The Student Pocket Guide Winter 2015 Oxford And Reading Edition

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H E L LO my name is

THE EDITOR

I hope that you thoroughly enjoyed your crimbo break, ate lots of good food, shared lots of laughter with friends and family, and that Santa delivered what you wanted!?

If we rewind and reflect upon what happened in the last 12 months, it is clear to see that 2014 was a year to remember for many reasons! Marking Facebook’s 10th year anniversary, 2014 was the year that the #IceBucketChallenge filled our newsfeeds; it was the year that the Queen joined Twitter, and was also the year when Ellen DeGeneres’ #OscarSelfie broke the record for the most retweeted picture of all time – 255,000 tweets per minute!

It feels like social media has taken over the world, and to think that two students with an idea thought up from their student room, were partially responsible for this social media phenomenon! What happens next? Who knows, but I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a really exciting era right now!

Moving away from technology, 2014 has also been a huge year for music, and we’ve got a great line-up for you in this Winter edition! We talk to one of the UK’s fastest growing talents Sam Smith, global Drum N Bass DJ Andy C, and chart-topping singer Jess Glynne. What’s more, we’ve got a pair of Urbanear headphones signed by international DJ Alesso up for grabs!

Browse on for more competitions including the chance to win gadgets, vouchers, hair products, games, sweets and jewellery!

What would a student mag be without discounts, right? So of course we have some great offers inside which will save you some money, along with the tips and advice to help you through the term.

We hope that you find this Winter edition entertaining and useful, and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe and follow us on socials, it’s FREE! Until next time…

FIREBOX COSY NIGHT IN COMPETITION

SAM SMITH

HOW TO BURN OFF THE EXTRA FESTIVE POUNDS YUMMY EASY COOK MEALS

ANDY C

START: STUDENT ART

ONLINE DATING. YES OR NO?

JESS GLYNNE

SPGTV COVERS

SUBSCRIBE HERE FOR FREE Discounts / Competitions / Freebies / Acoustics / Interviews / Tips / Advice / Reviews All Rights Reserved Š The Student Pocket Guide Ltd 2015. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any of the views or opinions expressed in this guide, errors or omissions which may have occurred, or accept liability for any services or facilities featured. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that all information is correct, changes may and can occur.

I FREE

STUFF

COSY NIGHT IN If you don’t fancy a night on the town, then our friends at Firebox have kindly given you the chance to win a ‘cosy night in’ bundle. Get your heated slippers on, put a lm on the smart phone projector and sit back and relax with your bowl of bacon pop popcorn.

ENTER Competition

JELLY BELLY

Curb your sweet tooth craving by winning a KILO of jelly beans, as well as a Mr. Jelly Belly dispenser. Jelly Belly jelly beans are packed with avour. Did you know amazingly it can take up to 21 days to create each avour bean!

ENTER Competition

MELLO LED SKATEBOARD

Get yourself to uni in style with this Mello Complete LED skateboard from Skatehut.com. It works by using the energy you create when skating on your board to light up the wheels.

So, when you are skating along you leave a trail of light behind you.

ENTER Competition

TONI & GUY ROLLERS

Get your very own hair salon experience at home with these Toni & Guy, Extreme Volume Rollers. Used backstage at London Fashion Week, the new salon professional range by Toni & Guy has been tried and tested by industry professionals.

ENTER Competition

BOARD GAME BUNDLE

Thought you were too cool for board games? Think again, this board game bundle from Tactic Games includes grown up games which you can play with your mates. The bundle includes iKnow, Say Anything, Agony Aunt and Party Alias, perfect if you are in the competitive mood.

ENTER Competition

ACORN AUDIO ACCESSORIES

Acorn Audio are dedicated to bringing you products that look cool and sound great too. With the added bonus of being eco friendly, you’ll be doing your bit for the environment. We have a pair of Acorn Audio headphones and two iPhone cases to give away.

ENTER Competition

£50 TOTALLY FUNKY VOUCHER If you are in search of fun and quirky products, then look no further.

TotallyFunky.co.uk stock lots of funky home accessories to brighten up your student room and playful gadgets to help you revise.

ENTER Competition

AMARA AMARA LAGUNA RING

Amara Amara jewellery has built a reputation as one of the UK’s hottest new jewellery designers, and it’s easy to see why. Their jewellery desi designs are stunning, full of luxury colours which emphasise the beauty and sophistication of each jewellery piece.

ENTER Competition

WIN SIGNED ALESSO MERCHANDISE! With over 100 million YouTube views Alesso has become a household name with fans worshipping his sound across the globe. It is no su surprise that his shows constantly sell out FAST and it was no different when Alesso announced his UK dates. The shows in London and Manchester sold out in an hour with demand calling for an extra London date to be added.

So, in celebration of Alesso’s added UK date, you have the chance to get your hands on some SIGNED Alesso merchandise (including a signed ‘Heroes’ t-shirt and a signed pair of Urban Ears headphones!).

ENTER Competition

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enseless

ensus

What was your New Year’s Resolution?

Spend less time on social media

Go out and experience more

Learn a language

Be nicer to my cat

To not get into any trouble

Try an extreme sport

Release an album

Get a job

Want to appear in the next issue?

Send us a selle along with your TOP FESTIVAL TIP to: info@thestudentpocketguide.com Joins us on socials:

Become nancially independent

THE HEXAGON SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY 11am to 4pm

The Hexagon Theatre Queens Walk, Reading, RG1 7UA

WWW.READINGARTS.COM

Have you come to study in the UK? Need to change your currency?

Preferential student rates when exchanging Euros or US Dollars for ÂŁ Sterling*

Click here for participating branches: www.postoffice.co.uk/SBW online | mobile | branch | phone

Handled with care

*Student Identification in the form of NUS/student ID card is required. Your exchange rate will be advised to you at the time of the transaction and will be displayed on your receipt. Standard exchange rates can be requested at the time of the transaction. Any Student Rate is applied at the time of the transaction. No refund can be given after the transaction has taken place. Maximum ÂŁ999 spend applies on Euro and US Dollar Notes. Post Office Limited reserves the right to cancel, suspend or amend the promotion where it becomes necessary to do so and is available from participating branches only. Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trade marks of Post Office Limited. Post Office Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered No. 2154540. Registered Office: 148 Old Street, London EC1V 9HQ. All information is correct at time of going to print, but is subject to change.

AUGUST 2014

Illustrations by Charli Vince

Weird

New Year Traditions

In the UK, one of the biggest New Year’s traditions is to make a New Year’s resolution. We’re not sure about you, but we can’t remember a time when we actually kept that New Year’s resolution. Around the world, different cultures have different traditions to bring in the New Year, some are weird, some are wonderful, read on to see for yourself...

Eating For 7 Christmas and New Year is normally a time of overindulgence, and the Estonians have really taken this on board. Their New Year celebration is to eat 7, 9 or 12 meals on New Year’s Day! If you can manage this, it means you will have lots of food for the following year. Make sure you don’t eat the whole lot though; you’re supposed to leave some for the spirits of your loved ones that have passed away. Bit weird.

Eating 12 Grapes This is a Spanish tradition where on New Year’s Eve you have twelve grapes at the ready. When the clock hits 12 midnight, you have to stuff a grape in your mouth with each chime! By the time the clock has finished chiming you are supposed to have finished all your grapes, but we don’t think this ever quite happens. Do you know how hard it is to try and eat twelve grapes so quickly?!

Suitcase Running Hoping for a big trip away in the New Year? Then grab your suitcase and follow the Colombian tradition of running around the block with an empty suitcase! It is meant to guarantee that you will be able to travel in the coming year. Passports at the ready!

Animal Whispering It is a New Year’s ritual for Romanian farmers to try to turn themselves into Dr. Dolittle by talking to their animals.

If the animals understand the farmer then some consider it good luck, although others consider it bad luck, so no one is really sure! It’s not clear where the tradition originates from, but it is also practiced in Belgium.

Underwater Tree Planting Diving into below freezing waters on New Year’s Eve is not the most appealing thing in the world. In Siberia it is traditional to plant your ‘New Year Tree’ under the surface of the freezing Lake Baikal. Only professional divers take part in this though, as it’s quite a dangerous thing to be doing.

Early Spring Clean If you are in South Africa for New Year’s, watch out, they have a tradition of having an early spring clean. It is customary to throw out old furniture and belongings, (some people just get rid of old toasters), but it has been known to see old sofas lining the streets. The idea is to throw out the old and to bring in the New Year with a fresh start.

Milk Jug Cannons Hoping to ward off bad spirits in the New Year?

Then take note from Dutch farmers, they fill up their old milk churns with explosives and light them!

The tradition originates from the World War when there were lots of explosives left in The Netherlands, and there wasn’t anything to do with them.

Illustrations by Charli Vince

Wearing Polka Dots Circles are a sign of prosperity in The Philippines, and this is why on New Year’s you will find people wearing polka dots. It is also traditional to fill your pockets and wallets with coins; this will mean that they will not be empty for the coming year.

COULD YOU BE THERE WHEN I CALL? A lot of people need us at night. That's why our volunteers are always o around to give anyone wh is struggling to cope the space and time to talk.

Find out about joining us

08705 62 72 82

www.samaritans.org

Samaritans is a registered charity.

To protect people's privacy, photo has been posed by a model.

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TOP 6

FITNESS APPS Time is something no one seems to have enough of, especially when it comes to exercise and healthy eating. It is always important to lead a healthy lifestyle, and incorporating a good amount of exercise into your life will help you feel a lot better about yourself. If you can’t be bothered to hit the gym, or don’t have the spare cash to be able to afford it, fear not once again technology comes to the rescue! There are lots of apps that can help you along your fitness journey and we have rounded up some of the best. So no excuses!

NIKE TRAINING CLUB

This app from Nike is mainly aimed at women who are at all stages of their fitness regime. With the option to have workouts that last anywhere from 15-45 minutes, there’s something to suit everybody’s schedule. Workouts are free and motivating; many are also lead by female athletes like Maria Sharapova so that you really feel like you’re on top of your game. Another bonus is that loads of the workouts don’t require any equipment so you can do them in your local park or even in your own home.

ZOMBIES, RUN

Fitness doesn’t have to be boring, if you want to mix up your running regimes then ‘Zombies, Run’ is the app for you. It is effectively a game and the aim is to out run the Zombies that are after you. With audio instructions talking you through your mission, you collect imaginary supplies throughout your run that you can use to build up your base when you get home. As you get so involved in the game, it doesn’t feel like a workout and you will definitely surprise yourself with how fast you can start sprinting.

30 DAY FITNESS CHALLENGES

Give yourself a new challenge each month with the 30 Day Fitness Challenges app. There’s a massive variation of exercises from squats to the splits and it’s a chance for you to master a new skill each month. You can get clued up on new techniques and really push yourself for those 30 days whilst targeting a specific part of your body that you want to make stronger. This app is great if you really are pushed for time, you can easily fit in a few squats in the morning whilst you get ready.

MY FITNESS PAL

My Fitness Pal is a great app if you want to combine weight loss with exercise. It has been proven that if you record every single thing that you eat, you will realise how many empty calories you consume and loose a few pounds. My Fitness Pal has a barcode reader incorporated into the app, so you can quickly scan what you are eating. It is also great for when you are eating out and the menus don’t inform you of calorie content, as there’s information from nearly all of the major food brands around.

Easily log your workouts too and see how many calories you are burning, if you dedicate yourself with weekly weigh-ins, an easy graph shows how you are improving week on week.

YOGA STUDIO

Yoga is a great way of exercising to build muscle strength and improve your posture. Attending classes can become a bit of a drain on your finances; they can also be off-putting when you’ve got a 60 year old bloke doing a better downward dog than you.

Yoga Studio has been voted the number one yoga app on the app store and it’s easy to see why. It’s a no fuss app, the ‘classes’ are easy to view and your ‘instructor’ makes every move easy to see, whilst also taking into account your yoga ability. You have the option of 65 different classes to choose from and you can even create your own classes to really tailor the experience.

MAP MY RUN

Running outside is a great option, mainly because it’s free! Make sure you think about your safety when you go for a run outside, wear reflective clothing and don’t venture anywhere dodgy. Enough of sounding like your mum, back to the app... Map My Run, if you hadn’t guessed, tracks your running route by using the GPS on your phone. You can store all your workout data to see what progress you are making. Mixing up your running route keeps exercise interesting and tough terrain like running up hills can really challenge you.

Scott Laidler

How to burn off extra festive pou During winter, it’s easy to put on a few extra pounds without even realising. With Christmas festivities, New Year’s parties, cocktails and food in abundance, it can be difficult to stick to your normal exercise regime and healthy diet. Suddenly it’s Christmas and you’ve gained 5lbs. What happened??!!

Don’t worry though. It’s natural to gain weight during the winter, partly because your body is naturally inclined to store fat to keep itself warm throughout the cold weather, but it can be rectified.

When you are attempting to burn fat you will need to make sure you burn more calories than you are consuming, have a healthy and balanced diet and exercise regularly. For the purposes of fat loss (over fitness) I generally advise either a very low intensity workout, or a very high intensity workout, leaving all moderate intensity exercise (for example jogging, light circuits) out of the program.

Read on for a high-intensity Tabata workout. It’s very effective so stick with it and you’ll soon see the results...

ff the unds!

>>

Planks How to: 1) Begin the exercise on your hands and knees, go on to distribute your weight between your toes and elbows keeping your body completely straight.

2) Brace your abdominals (pull your stomach in), whilst keeping your torso perfectly straight.

3) Do not allow your hips to move to the side, drop or raise 4) Hold the position for at least 30 seconds, or until loss of form.

Too easy? Try moving from a straight arm position down onto your elbows and back up again. Take care not to allow your hips to move from side to side.

Why? The plank is the quintessential abdominal/core exercise.

It’s a key staple in any workout regime and is brilliant for strengthening and toning the whole body.

Lunges Forward Lunges - How to: 1) Standing on the spot with hands on hips. Lunge one leg 2-3 feet forward and lower yourself so your back knee is almost touching the floor, each knee should have a 90 degree angle.

2) Hold for 2-3 seconds then come back to the starting position and alternate legs.

Why? This will strengthen and tone the leg muscles.

Reverse Lunges - How to: 1) Standing up straight lunge one leg backwards using your toes to balance and then bend the knee down towards the floor until the leg is bent in a 90 degree angle.

2) Pause there and then return to the starting position and repeat by alternating between both legs.

Why? It’s great for toning up and shaping your bum. Stepping backwards is also quite challenging particularly with weight so it is another great exercise for your core.

For increased d difficulty, ad ! weights

>>

Mountain Climbers How to: 1) Assume a straight armed plank position.

2) Draw one leg forward to step behind the wrists whilst maintaining a straight back.

3) Dynamically alternate between left and right legs as if walking up a horizontal ‘mountain.’ Why? This is a great exercise for working on your core endurance whilst integrating high intensity cardio (for fat burning and improving fitness) into your workout.

Squats How to: 1) Standing up straight with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, squat down by bending at the knee and making sure to stick out your bottom as far as possible and keeping your knees behind the toes.

2) Keep your back as straight as possible and squat down as low as you can, pause and then go back to the starting position and repeat.

d For increase d d a y, lt difficu a r o ts h ig e w barbell.

Why? This is one of the most important exercises you can ever do.

It works your entire posterior chain and core muscles. Never underestimate the importance of squats.

Kettle Bell Swings How to: 1) Stand with legs shoulder width apart, 2) Swing the kettle bell behind you with a straight back and braced abdominals.

3) Swing the kettle bell forward to chest height and repeat.

4) The power must come from firing your glutes, and hamstrings, not the lower back.

Why? If I could only recommend one exercise, it has to be the Kettlebell Swing.

This is fantastic for helping to generate power, burn fat, increase aerobic capacity and muscular endurance.

The Tabata protocol is very intense so it is a hard workout but it really pays off. It will help burn fat for hours after exercising which is fantastic for helping you to lose the winter weight. This is your best bet if you are strapped for time as four Tabata drills will only take you 20 minutes and will provide an extremely taxing workout.

Follow Scott on Twitter

@Scott_Laidler www.scottlaidler.com

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5 Guys To

AVOID 1

Words: Heather Drinkwater

You’re at Uni! Your social pool is now infinitely wider and the chances to meet that special someone are much, much better. After all, the guys at uni have GOT to be better than all those immature muppets at college. Sorry to disappoint, but if you’re not careful, your social pool could be full of crabs. Both literal and metaphorical.

MUMMY’S BOY MARK Mummy’s Boy Mark is a nice guy. He takes you to the cinema.

He listens to what you say with rapt attention and is always up for a cuddle on the sofa. And he’s a real commitment kinda guy. He even wants you to meet his parents! Especially his mum.

“You’ll love my mum!” he’ll say, before listing the 20 different ways she is perfect and you could be more like her and would-you-make-him-turkey dinosaurs-for-tea-and-tidy-hisroom-up-and-sing-his-specialbedtime-song?

Pros: Loves his mum.

Cons: Wishes you were his mum.

BONUS: Use Mummy’s Boy Mark as a case study in your psychology assignment on the Oedipus Complex.

2 3

DARK SIDE DANNY Dark Side Danny is deep and mysterious. He is tall and has awesome looking hair. Who cares if he never smiles and is always looking into the middle distance. That just makes him look deep. And mysterious.

Admittedly, it’s a little hard at parties when all he wants to do is stand in the corner and listen to Swedish Black Metal on his iPhone, but that’s just who he is!

Deep..... and mysterious. Other people just don’t get how deep Dark Side Danny is! They’re just jealous because their stupid boyfriends like flowers and dancing and colours other than black and bands that don’t have the word “Death” in the name. Posers.

Pros: Will write you poetry.

Cons: The poetry will be about ravens pecking his still-beating heart out under a midnight sky.

BONUS: Use Dark Side Danny’s facial piercings to carry heavy bags of shopping!

HIPSTER HARRY Hipster Harry is so cool. He’s so cool that he was cool before everyone else realised that being cool was cool and when that happened, Hipster Harry had already moved on to the next cool thing. He seems cool to be around with. But then you start wondering if trying to be around someone who is cool is actually uncool. But if you don’t care that it is, does that make you cool or not? He has also started to smoke a briar wood pipe for some reason and eats all his meals with chopsticks which he carries in a vintage 60’s handbag. Even soup. Then after a while you’re convinced he’s only dating you because it’s ironic.

Pros: Will introduce you to new bands.

Cons: As soon as you start to like them, he will have already moved on to something else.

BONUS: Hipster Harry makes a great post-modern cultural weather vane.

4 5

RUGBY RICHARD He’s tall. He’s handsome. His parents have got a holiday home in the south of France.

He’s Rugby Richard and your mother thinks the world of him. He has a lovely posh voice and is always fairly well dressed and never eats anything apart from Marks and Spencer. He’s a complete dream boat. But then so was The Titanic. The thing about Rugby Richard is... He plays rugby. And so do all his mates.

And they drink. OH HOW THEY DRINK. He’s always the first one to get naked and run around at a house party and always the first one to suggest drinking shots out of each other’s belly-buttons (if you’re lucky). And there is always the sneaking suspicion that he will always love the half naked man he spent his Rugby Soc initiation night handcuffed to more than you...

DANCING DAN Dancing Dan is just.... Always flipping dancing! I mean, what’s up with that? Seriously, it’s weird.

Pros: Good at dancing.

Cons: Secretly a serial killer.

BONUS: Try to break up with him through the medium of interpretive dance. It’s easier than it sounds!

Pros: Is fit and healthy, loves exercise and is very loyal.

Cons: Just like a Labrador.

BONUS: Try to stay friends with Rugby Richard. After all, he’ll be running the country in twenty five years.

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1 Explore old texts in new ways Discover the essential texts for your humanities course – works of literature from the Renaissance to the Eighteenth Century in trustworthy Oxford editions

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MEN’S GROOMING PRODUCTS

You may think that beauty and grooming products are only for girls, but think again! The metro sexual male likes to look after himself and we are not talking fake tanning and brow waxing Geordie Shore style! For the more casual bloke, here are eight subtle everyday products that you can incorporate into your daily washing and shaving routine, to keep you feeling and looking fresh.

L’Oreal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Quenching Gel (£10.99) Was that name really necessary for a face moisturiser? This L’Oreal product is a great refresher for the face, and moistens the skin for 24 hours.

It may sound counterproductive, but even if you have oily skin, make sure you moisturise!

If greasy skin is dehydrated it will produce more oil and make the problem worse.

Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Concealer Stick (£4.59) We have tried to make this as manly as possible, and this concealer is great, as it will not be located in the ‘make up’ area of your local drugstore. It’s a lifesaver when you get that unsightly blemish on your first day of Uni or a first date. Just put a small amount onto a spot and blend until it is no longer red and unsightly. No one will ever know!

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Vaseline Lip Therapy (£2.18) Cold temperatures can cause havoc with your lips. You are going to want them ready for unexpected kissing opportunities. Vaseline will keep them soft and crack free, and as it is completely clear, you wont look like you’ve put lippy on!

Nivea In Shower Body Moisturiser (£3.56) Post shower moisturising is really time consuming and something women are more likely to do. This ‘in shower moisturiser’ does the job whilst you are showering, leaving you with baby soft skin and with more time for important things like that game of FIFA. Gillette Series Sensitive Shave Gel (£3.19) This gel is ‘anti-friction’ giving the razor extra glide over the face with a smoother finish. The Aloe Vera in the gel is great for both sensitive and non-sensitive skin because of its soothing benefits.

No7 Men Soothing Post Shave Recovery Balm (£8.00) Post shave balm is a very important part of the shaving process. This one from No 7 will reduce any irritation from shaving. At a time when your skin may be too sensitive to moisturise, this balm will keep it hydrated.

Dove Men+ Care Clean Comfort Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick (£2.89) If you get your pit product wrong you will be making the girls run a mile, and it will only be flies attracted to your B.O! A deodorant that lasts all day is a basic life rule that everyone needs to abide by so that we can live in sweet smelling harmony. Combining an antiperspirant with a deodorant means that you stay dry but still have a lurrvely smell. Did you know you should mix up your deodorant every 6 months? Just like with antibiotics, bacteria can become immune to your deodorant!

Nip+ Man Scrubbing Face Wash (£5.95) Whether it’s exam stress or gym sweat giving you a spot break out, this gentle cleanser really gets into the pores clearing up existing spots and future break outs. Being a scrub, it gets rid of all the dead skin cells on your face, giving you a clearer complexion and a smooth finish.

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BLOKES

THAT BLOG

JIM CHAPMAN www.jimchapman.co.uk

The other half of blogging beauty, Tanya Burr, Jim has immersed himself in the blogging world. He hangs out with a host of YouTube superstars and his sisters are the beauty duo Pixiwoo. Best known for the popular culture and fashion on his blog, Jim has expanded his empire and now dabbles in presenting and YouTube pranks. With over 665K likes on his Facebook page he is often branded “the most famous bloke you’ve never heard of” and huge brands like BMW and Mulberry are eager to collaborate with him. www.tanyaburr.co.uk

TANYA BURR

KATE LOVES ME www.katelovesme.net

Pelayo Diaz is a blogger/DJ/fashion designer who originally comes from Spain but settled in the UK after studying at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College.

He started his blog (Kate Loves Me) after his family asked him to document everything he was seeing and doing whilst in London. He’s got an effortlessly cool style that would be surprisingly easy to emulate on a high street budget so deenitely one for the guys to check out.

JOEY LONDON STYLE www.joeylondon.co.uk

This Tottenham boy is a keen traveller, and travelling all over the world from a young age helped him discover his creativity and love for unusual things. After studying at 6th form, Joey realised that university really wasn’t what he wanted to do and he wanted a career... quick!

Originally he began posting videos on YouTube and his blog followed soon after. Joey’s blog showcases his style and projects with major brands, relaying his life to a massive Twitter following of 21.2K!

OVER DRESSED UNDER PREPARED www.overdressedunderprepared.co.uk

Over Dressed Under Prepared is a fresh outlook on fashion and lifestyle blogging.

Blogging can often come across as a very serious business but Robert Nixon adds a bit of se humour to the subject. You can easily see why he was voted Tokyo Laundry’s “Top Blogger” as there’s a varied amount of content with sleek and interesting visuals that keep you coming back for more.

THE JACK EXPERIENCE www.thejackexperience.co.uk

The Jack Experience is a new venture from Jack Edwards, with a massive Twitter following of 33.6K his thoughts are already eagerly being listened to by his fans. Jack’s blog showcases his interest of travelling, with beautiful photographs of where he’s visited and also a very useful post about “how to Polaroid”. As well as all the fun posts, Jack writes about more serious and personal issues like losing friends and his total honesty about being ‘terriied’ of online criticism shows that he is a real person.

How to make friends at university Written by Jack Shannon.

University can be a pretty scary time. Sometimes at 3am when you can hear people laughing, singing, dancing and vomiting outside your room, it can seem like you are absolutely alone. With no-one to talk to except a mounting pile of coursework, you may be getting so desperate that you are considering accepting a friend request from your mum.

Your old friend The SPG is here with our top tips on getting out there and making friends in the big, wide scary student world. With any luck you can go from social caterpillar to... I don’t know, a caterpillar with more mates and a wider social circle? I mean come on, we’re not miracle workers. Anyway, here is The SPG’s best tips for making friends at university!

Societies are awesome. Join them!

Even the worst universities have a decent amount of student sports clubs and societies to join. A mutual interest is a great way to make friends.

Joining up is as easy as going down to Socmart or the student union and for a couple of quid and your student number, you get a shiny membership card and a whole bunch of potential new friends.

Try to pick something that you’re genuinely interested in. There is nothing worse than sitting through the 8th society film night screening of “Men In Black 2” just because you fancied the treasurer of the Will Smith Society.

Try to pick something that meets up regularly. Getting together at the start of the term for an “I LOVE BADGERS!” knees-up is all well and good, but it’s not going to provide lasting friendships. Unless you both REALLY like badgers.

It's OK to have friends you see for different things Ok, you have joined a society and made some friends! Hooray! Let’s call him Skippy. Skippy the Tennis Friend. You go and play tennis together at the university gym every Tuesday afternoon! YAY Tennis! Yay Skippy! It is fun and magical. Then you discover there is another society which does karaoke nights! You LOVE karaoke! Everyone says your Rhinestone Cowboy is to die for!

You get Skippy to come along and... He hates it.

He looks bored and his rendition of Barbie Girl was just awful. What gives? I thought you guys were friends? Friends do EVERYTHING together? SAY WHAAAT? Skippy, what the heck is wrong with you?

Except there is nothing wrong with Skippy. Or with you. Different people like different things. It’s good and healthy for friends to disagree on certain things and to want to do other things some times. You’re not joined at the hip. Have fun apart and the time you spend together will be even more fun.

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Mutual friends do not instantly and magically like each other TWO FRIENDS! Whoa! You’re doing pretty great there! You arrange for Skippy and your new friend Billy, (you met at the karaoke thing) to meet up at the pub. Soon the three of you will be having whacky and crazy adventures! You’re on the second pint and you go to the toilets, thinking of a group nickname. Maybe getting t-shirts printed with all the in-jokes you’ll share. Then when you get back, Skippy has got Billy in a headlock while Billy is screaming about how much he hates Skippy’s stupid haircut.

(To be fair, Skippy does have a stupid haircut).

Be yourself. Kind of.

That being said however, all social interaction involves a degree of self censorship. Part of making friends and being sociable is learning how to act in the right way at the right time.

Learning when someone genuinely wants advice or when they just want a shoulder to cry on, is a tricky thing to learn for anybody.

Sadly, this is not something that can be taught, especially not by a comedy student article on the Internet. The only way to do this is by getting out there and making mistakes.

SUBSCRIBE TO SPG HERE!

Illustrations by Dean Beattie.

Never lie to people about who you are. Trying to change yourself to make other people happy is a sure fire way of making yourself miserable.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner you may want to impress that special someone. Dates can get a bit mundane, do you go to the movies or do you go for dinner? More than likely, both of you have done the cliché dates many times before, so, whether it’s your first date or your 12th, here are some unique date ideas just for you.

Go exploring in your local town.

There are bound to be loads of things you haven’t seen or done before. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, grab a coin, decide that heads is right, tails is left. As you walk around the city, flip the coin to determine which way you should go next. Even if you get lost, it’s going to be a pretty funny and memorable experience for both of you.

We suggest laser tag because it can be done in pairs and it is completely painless. Displaying your competitive streak can be a good bonding experience. What’s more, laser tag beats your regular, boring, dinner date. If you’re not afraid to introduce your date to your friends, then you can up the stakes and go paintballing instead.

Dating is all about having fun, right?

So, head down to your local comedy club. There’ll be one in your local town, or your student union may even hold a comedy night which would be super cheap. You may discover a great comedy act you both love, and can keep going back for more.

Who says that a date has to be in the evening? Mix it up a little by taking that special someone on a breakfast date. Our top tip would be to make it a little classier than your local greasy spoon; there are loads of places that do a decent brekky, and won’t be full of builders.

A band night isn’t the most intimate, getting to know each other, kind of date, but it might work for you. If there’s a band playing locally that you both like then great. If there’s not a band you both like, get hold of the local band listing and pick a random band. Go see them, they might end up being really good. If not then it’ll be a funny experience which you can leave early and grab a drink together instead.

Why not invite that special someone round to yours?

Preferably when your mates are out so they can’t tell them all the embarrassing things you’ve done recently. You could really impress them with your cooking skills or why not make some food together?

Eating out can get expensive, so this is a romantic way to save some money.

After a long hard day studying and fighting the urge to check Facebook, cooking can feel like the very last thing you want to do. But rustling up a decent meal needn’t be a chore, and these useful tips will convince even the laziest of cooks, just how enjoyable and easy it can be! So go grab an apron, even throw on a chef’s hat if it helps, and meet us in the kitchen for some culinary inspiration…

Grab a mate

All these buy one get one free offers are ideal for shopping with a friend, and cooking together works out a lot cheaper. An extra pair of hands also makes washing up a lot faster!

TV knows best

Let your competitive side come out to play by hosting a ‘Come Dine With Me’ inspired event. Get a few of your mates involved and take it in turns to host dinner each night of the week and to score each other (try to keep the catty remarks to a minimum). The fear of coming last will motivate you to pull out all your best moves and serve food that you’ve only ever dreamed was possible!

Buy a gadget

Splash your cash and buy a cool new cooking gadget that will help to take the burden out of cooking. It’s clever to invest in a slow cooker, so that you can arrive home to the delicious aroma of a wholesome meal.

Alfresco food

Make the most of the sunshine (if it ever makes an appearance) and have a picnic at your local park or buy a disposable BBQ. Good food plus bathing in the sun is always a winning combination!

G.Y.O

Adorn your kitchen window sill with an array of potted vegetables, add some water and watch them grow! You’ll feel so proud munching on your very own home-grown goods whilst getting your 5 a day.

Alternatively achieve that warm, feel-good feeling through supporting your local greengrocers.

Explore the world

You don’t have enough lifetimes to see every single country, but you can delude yourself that you are abroad by making delicious, exotic dishes. Visit Italy by cooking a creamy carbonara, or jet off to Jamaica with your spicy jambalaya dish mmm…

Add some spice!

Even the most boring of dishes can be jazzed up by throwing in a few spices or adding a scrummy sauce. Try adding cajun pepper and a sprinkle of chilli powder to your home made chips to give them a bit of a kick!

Get your bake on!

If you need to cheer up your heart broken housemate or butter up your tutor, then the old technique of giving them baked goods never fails to work! Alternatively bake with your friends and hold a bake sale at your university to help raise money for a charity.

Fakeaway

Try as you might, sometimes the temptation for a cheeky pizza or that naughty chow mein is just too much to resist! But why not save some money and make your own version instead?!

Your bank card and waistline will love you for it.

Braised Chicken The mulled wine avours the chicken is cooked in are delicious!

Best served with a creamy leek mashed potato or baked potato accompanied with seasonal vegetables or braised red cabbage.

Ingredients Serves 6 75cl bottle red wine 1 mulled wine spice bag (or use 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 4 coriander seeds, a little nutmeg and 2 all spice wrapped in a muslin bag) 2 washed and scrubbed Satsumas studded with 4 cloves each 2 tbsp da dark muscavado sugar Salt and ground black pepper 12 chicken thighs or legs 1 tbsp oil 1 onion, peeled and nely chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and nely chopped 1 1/2 tbsp plain our d 100g dried cranberries 300ml chicken stock Instructions 1. Put the wine, mulled wine spice bag, Satsumas and sugar in a pan.

Bring to the boil and bubble until the mixture has reduced, about 10 -15 minutes. Add the Satsuma studded with cloves.

2. Season the chicken skin and in a large pan, heat the oil and fry the chicken pieces until golden. Add the onions, garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add the our and cook, stirring, for 1 min before adding the wine and stock. Bring the mixture to the boil, then cover and cook at 200째C/400째F/Gas mark 6 for about 1 hour, the sauce should be the consistency of gravy.

4. Uncover the casserole, stir in the cranberries and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove the Satsuma and put into the compost bin. Serve the casserole immediately.

Le Pudding

By Richard Bertinet, Bath We used to make this in the bakery when I was an apprentice, using all the leftover bits of bread, cake, croissant, pain aux raisins and pain au chocolat. I suppose it's the French version of bread and butter pudding, but more dense and very moreish. You need a good mix of leftover bread and patisserie. Leave to cool and eat as a snack or serve as a pudding with this Christmassy sticky toee sauce.

Ingredients Serves 6 About 500g leftover bread, croissants, etc 300g ready made custard 200g sultanas 4-5 tablespoons rum But Butter for greasing For the sauce: 125g butter 50g dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons cream or crème fraiche 50g sliced orange segments or sliced kumquats Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2. Put all the stale bread etc into a food processor with a paddle or whisk attachment and switch on to a slow speed until crumbed but still quite rough. Crumble by hand if you do not have a food processor.

3. Transfer to a bowl and add the custard, sultanas and rum and mix to a creamy stodge. Line a deep tray with lightly buttered baking paper and pile in the mixture, but don't smooth it too much on top, since you want it to be nice and crisp, with uneven peaks.

4. Bake for 35-45 minutes until crisp and golden on top. Cut into chunks and make the sauce.

5. For the sauce - put the butter in a small pan and melt over a low heat.

Add the sugar, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Stir in the cream and add the sliced orange segments or sliced kumquats.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with

If you ask any Drum N Bass fan to name their favourite DJ, it’s most likely to be this guy. The Ram Records front-man, legendary Drum N Bass DJ and producer Andy C has been writing music for most of his life. His ‘All Night’ event sold out at Brixton Academy, his most recent smash hit ‘Heartbeat Loud’ is getting played worldwide, and he’s soon to embark on a UK tour. We were very privileged to distract him from the studio for 10 minutes to talk about his career to date and what to expect from him next.

Hi Andy, how are you, I hear you pulled an all nighter in the studio last night? Yeah, I was in the studio until about 9am this morning, so I’m just waiting for the coffee to kick in and then I’m gonna be up and rolling for the day again!

What were you working on in the studio last night? Just working on the next tune. Working on a bunch of stuff really, I’ve got like half a dozen things going on at the moment, and I’m nearly getting there with this one.

I can’t get it out of my head, so I’m gonna have to go in there in a minute, coz when I’m in the mood, I’m in the mood.

So we’re right in the middle of the process! Is this leading onto an album, what’s the scenario? Yeah, I’m working on a load of tunes and it’s all about getting a big project of music together. I’m feeling really inspired at the moment and I’m enjoying the

vibe. I’m having fun so I’m gonna see where it leads to be honest with you. I’ve written music pretty much all of my life. I was producing before I DJ’d. It’s just a beautiful therapy and process.

Do you find yourself in the studio more in the winter months because there are fewer festivals, or does this make little difference because you play around the world? No I have my laptop with me all the time on the road, so I’m able to work on stuff. I find that the festival season takes over your life. It’s hard to find focus and get ideas down in the summer. There’s a number of reasons for that; it’s festival season, you’re flying around or you’re on the road all the time and it’s warm and sunny outside. So the winter months are definitely conducive to producing.

I made a conscious effort come the end of the festival season (my last festival was actually Bestival in

September) to take some time out.

I took 3 weeks out, got in the studio pretty much every day and wrote.

What that’s served to do is basically get so many ideas on the go, that now it’s continued and I’m in there every day.

Weren’t you the first DnB DJ to play on the Bestival main stage? I’m not sure on the facts and figures of it, but I’ll take that if you’ll give it to me!?

Ha-ha – Yes of course. So where’s the most bizarre place that you have played? There’s been a few.

In a cave in Puerto Rico – That was pretty out there! It’s funny because someone just tweeted me literally 2 minutes ago, “when are you coming back to Puerto Rico?” When I first went there I was blown away by how BIG Drum N Bass is.

You can’t believe it. You’ve got this beautiful Caribbean

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Pioneering DJs like yourself are driving the music forward, but who inspires you? Everybody inspires me. I know that sounds cliché but I’m blessed with RAM Records. I’ve got an incredible team behind the scenes and we’ve got a roster of amazing acts. As I’ve been sitting here now, literally as the phone was ringing I’ve had a brand new smasher come in from Calyx that they have just been making this week. I’m just downloading it now. When I woke up I had a new tune from DC Breaks in my inbox.

My Vortex sent me a folder of tunes the other day. My crew inspire me.

We all inspire each other. It’s Friday and I basically have got 8 new tunes in my inbox from my artists today.

You’ve been in the industry for 20 That’s gonna be my inspiration for the years or more. It must feel incred- weekend. ible to be playing year on year to new fans. How do you continue to How much involvement do you keep it fresh? Steady on old bean have nowadays with RAM Records?

I’m only 24! Ha-ha I’m only joking. The You’re so busy (you founded the music keeps it fresh, the audience label, you’ve got your nights and keeps it fresh. DJing to lots of people travelling all over the place). How when they are having fun is not a do you juggle your workload? Like tough ask. It’s a dream job isn’t it? It I say, I’m blessed to have a fantastic all serves. It keeps itself fresh, doesn’t crew in the office. We’ve got 8 fulltime it, do you know what I mean? And staff that take care of it on a day to day thereon in comes the inspiration. basis. But my involvement permeates Like… I love the music, I love making everything I do. From the RAM nights music, the buzz when you’re DJing that we hold to the 8 new tunes in at a festival or a club, no matter how my inbox that I’ve got to listen to and big the audience is, when you’re then give feedback on. Ultimately the connected with an audience, there’s artists are looking for me to provide nothing better. That is the natural A&R guidance. To deciding stuff, the high of natural highs. Whether it’s look, the feel. It’s a massive part but 200 people, 2,000 people or 20,000 we all play a massive role together so people. That connection with people the workload is shared out. It’s always is the best. Who hasn’t been to an going to be a part of my life. after party and not wanted to play all of their mates their favourite tunes? Who’s hot on the scene right now?

This is a difficult question to answer, That’s what DJing is ultimately. island that looks like paradise. When I first went there, which was quite some years ago, people were going crazy for Drum N Bass. I mean there’s always small pockets of Drum N Bass but when I got there it was on the radio, there was a huge club scene, people were going crazy. You get there and people are name checking all the tunes you’ve done, all the RAM releases, so yeah I got there and did that and it turned out the party was a rave in a cave! I can’t remember if it was on a mountain side or near the beach coz I’ve played a few mad places there. But yeah, it was one of them “is this really happening” kind of moments, without a doubt.

but I’m going to say that I’m very excited by the new Rene LaVice LP. DC Breaks has got an incredible project that’s gonna be coming through. And at the same time, brand new signing Bensley – we’re all really excited about him. No one has ever heard any of his music, so we’re forming it now. Like I say Calyx has just sent me this most ridiculous banger that’s just gonna smash it at the club tonight! It changes on a daily basis.

You have stayed true to your turntable roots and use Traktor. Do you think it’s important as one of the original pioneering underground DJs, to continue using turntables as a part of the process for you? It’s an important part of the process for me on a personal level, but I don’t do it because I feel that I’ve got to represent some sort of mentality.

I do it because that is my mentality. I’ve always used turntables. I love the physicality of it. I just love DJing. I know that sounds cheesy but you’ve gotta enjoy what you’re doing right? Especially if you’re flying around the world. If you’re getting on a flight for 10-12 hours, when I get there, I wanna put a shift in, do my work. I vibe off that – working up a sweat, running between the decks. Everything is not perfect that’s for sure, and that in itself makes every performance unique and keeps you on your toes. It adds to the whole experience and excitement of it all. For me that’s why it works. It keeps the buzz going. I just love putting the needle to the record and mixing 3 records together.

Aside from your work, do you ever just invite mates over to have a beer and a mix? I used to, without a doubt. I used to go and cut dub plates, and we used to sit there all night. I used to come back

T p 3 Tunes Rene LaVice – The Calling Frankee – Drop It Low Heartbeat Loud – Andy C & Fiora

from the cutting house and freak out about all the new tunes I had, and have good mix-ups that’s for sure.

What’s your setup like? I’ve got my music making side of it and I’ve also got my 3 turntables setup and mixing part. When I did the Brixton Academy show a couple of weeks ago, I was basically in there and did 3 6 hour sets in a row getting used to the tunes. Just like always, I can go and lock myself in the studio and roll out a set for hours and hours.

If you’re gonna stand up all night in front of 5,000 people at Brixton Academy and play, you’ve gotta put a bit of prep work into it.

Have you still got your original vinyl? Yeah I’ve got thousands in storage actually. It’s the classic “I’ll do that next week”. I’ve got all of my dub plates that I ever cut at my house though, and they will never leave the house. I’ve got all of my treasured tracks that have always been in my record boxes throughout the years at home as well - they’re in a right old state. It’s mad when you’re out DJing at the time and you get the vinyl out, records will get scratched, sleeves will get ruined and you write on them. Then years later you look at some absolute classic tunes and they’re just demolished. But yeah they’re all still here.

How do you think Drum N Bass will develop in the future? I don’t know and that’s what’s exciting. I know that the maturity of the song writing is always getting better. I think 2015 is going to be an incredible year. In fact I know it is! I know what we’ve got lined up. We do a number of things with different artists, festivals and so on. I think 2015 is going to be the biggest year yet, when you consider the success we had last year, the huge hits that people have been having, the ground swell of the underground scene, the fact that I can sell out Brixton Academy. It feels like there’s a real beautiful wave of positivity and excitement building about it and it’s great to be a part of that.

Do you have any specific goals for 2015? I wanna get more music written. I’m touring in the spring and I’m taking the All Night show on tour. We’re gonna start in the spring with some UK dates so that’s gonna be exciting to be able to go around the country playing all night. From the start of the night, to the finish of the night, which will be something I’ve not done before. So that’s a buzz. And obviously getting more and more music out there. Finding more hours in the day, there you go, there’s my goal for 2015!

sub Covers PLAY

Daft Punk Feat. Pharrell Williams Get Lucky (Tini Cover)

PLAY

John Lennon - Imagine (Riley Biederer Cover)

PLAY

Sam Smith - I’m Not The Only One (Eliza And The Bear Cover)

PLAY

Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (Anna Chase Cover)

Nominated as ‘Newcomer Of The Year’ in her native Norway and also supporting James Blunt means that Tini is well on her way to stardom. Tini’s soft vocals really give her cover of ‘Get Lucky’ a chilled sound that we could listen to over and over again.

At eighteen Riley is singing and writing songs all over the US, from Atlanta to New York with a bit of LA in between.

Her cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ has been given a modern vibe for SPG TV, it’s the second performance she has done for us and we’re hoping to see more of her.

Eliza And The Bear are a London based band who have shot to fame after supporting the likes of Twin Atlantic and Paramore. Here they perform an acoustic cover of Sam Smith’s ‘I’m Not The Only One’ putting their own indie twist on it.

King of Pop, Michael Jackson will always be a huge part of the music industry. This cover by Anna Chase was so refreshing to see a classic tune given the acoustic vibe, in a way that we definitely haven’t heard before.

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London Grammar - Strong (Domenica Cover)

All the way from Australia is Domenica, a young singer whose soulful voice is able to pull off an amazing cover of London Grammar’s ‘Strong’. We guarantee to be seeing a lot more of this girl and we’re sure big opportunities will be coming her way.

PLAY

One to watch !

Bring Me The Horizon - Drown (Cover by Fast Forward Music)

Fast Forward Music already have an amazing following on YouTube, thanks to their unique covers using ‘weird instruments’ (their words not ours). They don’t tie themselves down with one genre but their punk/ rock roots always shine through one way or another.

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Adam French

21 year old Adam is a singer songwriter whose track ‘Ivory’ debuted on Radio 1 back in November. Describing himself as a ‘multi-instrumentalist’ he plays guitar, piano, bass and drums. Having played a handful of gigs in the summer of 2014 he has built up a loyal fan base and caught the eye of some very influential people in the music industry.

Angus and Julia Stone

Having had a break from each other for a few years, brother and sister duo Angus and Julia Stone are back. They have released their latest album, which is their third altogether, and it has already reached the top ten in France, New Zealand and their home country Australia. Their latest album came together with producer Rick Rubin, who has produced tracks for Jay-Z and Ed Sheeran. They describe their sound as Folk-Blues, and when you listen to them, there’s a certain energy you can take from their chilled out tunes.

Indiana

Indiana’s debut album ‘No Romeo’ has Pop/ Dance sounds that you can instantly compare to Robyn or La Roux. At 27 Indiana is a little older than most chart new comers out there, but that has not stopped her. Indiana covered Mr Probz ‘Waves’ on Radio 1’s Live Lounge, putting her own soothing take on it and now she is taking the industry by storm. Her usual tracks have noticeably gloomy lyrics, her song ‘Heart On Fire’ says that ‘The first fall is the deepest... and now I fall to pieces’, but this is actually a breath of fresh air when you look at all the happy Pop tunes that are currently in the charts.

Jungle

Jungle’s track ‘Busy Earnin’ is one you’ll probably be familiar with from 2014, as it was featured on the advert for the new Amazon Fire Phone. Its catchy rhythm is one you instantly want to download and dance to. Their sound is definitely NOT Jungle though, and can only be described as ‘Groove’, the vocals are soft but they make you feel good. You can tell they have Soul influences that have been made really modern. Jungle are a duo made up of childhood friends who will only be known as ‘J’ and ‘T’, their album ‘Jungle’ is out now!

Laurel

With an air of Lana Del Rey about her, Laurel has astonishingly dramatic vocals that bring her songs to life. Determined to be like her idol Laura Marling, she bought a guitar and taught herself how to play.

Having posted a song online, she soon secured a deal with the same management company as Ellie Goulding and was flown to LA to commence writing.

Prides

Synthpop band Prides are definitely ones to watch in 2015. Having played the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, they are slowly being put on the music map. Songs ‘Out Of The Blue’ and ‘Messiah’ are extremely euphoric; they give you that upbeat feeling that make you just want to listen to them over and over again.

Royal Blood

Having supported Arctic Monkeys in 2014, Royal Blood have gone on to be named one of the BBC’s Sounds of 2014. They got unprecedented exposure when Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders wore their band tee whilst headlining Glastonbury. One of the heavier acts featured on this list of acts to watch, they are channelling influences from The Black Keys and Muse.

Young Fathers

Although they have won a Mercury Prize, not many people have heard of this Edinburgh trio. Young Fathers are a mix of Hip-Hop, Electronic and whatever else takes their fancy.

They have said they don’t want to be tied down by a specific genre and want to make music that they really love. Their sound is truly unique, drawing on the many influences from their Scottish and African heritage. Their winning album ‘Dead’ sold just over 2000 copies (not a huge amount) but they are in the studio working on their second album, which again is sure to impress.

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IEW EXCLUSIVE INTERV

At the tender age of 22, Sam Smith has already collected a Brit award, won four prizes at the Mobo’s, and more recently racked up a stellar six Grammy Nominations including ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Album of The Year’. Sam’s debut album ‘In The Lonely Hour’ sold over 1 million copies both here in the UK, and over in the US, making him the only artist in 2014 to sell that many records in both countries! His stunning vocals have earnt him three singles to reach number one in the UK charts. Easily one of the fastest growing talents, Sam Smith talked to SPG just before Christmas about his monumental journey so far, how his life has changed and what to expect from his next album.

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Hi Sam, where are you now and what are you up to? I’m back in London and am just about to shoot the video for my next single ‘Lay Me Down’. It’s been an incredible year and I can’t wait for what’s to come in 2015.

Congratulations on your staggering six Grammy nominations!

Obviously we are rooting for you to win all six, but if you could dust off a space on your mantelpiece for only one, which one would it be?

Thank you, being nominated for six Grammys was such a moment. I think if I had to choose one Grammy to win it would be New Artist as you can only win that once.

‘In The Lonely Hour’, has been nominated for ‘Album of The Year’.

It reached number one in the UK and number two in the US, which was the highest ever entry for a British singer’s debut album! Did this come as a surprise or was it your aim to crack America so soon?

No it came as a complete surprise, the US was always a bonus and it always amazes me how fast it has all happened here and over there.

British artists are doing really well in America lately, why do you think that is? I think it’s because British artists are making true honest raw music. The production of artists like me or Ed Sheeran isn’t perfected, it’s raw and in the moment which is why I think people like it over there.

Being famous seems to come with a certain intrusion into your personal life. Do you think that writing such a personal album kept some of that at bay because you had already opened yourself up about everything? One hundred percent people are very respectful of my personal life and time because I gave so much to my music, which was always my aim. Instead of being secretive I was very honest and people can’t criticise you for being honest.

You aren’t shy about expressing that part of the album was about your heartbreak. Did the album give you closure on that part of your love life? I think it did give me closure on that time in my life. I didn’t think it would but it did.

Your album has got tracks which all have different sounds, so although people might say you are more of a soul singer, songs like Money On My Mind are more upbeat and pop.

Was it an intentional thing to mix it up a bit so that the sound can’t be pin pointed? Yes I want to be a genre-less artist and not limited by sounds. I want my voice and lyrics to be the sound and give me freedom to do what I want in the future.

You are often named as the male Adele, and we’ve heard rumours that you could be following in her shoes by providing the title song for the new James Bond film,

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Spectre. Are you able to tell us any more about it? No you know as much as I do but I’m a big fan of the Bond films so it would be exciting if it happened.

can we expect from it? I’ve already started writing the new album, and I plan to be more honest than I am on the first. Maybe I need to bring out a happier record next!

You’re featured on the latest Band Aid single, how did you get asked to be a part of it? Did Bob Geldof personally give you a call? Yes he was very pleasant and lovely. The whole experience was very calm, I thought there would be lots of egos in the room but it wasn’t like that at all.

You’re monumental rise to fame has been fascinating to watch, how has your life changed over the last 24 months? Absolutely everything has changed. The only thing that has stayed the same is my family and my best friends which I cherish.

Did you know which part of the track you were going to be singing?

Were you at all tempted to nick Bono’s iconic line from him? No I sang the whole song like everyone else and I was really happy with the section they gave me.

‘Do You Know It’s Christmas’ is one of those iconic Christmas songs, are you a Christmas person or a bit of a scrooge? I like Christmas especially now as I don’t get to see my family as much. Last year I went all out and bought them some amazing presents, this year I am making them something too so I hope they like it as much!

Jokes aside, have you got your ideas for the next album? What

Being a student magazine we do have to ask, was university ever on the cards for you? What do you think you would have liked to have studied if you did go to uni? I always knew I wanted to be a singer so I didn’t think about university but I think you should go if you’re really dedicated and passionate about something you want to learn more about. And if you want to party.

Please can you finish this sentence: This time next year I will… Party hard! I’m really excited about 2015.

It’s been a whirlwind this year but I wouldn’t change a minute of it, it’s been incredible.

Can you give us an exclusive piece of information at all? I don’t like flying! Which is a downside of the job!

CAPITAL’S PRESENTER

ANT PAYNE

PLAYS THE BIGGEST TUNES FROM THE WORLD OF HIT MUSIC

1

HERE ARE HIS TOP TIPS ON SURVIVING UNIVERSITY: Don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s not that easy!

You’re at uni to work, and at times it’ll become a bit of a chore and might mess with your head a bit. Don’t beat yourself up over not understanding a particular subject. Just make sure you’re cool with the basics, you can revisit the tougher topics later.

3

2

Be realistic about long distance relationships.

If you already have a boyfriend/girlfriend before you head off to uni, you know that conversation is going to happen, and if they aren’t going to the same uni as you it will be difficult. Long distance relationships can work, but they require a crazy amount of work and trust.

Be sure you can offer this.

Don’t throw all your money away at once. When your loan comes through, don’t go nuts and blow it all in two weeks, whether it be on ASOS or a trip to the pub. It’s easily done but best avoided.

“

WASH YOUR CLOTHES. VERY IMPORTANT!

“

4

5

Completely disregarding the point before, make sure you snap up the best deals at all the local pubs and bars. Most will welcome students with open arms, so take advantage of it!

Learn to cook! There are only so many times you can impress your flatmates with a Spaghetti Bolognese before you all get bored of it.

6

Work out. Your mind will thank you for it when you’re alert and information is actually sinking in! Plus you’ll look hot of course.

7

Flex your student discount. The big shops all want you in there.

So many places will give you money off even if they don’t advertise it everywhere. Just ask in the shop to find out.

8

Love live music. If you have some free evenings, then make the most of seeing live music, there’s always something on offer.

9

Don’t give priority to your part time job. Money is nice, but not if you’re working 30 hours a week to earn it, and are then too tired to go to your lectures.

As much as 10 Network.

I hate that word, it’s

important. Build contacts and get to know people who might be able to help you in your career. Just don’t go calling them at 3am. That’s not ok.

11

Do what you love. Run, yoga, Playstation, tinder.

Don’t become a hermit and let your uni routine control everything about you.

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LEARN TO COOK! THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY TIMES YOU CAN IMPRESS YOUR FLATMATES WITH A SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE BEFORE YOU ALL GET BORED OF IT

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your clothes.

12 Wash Very important.

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Get used to early mornings. You can’t avoid the horrific 9am lectures forever. Wake up and get the latest tunes and biggest celebrity interviews on your local Capital Breakfast show each weekday morning from 6am. And make sure you play it really loud to wake your housemates up too of course!

Google your 14 Don’t symptoms when you’re

sick. It’ll only tell you the worst. Go to a GP. Or call the NHS. Or your mum.

But not Google. It’ll just frighten you.

TUNE IN TO ANT PAYNE ON CAPITAL WEEKDAYS FROM 4 - 6AM, AND SATURDAYS 12 –4PM

k o o l o t s Movie d to in forwar Pitch Perfect 2

Pitch Perfect was a film that made acapella cool, it was a box office smash hit and the soundtrack “Cups” reached the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The second film does not look like it will disappoint with original cast members Anna Kendrick (Becca) and Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy) set to return.

Director, Elizabeth Banks has been extremely hush-hush in regards to the plot line. We only know that the Barden Bella’s are now graduating seniors and the film will follow them as they juggle university, relationships and of course singing championships.

The music will again be a huge part of the movie with appearances from real life infamous groups Pentatonix, The Filharmonic and Penn Masala. In keeping with the contemporary feel of the movies we’re sure there are going to be some amazing renditions of current chart hits as well as some old school tracks.

2015

Entourage

Entourage, the film, is a continuation of the HBO TV series of the same name. The show follows Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier) who is an A list film star and his group of childhood friends as they navigate their lives in LA. Inspiration for the show and the film came from the producer’s (Mark Wahlberg) very own early experiences in LA. The only indication of the plot that Wahlberg has given is that he wanted to get the guys back together for the movie, as at the end of the series they had formed relationships with very strong female characters. The film is rumoured to have endless amounts of cameos. Faces that you are sure to recognise are Liam Neeson, Piers Morgan and Thierry Henry.

The Avengers - Age of Ultron

Our favourite Marvel characters are once again thrown together in a movie epic.

The existence of the human race is put into jeopardy and the Avengers need to work together as a team to save the world. This is a lot easier said than done when tensions are high within the team. Director Joss Whedon has hinted that this Avengers film will be darker than the first. He has said “There is a sci-fi element that’s a little bit stronger that the previous film”.

Marvel have announced that they will be releasing a huge amount of films up until 2019; there will be a mix of sequels and also original films introducing Marvel characters that have not yet made their big screen debut.

Taken 3

The trailer for Taken 3 was released earlier in 2014 and had everyone in anticipation for the film. You see Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) framed for his wife’s murder and use his “special set of skills” to escape the CIA, FBI and the police.

A lot of people have felt that the trailer gave away more than it really needed to but we’re definitely going to be heading to the cinema to see what other surprises are in store for Brian.

We’re surprised the movie franchise got to a third film and Liam Neeson has now said that Taken 3 has got to be the last. How many more times are things going to happen where he needs to use his “special skills”?

Focus

The directors of Crazy, Stupid, Love have enlisted Will Smith (playing Nicky) and Margot Robbie (who plays Jess Barrett) for their latest film, Focus. It is a mix of comedy, romance and criminal con men which is due to be released in February. The film sees Will Smith play con man, Nicky, who teaches his intern Jess the tricks of the trade. She soon realises she can make a name for herself on her own and re-emerges as a competitor con artist.

The film has been a few years in the making due to lots of casting changes; Kirsten Stewart was originally cast as Jess but was later dropped due to the age difference between her and Will Smith. We think Margot Robbie definitely suits the role of Jess; her acting has that seductive edge which she perfectly demonstrated in her breakout role in The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Sorting out where to live next year?

You’ll have to WORRY about BILLS and INSURANCE,

SETTING UP an internet account and

KEEPING mum and dad HAPPY...

Oh wait. No you won’t...

BOOK NOW for September 2015

AWARD

WINNING

Student Accommodation

Visit our website www.thestudenthousingcompany.com

THE BENEFITS OF

HOUSE SHARING

Every year there’s the same old debate: Do you live in halls or rent a private house with your mates? If you’re really unsure, we’ve come up with some reasons why a rented student house may be the best option...

It’s quieter: As you usually move into a private rented house in your second year, you will actually appreciate a bit of peace and quiet. You’ll need to get your head down and study and you don’t want loads of interruptions from the other people on your floor.

You can choose who you live with: If you’ve previously lived in halls, chances are you didn’t know anyone when you turned up. Now you’ve made friends and can have the option to live with them. Being able to choose to live with all girls or all boys is a bonus too, as you’ll usually have similar cleanliness standards.

You’ll have more space: You’ll be sharing a kitchen/living room but you can actually sit in it and chill out. It will feel more sociable than sitting in your own room watching TV by yourself. A rented house often feels more like you’re back in your parent’s house, it’s not as clinical as halls, and there are lots of ways you can spruce up the decor.

There will be more privacy: No more random knocks on your door at 3am after everyone has got back from their night out. As there’s less of you living together, there’s a natural understanding not to harass your housemates all the time.

You can save a lot of money: If you’re all organised, there’s a good chance you can get together and buy items in bulk. This is much easier to do in a shared house where there might only be four of you, rather than trying to sort it out between everyone on your floor in halls.

You’re even more independent: There’s no security pass or code to get into a shared house normally, well maybe if there’s a burglar alarm, but you know what we mean. You also don’t have to sign people in/ out when they come over from elsewhere and you don’t have to keep popping to reception to collect your mail!

You get to choose the location: When you are searching for a privately rented house, you can choose the location. When you live in halls you don’t get the option to shop around for what’s best for you.

Maybe you don’t have that many classes, so you don’t mind being in a quieter part of town even if it means your journey takes a few minutes longer on a bus? Or you might feel that you prefer to be even closer to the buzz of the town. With private accommodation, it is completely up to you (and your house mates).

>>

KEEP CALM AND SUBSCRIBE EXCLUSIVE LOCAL DISCOUNTS / LOCAL DEALS FREE STUFF / COMPETITIONS & MORE

SPRING CLEAN FOR

CASH

=

It’s always nice to make a bit of extra cash on the side, and what better way to do it than selling some of your stuff? Uni rooms are small enough as it is without trying to t in your clothes, DVDs and the kitchen sink! Why not restore some tranquillity in your life and get rid of the things that you don’t need. Selling your stuff is great for two reasons, 1. You make some cash 2. You are recycling rather than just dumping things in a landdll. Not sure what to get rid of? We’ve come th up with three main categories that you can think about selling:

UNIVERSITY tEXTBOOKS These books were expensive when you rst bought them and it would be a shame to see them dumped in a charity shop where it’s unlikely anyone will ever need them. Our top tip is to make sure you don’t actually need these before you sell them! If you do a quick web search for “sell university books online” there are some really good websites that can help you out. On some sites you can sell instantly, just scan the barcode of the book, post it for free and receive your money via PayPal or cheque. On other sites you may have to hold re for a buyer to come along, but the wait may be worth it as you’ll more likely get the price you really want.

CLOTHES Boys and girls, dig out those old threads, start photographing them and making some money. Probably the most well known website to sell clothes on is eBay. To save extra cash, list items when there’s a “£0 insertion fee” promotion on, this means you don’t have to pay to sell your clothes online. You’re meant to be making money after all!

If you want an even quicker way to sell your clothes, download Depop from the App Store. All you have to do is snap a photo on your phone, add some key words and attach a price. It is quite common on Depop for users to negotiate a price, but remember earning cash is better than that hoody sitting in the cupboard, taking up space. Depop is not the only app out there to sell your clothes through, but it is one of the more popular, therefore more potential buyers.

Another site to keep in mind when selling clothes would be ASOS Marketplace, although this site requires you to take photos of your clothes on a model. This can be a bit of a hassle, but if you have the time it is well worth it.

CDs /DVDs /Games We’re not too sure if anyone even has CDs anymore, let a alone a CD player to play them on, but there are sites that will buy them for recycling purposes. Again, a quick Google search of “sell CDs online” will bring up a whole host of results to help you out. For DVDs and games, we suggest Amazon, you might get a higher price for more recent DVDs or games, compared to some of the really old ones you forgot about.

Hopefully we’ve helped you out and have given you some helpful hints to get that cash in your back pocket!

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An Introduction To

University Essays Written by Jack Shannon

OK, so you’ve finally done it. A-levels are a thing of the past, you’ve said goodbye to Mum and Dad, partied your way through Fresher’s week, and now you’re sitting in a lecture theatre while some bloke with a beard is talking about some massive thing called an essay.

Never fear! SPG is here! We can’t write your essay for you, but we can tell you the best ways to get ahead and get up-to-speed with writing an undergraduate standard essay.

1) Get hold of your department’s study guide. Read it.

Your department (or school) will have a Study Guide or Handbook.

Get hold of this and read it! You can’t play the game until you know the rules. It will tell you in (hopefully) nice simple language.

There is some massively important stuff contained in this document.

Info like where to actually submit your work, who to speak to when you need an extension, and what referencing system is being used.

2) No-one cares what you think. Get used to it.

Do you have an opinion? Of course you do. You know that Matt Cardle is the shiz, and that having to eat nothing but Super Noodles and spend the rest of your life in debt sucks.

Except you don’t. Not as an undergraduate. For all the cuddly, fluffy, hippy stuff in the university prospectus, no-one cares what you think.

However, they do care what you think about what other people think.

The point of an undergraduate degree isn’t to develop your own, brand new ideas. Rather, it is to give you a solid and in depth knowledge of your chosen field. Your own ideas come later on at MA and PHD level. Right now, what your lecturers are looking for is that you understand what’s on the course and the ideas being presented to you.

By critiquing, analysing and examining the ideas of those who have gone before you, you can show them that you know what you are talking about and deserve a higher mark. At this stage, no-one expects you to come up with ground-breaking new ideas all on your own.

3) Referencing: Learn it, use it, and love it.

Referencing is where you say where you got your information from. If you want to make a point, you have to have something to back it up with. For example, if you want to say in your essay that “One Direction causes 65% of global warming,” you need to be able to point to a reliable source that backs up this information. Either by quoting them directly, or by referencing a part of the book/article/ website where the author makes that argument.

Most universities use the Harvard Referencing system as it is the easiest to use and understand, so consequently it is the one most often used in journals (basically smart people’s magazines) and essays.

Leeds University have a great guide to Harvard Referencing here: www.library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-referencing-harvard 4) Choose the right question.

Normally you will be given a choice of several questions to pick from.

Don’t pick the easy one; pick the one you have the most ace things to talk about.

This is for two reasons: i) all of the lazy people on the course will pick the easy title. Be brave and stand out. ii) Easier questions tend to have less room for analysis - which brings me on to our next point: 5) Plan your essays to have a bucket load of analysis.

In all essays, you will need to spend a VERY brief time explaining the background to the topic. Think of this as a plate for a meal. No-one cares what the plate looks like; it’s what’s on it that counts. But if you don’t have the plate, then everyone is going to get a scolded lap full of roast dinner. Delicious, delicious roast dinner. I shouldn’t be writing this while hungry...

6) Knowledge comes before conclusions.

Read around - find out about the topic and what the conclusions are, rather than doing it the other way around; reaching a conclusion, and then quote mining books to find something that supports your ideas!

If you do it the right way round, you will look like a super-smooth academic sex machine that is aware of the issues at hand and is coming to a logical conclusion. If you do it the wrong way round, you will come across as a desperate first year who doesn’t really know what they are doing.

But how do you actually WRITE the flipping thing??!? Watch out in the next issue for part two: How to Write a University Essay.

You can now get tested for STIs without visiting a clinic

We know that Christmas has been and gone, we also know that you don’t always get what you’ve asked for, no matter how good you were. There are some essential items that every student needs in their lives, and we’ve been searching high and low to find 2015’s

TOP 10 PRODUCTS

1

Smartphone Projector (£15.99, Firebox.com) The days of huddling around a small Smartphone screen to watch your favourite YouTube videos are over. Now you can project them onto a wall with this retro looking projector, and because it’s made entirely of rigid cardboard it is light and easy to carry around.

2 3 4 5

Pizza Cooker (£40, Gadgetsuk.com) Pizza, the staple food source of students everywhere, and one that you want cooked correctly. This pizza cooker is an essential appliance that should have a place in every student’s kitchen. The rotating plate ensures an even, crisp finish every time.

Bellissimo!

Multi Tool Pen (£9.99, Menkind) This ball point pen disguises 12 different tools, secret agent style. It includes a hole puncher, tweezers and different screwdriver heads, so you’ll be prepared for any eventuality.

Instagram Coasters (£15, Instajunction) Make sure you get your house deposit back and to do this, please use coasters. Most landlords do not like sticky drink stains over their surfaces!

Now coasters don’t have to be boring, as you can print your favourite Instagram photo memories onto them.

Travel Cup (£8, Urban Outfitters) Was your New Year’s resolution to save some money? Then stop popping to that coffee shop on your way to uni!

Get yourself a cool travel mug like this one from Urban Outfitters and make your coffee at home. It’s easy to carry and will keep that hot beverage hot all the way to lectures.

>>

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Spider Catcher (£10, Hawkins Bazaar) Not all of us are lucky to live with someone who actually likes to catch eight legged creepy crawlies, until now! This Spider Catcher from Hawkins Bazaar does the hard work for you. Please note we are talking about CATCHING the spiders, not KILLING them! The SPG does not condone animal cruelty.

2015 Diary (£9, Paperchase) Get organised with this funky diary from Paperchase. Having a whole page to a day means there is lots of room for notes and reminders. The quirky design means you’ll always be able to find it in your bag, so no excuses.

Storage Boxes (from £4, IKEA) Storage boxes are a great product to spruce up your university room. As you can’t decorate the room yourself, buying some funky boxes means you can put your own stamp on the room.

They are also very handy to chuck everything in last minute when your parents pay an unexpected visit.

10

Hangit Photo Display (ÂŁ19.95, Prezzybox.com) Printing your photos is a bit of a novelty nowadays when everything is stored on your phone or computer. Printed photos are great keep sakes and now you can hang them with this Hangit Photo Display. It is able to be hung vertically or horizontally and the wooden sides mean it would be easy to customise to your taste.

SU B TO SC SP RIB G E

9

Bar Games Beer Mats (ÂŁ7.50, Totallyfunky.co.uk) These are not just your regular beer mats, these are entertaining beer mats.

Taking drinking games to the next level, this set of 30 beer mats gives you a selection of games from darts, to I Spy, to Sudoku.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Singer-songwriter Jess Glynne has graced the airways with her soulful vocals for the majority of 2014. Having topped the charts with Clean Bandit and the song ‘Rather Be’, Jess is now kicking off 2015 with the release of her debut album. We caught up with her to talk about what she’s been up to, from working with one of Grime’s best producers to auditioning for The X Factor when she was 15!

Hi Jess, what are you up to right now? I’ve had a bit of a lazy day actually, got up quite late, had some food and I’m chilling on the tour bus right now.

Sounds like a perfect chill considering you’ve been pretty busy lately? Yeah, definitely, it’s always good to be able to relax.

After doing collaborations with Clean Bandit and Route 94 how did it feel to go it alone? It was a good feeling! That is what I signed to a label for, to be able to do my own thing and going solo was always the plan I had in mind. It has felt right and been a really exciting time for me.

You’ve collaborated with Clean Bandit again for ‘Real Love’, was there anything you did differently when putting this track together? This time I wrote part of the tune and I actually had involvement in creating it and putting the track together.

Previously, when I was just the vocals I had less involvement because the track had already been planned out. It’s a totally different thing when you write a record; you tend to have a whole other connection to the track.

How did the collaboration with Clean Bandit come about? It was just one of those things, we started last year off really nicely with ‘Rather Be’, and we had an amazing

>>

dragged me down “toMyTheauntie X Factor and I met the producers, I ended up having a little falling out with them and just walking out

”

success with that and just thought it would be nice to do another joint single together. So we got in the studio and ‘Real Love’ came about so just thought why not release it.

Is there anyone else you would really love to work with? There are a lot of people I would love to work with but I think all that can come in good time.

‘Rather Be’ was the first song you sang on that you hadn’t written, have you ever turned down singing a song? Before ‘Rather Be’ I’d never actually been asked to sing on a track I hadn’t written before, so that was the first time that had happened for me. There have been a few things I’ve said no to now but if a song’s amazing and it’s something I can connect with, then I’d happily do it again.

When writing an album, what is your writing process like?

I wouldn’t say I have a specific

process it’s just what inner vibe I’m feeling at that time. Every song I write, I always think about what makes me want to make music and what inspires me. What inspired me to make my album were all the records I used to listen to. I love Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey but also I love the beats on Kanye West’s records and what Frank Ocean does on his albums. It’s all the stuff I love and I’ve gone into the studio with this vibe and made something I love. I wanted an album that I could actually sit down and listen to in the car and feel proud of.

You say that you would want to sit in your car and listen to your album, when you have been out and about you must have heard some of your tracks. How does that feel? It is such a strange feeling! I was out for dinner

with my friends the other day and the song came on in the restaurant and it’s just so strange listening to your own voice whilst you’re trying to enjoy a burger.

You’ve tried your hand at both writing and singing music, what do you prefer? I love them both as much as each other.

I love performing songs that I’ve written but I also think the writing and the creative process are really just as important as performing. Performing is the good bit at the end.

Your song ‘Home’ has quite a soulful feel to it but was produced by Bless Beats who is a Grime producer, was that

intentional? No, not at all. It wasn’t intentional or anything, that song was written based on us all having a good day. It wasn’t my plan to get a grime producer or anything. It basically came about when I met Janee (Bennett, songwriter) and she introduced me to Bless, we had a session together and just from getting into a vibe and listening to other tracks as inspiration, that song got written that day.

The video for ‘Home’ is like a stop motion film, a little bit psychedelic, was that what you were going for? What other ideas did you have for the video? The idea for the ‘Home’ video was that I wanted it to be about a journey and

>>

what I like creatively. I don’t like typical videos. For example, the video for ‘Right Here’ is not my idea of an ideal video. The video for ‘Home’, I chose to do with my best friend and I just wanted to show a different side. The song for me had a few different meanings; it was about a journey and stuff I’ve been through. I didn’t want to make it too personal about me. I wanted to make it open so that people could interpret it how they wanted.

We’ve read that, unlike a lot of artists out there, you didn’t do music at school. Do you think this has helped you or made it a little bit harder? I don’t think it’s made it harder or easier, I just think all the knock backs I did get and all the reasons for not doing music just made me work harder and made me want to do what I really wanted to do. So, in that sense maybe it was a good thing.

With shows like Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor so popular for finding talent, what

is your opinion of talent shows?

I think that they’re good fun and they give people a chance that not necessarily everybody else gets because the music industry isn’t the easiest one to get in to. At the same time I also find that it does make it difficult for artists like me who have worked really hard and really are trying to make it. You’ve got these artists that come in and they get their number one, they have their big successes. When there’s a 15 year old at number one and you’re a 25 year old who’s not at number one, yet you’re there doing many years of graft, there are times when it is a bit disheartening. Then again, talent is talent and it should be appreciated.

There are a lot of people that don’t get the opportunity to give it a go with music. Although I do have very mixed views on talent shows, I have to say I sit and watch and enjoy them.

The best bit has got to be the first auditions! I think I actually prefer watching the judges more than anything, haha.

Have you ever thought of going on a talent show like that? I did when I was 15! My auntie dragged me down to The X Factor and I met the producers, I ended up having a little falling out with them and just walking out, vowing never to do anything of the sort again.

You went travelling for a while, so for any students out there who may be a bit unsure about taking the travelling plunge, what advice

have you got? My advice would be to just go for it and don’t look back! It was the best thing I’ve ever done, I learnt so much about myself and what I wanted to do with my life. There’s so much you learn about the world when you’re travelling. You see real places and real people that are less fortunate than you, it puts everything into perspective. It’s such an amazing experience, I couldn’t be more grateful that I had the chance to do it.

Have you got any funny stories from your travelling experience? There was a lot

of funny stuff that went down, people pooing and weeing themselves and being sick on themselves, a lot of things!

Err, we won’t ask! Haha yeah, just your standard travel stories!

You have been so busy lately, what do you do to relax? I just lie on my bed in dark, it’s so simple but it helps me chill out massively. I recommend it.

We’ve just seen in the New Year, what was your new year’s resolution? My resolution was to get my new album out!

New Year

New You...

...is how the saying goes and spring will be upon us before we know it. It’s not like girls need any more reason to go out shopping, or even stay in and online shop! So we’ve got some top picks to update your wardrobe for every occasion.

Kickers at Foot Asylum, £84.99

Pretty Little Thing.com, £45

Lavish Alice, £52 Pastels were in last spring, they managed to stay throughout autumn/winter and it looks like they’ll be doing the rounds this spring too. This t-shirt dress is super cute with or without tights and if you get a bit chilly this coat from Pretty Little Thing.com is sure to keep you warm. Kickers have really upped their game from when we remember wearing them at school, this chunky pastel pair would not look out of place when you’re out clubbing.

Tartan/checked/whatever you want to call it is a print that has been seen on everything from dresses, coats and even shoes. This jumper from River Island is perfect for when the weather is a little too warm for a coat but still has that chill to it. Don’t let the British weather spoil any of your plans, pop on these chunky boots from Public Desire to stomp through those puddles and even if you forget your brolly, the stylish hat will keep your hair nice and dry.

River Island, £24

Pretty Little Thing.com, £30

River Island, £35

ASOS, £32

Public Desire.co.uk, £26.99

If you fancy more of a sophisticated outtt on a night out, then these trousers from Lavish Alice are just what you need.

With no leg on show you can pair them with this Topshop top to make your outtt a little sexier. Statement shoes from Public Desire will give you the height so th that the trousers don’t end up dragging along the oor, as that’s not an attractive look. Top it all off with this bag from LYDC and you will be stealing the show.

LYDC, £29

Topshop, £45

Lavish Alice, £45 Public Desire.com, £26.99

River Island are really on point when it comes to casual wear. A usually boring white shirt has been updated with an embellished collar. The jeans are a great shade for when we start moving into spring, but for now don’t forget the ear muffs to keep you warm. Top the whole outtt off with these comfy plimsolls from ASOS and you’ll be casual chic for any occasion.

Topshop, £14

River Island, £36

River Island, £30 ASOS, £25

New Year Blue Inc, £24.99

Guys, don’t worry we haven’t forgotten about you! If you’re lacking fashion inspiration for the New Year, let us help you out. Whether you need a casual ‘just rolled out of bed’ look for lectures, or you really wa want to impress for a special occasion then look no further...

Penguin at Get The Label, £34.99

This hoody is deenitely going to keep you nice and comfy during lectures. Yes, the outtt is quite a dark one, but then you can’t really go wrong, can you? Stains on your jeans won’t show up so they’ll be loo looking relatively clean for a good amount of time! Just chuck some pens and paper into the backpack and you’re ready to go.

ASOS, £30

ASOS, £35

Want to impress at a family party or when you go out on a date? Investing in a suit is a wise decision and it seems Burton Menswear London is the top place to be going for all your smart suit needs. Try to avoid black or grey suits because you’ll look like you’re at a job interview. If you think that a matching blazer and trousers are a bit much, break this look up with a pair of dark jeans. Smart shoes are also another great investment; you can wear them to interviews and many decent clubs won’t let you in with scruffy tr trainers on.

Burton Menswear London, £89

Burton Menswear London, £19

Burton Menswear London, £40 Next, £55

If you’ve woken up and your hair isn’t really going to plan, but you haven’t got any time to sort it out, then make sure you chuck on a beanie hat. No one will ever know you’re having a bad hair day! Check shirts are a classic, this one from Nanny State at Bank is updated with the colour of spring which, this season, is burgundy.

Na Navy and burgundy go together really well. For this time of year, you don’t want to be dressing really summery but then again you don’t want to retreat to the grey tones of winter.

Jack & Jones Get The Label, £7.99 Nanny State at Bank, £25

Blue Inc, £25

Burton Menswear London, £25

Layering is a good idea when it gets to spring, that awkward weather is going to be creeping in, you don’t really need a coat but you can’t go out with just a t-shirt either. Something every guy should have in his wardrobe are basic tee’s, in all colours. You can put them under shirts and hoody’s, and if you’re really feeling like a bit of a Grandad then invest in thermal t-shirts... you’ll thank us later.

Burton Menswear London, £5

Superdry, £44.99

Boohoo, £25

River Island, £28

Case Study Student Union Vice President Gets Role in BBC Sitcom Selina Borji City of Liverpool College Student Union Vice President BBC Four Sitcom Actress Internationally Recognised Artist

Aged 20, Selina Borji is not your average Student Union Vice President. With an acting role in an award winning BBC sitcom and the founder of a flourishing art project, her ambition to succeed really shines through.

We spoke to Selina about her achievements and asked what advice she has for any students taking on leadership roles in their university and how to get into the glitzy world of acting!

Hi Selina, thanks for having a chat with us! You are currently Vice President of the City of Liverpool College Students Union, which is a real achievement, what is the most rewarding part of your role? The most rewarding part for me is actually seeing change, especially introducing people to new experiences and broadening their minds and potential.

Letting them know that they can achieve more and also letting them know that the City of Liverpool College has more to offer

than they think. It’s also rewarding when students realise that people are interested in them, and that there are people around that do care about them.

What encouraged you to get into your role as Vice President? Well, I actually left school at 14 and went on to volunteer in the education department at the Tate Art Gallery in Liverpool. It was about engaging every day people with the arts and

you’re organised. I think if you’re organised from the very start it’s going to be a lot easier, but then I guess that does apply to everything you do in life.

You are also starring in the BAFTA nominated BBC Four sitcom, Puppy Love. For those who may not have seen it, what it is about?

Puppy Love is about two families, one is working class and one is quite upper class, and it’s about the conflict in interests and relationships between the two head women of the families.

Vicki Pepperdine (who plays Naomi) co-wrote it with Joanna Scalan (who plays Nana V) and they are the two main roles, the head women of the family. It is set around a dog training class from then on, I always had a passion that’s run by Nana V and that gives about education and campaigning a great comedy aspect to the show. for better education. I really enjoy talking to real people about real What role do you play? I play issues and trying to make people’s Jasmine, the daughter of Naomi lives better. Through my role as Vice and I fall in love with the grandson President I give a voice to students, of Nana V, it’s a conflict of class that so that they can see change within they’re not very happy about. If you the college. didn’t guess by the name, there are loads and loads of dogs in the sitcom What advice would you give to and it’s also about the human relastudents thinking of applying tionship with dogs as well. to be a key part of their student union? I’d say to really make sure >> >>

They say never to work with children or animals, were the dogs well behaved? Ha-ha, rather than the dogs getting up to mischief, it was me! Unfortunately in one of the scenes, I fell into a dog basket by accident. Everyone had a little panic in case I broke any bones or anything but I fell right into a very large dog basket, it was for a dog that was the size of me, so I was quite comfortable anyway!

portraits which I edit there and then.

Whilst I’m posting the images, I write the free verse poetry and I don’t spell check it, so it’s about creating art in the moment. If I created it in a different second on that day, or a different day of that week, it would have been a completely different art piece. It’s almost like a stream of consciousness with visuals and writing.

It’s also about having an art gallery that is constantly updated on the Internet, so that everyone can see it Ha-ha! That’s okay then, did they and it’s completely accessible. keep that mishap in the show? No! No cameras got that fortunately for me, I think I would have been quite embarrassed.

So, what was it that inspired you to get into acting? My primary school really, it was very arts focused and I had a wonderful Drama teacher. It was all about how the arts can influence the world and society. I think I got more from primary school than I did from any other education. A few years ago I auditioned for a London agency and ever since then I have been going to auditions for various roles. I got Why did you decide to start your the role as Jasmine in Puppy Love, art project? It’s hard to say really, I remember starting the project at which I guess is like my big break! about 2am when I couldn’t sleep. To You are also a keen artist; your me, it felt like a very natural thing to ongoing project ‘I Am Dovetailed’ do. I also remember trying to name has been recognised internation- the project that same morning. As I ally! Can you tell us a bit more was collaborating between writing about the project? ‘I Am Dovetailed’ and visual images, I was joining is basically about merging the artist them together. I went on an online and the audience together in a live thesaurus and found the word feed. I take self portraits and then ‘dovetail’ which is a dovetail joint also write free verse poetry which in carpentry. So it’s linking things is all documented online. I take self together.

Who are your biggest influences?

My biggest influences I would say are Cornelia Parker and Damien Hirst. Although a lot of people are quite bitter towards Damien Hirst in the art world, I love his work.

How has your time at the City of Liverpool College prepared you for university? Well, it’s my first kind of ‘proper job’ you could say. When you work 9-5 you do have less time for yourself and you have to spend your time more wisely. You learn about yourself more that way, but I have also learnt about organising which I think is going to help me a lot with getting projects handed in on time.

If your work could be featured in any gallery, what one would it be and why? I’d probably say the Saatchi Gallery because it’s never afraid to make new statements.

It’s not worried about what the corporate side is going to be. It’s What do you hope to do once more interested in actual art and you’ve finished university? I’d love to carry on acting, fingers crossed making art history.

Puppy Love comes back for a second If you had to pick art or acting, series in the future, but it would be what would it be? I would probably great to get a role in a drama where say art because I’ve done some I could really perform. Secretly my performance art pieces in the past. guilty pleasure is Sci-Fi, so it would I think in a lot of art pieces, the artist be amazing if I got a role in Stargate themselves are acting in certain or something haha. I’m also hoping roles. Whether it’s a photo shoot or to be making big, interactive art invideo art, I would still be able to act stallations and public art. So, pieces for shopping centres or big parties within the art. like The Oscars, which would be You are planning to go on to fantastic. I’d like to still be displayed university and study Interactive in galleries but also working with Arts at Manchester Metropoli- communities. tan University. Was going to university always part of your Thank you so much Selina for plan? No, not at all, for years I’ve telling us about all your achievebeen on and off deciding whether to ments! We hope to see you on the go to university or not. I was worried big screen very soon! about the rise in tuition fees. Then I realised Manchester Met had all these wonderful facilities, they’ve just had millions of pounds spent refurbishing the art department and I’ll never have access to those facilities ever again. So then I thought I’d just go for it!

>>

START

Welcome back to START, where we showcase a range of student art, from across the UK.

Megan Skelcher - Fine Art Aberystwyth University

Rose Sizer - Fine Art University of Kent

Vincent Blackwell - Fine Art Aberystwyth University

Micaela Sapinho - BA Hons, Fashion Design Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University

Anita Benjamin - BA Photography Plymouth College of Art

Joshua Roberts - Graphics and Illustration De Montfort University

Sarah Pooley - BA Hons Fine Art Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University

I am the University of Brighton’s Police Liaison Officer. For the Fresher’s edition of The Student Name: Lee Cook Pocket Guide I gave you some top tips on keeping Occupation: Police Officer your home safe from burglary. This time I am back Location: University of Brighton to talk to you about alcohol and keeping safe!

Alcohol is classed as a drug, but unlike most other drugs, it is legal to consume it in most countries around the world. What age you can legally drink depends on what country you live in, but here in the UK the legal age to drink is just 18.

Alcohol is generally consumed in a social setting, but there are other reasons why people drink. These can include experimentation, having fun, to relax, and to enjoy with food but there is also a sinister side to drinking alcohol. For example many people use alcohol to relieve boredom or to forget about their worries and problems.

Like all drugs, alcohol has many side effects. Some are good, some not so good. The effects of drinking alcohol also vary from person to person and even from drink to drink. The most common factors that will affect a person’s tolerance levels when drinking alcohol are...

• How quickly the drink is being consumed.

• Has the drink been mixed with other alcoholic drinks or drugs?

• How regularly do you drink?

• Your mood when drinking.

• Age, sex, height and general health.

• Whether you have eaten food before drinking.

These days ‘binge drinking’ is common place among many young people. Binge drinking is when a large amount of alcohol is consumed in a relatively short period of time.

Alcohol, especially when binge drinking, can make some people behave in a violent manner. If this is the case with you, you may need to reconsider the amount and types of drinks you are having.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your reactions and can affect your coordination and judgement.

Alcohol when consumed in lower amounts can make you feel relaxed.

Mixing drinks may increase the speed in which you become drunk but does carry significant risks.

Mixing your drink with other drugs such as stimulants can make you feel like you’re not drunk (when in actual fact you are very drunk). You may take more risks than normal (due to the increased energy) and the come down after heavy drinking can be very nasty.

Some top tips for safer drinking:

• Do not mix alcohol with other drugs • Eat food prior to drinking • Drink water between alcoholic drinks • Know your limits and stick to them • Never drink and drive • Put your drink down between sips, but keep an eye on it • Never drink and go swimming • Stay with friends or people you trust • Carry condoms with you and use them!

• Know how you’re getting home If you feel that your drinking is becoming a problem or you’re concerned about a friend, there’s lots of places/people that can help, including your university welfare team and your local police officer.

BE DRINK AWARE...

SPIKING!

Drink spiking is when a substance (normally alcohol or drugs) has been added to a drink without your knowledge or agreement; this includes in alcoholic drinks and soft drinks, even water. The practice of drink-spiking is illegal, highly dangerous, and potentially deadly to the person who has been spiked. Here are some tips that can help keep you safe: • Tell people where you are going • Plan your journey home and try to stay with friends • Know your limits • Know your surroundings, if you feel uncomfortable, leave • Do not share or exchange drinks • If you don’t know someone and they offer you a drink, say no • Never leave drinks unattended • Never finish someone else’s left over drink (even if it’s a friends) • If you feel drunk or weird after a drink or two, immediately seek help.

There are also companies that supply drink protectors. The most common being Spikey - you can look them up on the internet.

If you think you have been spiked, you should: • Immediately tell a friend, staff member or the police • Get to a place of safety • Stay with friends until the effects have worn off • If the effects are bad, seek medical help • If you fear you’ve had sex whilst under the influence of drugs taken unwillingly through a drink being spiked, report it!

Remember 999 for an emergency, 101 for a non emergency.

That’s all for now. Stay safe and have fun! See you again soon.

PC Lee Cook For further advice email me on L.cook2@brighton.ac.uk

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