my desk: and the studying continues...

Though medical school is now over, the learning and exams never end in medicine. As my elective was in paediatric surgery, it was a good opportunity to revise some embryology and one of the senior doctors I had the pleasure of working with recommended the textbook in the photo below to me. He said it was a basic textbook but that's what I wanted at the time.

This summer has seen a few heatwaves and that's why there's so much water on my desk! I try and make sure I drink at least 2.5 litres of water a day as when I don't, I feel faint and ill. There's also a guilty pleasure in the form of crunchy nut cornflakes in the top left corner...!

How do you like your desk to be?

recent Instagram posts!

One thing I really like doing is sharing bits of my study life (and other parts of my life!) on Instagram when time allows. Unfortunately, this isn't often but at the same time, I'm sure you guys appreciate that your feed isn't clogged up by my posts! If you're interested in seeing more, check out paperl0vestory on Instagram :-)

It is currently exam season for me so the posts may die down for a few weeks or it might not because... Procrastination! Anyway, here are a few of my most recent posts all in one place - enjoy!

my desk: a new year, a new start

In preparation for finals revision, I rejigged by desk earlier this month and this is the result. I've tried to keep the actual surface as minimalistic as possible with only the essentials (plus my Instax, because, you never know when the perfect weather might arise for a walk full of snapping!).

At the moment, exam preparation consists of doing online question banks and for that, I only need my notebook, a pen (the one shown below is my Lamy Safari in Dark Lilac) and a computer.

I'll post a picture of my desk again when revision is in full flow and I'm willing to bet there won't be as much table visible as below!

how my desk looks during a study session

Originally, I wanted to show how my desk was organised (at its tidiest) but that's not an accurate representation of how it looks when functional. So, today, I thought I'd share how my desk looked on the Sunday just gone (because I usually take Saturdays off when it comes to studying).

Allow me to explain the contents:

Top Left Quadrant 
You can see my bunny bookshelves there (courtesy of the children's section from Marks and Spencer's!) which sandwich my journal, Rifle paper planner, my Seize the Day journal and two other notebooks.

Just below that are some post-it notes, a stick of Burt's Bees lip balm and some other girly items (such as hand cream, tweezers and a pocket mirror).

I also have snacks at the ready here in the corner (both visible in the form of clementines, dark chocolate, mints and some ginger sweets in the fox ceramic pot).

The cream paper is just one side of the (almost ninety pages of) learning objectives I need to get through before the end of this academic year. Ominous times but I'm getting through them at a good pace so I'm hopeful they will all be done and learnt by exam time.

Top Right Quadrant
Some more post-it notes of various sizes reside here, pens, a learning resource on vaginal examinations (in preparation for my Obstetrics and Gynaecology placement) and some facial moisturiser (no idea what this is doing on my desk if I'm honest). My daily to-do list resides on one of these post-it notes too and at the end of the day, tasks that still need doing are transferred to a new list with the old one thrown away.

Lower Left Quadrant
Here you'll find a notebook from first year (after all, things learnt back then are still important now) and a textbook on Orthopaedics and Rheumatology.

Lower Right Quadrant
Again, nothing much here aside from my A4 Oxford notebook and my computer mouse.

I try and combine textual resources with online resources whenever possible which is why my computer is on during these study sessions. Another thing I like to have in the background is some instrumental or soothing music (Sleeping At Last is my current favourite) and sometimes, a candle will also be lit, especially if it's nearing bedtime.

Overall, my desk is a mess during these sessions but it gets tidied at the end of each day.

How does your desk look when used productively? Are there any items you need on your desk at these times?

a guide to packing for university

Today, I thought I'd write a guide on packing for university. Hopefully this'll come in handy for some of you who are starting university in the coming months as I want to share the tips that I wish I knew when I was 18 and going to university, back in 2009!

This post is aimed at those moving into a university halls' of residence but a lot of it is still applicable to those renting private accommodation. Before packing or buying items, try and find a list of things that are provided for you already.

Wardrobe

As most people will know, the British weather is temperamental so choosing what clothes to pack can often be a headache. It definitely was for me so here are a few tips I have to share. Bear in mind that most halls' of residences only provide you with a tiny wardrobe and no hangers!

Another thing to take into account is that some of you will inevitably buy new clothes (ASOS, you just make it too easy for us students) and with limited wardrobe space, you might want to pack only the bare minimum.

-

- Co-ordinating: Pack clothes that go together. That one top that only goes with that skirt? Leave it. 

- Layering: Clothes that can be layered are amazing when the weather starts to turn a bit cooler.

- Packer's Remorse? You'll probably go home at least once halfway through the term and if you know you definitely will be, you can go back for that top and swap the clothes you've not worn so far for ones you wished you had packed.

- Coats and the Cooler Weather: One thing you definitely need is a solid winter coat!

- Loungewear and Nightwear: Don't underestimate the importance of loungewear and don't forget to pack nightwear!

- Fancy Dress: Think about the events you may be going to that term. You might want to consider packing some black tie outfits for these! For themed events, local pound shops should have you covered on that front so don't worry too much about packing clothes that fit the 80s theme/toga theme/any other theme.

- Smart Clothes: If you know you'll have placements or days where you'll need to dress smart, pack more than one shirt and more than one pair of trousers/skirts. That way, you won't be stuck with only one outfit.

- Sporting Gear: Definitely bring some of these - university is a brilliant place to pick up a new sport and sports clubs are great for meeting new people.

Kitchen

Depending on the type of accommodation you're moving into, what you need to pack will vary. My own accommodation was self-catered so my bare minimums were:

- Plates, Mugs and Cutlery: These are essentials! Bring two of each item - this will encourage you to wash up and if you break them, they can be replaced pretty cheaply. Also, Freshers' and Careers' fayres are a good place to pick up free glasses and mugs.

- Cooking Essentials: Go cheap. Asda were pretty good for me and also pretty good quality for the price! A saucepan, wooden spoon and a microwavable bowl (such as one of those Pyrex sets) are the bare essentials. Maybe throw in a colander if you are impartial to the odd pasta meal.

- Food: Honestly, buy these when you get there. Ordering online with the use of discount codes (I've seen ones online for Tesco, Sainsbury's, etc) is a good and frugal way to stock up on tinned goods, pasta, etc. from time to time and saves you lugging them back from the supermarket.

- One Pot Cooking: Consider investing in a rice cooker or a slow cooker so that you can cook quick, cheap and easy one pot meals. A lifesaver during exam and busy periods!

- Tupperware: Perfect for freezing portions of food for those days where you don't feel like cooking. Perfect for storing snacks in to ensure they stay fresh. Perfect for packed lunches.

Books and Stationery

- Textbooks: Don't buy these before going to uni! Borrow them from the library and then buy the ones you keep renewing and using. Alternatively, older students occasionally sell their copies at a heavily discounted price and you might find that they've already highlighted or stuck in sticky notes in the most important sections.

- Stationery: Bring what you used in high school. You'll inevitably end up buying new stationery when your loan comes in or when you want to try out a new study technique you've seen online. Freshers' and Careers' fares are also another place where you'll come away with pens, notepads and post-it notes.

- Desk Storage: The plastic drawers you can see above are perfect for your desk. You can get similar ones quite cheaply online and are ideal for storing paperclips and other small bits of stationery. Or make-up!

Bathroom and Laundry

- Sharing a Bathroom? Bring a pair of flip flops for when you get out of the shower. In my first year, I shared a bathroom with five other guys (yes, really) and I think that's when my obsession with cleanliness started. Bring a shower caddy - I used a basin so that I could easily carry shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, a shower pouffe, two towels and everything else on each hygiene trip!

- En-suite? You can forego a pair of flip flops here if you want. However, be prepared to shell out for toilet roll on a regular basis!

- Laundry: Get a laundry basket that is tall rather than wide. This is especially important if you have a smaller-sized room. Also, if you know you'll be using a laundry room that only takes certain coin denominations, start keeping a coin box in your room. Every weekend, empty your purse of these coins and then you'll always have money for laundry.

- Laundry Bags: Perfect for when you launder those more delicate items such as your favourite dress or top that you don't want to get ruined. Make sure you read clothing labels to see what can and can't be machine washed too - this'll save you the disappointment of seeing your favourite jumper shrink to a quarter of its size.

Decorations

- Wall: Some halls of residences don't allow blu-tac so be really careful what you use to pin up posters/photos. In my first year, there was a pin-board so it wasn't really an issue and I ended up filling my walls with photos and posters. Definitely consider doing this to make your room feel a little bit more homely.

- Desk: Desk estate may be an issue as some halls only give you a small desk! However, I like to keep small trinkets on my desk so that it feels more cosy (as you can see in the photo above).

- Room: Depending on the size of your room, you may forego any other decorations. One potential thing you might want is a doorstop but other than that, there won't be many other essentials in this category. A good way to keep your room smelling nice is to use reed diffusers and they also add an element of decoration too.

Electronics

- Laptop: Definitely something to consider buying if you have the funds! A desktop computer isn't a necessity as you'll most likely want to take your laptop to the university library from time to time.

- External Hard Drive: I'd almost count this as an essential! Remember to back-up your documents and external hard drives can be bought fairly cheaply now.

- Gaming Devices: Not really necessary - my advice here is to see how much time you spend studying in your first term and if you find yourself sorely missing your Xbox/Playstation/Wii and you have the time to spare, then it might be worth bringing it with you after Christmas break.

- Television: Again, not necessary. The TV licence is a hefty fee for any student and most halls' have a television anyway. Plus, watching TV in the common room with others is another way to be sociable!

Other

- Bedding: Bring two sets! And bring a pillow or two. Cushions and a throw are a nice touch to make your room look and feel more homely. Also, consider bringing a duvet that has an adjustable tog for when the weather turns cold halfway through the term.

- First Aid Kit and Medicines: Fresher's flu and colds are pretty much inevitable! As are study-induced headaches.

- A Torch! Because you never know when that power cut may or may not happen.

- Alarm Clock: Your phone one might be sufficient but never underestimate your ability to sleep through a single alarm!

* * *

If you're really struggling for space, like I was, you can pack up a box of stuff that is heavier/bulkier and not essential for the first few days and send it to your new address by courier so that it arrives after you do. Just bear in mind that most of what you bring with you to uni needs to be moved out at the end of that academic year...

There are probably many more tips out there but these are the ones I can think of that I wish someone had told me before I first went off to university. Any questions? Let me know in the comments - I'll try my best to get back to you or maybe another reader will :)

relaxing during the exam period

Exams are always stressful and the time just before them (a.k.a. revision time) is even more so. Although I am a bit of a workaholic, it was important to ensure that breaks were scheduled in from time to time. Here are ten things I did to keep sane during exams...

1) Have dedicated 'me time'.

Everyday, I ensure that there is at least half an hour in each half of the day where I can have some time to myself. What I mean by this is thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the afternoon where I just spend alone and try and clear my mind. On particularly busy days, this half an hour could just be the time I'm in the shower or even my journey home from uni. Plugging in my ear phones on the bus helps drown everyone else out!

2) Light a candle and close your eyes.

Pretty self-explanotory. Also, does anyone else like watching a candle flame flicker as much as I do?!

3) Netflix!

During revision time, House was my guilty pleasure. I like to think that it aided my revision a little but that's probably just wishful thinking. Netflix is a dangerous thing to have during exam time when procrastination rates are at its highest but I think I managed to restrain myself pretty well because I only got asked if I wanted to continue watching a handful of times.

4) Reading

As mentioned before on the blog, I do love to read and nothing better than reading something non-medicine related.

5) Exercise

When the weather allowed, I would take a twenty to thirty minute walk in my locality to clear my head and it probably helped top up my (possibly) exceedingly low levels of vitamin D.

6) Write in my journal.

I'll confess - I do get stressed quite easily because I've set myself pretty high academic goals for this year so my journal is pretty much essential for the maintenance of my mental health. It's somewhere where my darkest thoughts go but also my happiest and having read back my old ones, I can see which areas of my life have seen the most change.

7) Five minute yoga!

Youtube is amazing for yoga videos and five minute yoga is just about acceptable for someone (like me) who has a short attention span.

8) Discover some new music on Youtube.

But be careful with how much time you waste doing this - I once took a twenty minute break only to have spent an hour on Youtube 'by accident'!

9) Chores!

For some strange reason, I find doing the dishes/cleaning my room very therapeutic and I can't study in an environment that's messy. At least, that's what I've convinced myself to make my procrastination periods seem more productive...

10) Blogging!

I've been blogging for almost five years now (seriously?!) and I wouldn't still be doing it if I didn't enjoy it. Though I'm not as active on social media as I was in the past, I've still 'met' some amazing people through Twitter, Instagram and even through my short experience with Tumblr. I'm still amazed that so many of you read my ramblings!

* * *

Do you do anything to relax during exam time? Is there anything you find particularly good to take away the exam stress?

five pretty things

In this materialistic world, a good design can make all the difference: the only proof we need is the Apple brand. Critics continuously praise the design of their products and also their usability. In this post, I thought I'd be a bit materialistic and show off five pretty things currently in my life.

1) Tinned Scented Candles

Muji candles are my new scented obsession (thanks to my sister). Though possibility not the most environmentally-friendly, they give off a scent even when not burning and I don't know of many candles that do this. They come at £3.50 and I like how they are in tins so that they can be transported easily. Elderflower is my personal favourite with its mellow and relaxing tones.

2) A plushie Totoro my sister made for me

Earlier this year, my sister made me a mini Totoro using some felt and thread. It sits on my desk, propped up against my computer monitor. My Neighbour Totoro is a film that really stuck in my mind for some reason but the same can be said for most of Studio Ghibli's films!

3) A fully-filled pen pot

Is there anything better than this?

4) Floaty Summer Skirts

Now that summer is kind of here, I can finally unleash my summer wardrobe again. This includes floaty skirts and a pair of Rayban Wayfarers.

5) Midori Brass Number Clips

I purchased these just before revision time and they were perfect for prioritising what I needed to revise. Another thing they could be used for is to mark the start of a new month in your planner (there are twelve of them... Coincidence? Probably not!).

Now that summer is here, I can appreciate the prettier things currently in my life. Pretty things don't always need to be expensive either - as shown by the Totoro plushie that my sister made me which is cute but also has sentimental value.

how my acrylic box is organised

Last year, I did a blog post for Ryman's about preparing for a new academic year with new additions and one of the things I did was to try and have a tidier work area. To do this, I've utilised a clear acrylic box and today, I want to share its contents which definitely need some re-organisation. :)

I'm a huge fan of acrylic boxes as I do think they look minimalistic and chic at the same time. They add that little something without being over the top and they are also very useful for those who have a lot of stationery they need nearby.

As the drawers are by my desk, I try and fill them with things I will use on a regular basis. The clear acrylic material means that I can see exactly what each drawer's contents are but it also means I can't just stuff it full with no regard for how it looks.

In the top drawer, I have some Avery note tabs, Post-it sticky flags, Rilakkuma sticky flags, some A6 note pages, Martha Stewart x Avery x Staples post-it notes and a few Iconic double-ended pens.

The middle drawer holds some more sticky notes and sticky flags, a pocket highlighter, a seemingly dirty cable tie and a few pens (a Uni-ball rollerball, Pilot Frixion Clicker and a pen for my transparent sticky notes).

Finally, the bottom drawer holds some more sticky flags and sticky notes, a roller tip-ex, an eraser and some Midori duck paper clips.

The contents in each drawer do seem quite random and I'm in the process of trying to organise them in a better way, whilst still fitting everything in so that it doesn't look too messy. It's almost like a real-life jigsaw puzzle!

i have an iconic obsession

I've mentioned this Korean stationery brand quite a few times in the last few months and it's been quite a while since I've felt this way about a single brand. Having used an A6 Iconic notebook whilst on placement and with an Iconic Seize the Day planner waiting to be used, I found myself obsessed with trying out more of their products.

The natural choice was a journal notebook. I opted for two - one in Vermillion and one in Vintage Mint. In the next two pictures, you can see that they are still in their plastic wrapping.

On the inside of the cover, there is a line of text that says 'Pile up your memories' so I'm getting the impression that this notebook is designed to be a journal. However, that's not what I'm planning on using it for so we'll see how adaptable it is for other uses!

There is a year planner and also ample pages designed to be month planners. After that, we have some standard lined pages which aren't set up for a specific use and at the back, there is a 'scrap book' section. Finally, at the back, there is a pocket where you can store anything you like in (depending on its size of course).

Being a sucker for Iconic notebooks, I have no bad words to say about this journal. I can't wait to use it though I will need to have a think about how to adapt it for what I plan to use it for.

Have any of you tried any Iconic products? If so, what do you think? If not, are you tempted?

happy new year & 2014 review & 2015 resolutions

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R !

I hope you are all having a lovely festive period so far where your days are filled with too much food and laughter! Here is my 2014 review :)

2014 Review

I started 2014 in Hong Kong and landed back on UK soil on the 1st of January. I had a truly amazing time - seeing family and friends was lovely and the weather wasn't half bad either (during the day at least; it was freezing during the night!).

In April, I saw McBusted at the O2 with my sister and all of my teenage dreams came true. Two of my favourite bands from my teenage years together on one stage?!

In July, I finished my first year of medical school which was actually two years crammed into one. Unbelievably (at least to me), I passed with flying colours and actually enjoyed every moment of it. At the same time, I also acquired a summer job where I met some awesome people too - waitressing is hard work but it isn't dissimilar to what I'll be doing in a few years' time as a junior doctor (fingers crossed all exams go well!) - being perpetually on my feet, juggling a few tasks at the same time and providing excellent customer service are definitely transferable skills.

During 2014, I made some amazing new friends through starting a new course at university. Although my old friends are still amazing, I think I've added to my list of 'friends who I just about count as family now'.

2015 Resolutions

1) Relax more and stop being such a workaholic.

I can see the contrast between myself now and myself back in my first degree: in my first degree, I avoided work at all costs and in this one, I can't stop working. This is definitely a sign that I'm doing the right thing by being on this course but also means that I need to be careful in order to maintain a good work-life balance.

2) Spend more time with friends and widen my friendship circle.

During my first placement this autumn, I didn't see many of my closer friends as they were at different hospitals or were on a general practice placement. This meant that I missed them a whole lot but it also meant I made a lot of new friends and as a result, have widened my friendship circle considerably.

These are my only two resolutions for 2015 because I feel that too many will detract my focus from working to achieve these goals. This year, I've really valued the things in my life that money can't buy (friendship, success and hard work) and I hope to carry those on into 2015.

Once again, happy new year and I wish you all good health, a prosperous year and an amazing 2015 where you make many, many happy memories.

merry christmas :)

adding your own personal touch to a home on a budget

Being 24 years of age and a student still living at home with parents may sound like a nightmare to some. However, I'm quite lucky in that my parents are very lax and treat me like an adult (as they should, I'm 24! And I am capable of living out on my own if it weren't for finances) but the one thing I do miss is adding my own personal touch to the house. The only place I can really do that is my bedroom as it's also my study space and the place where I probably (sadly) spend the most time (most likely studying) when I'm at home.

Anyway, as a student, my budget for all things is never big. As a graduate student, the money situation is worse and I have to be pretty tight, especially towards the end of term. However, there are still ways you can add little personal touches on a budget.

Candles

Candles are an easy way - smell is such a powerful sense so this is a simple method of adding some character to your house. I'm currently using the Enchanted Forest from the House of Fraser brand, Linea.

The set consists of a reed diffuser set and two candles - one that has a sixty hour burn-time and a smaller one that has a fifty hour burn-time. They all share the same fragrance: "cool peppermint with nuances of warm woods" - sounds perfect for this time of year where the nights are long and dark, with Christmas just around the corner.

With regards to the fragrance, I don't really get any of notes of peppermint but the warm woods do come through, albeit a bit subtly. The fragrance is natural and not overpowering and I love how the candle looks when it is burning. However, the only negative I have is that the bottle part of the reed diffuser set is a bit clunky and unsightly. The bottle shape looks a bit too medicinal to me and I much prefer the shape of this one from the Moroccan Rose set.

Bookshelf Refresh

An Expedit bookshelf means that I can jazz it up at will and on a budget too. The box inserts are a few pound a pop each and instantly brighten up your room if you switch them out on a regular basis. At the moment, I have these floral and pastel green ones in and they add a nice, girly, fresh touch to my room.

Pinboard and Upcycling!

A pinboard is an essential in my room and always has been, even when I lived out for my first degree. A good way to decorate a boring pinboard is to repaint it - I'm thinking of doing painting the borders white when I get a spare moment. Furthermore, I up-cycled some tissue paper I received from an online clothes order and what could have been a boring corkboard now has a cute pattern to it.

Washi Tape

Washi tape can be used for almost anything and it can be a cheap way to add your own touch to everyday items if you have a roll or two knocking about. Whilst a roll can be expensive, one roll can last you a while as most come in ten metre lengths.

Another thing I've done is use an Ikea candle holder (on the right) as a pen pot. I know others have used it to store make-up brushes amongst other things so they can be used for almost anything as they are the perfect size to hold things.

Shoebox Upcycling

Wallpaper samples are free from most warehouse stores such as B&Q and Homebase here in the UK and when we were redecorating the house, we accrued many samples. They were just kicking about and instead of recycling them, I took some and wrapped old shoeboxes in them. We also lined our kitchen cupboards with them. This is, literally, a free way to make your own storage boxes - all you need are some old shoeboxes (clean!) and wallpaper. I don't recommend taking wallpaper samples for the sake of it as there are people who genuinely need/want them but as I was redecorating at the time, it was just something that I had kicking about.

I think I may have mentioned some of these things before but it's always nice to remind yourself that 'redecorating' on a minor level can be cheap and doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Have you got any tips for adding a personal touch for very few pennies?