The joys (an odd things) of cleaning and moving out of your student house

So the time has finally come, its been coming a long time considering everyone else really moved home a month or so ago, but yes, its time to pack my stuff up and hand my keys in. Mammys house here i come.
Which im not complaining about, because lets face it, i want to spend as much time as possible with my family before i have to go abroad for placement, ill miss their annoying faces.

Keys are due in tomorrow (i figured i had one more night here, but due to the recent realisation of how much crap i hoard, it may take two car runs to move it all home, so gotta move most of it home tonight and maybe come back for the remainder tomorrow morning before the final inspection)

Last night was my final night living in Derry (for at least a year) which me aoife and her boyfriend joe spent perfectly, being lazy, going to see fireworks which in aoifes head always translates to pub crawl, we eventually got home, only none of us were tired, so it was a massive contrast in music (joes country and aoifes alternative) drinking every drop of remainder alcohol in the house (there was surprisingly alot) and talking complete shite (topics ranged from boob jobs to politics, as they do like) And although me and joe were dying by the end of the whole night, (not wanting to be the first to leave and be THAT person that ended the last night ever in princes st) we finished it the way we started, 5am sitting talking garbage on kitchen chairs in our disgusting back garden.
It was really bittersweet how we finished up our year the way we started (the first night we met we spent the whole night in the garden on the kitchen chairs, talking utter nonsense.)

So im happy how it ended, plus joe lives near me so ill see them over summer, and theres always the festivals me fiona and aoife have planned to go to, so im not upset over not seeing anyone anymore. im just annoyed i wont be living here anymore.
its sad! i mean, out of all my houses and roommates, this house, these roommates were the longest. and most awesome :)

SOOOO now ive done the mandatory blubber fest above, its time i entertain/confuse you all with tales of what all i found when i was packing all my stuff up today.
Moral of the story. im a complete hoarder.

lets start where i did, the drawers that i never used. In my head they were for supplies and souvenirs, ie never really used, therefore the easiest to tidy up.
Apparently supplies meant those rulers and pens still in the wrapper that i got as freebies from the freashers fayre and by souvenirs apparently i meant every piece of paper and flyer i accumulated over the academic year.

apparently way waaaaay back in september i didnt want to wreck anything, so i kept everything, including freebie sweets, amoung them the above o2 jellies.

bet o2 didnt think theyd be feeding the hungry student population all the way into june.

In the drawers (passed all the blank application forms and takeaway menus) i actually found school supplies of relevence, apparently at one point this year i was prepared to do work. mmmm pity that never happened.

Apart from school supplies and menus, your bedside table will more than likely have the following hidden in it by the end of the year.

-holiday stuff like halloween accessories and xmas hats (you arent in cansas anymore toto, no mummys attic here to store all your useless seasonal items.

-cheap jewllery you found in a sale and put away safely, but it wasnt THAT important you find it ever again.

-concert tickets

-gig ticket stubs

-wristbands from memorable nights out to clubs etc (theyre EVERYWHERE)

- that  good as new checking book your bank gave you when you opened that student account for the overdraft (they thought youd actually deposit more than youd withdraw, silly them) 

-shopping lists (you made alot of these when you got hungry and the funds ran low) 

-a receipt from the university for coursework submissions (the second you dont keep them, the uni will magically loose your only copy of your work)

-caffeine tabs, ritalin, (or worse) pills that helped you cope with the workload and late nights.

-some form of useless momento from an awesome night out (there could come a point you have so many, you dont quite remember where theyre all from)

As i continued cleaning, the cupboard was the next logical step, i found all my clothing can be shoved badly into four massive bags, a LARGE black bin bag and a big plastic container. makes you wonder why i bothered hanging anything up, if im just gonna shove it in with all my other crappy clothes. 

Things you will also find around your student room by the end of the year, will be...

-a wall or surface covered in notes, to do lists, business cards, bookmarks, posters, stubs or other paper like momentos from amazing memories and of course that annoying calander you realise you need come deadline time (though most first years dont catch

your aceptance letter that you said youd treasure.... but crumpled up and left amoung all the rest of your notes

a mirror that tells you the honest truth about how bad your skin is (not unlike your mother)

FACT student mirrors lie. a fact we only realise when we go home at christmas and look at our everyday outfits in a different environment 

(design students only) an obscene amount of expensive books and art supplies, that you still cry over when you think how much they cost you, and you only needed them that once. 

candles/soaps/nice smelly things that kept your clothes smelling perdy all year long (if you dont, your clothes will eventually smell like the rest of your student house....drink, smoke and unshowered roomamtes isnt an intoxicating smell. you will only really smell this when you go home)

PS. think the amount of unused candles i have is a problem.... might start googling hooarding.

old hand in stuff

speed drawing challenges

my version of a filing cabinet 

Alot of current or so old its irrelevant uni work that you arent too sure if you are willing to risk throwing it out....what if that lecturer asks for it two years later (unlikely but still... you didnt write that essay, or fill in that crappy artists journal just to throw it away so quick)

original artwork and photographs from obscure semi famous artists that you convinced would be worth something someday, and or would motivate you (if they can make money off THAT so could you, no matter what your parents said)

Those christmas hampers and beauty boxes you decided you HAD to have, and used maybe one thing from them, ever! but hey, it was either under your student bed, or back home with younger siblings that would be sure to help themselves to it. 

An amazing view of someones bathroom, back alleyway or dodgey carparks (students dont need a view, this is the time in your life to better yourself so you can afford a view!)

fyi. a part of that wall is my graffiti, 100 points to griffindor if you can guess which one!!!

(more directed towards UK students, since we have the 5p levy bag charge)

BAGS, more bags than you know what to do with! you likely accumulated them through the many grocery bags your mother insisted you bring (normally tinned/frozen food the rest of the family dont eat, but theyre convinced you will get so hungry that youll want it)

Those times you bring more back to uni than you brought home, and your suitcase maybe doesnt fit it all.

all those trips to the shop that you decided sure ill buy the slightly more expensive bag, im sure ill remember it next time and never need to do this again (note. you buy that bag again, and again, and again, until youre left looking at the above on moving day)

That religious relic your mother/granny/close relative demanded you keep in your room so it will protect you all year. you dont really notice it but youd never throw it out. sacrilege lol (clearly it works, im not dead yet surprisingly)

a trendy coat/bag/purse that you figured would look amazing but soon found it was utterly impractical for more than a doorstopper. 

A piggy bank/ jam jar/ jewelry box. basically a small container you throw all your pennies in when your rich because they are useless.... until you have no money and no food for the foreseeable future, and when that time comes, that empty jar of change, or half full piggy bank, is your bestest friend in the whole world.

ticket stubs (seeing a pattern. im just too lazy when i come in from nights out or long journeys, that i empty my pockets and never sort anything?)

in this case, theyre from my first tram rides (it was a long weekend in dublin, i used the tram alot)

jewelry belongs EVERYWHERE, even on candles and the windowsill idk

an immature toy, normally a teddy or bopit or something similar. it was fun that one day you and your roommates were addicted to it, but then it just sat there out of place all year (questioned y any new people in your room)....in my case it was a hello kitty slinky, please note i live in a houses with over seven flights of stairs. it was put to alot of use in that one day 

a cluttered handle full of i dont even know what. 

theres festival bands, convention bands, loom bands, friendship bracelets, wishing bracelets, id tags for the many conventions and events worked, bracelets and other nick nack memento jewelry, a teddy/keychain ting given to me by a boyfriend YEARS ago that i thinks freakin adorable but have no use for. and a frog shaped rechargeable torch (the most sensible thing i likely own. think about it, if i ever experience a black out, im sorted. adorable, quick, accessible, and no need for batteries. its sad how thats my most sensible possession) 

shoes. alot of shoes.

the sad thing is, when you go home, youve even more shoes there! 

but  believe all girls will agree with me here. they are all needed.

ALL girls have a teddy.

mainly because they stuff it behind the headboard so the bed doesnt make noise (sad how much that fact comes up in drunken conversations through out the year)

BUT my undead monkey is not in that category. hes just old and adorable (and my little sisters have been trying to steal him for years, so hes safer with me at uni)

ALOT of half used makeup, toiletries and perfumes. 

Apparently your studies werent the only thing you half finished. 

Once all your stuff is packed.... you realise how freakin sad it all is. 

Your life can literally be packed up so easily and look so miserable (most people can fill houses worth of their stuff, and we can barely fill a car normally)

So you get to cleaning. that means, clearing out your food cupboard, defrosting the fridge, moping and hoovering all floors. your house looks sooooooo empty and unlived in when you are finished. (ready for the next hopeful naive students to come in and have the craic)

yeah my room number was one, cos its on the first floor and im so lazy that i didnt wanna climb the mount everest to the top floor ever time i needed something.

me and fionas wee private hallway between our rooms (theres three rooms this second hallway attaches too, but the third room mate might as well have been a no show all year tbh)

first floors bathroom and shower. i fell jumping from one set of stairs to the other (pure lazyness) so many times this year

 look how pretty my kitchen was :'( was brand new when we moved in, might not look like much, but this is the buckingham palace of student accomadation.

 we had two sinks, two cookers, two ovens because there was so many of us BUT we didnt get our second fridge and freezer (not that we were complaining) so the landlord gave us a tv as compensation. sweeeeeet.

 my last meal in princes street, enjoying the fact i had he place cleaned (hillbillys, is like an irish version of KFC idk ive only ever seen it in derry, but apparently its a big deal in the south)

how many student houses can say they have a garden. 

(granted the boys decided its better suited as a pee garden all year, but thats neither here nor there) 

Big obvious red door, how ill miss thee

 BYE BYE princes st. you were an awesome house, filled with six awesome room mates !

Stitch is equally not as please to be squeezed into the car with everything else i own lol

The student cupboard and its magical properties.

broke

semi rich

So its that time of year. MOVING DAY. 

Now at this point in the year, theres probably very little food in your cupboard, due to low funds and the decision its a waste of time to shop/eat between now and when you get home in a weeks time.

Well whatever your reasoning, when clearing your cupboard you will probably come across many odd things youve thrown in there over the course of the last year of residence. 

This is what i found.

pasta (everyone lived off this, dont lie)

practically full fry crisp n dry (cooking oil, probably one of the most expensive necessities all year)

tea bags (i dont even eat tea, and i have an unopened bag, and a massive family bag, just because all visitors demand tea, including my ma)

bread and a full bag of pancakes (which i was determined to finish before leaving)

tinned goods (mainly spaghetti or beans) this can range between the 20p stuff and the proper stuff you got on payday and decided you were a classy frigger. 

syrup! i have golden, chocolate and toffee (this was useful for everything gross, not just pancakes or icecream)

family bag of popcorn (cos im fat)

cookies (i devoured four packets this week, thats a lucky lone survivor)

biscuits (rich tea because i was broke)

bag of cadburys nibbles (my addiction all semester, and demanded everyone try them and love them)

3xsnickers

strawberry harbio laces 

20xfizzers (leftover sweets from birthdays)

the precious glass bowl that my mum left behind when giving me the rare leftovers from a family party i didnt attend. this is to be guarded with my life, and sat waaaaay out of arms reach on my cupboard all semester. 

a stapler from when i was the only one in the house that had one and everyone had to staple together thier submissions (it never made its way back upstairs incase someone else needed it)

pink pritstick and double sided tape, from one of the many all nighters me and conrad sat in my kitchen getting overdue work done. 

a massive cheesy birthday badge from aoife when she threw me a surprise birthday party (with all her friends)

inhalers (a given, like admission bands for clubs, inhalers are everywhere about me)

a clay model of my 3d modelling project. i loved him too much to throw him out ! plus that clay was expensive! yet another art supply used once. 

loose change (23p)

four metallic markers and several assorted paint brushes (from when me and wee sligo decorated campaign tshirts and election boards -see the campaign blog for that disaster)

a permanent marker and spray can from random acts of vandalisim (one in particular that i am pleading the 5th to)

nail polish (normally used while everyone else is predrinking)

pink bouncy ball from the weekend me fiona and aiden babysat (dragged kids to places we wanted to go, including the arcade/bowling alley)

takeaway menus from my favourite places

glitter straws from my little sisters surprise mini party (it was her birthday and there was a festival on, i figured it was a good coincidence. I may have dragged them all to the book store to see the gruffalo....i was way more excited than they were)

cheap tic tacs.... cos im classy, broke and have awesome smelling breath idk

plastic cups (student house-self explanatory)

course work extension forms (spare) i never pretended to be a good student!

blank job application forms (we all have them but never get round to half of them, or like the above, loose them to the abyss that is my food cupboard)

a hand written sign made by aoife when i occupied the living room for a night for life modelling and kicked all roommates out for three hours (it was a cute threatening sign, had to be kept)

a christmas card from fiona, which she made along side me when i was working on my 2d animation. she was so damn excited to use colouring pencils and a light box, aw the easily amused pet, she shouldve studied design instead of physiology

a purse and passport (money and ID dont normally make it all the way back to my room after a night out)

and last but not least, i wanna say a halloween costume accessory....but ive dressed up for more than my fair share of events this year, and halloween had nothing to do with it. this one in particular was from a mad hatter tea party event i ran for charity week (RAG raise and give)

and there you have it.... a last but solid look into the unnutritious, mostly uneatable contents of my cupboard.

a ramble about placement year

Some of you might be pessimistic grumps and just want university over as fast as possible, with tunnel vision on gruation, onlly to complain in five years that you didnt take the opportunities university allowed you, for example. placement year.

Placement year can be for many things, its optional for most courses, even if your course directors dont say a word about it until ast minute, know you have the option.
Apparently you can take it in your second or third year, this i was completely unaware off and probably wouldve preferred i took it in second, so id do better in second year assignments, instead ill be taking it now for my third year and when i return for final year ill be dedicated yes but itll be more of a challenge to get back in the university mode, at least if i had taken it in second year i would have a year to recover.

Placement year can be taken for work study or travel.
Thats your first dilema.
do you want to see the world? do you want fun? or is this a year for you to gain experience, and if so, what kind of experience?
Now back to he original dilemma, work study or travel because depending on your actions and point of view, anyone of these three can check all those listed boxes for you.
maybe whilst deciding where to go and what to do, youve decided you could do more than one, like study abroad, travel and work as you go, idk the point of placement year is, theres no two the same, its all up to you.
Your biggest problem will be funding. lets face it, the money will be safe and secure closer to home, but what if you want to get out there and se the world? if so, start saving, because i cant see a cheap never mind free way of doing that.
plane tickets and visas alone will eat up any pending overdraft you had tucked away.

placement year, to me shows you what kind of person you are, are you adventurous out in the amazon knee deep in mud, helping preserve wildlife ? maybe safe and secure and taking placement in an office not an hour from your mammys house. maybe you are a grey area of working abroad but still within reasonable plane distance to come home for Christmas.
what you do, how long you do it, and what you take from the whole experience, to me, really shows what kind of person you are and can be.

thats why anytime someone mentions placements to a student not on their placement yet, we roll our eyes, change the subject and mental scream and hide under a massive imaginary duvet. Placement might be fun and exciting and skill building but lets face it, until youre on placement, it is nothing but grey hairs, stress youve never experienced, and freakin sofies choice on what type of placement to choose never mind where and how youre getting it.
the decision is unfortunately up to us, and its not an easy one.

take my advice. plan for it from day one. save up, get your grades, get networking, get out there and know what there is available, so by the time it comes time for you to secure or decide on a placement, youll not only have options but funding and a solid plan.
you wont miss deadlines or realize you are a few grades short, therell be no sneaky costs you didnt account for, there wont be better exiting opportunities you didnt get because you didnt realize they even existed.
trust me, you want to plan it all, it wont make the process easy, but itll make it so much easier.

placements are so difficult for the undecided, flight risks. theres too many to choose from, and only one me to do them. 

a reluctant once upon a time, review pt2

SPOILERS fair warning lads


omfg how could you kill off my favourite character?!?!?! i feel like hunting the writers down and smacking them so freckin hard. it wasnt even a touching or dramatic death scene !!!!

ok so ill back tack slightly, for all of yo who read the previous once upon a time review the other day (yes i have no life, and zero work ethic to start assignments, im watching a useless tv show, that apparently kills off my favourite characters!)
so im now half way through season 3, and though therewas a seriously tear jerking near death scene of rumplstilkin last season, this season they just blatently killed him off, i mean of all the impossibe ways to get around thier curses and dilemas, never once has anyone i liked so much had to die, nobody of the original cast has properly died (kinda annoyed they killed the hot police chief but thats niether here nor there he was technically a hench man and hindsight should say he was always gonna die)

BUT NOT RUMPLESTILKIN!!! you cruel fuckers.
i know im overly hyped but its half two in the morning and im lacking in both sleep and will poer not to go hunt down a certain shows writers. c'mon guys its like you arent even trying anymore.

ive just finished episode 11 which had to be a mid season finale of sorts, because the dramatic ending (well disappearance of storybrooke and all its freackin residents) its like they barely had time t bother throwing in the fact rumple died.
it was a big season of fights and little progression in the story and then within five minutes, two people died and oh story over, oh wait no we were just bored of that story and decided to wipe the slate clean for this new idiotic story.

i swear, if captain hook was so down right gorgeous, i wouldnt have the effort to even bother watching the rest of this show, i mean the story is seriously lacking and its slow and THEY KILLED OFF RUMPLE, who was the bad ass comic relief and had the only ongoing lovestory that wasnt just oh i love you. done.
no his was an ongoing awesome tale with an equally stubborn awesome character but noooooo lets kill that off cos its the only interesting thing.

seriously annoyed.

cant see this tv show impressing me too much in the next half of the season. especially if i dont see more hook than dull boring over played characters.
.... its still a highly suggested tv show for you guys to watch bu seriously, see you lot that told me to watch it? thanks for the zero bloody heads up.
im not a fan of a movie/show/book unless it has a decent (happy?) ending.
you cant start something and not finish it, c'mon writers, get your sht together.

i demand rumple isnt dead and hooks even more badass and hot in the rest of the season. cos if its just another, oh no the queen did this, snow did that so the ueen did that and thats why snow did that storyline.... youve completely lost me.
if yous dont watch your act ill be forced to start assignments soon. cant have that now can we.
heres hoping it gets better, or they at least acknowledge theyve just killed off my favourite character :'(

The worlds most confusing billboard

 

Has anyone any clue what the fudge that is? yes i am aware it is a billboard, im aware it is the only one of its kind ive seen, i am aware its situated infront of the police station on the strand road in derry, and im aware its a photo of a grubby car window and the word sorry BUT it has zero logos, business names, nothing a normal poster/billboard would have.

its not associated with the billboard next to it, as its currently a vivid mcdonalds poster....dont think mcds is overly sorry about anything.

any ideas? 

id really love to know, its completely confusing me every time i pass it, either its a stroke of genius cos it has my attention, or its the worlds worst promotion as i havent a clue who or what it is promoting. 

Heres my theory,its wrong, but let me be delusional for a bit.

Someones realllllly fucked up, like big time. 

and to apologize hes gone and told her where to go, or meet him or whatever, and she looks up and there it is (no name incase it goes wrong etc, or its too personal) noooooow thats super cheesy but also super romantic. 

and i love that theory, because lets face it, its a plossible as any other none existent reason at this point, but then again i also have to keep in mind, i live in northern ireland and men dont have a roantic bone in their body. youd be lucky if you got a sorry in a text never mind a billboard. 

so people, help me fix this puzzle.

who what and why is this billboards purpose!!!!