tag: Lady Law Student: August 2016

Wednesday 31 August 2016

Getting ready for Uni




Tomorrow see's the start of September which means that its only 4 more weeks until University starts, 4 short weeks. Trust me when I say that those weeks will fly by, soon you will be packing up your car, or your parents car or who ever has been tasked with the job of transporting you safely to your chosen University. So what top tips can I pass on to you for your first, second or even third year at university. 



  1. Buy a planner - or in short get your self organised, you will need to manage your time well so pick up a planner or use your phone calendar to sort out your first few weeks. The first two weeks of University are jam packed full of exciting events to meet lots of new people (potentially some of your best friends for the rest of your life!!), so make sure you drag your hungover self down to some events and meet people
  2. Join a society - there is literally a society for every single hobby, sport, or subject you can think of, and if there isn't you can start you own. I made sure I joined the Law Society in first year and it was the best decision. They not only have their own sports teams, they also put on the yearly Law Ball and run all the competitions you will want to take part in. 
  3. Talk to people - it is so scary walking into your first lecture and not knowing a single person, you open the doors and 400 people are staring back at you. Do you know what makes that less scary...knowing people in the crowd. I'm terrible at biting the bullet and speaking to people, so luckily a lovely chatty Yorkshire gin lover plonked her self down next me and broke the ice! That lovely Gin fiend is still one of my close friends today (so thanks Laura for breaking the ice!)
  4. Make the most of the extra curricular activities - I've mentioned before that its no longer enough to just have a degree, you need to show employers that your different from all the other graduates. The best way to do this is to bump up your CV with competitions, societies and work experience. The Law Society at Leicester put on tonnes of competitions each year, from mooting to client interviewing their is competition for every legal skill set that you will need. So dive in, put your name down on the list and have some fun!!
  5. Find the Facebook Groups - Most University's will have a Facebook group for not only your subject but also each individual year. Click that join button because not only will you meet your course mate you will find those valuable second and third years to buy your second hand books from. 



So there you have it my 5 top tips for preparing your self for the start of Uni, it will be the most exciting, interesting and challenging (in a good way) years of your life. If you take the time to get involved you will certainly reap the rewards. Let me know your top tips for starting Uni, or if your starting Leicester or studying Law this year. 

Sending Leicester cwtches. 

Lady Law Student 
xxx



Sunday 28 August 2016

Warwickshire Wedding Shopping


I'm not quite sure where this year is going, it feels like it was March yesterday and I blinked and BAM its now the August Bank Holiday. This week has been jam packed with lots of exciting trips and treats, the start of the week saw me jump into the Student Union Marketing and Events department for some pre-freshers briefing and the end of the week saw me trotting around the lovely White Boutique in Leamington Spa picking my wedding dress!! 

So what else happened in between?





On Thursday my lovely Mother and I jumped in the car and headed down to the lovely Walton Hall in Wellsbourne for a mini spa break. Walton Hall is absolutely stunning, the weather was less than ideal on the first day but quite frankly the grounds were so beautiful that the rain didn't matter. 







We started our Mother Daughter trip with a mini pamper session in the spa facilities, our Beauty Therapist for the day Molly was absolutely lovely and made sure that we felt relaxed and pampered all morning. The facilities were in need of a little love and care, and the pool was certainly in need of a jacuzzi, but the staff more than made up for it and both Mum and I had a wonderful day. The down time also meant that I finally got to read "The Cursed Child", possibly more on that in a different blog post! 



So after our strenuous day of being pampered and looked after we dragged ourselves down to the restaurant for dinner in the main hotel. Our dinner was lovely but also the speediest three course meal I think I've ever had in my life! We sat down for dinner at 7pm and were done by 8pm (the staff are super efficient to say the least), the speed certainly didn't detract from the evening but it did make you feel as if they whisking you through as fast as possible. 

Wedding Dress Shopping 


The next day was hands down my favourite day of the whole trip, mainly because Mum and I picked my wedding dress. Having found the White Boutique on-line a few weeks prior to our trip we bounced out of bed and headed to Leamington for my dress appointment, where we were met by the lovely Ema. If your getting married and you live in the Midlands I highly recommend paying Ema a visit, she was amazing from start to finish. Both Mum and I were a touch overwhelmed once we were faced with a sea of dresses but Ema helped us sift through all the styles and fabrics to find my perfect dress. 

The general rule is that you shouldn't pick the first dress that you try on....well I did exactly that! Once I tried it on I just knew it was the one, and as if it fate would have it the dress is called Zara which is the name of Simons Grandmother :) 

Stratford-Upon-Avon & Two Noble Kinsman


Having picked my dress and accessories all before 12pm we decided to take a walk around Stratford-Upon-Avon and enjoy the lovely sunshine. Stratford is such a beautiful place, especially when the sun is shining, and not that far from Leicester! It is also packed full of the most amazing shops, my personal favourite was the Magic Shop that also sold ice cream and had the cutest seating area you ever did see! 


Finally we finished off our trip away with a visit to the Swan Theatre to see "Two Noble Kinsman", which is one of the few Shakespeare plays I haven't seen. It was one of his last plays that he penned before his death and it is based on the Knights Tale by Chaucer. The whole production was absolutely incredible, from the costumes, to the set and the interestingly shaped Horses heads it was an highly entertaining evening. 







So that was my lovely trip away in Warwickshire.I hope you all have lovely Bank Holiday weekend, whether your staying at home or going away. Let me know what your Bank Holiday plans are, and if you've been to Stratford recently. As always sending lots of Leicester cwtches. 

Lady Law Student 

xx





Friday 19 August 2016

My September Bucket List


Sometimes I look back on months, weeks, days that have passed and realise that I have wasted my days off on the sofa watching Netflix shows back-to-back (we all do it I know) while eating cereal out of the packet. On one of these recent lazy days off I was scrolling through some blog posts on BlogLovin and I came across a number of bucket list posts. The idea behind these is that bloggers post the things that they want to do before they "kick the bucket", so in line with this but on a less grand scale I decided to do a monthly Bucket List post where I would outline a few things that I want to achieve. Then at the end of each month, possibly in a section in my monthly favorites I'll let you know if I managed to complete any, or if I failed completely. 

1. Dedicate more time to my friends

I am lucky to have to some quite frankly top notch friends (they really are) however I don't see them nearly enough. Some of this is due to the fact that as we all get older we've moved away, got married, had children and embarked upon demanding careers ( I say this as the full time student of the group), this means that it is often hard to get to together. This month I want to try and see my lovely friends even if its just for a lunch or coffee (so friends be warned Lady Law Student is coming for some quality time). 

2. Get off the sofa and work out

Some months I'm super dedicated and I work out nearly 5 times a week and I eat well and just generally have my shit together. However some months, much like this month, I sit on the sofa eating doughnuts and watching documentaries. I have come to realise that I need to find a mid point, the happy medium as it were. So I am going to get off my bum at work three times a week, be it running, yoga or just a work out video at home I'm going to do it (please let me find the motivation). 

3. Save some Money

All of my friends and family will testify to the fact that I am a Grade A shopping Queen (bow down before me) (jokes you don't have to). My wardrobe, makeup counter and bookshelves all show my problems. So this month I will not buy any new clothing, makeup products or books because honestly I don't need any more stuff. Instead I'm going to save that money and put it towards our wedding/new bed/car etc. 

4. Get Organized

The beginning of my final year is looming on the horizon like Smaug the dragon loomed over the Misty Mountains (cheeky little Hobbit reference there for my work wife). So I need to get my ass in gear sort out my study room, plan my time and generally own my final year. Last year I felt like I took on way too much so this year I really want to focus on getting good grades and enjoying the last of my time at Uni. 

5. Do some more Baking 

I've set myself the slightly crazy task of baking my own wedding cake (clearly Lady Law Student had been at the Gin when I came up with this terrible idea). So September shall be the month where I experiment on people with terrible gin based cake concoctions (sorry Simon your waistline will not be thanking me for this). So people of Leicester watch out there shall be a crazy lady with cake on the loose. 

So this is my September bucket list, hopefully I manage to achieve some of these things (probably wont but lets give it ago). Let me know if you do the same, and what you manage to cross off your list. As always you can follow me by subscribing to my blog or liking my page on Facebook. Sending huge Leicester hugs. 

Lady Law Student 

xxx

 

    





Wednesday 17 August 2016

August's BirchBox and Love Me Beauty





I love the start of the month, for so many reasons, but the main reason is it means my subscription boxes arrives woohoo, and I get to trial some new products. This month I stuck with BirchBox and Love Me Beauty, mainly because I love the range of products in each and the fact they are slightly different. The Love Me Beauty Box works slightly differently from BirchBox, due to the fact that you pick the products that you will receive. 

So heres what I got in each box....



BirchBox



First of all I wasn't overly keen on the packaging this week purely for the fact that I own a lot of makeup bags already and I really don't need any more. That being said it is a good makeup bag and will be useful if your going on holiday, however I hope they go back to the boxes next month.After the highs of getting a spectrum makeup brush last month I was super excited to see what would be in this months box.  




This months box is more focused on skincare and hair than makeup, so inside we have *drum roll*.
Anatomicals Coconut Mango Body Lotion - I love the smell of this lotion, I am a big fan of mango so I was really happy to see this when I opened my box/bag. It absorbs into the skin really well without leaving a sticky residue and makes your skin beautiful smooth. - £3.99

Philip Kingsley One More Day  - Dry shampoo is always useful in my home so far I haven't used this but I'm sure it will be good. I try not to wash my hair too often as it strips the oils out of your hair so dry shampoo is always good to get me few the last day before I wash my hair. - £14.50

Balance Me - Radiance Face Mask - At least twice a week I slather my skin in a face mask so I'm always happy to receive a face mask, the blurb on the website makes the face mask sound great so we shall see. - £18.00

Marcelo Espresso  Eye Liner - It is very very very rare that I wear eyeliner, I'm not good at applying it and I feel like once I've got it on that it looks like I've got way too much makeup on. That being said I am going to try it I think the brown shade may be more natural on me so fingers crossed I'll be converted. - £10.50

Merci Handy - Cherry - Hand sanitiser is always a good thing to have in your hand bag, who knows when you'll be stuck somewhere that doesn't have any soap etc. The smell isn't as overpowering as a I thought it would be so this little fella shall be moved to my handbag immediately. 

English Laundry Perfume - For a long time I have used nothing but the Gucci Gardenia (which I love love) this perfume is sweeter than that but I do really like this one. The smell transports me to a French Chateau with the curtains blowing open (no idea why...literally not a clue), its a very sweet smell which reminds me of flowers in bloom. I don't think i'll be purchasing it but its nice to try. - Full size £60.00

So in full I was pretty happy I definitely feel like I got my moneys worth this month, I just hope next month they bring back the box (pretty please BirchBox). 

Love Me Beauty






Within a day of my BirchBox arriving my lovely Love Me Beauty Box arrived (wahoooo), like I said above you get to pick the products you receive so in theory I should always be happy. This month I picked more skincare products than makeup, so heres what I picked. 

Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm  - I tried this in my hair yesterday and so far so good, I try and look after my hair as much as possible, my hair dresser Sacha at Georges Leicester  is amazing so I try and keep her work looking good. After blowdrying my hair yesterday it definitely felt more manageable and smooth so...so far...good. - £18.00

Pixie Nourishing Lip Polish - My lips can get really dry sometimes and I'm also a huge fan of matte lips so these two things combined means I have to look after my lips. I've been using this for a few days and have been very happy with the results, it exfoliates off any dry skin and nourishes your lips so big thumbs up from me. - £14.00

Madeira Cellular Repair Serum - Last month I received a serum and I was so happy with the way it made my skin feel ( I have officially been converted to the joys of serums). This one is a scary green colour that blends in once it is rubbed in, it leaves my skin feeling matte which I love. My skin has been looking and feeling much better so this one was a win. - £38.00

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Oil - How beautiful is this oil..seriously look at it!! I put this on to my skin and immediately thought yes yes yes (sounds a bit Harry met Sally). This creates the most beautiful shimmer effect so I shall be saving this for Rome when hopefully I shall have a tan (lol probably more like a cooked lobster but a girl can dream). This oil can also be used in your hair, which I haven't tried yet, but hopefully it will look amazing. - £19.00





So all in all I was pretty happy with my boxes this month, let me know what you got or if you've used any of the products before. Hopefully your all enjoying your week, and if your not this post brightens your Wednesday a little bit. As always you can subscribe, follow me on BlogLovin, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Sending huge Leicester hugs to you all.  

Lady Law Student 

xx


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Saturday 13 August 2016

Get your self some experience...



As you may or may not have noticed I have been rather quiet this week, thats because I've been doing work experience at a Law firm in Nottingham. I have absolutely loved my week, the solicitors I was with made sure I had a varied week in lots of different departments and lots of things to do. So big thank you to them, also I got to spend a week in Nottingham which is a beautiful city.




 With the level of competition in gaining Training Contracts it is now essential that you have some form of work experience on your C.V, whether its a vacation scheme, internship or just straight forward work experience. 

So I'm going to give you my top tips for gaining work experience and how to ace your work experience. 


How to get Work Experience 

  1. If you don't ask you don't get, when you get the opportunities to meet solicitors, barristers, chartered legal executives, chat to them and ask them for work experience. This is how I got my most of my work experience. I asked if there was any chance of me coming for a week and 99% of the time they say YES. 
  2. Once you've asked get their contact details and follow up with an e-mail and cover letter, I always follow up within a few days so that its fresh in their mind. 
  3. Be enthusiastic, so you don't want to work in property who cares still tell them how much you will value the opportunity.
  4. Respond promptly to all correspondence, solicitors are busy busy people so they may take some time getting back to you. You do not have the same luxury always reply within 1-3 days of receiving the e-mail.
  5. Be flexible with dates if they offer a number of dates try and be as accommodating as possible, obviously if its a week before exams they will understand. 

So you've got managed to get some work experience...whats next??



How to ace your Work Experience..

  1. Be on time! If you have to get up early to get the earlier Train/Bus/Car/Taxi/Tram then do it, nothing looks worse than turning up late on your first day. If you turn up early/on time it will make you look keen and ready for work, if you turn up late they will think you don't care.
  2. If you are running late because your transport got delayed or something happened outside your control then contact them, it shows that you value the time they have set aside for you and that your still on your way. 
  3. Dress smart (super smart) first impressions count for a lot (yes you shouldn't be judged for how you look, but you will be). If you turn up smart and on time they will think "hey this person cares and is ready to learn". If you turn up scruffy and late they will think "this person obviously doesn't care". So set aside some time the night before to iron your shirt and polish your shoes. 
  4. Take a note pad with you, when someone asks you to do something take notes so that you get the task right. If you attend a meeting, court, client interview or conference call take lots of notes and then type them up for the solicitor your with. If they haven't asked you to take notes offer beforehand it goes down well. 
  5. If your given a task and you think there is something extra you can do ask them if you they would like you to do that little bit extra, it shows intuition and dedication to the task. 
  6. Thank everyone for giving up there time for you, they are busy busy people and they will appreciate the acknowledgement. 
  7. If you have questions then ask them, every department I worked in I asked people lots of questions about their department, how they qualified, if they had an tips and what they enjoyed about the area of law they worked in. Advice is invaluable I gained an incredible insight into qualifying routes and day to day life which you won't get from just going to lectures. 
  8. Grab every single opportunity if both hands, if someone asks if you want to sit in on something say yes! One morning I had to get up at 5 am so that I could travel to sit in on a hearing, did i want to get up that early ...not particularly. Did I still say yes and love every second...of course. 
  9. Work on every task given like your being graded for it, there is a chance that you might apply to this firm for a training contract or vacation scheme. You want them to remember you as always working to high standard. 
  10. Enjoy learning how a law firm runs and how various areas work. I love seeing law in practice the reality of tort law in theory to in practice is incredible. You might not enjoy that area in theory but in practice you might think is the best thing ever. 

So those are my tips for getting and acing work experience  I hope they help and if you have any tips let me know. Good luck in getting your foot in the door, the first step is asking for it. Sending huge sleepy Leicester cuddles. 

Lady Law Student 

xxx





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Thursday 4 August 2016

So you're going to be a law student...

You've spent two years cramming for A Level exams, drafting personal statements, visiting prospective universities, panicking about exams, and then the long wait. Maybe you've taken a gap year or a few years out, either way the time is finally here your going to be a law student. 


So what should you expect? Are the horror stories true? Are you going to have a life, or will it be three years of tears and case studies? How will you cope? 




In my first year lecture, over two years ago (where does the time go), our the head of our Law school warned us that while other courses would get to enjoy the carefree fun of first year we would be cramming morning noon and night. Was this true? well yes and no. Yes you have to work hard, but you knew that already, but your not going to spend the entirety of your three year degree staring at the Library walls. It's about balance.




My Ten Top Tips for Surviving 

  1.  Go to lectures - this might seem like a silly point to make, but if you go to the lectures at the time tabled slot then you wont have to spend valuable hours catching up on Black Board.
  2. Do the reading - no one wants to sit in a silent tutor group, it will be the longest hour of your life if no body speaks. It will also help hugely when it comes to revising later on. 
  3. Get to grips with OSCOLA - I spent so much time stressing over my referencing, if you get to grips with it now when it comes to writing your first essay it will make your life easier. Also reference as you go, saves time and you wont have try and frantically remember where you got that case from. 
  4. Buy your text books second hand - Law books are expensive there is no beating around the bush, however if you pick them up second hand from Second and Third years you will save your self some valuable pennies. 
  5. Manage your time - You can still have a life, you can still go out, you can have it all...just make sure you manage your time. Of course you can go out on Wednesday dressed as Mario, if you do your work little and often you wont suddenly be faced with 30 pages of Land law hungover on a Thursday morning. 
  6. Start revising early - Those summer exams roll around quickly, I mean really quickly your there enjoying your Christmas break eating mince pies and then BANG exams are here. Start your revision before the Easter holidays and do little and often and you will ace those exams (and you wont be panic cramming right at the end). 
  7. If your stuck ask for help - E-mail your tutors, they are there to help but do it with plenty of time. If you send them an e-mail a day before something is due to be handed in don't expect a response!! 
  8. Join the Law society - Not only do they put on great networking events, competitions, sporting events, and the yearly law ball (a well deserved chance to let your hair down). It will also give you the chance to meet important contacts for when it comes to applying for training contracts. 
  9. Buy lots of highlighters and sticky tabs - when it comes to organizing your notes and finding that quote from some obscure academic or judge you will thank your self if you stuck a sticky tab next to it for future use.  
  10. Enjoy your self - Your time at University will fly by, three years might seem like a long time but it will fly by. I swear time is sped up at Uni, so get stuck in and enjoy your self, make friends, join societies and take part. 


  
Enjoy your time at Uni, good luck and work hard. Let me know if you have any tips for being a law student, or if you have any general student tips. 


Lady Law Student


xx





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Tuesday 2 August 2016

July Favourites




What a month July has been, after the excitement of June (getting older, holiday and engagements) I thought July might have been a bit of anti-climax. However Ive still managed to cram lots of exciting things in-between working lots and lots to save for my final year. So seeing as we are now in August I thought it was time for my July Favorites. 

So without further delay....


Beauty and Beauty Accessories


July Beauty Favourites



Brush Cleaning Mat

Firstly I must apologize for how dirty it is but that also shows how much I use it, this little mat has become part of my weekly brush cleaning routine. This mat works wonders, it has six different textures that help clean all your different make-up brushes without damaging the bristles. It has suction cups on the reverse that means that it attaches to your sink for easy cleaning. This little gem was a present all the way from Canada from my beautiful Canadian Soul Sista, and it was well worth the long trip that it had to travel to get to me. 

NYX Photo- Loving Primer

On a recent trip to the NYX counter in the Boots at Fosse Park, if you live in Leicester you and you like makeup you need to take a visit to the Boots there its massive. Like a Bee to pollen I headed straight to the NYX counter which is stocked with pretty much every single NYX product you could ever dream of trying. I recently decided that I needed to add a primer to my routine so I picked this one up, I highly recommend this product it keeps my makeup on all day and makes putting on foundation a dream. 

NYX - Lingerie
 In the very same shopping trip I picked up these two matte lip products from NYX, they are slightly heavier than the NYX Matte Lip Cream (which I love) which makes them perfect for a night out. I'm a huge fan of nude lips during the summer, I move to a much darker lip in the winter. They have fantastic staying power and could easily be a cheap dupe for Kylie Lip Kits. 

Clinique Beyond Perfecting
Ah Clinique...I tried so hard to stay away, I even tried to find your replacement but alas it was not to be. As you may or may not know I tried to find a replacement for this that was slightly cheaper from NYX, and I lasted all of one week before I had to return to my old friend. I wont beat around the bush I simply hated the NYX foundation from my Pay Day post, the shade was flat and washed me out, the coverage just wasn't good enough and it felt like it just didn't sit right. So I reinvested in my old friend, and to be honest one bottle lasts me around 3-4 months so I don't feel too bad about it. 

 Food and Drink

Edamame Beans

Edamame Beans and Rock Salt
Before my lovely Canadian Soul Sista returned to her snowy home land she got me ridiculously addicted to these beans. If you have been to Wagamamas, Yo! Sushi or any other Japanese restaurant you've probably come across these pods of deliciousness. They are soy beans still in there pods that you can eat hot or cold (but they must be cooked), you pop open the pods and munch away on the beans (I cover mine in either salt or a sprinkle of Parmesan). Recently I found them in the Chinese supermarket next to DMU for £1.70 per frozen bag, and I just had to bulk buy and stock my freezer. These are now my favorite snack food, and better for you than crisps. 

Hazelnut milk


I have had such a massive sweet tooth at the moment, I ate an entire bag of cookies on the walk home yesterday (much to Simon's amusement). The one thing that has helped curb it is Hazelnut milk, I've been popping this on my cereal in the morning for a morning burst of sweet goodness. Normally I'm a sucker for Almond Milk but being the rock and roll person I am I decided to mix it up. It successfully transforms your boring healthy bran flakes into a morning treat ..so for that its made it into my favorites.


Brambles Favorites

This month Miss Bramble discovered that she rather liked the taste of our door frame, we decided that while she might like the taste we preferred it teeth mark free. So to curb this new chewing habit we picked up some bitter apple spray from Wits End  it works an absolute dream, she hasn't gone near the door frames since spraying it on. I've even managed to protect my plants from her sharp little puppy teeth with it. 

The second thing on Bramble's list is the Ruffer and Tuffer rope toys  we picked up two toys from this brand and she loves them, the rope colors make it easy for her to see. The second bonus is that it helps with her teeth coming through and saves our furniture from destruction. So this brand gets Brambles paw of approval! 


So that's all of mine and Bramble's favorites this month, next month's favorites will be slightly different so stay tuned for that. Let me know what you've enjoyed this month, and if you have tried any of the things in this post. As always you can follow me on Blog Lovin,or FaceBook you can hit subscribe :). 

Sending lots of Leicester cuddles

Lady Law Student & Bramble 

xx
 

  


 




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