Fighting Stress at Uni

Hello dear readers!

I know it's been a while since my last post, but as most of you would know, uni life can be so stressful! Hence I'm going to give you a few stress busters that I've been reading about lately. Hope it helps you, whatever you may be stressing about!

Feeling stressed out?!

1.) Take study breaks. Using up all your energy on 'study marathons' leaves your body and mind less able to cope with the stress that comes from worrying about .... you guessed it - studying! Taking a 10-20 minute walk around the block will do the trick.

2.) Brain power. Our minds often wonder off into the future or get stuck in the past. Worrying about your next exam while studying for the one that's tomorrow creates anxiety. Help your mind stay in the present by meditating for about 20 minutes a day. Focus on your breathing and bring your mind back from the future/past.

3.) Write to-do lists. This is my favourite and I promise you it works. List down all the things you need to do for a set period of time (today, this week, this month, etc). Now prioritize the important tasks and postpone those that can wait. This helps you stay focused and reduces anxiety. Try it.

Going for a walk...

4.) Sleep well. Yep, we all know this one. Sleep is vital for, well, everything! Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night (a little secret: the sleep you get before midnight is so much better for your body). Living on campus? Noisy flatmates? Get some earplugs and an eyeshade - does wonders for me. If not you can always complain to those in charge.

5.) Eat well too. When we are stressed we get major cravings for carbohydrates (after all they do relieve stress temporarily). However, eating junk food and loads of sugary and fatty treats can leave you feeling not so good afterwards. Eating healthy when you don't have much time and cash isn't that hard - low fat greek yoghurt, fruits, cheese strings.... you get it.

Sometimes we crave food when we aren't really hungry (stress again!). Instead of distracting yourself with loads of food, go for a walk, read you favourite blog (cue: my blog) or a short magazine article. Any enjoyable activity should help you banish the mindless eating.

Home-made smoothies with fresh fruit! Yummy!

6.) Take 5. Spare five minutes of your time to: make your bed, clear your desk, listen to music, sniff a lemon (which reduces the body's fight-or-flight stress response) or just unplug all electronics. Doing these things will help you create a positive study environment, make you smile and simply take your mind off things (for 5 minutes at least!)

Adapted from WebMD Campus magazine (http://www.webmd.com/magazine/player?issue=416187833&page=20)

Stay healthy my lovelies! Don't stress so much and to my fellow Sydney-siders - enjoy the sunshine!!!!

Up next: my exciting adventures on the set of the short feature film "Sapphires"

xoxo

Student Life

Sydney's skyline

So here I am at Sydney! The journey was torturous to say the least but I made it with no regrets. I’m going to try and keep this short and sweet (something I find extremely hard to do). Let’s begin by taking a look at the 3 P’s (ok, so I might have stolen this from marketing…):

Places: Sydney is a strange and hybrid city. Architecture-wise, old buildings stand right next to modern ones – that’s first thing that struck me. I hope it’s not only me who finds sky-scrappers stuck to previous century 4-storey structures unusual. Two particular buildings that stand out in my part of central Sydney are the UTS Tower and the Ernst and Young offices. The former one has been labelled the ugliest building in Sydney for two consecutive years and the latter one has 18 floors of underground parking (I wonder if it’s just parking or a secret safe?). Australia is also famous for its coastal lines. During my 6km walk from Coogee to Bondi beach I could not stop taking stunning photos. The Gap at Watson’s Bay was also extremely beautiful, unfortunately it is also known as a suicide spot.

The Gap - beautiful but deadly

People: Sydneysiders, and Australians in general, tend to be very warm and welcoming. In fact, I found them extremely friendly. ‘Good day’, ‘Hey mate’ and ‘Hi, how are you going’ are repeated a million times in a single day to friends and strangers alike. Wait, did you read this? ‘How are you going?’ There is something very awkward in this phrase, isn’t there? It seems like a combination between ‘How are you doing’ and ‘Where are you going’. So the Aussies are playing it smart, trying to ask two questions at once. But the funny thing is that they don’t actually expect you to reply! Their laid back and friendly nature translates into the educational and professional spheres. It is ok to call your lecturer or boss by their first name and a little chit chat about your weekend on Monday morning is the norm. One thing I like about the Australians is that they tend to have a very sarcastic sense of humour! Paradise to my ears, finally I do not have to worry about offending anyone with a bit of sarcasm.

UTS Peer Networkers welcome new students with a dance and loads of free food (I must say getting free food for the first couple of weeks at uni can be a blessing).

Prices: Well now, have I convinced you to come to Sydney? You might want to consider the fact that prices in Sydney are quite high. The rising value of the Australian dollar on the currency exchange market may be to blame, but, as with any major metropolitan city, living in central Sydney does not come cheap. Rent fees start from AUD 150 per week for a twin share room (struggling to do the math? Try this www.xe.com/ucc ). Grocery costs are high as well. Fresh produce, such as fruit and veg, are particularly expensive. But you can always find a bargain at the many markets scattered throughout the city. Universities charge by the subject – on average AUD 3000 – and students are expected to complete 6 to 8 subjects a year. Failed a subject? No worries just pay again and do the same subject next year! So while students are indebted with AUD 18 000 (Approx. GBP 11 200) for each year of their studies, UK university students are lamenting that they will soon be charged GBP 9000 per academic year. Not surprisingly Sydney has been ranked 16^th in World's Most Expensive Cities 2011 (http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110608/world-s-most-expensive-cities-2011/slides/16).

Bondi Beach, the purple coloured water indicates a rip (a strong current that drags you out to sea). Lunch on the beach does not come cheap here!

Nonetheless, education standards are very high and I find studying in Sydney quite intense – the number of contact hours with lecturers are at least twice the amount we get in UK. Subjects are very practical, highly specialised and the majority of the teaching staff has extensive work experience in their field of study. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised when my Principles of Advertising lecturer mentioned he had worked for many years at Saatchi and Saatchi (one of the world’s biggest ad and media agencies).

Old vs. New

To conclude with, every country has its pros and cons. I find Sydney a fascinating yet peculiar metropolitan hub where people of countless backgrounds and nationalities thrive on the Australian principles of respect, inclusiveness and freedom.

xo