"I don't go on red carpets. If a photographer ever shouted out "who are you wearing?" I'd be like, "Me mam's top, me mate Sarah's jeans and some shoes from the TopShop sale."

I'm always on the look out for new opinion pieces written by 21st century women. They not only help to reassure me that my life isn't meant to be together and perfect at the age of 19, but also add another layer to my knowledge of women's culture and perceptions today. Whilst some may argue that 21st century women's writing is superficial, and simply a list of complaints/funny anecdotes, it's also funny, realistic and to the point. Scarlett Says by Scarlett Moffat, is just that.

The vast majority of British people know Scarlett from her regular appearance on Gogglebox - a TV show that films ordinary viewers commenting on TV shows. Her funny anecdotes, brilliant confusions and, most importantly, her relatable opinions about the world we live in, make Friday nights hilariously good fun. Scarlett has translated this into book form, and I love her even more for it. 

Scarlett comes across as a normal 25 year old, who doesn't take herself too seriously. Whilst taking you through her preparations for a girls night out to remember, Scarlett has a good ol' chat about everything and anything on her mind. From her love of Simon Cowell to her Dad offering her prawns to cure a particularly bad hangover, I got to know Scarlett pretty well through this book. There is no agenda but the fun agenda, meaning I often picked this up as a little stress reliever or if I was stuck in a particularly annoying train carriage!

Its only April, but I'm going to stick my neck out and declare Scarlett Says to be my favourite book of the year so far.

Beth x

I'm writing this post fresh off the back of digesting the goings on at the annual NUS (National Union Of Students) Conference. 9 times out of 10, I agree with or understand the angle at which NUS members are coming from. When I do not, I accept delegates views - after all, the NUS was built on democratic foundations. However, I cannot stop myself from challenging today's outcry that the NUS should not commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

Any NUS affiliated student union can, from my understanding, recommend amendments to NUS policies. This year, the Birmingham Guild of Students put forward the idea of the NUS officially commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. To me, this seems like a reasonable request. Many secondary schools, further education colleges, and youth organisations commemorate the day, so why shouldn't the NUS? But today I was shocked to see video footage pertaining to the dismissal of Holocaust Memorial Day by NUS delegates. 

I like to think that I'm into fashion. I mean, I'm no guru, but I like to buy a couple of choice items every season, just to brighten my wardrobe (and two dressers...) I have owned one bodysuit in my time, for  a week last spring. I bought it on a whim, in an attempt to look cool, wore it for half a day, and recycled the £5 monstrosity almost instantaneously. It simply did not suit me at all! I swore never to even glance at one again. But alas, they are back in fashion. Here's why I definitely won't be repurchasing one.

 There is never enough fabric

I'm a comfortable size 8 - 10  and don't consider myself to have trouble finding clothes that fit. But every bodysuit I have tried on barely fits, regardless of size. They are either too baggy, or far far too tight - and I do not need that.

Comfort is an afterthought

Aside from either being too tight or too baggy, I never felt totally comfortable in my bodysuit. Most come with plunging necklines that always need constant hitching up, and straps never stay in the same place. They may be made of a comfy material, but the comfort stops there!

Going to the toilet is a palava

Picture this. You've wiggled your way into a small cubicle, managed to get your large handbag through the door, and now have to wriggle your way out of your second skin. Cue jumping, wriggling, and basically stripping naked... Is it really worth it? 

The underwear debate

Everyone I speak to about this has a different answer. Wearing underwear can be uncomfortable and maybe even necessary, but its just gross without too. 

I live in England, not California, so I probably will only wear it once a year

English summertime is a beautiful yet inconsistent entity, so spending £20 on a decent bodysuit to wear on that one day that hits 25C is probably not worth it!

So thats why I'm never wearing a bodysuit again. Do they suit you? Do you like/dislike them? Let me know in the comments below! 

Beth x

Every uni blogger has an opinion on the best way to revise. Every uni blogger thinks they have the answer to all your exam woes. But the truth is, no student can tell another student how to revise. We just have to work out a unique method that suits us ourselves. Today I want to share exactly how I revise for my history exams, in the hope that you may pick up a method that might work for you, or rule out the techniques that don't.

Gathering my stationery and writing a to do list is the first task for my revision session. I take about 5 minutes to write out everything I need to achieve during my allotted time frame, making sure I don't miss anything important.

History exams at my uni tend to require students to answer two essay questions in two hours. Every topic is 99% guaranteed to come up in the exam, so we are advised to revise three topics fully and one topic partially for each exam. 

 Under these exam circumstances my revision tends to go like this:

1. Listen to/watch lecture recordings and summarise lecture topic in a A3 diagram.

2. Read/re-read and make notes on key seminar readings for each topic.

3. Re-read and make notes on any readings I have done for any coursework essays I chose to write on this topic. 

4. Plan seminar questions and essay questions provided in the module handbook, in order to pull together all the information I have learnt. I do this in spider diagram form too. These plans then form the basis of my revision.

5. Highlight these plans until EVERYTHING is colourful (see picture above).

6. Repeat process for however many topics I need to revise, whilst also taking 30 mins out of each day (morning and night) to re-read and memorise existing planning sheets.

7. By the day of the exam, I have memorised each diagram, and am able to apply my knowledge to any essay question about any of the three topics.

I hope this has helped one of you guys reading this. I remember being quite daunted as a fresher, as there was very little guidance from the university on how to revise as they assumed we already knew. Please do let me know if any of this method works for you, whether you be a fresher or a panicked 2nd/3rd year! 

Good luck! Summer break is nearly here! 

Beth x

As I've grown older, I've become more and more interested in equality issues and women's rights. Going to an all girls grammar school, my friends and I were told that the sky was the limit, the glass ceiling was a myth, and that gender played no negative part in our futures. Now I have come to realise that gender does play a big role in my life, and so does my commitment to feminism. For me, We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, sums up exactly what I feel needs to be changed in order to achieve gender equality and/or further the feminist movement.

We Should All Be Feminists is the transcript of Adichie's Ted xEuston talk, in which she addressed feminism and gender equality in Africa. Instead of simply stating the obvious - Africa, much like other continents, struggles with gender equality - she explains why and provides this very simple solution:

"We must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently."

And there you have it. Unlike some feminist writers, Adichie has said it how it is. Problems with gender inequality do not stem from the younger generations. They stem from the older generations who pass on gender norms to the new blood. This is not necessarily family members, but teaching institutions, the media, simply anything that has the potential to impact on someone's opinions. We shouldn't be teaching young women to dress modestly in order to attract the 'right sort of male attention', we should be teaching young men that a woman's item of clothing does not denote their value, intelligence or promiscuity.  As Adichie writes, women should not be thanking men for doing the housework purely because they have 'been given the night off', but simply out of thanks for doing their share.

We Should All Be Feminists took next to no time to read from cover to cover, but contained a wealth of knowledge about an aspect of feminism that is so simple, yet has the potential to be so effective. If you have 15 minutes spare, an open mind, and a thirst for new feminist thought, I implore you to make this your next read.

Beth x

No one needs an excuse to love stationery. But the opening of Australian stationery and homeware store Typo in the UK, has given me yet another excuse to go nuts about notebooks and cute little pen pots. Unfortunately, the student loan is dribbling away - society regards rent and bills as more important than pencil cases and colouring books - so a simple Typo wishlist will have to do!

I have a little fascination with Phrenology and its place in history, so this pencil case is everything my nerdy history self needs. Also, it looks pretty big and durable - could this be the pencil case that can hold my 5000+ highlighters??

Sometimes I just need a notebook that affirms my existence. This does just that. It can be hard to keep your sparkle from fizzing away when you've got lots to do and no time to do it in. Maybe this would make those moments just that little bit better?

Dolphin Pen Holder, £7

I don't need another pen pot, but I need this one. It would sit perfectly on my desk! I'm sure I could find something to put in it...

Storage Crate, £25

I just have images of my beauty products looking perfect in this crate, instead of looking horribly untidy strewn across my dresser.

Pyramid Hanging Light, £12

I only have 2 plug sockets in my room, and neither of them are near my desk. This creates a bit of a problem in the evening when I'm studying and can no longer see the books in front of my face. But these hanging lights are battery powered and would solve all my lighting issues - whilst keeping with my semi-hipster/rose gold/indie theme!

Disney churn out some great movies. They also love to highlight real issues and educate those who watch them. Zootropolis is, in my opinion, the culmination of Disney's mission to spread positivity to the next generation, and those a little bit older too...

 Zootropolis follows the adventures of bunny Judy Hopps and her life as the first ever bunny police officer in the Zootropolis Police Department. In order to prove that tiny bunnies are just as good at policing as huge elephants and scary looking lions, she resolves to solve the case of a missing otter. Long story short, it turns out that the case is a lot bigger than everyone imagined and has a huge effect on the citizens of Zootropolis. Of course, like every Disney film, everything is alright in the end, but throughout the young audience is exposed to some important issues and how they can help combat them.

 What with recent terrorism attacks, anti-Islam protests, an immigration crisis, and racial tensions in the US, hard-hitting issues have been trickling through society, and will have reached the ears of many children in one way or another. They may not understand fully, but its all going on around them. Zootropolis shows the next generation that being different is totally okay, but more importantly that we should not persecute or belittle others for their beliefs and dreams. There is no us vs them message, but a belief that everyone can be united and support each other to achieve their dreams. I'm hoping that this positive message will not only affect the minds of the younger audience, but also change the older generation's sometimes jaded perceptions of equality, diversity and conflict. 

This good advice is melted into a brilliant visual feast. Zootropolis is very bright and colourful; a real treat for the eyes, with some brilliant characters, and very clever references. Shakira also has a feature length cameo, who knows why, but it makes for great end credits.

So gather up all the children you know (and disgruntled adults), grab yourself a few seats, and settle down for a spectacular visual and moral adventure.

Beth x 

I'm pretty new on the Buzzfeed quiz bandwagon. But I have learnt two things in the last couple of months; they are addictive, and you can waste a whole weekend on them...Here are some of my favourites...

How Much Like A Sim Are You?

The Hemsworth Brothers Ultimate Snog/Marry/Avoid 

How Annoying Are You?

We Know What You Are Wearing

Are You More of a Watermelon or a Rubber Band?

Which Superhero Should You Get Drunk With?

Which of the Three Little Pigs Are You Based Upon Your Movie Choices?

These suggestions probably say more about me than anything else, but I hope you all enjoy laughing at how absurd they all are!

Beth x

I have a debit card. I have the remnants of this terms student loan. Paperchase has an end of season sale...

I spent some money...

But it was totally worth it for the cute little bits and pieces I found!

I am always looking for ways to hold pages in books for essays, so I picked up some beautiful London themed sticky tabs for £2. They are so teency-weency, making them absolutely perfect for highlighting quotes in library books.

I start my dissertation work soon, and that gave me an excuse to grab this A4 Nordic Exercise Book for £3. Honestly, its so funky both inside and out and reminds me a lot of my old school books. This was just something I couldn't ignore.

I've also been trying to make a more concerted effort to organise my desk area, making it a space where I can find everything I need and work comfortably. I'm hoping that the next couple of items will do just that.

I like to hide all my paper and general crap out of sight, so this A4 Calculator Stationary Box should do just the trick. It fits great inside my desk cupboard, and its really sturdy so hopefully it will last a while. Plus, this was only £3.50!

Ooooh Rose Gold?? #sopintrest #ontrend

100+ Sports Team Members running across campus at 9pm wearing nothing but boxer shorts...

 I never fully got to the bottom of this one, but I think this had something to do with sport society initiations, but I'm not too sure. I will forever remember walking home through campus after a Music society rehearsal, and double taking as around 100 guys in their underwear ran past. It was November and FREEZING COLD!

The Red Bull Milkman payed us a visit...
Uni is full of publicity stunts and marketing stints, but this was definitely the strangest. Each house was told to leave a special Red Bull cardboard box by their front door overnight. When we got up the next morning, we had been given 6 free cans of Red Bull. No explanation, whatsoever.

Batman ran around the library for a good 20 minutes, followed by a mob of angry students...
I thought I was seeing things when this happened. But no, Batman was chased round the library at 11am on a Wednesday morning. He was caught by the mob, and dragged off onto another part of campus. No one ever saw him again.

Someone decorated a tree with shoes...
I think this was some sort of attempt at a Christmas tree. There were 5 or 6 pairs of shoes flung over a tree, and no one bothered to take them down. I haven't checked in a while, but I'm pretty sure they are still there today.

I learnt to ride a bike at 1am, after a heavy night out at the uni nightclub, around the university plaza...
No one batted an eyelid. They were more concerned about getting their £1.50 burger from the takeaway hatch. I was having a great time, and learnt a skill I would never forget.

I love my subject, but the peculiar things that happen on campus really do make university that little more interesting! Whats the strangest thing you've ever seen on campus?

Beth x