Love from, Florence Grace

University. The whole idea of starting somewhere new, living away from home and trying a completely different lifestyle whilst learning a new subject and important life skills can seem both daunting and exciting at once. There's often one problem that bothers new students the most though- money. University is, ultimately, not affordable. The cost of books, equipment, accommodation, the course itself and then just the cost of living (food, clothes etc.) all totals to huge amounts that not even our parents could afford, let alone 18 and 19 year old students. And what do you get at the end of it? Yes 'life long friends' and life skills (which can be gained anytime, any place...) but also a huge amount of debt to pay off, and no immediate job prospects a lot of the time. Whilst having a degree used to put you above the rest, is university still the best option of school leavers? Going to university is no longer a route that will lead you to a guaranteed job complete with an ...

So the first week of starting school or college is finally over...and if you're starting college or sixth form, you're probably realizing that you may need to make some major changes in your life to accommodate yourself to the life of an A Level student. Having completed two years of A Levels and leaving with some very good results, I've compiled a list of my top tips to help you out for the next step in your education! Tip One : Be organised. This sounds obvious, but as you get older and gain more freedom, become able to drive or drink (hopefully not at the same time...!) staying organised becomes more and more difficult. Keeping a diary is a must- this really will prevent you from forgetting anything. Dates, meetings, deadlines, anything. Have plenty of folders and dividers to keep all your work organised and have a set space in your room kept clear for storing your work and keeping it safe. Tip Two : Start retaining information you learn right away. When writing in ...

Bullying. A word we all learn to become familiar with from a young age- which in itself says a lot about the society we live in. Bullying can take many shapes and forms and isn't always recognizable. It can affect people mentally, physically and emotionally. It can be done in the work place, in the street, in schools or clubs, over the internet. And most importantly of all- it can happen to anyone. Here in the United Kingdom, there is currently no legal definition of bullying. This only proves more so that it can be so complex, and sometimes so hard to pinpoint in all of its forms. Defining bullying does seem nearly impossible when it can cover so much. So whilst we can't define exactly what bullying is, what we can define is what a bully is. A bully is "a person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker". That is what bullying ultimately comes down to- having power and control. Bully's often feel the need to have power and con...

So summer is drawing to a gradual close, and September- a.k.a the start of school- is drawing ever closer. Whether it is a new school you're starting, University or a new career path, you're going to be meeting a lot of new people. You might not love them all- you might not love any of them! But everywhere you go, you find the same groups of people. When you do meet them, check them off of this list... 1. The 'it' girl. Her presence will be made clear as soon as you step foot in the building. You may not see her straight away but you will feel her presence. She will be all smiles and hugs and act thrilled to meet the new girl- but look into her eyes and you'll see they have hell behind them. She is the queen around here and you aren't to do anything to ruin that, or disturb her empire. Get in line, peasant. 2. The eager beaver. Someone who is eager to stick to your side- either because they have no friends of their own or are trying to impress someone high...