Essays!

Now that Freshers' Week is coming to a close for many of us (my liver is rejoicing), it might be time to actually consider studying and writing essays, ya know, since we're at university...

Personally I'm not amazing at writing essays, so I rely heavily on knowing enough content to balance out both factors to get the top marks. When I haven't been able to remember or understand all of the subject matter, I've fallen because my essays tend to lack clarity, a clever structure and a good flow of writing. 

You may be the exact opposite, but even if you are, I think this post could still help a lot in improving your essays not least because we're stepping up a level from A2s. As explained, I'm not an essay guru, but there are some great resources out there that can aid in strengthening your writing. 

The University of Leicester has a simple and clear list of basic tips that you should follow when writing your essays.

For a more in-depth and useful guide on how to write the best essays at university level, I have been recommended this book by my lecturer: How to Write Better Essays (Palgrave Study Skills)

For students of English or any humanities subject such as Politics or Sociology, there is an even better guide tailored to the requirements of those courses: Writing Essays: A guide for students in English and the humanities
As a Politics student myself I find it extremely useful, especially now I've seen the coursework titles for some of my future essays...

Freshers' Events

Freshers' Week is looming, and aside from registration and getting to know your new university, it's all about the events. There'll be loads of different 'taster' activities to choose from in various sports and clubs, and all of your uni's societies will vie for your membership throughout the week. But perhaps more enthusiastically thousands of students will be booking the famous Freshers' parties to celebrate the new chapter in their lives - so don't miss out. 

It's important to note you shouldn't really be cramming a party in every day of the week if you plan on drinking, unless you enjoy the thought of a week-long heavy hangover and empty pockets. But when you are looking to go out, you may be lost for which events to choose.

Firstly, see where your flatmates (if you have any) are going first; it's important to make friends with them since you're spending a year in close quarters! It's worth checking where your course-mates are going too as you'll be seeing them frequently. 

Check your Students' Union for their official events, and maybe choose one or two from there as these are likely to be the most popular.

Also check non-University events nearby that are aimed at Freshers' Week, as these allow you to explore more of the city/town where you're studying rather than being in a few of the same venues for the whole week. A reputable and easy to use website for such events is Fatsoma, so have a look there for an event you might like to go to and invite your flatmates along!

Free Prime, without the HSBC headache

If you are a student, know a student or have been a student, you're probably aware of the massive headache that is setting up a student bank account. There are loads of options and deals out there that banks use to try to entice us, like a high interest-free overdraft or 10% off coach travel, for example. But we're students - cut to the chase, banks, we want free stuff!

During Freshers' Week I doubt many are contemplating a quiet night in their room binging on their favourite show (though I really wouldn't judge if this is exactly your plan), but in the weeks after when your head has cleared and you're settling down, you need a few evenings in to relax and unwind.

Now, all the HSBC student account holders are already covered; we get free Amazon Prime...

...but everyone else? A railcard? Maybe a credit card? You want free TV and movies too, especially when you're avoiding that pesky TV licence, but the prospect of multiple phone calls and weeks of waiting like many HSBC customers (myself included) have endured is rather uninviting. Thankfully it's not all doom and gloom for you guys! 

Follow this link which takes you directly to Amazon, where you can get a full-access 30 day free trial. Heck, once that one is up, you can create another account for another free trial if you wish.

Happy binge-watching.

Laptops!

To kick off the blog I thought I'd cover one of the more fun essentials for university - laptops. As someone who already owned a desktop, I did previously wonder if there was any point in getting a laptop since it could do everything the smaller device could. However, once I took into consideration that I couldn't sling the desktop tower and monitor into my bag and head off to a lecture, or head anywhere for that matter (I had Starbucks in mind), I was set on a laptop. 

So which one should you get?

For the purposes of comparison I shall rate each laptop out of 5 on portability, specifications and value for money.

Obviously this list will mean different things for different people; some of you might need a laptop for essays and notes while others may be video editing or utilising heavy software. Price is probably the most important factor though, after all, we're students...

Lenovo IdeaPad 110 (£250) - Intel Celeron 1.6GHz, 4GB RAM, 500 GB storage, 15.6"

If you're on a tight budget, the IdeaPad might tempt you as it's reasonably quick, especially on simple tasks like Facebooking or watching YouTube on the good size screen. Writing essays/notes should be no difficulty either. However it's quite heavy and clunky at 2.2kg, and is too slow for many tasks.

Portability [2] Specs [2] Value [3]

HP 15 (£350) - AMD A8-7410 2.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage, 15.6"

For £100 more, the HP 15 offers a faster processor coupled with more RAM (which aids speed) and more storage for files, so you can easily browse the web and write up documents. The added speed may mean you could use more demanding software, though heavy editing is off the cards. At 2kg though it may not be the best to carry around. 

Portability [3] Specs [3] Value [4] 

HP x360 2 in 1 (£400) - Intel Pentium 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, 1TB storage, 15.6"

Although a downgrade in specs, this laptop is also a fully functioning tablet with a 1080p screen and crisp B&O speakers that is best used for both watching videos and typing notes in your lectures. Though together it weighs 2.3kg, in tablet form it becomes lighter and easier to carry.

Portability [4] Specs [3] Value [4]

DELL Inspiron 15 5000 (£500) - Intel Core-i5 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage, 15.6"

The Inspiron steps up in processing power, and this coupled with a HD screen may be ideal for design/media students as well as essay-focused students who can rely on its large storage and easy capability to run Office. As it utilises a 15.6" screen it isn't the lightest laptop though at 2.2kg.

Portability [2] Specs [4] Value [3] 

ASUS Zenbook UX305 (£600) - Intel Core M-6Y30, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 13.3"

The UX305 rivals the MacBook Air for portability, weighing just 1.2kg. With a 3200x1800 resolution 13.3" screen too, it is a crisp, stylish and lightweight machine to carry wherever you go. It also comes with B&O speakers to get the most out of your media. High intensity applications may not be best suited for the comparatively low power processor however. 

Portability [5] Specs [3] Value [3]

ASUS K501UB (£700) - Intel Core-i5 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage, 15.6"

The K501UB is a powerful all-rounder with a fast dual-core processor, lots of storage and, impressively, 2GB Nvidia GeForce graphics for 3D media on its 1080p screen. The machine itself looks sleek and stylish too, and it is capable of most student tasks. At 2kg, screen size in mind, it may be difficult to carry everywhere. 

Portability [3] Specs [4] Value [3] 

Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" with Retina display (£999) - Intel Core-i5 2.7GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage

The MacBook Pro is my favourite, and the laptop I currently own. I admit it seems a little overpriced, but as usual Apple's build quality is impeccable. The Pro is light at 1.6kg, stunning with a resolution of 2560x1600, and powerful. It has no problems running nearly all software a student could require, for example, video editing. As an Apple product it also boasts a high resale value and near virus free operating system. 

Portability [4] Specs [4] Value [5]