to 

see that! 

On top of feeding the giraffes I also got to 

feed the elephants, which I thought I was 

going to embrace beautifully. Turns out 

they are a hell of a lot bigger up close than 

I initially cared for. So, when they sucked 

up the fruit from 

my hand I did jump 

and make a bit of a 

fool of myself. 

Overall, I think 

that Colchester 

Zoo is a fantastic 

day out for all 

ages!! I’d definitely 

recommend it! 

41 • TRAVEL • STUDENT LIFE

BRAINTREE VILLAGE 


A nice experience and a good way to relax. 

This is how I would say that the Braintree 

Shopping Village made me feel. I had the 

opportunity to go to this place as one of my 

friends was very keen on going after hearing 

some good feedback from others. 

Going there on a Sunday 

morning was such a good 

way to start the day. 

The journey was not too long, around 40 

minutes’ drive and when it’s with people you 

enjoy hanging out with it seems so much less. 

Back home we usually go shopping before 

school starts to buy new clothes and other 

accessories such as notebooks and other 

bits that we might need and when I was 

asked if I want to come along, I knew I should 

not say no. 

Once arrived there I could not believe my 

eyes, there were plenty of stores to choose 

from and so the shopping hunt started. We 

checked different brands, but the store that 

got me was Hollister. The atmosphere in 

terms of semi-dark, nice music and friendly 

staff went perfect with the pieces of clothes 

and the discounts that they were having. 

IMAGE CREDIT 


After enjoying shopping for a while 

lunchtime came and my friend suggested 

that we should have Las Iguanas, a place 

that I have never tried before. We both had 

chicken with different sauces and mojitos 

which were very refreshing and went so well 

with the weather. 

Braintree Shopping V illage was a success in 

terms of seeing a new place and discovering 

what our surroundings have to offer. The 

number of discounts that they had in general 

and also 20% off for students just made me 

realise that saving up and then coming to a 

place like this is definitely worth it. 

Travelling to places like this just for the day I 

found that it is very easy to do and is handy 

as it disconnects with the usual schedule 

without having to go away for a long time. 


MY PLANET 

CO-EDITOR RACHEL MITCHELL 

VEGANISM 


The exploitation of animals and 

maintaining a nutritional diet are not the 

only reasons why people follow a plant 

based diet. As much as people do not 

want to hear it, the best way to reduce 

your harmful impact on the planet and 

lower your carbon footprint is to avoid 

animal products. You can buy an electric 

car, walk to work or not put your apples 

in a plastic bag, but one of the biggest 

things you can do is to stop eating meat 

and dairy (but you should still do the 

other things too!) 

From the crops and water needed to 

feed the animals, to the transportation 

used, as well as the vast amount of grain 

feed required for meat production, these 

are all significant factors to deforestation, 

habitat loss and species extinction. Meat 

and dairy production is also responsible 

for 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas 

emissions; a massive sector that spans 

all the multitude of environmental 

problems. 

43 • MY PLANET • STUDENT LIFE

FACT: Researchers at the University of Oxford found that if 

everyone stopped eating animal products, the global farmland use 

could be reduced by 75% – an area equivalent to the size of the US, 

China, Australia and the EU.. COMBINED! 

Considerably lower quantities of crops 

and water are required to sustain a vegan 

diet, making the switch to veganism one 

of the easiest, most enjoyable and most 

effective ways to reduce our impact on 

the environment. The significant drop in 

greenhouse gas emissions and the land 

lost to agriculture is what our planet 

needs! 

Veganism should not be so stigmatised, 

and in fact, if every family in the UK ditched 

meat for one meal a week, this would have 

the same environmental impact as taking 

16 million cars off the road. Why should 

wanting something as big as this, be 

stereotyped so negatively? Of course, there 

are extreme activists who take matters 

into their own hands when it comes to 

preaching veganism to the rest of the 

world – it could be said that they’re actually 

doing more harm than good. However, if 

we really try and look past the extremities 

and think about the reasoning behind 

these crazy protests, it is all for the good of 

the environment and the animals. 

Believe it or not, every little helps, and 

ditching meat and dairy for one day, or 

even one meal a week does help! You don’t 

need to change your diet completely, and 

whilst this would be amazing, I think it is 

important for people to realise that small 

changes are better than nothing at all. For 

the sake of a beef burger and a couple of 

chicken nuggets, when there are so many 

amazing alternatives out there, is it really 

worth it? 

It’s become known that more and more 

shops and brands are adopting veganism 

into their ethos, and there are definitely 

more plant based products on the shelves. 

This increased awareness and accessibility 

makes it a lot easier to switch to a vegan 

diet! Not only that, the likes of Subway, 

Greggs, McDonald’s and now even KFC are 

offering vegan alternatives, and they’re 

really good! Definitely worth a try! To top 

it off, nothing feels better than knowing 

that you are eating something delicious, 

as well as cruelty free. 

The number of vegans in the UK have 

quadrupled over the past 3 years with 

the expectation that this will rise further. 

It is no surprise considering YOU CAN get 

the same amount of nutrients, vitamins 

and minerals out of a vegan diet. It doesn’t 

have to be costly, it can be healthy and 

it provides great satisfaction for the 

taste buds! 


PLASTIC HAS BECOME 

A DIRTY WORD 

and we should be proud 


In the last couple of years, you may have 

picked up on a changing dialogue regarding 

plastic. It was once something we relied on, 

something everybody used without a care in 

the world. But now, we need to spend more 

time taking our cares and applying them to 

the world – plastic has become a dirty word, 

we should be proud of that. 

Only as recently as one year ago, 

people would flippantly use single 

use plastics with no consideration 

of the consequences. 

In fact, in most cases, they wouldn’t even 

realise there were any consequences. Now, 

buying a single use plastic water bottle is 

demonised, using a plastic bag in a shop 

without bringing your own is shamed, and 

using plastic straws is completely out of the 

question. You may think these are pretty 

extreme steps, but trust me, they’re required. 

When something has been part of someone’s 

routine for years, how do we change it? 

Challenge them! It’s how we learn right from 

wrong as children. So, if you see someone 

mindlessly using single-use plastics, ask 

them if they know the harm it causes. If 

someone buys a bottle of water everyday at 

school, suggest they buy a reusable one. 

What has changed since the government 

required shops to charge for plastic bags 

in 2015? It was reported by the government 

the number of plastic bags supplied by the 

seven biggest supermarkets has gone down 

by 86% from 2014 to 2018. That’s really good, 

granted, but that’s still 1.75 billion bags being 

sold. Yes, that’s 1,750,000,000 bags. We may 

be doing well, but not as well as you’d think. 

Whilst we young people may have noticed a 

shift in rhetoric towards plastic, with lots of 

talk about sustainability and living for the 

future, you’ve probably noticed that the older 

generations may not be as understanding. 

What can you do about that? Speak to your 

family! Tell them how important it is to 

reduce plastic usage; about how necessary it 

is to change our behaviour. Set a precedent 

in the family and never leave the house 

without a reusable bottle, and always use 

reusable bags at the supermarket. 

Plastic is becoming a dirty word, and that’s 

the right step. 

45 • MY PLANET • STUDENT LIFE

REVERSING THE EFFECT OF HABITAT 

FRAGMENTATION FOR HEDGEHOGS BY 

CREATING HOLES IN THE FENCES 

BY THOMAS HEATHWAITE 

Holes in fences for hedgehogs can reduce 

habitat fragmentation. But what is habitat 

fragmentation? It is the process in which 

large habitats get cut up into smaller pieces 

of the original habitat. Ultimately, the effect 

is that wildlife can’t move between different 

areas of the habitats due to a physical barrier 

(e.g. distances between different patches of 

same habitat being too far, roadway, dams, 

etc) and so the species are constrained 

to that particular area. This results in the 

gene pool (the variety of genes, with each 

variation of gene known as an allele being 

vastly reduced), increasing the likelihood 

that species will become extinct (it’s more 

vulnerable to sudden environmental change, 

or disease) as each individual of that species 

is more similar (genetically), than before. 

One particular species suffering from 

habitats fragmentation is the hedgehog with 

populations decreasing by 66% within 20 

years according to a study carried out by the 

UK Mammal Society and Natural England. 

According to the study, urban hedgehogs 

typically are doing better where there are 

both holes in the fences and untidy gardens 

(I will cover this in a future article). 

Why are holes in the fences so beneficial 

for hedgehogs? A hole in the fence means 

that instead of a hedgehog being confined 

to a garden, it can move out and into a 

neighbouring piece of woodland, allowing it 

to continue to find food. This is of upmost 

importance when each hedgehog walks for 

1-2km per night. It is however 

important to note that lack of untidy 

gardens and holes in the fences are not the 

only causes for the decline in hedgehogs, but 

we can easily change the impact these have. 

So how should you go about creating a hole 

in the fence? First, and foremost get the 

permission of the person on the opposite 

side of the fence. Then, create a hole in the 

fence about the size of 13 x 13cm (5 x 5”), 

which is large enough for hedgehogs but pets 

from other gardens can’t get through. For 

guidance, that about the size of a CD case. 

Once you’ve done this, then your garden 

is instantly more attractive for hedgehogs 

and you’ll have more chance of seeing one. 

Repeat for each side of the fence. 

If you’re feeling ambitious, then you could 

talk to each neighbour and try to persuade 

them to make holes in their fences. This 

will create a hedgehog gateway, whereby 

hedgehogs can walk through the gardens of 

the whole streets. It might help if you’re able 

to say “as soon as I put up a hedgehog hole 

in my garden, I saw X number of hedgehogs 

as a result”, or if you’re able to talk about the 

decline that hedgehogs suffer. 


SEXUAL HEALTH 


C-CARD SCHEME 

BY TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST 

We’d like to introduce to you – 

transformed C-Card scheme! 

WHAT IS THE C-CARD SCHEME? 

It’s a confidential service which 

gives young people aged 13-24 

living in the East Of England 

(currently Cambridgeshire, 

Norfolk and Suffolk) access to free (yes, 

free!) condoms, femidoms and lube. 

the 

Whether you’re having sex or not, it’s a good 

idea to familiarise yourself with condoms, as 

when used correctly, condoms are the best 

protection against STIs and HIV when having 

vaginal/frontal, anal or oral sex. 

WHAT’S NEW? 

The logo! Look out for the new brightly-coloured C on places such as pharmacy 

doors, indicating a C-Card pick up point. 

The website – check out youngandfree.org.uk to find your nearest pick up point 

Eco-conscious cards. We’re saying goodbye to plastic and have introduced paperbased 

C-Cards. 

New condom packs, colour coded according to the size of the condoms inside. 

C-Card is now split into two cards, dependant on your age. 

47 • SEXUAL HEALTH • STUDENT LIFE

C-CARD 

If you’re aged 13-15 you can sign 

up for a C-Card after a short chat 

with a professional. Then pick up 

condoms at any registered point. 

After your sixth pick up, you can 

re-join to get another card. 

C-CARD LITE 

C-Card lite is for 16-24 year olds. 

Grab a card and condoms without 

having to sign up or talk with a 

professional. Pick up condoms and 

lube at any registered pick up point. 

Find out more at 

youngandfree.org.uk 

CONDOM TIPS 

It’s important to use the correct sized condom. The starter pack lets you explore the 

range (different sizes) of condoms available via the C-Card scheme so you can find the 

size that best suits you or your partner. Condom packs are colour-coded so you can 

pick up the size you want. 

Never use oil-based lube with a latex condom. Oils can damage the latex, this includes 

oil-based lipsticks and chapsticks. 

Check the condom has a British Kitemark and is not past its use-by date (a condom 

should last five years if stored correctly; the use-by date is printed on the wrapper). 

WHAT TO DO WHEN CONDOMS BREAK? 

If your condom splits, this could put you or your partner 

at risk of unwanted pregnancy, HIV or another STI. 

LATEX ALLERGY? 

Latex free condoms 

are available via the 

C-Card scheme. 

Emergency contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy. 

It’s also recommended you get a full STI screen. 

Visit http://www.icash.nhs.uk/ for more information. 


CAREERS 

SUPPORTED BY 

CAREERS PAGES 

SUPPORTED BY 

Personal Development 

Are you 16-25? Want to learn new skills? 

Team is a 12-week personal development course for 16 to 25-year-olds, offering work experience, 

qualifications, practical skills, community projects and a residential week 

Delivered by: 

Start dates 

Locations 

January, May and September 

Across Norfolk and Suffolk 

(Subject to change locally) 

Uncover your hidden talents and mix with new people 

Gain new qualifications to help you get a job 

Improve your teamwork and communication skills and Boost your confidence 

Gain work experience, interview skills and improve your CV 

It won’t cost you anything and you shouldn’t lose your benefits 

WORK EXPERIENCE 

Supported by: 

BY RICHARD STEWART 

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE 

To join the course or find out more: 

Call for Free on 0800 842 842 

49 • CAREERS • STUDENT LIFE

SUPPORTED BY 

Do you want to work with Racehorses? 

Join us at The British Racing School, Newmarket in 2020! 

The Prince's Trust, in partnership with The British Racing School, are offering a week experience, to work alongside 

thoroughbred race horses and learn all about the industry of horseracing. 

The British Racing School is a centre of excellence for training in the horseracing world, they aim to provide a range 

of training of the highest standard to meet the needs of the racing industry, and to meet the needs of their learners 

What will you be doing? 

1 week residential experience at The British Racing School in Newmarket 

Work with and learn about thoroughbred racehorses and assist in yard work 

Take sessions in horse behaviour, horse handling, practical horse care and riding 

Enjoy a 'behind the scenes' tour of a professional racing yard in Newmarket 

Possible progression options afterwards into the horseracing Industry 

FREE travel to Newmarket, plus accommodation and all meals provided too 

Our ‘Experience Work’ 

platform will revolutionise 

the way that you experience 

the workplace. 

To express an interest in joining our 2020 programme, email: 

peter.hennessey@princes-trust.org.uk 


SUPPORTED BY 

MENTAL 

HEALTH 

SUPPORTED BY 

Suffolk 

MENTAL HEALTH EDITOR 

LEANNE ARNOLD 

MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES ARE LIKE WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN 

We can spend so much time ignoring the issue that the root spreads. 

Digging deeper identifies the root; removing the root, removes the problem.

53 WORLD MENTAL 

HEALTH DAY 

What, when and why? 

55 SELF CARE 

xxx 

56 DOWN IN 

THE DUMPS 

Misconceptions 

57 A BATTLE WITH 

THE WORLD 

Life can be tough 

58 EVERYDAY IN 

MY LIFE 

We all have MH 

59 MENTAL HEALTH 

AND NATURE 

Get outside, it can help 

60 PRESENTING 

Tips for presenting 

62 ANXIETY AND ME 

The impact of anxiety 

63 PICTURE 

PERFECT PANIC 

What is a panic attack? 

64 CHRONIC ILLNESS 

Introducing Lizzie 

66 TIPS & ADVICE 

Leanne offers advice 

67 UNDER PRESSURE 

Anxiety and depression 

69 SMALL TO BIG 

The latest from STB CIC 

70 CONTACTS 

You are not alone. 

Editor’s 

WORD 

Hello everyone, 

I hope your return to education has gone smoothly 

with as little hiccups as possible! October is a great 

time of the year, being one of my favourites! It’s that 

time where you can really begin to get snuggly infront 

of a fire with toasted marshmallows and fluffy 

socks (cliché I know). 

However, the dark nights and dark mornings can 

make coping with mental health difficulties a lot 

harder for some – so keep an eye out for your friends 

and offer that support if they appear to be struggling. 

On October 10th it is World Mental Health Day 

#WMHD – I have written an article on this for you all 

to read! I hope you enjoy! We are holding non-uniform 

days at some of our collaborating schools to raise 

money for the mental health work we do here at 

Student Life too! 

Trigger warning: this month we feature articles on 

people’s everyday experiences and battles with 

mental health, anxiety and panic. 

If any of the articles have affected you in any way and 

you want someone 

to talk to, please feel 

free to 

contact myself or 

another team 

member. 

As always, 

Peace and Love xo 

Leanne 

Contact us 

01473 35 35 12 

leanne@student-life.co 

www.student-life.co 

@studentlifeips 



52 • FEBRUARY OCTOBER 2019 • STUDENT LIFE

WORLD MENTAL 

HEALTH DAY 

#WMHD is, in essence, a day for global 

mental health education, awareness, and 

advocacy against the stigma surrounding 

mental health. At the heart of Student Life, 

we aim to stamp out stigma and normalise 

what everyone has, and what 1 in 4 will 

experience at one point in their life – ill 

mental health. 

This year’s theme is set on 

suicide prevention. 

BY LEANNE 

ARNOLD 

Never before have I seen a campaign that ties in 

so well with all of the things Student Life aims to change. 

#WMHD 

Nearly 6,000 completed suicides took 

place in the UK in 2017, which presents 

as one death by suicide every two hours. 

This doesn’t even take into consideration 

the statistics which reflect the attempts on 

completing suicide, which are meant to be 

more than those who do complete suicide. 

So, if suicide is such a widespread health 

problem, in the UK as well as globally, why 

are we so afraid to discuss it? Why are we 

so afraid to approach someone who feels 

suicidal? Why are we so hush-hush about 

suicide? 

Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon 

thought to believe that by approaching 

the topic of suicide with someone who is 

feeling suicidal they are going to encourage 

the thoughts and potentially encourage 

them to make that attempt on their life. 

I’ve never heard of something so wrong. 

By discussing suicide, we automatically 

create an environment where it is more 

comfortable for the person suffering to 

discuss how they are feeling, to offload 

their emotions, whilst feeling safe to do so. 

Just imagine feeling an excruciatingly 

overwhelming emotion, but everywhere 

you go you are aware that it is shied away 

from and people are scared to discuss 

it. Would you feel brave enough to raise 

the topic yourself? Or would the aid of 

someone else raising the topic provide you 

with a reassuring and safe pathway into 

expressing and discussing that emotion? 

By not discussing suicide openly we are 

automatically causing the topic to be 

taboo and therefore we automatically 

single those people out and create a very 

difficult world for them to discuss how 

they are feeling. 

IF THIS ARTICLE HAS BROUGHT UP ANY EMOTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE 

TO DISCUSS, PLEASE REFER TO OUR CONTACT LIST AT THE END OF THIS SECTION

So, in true spirits of WMHD, why don’t we show those around us that we are going 

to approach the topic and tackle the stigma which surrounds suicide and offer out 

our hand of support. Whether this be a post on your social media accounts, or a text 

message to a friend or loved one, or a donation to a charity supporting those who 

have struggled with suicide, we will be approaching, tackling, and ‘yeeting’ suicide 

stigma out the window whilst showing those around us that there is support and 

that it is okay to talk about. 

If this article has affected you, or you 

know someone who would benefit from 

support, please see a small list of local 

contacts below: 

SAMARITANS 

116 123 

Open 24/7 

SHOUT 

Text Shout to 85258 

Open 24/7 

So, what are Student Life doing 

for this years WMHD? 

In conjunction with some of our 

collaborating schools, we are 

holding non-uniform days to raise 

money towards all the mental 

health work we are doing here at 

Student Life. 

Our mental health ambassadors’ 

program is offered out to students 

who are interested in becoming 

an ambassador for their form or 

school year. Within this they are 

trained in Mental Health First Aid 

England’s first-aid training, and they 

are trained in suicideTALK which 

is a stepped program into suicide 

prevention. 

PAPYRUS 

0800 068 4141 

9am-10pm Weekdays 

2pm-10pm Weekends 

CALM 

0800 58 58 58 

5pm-midnight daily 

CHILDLINE 

0800 11 11 

Open 24/7 

THERE IS 

SUPPORT 

AND IT 

IS OKAY 

TO TALK 

ABOUT IT 


3 SELF CARE TIPS 

BY RACHEL MITCHELL 

1 YOGA 

The great thing about yoga is that you can practice it 

pretty much anywhere (as it only requires yourself), 

and you can go at it alone or with others. Yoga is great 

for releasing tension and stress as well as gaining tips 

for breathing control and mindfulness. As well as this, 

there are physical benefits too! Yoga helps to stretch 

and flex your body, focusing on various areas. Some 

individuals find that it assists in increasing flexibility! 

While yoga’s roots are embedded in spiritual discipline, 

you need not be spiritual to give it a try. 

2 COLOURING 

Being creative and practicing selfexpression 

is a great way to unwind and 

relax. One activity which has grown in 

popularity is colouring. Adult colouring 

books come in all different sizes, patterns 

and themes, and they make a great gift 

too. You don’t need to be naturally arty 

to relax by colouring an it also boasts 

great benefits. According to the American 

Art Therapy Association, art therapy 

is a mental health profession in which 

the process of making and creating 

artwork is used to “explore feelings, 

reconcile emotional conflicts, foster 

self-awareness, manage behaviour and 

addictions, develop social skills, improve 

reality orientation, reduce anxiety and 

increase self-esteem.” It has been said 

that colouring calms the part of the brain 

that is related to the fear/stress response 

and stimulates the parts of the brain that 

relates to creativity and logic. 

3 MUSIC 

Music can be one of the easiest ways to 

relax, chill out and take some time for 

self-care. Music comes in all varieties and 

there’s music for all occasions, moods and 

seasons. Some people choose to relax by 

listening to their favourite artist or band. 

Resonating with particular lyrics, songs 

or albums. You often find that certain 

songs relate and bring back memories of 

a certain time in your life- sometimes this 

might not conjure up good memories but 

on the whole, music can transport you to 

a positive place or help you to relive a 

good time! Music allows you 

to express yourself and acts 

a form of release. Other 

types of music that 

people choose to relax 

to include peaceful 

instrumentals or the 

sound of particular 

soundscapes. 



DOWN IN THE DUMPS 

BY ETHAN GLADWELL 

A lot of people have the misconception that 

depression and loneliness are related to 

sadness, and this is all a person feels when 

their mental health is suffering. This is 

why people who do suffer from depression, 

anxiety, or loneliness feel as though they 

may not be able to speak out to people 

because they would just think that you were 

“down in the dumps.” 

Depression, which I believe I used to suffer 

from on a fluctuating scale, is this inner 

feeling of nothingness, which can be caused 

by many different things, such as bullying 

from friends, family, or even your own 

personal thoughts about yourself. When 

people suffer from depression, they feel as 

though they have no more choices left, like 

their paths are all being blocked off because 

of many things such as health, money or 

time. This makes the person feel lost and out 

of control of their own life. 

Depression is never just sadness, 

it is a constant or fluctuant 

feeling of having nothing. 

This can make you feel emotionally unstable 

and therefore may not feel up to going out or 

doing normal daily activities. This is because 

a person with depression may struggle to see 

the point in something because they focus 

mainly on the difficult journey ahead rather 

than the reward they will get and it’s not 

their fault that they think that way. It’s how 

others and their own personal thoughts have 

made them feel because they feel like every 

day has to be a long, meaningless journey 

with no real goal at the end. 

Loneliness is never just about being sad 

either, it’s a feeling that although you want to 

go outside, you might never have anyone to 

go with and would not want to go out alone, 

therefore you may feel lonely because you 

long for that social interaction. It’s not the 

case that a person with loneliness doesn’t 

want to go out, it’s because they feel that they 

can’t go out because they feel like they need 

someone with them otherwise they would 

just be feeling lonely outside. This can be 

a problem for a lot of students who live in 

rural areas away from friends and family 

or children who have moved about a lot in 

their life. 

There is also a difference between being 

introverted and lonely, which I think that 

adults need to understand in order to help 

the people who are lonely and allow the 

introverted people, who like being alone, 

time and space. 


A BATTLE WITH THE WORLD 

BY TSHEQUA WILLIAMS 

When talking about suffering with 

mental health problems, people often 

use the phrase ‘battling with mental 

health’ as if the person who is unwell is 

metaphorically in a fight against their 

brain. While this is true, I feel that as 

well as having to deal with our own poor 

mental health, we also must fight a battle 

with the world. 

Within the world there are so many 

things that can become more intense 

and difficult to manage. 

From my own lived experiences, it can be 

really frustrating when you are surrounded 

by people who are unknowingly blind 

to how things can affect you, how the 

simplest of things can make life really 

difficult to cope with. Whether it’s because 

they do not understand or are not properly 

educated on the reality of dealing with 

mental health illness, the lack of empathy 

can be really condescending when your 

feelings are belittled. 

There’s also the added pressure to keep up 

with the world – things like socialisation, 

work commitments and important 

responsibilities are difficult to manage and 

with mental health illnesses being viewed 

lightly as ‘hidden disorders’, it can feel like 

a burden to keep up with everything when 

not everyone can see or understand the 

effect (as they might with a physical health 

problem). I read recently about the idea of 

including “you don’t need to reply to this” 

or “no need to reply now” to emails and 

texts – even little things like this can take 

off a lot of worries and pressure about 

having to respond instantly if you aren’t in 

the right headspace. 

Obviously both physical and mental 

health illnesses can affect people’s lives in 

extreme ways, yet it is important to raise 

an awareness of the many ways that a 

mental health illness can affect someone. 

The message I wanted to portray was 

that – if you are suffering, keep on 

battling against the world and everything 

that keeps you from living your life, you 

are strong and worthy of empathy and 

understanding from the world. If you aren’t 

suffering, try and consider how even the 

smallest things can be overwhelming – just 

because it’s not a broken leg, it doesn’t 

mean that it won’t necessarily prevent a 

person from living their life normally. 



EVERY DAY 

IN MY LIFE 

Did you know that we all have mental health? 

Well I know I didn’t when I first found out 

and it affects everyone differently. I started 

to struggle when I moved up to high school. 

I remember that in the summer holidays I 

just got hit with the feeling of not having any 

control over what comes next. That was 4 

years ago but I still get that feeling every day. 

My mental health stops me 

from completing small tasks that 

most people do automatically, 

from talking to friends to paying 

for things at shops. 

Some days I just wish more than anything 

that I could curl up in a ball and hide from 

the world, but I know I can’t. Sometimes I feel 

like I’m in the room but I’m looking from the 

outside in. People say “just snap out of it” but 

that’s so hard to do when it’s like there’s a 

brick wall in your head that started with one 

little piece but just keeps growing. 

I have busy weeks with GCSE work and clubs. 

I never get time to relax and recharge my 

battery. Some days I feel like the world is 

crumbling all around me and I have nothing 

to turn to. However, the last year or so I’ve 

been finding small ways to get out of that 

cycle. Something I’ve relied on more than I 

ever thought in the past is music. It’s been 

such a big part for me because when I pick 

up my hand me down guitar and strum its 

strings, I get teleported away from everything 

and everyone that’s swirling around in my 

head like a whirlpool. I’ve found meeting up 

with friends that know about how I’m feeling 

is amazing because then I don’t have to 

pretend I’m all okay when I’m not. 

If you’re someone reading this and you don’t 

know how to cope with everyday life I have 

one piece of advice that someone I care 

deeply about gave to me. Little steps make 

the biggest difference. So don’t push yourself 

to try to find the things that work for you 

because they will come naturally when you 

need them the most. I wish you all the best 

and remember don’t ever give up fighting for 

your heart. 


MENTAL HEALTH & NATURE 

BY GRACE SMITH, IMAGE CREDIT GRACE SMITH 

Leaving home for university and living 

independently for the first time, was both 

an exciting and daunting experience. 

Especially as someone who is not originally 

from Ipswich or Suffolk, and who had very 

little familiarity with the area beforehand. 

That was two and half years ago now, 

and as I approach the end of my studies, I 

would like to reflect on the important role 

nature has played in easing the transition. 

Particularly, how it has encouraged me 

to develop healthier coping mechanisms 

when it comes to feelings of anxiety and 

depression. 

We live in an exceedingly digital 

world, dominated by screens. 

Students especially seem to spend the 

majority of their time indoors in lessons, 

or on a computer doing assignments, and 

I’ve definitely felt the impact of this within 

my final year. As the assignments become 

bigger and the deadlines seemingly closer 

together, it’s easy to neglect taking care 

of yourself both mentally and physically 

during these times. It’s because of this, 

I’ve often been left feeling burned out as 

deadlines loomed and I exhausted myself 

to meet them. 

However, to temporarily disconnect and 

recuperate, I regularly go on long walks, 

which help me to unwind and refocus my 

distracted mind. 

During my first year, when I was still 

new to the area, I liked to explore and 

discovered some of the parks nearby my 

accommodation at the time. Even now, 

I might occasionally go to the park to 

feed the ducks when I’m feeling anxious, 

depressed, or if my mind feels a bit too 

chaotic to carry on with work. Being out in 

nature like this gives me time to reflect and 

be introspective, and instead of ignoring 

my own overall wellbeing to produce 

another assignment, I take the time to 

create a mental self-care checklist of the 

things I need to do that would improve my 

overall wellbeing. 

On these walks, it’s nice to just enjoy the 

fresh air and sunshine, so that when I get 

home I am in a more collected state of 

mind to plan what I need to do next. 

So, perhaps disconnecting isn’t the right 

word, as nature helps me to re-establish 

a connection between my mind and body, 

and to reconnect with the world outside of 

coursework. 



DR KATE BLACKFORD SPEAKS: 

The Art of Presenting 

BY DR KATE BLACKFORD 

In most occupations we will, at some point, 

be required to present information – be 

that in a meeting, a conference or when 

training colleagues. For some, this is a 

daunting prospect and can result in anxiety 

and even avoidance behaviours that can 

stall one’s career. 

Feeling anxious about having to stand up 

and talk to a group of people can affect 

our work performance, self-confidence 

and our sense of well-being. At some 

point or another, all of us have been 

subject to the nervous presenter and 

have found ourselves sat in the audience 

feeling uncomfortable for them. These 

experiences can come back to haunt us if 

we lack the confidence and skills to present 

in an engaging way. 

I remember having to present at a school 

event at the age of 14. I was gawky, 

awkward and terrified! Even today, I don’t 

remember what I was speaking about 

because all I remember is my knocking 

knees, shaking hands and fear that the 

audience were seeing this. A few years 

later I went into consultancy and had to 

learn to present at conferences, to Boards 

of Directors and run training courses. 

The first course I ever ran solo I got the 

delegates settled and strode across the 

room to close the door and start the 

course. I was wearing a trouser suit and 

heels and on the way back to the centre 

of the room to begin, my heel caught in 

my hem and I did a comedy windmill style 

stumble across the room. Everyone fell 

silent, waiting to see what my reaction 

would be… I sat on the floor and laughed 

until I cried and the group nicknamed me 

‘Calamity Kate’, a nickname that has stuck 

with me ever since. A few years previously 

I would have been mortified at this event 

and it would have affected the rest of the 

course negatively. Nowadays I remember it 

fondly and it serves as a great ice breaker! 

It really is all about perspective. 

So why is good presentation style so 

important? When we are required to 

present we are seeking to share knowledge 

and information. It is reasonable to 


familiar with your subject allows you to 

present with confidence and to focus 

on engaging your audience rather than 

focusing solely on your cue cards and 

mumbling at the floor. Eventually you 

will get to the point that you no longer 

even need the cue cards, then you are in 

the enviable position of being able to 

stand tall, converse with your audience 

and respond flexibly to questions along 

the way. 

At the psychological level your mindset is 

key. The Greek Stoic Philosopher Epictetus 

(55-135 AD) said “what the thinker thinks, 

the prover proves” meaning that if you 

think you can do a great presentation, 

you will and if you think you can’t well…. 

Getting in this mindset can be easier said 

than done however, so here are a few tips 

to help with focusing your mind: 

assume that we would not have been 

asked to speak to the audience if the 

information we have to share is not going 

to serve some purpose for them, so 

getting the style, tone and content right is 

essential in passing on the knowledge we 

have. Ideally we also want the audience to 

feel engaged with what we have to say so 

that the key messages / information stick 

when they leave the room. 

The good news for the nervous speakers 

out there is that there are ways to 

overcome presentation anxiety – both 

practically and psychologically. Practical 

skills training in how to structure your 

presentation and any accompanying 

slides can help you to feel more confident 

in what you have to say and practice is 

undoubtedly key – whether this is with 

friends, or in front of the mirror. Being 

When facing your audience look for 

people who are encouraging in their 

expression and take heart from this. 

Visualise yourself holding your head 

high, projecting your voice and speaking 

passionately about your subject. 

Remember that the people in the 

audience are there to hear what you 

have to say, they have something to 

learn from you. 

You also have things to learn from your 

audience – what they respond well to, 

suggestions, questions and ideas they 

voice. 

If presenting is creating anxiety for you, it 

is worth seeking some coaching or therapy 

as it may well link to other areas where you 

lack self-confidence and overcoming this 

can open doors for you in all areas of your 

life. So, if you think you can – you can. 



ANXIETY AND ME 

BY SHANNON MANN 

Some of you may be thinking of a lot of 

questions right now such as: What is anxiety? 

How do you know if you have it? What are 

the symptoms? And even more questions I’m 

sure. Let me answer all of those for you and 

make your knowledge a lot clearer. 

Anxiety is a mental health condition, when 

people have anxiety they frequently tend to 

worry or fear everyday situations. There are 

many types of anxiety disorder, but they’re 

all linked into the idea of episodes due to 

fear. This disorder often involves experiences 

of fear, which leads into panic attacks in 

minutes. Anxiety is often triggered by past 

childhood experiences, living situations, 

peer pressure and of course exams. Many 

teenagers get anxiety when it comes to their 

exams because of all the revising and the 

thought of themselves failing, this creates so 

much stress and worry that they overwhelm 

themselves, leading to anxiety. 

The symptoms of anxiety are: 

Feelings of panic and fear. 

Problems sleeping. 

Cold or sweaty hands or feet. 

Numbness. 

Your mouth becoming dry. 

Not being able to stay still and 

keep fidgeting. 

The shortness of breath. 

Anxiety can affect people on a day-to-day 

basis by changing their behaviour and 

moods, making themselves isolated from 

other people so they can be alone to deal with 

their thoughts, without the help from others 

around them, may be the case for some 

people with anxiety, others may be affected 

in different ways. 

Ways to help someone who has 

anxiety can be to: 

Try to distract them from what they 

are feeling. 

Focus on their feelings and understand 

how they may be feeling. 

Be patient with them and know what it may 

be like to be in their shoes. 

Have a laugh and put the stress 

behind them. 

I know that if you are someone close to 

a person who has anxiety it can be hard 

sometimes, as there is nothing that can 

get rid of it and they are stuck with it, but 

remember they are going through a lot more 

than we can imagine, all we can do is be 

there for them and help them through it. 


PICTURE PERFECT PANIC? 


I have never been diagnosed 

with panic disorder, but what 

is panic disorder? I believe that 

some of the symptoms of my 

mental health struggles are 

justified as panic. 

Is there such thing as picture perfect 

panic? We all experience panic through 

our lives, however, what does this look 

like? If I’m not having a ‘generic panicattack’ 

with the ‘classic’ brown bag, 

hyperventilating, sweating, shaking, can’t 

catch my breath symptoms, then am I 

even suffering with panic disorder? 

Stigma still surrounds mental health 

disorders, and I believe it still very much 

surrounds panic disorders. Yes, a ‘classic’ 

panic attack is the most common, but 

there are many more forms of panic, 

which I believe people don’t recognise 

or are unaware of. 

Symptoms of a panic attack 

can range from: 

Racing heartbeat 

Feeling faint 

Nausea 

Chest pain 

Chills 

Dizziness 

Numbness/pins and needles 

Dry mouth 

A need to go to the toilet 

Ringing in your ears 

Feeling of dread and fear 

Tingling sensation in your fingers 

Feeling disconnected from 

your body 

It is important to recognise that just 

because someone isn’t hyperventilating 

and shaking, whilst trying to catch their 

breath it doesn’t mean they aren’t 

experiencing a panic attack. 

Equipping yourself with the knowledge of 

what symptoms come with panic attacks 

will enable you to sympathise, recognise, 

and help someone who is experiencing 

an attack. 

Remember, mental health affects us all. 

If it was you that was suffering, you’d 

want help, right? So let’s pull together 

and help and support those around us. 

Leanne xo 



INTRODUCING LIZZIE 


After reading something that Lizzie had 

written I instantly felt inspired and wanted 

to know more. Feeling that I could relate to 

some of what she had written about I felt 

curious to know how she dealt with things 

and what led her onto the path she is now on. 

I approached Lizzie and asked her whether 

she would be interested in writing a piece 

for Student Life as I felt all you guys may 

also have the same feelings I had following 

reading about her journey. Lizzie writes 

about her experiences with chronic illness, 

diagnosis, and mental health. As someone 

who is diagnosed with a chronic disease 

it was extremely insightful to learn about 

how someone else has dealt with similar 

struggles. 

Chronic illness and mental health difficulties 

often come hand-in-hand; however, this 

isn’t recognised as much as it should be. 

Although the mental health difficulty is a 

separate condition to the physical health one, 

it doesn’t mean that they are intrinsically 

interlinked. 

A co-morbidity is, put simply, the cooccurrence 

of one or more health conditions 

within an individual. There is the primary 

condition, and all those conditions which cooccur 

are known as the co-morbidities. 

For an example: my diagnosis of 

endometriosis is my primary condition, 

the co-morbidity of it is the anxiety and 

depression that co-occurs alongside it. 

I believe that Lizzie’s article could help people 

understand the struggles of living with a 

chronic illness and how a mental health comorbidity 

can form from a chronic illness. 

I hope you are able to find inspiration and 

strength too from reading her article. 

CHRONIC ILLNESS & MENTAL HEALTH 

BY LIZZIE SMITH 

When I was asked to write this article I 

wasn’t sure where to start or what to write 

if I’m honest. The reality is, living day to day 

with chronic illness has for me, been about 

putting one foot in front of the other, 

and hoping for a return to this shiny idea 

I’ve held in my head for years of what a 

physically better me looks like - I’ll call her 

“Ultimate Lizzie”. 

Recently, I’ve come to realise that “Ultimate 

Lizzie” is just an idea – an unrealistic goal I 

set myself a long time ago and one I need 

to stop berating myself for not reaching. 

Two decades of living with chronic illness 

that’s taken. Maybe a quarter of my life if 

I’m fortunate enough to become one of 

those old ladies who doesn’t give a s*** 

(#lifegoals). That’s a pretty sizeable chunk 

of time to realise you’ve been setting 

yourself an unreachable goal. But finally, 

I’m letting myself accept that it’s ok not to 

reach it. 


So, instead of focusing solely on the 

time that has passed, I’d like to focus on 

what has happened along this somewhat 

winding, occasionally mountainous and 

often hilly path, which just so happens to 

include chronic health problems. 

There are of course, a multitude of things 

that have happened along the way. 

Diagnoses of M.E, migraine and much later 

anxiety, were, on the face of it entirely 

negative. The idea of facing chronic 

health issues was (and at times remains) 

overwhelming for me. 

M.E has no cure, different treatments 

can work for different patients, and each 

patient’s symptoms are varied - where do 

you start with that? Migraine is insidious 

and the pain is exhausting, it makes me 

feel small and at times utterly defeated, 

but at least there are medications for that 

right? Right – until they stopped working 

for me. And then, three years ago, I was 

diagnosed with anxiety – something that 

was apparently obvious to those around 

me, but came as quite a shock to me. 

A label for a problem can be a powerful 

thing – even if there is no cure or “catch all” 

treatment. It can empower you to face it, 

learn about it and search for treatments 

and tools. Don’t get me wrong, that in itself 

is overwhelming, but I have tried to choose 

to be proactive and search for what helps 

me. There has been a lot of trial and error, 

but now I have a set of tools helping me 

move forwards. I have been incredibly 

lucky to find holistic therapies which help 

with managing the pain and energy drain 

from migraine and M.E. 

Pain from chronic illness is its own beast. 

But then there’s how being chronically 

unwell makes you feel mentally. Chronic 

illness creates a mess of emotions and 

behaviours. For me the big one is guilt. 

Deep-rooted, persistent guilt that I’ve 

allowed to grow. I’ve spent years feeling 

guilty for being un-well, for letting myself 

down and those around me down, for not 

reaching “Ultimate Lizzie”. It grew, because 

I didn’t really talk about it much. 

Talking about living with a chronic illness 

isn’t something I do regularly, if I’m honest 

I thought it unnecessary and actually pretty 

boring – it’s my day to day life and I’m not 

leading a boundlessly exciting existence. 

But as it turns out, it is necessary. Finding 

those holistic therapies led me, around 

three years ago, to start talking therapy 

(specifically NLP), originally recommended 

to address my poor sleep because I was 

waking up most nights panicking and 

worrying unable to drift back off. It’s 

amazing how different a thought or worry 

sounds when you say it out loud and 

someone helps you break it down. Therapy 

has become an invaluable tool for me and 

has had a ripple effect in making me more 

open and honest. 

Searching for these tools and using them 

has been hard work and will continue to 

be hard work. There are choices we make 

daily, large and small and most days (I 

stress most, because it’s definitely not all), 

I choose to keep searching for new tools 

and using the ones I have collected to 

simply help me get through the day. Some 

days that involves using lots of my tools 

and other days I barely need to consider 

using them. Whatever kind of day it is, I try 

and choose to accept the day for what it is, 

talk about it and do the best I can. 



& with Leanne xo 

TIPS ADVICE 

Q: How do you go about coping with your mental health whilst 

trying to live a normal day-to-day life? 

A: Not unlike another question I have 

answered; I believe it’s all about balance. 

We all have our daily routines, 

responsibilities, and more often than not 

it’s very easy for life to get in the way of 

us finding time to relax and wind-down. 

Balancing our ‘life-loads’ can be a tricky 

and tiring exercise, but one that in the end 

will benefit our wellbeing. 

levels within our brain. If we are looking 

for a boost in those happy chemicals 

exercise is a proven method to achieve 

that! It also helps us with lifting our selfconfidence 

and is also beneficial to our 

physical health. This doesn’t need to be 

too strenuous, a long walk perhaps, or a 

light jog around the block or local park! 

Looking after our wellbeing doesn’t have 

to be a huge statement, it doesn’t have 

to involve a whole day of activities and 

consume hours and hours that we just 

don’t have. Taking care of our mental 

health can be as easy as having a bubble 

bath with a cold glass of Dr. Pepper, or 

sitting in the garden for 20 minutes. 

Humans are complex creatures and there 

will never be one overarching answer to 

looking out for our wellbeing, however 

there are many different self-care activities 

that we can participate in which are said to 

improve our wellbeing. Please see a nonexhaustive 

list below: 

Exercise (groan!) – yes some of us 

will hate the thought of exercise and 

couldn’t think of anything worse. 

However, when we exercise our bodies 

release the neuro-chemicals known as 

Serotonin and Dopamine. Serotonin 

and Dopamine help with the balance 

and management of our happiness 

Make a phone call – Call up your go-to 

friend or relative and have a moan! Or 

better yet have a chat about the latest 

gossip in their lives if you don’t want to 

discuss yours. Blowing off steam with a 

friend is a great way to focus on things 

other than your worries and stresses. 


Practice guided meditation/ 

mindfulness – there are many apps that 

can help with this, or if you’re not keen 

on that, try YouTube! 

Read a mag/book – take yourself away 

from your world and immerse yourself 

into another! 

Gaming – likewise, immerse yourself in 

something that is far from your worries 

and troubles. 

Write it down – write down your worries 

and stresses and tear it up after if that’s 

what helps you! 

If you want to find other ways of managing 

your wellbeing a quick Google search can 

be super beneficial. 

Remember, it’s super important to try and 

take time each day for you. 

Take care xo 

Leanne xo 

UNDER PRESSURE 

BY LUCY TATE 

My name is Lucy and I suffer from anxiety 

and depression. I know that these terms 

are thrown around loosely these days, 

anxiety is shown to be a shy young girl 

too afraid to raise her hand in class, and 

depression as a young boy crying in his 

bed late at night. That isn’t me though. 

My issues with my mental health began 

when I was 11 years old and I got my SAT 

results which presented me with flying 

colours across the board. It was at that 

moment that the proud hands of my 

parents became heavy on my shoulder. 

I was branded as “the smart one” out of 

my siblings and me, and from that point 

on for the next 7 years no grade was good 

enough, suddenly a B grade was a failure, 

and a D grade was simply unthinkable. 

By the time I got to sixth form I was 

trained to be the best, but that came 

with a price. I began to question myself, 

because how could it be that with 

loving parents and siblings, a long term 

boyfriend, and friends that were more 

like family, how could it possibly be that 

with all of this love and support that I felt 

more alone than ever? 

I began to self-harm. I would lock myself 

in my room for days. I would skip class 

just to avoid having to face my slipping 

grades. 

I didn’t see a way out. 



But somehow, reaching out to my best 

friend, simply letting him in, even if just 

for a moment, it became my saviour. I 

don’t claim to know all the answers, I 

don’t claim to be able to make things 

better, but I see me and my experience 

as proof to myself that even in dark 

times, it is possible to reach the light 

again. 

In the wise words of Winnie the Pooh: 

“You are braver than you believe, stronger 

than you seem, smarter than you think, 

and loved more than you’ll ever know.” It 

is wise to trust in the help and support of 

others, but it is more important to trust in 

the courage of yourself, and the strength 

inside that wills you to survive even in the 

darkest of times. 

#SUSO 

SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT! 

WHAT’S GWARNIN 


After a busy month of arranging times and 

dates to get #SUSO presented within our 

collaborating schools we are excited to 

announce that we have our first workshops 

booked in for November! 

#SUSO – is our speak up speak out 

campaign which aims to support and 

encourage young people to speak up 

about their bullying experiences with the 

aims of empowering victims to become 

survivors. If anyone has a passion about 

anti-bullying and would like to get involved 

in our campaign please message louiser@ 

student-life.co 

Leanne xo 


SMALL TO 

BIGGER! 

BY SMALL TO BIG 

Hey again from all of us 

at Small To Big 

This month we have been exploring the 

link between physical activity and good 

mental wellbeing. We attended the Suffolk 

FA disabled footballing event at Quay Place 

and learnt so much! We’re hoping that the 

links we made with the other wonderful 

people that attended are going to benefit 

the local community in the near future. 

On top of this we have another 4 

businesses on board with our peer support 

work programme in which we support 

people in their workplace on a daily basis 

– we have had some really good sessions 

and amazing feedback on the service so 

thank you to everyone who trusted us, the 

support you guys give us is invaluable! 

It’s all been very busy but the positive 

links we are making in the community are 

going to be valuable and not only push us 

forward but the entire community too! 

This month on STB’s Facebook we are 

sharing stories from some very courageous 

people, they will be sharing their story, 

and telling us how they came back from 

a darker place. The response we got from 

people wanting to share was huge, so 

there will be at least one profile or story 

posted daily. Definitely keep an eye open 

for them! 

In other news we are currently looking for 

an office, we are now at a stage where we 

need a solid base and are hoping to have 

one by early November! (All detailed on 

our socials) 

We are also going to be switching 

Facebook pages, our current one still 

has the only company name so can be 

misleading, details of that again covered 

on social media. 

Thanks again to Rachel and Student Life 

for having us, it’s an honour to be able to 

feature. 

We are also looking for volunteers :) if it’s 

something you would be interested in 

please don’t hesitate to contact us, our 

email is smalltobigfc@gmail.com or you 

can PM us on any platform @STBUK 

Lots of love 

Small To Big CiC X 



CONTACTS 

IN 

AN EMERGENCY PHONE 999 

FOR NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL 

PROBLEMS CALL NHS 111 

We offer a safe place for you to talk 

any time you like, in your own way, 

about whatever’s getting to you. 

116 123 

www.samaritans.org 

For confidential suicide 

prevention advice contact 

0800 068 4141 

www.papyrus-uk.org 

Run by people with experience 

of living with anxiety, stress or 

anxiety-based depression 

03444 775 774 

www.anxietyuk.org.uk 

0800 58 58 58 

www.thecalmzone.net 

Advice, guidance and 

practical support 

01473 252607 

www.4yp.org.uk 

We’ve got lots of advice about 

looking after yourself 

0800 1111 

www.childline.org.uk 

Supporting and empowering 

women who have suffered or are 

at risk of suffering domestic abuse 

01473 228270 

www.lighthousewa.org.uk 

0300 111 6000 

www.suffolkmind.org.uk 

Improving teenage mental health 

by stemming commonly occurring 

MH issues at an early stage 

www.stem4.org.uk 

Support for survivors of childhood 

sexual abuse 

07765 052282 

survivorsintransition.co.uk 

Providing a wide range of health 

and wellbeing services 

www.turning-point.co.uk 

Whether you’re stressed, anxious, 

low or depressed, we can help 

0300 123 1503 

www.wellbeingnands.co.uk 

Arts in mental health 

and wellbeing 

www.insideout 

community.com 

A National Self-Help Organisation 

helping people cope with their 

depression. 

www.depressionuk.org 

Advice, information and guidance 

to those affected by low mood, 

depression and suicidal thinking. 

www.studentsagainst 

depression.org

PHYSICAL 

HEALTH 

CO-EDITOR LOUISA SADLER 

#GUGO 


With the new school year well under 

way, there may be less time to get up 

and get out and enjoy what nature has 

to offer. However that shouldn’t put 

you off trying! Getting up and out is so 

important whether it’s for your physical 

health or mental health or even if you 

want to have a break from everything for 

a while. This is why I am promoting our 

#GUGO Campaign to encourage you guys 

to find some time to get up and get out 

in any way, shape or form. You can go to 

the park with your friends, the seaside or 

even to your own back garden; it doesn’t 

matter where you go as long 

as you Get Up, Get Out #GUGO 

You can even share your #GUGO 

experiences here at Student Life by 

sending in your experiences in an article 

that will feature in the magazine! You can 

email me at louisa@student-life.co with 

all your #GUGO experiences, questions 

or even your own #GUGO challenges! 

Don’t be afraid to get up and get out and 

explore the amazing benefits that nature 

has to offer you! 

71 • PHYSICAL HEALTH • STUDENT LIFE

MY PHYSICAL 

HEALTH JOURNEY 


I thought it was time as physical 

health co-editor that I would 

share my own journey with my 

physical health in the hope it 

will help encourage more young 

people to talk about their 

physical health more openly. 

When I was six weeks old, my doctor 

discovered that I had a heart murmur that 

was later diagnosed with a heart condition. 

On top of that, I had a valve that leaked 

also but wasn’t serious enough to require 

immediate treatment. Therefore, I was 

constantly monitored by cardiologists from 

London at least once a year. I would have 

regular ECGs and ultrasounds so they could 

monitor my condition for any developments 

so they could consider whether or not I 

needed surgery. 

It wasn’t until I was 13 when I needed to 

have surgery. This was because they found 

my valve leaking more and that tissue 

was beginning to build up in one of my 

chambers. When they told me this, I was 

terrified. The whole prospect of having open 

heart surgery at that age was so hard to come 

to terms with. In July 2012 I had the surgery 

to fix my heart condition. Initially there 

were some complications with the surgery 

that resulted in a second surgery 24 hours 

later, but surgeons were able to fix the major 

problems. I still have a small 

leak in my valve that continues to be closely 

monitored by my cardiologist in Norwich. I 

have had MRI and CT Scans to also monitor 

the complication that arose during the initial 

surgery which my consultant is hopeful that 

it will not cause me any future problems. 

My journey is far from over, but I have come 

a long way since surgery. I’ve never let my 

heart condition stop me from doing what 

I want to do and what I want to achieve. I 

suppose that’s the message I’m trying to get 

out there; Never let your physical health stop 

you from achieving what you want to achieve. 

You’re so much more than your condition 

and shouldn’t let it define who you are. I 

hope this encourages other people to speak 

openly about their physical health. 

If you feel brave enough to share your story, 

email me at louisa@student-life.co and your 

story could feature in the magazine! 


DONATING BLOOD 


Recently I did something that I have 

wanted to do for a long time – I donated 

blood. While I was apprehensive about the 

whole process at first, it was one of the 

easiest things ever. 

To be able to donate you have to 

sign up through www.blood.co.uk 

It only takes a few minutes to fill in your 

details and then you are ready to book 

your first appointment. Again, this is an 

easy process which can be done on the 

website or through their app ‘NHS Give 

Blood’. All over the country there are 

temporary and regular pop-up blood 

banks where you can go and give blood, 

making it very accessible. Females can 

donate every 16 weeks and males every 

12 weeks, providing you still meet all the 

requirements (you may have to wait longer 

if you get a piercing for example – there is 

a full list of factors on their website). 

You are sent out a form to fill in and a 

booklet to read before you go to make 

the whole process quicker on the day. 

On the day of donation, you are advised 

to have a good breakfast and lunch and 

stay hydrated. When you arrive at the 

appointment you are required to read 

through some information and drink a 

glass of water. Then you’re taken for a 

quick consultation with a donor carer 

and/or nurse who will check through 

your forms and do a quick prick test to 

check if the haemoglobin (iron) levels in 

your blood are adequate. Then it’s finally 

time to donate! You are simply asked to 

sit in a tilted chair and do muscle tension 

exercises while the donation takes place. 

This is a fairly quick process which takes 

between 5-10 minutes. Afterwards you are 

allowed to take your time getting up and 

are given a drink and snack to relax with 

before you go. 

While all blood types are needed, there 

is always a demand for O negative (used 

as a universal source when a patient’s 

blood group is unknown and people 

with O negative blood can only receive 

their blood type). If you are over 17 and 

meet the requirements, I would definitely 

recommend looking into it – a simple blood 

donation really can help save lives. 

73 • PHYSICAL HEALTH • STUDENT LIFE

MY PARKRUN EXPERIENCE 

BY COURTNEY TURNER 

My parkrun experience began in the latter 

half of the year 2012 when I was 10 years 

old. I started going to parkrun as my dad 

had been running at the event since it 

first came about in Ipswich (on the 8th 

September 2012) and he encouraged 

me to give it a go, I was not a big fan of 

running to begin with and I could not 

manage to finish a parkrun. When I started 

in 2012 at Ipswich parkrun, I would run 

with my Auntie. She would try each week 

to get me to finish a parkrun and would 

push me round. The first ever parkrun 

I completed was on the 4th May 2013 

and I managed to finish in 41:02 with my 

Auntie’s help. 

Parkrun is something that anyone of any 

age can participate in and it allows you to 

make new friends from all different age 

groups. Being able to make new friends 

has helped massively in boosting my 

confidence and has helped to improve my 

communication skills. Parkrun also spurred 

me on to continue running each week as I 

was excited to see the friends I had made 

and it also kept me fit and healthy as I was 

able to get regular exercise. 

Within the world of parkrun, there are 

milestones that you can achieve; when 

you have run 10, 50, 100 and 250 parkruns 

you receive a t-shirt that recognises 

the achievements. I have a passion 

for parkrun, and attend weekly which 

consequently means that I have worked 

through the ranks of t-shirts. My proudest 

park running moment was being the first 

under 18 in Suffolk to receive a t-shirt for 

250 parkruns! By doing parkrun, I want to 

show that however old you are, running 

is a great and fun way of exercising and 

keeping fit. 

I would like everyone to know 

that parkrun is not a race and 

everybody should feel welcome, 

runner or not. 

I believe that parkrun has made me into 

the runner I am today. I’ve had many 

people over the years help and push 

me to be my best and achieve my best 

time parkrun time, which is 23:47. I now 

enjoy helping others to excel and push 

themselves to the best of their abilities. 

In my opinion, starting Parkrun all those 

years ago was the best decision of my life 

as it has benefitted my mental and physical 

health and I urge others to get involved! 


WTF 

WHAT THE FOOD 


TAKAYAMA REVIEW 


IMAGE BY 


Japanese and Korean food, a totally 

new world to me from different points 

of view. Starting with the ambience of 

the restaurant and continuing with the 

variety of dishes that they presented, 

these all were for me, a new experience. 

I discovered this place around two years 

ago when I was looking for a part-time 

job and working at Takayama came in 

handy. I can say that I discovered so 

many dishes and compared them so 

many times. However, the last time I 

went it was the best combination of 

dishes that I have ever done. 

My friend and I decided to go and as 

it was on a nice chilly evening, I had a 

nice jasmine tea. In terms of starters, I 

choose Tako Karage, which is a deep-fried 

octopus and soft-shell crab roll, a roll 

quite popular and definitely worth it. 

For the mains, I had a spicy chicken and my 

friend wanted to try a fish and had black 

Cod Misoyaki. Everything was amazing and 

I was so glad I tried it. I have had takeaway 

many times from this restaurant but 

eating in was truly different. 

If I was asked two years ago when I came 

to the UK about Asian food, I would not 

know what to say, but now I feel that I 

have discovered a new cuisine. From 

deep-fried dishes to grilled ones or soups 

such as ramen there are so many things 

to try and be amazed every time. 

Service is good, as we are trained from 

the beginning on how to approach 

customers and small problems that may 

arise. I would highly recommend trying 

Asian food and if you are in Ipswich and 

fancy sushi come by the restaurant, you 

will definitely enjoy it. 

75 • WHAT THE FOOD • STUDENT LIFE

HANK’S DELI 

REVIEW 


Hank’s Deli is a brand new 100% vegan deli 

and shop that opened on Lloyds Avenue, 

Ipswich. When I first saw this, I was amazed! 

There is nothing like this that I have come 

across around this area, and it is so nice 

to have a completely vegan deli/café and 

shop, where you can purchase a lot of vegan 

products that are otherwise hard to find! 

Alongside Hullabaloo and the TFI Vegan 

Burger Van, Hank’s Deli is an amazing 

establishment to join the market! 

Now, I cannot lie, I have been to the deli 

quite a few times and I definitely have a 

few firm favourites! The Rocky Road is 

AMAZING – the best I have ever had, and I 

don’t usually like it. I’ve now been back on 

several occasions to buy more for myself, 

and my friends and family, non-vegan, 

and they love it too! 

Recently, I’ve tried the BBQ Chick’n (fake 

meat) Roll which is delicious. I’m really 

unsure of the meat substitute that they use, 

but it is definitely one of the best I’ve tried. 

It comes in a golden brioche bun with crispy 

lettuce, tomato, homemade mayo and their 

crunchy, creamy coleslaw. They also do a 

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit alternative which I am 

yet to try! 

A special mention has to go to the Biscoff 

Cheesecake and Blueberry & Chocolate 

Muffin. Oh, and aaaalllll of their Brownies 

– Fudge, Biscoff, Oreo and Gluten Free – yes 

I’ve tried them all! Their sweet treat counter 

is definitely the best I’ve seen and you will 

not be disappointed by anything you buy. 

Everything is also very reasonably priced 

considering the quality of the products; 

vegan food is known to be very expensive 

but being affordable is another reason why 

I love Hank’s. 

Another speciality is Hank’s Vegan Tuna 

Chickpea Wrap that I had with their Lentil 

Salad. Both make a very good and filling 

lunch. I’d never had a vegan alternative 

to Tuna before then, and I was pleasantly 

surprised; it is really nice and tasty. I really 

want to try their lunch boxes. 

As you can probably tell, I am a little bit 

obsessed with Hank’s Deli! It’s not only the 

food and affordability that makes Hank’s 

attractive, but also the atmosphere, variety 

(that vegans usually get a lack of) and the 

service! The staff are always SO friendly and 

you can tell that they really appreciate the 

support – they even remember the regular 

faces! 

I cannot wait to go back and try their 

Full Breakfast, as well as their brand new 

Clucky’s Crispy Fillet Burger. Check out their 

Instagram @hanksdeli for some amazing, 

mouth watering images. 

Oh, their sausage rolls are really good too! 


MY LIFE 


DEAR PAST ME 

BY MOLLY PEARCE 

For the past 5 years, I’ve been writing 

letters to myself and storing them in 

a box at the end of my bed. Having 

just started my final year of formal 

education, however, I feel as though 

it’s time to share some of the things 

I’ve learnt, in the form of a letter 

addressed to myself. Simple, right? 

So, Dear Past Me; 

If I could give you any piece of advice, 

it’s to not worry. You’re a different 

person when compared to last year, 

and the year before that. 

My advice is not to get too 

stressed; and although it sounds 

impossible, what’s getting me 

through the present moment is 

knowing that there will be a time 

later on in life when I look back at 

myself and wonder; why on earth 

were you so stressed out? Academic 

work is crucial, I’m not going to 

tell you to stop working, but stop 

thinking that the universe will 

collapse in on itself if you go to this 

party or this family dinner. Please, 

stay calm, and truly enjoy yourself. 

Molly x 

77 • MY LIFE • STUDENT LIFE

INSPIRING 

PEOPLE 

BY THOMAS HEATHWAITE 

Do you ever find yourselves 

wondering where something 

came from? Do you ever stop 

and take a moment to press 

pause and think…? Do you ever 

think about the social, economic 

or environmental impacts of 

what you buy, wear or use? 

To begin with, I want you to ask yourself 

what don’t you like about what you recently 

bought? It could be anything maybe it’s the 

culture it creates (for example, Nike is known 

to have a negative impact on culture with its 

“just do it” slogan). Or maybe, it’s the brand 

that you’re buying from; the lack of fair pay 

that workers get (the case with Amazon, and 

many other large transnational companies 

like Coca-Cola etc). Or maybe it’s the type of 

environmental impact it has or how it hurts 

you to say it will go to landfill (for example 

buying plastic bottles), to name but a few. 

Yours could be focused on the dislikes of that 

moment – what do you buy, wear or eat now 

that you don’t like? Do a bit of research and 

find out what you buy now and what you’d 

like to change. 

Once you’ve thought about what you dislike 

about what you bought – change it! For 

example, if you bought a plastic bottle 

recently you could instead use a flask when 

you’re out. Or, socially, if you dislike what the 

brand represents (personally I don’t like how 

Amazon treat their workers) then don’t buy 

from them again. Each change is something 

small, but it all adds up and helps to create 

a better place. For example, by not buying 

from Amazon, I’m actively saying, “I don’t like 

it” and if everyone did that, then they would 

have to change their principles and how they 

treat people. A positive impact! 

Although, when viewing the world as it is, we 

might think, what with all the atrocities of the 

modern world, “that this is not the world we 

had in mind”, but with these changes we can 

actively reverse this trend – one small step at 

a time! (quote is from a line of a song called 

“Different World” by Sofia Carson) 

I’ll leave you with this extract of a poem 

I just wrote. 

We may have made a world 

that we don’t like, 

But it doesn’t mean we 

can’t change it, 

For, we can all try to find a small 

solution to a small problem, 

And create a better world, 

all together 

No, it’s not easy, but we can 

reverse our demons 

And reverse our mistakes, 

If we act now, and only if we act now. 


SUSTAINABLE STATIONERY 

BY ROSIE WEDGE 

Whilst it’s important to not be 

wasteful, and try to minimize our 

consumerism of paper notebooks 

and plastic pens, its also important to 

study hard. I personally always find 

that having a nice, small collection 

of pretty stationery knick-knacks 

really motivates me to study harder. 

So, I thought it would be useful to 

share some places that you can buy 

really nice stationery, for affordable 

prices, that will also last a long time, 

to reduce your consumption of 

stationery products, and keep the 

environment happy as well as your 

studying sessions! 

One of my favourite places to go 

for pens is Paperchase. Whilst they 

aren’t the cheapest pens in the 

world, they offer a great student discount 

on UNIDays, and their pens last a really long 

time! They annually offer a 3 for 2 back-toschool 

range as well, to help keep the costs 

down even more. Their 4 pack of pastel 

ballpoint pens retails for £8, however lasted 

me all the way into the middle of my second 

term at university, making them great value 

in the long run! 

Flying Tiger is another excellent store for 

stationery if you are on the look out for 

notebooks. Nearly all of their notebooks are 

100% recyclable, as they don’t come with 

plastic binding, or a plastic front and back 

cover, and aren’t packaged in cellophane 

wrapping. They sell for as little as £1 to £5, 

and come in a variety of sizes and designs. 

Their paper is also incredibly smooth, 

and I love how easily both my pens and 

pencils glide over the paper. 

Finally, when it comes to folders, an essential 

for higher and further education, I highly 

recommend going to Wilko. They release 

beautiful lever-arch folders, with nice glossy 

finishes, that are strong and sturdy, and are 

not prone to tearing at the crease. I still own 

the ones I bought in the beginning of sixth 

form three years ago, and still use them at 

university today! They are all respectably 

priced as well, ranging from £1.75-£2.50. 

They are additionally sold, again, without the 

cellophane wrapping, making them more 

eco-friendly. 


MY FIRST DAY 

Waking up with mixed emotions as today 

is the day I start my further education and 

as I enter the life of a sixth form student. 

Several thoughts are crossing my mind 

as who knows what A Levels will entail 

as this is the start of essentially the rest 

of my life. The day is sunny with not a 

cloud in the sky, as I enter the assembly 

hall to take part in the ‘Welcome to sixth 

form parade’ where I see a mixture of old 

friends and new people who I have never 

met, all people who I will start my sixth 

form journey with. I was very nervous as I 

entered the hall however I had a sense of 

optimism as this is a new chapter 

in my life. 

The day started off extremely 

well as I met loads of new people 

who shared the same ambitions 

and dreams as me which was 

exhilarating. 

People say sixth form is a tough challenge 

and you have to be dedicated to work hard, 

personally A Levels is the stepping stone 

to the next chapter in my life however 

upon exiting the assembly hall I thought 

whether I was ready for the challenge, 

I came to the quick conclusion that if I 

tried my best and made myself proud 

that was enough for me. 

BY KAI KERRY 

I also thought of those deciding between 

going to sixth form and taking an 

apprenticeship, and whether I’d made 

the right choice. Everyone leads different 

pathways, and they all lead to bright 

futures. I decided sixth form was for me. 

Furthermore, as I sat down in my new 

form seeing all new faces, this is when the 

nerves began to build and the realisation 

of sixth form started. I was thrilled to begin 

with but anxious to what was next. 

As I met my new form members each 

individual had a story to share and all of 

our paths have connected, here, at sixth 

form. My first day was a success as I had 

matured a lot from the person who woke 

up that morning as I started the new 

chapter in my life and this was my chance 

to work hard and show my dedication to 

my school work and to my new life. 


FRIENDSHIP 

BY ELENA HARRIS 

Throughout our lives we’ll encounter 

friendships; some may be stronger than 

others. We mainly make friends in school 

and work; however, the true friends are the 

ones that remain after these situations or 

events. They’re the type of friendships that 

will stay with you forever. 

The Meaning of Friendship 

Personally, I think the meaning of 

friendship is the way you believe in your 

friends, this may apply to their decisions 

and success, as long as you’re not being 

too ‘braggy’ about what you’ve achieved, 

your friends should cheer you on and in 

return you should be able to do the same 

with them. This way, you are showing an 

equal relationship with each other. In the 

end, friends are here to support you and 

help when you need it most. 

When having an argument with a friend, 

it doesn’t mean you have to break-up 

the friendship as if it was nothing. Good 

friends will forgive and forget and will try 

and make amends, a true friendship can 

survive come what may. In the past I have 

had “friends” who could drop me easily, 

it was hard to move on but thankfully I 

did; making stronger friendships with 

other people. True friends will accept 

you for simply being YOU, and not being 

judgemental. The signs of having a ‘Toxic 

Friendship’ are when they put you down; 

make you feel bad constantly; they’re 

always blaming you, never feeling your 

pain, they only come to you when it best 

suits them; there’s a lot of drama between 

you two; 

they are judgemental and can 

drop you as a friend easily. If you find that 

you have a toxic friend, ask yourself “is this 

really healthy?”. It may be hard to deal with 

at first but try and talk to them about the 

way they’re treating you, and if they’re not 

willing to treat you better then it may be 

best to part ways, it’s okay to tell them, you 

are allowed to have happiness. 

Is friendship important? 

And how to keep it going 

Friendship is very important, as it 

can mould you as a person and it will 

make you feel happier. If you or a 

friend moves away you can still keep 

the friendship going by making an 

effort, talk to them over social media 

and (if not too far) meet up with them 

over the holidays. 


HOLYWELLS 

PARK 

When I arrived, I noticed that there was a car park and 

people can stay and have a walk in the park. 

The first thing I saw was the map and it’s because people 

can see where the pub or the ice cream shop is. 

You can get ice cream while you walk your dog. 

There is fitness equipment around the park, for example 

push ups, press ups etc. At the park also, you can run 

and ride a bike. And you can purchase a cheap bike 

and support the people who work there with learning 

difficulties. If we bring a ball we can play with friends. 

If the weather is good you can go and eat there and drink 

with family and friends and you can go there and eat ice 

cream inside of the shop and the value is good. From 

5-12 years old, children can go on a spider web climbing 

frame. Also, in the same place there is table tennis and 

it doesn’t matter how old you are. There is also a game 

which you can play with friends and family. I’m going to 

call it ‘press push pull and twist’. 

BY GEORGI MLADENOV 


Things I like at Holywells: 

There is a café where you can sit outside 

and inside and it’s good value for money. 

You can also get different types of coffee, 

sandwiches and salads. 

Public toilets to use at the café and near 

the park so you don’t have to pay. 

They have different types of ice cream for 

good prices. 

Fitness equipment scattered around the 

park can be found for people to use and it’s 

for free. Also, you won’t smell as there is 

fresh air. 

There is a map to show where everything 

is so you don’t get lost. Also, benches are 

everywhere to sit and relax while looking at 

the luxurious plants. 

It feels like you’re far away from everything 

as it’s peaceful and tranquil. 

There is a free football area for people to 

play on and use the free goals. And it’s not 

dirty so you could sit down on the grass. 

You can also purchase bikes near the café 

for really good prices and support people 

with learning difficulties who work there. 

If you are a runner you would be happy to 

see paths free to run around or bike. 

On top of that you can get free Wi-Fi near 

the café. 

Also, there are events to go to like a cinema 

at 9pm which is most likely for teens. 

One of the good things is, you can have a 

scrumptious picnic with family or friends. 

BY CORY-LEE BURGESS 


ME TIME 


‘Me time’ sounds like such a selfish thing 

to do and you may feel judged by saying ‘I 

need some me time’ but honestly it is one 

of the most beneficial things you could 

do! I’ve recently learned this over the past 

couple weeks. 

It is a big year for me academically 

as I am in my third year at university 

which means I have to write my 

dissertation and think about what I 

want to do after university. 

On top of this I am working part-time in 

retail, co-editor of the Physical Health 

section of the magazine and maintaining 

my blog; I am a very busy person! With 

all of this, I find it very easy to forget 

to take time for myself and just plough 

on without allowing myself a chance to 

breathe sometimes! 

However, I learnt the hard way a couple 

weeks ago that I need to take a break! I 

managed to stress myself out by making 

myself believe that I was already behind 

on my uni work and was working overtime 

to try and catch up; even though I was 

already up to date and, in some cases, 

ahead. This led to me to having a mini 

breakdown and making myself ill which 

stressed me out more! 

In the end, I had to take a break over a 

weekend to recover from my illness and to 

help find a way for me to relax when it gets 

too much for me because I couldn’t afford 

for this to happen on a regular basis. 

So I have now put a plan in place 

so I stop working at 8pm every night and 

do something for myself whether that is 

reading a book I’m not studying, playing 

a game, listening to music or just getting 

an early night. I have also planned to have 

a day off where I do whatever I want that 

isn’t related to anything I’m currently doing 

such as going to the cinema/theatre, going 

out with friends or just going shopping on 

my own. 

I have found that having ‘me time’ has 

been really beneficial for me and I 

recommend that everyone should take 

them for themselves no matter what. 

Take care of yourself and everything 

will be okay! 


LGBT 

CO-EDITOR LEANNE ARNOLD 

LGBTQ’s 


So, this month is a big one. You’re back into 

the full swing of education and ready for 

the super long Autumn term. I hope you’re 

getting back into it comfortably, whether 

you’re staying where you were last year or 

moving on to somewhere new – college, 

university or work. If you are moving to 

somewhere new, you’ll be starting fresh 

with all new people surrounding you with 

lots of new friends to make. With those 

new friends may come the time to come 

out to people. 

It can be difficult to come out, especially if 

it’s to new people in your life. Moving away 

can present a difficult ultimatum. You may 

feel comfortable coming out to your new 

friends (who may well end up becoming 

your uni family), but your family at home 

may be clueless about your sexuality. 

There can be a variety of reasons why you 

may not feel comfortable to come out 

at home – and moving to uni can often 

give you the room to find your feet and 

understand yourself. 

Having said that, please don’t feel pressure 

to come out! There is no need to do things 

you aren’t comfortable with just because 

you’re in a new place. Whilst it is a new 

place with new people, and you want 

to feel yourself, there’s no need to put 

yourself too far out of your comfort zone. 

By no means should you be embarrassed 

about your sexuality, but as Dan Howell 

(YouTube/social media celebrity) recently 

demonstrated, it’s okay to feel like you 

need more time in the closet. He explained 

in a recent video (I mentioned it in July’s 

issue), that he had spent a very long 

time in the closet as he had never felt 

comfortable with his sexuality. He hated 

the fact that he was gay because the time 

he was growing up was non inclusive and 

taught him that being gay was wrong. 

Only now has he managed to fight his 

demons and tell the world about his true 

self, but I’m really glad he now feels able to 

embrace himself! 

I hope wherever you’re spending this 

year is a positive place. I have found that 

if someone is your true friend, they’ll 

always love you for who you are! Have a 

wonderful month! 

85 • LGBT • STUDENT LIFE

LGBT+ 


Identifying as part of the LGBT+ 

community has its up and downs. I’ve 

met some amazing people who are into 

similar things as I am, however, I have 

also experienced some hate too. When I 

was younger, I was stared at, shouted at 

across the street, and told I was disgusting 

by people who didn’t have any clue who 

I was just from holding a girl’s hand. I 

understand that the LGBT community has 

come a long way since when I first came 

out, and I’d be shocked if I experienced 

now what I did then. However, there is still 

a large amount of discrimination towards 

the LGBT community. I often get stared 

at on a night out when I’m dancing with 

my partner, I still get hit on by lads and 

when I tell them I’m a lesbian it seems to 

encourage them. If that isn’t complete 

disrespect, then I don’t know what is. 

It annoys me that still today people think 

it’s appropriate to act a certain way with 

me because I identify as a lesbian. Even 

more so, the fact that guys think it’s okay 

to try even harder with me when I have 

stated that I’m clearly not into men. 

I know it’s not going to drastically 

change anytime soon, that would be very 

ambitious to believe. I was just wondering 

whether other people within the LGBT 

community experience stuff like this? 

If you do and wanted to have a rant or 

discuss it in an article please do message 

me at leanne@student-life.co 

I just hope that people may read this and 

think twice about how they act, not just 

with people who identify within the LGBT+ 

community but with others as a whole. 

I think the world would be a much kinder 

place!!! 

86 • 86 OCTOBER • MY LIFE 2019 • • STUDENT LIFE LIFE

Coming Out 

BY LOUISE DICKMAN 

ADVICE 

You may be reading this article because 

you are thinking of coming out. First off, it 

is okay. It is okay to be LGBT+. It is okay to 

be anxious about coming out. You are not 

alone, you matter and you are loved. 

I would first advise that you 

have come out to yourself. 

Don’t come out to other people unless you 

feel as if you have completely accepted 

your sexuality yourself and you feel 

comfortable with yourself. You may be 

thinking things like ‘I shouldn’t feel this 

way’ or ‘I am wrong’ but being gay/bi/trans/ 

any other LGBT+ identity is completely 

okay. You should truly believe this. 

But also, don’t feel as if you have to come 

out in a specific way. Everyone’s way of 

coming out is different – you do whatever 

you feel best doing. Some people prefer 

a face to face conversation so they can 

straight away answer any questions the 

other person has. Whereas, others prefer 

to write a letter or text the person they 

are coming out to, this can give the person 

some time to think about things and not 

respond immediately in a way that could 

be hurtful. It is completely your choice. But 

remember, it is never going to feel exactly 

like the ‘right’ time to come out. It is an 

incredibly nerve-racking situation, but you 

can do things to make sure it feels as ‘right’ 

as possible. Make sure you have time to sit 

down with the person and explain things. 

For example, don’t tell a parent while 

they are about to leave for work, maybe 

instead when you both have time after 

school/work to properly talk about things. 

Most parents need a lot of time to process 

what they have been told and that is also 

okay because they just need to adjust 

and most of the time, the relationship 

grows stronger. Their initial reaction, if it’s 

negative, will be mostly out of shock. It 

wouldn’t be their final reaction or opinion. 

Most importantly, if you genuinely think 

that you could be in any type of danger 

by coming out, the best thing is to protect 

yourself and wait until you believe that you 

are safe to do so. Your safety is the most 

paramount thing. 

87 87 • MY LGBT LIFE • STUDENT LIFE

WHY IS DRAG 

SO IMPORTANT? 

BY SOPHIE BRACKETT 

When I was 14, I discovered the tonguepopping, 

sashaying world of drag queens 

when I impulsively followed drag queen 

royalty, Trixie Mattel, on Instagram. I 

had always admired drag queens but my 

admiration quickly turned into complete 

love when I became absorbed in drag queen 

culture. I’m into everything drag from 

Rupaul’s Drag Race to ‘Nails, Hair, Hips, 

Heels’ by Todrick Halls. I understand that you 

may be thinking, ‘why is this girl so obsessed 

with drag?’ Well, I’m going to tell you three 

reasons why drag is so important in society 

and why everyone should appreciate it. 

LGBTQ+ EDUCATION 

Nowadays, we are more aware of the LGBT 

community and I have personally gathered 

a majority of my information from drag 

queens. In the drag community, there are 

people who identify as gay, transgender, nonbinary 

and many more. As someone who is 

especially interested in supporting all things 

LGBTQ+, hearing real life stories featured on 

Rupaul’s Drag Race is eye-opening. A great 

example of this is Peppermint, who featured 

in season 9 of the reality show. Bravely, she 

came out as being trans after struggling with 

her identity continuously throughout her life. 

Her story truly inspires me and I’m sure it 

inspires many others. 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Despite the serious topics surrounding 

drag queens, they are extremely 

entertaining. After all, they were made 

to perform. Drag queens have the 

ability to make me laugh hysterically. 

One queen that never fails to make me 

laugh is Bianca Del Rio due to her dark 

and shady sense of humour. Whenever 

you’re having a bad day, search drag 

queen funny moments on YouTube and 

I can assure you, your mood will 

be lifted. 

UNIQUENESS 

According to Mother Ru, drag queens should 

have charisma, uniqueness, nerve and 

talent but the most important factor there 

is uniqueness. Drag queens aspire to be 

different and push boundaries within gender, 

sexuality and the norm. For example, Sasha 

Velour ( the incredible winner of season 9) 

defies stereotypes. She combines masculinity 

and femininity to encourage individuals to be 

who they are. To me, that’s the most critical 

message drag spreads, especially in modern 

day society with the pressure to ‘fit in.’ 

88 • 88 OCTOBER • MY LIFE 2019 • • STUDENT LIFE LIFE

TECH 

CO-EDITOR JOSHUA HODGKIN 

AUDIO 

BY JACK MACEY 

Did you know that on average we each 

listen to more than 4.5 hours of music a 

day? Chances are that right now you’re 

listening to music too. But what’s the 

best way to maximise your listening 

experience – and what’s the cost? This 

month, Ashley from Hughes Electrical 

gave us the highs and lows on all the 

options available so you can get back 

to tapping your feet or singing along 

without worrying about a gaping hole in 

your pocket. 

One of the most popular ways to listen to 

music is through a pair of headphones. 

Whether it’s a fancy new wireless pair 

or the freebies you got with your phone, 

there’s no doubting that the convenience 

of earphones, combined with their good 

sound quality, makes them a great choice 

for everyday life. On-ear headphones 

typically provide a better sound whereas 

in-ear earbuds are a bit less bulky and 

similarly, wired headphones have a 

higher sound quality but lose some of 

the convenience that comes from being 

wireless. 

Bluetooth speakers are another great 

way to easily listen to music. Starting 

around £20, they provide a great option 

for playing music out and about when 

you’re in a group and usually last around 

6hrs when charged. As is to be expected, 

as the price increases so does the sound 

and build quality with a top-of-the-range 

speaker from Bose costing around £100. 

Hi-fi systems are another alternative, 

especially for those who like to listen in 

one room as they trade portability for 

better hardware and bigger speakers 

allowing for a very impressive sound. 

Though more expensive, they provide a 

mix of traditional features like physical CD 

players alongside more modern internet/ 

streaming services, which can all be 

integrated into one sleek box unit. 

Blending both the Bluetooth speaker 

and hi-fi systems are the SONOS home 

speakers. At the upper-end of the price 

range (£399), these offer an unrivalled 

sound with the portability factor too! The 

software customisation options where 

each user can set up their own ‘sound 

profile’ and lasting support for updates 

from SONOS ensures the speaker will 

remain up to date for years to come. 

That sounds like music to my ears! 

89 • TECH • STUDENT LIFE

AIRPODS 


I have always liked the wired EarPods that 

come with Apple products as the sound 

quality is pretty good and they fit perfectly 

in my ears. Therefore, it was a no-brainer 

for me to try Apple’s wireless equivalent 

– AirPods. Retailing at £159 with a wired 

charging case (there is a wireless charging 

version available for £199.95), they are 

expensive in comparison to the standard 

EarPods (which only cost £29.99). 

Connecting via Bluetooth, the AirPods 

will automatically sync with your iPhone 

when you open the case and are ready to 

go once you put them into your ears. If 

you take an AirPod out of your ear, it will 

automatically pause any audio. You can 

then either resume by putting it back in or 

press play on your phone and use just one. 

A feature I really like is that if you only 

want to use one AirPod and keep the other 

one in the case, it recognises this and plays 

both left and right channels into the one, 

helping a lot for some music that is mixed 

unevenly. 

REVIEW 

They have a fairly good battery life – Apple 

claim up to 5 hours of listening time or 3 

hours of talk time and the case can charge 

them multiple times before needing 

charging itself. Although not designed 

specifically for this, the lack of noise 

cancellation when listening to audio could 

be a drawback for some, however they do 

perform well during phone calls with built 

in microphones. 

In summary, although they are essentially 

the same as EarPods just without the 

wires, I do think that if you want to treat 

yourself they are worth the money for the 

convenience and freedom they give you, 

allowing you to keep listening to music all 

day long - especially if you have an iPhone 

that constantly needs to be charged! 

Tips and Tricks 

Summon Siri by simply just saying ‘Hey Siri’ 

Control your AirPods by double tapping the outside 

To customise the double-tap controls, go to Settings - Bluetooth and then click the 

‘i’ next to your AirPods. You can choose between Siri, Play/Pause, Next Track and 

Previous Track. 

Add ‘Batteries’ to the iPhone Home widget page which allows you to see the 

percentage of your AirPods and their case. 


iPHONE 11 


I’m a huge fan of iPhones. I have had 

many over the years, along with many 

other Apple products too. When I saw the 

announcement for the iPhone 11 series, I 

was really amazed. Now that they’re out in 

the shops, I want to give you the lowdown. 

There are three new phones to look at, the 

iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 

11 Pro Max. I can’t say I was attracted to 

the names, but the phones are amazing. 

The Pro models have three camera lenses, 

with the Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto 

lenses. The Ultra Wide lens gives a GoProesque 

appearance to your photos, taking 

in a wider area than normal. Wide is your 

standard lens, and the Telephoto lens 

allows for that optical zoom you’re used to 

on the iPhone X and XS ranges. 

The lenses feature a new 12MP 

sensor, which really packs a 

punch. Lighting and saturation is 

really impressive. 

Photos appear natural and true to life, even 

though they’re touched up by AI in real 

time. Not only that, but video recording is 

insane with a 4K resolution at 60 FPS. What 

does that mean? A standard video camera 

records at 25 FPS (frames-per-second), 

so 60 FPS means the camera takes over 

double the frames into each second, 

making motion in video buttery smooth. 

The standard iPhone 11 has amazing 

battery life, lasting all day in real world 

use, and is actually cheaper than the 

iPhone XR was last year. Not by much, 

at £729 rather than £749, but it is a 

reduction nonetheless. 

What don’t I like? Firstly, it’s 2019. I can 

buy a charger on Amazon for around £20, 

allowing super fast, intelligent charging for 

my phone. What does the iPhone 11 come 

with? The same 5 watt, 1 amp charger 

from yesteryear. My iPad has a 10 watt, 

2.1 amp charger, and the phones should 

come with this. But why does this matter? 

The higher rated charger charges much 

faster. That’s it. 

So, should you buy the iPhone 11? In 

short, if you’re looking for a new iPhone 

and you’ve got something like the iPhone 

7 (like me) then I’d definitely recommend 

taking a look. However, it may even be 

worth picking up an iPhone XR as they 

aren’t all that different. 

91 • TECH • STUDENT LIFE

iOS 13 


Apple releases big 

(or less than big, 

depending on your 

opinion) updates 

for iOS on an 

annual basis. 

Here’s this year’s 

update, and it’s leaning on the 

less-than-big end of the spectrum. 

Whilst the iPhone 11 is great, the new 

software is less than perfect. Bugs galore 

mean that if you depend on your device 

for reliability, you may want to hold out for 

iOS 13.2. 

I find it hard not to sing the praises of any 

dark mode in design. Black backgrounds 

and sleek lines are super appealing, and in 

iOS 13, the design really pops. 

Not only does it look great, but on the 

iPhone X, XS and 11 Pro series phones, 

dark mode saves battery too because 

these phones have OLED displays. These 

types of screens don’t have a backlight, 

every pixel produces its own light, so all 

black pixels just don’t turn on. Neat! 

The Photos app has seen a huge 

improvement, allowing you to scroll 

through the dates and see the highlights 

from that date, month or year. It allows 

you much more control over your photo 

viewing experience. 

Now, let’s look at iPadOS. I am a regular 

iPad user, using it as a more portable 

alternative to my laptop complete 

with a Bluetooth keyboard. Therefore, I 

take it seriously. 

You’ll be pleased to know that iPadOS is 

a little more reliable than iOS, from what 

I can tell, with less bugs. The update has 

more advanced multitasking with features 

like Slide Over - where you can slide a mini 

selection of apps in an iPhone-sized dialog 

box. You can write messages and check 

a website whilst writing! Not only that, 

but you can see websites in their desktop 

format rather than the cramped mobile 

versions. 

As the proud owner of an iPhone 7 which is 

still holding out, I was very disappointed to 

learn that iOS 13 would be the death knell 

for my battery. My battery would quite 

comfortably last me a whole day, now I’m 

lucky to get 6 hours. Even the recent bug 

fixes found in iOS 13.1 didn’t solve the 

issue, so here I’m waiting. 

So, iOS 13. A funny beast. The design is 

more polished than ever, yet reliability is 

at an all time low. Will you risk it? 


MY MONEY 

CO-EDITOR JOSHUA HODGKIN 

SHOULD I BE SAVING? 


As a student, you probably don’t have a lot 

of money to play with. i know I don’t. By 

that token, I can imagine every penny of 

your income goes towards your immediate 

costs – rent, utilities and those allimportant 

textbooks. However, have you 

ever thought about saving? 

With the temptation of pay monthly 

deals for everything from laptops to 

headphones, credit cards and other ways 

to buy things now, it is harder than ever 

to see the point in saving up money. 

However, even when ‘responsibly’ using 

debt products, it can be so easy to let 

things get out of control – I know myself. 

People say that setting up a regular 

payment into your savings account on the 

day you get paid from your work 

or from your student finance helps you 

to save without noticing the money leave 

your account. Even better is to have a 

savings account at a different bank to 

your main account. This way, you won’t be 

tempted because you won’t even see that 

the money exists! 

You can save whilst a student, even if it’s 

just £50 or £100 a month. This way, you’re 

building up a nest egg to allow yourself 

to feel comfortable as time goes on. If an 

emergency crops up, you can deal with it! 

I find it very hard to save, but I am starting 

to see how vital it is to feeling comfortable 

financially. 

93 • 93 MY •TECH MONEY • • STUDENT LIFE LIFE

DELAYED SATISFACTION 


Trends are a dangerous thing. Whilst it’s 

really fun to get your hands on the latest tech 

or fashion as soon as they drop, the impact 

of this on your wallet is certainly less fun. 

Especially when you borrow money to get the 

things you want now. 

Let’s be honest, you probably don’t need 

these things. Even if it will help your studies, 

you don’t need them right this moment! I 

speak from experience, I bought an iPad and 

keyboard for my university work by using a 

credit card. Whilst it can be useful to see it as 

an investment, it’s so much more satisfying 

to save up and buy these things using cash! 

This is called ‘delayed satisfaction’ – putting 

off a purchase so you enjoy it better at a 

later date in the knowledge you’ve paid in 

cash for it! 

I can, however, see the point when you take 

out an interest free deal from an electrical 

retailer. These tend to be pretty good as they 

allow you to spread the cash price of an item 

over time, rather than paying more by paying 

monthly. That’s the only way I would take out 

a finance deal again, and it’s really important 

to check you can afford to pay back the 

monthly payments! 

If you are planning to buy 

something by monthly payments, 

here’s how to make sure it won’t 

cause you trouble in the long term. 

Check your budget! Can you afford 

to pay the payments every month? 

Where is your income coming from 

and how could that change? 

Do you really need the item? If 

it’s something like a computer or 

another piece of tech that will help 

you with your studies, then I would 

say go for it. If it’s something like 

a new phone, a smart watch or a 

games console, how necessary is it to 

buy it right now? Could you save up? 

Is the credit only for this item or 

is it a product like a credit card? I 

wouldn’t recommend getting a credit 

card for a big purchase. Instead, 

explore finance deals offered by 

shops as they tend to be limited 

to the item you’re buying. This 

stops you being tempted to get into 

unnecessary debt! 


OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS

OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS 

Suffolk

Student Life October 2019

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