Gel Nails: the Lowdown

I'm pretty sure gel nails took the world by storm a long time ago.  But for me, they're a new phenomena and I have to say I am so in LOVE with them that I couldn't not share it with you all.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes I really do enjoy sitting down and painting my nails, but when things are busy, I don't really have the time to sit down for 20 minutes to paint them...then sit down for a further 40 minutes while they dry... then get really really sad when I try and do something (like go to the toilet) after and realise they're still not dry and have to deal with having one horribly deformed looking nail.

I also hate having chipped nail varnish - especially with my term time job, working at the Co-Op store we have on our uni campus, my nails get chipped and broken so quickly.  I tended to keep them short just because it wasn't worth the heartbreak/pain of constantly breaking nails at work while trying to rip my way into giant cardboard boxes with my bare hands (box cutters are few and far between at my work - retail workers will understand).  

BUT - gel nails have kept my nails so incredibly strong.  It's like having a little tortoiseshell on the back of each nail that saves it from all harm.  Since first getting gels, which must be about 6 or 7 weeks ago now, I haven't broken one nail - and both gel manicures I have had stayed entirely chip free and didn't peel either.  This means it can last, well, basically forever.  I left mine 3 and a bit weeks before getting them redone in the lovely nude you can see above, but I could've easily left it another week or two without the regrowth being too obvious.

Above is a pic taken on my phone when I first got this new set done exactly two weeks ago by my long-time pal Fleur who is also, conveniently, an incredibly talented nail technician.  Her Instagram is something else and definitely worth checking out if you're interested in nails - there's some pretty eye-goggling stuff on there @nailsbyfleur_.

And below... the same set two weeks on.

As you can see - still pretty as a picture, just that much longer.  Gel nails are something I would 100% recommend to anyone - they're so practical!

Has anyone else had gel nails before?  What do you guys think of them?

Ruby x

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Using Johnson's Baby Shampoo as Makeup Brush Cleanser

One of the things which is always on my to-do list, yet rarely seems to get done, is washing my makeup brushes.  I don't know what it is about this small, menial task, but it seems to take me days and days to psyche myself up for this job.  Having previously always used whatever I could get my hands on to wash my makeup brushes, - usually either hand or face wash, or sometimes standard shampoo - I recently came across an article (which I now can't for the life of me find) advocating Johnson's Baby Shampoo as the perfect inexpensive and effective product to use for cleaning brushes.  

I love any excuse to try something new, and if it meant I was going to start paying a bit more attention to my poor brushes, then good.  I picked it up in a 300ml size, I'm not sure if they come smaller, but this was £2.09 in Superdrug and having just checked online it's currently £1 in Tesco.  I think price wise, you can't really argue against that for value for money.  As you might expect with baby shampoo it's fairly gentle, and lightly scented, but still cleaned my brushes an absolute treat.  

When washing my brushes, I fill up a basin with hot water, chuck all my brushes in along with a lashing of the shampoo, and shake them around for a bit.  Then I'll do each brush individually, cleaning them on my inside palm using a little bit more baby shampoo for each brush and gently swirling the brushes, then rinsing, and repeating until the water runs clean.

All in all, it probably takes me under 10 minutes - the cat's out the bag now and I've no more excuses not to be regularly washing my brushes.  Once I've given them all the individual once-over I lay them out on a towel and leave them overnight to dry naturally. 

I've been really happy with using Johnson's Baby Shampoo as it's a simple, cheap and cheerful product that works perfectly well for cleaning brushes.  How does my method compare to how you clean your makeup brushes?  

Ruby x

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Get more for your money: Two skincare saviours that will last forever

Following on from my last skincare-related post where I reviewed a few slightly pricier products from the La Roche Posay range, I thought I'd now dedicate a little time to a couple of products that are a bit cheaper, and even better, seem to go on forever and ever.

We all go through times in our lives where sometimes we just want something that does exactly what it says on the tin/bottle/box, without parting with too much money at the same time.  These products are perfect for those who are looking for a quick and easy two-step cleansing and moisturising process that leaves you feeling clean and fresh as a daisy. 

 First up is this Garnier Pure Micellar cleansing water, currently on offer for just £3.33 at Boots (usually £4.99).  First of all, I think this is an absolute steal considering this is a 500ml bottle, and it even claims up to 200 uses... that's almost 6 months of using every single day (without accounting for those lazy days when pants are too much effort let alone makeup or cleansing).  Secondly, micellar waters are such an efficient product - with a few swipes of this on a cotton pad, my makeup literally melts away.  It's a godsend for removing heavy eye makeup, and I also love that this product is non-greasy, compared with some other eye makeup removers that I've tried, like the Loreal Dermo-Expertise eye makeup remover.  It's also a dream for removing foundation, and leaves your face feeling incredibly fresh and clean.  This is also a great alternative to a lotion cleanser, which I find can be a lot more labour intensive, requiring more product to do the job and often leaving a slightly greasy residue.

 After cleansing with micellar water, this moisturising lotion from Cetaphil is your best friend.  Although this is a little more pricey, at £8.99 (however this was recently on offer for £5.99, so look out for promotions), I cannot begin to explain how long this is going to last me.  The bottle itself is 236ml, which is massive compared to the standard 30-50ml moisturisers I usually buy.  In addition, this is so hydrating that again, a little goes such a long way, especially if you don't have particularly dry skin to start off with.  I find I only need half a pump, rarely more.  Another thing I love about this is the bottle itself - it's so handy to have a pump applicator, and I find myself using it constantly for my hands too, as it's so fast absorbing.  Since using at-home salycylic acid treatments on my face (for more on that, click here to see my full post), I've found my face has been getting quite dry, especially living in windy old Brighton.  For dry or sensitive skin types, I cannot recommend this moisturiser enough.  It's fragrance free, non-comedogenic and is specially formulated to 're-hydrate damaged skin associated with common skin conditions and following dermatological treatments.'  For a functional, no-frills, great value and super-hydrating facial moisturiser, the search is over.

Has anyone else tried either of these products?  What did you think?  

Ruby x

 

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Why You Must Love Yourself First

I have this distinct memory from around three years ago of sitting in my bedroom at home, on my laptop, scrolling through Tumblr.  I was feeling like shit.  I don't know exactly what had happened to me that day, but I remember a feeling of complete emptiness, sheer terror, and this intense hate for who I was, and how I looked.  My screen filled with images of beautiful women with beautiful bodies and beautiful faces, I felt so lost within myself all I could do was cry, and scroll, and cry.  This memory, as it is, is no significant one - when I was younger, even now sometimes, I am aware of my own capacity to feel a horrible, crushing self-consciousness; a longing to be a million things, and a resentment of all the things that make me different from the idealistic images of who I believe I want to be. 

My childhood was characterised by this sense of longing.  In primary school, I grew faster than everyone else.  I was taller than most of the boys by year 5, and started getting spots around the same time, too.  I felt clumsy and gangly and ogre-like, and wanted desperately to be petite and delicate and baby-faced like some of the other girls in my class.  I longed for a boyfriend, even at the tender age of 11, and would steal into the bathroom 2 minutes before leaving school to rummage through the cabinets and find my Mum's mascara, haphazardly coating my eyelashes before running out the door.  I constantly felt like I had to compensate for my differences - I thought if I wore mascara, then maybe no-one would notice that I was getting bad skin, or that if I curled my hair, it would make up for the fact it was a plain, boring brown.  

Secondary school was a rollercoaster of insecurities.  My skin got worse, and I got acne on my back and chest, too.  This, combined with a succession of bad haircuts and the inevitable weight-gain many girls see during puberty meant my self-confidence was pretty shabby by the time I was into my teens.  I watched my beautiful, popular friends get asked out by boys and have first kisses and wear size 8 clothes I couldn't fit into, by brands I couldn't afford.  All I wanted was to be, and look like these girls.  I would never wear tops without sleeves and high necks because I didn't want anyone to see my acne, and religiously wore foundation to hide it on my face.  I told myself constantly I needed to lose weight and that if I did maybe I would be asked out by a boy, too.  I longed to be thin, to be pretty, for bigger boobs, longer legs, to be funny, flirty, confident... the lists I made in my head were endless, and never satisfied.  

It got worse as I got older, and I really started to suffer a poor relationship with food when I was about 15.  I believed that being thin was the only way I could be happy with myself, and lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time to the point that I hated the way I looked, even then.  I remember that year, after Christmas my New Year's Resolution was to be healthier and eat 3 meals a day, as my parents were worried about me and a lot of people had told me how thin I looked.  As I started to eat more, of course, I started to gain weight.  Even though I was still unhappy with how I looked when I was thin, this was far worse, and I felt completely out of control.  Instead of restricting myself and my food intake, I would binge eat in horrible cycles, punishing myself for gaining weight by eating very little, then bingeing, at first because I wanted comfort, but then because I hated myself and felt I didn't deserve to be happy.  In sixth form I was depressed - although my binge eating wasn't so bad anymore, and I was doing well in school, I was also at my highest weight and felt incredibly distant from and disgusted by my body.  It was a really hard time for me.  I couldn't hold down relationships with anyone - I broke up with my kind, supportive boyfriend at the time, as I felt I didn't deserve his love and I was too embarrassed to tell him the extent of what was going on inside my head.  I would stay up at night, writing pages and pages about the hate I felt towards myself, the depression that was eating me up from the outside in, and longing for the bitter comfort that sleep provided.

And it was one of these nights that brings me back to where this post started.  It was this night that I came across words which resonated with me on a level beyond anything else I had experienced until that point - 'you must love yourself first'.  I had been so focused on what I had been and what I wasn't, what I wanted to be and still what I wasn't, that my sense of self had become like a set of disparate images hung up in a gallery somewhere very separate to where I sat.  It was an important realization for me that, in fact, I couldn't recover, grow and finally be happy until I learned to love who I was first.  It was my self-resentment which was propelling me further and further into the sadness and isolation I felt, and the same resentment that had made me lose completely any sense of who I was.  It wasn't easy, but it felt like a breakthrough for me, and I remember then crying with a sense of relief so acute it was overwhelming.  I switched my laptop off and went to sleep.

Since then, an awful lot has changed.  With the endless support of my parents, and regular counselling, I no longer felt depressed, had an improved image of myself and focused on doing well in my A-levels and applying for university.   I made some really strong friends who were great to me, and met my boyfriend who helped me to feel more comfortable with myself and confident about who I am.  I still have days, weeks, months, even, when I feel low about myself.  January is always difficult.  

This year I decided to get 'you must love yourself first' as a tattoo (written in Arabic as I first saw it), to remind myself of exactly that, and what I have learned from trying to implement it.  But I also wanted to share exactly what it means to me, and how and why it became relevant in my life.  And this blog might seem a slightly strange place to do it, but I also feel it's a very important place to share my experience with my self-esteem and self-image, as that is so much what blogging is about.  After reading Charlotte Fisher's post on her mental health story, it became even clearer to me that blogging is a world saturated with images, images which can depict you at both your best and your worst, and that suffering with poor self-image is not rare, it's common, even.  As I've got older then, and the more I've reflected on the idea that 'you must love yourself first', it's become a mantra of-sorts.  It's become, for me, a way of having a more positive outlook, a hunger for living, a desire to do the things I want to do, and a reason for doing them.  Instead of comparing myself to, and being jealous of others, I should appreciate others instead, and learn from and be inspired by them.  And instead of criticizing what makes me different, I should appreciate my individuality and uniqueness, which deserves my own recognition and attention.  I've realized over the years that life isn't easy.  Life is so fucking hard and there will probably be a million more struggles to face, even more than growing up.  But it's so much harder when you don't like who you are.  You can not like what you're doing, but don't not like who you are, because that's all you've got.  If you love yourself first, you will do things because you believe you deserve success, happiness, satisfaction, whatever it is.  You will do things with an aim to improve and better yourself, (in the words of L'Oreal) because you're worth it.  You will realize that in fact, you're enough, just as you are.  I'm not saying it's easy, by any means - I too will almost definitely continue to long for better skin or thinner legs or bigger eyes, and wish the things that made me different from what I would like to look like didn't exist - the freckles on  my face, the scars on my legs, the stretch marks on my hips.  But this year, by loving myself first, I'm hoping that I can turn that longing into admiration, and turn the realization of difference into the realization of beauty.

And honestly, if one person can read this, and relate to even an inch of it, then I feel it was worth sharing.
 

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The Perfect £4.50 Naked Palette Dupe

Good evening lovelies.  This evening I want to talk about a palette I have been trying out for the past month or so since I picked it up while in Manchester for the weekend.  It's the W7 'Lightly Toasted' eyeshadow palette, which I have found to be the perfect dupe for the original Naked palette.  

I think it's safe to say that the Naked palettes are indeed, beautiful, but sometimes it can be quite difficult to justify their less than student-friendly price tag.  Which is partly why I was so excited to discover this palette!  I've tried a couple of other dupes for Naked palettes in the past which have been around the same price tag, but have had nowhere near the same amount of pigmentation, shimmer and durability.  

The thing I also love about this palette is that it really is bank account friendly: at only £4.50 it's just a teeny bit more expensive than a Starbucks frappuccino and will last a million times longer.  Although the colours could be ever so slightly more pigmented in order to create more dramatic looks, for day to day wear plenty of the colours are great for creating a look with gorgeous creamy browns or a daytime smoky eye look.  

I've done a pretty horrendous job at swatching them (a rushed 8AM this morning kind of attempt) but hopefully this might give you a kind of idea of what to expect:

Some of the colours don't show up so well on my now completely sun-deprived skin but there are some really lovely and incredibly sheer lighter colours in the palette which are also great for highlighting brow bones and the inner corners of eyes.  Below I've included some snaps of a daytime look I really like to wear at the moment, using just shadows from this palette.

This brings me to my verdict.   I think this palette is the perfect alternative for those who love the look and shades of the Naked palettes but, like me, are not so keen on making the investment.  The colours are incredibly similar, if a little less pigmented, but I think this makes the palette almost more versatile, especially for more natural looks.  For me, it's a hands down winner.  Have you tried any Naked palette dupes?  Or do you think that Urban Decay is worth the investment?

Ruby x

 

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Review: Batiste's 'Oomph my Locks' XXL Volume Spray and 'Texture Me' Texturising Spray

Every day I ask myself the same questions.  Mainly, what am I going to have for breakfast, what am I most likely to actually get done today and what am I doing with my life in that order... usually followed by 'What in the name of the good Lord can I do with my hair today?'.  And this question, Boots answered for me.

As you may or may not know from my last post (where I found the perfect hair-concealing accessory), I am constantly looking for ways to avoid washing my hair.  I'm caught in the never-ending vicious cycle of not wanting to pay to get my haircut, but also not wanting to wash my hair because it's too long, too thick and too tangly.  Ever since dry shampoo appeared on the scene all those years (showing my age) ago, I have been a changed woman.  Gone are the days of having to labour for hours in the bath combing, conditioning, shampooing, repeating... All I went into Boots for was another bottle of my all-time favourite dry-shampoo brand, Batiste.  So, as you can imagine, my day certainly took a turn for the interesting when I found they have a new styling range.

Much to my excitement, I picked up two new products to try out; the 'Oomph my Locks' XXL Volumising Spray (£2.86) and the 'Texture Me' Texturizing Spray (£2.99).  Even better, they were both a third off... do you see why I couldn't resist?  I noticed too that they've re-vamped the big cans of Tropical dry shampoo with this snazzy flamingo meets Hawaiian flowers design which I love. 

I have to say, I've been leaning far more towards using the volume spray as opposed to the texturising.  The spray is similar in consistency to the classic dry shampoo; I tend to spray it in at the roots and in the front mainly, with a little in the mid lengths, scrunch like crazy and then brush the ends just a little bit so I don't end up looking like a lion.  

This spray, in a nutshell, does exactly what it says on the can.  In terms of its volumizing factor, it can't be faulted - in a similar way to dry shampoo it's formula seems to thicken out the hair with a kind of powder-like texture (hence the scrunching is essential).  It's great for half up half down styles or for big, bouncy night-out-on-the-town looks, however my one qualm would be that unfortunately, as with many a hair product, it does build up quickly and will stay put in your hair until you wash it again.  Which is fine, as long as you don't mind the bizarrely dry, almost crispy texture it gives your hair.  Luckily enough, you can't actually notice this by sight, but when you touch your hair, you'll certainly know you've laden it with potions.  As long as that doesn't put you off though, for XXL volume this really is an inexpensive holy grail product.  

The texturizing spray is, again, of similar formula, yet is better suited to using in the lengths of your hair as it's more hairspray-like and doesn't require quite as much scrunching.  It doesn't offer huge amounts of hold for thick hair like mine, but works well with wavy to curly styles.  I really like using this in the ends of a ponytail or for day-to-day hair down looks.  It offers similar results to many of the salt sprays I've used in the past, but, thankfully, is less sticky.  I also love the fact that it's an aerosol instead of a pump spray, meaning you have far better control over the amount of product that goes into your hair and its distribution.  Ultimately, for £2.99, I can't really complain - it's probably something I wouldn't repurchase but for those of you with finer hair this product could well be your new best friend.  

That's it from me - let me know if you'd maybe like to see a post on creating styles using these products.  Have a good week and muchas gracias for reading! 

Ruby x

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What I got this week in Aldi for UNDER TEN POUNDS!

Hello!  First of all, you'll have to forgive my oh-so-basic photography for this post...there's only so many ways you can jazz up what is essentially poor student food on a poor student table in a poor student house.  I hope you appreciate my use of our house plant to try and detract from the poorly plastered walls and the mouldy window sill (too much information? - I thought so). 

This week I wanted to talk about something particularly close to my heart - food.  Since moving out, it's been a constant battle for me between wanting to continue to spend all of my money on shoes, nail polish and handbags but also wanting to eat fresh, delicious and nutritious things.  It wasn't until I became a student that I realised the actual cost of these aforementioned things - damn expensive.  Therefore, the moment I discovered Aldi, my whole gloomy (daily diet of super-noodles) outlook changed completely.  

I am proud to present then, my shopping for this week from Aldi... I didn't do a massive shop, but stocked up on a few bits and pieces I needed for the week.

1) 6 pack of salad tomatoes - 59p

2) Unsweetened soya milk - 59p  (so much cheaper than Alpro, tastes just as good)

3) Boil in the bag rice, 4 sachets (approx. 8 servings) - 59p (so quick and easy even I can do it)

4) Fat free natural yoghurt 500ml - 45p (no sugar, no rubbish, just plain old cheap and cheerful yog. - perfecto for breakfast)

5) Lemon and ginger teabags - 89p (thought I'd treat myself to these this week, in a conscious effort to cut down the amount of caffeinated bevvies I've been drinking) 

6) Box of cosmetic tissues - 69p (I like to always keep a box of tissues in my room for cleaning makeup brushes, blowing my nose, you get my drift... and these ones are cheaper and better quality than Poundland's!)

7) Large flat mushrooms - 75p (I love using mushrooms to bulk out stir fries, stews or simply for roasting in the oven on their own) 

8) Leeks - 79p (bargainous)

9) Exotic Forest Berry and Nut mix - 59p (a mix of almonds, brazils, goji berries and sunflower seeds.  There are a few other varieties - I chop them up and mix them with oats for porridge or muesli with pizazz)

10) Smooth Orange Juice -  59p

11) Spinach, 450g - £1.39 (my only item over the £1 mark but I love that green leafy shit too much to say no - and I want to be strong like Popeye too, of course)

12) Large avocado -  89p (another favourite of mine, also green)

13) 3 pack of bananas - 39p 

14) Best of British apples selection pack (4 apples) - 69p 

And that, my dear friends, all made a grand total of £9.88.  Now, if that's not savvy shopping, I don't know what is - nothing honestly gives me more satisfaction than doing a good, healthy and wholesome food shop which doesn't almost give me a heart attack when it comes to paying the total sum.  Now that I'm back at uni I will probably start doing more posts like this, on ways to eat well without spending too many pennies.  Let me know if you enjoyed this post and if you'd like to see more similar things including recipe ideas or more weekly shops/bargains of the week by leaving a comment below.  Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up!

Ruby x

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My Favourite Non-Prescription Potion for Problem Skin

Introducing (insert drum-roll here)... Dr Spot!  Today I wanted to just write a mini-post, aimed at anyone who does suffer with any type of acne.  I, for one, struggle with managing my rebellious skin which likes to break out without warning, reason or permission, and have tried many a product over the years, including topical lotions etc. on prescription.  

This product is one that has stayed loyal to me ever since I first purchased it.  It's a kind of clear gel that contains salicylic and and lactic acids that (according to the website) 'fights spots by gently peeling away pore-clogging dead skin cells and reducing intra-follicular inflammation', as well as witch hazel for optimizing the skin's pH balance and Vitamins A, C, E and B3.  I tend to use the product after cleansing in the evening, applying a thin layer where I'm prone to getting breakouts or where I already have them.  In particular, this product is great for helping clear up spots that are already there - I find it really helps with reducing swelling, redness and general discomfort and all while you're asleep!

At RRP of £8 then, I think this product is well worth a go if you do suffer with spots and want something to help clear them up pronto.  It's always worth looking out for when Soap and Glory is on offer in Boots, too, as a perfect excuse to try something new... an excuse I have used too many a time!  If anyone has used this product before or does decide to try it, let me know your thoughts below!  I'd love to know how you get on.  If you liked this post, don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up with this blog!  

Ruby x  

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How to Survive Freshers' Week

Freshers' week marks the exciting kick-off to a brand new chapter of life.  For many people, it's a huge change - moving away from home to live with a bunch of strangers, cooking for yourself, doing your own washing, choosing exactly what you want to do and when you want to do it.  It's a new form of freedom that can be absolutely terrifying.  

This time last year, I remember spending hours trawling the internet looking for advice about the fast-approaching and infamous 'Freshers' week' hoping to put my mind at rest.  I'm not going to sugar-coat this... you probably almost definitely will be shitting yourself the day you finally set off to move into your new accommodation and begin your first year of uni, but just be comforted by the thought of the millions of people who have already done the same...and survived it just fine.

Here are a few bits of advice I can offer in hindsight of my own Freshers' week (I'll try not to blabber on too much).  Make a cup of tea, have a read and please, RELAX!  It'll all be just fabulous.

Ruby x

1) The most important thing: take advantage of the week!  It's a great chance to meet a tonne of people in one go, suss out the talent (if you're so inclined), and make some friends because at that stage, nobody knows anybody... yet!

2) Wear flat shoes.  Having taken a million pairs of heels to uni thinking 'yes I'm going to wear the platforms on the Monday, the stilettos on the Tuesday, and probably my six inch wedges on the Wednesday (etc.)', I did not wear a pair of heels even once during Freshers' week.  It might just be my uni where it's definitely not a done thing, but I have to say I have absolutely no regrets about not wearing heels out.  I wore trainers the majority of the week, meaning I was 100% uninhibited and could break out all of my finest dance moves without the restriction of heeled footwear...ahem.

3)  Go to your introductory talks (sorry to be boring).  These are a good way to get introduced to your subject(s), and meet some of your coursemates... plus get the low down on what the devil you'll actually be studying.  

4)  Take the opportunity to cool-ify (real word, I swear) your room.  Take old photos, posters, artwork, wall hangings, fairy lights, speakers, storage like boxes or baskets, blankets and cushions, a mini fridge, a fold away bar, a collapsible double bed... Okay, the last three were maybe just me getting carried away, but do take some stuff you can decorate your room with to make you feel more at home and show your housemates what kind of a person you are.  If you can get your mitts on some decent speakers they are a worthy investment as a student and a sure-fire way to instant friends.

5) Get to know your housemates.  Try and introduce yourself to them all on the first day as you're going to be living with them all year so get off to the best start you can!  During Freshers' I did some different stuff to get to know my housemates, like cooking a meal together, having pre-drinks, going 'exploring' round the campus and nearby countryside etc.

6) Take a disposable camera.  It's always hilarious to see the prints when they're done, I've got some absolutely golden shots from Freshers' week that I took on a disposable camera.  When they're printed off you can stick them on the walls of your room.

7) Make sure you eat.  It sounds silly, but making sure you eat during the day and before going out is a big yes.  Your immune system is likely to take a bit of a hit during Freshers' with all the drinking and staying up late and having way too much fun.  If you get together with a few of your housemates and all cook a meal together before going out, that means a) (most importantly) you can drink more b) you'll hold whatever you do drink down better c) it's another opportunity to make friends!  Try and get in some fruit and veg in too if you can, your health will thank you when term begins!

8)  Leave your room door open.  Take a door stop.  Top tip!

9)  Save up before.  The week can get pretty expensive, especially if you're buying drinks and clubs and bars.  If you can, buy event tickets in advance so that you can budget better what you might spend during Freshers'.  Your student loan won't arrive until your attendance at the university has been confirmed, which for me wasn't until after Freshers' week, so try to take a bit of money with you to get you through the first week.  It's very easy to splurge during the week too - this is when pre-drinks become your best friend.  Don't go too crazy and splash the cash because you will regret it when you're eating instant noodles every night because you can't afford anything else!  

10) Establish bin/toilet roll rotas, kitchen cleaning etc.  The first week is the best time to try and come up with a fair system for things like taking the bins out or cleaning the kitchen, while everyone's still friendly and co-operative.  

11)  Swot up.  In order to get off to a flying start, it will really help you to carry on with/finish/begin doing some of your course reading.  You'll likely be sent in advance or perhaps given at your introductory talks things like reading lists or preparatory materials to read before your lectures begin.  Get any books or other nerdy things you might need before teaching starts, and try and familiarise yourself with them a bit so you don't feel too much like you've been thrown in the deep end when it actually does.

12) Remember: you don't have to go out every night.  If you're feeling a bit ill and crappy one night, you don't have to go out!  Don't be afraid to suggest staying in, getting a takeaway and watching a film if that's what you feel like doing - chances are at least one of your housemates will probably feel the same way, which means you'll get a night off to recover, get to know people a bit better, and be totally revitalised for the next day.  

13)  Make time to catch up with people at home but try not to miss them too much.  You probably will feel homesick and miss your friends and family, especially perhaps if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend at home who you've now moved away from.  My best advice, which is difficult but important, is to keep in contact with them (obviously) but try to be strict with yourself.  Organise a time when you'll ring your mum/sister/boyfriend to check in with them and enjoy catching up but don't be constantly on your phone texting to see how they're doing and how much they're missing you.  You'll not only give yourself a really good chance to settle in, but be more approachable to other people if you seem available so, as tricky as it is, try to keep your home contact under control for the first week.  

14)  Fill out your room/kitchen inventory.  When you move in you will most likely be given an inventory list to fill out.  Go round your room and check everything is working and present as if there are problems they can take a long time to be fixed.  We spent our first term with only the smallest ring on our hob cooker working...which was fine unless you wanted to cook anything bigger than a fried egg.  Or cook at the same time as someone else (impossible).  Or just have a working oven like you were supposed to.  

15) Arrive on time!  If you can, get there on the morning of your move-in date.  That way, you'll have plenty of time to unpack your stuff, say goodbye to your family, relax a little bit and then wait for the fun to begin.