Handy tips to survive Uni

Michelle Allan



So, here you are at the beginning of your university life. Time to make a new start, a new you and here are a few tips to help you cope on your way.

1. Hung over from Fresher’s week?

To recover quickly from the night before, set your alarm for an hour before you are due to get up for lectures. When the dreaded alarm rings take a paracetamol with a glass of water containing a vitamin tablet replenishing any lost vitamins and minerals (Berocca £4.99, is preferred by many). Go back to sleep for an hour but, don’t forget to reset your alarm. For breakfast have bread, butter and golden syrup this replenishes potassium, sodium and fructose speeding up recovery. Avoid coffee as it’s a diuretic and will cause further dehydration. Also avoid aspirin and fizzy drinks as they may upset the stomach.

2. Running late with Bed Head?

For quick and easy clean looking hair, spray it with a dry shampoo (Batiste £3.04, is the best, it caters for all hair colours so dark hair won’t be left looking white). Part your hair and apply some volumising powder to your roots and massage in to your scalp with your finger tips giving automatic lift without having to back comb (GOT2B Schwarzkopf £4.07, is good and affordable). Now give your hair a good brush out and if more volume is needed back comb the roots and give it a quick squirt of hairspray (Silvikrin £1,01, is great and cheap). If your ends are looking a little dry, rub a dab of straightening serum (Pantene Pro-V ice shine serum £4.51) in your palms and run through the ends of your hair.

3. Looking pale and tired?

The eyes are the main focal point of the face if they look sore, and puffy your whole demeanour will look tired and run down. So start by placing either an ice cold slice of cucumber or a cold camomile teabag to the eyelids for 10 – 15 minutes, this will brighten the whites of the eyes and lesson puffiness. Now cleanse your skin by mashing up a cucumber and brushing it on your face leave for 10 minutes, cleaning and closing pores, then rinse it off. Lastly smother your face with a daily moisturiser (Oil of Olay complete care £7.65, is a good affordable option and also contains SPF 15 protecting your skin from the sun).

4. Want to hide behind make-up?

Sometimes when we look tired it is easy to pile the make-up on, but this can make you look worse. Simply apply some liquid foundation to the face and some concealer under the eyes and across the cheek bones, making your face look brighter (Bourjois brush concealer £7.49, is perfect). Next lightly brush a bronzing powder on top and finish with mascara and lipstick. If you don’t have time to apply a whole face of make-up just pop on a red lipstick this will pull the attention to the lips and make you look sassy and natural. Lastly to keep your make-up on all day give your face a quick squirt of hairspray.

5. Hand Bag essentials:

A few items can help you get through those hard days, first a small tin of Vaseline (Lip therapy with Aloe vera £1.39) this always comes in handy in the winter to combat chapped dry hands and lips, and in the summer to protect the skin, it will also stop frizzy hair if you pull a little through the ends with your palms. Nail varnish not only helps with chipped nails but also stops a run in your tights and it can reinforce a loose button by applying it to the breaking thread. Plasters are a must have in any bag, they can help with minor accidents, also if you have a unravelling hem use a plaster to hold it in place, and if your shoes are flopping on and off you can stick a plaster or two in the heel.

6. Other Quick tips:

These quick and easy tips will help you while on the move. If your hair is limp half way through the day use some hand sanitizer on the roots to remove the grease. Forgotten your lip gloss? Use some honey, not only will your lips be shiny but the natural ingredients will leave your lips smooth. For an important date curl your eyelashes, you can use a spoon by placing the concave side on your eye allowing your eyelashes to curl upwards around it. If you’re in need for a Smokey eye and have no make-up you can light a match, blow it out and when its cooled down drag it across your eyelid for a Smokey line, the matchstick boxes scratchy strip also works as a emery board.

*all products can be purchased at Boots, prices may vary: www.boots.com

Surviving Student

Michelle Allan


According to Cancer Research UK more than one in three people in the UK will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime of this 1% occur in children, teenagers and young adults up to the age of 24. The first thought when hearing the word cancer is death, but this is not always the case. In fact figures from Cancer Research UK state that if you look at all cancers combined the survival rate in women has reached 56% and in men 43%. We spoke to a survivor who not only beat cancer but also completed a university course to become a nurse during her battle.

27 year old Shelia from London was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in January 2006. “I had kept feeling unwell and constantly had cramping in my stomach, so I went to the doctors who referred me to the hospital for tests” she told me. “When they finally gave me the results and told me that I had cancerous tumours in my cervix I was distraught. It felt like my whole life turned upside down, I was so scared.”

According to the cancer research UK website healthy living does not guarantee against cancer however it douse reduce the risk of the disease. After Shelia got over the initial fear and shock of her diagnoses she became angry “I felt that it was unjust I never smoked or drank, I had only had one sexual partner, ate healthily and exercised regularly.”

“I had 4 months of radiotherapy, it was horrible I was moody and lethargic my skin felt like it had been burnt and came up in blisters, all I wanted to do was stay in bed. I was also on steroids and hormone replacement pills and got the all clear in July 2006”. Her illness made her re-evaluate her life “I always wanted to be a nurse and the help and support I received encouraged me to take the first step to fulfil my lifelong dream to become a nurse.”

Whilst she was still sick she applied to London Southbank University to become a paediatric nurse. “Unfortunately I had to defer the course for a year as the cancer returned in the Christmas of 2006. But after a bout of radiation I felt well enough again to start university in September 2007.”

She thrived at student life, “I enjoyed every minute and couldn’t wait to be fully qualified and start working.” In the third year of her course while she was on work placement at University College London hospital her six month check up came back positive for more tumours in her cervix. “They told me that one of the tumours had burst and I was rushed in to hospital for an operation. They had to remove some of my cervix and 8% of my liver; because of this it’s unlikely that I can ever have children. That hurt and made me want to continue to finish my course so I could at least help sick children.”

So she continued to study and work during her five months of chemotherapy. “I felt sick all the time, my whole body ached and I lost the use of my taste buds, that still hasn’t returned. I had loads of support from my tutors and all the hospital staff that helped me fight the pain and exhaustion to reach my goal. They spread out my shifts so I had breaks to recuperate.”

Today Shelia works as a paediatric Nurse at one of London’s leading children’s hospitals. With hard work and pure will power she passed her university degree and graduated late last year. “I had to keep going it was the choice I made, to fight. I don’t feel that it makes me a better person I’m still angry that it happened to me, I have lost my faith in god and I have depressive Emo moods sometimes. I’m happy that I am still here and I’m just thankful to my friends and everyone who gave me help and support to get where I am today."

(Name has been changed to protect sources)