Back to School: my tips!

Next week I will be starting my last year of University. As I have been in school for some time now, I think I have the right to spread my wisdom on how to survive in school. So here are my tips for this years frechman.

1. Go to class. Pretty basic, I know. But believe me, many of us (including me) have failed classes because of this. If you really cannot go to class, make sure to spend that time studying the subject. So if your class would've been two hours long but you do not attend, take two hours out of that day to study the subject anyway. But preferably: go to class!

2. If you have a long commute, find out a way to study while travelling. I travel to school for five hours a day by train, meaning that if I play my cards right, I can have all my studying done by the time I get home. This way I can spend my time at home watching a movie with the boyfriend or going for a walk with the dog!
Here is how you do it:
- Have your laptop loaded with all material. You cannot rely on wifi on the train, so make sure to have your summaries, handouts and planning on pdf.
- Charge your laptop, phone or tablet the evening before you leave, and bring a portable charger. You do not want to be stuck in traffic or on the trainstation with nothing to do because your battery ran out.
- Plan ahead. You need to know what you are going to be doing, so you can start right away. For me, it helps to take out a few minutes before I go to bed to write down a planning.

3. Take your papers serious. You will learn most from researching a subject yourself, and perfecting academic writing is such an important skill!

If you have any tips to add, let me know in the comments!

Love,

Louise

Ps: See? I can make normal lists!

Love it: Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell

Now that it is finally december again, I started listening to one of the most beautiful christmas/new year songs ever made: Auld Lang Syne by Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis. This song was made as a soundtrack for the Sex and the City movie (which isn't that great, to be honest), but it is based on an 18th century poem. It is sung in Scottish and I don't understand it at all, but I love it nontheless.

Please enjoy!

Love,

Louise

Project 10 Pan

I know I am extremely late with this project (it being the beautyvlogger hype of 2010), but I really want to do it. I don't have an entire room filled with make-up, not even an entire cabinet. Let's first explore the collection.

I store my make-up in the first two drawers of my Ikea Helmer unit. The rest is filled with hairstyling products, bodylotions and skincare products. This is my current stash:

8 Eyeshadow palettes
6 Foundations
4 Concealers
3 Eyeshadow primers (all samples)
2 Face primer
12 Powders (normal powder, bronzer and highlighter)
8 Blushers
18 Eyeliners (liquid, pencil and gel)
21 Lipproducts (lipstick, lipliner and lipgloss. Balms do not count, do they?)
8 Small eyeshadow palettes (maximum of 4 shadows)
14 Single eyeshadows (powder, stick or cream)
3 Mascaras

I thought I didn't have too much make-up, but 21 lipproducts is insane for someone who never wears lipproducts. I am not insane, I promise...

Next to make-up, I have:

16 Hairproducts
14 Bodylotions (5 of those are samples)
8 Skincare products

Because I obviously also have a problem with skin-, hair-, and bodycare, I will alter the rules of project 10 pan just a bit. These are the rules.

1. You have to finish at least 10 products, before you can buy another one.
Note: Only exception in my case is mascara, because I need to get a new one every three months to prevent an eye infection! Of course deodorant and toothpaste do not count either...
2. At least five of these products have to be make-up.
3. I may not buy bodylotion before I finish at least three of them (I have a bit of a bodylotion problem lately)
4. Products that are thrown away, for any reason, do not count as finished.
5. If I hit pan on an eyeshadow in a palette, it does count as one product.

Wish me luck!

Love,

Louise

PS: updates on the project will be posted!

Panic Attack

Panic attacks suck. I get them every now and then, and they make me feel like I cannot breath, making me panic even more. They also make you dizzy and nautious, and most times they do not have an obvious cause. They just happen, making you feel embarrased and helpless.

To all the people that have them too: I know how it feels.
It's okay. You will be okay.

Because I am too.

Love,

Louise

Love it: Teddy Has An Operation

Searching youtube for hours can feel very unproductive. Trust me, I know. But when you come across a video that makes you smile and your heart melt, it is worth it. 

This video by zefrank1 did just that for me. It's a wonderful video about the love of a toy and the imagination of a child.

Don't watch it if you can't handle watching intestines! I don't mind it, and I think you should look past that.

I hope it makes you smile!

Love, 

Louise

Book to Movie: The Time Traveler's Wife

When I walk into my favorite bookstore, almost every good book gets degrated by a big, shouty sticker on the front saying 'Now a Major Motion Picture!'. No! It's a book. If I wanted to see the movie, I would go watch the movie. I understand that it's a marketing tactic and all, but why would I rather buy a book that has been made into a movie, then one that hasn't? However, after reading the book with the big old sticker, I do want to see the movie!

That being said, some book-to-movie adaptations do impress me. Today, I want to discuss the adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The book is about the impossible love between a time traveler and the love of his unchronological life. Henry has a disorder causing him to travel in time, without him willing to. For that reason, Clare and Henry are always meeting at different times of their lives, with different knowledge about their past and future together.

The book made me cry at several different occassions, and the movie had the same effect on me. The book was written with a beautifully alternating perspective between Henry and Clare, and although the movie doesn't do that, it still has the same effect. You can relate to both Henry and Clare perfecly, making them a very emotional book and movie. A gorgeous love story that is a absolute must-read/see!

I hope you go read the book and watch the film (but read the book first!), because they are absolutely amazing.

Love,

Louise

Public transport rant!

To get to my university, I have to travel by public transport for approximately 10 hours per week. After doing this for more than three years, I believe I have every right to call myself a public-transportation-expert. And for that reason, I have to rant about it (also, I like making lists). Here are some of the most annoying things about public transport that I encounter with daily.

1. Trains being late. For the Netherlands, this is a very common problem. Somehow, trains are either 5 to 15 minutes late, cancelled or cannot go because of ‘technical’ difficulties. I understand that problems can occur in our busy railway-network. Still, it annoys me to death!
2. Food and drinks being ridiculously expensive! I have to pay €2,50 for a bottle of water. Yes I said WATER, not fluid gold. That’s just insane for something that sells for just 80 cents at a supermarket. More than 200% pure profit! So unfair! And don’t even get me started on food…
3. People that step out of the train (or tram, bus, subway) and STOP MOVING! Right in front of the doors! There are more people that want to leave this vehicle AND many people wanting to get on it. Go fix your outfit somewhere else!
4. Internet being promised but not working. A quit relevant example: I am typing this on the train. The doors of the train tell me there is free wifi on this train. There is no wifi. I will not upload this until this evening. Great.

Love,

Louise

PS: I apologize for the weird number of points on my list (Four! No! Either three or five!) and for the crazy amount of capital letters and explanation marks in this post. But what can I say, it’s a rant. It’s not rational.