Exciting times!

Hi everyone, hope you're all well and that exam prep is coming along nicely..!

There's some pretty exciting things coming up for this little blog of mine. Firstly, UCAS Connect are going to be giving the layout a bit of a facelift soon which is definitely something to look forward to and secondly, I am being interviewed by a writer who would like me to contribute to an article that will be published in Illume Magazine (the UCAS magazine). Make sure you all keep checking back regularly to take a look at the new layout etc. 

I have just come back from having coffee with my friends and we were sat around having a minor freak out about what we're going to do when we graduate because this year is going by so quickly. We came to the conclusion that we basically have no idea what we want to do, in that we want to do everything. Very promising! But the post-Christmas break freak out appears to have calmed down and everyone seems to have settled really well and are looking forward to year two already. 

I stuck to my choir New Year's resolution by the way! The Cathedral concert is this Saturday, rehearsals have been pretty intense but brilliant fun. I have also been doing a bit of writing for the Uni newspaper, I wrote an article about BBC 3 which you can read here. 

But I can't stress enough how the A-level / IB hell that you're going through right now is completely worth it - even though we all moan about uni a lot! So keep revising and you'll do just fine. In case any of you need a reminder, here's a link back to my guide to avoiding procrastination.

Also, if you're coming to Kent in September, I'm hoping to be on the Welcome Week team so I'll see y'all then! 

India xx

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone, firstly Happy New Year, I hope you've all had a lovely time with friends and family over winter break. I remember being really excited/nervous this time last year because you can finally say that your exams are all this year and that you should be starting uni this year! It's equally the best yet scariest feeling ever. Quick reminder, the deadline for applications for most courses is the 15th of January so make sure you get everything sorted on time, the key dates for your applications are here. You're welcome.

As for my experience of Uni, I had finally settled in to a nice routine before leaving for Christmas break, so I'm looking forward to going back and starting that up again. I have decided to throw myself into the societies that I signed up to way back in freshers' week because I haven't put much (any) effort that way so far. It has taken me this long to realise that I get a lot more done when I'm busy and that the solution is therefore to fill up my schedule properly. So my "Uni-based New Year's Resolution" list is as follows:

• Procrastinate less - yes, that is still a problem. If you haven't already, give this post a read, it's my guide to beating procrastination. I should read it again myself. 

• Practice playing piano more - because I have convinced myself that once I graduate I won't have time to and the music facilities at Kent are amazing, it seems a shame not to make the most of it. I'm also joining the University Chorus which is something I was going to do as soon as I arrived but never got round to it (because I procrastinated...).

• Write more - working in media after university doesn't just happen by accident, so I'm going to use my time wisely and get involved with the university newspaper as well as blogging here and doing more freelance work.

My non-university related New Year's resolution is to complete the Super Sprint event in the London Triathlon in aid of the Scoliosis Campaign Fund. I signed up for it on a whim on New Years Eve, as you do... More on that soon probably!

My advice to applicants would be to take this year as it comes, it may not be the most pleasant with exams and anxious waits for the results, but make the most of your time at home with your friends and family before the excitement of uni in the autumn. Speaking for myself, the last few months of 2013 - once I was at uni - were best and more than made up for the stressed out months that came beforehand.

Good luck with your applications, please let me know how you're getting on, it's lovely reading your comments, most of which don't get published because I reply to them "behind the scenes"!  If you have any questions, let me know and most importantly: don't forget the deadline...