My Day At Winch

Last month I went to the University of Winchester’s Offer Holder’s Open Day. (Now there’s a mouthful!) I was six months into my voluntary placement at the time and six months from starting my degree. For a girl who likes neatness, this was a rather pleasing point to go back to Winch.

I first visited the university in October 2013.  At this stage I knew that I wanted to study English but wasn't wholly sure on what I wanted from my university. As it turned out, what I wanted was precisely what Winchester had to offer: a modern, values-driven university that provides fantastic teaching and focuses on the student as an individual. That day I knew that Winch was for me; everything about the experience just felt right.

When I returned this month, I had my place confirmed for September. Any stress about passing exams had been put behind me and I was able to focus on the prospect of being a student at Winch. I went alone to the Open Day, a step forward in independence for me, paving the way for my identity as a student. Although it can be a little daunting going to events like this on your own, the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of Winch soon diminishes that. I had the opportunity to talk to so many people throughout the day, both staff and students, who made me feel at ease and able to get all that I could from the day.

My day began at Welcome Talk from Professor Joy Carter, exploring the values at the core of the Winch experience; it’s a university that celebrates creativity, diversity and individuality. They pride themselves on social justice, helping develop students into passionate global citizens. None of this felt like a put-on show as from what I saw throughout the day I was assured that Winchester is exactly the university it prides itself on being.

I had a great time at the introductory lecture for the English Course. Having chosen to take a year out of education, I was now craving knowledge. I left feeling energised, head brimming with exciting choices that await me and, typically, a list of texts that I simply must read. Dr Nick Rowe who delivered the talk was clearly passionate, taking the time afterwards to talk more about the course with those who stayed behind.

This reception was consistent with what I already expected from the department, having previously attended an introductory talk from Dr Gary Farnell who had kindly listened to the concept I had in mind for my coursework that year. The attentiveness and genuine interest shown by the lecturers in prospective students gives me confidence in what I’ll receive as a full-time student.

One thing that stands out about Winchester is their focus on volunteering, so much that they include it as an accredited module. These past six months as a full-time volunteer have reinforced for me the importance of volunteering for both individuals and communities. I love that I will have the opportunity to continue with my volunteering whilst being supported by my university. 

From everything I've seen on my day(s) at Winch there’s no doubt in my mind about what an amazing institution it is. I am overjoyed that it’s going to be my place of study. See you in a few months, Winch.

Tell The World You're Beautiful

'Telling the world that they are beautiful and conscious of it is one of the most political acts a woman can do.' - Amelia Bellows

I discovered this line when looking up the origin of #20beautifulwomen. It immediately became one of my favourite things a human has ever said. [full article here]

For those who don't know, #20beautifulwomen is a tag which encourages women to post a photo of themselves where they feel beautiful. In turn, they tag a further twenty women to join in. And so it goes. Whatever the origin, I think this is an inspiring tag. Too often we're surrounded by negativity about ourselves and our bodies. Advertising tricks us into thinking that we'll only be beautiful if we change something about ourselves. Magazines lower our self-confidence as we're made to think we're not beautiful because we don't fulfil a certain ideal. In general, society is pretty good at making us not feel good enough. This tag challenges that.

What Bellows says above is incredibly important. Industries feed off women feeling crap about themselves, to take a stand and be assertive about your beauty is huge. Letting the world know that you are aware of your own beauty puts the power in your hands.

The selfie plays a significant role in all of this. With the aid of a front-facing camera we each have the opportunity to be our own photographer. We are in control of the angle, the lighting, the timing. It's us as individuals who hold the power of our presentation. With the click of a button you can demonstrate to the world the confidence you hold in your appearance. We have the opportunity to break barriers.

I am a keen supporter of the selfie but to harness the true power of #20beautifulwomen I think we need to go further. I was inspired to write this by Beth who posted a stunning photo of herself joining the tag on Instagram. The photo was one taken of her by someone else. As brilliant as the selfie is, her post made me realise the importance of accepting your beauty in all photos. Those photos taken of you when you aren't in control are equally as important as those when you are.

When photos taken of me appear online, I have been incredibly critical of my own appearance. What saddens me is that I do this even to the photos when I'm clearly at my happiest. When I laugh and it's captured on camera, I can look a little bit manic. My eyes crinkle up, my mouth sets wide and I'm afraid that I look 'too masculine'. As if any of that is reason to hate the photograph. I'm writing this as a promise to myself that I will no longer do that. These photos are precious ones that have captured me as I am in life: I am happy, I am joyous and, yes, a little bit manic. I am beautiful.

It may seem narcissistic to say those words but positivity, especially body positivity and confidence, is hugely important. I truly encourage everyone to join in with #20beautifulwomen. Tell the world you’re beautiful.

It Started With A Tweet

For countless months I had wanted to watch the stage version of Les Misérables in London. The only barriers being location, cost and, significantly, someone to go with. I didn't hold much hope of ever being able to see the production. Then this happened:

This was followed by an erratic Facebook conversation between the two of us as we tried to work out how we would make this a reality. I did my research, found a suitable date in half term, located a hotel not too far from the theatre and worked out our individual transport routes. Now all that remained was to convince my parents that I was indeed responsible enough to look after my baby brother for two days in London without him coming to any harm. I booked the tickets that evening.

I met my brother at Victoria Coach Station at midday last Saturday; having last seen him at Christmas, it was wonderful to be reunited. From there we made the trek to Shaftesbury Avenue, catching up along the way. Throughout the weekend it was brilliant to see Jake soak in everything that London had to offer, from the theatre right down to just taking the tube, these were all new experiences for him. After picking up our tickets, we wandered through Chinatown. As it was the weekend of Chinese New Year, the streets were alive with music and jubilation; it was fantastic to be part of that atmosphere, even if just for a moment.

We headed to Oxford Street for a spot of shopping (these things being essential to any trip to London, of course) before heading for dinner at Pizza Express. Jake was aghast at the lack of cheese on my pizza: 'That's not a pizza, that's an overgrown forest!' Ah, brothers.

With an hour to kill before the show, I took Jake down to Embankment to see the view. Queue a couple of very tourist-y shots. #sorrynotsorry

The show that evening was brilliant. I feed off the pre-show buzz in the theatre as everyone takes to their seats, giddy with anticipation for the event about to take place, I love it. I am truly in awe of everyone involved in bringing a stage production to life; from the actors on stage doing a stellar job night after night, to the stage designers who create works of brilliance, to all the technicians making the show run smoothly each performance. There is a huge amount of work going into what you see on stage and boy, does it pay off. When the curtains came down it was hard to not feel a little lost, knowing that I wouldn't be experiencing something of that magnitude again for a long time. If you have the means to, I really encourage you to go to a performance of Les Misérables, you won't regret it.

The following day I had a few hours to kill before meeting a friend for lunch. I'd seen my brother off on his coach and decided to make the most of my time alone by heading to the British Museum. One of the main galleries I visited was Living and Dying, this explored different cultural approaches to the challenges we face in life across the globe. It was good to spend a reflective couple of hours there.

I rounded off my weekend by being treated to lunch at Liberty by the lovely Cathy. With two years since last seeing each other, we spent the entire time chatting like mad to catch up. Such an indulgent and lovely way to end the weekend.

Until next time, London.