Shopping on a Student Budget

Dear Jimbo,

I have to admit, my accomodation hasn't had a single fire alarm yet, nor have I felt the effects of Freshers Week by catching the dreaded 'Freshers Flu' or let a student budget stop me from drinking a ton of tea and buying... well... maybe some vintage clothes and some bits to spruce the place up! Don't judge me!

Since I last posted I've been shopping in Brighton, attended a ton of lectures, wished it was still Freshers, been clubbing, played absurd drinking games and planned to go out a whole lot more. I must admit my lifestyle is very weird at the moment. In terms of food I'm eating normally up until lunchtime when I need a cooked meal to recover from lectures. I'll then snack whilst doing any work I need to do and then at dinner time, have another cooked meal (yes really). Then I get lazy, drunk and stagger in during the early hours of the morning and spend the next half an hour eating biscuits dipped in peanut butter (if you take anything from this post, please take that), sometimes even going back for oven chips or a fish finger sandwich.....

To balance out the amount of alcohol and food I'm consuming, I'm also doing a load of exercise. I've never felt so fit whilst living such an unhealthy lifestyle!! I've done a Nike course in fitness which is like a bootcamp. So. Flipping. Draining. Yoga and of course using the gym at least 4 times a week. Be impressed! I actually managed some chin ups on my flatmates chin up bar the other day, which, you know, is no easy feat!

In other news, Matt Horne, who plays Gavin in Gavin and Stacey is Dj-ing (yeah, I know) at a club in Brighton tomorrow so I'm having a tequila night and then going to see him. This will end badly.... 

I can't wait to see you on Saturday!

Love,
Amy x

Stripes

Evening Amy,

Early start today, and not because of lectures.... We have to have a fire alarm test every Wednesday at 8.45am for the next year, fantastic. But otherwise it was a good day consisting of one lecture (I knew everything the lecturer was saying so I kinda fell asleep...oops) and Frisbee.

The taster session for Ultimate Frisbee was a laugh, I got to practice with the President of the Team and learn some new stuff before a small, indoor sized proper game, in which I scored a very fancy goal, don't mean to brag....I'm joking, I just caught the Frisbee....
The evening also started early, but meeting some team members was kinda inspiring and "Earning My Stripes" was good. Basically, to earn a Stripe, you had to challenge a current member of the team to either down a pint, or some other game. The famous game was the "Three Pint Challenge" where you fill a flipped over Frisbee with three pints and drink it all through a straw. After seeing the first guy attempt it and nearly throw everything back up, I decided to stay away from that particular game...

Oh and when I got back, the fire alarm went off...yes, two alarms in one day. Some drunkard must have tripped the alarm but I felt really bad for the friend in my corridor who was showering at the time of the alarm. She had to walk outside in the cold with wet hair and a towel the poor thing. Eventually we were allowed back inside after considering walking over to our friends in another accommodation building.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing you this weekend, hope your train ride is alright.

Love

Jimbo

P.S. As a corridor, we have fallen into the habbit of buying cheap, almost out of date bread, so please don't expect any of my fancy cooking when you're over...being a student is so...luxurious isn't a word I'd use...

Night,

x

Homely Accents

Dear Jimbo,

Its funny because the more I feel at home here, the further away I feel from you, our friends and my family. This isn't a bad thing, but I do miss you all a lot. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing you this coming weekend! Having always shared our friendship group, I'm keen to meet the people you've bonded with in Kent as I'm sure they are all lovely. (Heres to hoping they like me too...)

Today I thought I'd talk about the things which have helped me settle in, this first week, starting with the campus. Sussex campus is the only place in the world that can still look pretty and happy when chucking it down with rain. (I got soaked going to my lecture this morning- hello drowned rat!)

 The house plant you gave me is doing well (see above), it lives on my window sill and looking after it has definitely helped me settle in. Is that a strange notion?

 My post cards and wall decor has helped, too. Cards of my icon: Audrey Hepburn, the ultimate independent lady: Wonder Woman and other vintage motifs have helped me feel strong. I also wake up every morning to my wall of photographs of all my loved ones. That definitely helped me settle in.

I've also drunk a copious amount of tea, and thus consumed more milk and biscuits than I care to remember (Its a good job I've been going to the gym regularly!) Tea has helped wake me up for early lectures, keep me calm when I'm stressing and genuinely help the settling in process. I stand by the phrase: tea can solve pretty much anything. 

Well I must dash as I've a lecture in 30 minutes- I'm in love with Philosophy- I can't wait to get your take on some of the ideas when I see you on Saturday. Speaking of, maybe we could to a joint post on Saturday? Awwh cute!

All my love, Amy x

...But it doesn't

Dear Jimbo,

I get a little excited feeling when you write, paha. Lame girlfriend. I thought I would write in response to your blog post 'Being a Student has its perks' as well as telling you about last night and today.

Lets start off the 'perks' thing. Not going to lie, being a student has made me poor and being poor has had me stingy. Example: today I had an interview (totally got the job!), followed by two hard core lectures (more on these later!) and this, its fair to say that hungover, tired Amy had become some kind of hardcore mess. I needed a bath. It was the only thing that was going to fix the alcohol and sleep deprived state I was in. However, I had forgotten bubble bath. Woe is me. Being a stingy student (as a fore mentioned) I didn't want to pay for a bubble bath, but I also find baths minus bubbles a bit exposing.

However, I got my student brain in gear and decided to use washing up liquid, Sainsbury's finest, in a lemon variety. Its safe to say I enjoyed a very bubble (really, really bubbly) bath and left it smelling lemony fresh. My flat mates find this quite funny, but I'm already planning on buying a different scent next time I need washing up liquid. Variety is the spice of life....

Anyway, perhaps I should tell you about last night and explain why I needed this bath in the first place. It as pier party night. The night where Sussex Freshers invade Brightons Pier, rife with alcohol and armed with a free ride token and side show. Unfortunately, before even arriving at the pier, I lost a rather classy drinking game called 'blow me.' Yes, really. Where a group of people sit around a glass with a pack of cards balanced on top. Each person takes it in turns to blow as few cards off the pile and the person how has the misfortune to blow the last card off, has to drink whatever was in the glass beneath. That person was me, and that glass was a wine glass of vodka. Straight vodka.

Regardless, I kept all the vodka in my belly and went on two of the fast rides on the pier. Vomiting avoided (and death, which I was convinced at the time was an entirely real possibility) I was unable to stop the impending hangover I endured this morning. It was deserved.

My lectures were really interesting, mind you. I'm going to leave you with this little problem we tried to solve today:

'If Pinocchio says 'my nose is going to grow now' then he is lying because he couldn't possibly grow his nose unless he lied. This makes this a lie and subsequently, his nose will grow. However, because his nose grew when he lied, then he must be telling the truth because his nose did grow.'

Are you confused?

I love you,
Amy x

Being A Student Has It's Perks

Amy,

Guess what? Your boyfriend is going to be the next Kiteboarding/Archery/some other sport I signed up to, Olympic Champion....I'm joking obviously I don't have time to train but I have signed up to those sports, along with Ultimate Frisbee of course.

So today was the Sports Fair and after being shouted at by a lot of people to sign up, I ended up caving and joining a few. I was tempted by rowing but I'd prefer Frisbee as I have no idea how I'm going to handle my time around lectures anyway.
Tonight I'm going to a bar to meet with the Frisbee team and other Frisbee-ers (yes that's a word now) and I'm going on my own...so wish me luck, you know I don't really do being on my own with new people.

Oh yeah last night I got a free Nando's! Last night, I was still hungry after my meal so I was happily finishing off my room mates food (with their permission of course) and the waiter came up to us saying we had ordered a plate more. After getting the manager and asking the whole restaurant and no one claiming the food I said "If it's going I'll take it", he willingly passed the plate over to me and even refilled my drink! We felt we had to tip heavily before we left for one of the most amazing places I've ever been. It was basically a restaurant for beer! You may have seen the photo of the "Beer Bible". Basically over twenty pages of beers. There were so many beers for reasonable prices at quite strong content (I saw one for 13%). We then went home to play poker into the early hours of the morning.

Thank you for tagging my posts, I actually don't really know how to and I don't want to break anything...

Love

Jimbo

x

Lectures and a Party on The Pier

Dear Jimbo,

In response to your post- totally understand the book issue! I'm having to keep track of e books and e journals online as well as a crazy amount of back breaking books. I'm planning on selling them to next years freshers and making myself a small fortune *wink face.*

I had my first lecture this morning which was incredibly interesting, although, guess what- WE HAD TO TALK ABOUT MATHS. I was certain I had picked one the least mathematical and logical subjects and there I am in my first lecture talking equations. I cry. But I enjoyed it a lot. Part of my course is spending a few hours a week 'sitting and thinking.' This can be mulling over lectures or just thinking about the wider world. Kind of like a real Philosopher! Thinking about the latest MAC collection and what I'm going to wear to tonight's party totally counts as thinking about the wider world, right?

Speaking of tonight- its the Pier Party. Three of my favourite things (dancing, roller coasters and food) all rolled into one awesome event. Imagine me tonight with a cider in one hand a pier doughnut in the other queuing for my favourite ride on the The Pier 'The Waltzer' and you have a pretty accurate image of me tonight!

I had to include this photo of (L-R) Louisa, me and Ben on the Waltzer! Summer 2010 baby!

I hope you had a good day and have lots of partying or at least drinking planned for tonight. If not, I found myself rather enjoying a night in with youtube and tea last night. Old before my time, me!

Missing you more,

Amy x

Poker, Parkour, and Pirates

Dear Amy

This week has been mad. As you know making friends is not my thing, but I've been lucky enough to have landed some brilliant room mates, one of whom is an ex-bartender and he's brilliant. He made us Amaretto sours last night, you would have liked them.

Today I signed up for some societies and got a slice of free pizza... I don't know how Domino's are affording it all cause there have been hundreds of students lining up for the stuff...
As you can probably guess by the title I signed up for Poker, Parkour (yay for broken bones!), and Pirate societies,  I have yet to find the gaming society and I will join the Ultimate Frisbee team tomorrow.

I also popped in to the book store to start looking for course books, and oh dear they are expensive first hand...and HUGE, imagine Clash Of Kings, but A4 size. I have to get a few of those, and you know I don't read fast.

Hope you're having a good week, I see you're going on some tour of Brighton or something of the sort today so enjoy.

Missing you

Jimbo

x

What My First Few Days at Uni Have Taught Me

Dear Jimbo, moving to Sussex has taught me a few things about myself, I previously didn't know:

On the fly by Irene Suchocki

1) Seagulls terrify me, especially when they swoop in on your over priced sandwich from the delicious deli on campus. Off my prawn, avocado and sweet chili sandwich you fiends! 

2) I'm actually a lot more independent that I thought. Despite a few hiccups (leaving a poached egg cooking on a hob whilst I went out partying and having to ring my (more reliable) flat mate in a panic to rescue our kitchen!) I've managed to be up on time, everyday, eat regular meals and not miss any of the information or events I've been bombarded with over the passed few days.

3) I love having a sink in my bedroom. A sink can be used for a multitude of things. Late night alcohol vomiting (only once), washing my gym clothes (after cleaning the sink!!), brushing my teeth without having to walk around in my underwear in the morning, washing my hair when I'm too lazy to shower and washing my feet after a night out and walking home bare foot has left me slightly grubby under foot.

4) I can go out at night, get drunk, get upset, bus home in the rain and still get up at 7.15 the following morning and make a nice breakfast and get to a lecture.

I love you always, Amy x

Introduction

Dear Jimbo,

I've set up this blog as a place for us to write down our uni experiences. Document everything here. The good, the bad and the down right drunken, for I, and the rest of the internet want to know it all. 

I too, will be revealing my embarrassing stories, emotions and goings on in the contents of these posts, writing them in a letter format to keep it personal. I'm pledging here on the internet (thats about as serious as a pinky promise, so no going back now!) to document everything. Maybe in three years time we can look back over these posts and laugh at our initial nerves, drunken misdemeanors and moments of 'oh my god I have no money!'

I don't want to miss a thing, and I'm sure the internet doesn't either.

I love you forever,
Amy x