Burnley College Protest

There's been an image going around recently of a small scale protest against Donald Trump outside a Lancashire college sixth form centre, Burnley College.

While this seems like a positive thing, the caption that accompanies the image is not so positive:

Now, on the face of it the caption is right. Trump isn't going to change any of his actions based off half a dozen students from a sixth form making a banner and holding some signs. He might never even hear of this protest. However, this small demonstration should not be mocked.

First of all, these are college students who more than likely cannot make it to a larger demonstration in a city like Manchester. They will have organised this themselves, maybe with the help of a teacher, and will probably be using their lunch break to show their opinions on the 45th president of the United States. If they had the opportunity to join a larger protest I'm sure they will have done but they have done one in a location that is convenient to them, outside the college.

Also, the fact that college students have been inspired to express their disapproval of oppressive policies and behaviour can only be positive. Burnley College teaches A Level Politics so this is a great extra curricular activity for the students. What better way to inspire future political minds than to get out and be a part of a protest.

I think this is the most important thing. The students at our colleges and sixth forms are the future generation. The years leading up to the voting age are the best time to start thinking about politics and it is important that more students are inspired to form political opinions however big or small. Young people showed the lowest turnout to the EU referendum yet they are the most affected by the changes. By forming political opinions they will be more likely to vote and get a result that is fairer for them. Activities like this are absolutely necessary to get more young people asking questions, finding out about how the political system works and what different political parties support. 

What I haven't mentioned yet is that, to me, this isn't just a random college in Lancashire that has gained a bit of interest from this event. I am, in fact, a previous student at Burnley College. During my time there there were a few protests in the same place with similar numbers. We noticed them and they got us thinking, got us discussing and got us interested in politics. I remember staff high up in the College saying it is brilliant that students are passionate about a cause. The college encouraged us to think about politics and express opinions (as long as they were done in an organised, non disruptive way). A group of students were not happy about a change in one of the common areas in college and the staff listened to them and discussed what could be done as a compromise. The fact that activities like this are encouraged make me very proud to be a past student of Burnley College.

I'm glad that this image has been spread around the internet. Not just because it is one of my old college but because it shows students what their peers are doing and may even inspire themselves to organise their own small scale protest. I just wish the caption wasn't included because, although humourous, it could discourage young people from forming an interest in politics and the wider world.

Every Day's a School Day

I've learnt a lot since starting university. I mean, I've learnt about chemical kinetics, quantum mechanics and SN2 reaction mechanisms as part of my Chemistry degree but that goes without saying. What I'm talking about is the life lessons that the independence had given me.

Just under 2 years ago I was squashed with all my belongings in the back of my parents' car heading up to Edinburgh after just having passed my driving test the day before. I had never had to cook for myself and when I was alone in the house I lived out of the microwave. I couldn't even cook an egg! Luckily I knew how to do laundry (or so I thought I did until Circuit Laundry came along), how to make a bed and how to handle an iron. I was convinced that after browsing through a cookbook I'd be able to take on the world. I was very, very wrong!

So, let's take you on a journey of some of the things I've learnt in my first two years of uni:

Halls can be crazy. Before I'd even moved in someone had thrown a ham sandwich down the corridor.

The doors in halls lock behind you. Sorry warden!

That fire alarm every Thursday morning. Yes, that happens every week.

The cleaners will wake you up. They were lovely though.

Those last two shots of sambuca were not the brightest idea I've ever had.

The bathroom is probably not the best place to wake up. Is that vomit on the floor?

Hangovers are bad.

Hangovers in lectures are even worse.

If you don't know what is happening in a lecture chances are nobody does. Where are these equations coming from? How much is Gregg writing? Oh he's drawing a picture of a dragon...

A damp towel can get off the most stubborn club stamps.

You can't leave a lab report until the last day. Well you can but do you value sleep?

Pasta is the easiest thing to cook and will be every single meal you ever have in your first year of uni.

£3.95 is not good value for a few pieces of chicken and six wedges. It isn't even KFC!

Marcus once got down to business behind a bush but apparently nobody has had a threesome. Never have I ever...

Everyone has different rules for Ring of Fire. Is six dicks or chicks? Who knows...

It probably isn't the best idea to lose your glasses and shirt in the same night. I hate drunk me!

The 6am fire alarm will happen when you are most hungover.

Hive is where dreams come true and your dignity goes to die. Here we, here we, here we fucking go!

Night busses are a saviour. Until Ben from along the corridor throws up down the stairs.

Primark on a Saturday when you are hungover is a grim experience.

Trying to secure a flat is the single most stressful experience a first year can face.

Many hours will be wasted trying to talk to someone from a utility provider. I know all the lyrics to Taio Cruz's Dynamite now but I just want to set up a direct debit.

Overdrafts ARE needed. When does the next student loan payment come in?

The biggest thing I've learnt is that time goes so fast!!

I'm halfway through my degree and I don't know where it has all gone. There's so many things I still want to do while I'm here in Edinburgh. One thing is for sure though, the friends I've made along the way and the memories we've shared will never be forgotten, nor will the sound of that damn fire alarm!

"Two vodka cokes and a reality check please"

Now first of all, I am not against clubbing. I enjoy it. Don’t we all? But why? Yeah, you can say that it’s to have a good time with your friends and relax. Or maybe you want to try and pull. You might even want to show off all the work you put in watching YouTube videos on how to shuffle. However, just take a step back and consider it from a sober point of view.

So pre-drinks have finished, you’ve got out of the taxi and now you are going to wait up to 30 minutes in the queue outside the club, and lets face it, it’s England so it’s going to be raining. When you finally get to the front you give your ID to the bouncer and try your hardest to look natural even though the alcohol you consumed an hour ago has probably mostly worn off by now.  You now pay to go into a sweaty, cramped and most likely smelly room with music that is so loud you can’t even hear someone scream into your ear about the huge queue at the bar.

That’s where you’re heading now. Waiting for 15 minutes tactically weaving between people to get to the bar, waving your money about like you’re trying to swat a fly just to get the attention of the bar worker who has probably seen the flapping fiver and knows exactly who to serve last. When you’ve finally paid £4 for a watered down drink, tiptoed around the other people queueing trying not to spill the precious nectar in your plastic cup and located the rest of the squad you instantly regret breaking the seal so early on in pre-drinks.

Next stop is the toilet. The club loo deserves its own paragraph as it is such a massive oversight yet is an important part of anyone’s night out. You have to navigate a pool of unidentifiable liquid and broken glass to get to a cubicle with a door that doesn’t lock. Then you go to wash your hands only to get pestered by the man who’s job it is to say things along the lines of “No spray, no lay” while attacking you with Paco Rabanne One Million. In a midst of panic and awkwardness you accidentally give him your taxi fare home and dart out of the toilets back to safety where you can regroup and dance the night away to the likes of OMI’s Cheerleader and will.i.am’s It’s My Birthday.

Despite all that, thousands of us all go out sometimes up to three times a week and spend our hard earned cash or student loan (or should that be the student bank account’s massive overdraft!) and manage to make it “the best night ever” every night. People have different reasons to go clubbing. Being with friends, pulling or showing the club your top class dance moves. Personally I love to be able to sing, shout and scream to every song regardless of whether or not I know the words safe in the knowledge that the people around me will have no idea of how bad a singer I am. When I’m in the club I feel like I should apply to audition on the X-Factor with my perfect performance of Mr Brightside by Tom Garnett feat. Two double vodka cokes and a tequila shot. My voice in the morning tells me otherwise!

I know this won’t stop anyone going to clubs and it definitely won’t stop me. I love nothing more than to hang out with friends, have a good time and forget for a few hours about that lab report that needs doing. As I said at the start, I’m not against clubbing. I just stopped for a moment and thought about it. It’s a funny old thing. For years to come we’ll be dancing, singing and frantically checking Facebook in the morning hoping we don’t look awful in the club photos.

LeFort I Osteotomy

I've always thought I have a larger chin than normal. I hated looking at side on photos of myself. When I smile it points out even more. I've also always hated my teeth. I look after them as much as anyone else does but I have a slight underbite and when bite my front teeth together none of my other teeth bite together. I suppose when I was younger it was the colour that bothered me the most. Having been born with weak enamel means that they have been stained for years. Whitening toothpaste hasn't helped and my old dentist tried something but it didn't work. He said there was nothing that could be done. He always said my teeth were good and there was nothing wrong with them. At the time I was terrified that I would need braces and he would say my teeth would straighten in their own time.

It wasn't until I changed to an NHS dentist that anything was done about it. My new dentist referred me to a specialist who then suggested I have an operation to sort my bite out. Two years down the line and I've just had said operation. My top jaw has been brought forward. I'll spare you the details about how it has been done but If you want to you can google the title of this post. There's even some videos of the operation if you are very brave. They had to put screws in my jaw a week beforehand for the surgeon to use to move my jaw because I don't have braces. Yeah, that hurt.

I know it will take a lot longer than a few days to recover. I can barely move my jaw and have to be on a very soft diet for about a month  My face is very swollen and it looks like I've been beaten up for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person on a night out down in B-Town.

I hope to go to Leeds Festival again this year. I should be eat normally by then but I guess it is an excuse to stay clear of any mosh pits without being called a wimp. Even though I will have to be careful eating and getting hit in the face I will still be able to drink so it won't be a complete disaster. Well, unless I get way too drunk.

I think the worst thing will be not being able to eat properly for at least a month. Seeing people tuck into burgers will be torturous. I will most probably lose a lot of weight as well. This is something I cannot afford to do as I will practically disappear. I will also have very little energy. I have got some supplement shakes to try to stop that. Oh, and super noodles will be my saviour during my recovery.

My face doesn't actually hurt that much. That is due to the space between my eyes and my chin being almost completely numb. I also look like a right state with my swollen face and occasional dribble that makes a bid for freedom from my mouth. The most uncomfortable thing is not being able to breathe properly through my nose. The top of your mouth is the bottom of your nose so it is all clogged up.

So yeah, here's to a month of being lazy but having a perfectly acceptable excuse for it.

"Margaret Pizza"

Today I had a day out in Manchester and it came to that time of the day where my stomach made itself known. I was hungry. I needed food and what better way to provide said food than through an all-you-can-eat buffet.

I had been recommend to try "Tops Buffet Restaurant". I was told the food is really good and there is an amazing choice. I was hoping it would compete with "Red Hot World Buffet", which is really good.

First impressions were good. The restaurant looked tidy and clean and the entrance and front desk looked really good. It was a big contrast to the chart music that was playing throughout the restaurant. You pay for your food before you enter and before you know what the food is like but as it's a buffet you don't have to actually choose what you are going to eat before you sit down. You also pay for you drinks as you order them, there is no bill.

Having been to Red Hot a few times I know to expect that some of the dishes may not be piping hot and fresh out of the kitchen as they may not be as popular so the turn around is slower. However, I don't, under any circumstances, expect the food to be barely lukewarm or even stone cold. It wasn't just one of two dishes. Every starter I tried was stone cold, with the exception of the spring rolls that were lukewarm, even the chicken was barely lukewarm!

I thought I might have just been very unlucky so moved onto the mains. I decided to start with Italian food and, as it was the lunch time sitting and not all the dishes were on offer, this consisted of only pizza. No pasta, only pizza. The garlic bread wasn't even available! They had also labeled the Margherita pizza as "Margaret Pizza", although if I was called Margaret I would be offended! The pizzas I chose were yet again barely lukewarm and the chips (from the starter section?) were stone cold. This was enough. I didn't want to try anything else.

As we complained someone who was sat on the table next to us agreed with us saying that the food was cold and that she hadn't eaten anything other than ice cream, which was cold thankfully. The member of staff investigated and we were told the starters were at least above 70°C. The food was definitely not to that temperature. Luckily we got our money back but I worry others wouldn't. Some people only getting a voucher for one free lunch sitting during the week. That wouldn't be used!

I definitely would not recommend this buffet restaurant to anyone. It was not good at all. I left with my stomach still hungry for food and so proceeded to the Arndale food court where I had half a "Margherita" pizza, that this time was hot, and actually got a slice of garlic bread. Teamed with chips and a drink at under £5. Bargain!

Two of the fastest years of my life

So I’ve had the last lesson, last exam and last late night revision session at college. No more waiting for that lift that only seems to set off half of the time, no more frantic searching for my ID lanyard before walking through the door and no more ham, cheese and pizza sauce paninis.

The last two years at college have been amazing and have gone so quickly. I’ve met loads of amazing people who I very much hope to stay in touch with in the future. The teachers are brilliant and I’ve been studying subjects that I’m interested in. I couldn’t really ask for anything more.

Don’t get me wrong, A Levels have been difficult but that was only to be expected. If the jump from GCSE to AS Level didn’t catch me by surprise the jump from AS Level to A2 level definitely did. If that wasn’t enough I’ve had to battle with a coursework project of over 21,000 words with 3 pages for the table of contents alone and the removal of January exams meant that all my exams were in May/June. However, it is all done and it rests in the hands of the markers with me waiting nearly two months for results day. I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can finally go for random walks and generally potter about without feeling guilty about not revising.

I am going to miss college after having such a good time but I am looking forward to the rest that these summer holidays will provide before setting off to university, something I am also very much looking forward to. I am confident that I will have an amazing time at university, wherever that may be, meeting new people, forming new friendships and studying what I am most passionate about, Chemistry. I also cannot hide the fact that I am very excited for Freshers’ week.

Going to university will be my first experience of freedom. I won’t have to report all my whereabouts or explain that I’m going to be home very late to my parents again… well, until I come back home in the holidays anyway. Again, leaving home will be sad in a way but I am very excited nonetheless.

The summer for me holds lots of resting, a holiday abroad and a weekend at a music festival. I am stupidly excited about that! I’m hoping this will be the best summer I’ve had yet.

Knowing me, I’ll probably still find myself going to college for one thing or another, I usually do in the holidays.

Awkward eye contact and other awkward contact

You might be thinking, "What is this other awkward contact?" I'll get to that later so read on.

Let's start with awkward eye contact. It happens to everyone (Don't lie, remember that one time with the window cleaner just after you got out of the shower?). Sometimes you'll just be looking at someone you like but haven't spoken to yet, they'll turn around and look into your eyes, and it all gets awkward from there. Either that or it turns into the perfect love story where as soon as you look into each other's eyes you instantly fall in love and are destined to be together. In reality you look away as fast as you can then realise that in doing so it made it look like you were staring for a good two minutes. Mix awkward eye contact and lifts and you have a situation which will make the best of people cringe.

On a similar note, you know when you just zone out and are just staring into the distance? Well you better check where you are looking because there is a good chance that you could be staring right at someone. They will have no idea you have just zoned out and could be a little freaked out. Oh, and from a guy's perspective, if you zone out while looking at a female just be very careful where you are looking. Yeah, that's happened before.

Now the "other awkward contact". Sometimes you can just be walking along without a care in the world, the sun will be out, everyone will be happy and then your hand brushes against someone else's. Unless you are close to this person it is never a good situation. Now, you can't look and say sorry because, not only will there be yet more awkward eye contact, you will most likely mess up your words and make the situation more awkward. You just have to move on and accept that it happened.

To some, this can be a daily occurrence in one form or another. All I can say for sure is that these situations are most definitely awkward. They can probably be avoided but if one of them happens to yourself you just have to, without it sounding too clichéd, keep calm and carry on.