Motivational Monday

 This weeks Motivational Monday comes to you from good ol' Albus Dumbledore.

Current Favourites

1. Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser

 

 Being a fan of Origins and being impressed with other products from the GinZing range (moisturiser and eye cream) I just couldn't resist picking this up and I'm so glad I did. I've had this for a while now and have being testing it out to form a solid opinion, and that opinion is... It’s great (the end. haha). It has the same orangey, citrus smell that the other GinZing products have and that personally I love. The little 'beads' in the cleanser exfoliate gently so it is not too harsh to use frequently and is not irritating. Also, true to its name and perhaps my favourite thing about this cleanser is that it is very refreshing. I love and look forward to using it in the morning as I find it wakes me up and makes my skin feel refreshed and look brighter as well as making my skin feel just nice and clean.

2. ShopDixi Jewellery

ShopDixi has quickly become one of my favourite jewellery stores. I only own three rings from them but I love them all and have worn them pretty much every day since I have got them. I find myself browsing their website frequently as they have so much nice stuff that is right up my street. I also like how there is sterling silver jewellery as well as more 'costume jewellery', because it's not something you find often from the main high street stores and getting jewellery from the high street, whilst I do like it, I find just tarnishes too quickly. Sometimes it is worth perhaps paying a bit more to get something that lasts, and ShopDixi is the place I'll probably turn to for that as I have been very impressed with their stuff so far. They also have sales pretty regularly too, so that's always great; I got two of mine in the sale at a great discount. (my rings from the left: Ganesha elephant amulet ring, Om mantra amulet ring and moonstone poison box ring *sterling silver*)

3. Sun and Moon Iphone case

I've seen this case floating about the internet and was like 'I have to have it'. I probably have too many phone cases already but I love changing them up and I also love that they protect my phone of course, haha. I really love the pattern of this; usually anything with moons on is a winner for me. A kind of random fave, but I just really like it. I also like that it was just 1.99 from Ebay (wooh).

4. Mac See Sheer Lipstick

This has been my go-to summer lipstick and has also become one of my favourite Mac lipsticks I own. In fact it might just be one of my faves full stop. I got this back in July and have used it kind of non-stop since then. I'm not much of a nude lipstick girl myself, so a 'neutral' for me is a kind of peachy orange, which is exactly what this is. Orange lipsticks are definitely my go-to in summer. So this is kind of perfect for me. You can build this lipstick up to be quite bright but I personally like to apply it and kind-of smudge it into the lips as a stain, as a more subtle orangey lip. As a lustre I've found it not to be that long lasting, but I'll only need to re-apply it once or twice.

5. Olivia Burton Watch

Back in July I was very lucky and extremely grateful to receive this beauty of a watch for my birthday. I had been lusting after this watch for a lengthy amount of time and spent a lot of time just staring at it when I got it. I had my old watch for blooming years and it is now the definition of grotty haha (still kept it though). This is my first kind of 'investment' watch which I'll know I'll keep forever, because I just absolutely love it. Olivia Burton has such a nice collection of watches to choose from so it was quite a difficult choice, but in the end I went for this one. I'm normally more of a silver jewellery girl than gold but there's just something about this gold and this watch that I love. It's just very classic and that's exactly what I wanted. My wrist is now lost without it.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern

I love love LOVE this book. It had been on my shelf for a while before I finally got a chance to read it this summer.  I've got to say, this is probably one of the best books I've read in a long while, and I'm quite an avid reader. I don't want to go into too much detail as I plan to do a more in depth review sometime in the near future (keep your eyes peeled). It's such an entertaining read, great style and structure, and full with beautiful rich description. Never before in a book have I felt like I can actually smell and taste what is being described. Even though fantasy is a fav genre of mine, and it's almost certain that if it's got magic in it, I'll probably like it, I'd still recommend this book to anyone. Warning: proceed with caution, as once you've read this book you will almost certainly want to go to the circus, and more specifically The Night Circus (yet another fictional place I wish was real...sigh)

Kelly x

Motivational Monday

To uni, or not to uni--that is the question

As you may have noticed A-Level results day was last week, which meant the biggest mass early morning get up of 18 year olds of the year, myself included (what? I'm partial to a good 'ol lie in, don't tell me you wouldn't if you could). On this morning I scrambled out of bed at six in the morning and saw the sunrise for the first time all summer (note to self: you should really do that more often). I then, with a fair bit of anticipation, opened my laptop fully expecting to have to wait for a while as the college website normally crashes (anyone else? haha). However this year it didn't, so the anticipation lasted only a few minutes as I sat waiting to see if I had gotten the grades to get into my chosen university. Lo and behold I did and it is now official.

Before attending college, and throughout my first year University never really appealed to me and honestly when people asked me I would reply that I didn't think I was going to go. Admittedly, then I didn't think so much about it, as it was in the future and I was happy to just ignore the fact that I’d have make a choice about uni and what I wanted to do with my life eventually ( *moonwalks away from responsibilities*; as you do). On the whole, I’m really quite bad at making decisions anyway, a habit I seemed to have picked up from my mother (thanks mum, haha) so when it comes to big ones like this, they're ten times worse and all I want to do is put it in a box and kick it miles away (when I think of this, I think of the end of Aladdin when Jafar gets stuck in his lamp and then Genie flicks it and he's just gone for good, haha.. if only).

So it got to second year and it's then that I kinda couldn’t avoid it anymore. I started to have lessons on UCAS, personal statements, interviews, etc. and I remember being sat there thinking that I really have no idea what I want to do with my life and what I want to be, as I’m sure many other people did too. If you didn't/don't have them thoughts, you are very lucky! Also, at my college (I’ve also seen that it is pretty common with other college's too) they kind of push University on you as the only option, and the best option. That, and the fact that it is also the dominant ideology of our contemporary society that University leads to success can be a lot of pressure, and was for me. It is made out that if you don't go to university, it's inevitable that you are going to be a failure, and that's not true. It's not the only option. I think colleges should have more details on other options, as that would of definitely been something I would have looked into (apprenticeships, internships, volunteering etc.)

In the end, I did end up applying, and I guess I kind of (shamefully) did because it was what everyone else was doing. Anyway, I applied for courses surrounding media as that is an area of great interest for me and a career in the media is something I’d like to pursue (broad I know, but I’m still working on it). The course I ended up putting as my firm choice was 'Media and Cultural Studies' and my second choice was 'Media and Communications': pretty much the same thing (after researching them both I knew this was the kind of course I wanted to study). After I applied I still wasn't sure if going to uni was the choice I wanted to make; the path I wanted to follow. (I'm still changing my mind all the time and I go in a month). This was partly because of the subject I had chosen to study. Media courses get a lot of stick for being 'pointless'; a 'Mickey Mouse' subject. Hearing that kind of sucks when its a subject you genuinely enjoy learning about and is as stimulating as other subjects I have studied, if not more. Sometimes that did put me off studying it and then I'd remind myself to not let that get in the way of something I genuinely enjoy. However, what also made me have doubts is the fact that the media industry is kind of known for being an industry that you don't have to have a degree for, and that the way to make it is through working your way up and getting a hands-on experience; learning on the job.

Honestly, I'm still somewhat undecided. There's this little thing in the back of my mind that thinks I want to have a go at working my way up without a degree, doing volunteering and placements, or an apprenticeship. I know it's not the easiest way, but then again neither is uni, what with the problem of graduate unemployment and so on. I have watched countless videos online about whether or not uni is worth it, in pursuit for a definite answer. After watching too many video's and realising that they're not really helping at all, just making me more confused and indecisive, I stopped watching them and eventually came to a conclusion (at least one for now hahaha)

Conclusion: There is no definite answer. It's a choice you and you alone have to make. It's your life at the end of the day. What I think is important to note is that a degree doesn't necessarily equal success and a good job; but neither does not going to uni mean placements and opportunities are going to fall at your feet. It's going to be hard work and challenging no matter what choice you make. I love hearing success stories of people who made it and are successful without a degree, but I think it's important to not fall under the pretence that it's going to be the same for you. Not that it can't be, but don't take it as a given, as admirable as it might seem. Yes Alan Sugar didn't get a degree, and yes he's successful, but  you are not Alan Sugar. (If you are, then... Hi)

All jokes aside, I think it's about the individual and what you do with what you've got (cringe.. but true) .A student who scrapes their degree with no heart or passion in it will most likely not do as well as someone who has worked hard in multiple placements or internships, and vice versa. In any circumstance, if you go to uni or not, it is hard work, motivation, patience and strong will that (eventually) will lead to success and hopefully happiness in wherever your life takes you.

So, personally, even if it is rather nervously and sceptically, I have decided to go to university. An expensive risk I know, but a risk I have made and I will deal with. Most importantly, I am going to uni with the idea in the front of my mind that a degree does not equal success and therefore am going to make it my mission to get as much work experience in my field as I can, as well as a degree. If you are in the same position as me, I would say to pick whatever feels right for you and try your absolute best to make the most out of whatever it is, because really what more can you do? x