Three University of Sydney trends that I will never understand

Can someone pretty please explain these to me?

1. Teeny tiny backpacks. Ever since uni went back, I have noticed a significant amount of students sporting very small backpacks. I’m talking a size that would probably be appropriate for your four year old cousin, but more black leather and less Peppa Pig. Meanwhile, I’m lugging around my laptop and a bunch of readers in a huge backpack from Kathmandu that I’m pretty sure was designed for hiking expeditions. To all those students wearing those fashionable but tiny things on their backs – I would really love to know how you fit all your belongings in there. Is it a Mary Poppins kind of thing?

2. Heels at uni. Sometimes when I’m making my way down Eastern Avenue I see girls walking along in really nice pairs of heels. They always look great, but wearing heels to uni is just something that completely confounds me. I struggle getting from the engineering building to the education building enough as it is, and that’s while wearing Converse or something similar. And what if it rains? A pair of heels that you just bought at Windsor Smith last weekend and a thunderstorm really aren’t a good mix.  

3. Hoodies in the middle of summer. Hoodies are great in winter, when it’s freezing and raining and you can’t be bothered putting much effort into what you’re wearing. There’s even the potential to put them on over your pyjamas if you’re really not feeling getting dressed. But lately I’ve noticed people wandering around wearing hoodies emblazoned with "Sydney University" in the horrible 30 degree, humid weather that we’ve been getting. I’m all for being proud of your university, but how are you not melting under all that fleece-y goodness?

Movie Mood Fixers

How to solve all your problems using only a few carefully selected films and perhaps a block of Cadbury Fruit & Nut chocolate.

Movies to watch when… You feel as though all your creativity/inspiration/motivation/ability to do anything remotely successful have all evaporated

Winner: Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde is an excellent movie that will have you jumping off the couch and running off to do important, productive stuff. Elle Woods, a lip-gloss wearing, dog toting sorority girl smashes female stereotypes to teeny tiny pieces in this film. Swapping from fashion major to student at Harvard Law School? Not a problem. “What, like it’s hard?” she says, when her ex-boyfriend incredulously asks, “You got into Harvard Law?”

She goes on to prove the innocence of a convicted murderer, gets the real killer to confess, and graduates with honours. All while dressing incredibly and providing us with delights such as “The Bend and Snap.” This, for those of you who don’t know, is a move with a 98% success rate of getting a man’s attention.

Basically, the message to be gained from this movie is that if Elle Woods can get into Harvard using a video of herself floating around a pool in a sparkly bikini, you can do anything.

Runner Up: We Bought a Zoo

Yep, you guessed it. In this movie, writer Benjamin Mee buys a dilapidated zoo, complete with lions and tigers and bears (oh my), and moves in with his family. Against all odds they restore it and reopen it to the public.  The fact that it’s based on a true story makes it even better. Time to get inspired, guys.

Movies to watch when…You are being a bit of a misery guts

Winner: Valentine’s Day

This is my go to movie when I feel I am about to emotionally eat my way through a tub of Sara Lee Ultra Chocolate ice-cream. It has everything. Taylor Swift’s terrible yet endearing dance moves. A little boy who buys roses for his teacher. An adorable old couple who have been together for years and years. And Ashton Kutcher. How can you be upset when you’re watching a movie starring Ashton Kutcher? That’s right. You can’t be.

Warning: If your sadness stems from romantic troubles, it’s probably best to steer clear of this movie or you may find yourself throwing chocolates at the screen, à la the previously mentioned Elle Woods. For more appropriate options, please see below.

Runner Up: The Princess Diaries (1 or 2, take your pick)

Simply because if Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway can’t cheer you up, I don’t know what can.

Movies to watch when… Things are not going so well on the romantic front

Winner: 500 Days of Summer  

This is an excellent movie to watch if you’re going through a bit of a tough break up. It’s a romantic comedy but it refreshingly does not involve a shirtless Matthew McConaughey or a montage of a couple sharing popcorn at the movies and smooching on the kiss cam at a baseball game.

Furthermore, you will be able to easily empathise with leading man Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) when he gets his heart broken by his co-worker, Summer. You can banish some of your anger and/or sadness by living vicariously through Tom as he smashes dishes in his kitchen. Most importantly, you can find comfort in the fact that even people as beautiful as Joseph Gordon – Levitt get dumped.

Runner Up: John Tucker Must Die

This movie is terribly cheesy and made primarily for a bunch of 13 year old girls to watch in their One Direction pyjamas at a sleepover. However, it is strangely satisfying to watch a group of girls humiliate the devious, cheating John Tucker by secretly giving him estrogen and tricking him into wearing ladies underwear in public. Give it a shot.

{Image Source}

Jasmine Dowling

Jasmine Dowling is a twenty one year old graphic designer and blogger, based in Brisbane. She has a passion (and a big talent) for typography and hand lettering. I only discovered her a little while ago but I am already completely in love with all her work.

I especially adore her inspirational prints. They are far better than the tacky posters that were stuck up around my high school - think pictures of skyscrapers placed behind the phrase "Dream Big"(written in Comic Sans of course).

You can purchase prints from Jasmine's shop here. She also sells tote bags, pillow cases and cushions. I kinda want to buy everything. 

How to survive a not so exciting gap year

2013 was my first year out of high school. I deferred my university course so I could spend a year living with my parents and younger sister in our rural town, working and saving some much needed money. At first I was excited at the prospect of a whole year free of exams and late nights hunched over my laptop drinking mug after mug of tea and writing essays about Roman emperors.

But a few months into the year, with most of my friends starting university in capital cities or heading off overseas to nanny tiny children with adorable British accents, the menial nature of my nine to five administrative job started to sink in and my gap year wasn’t looking so crash hot anymore.

The year has nearly ended, though, and I somehow managed to get through days of photocopying and stapling and listening to (really, really bad) on hold music. If you are also intending to take a gap year that doesn’t involve the typical gallivanting about the globe, here are some tips to help you survive. 

It is best not to follow your friends/acquaintances/anyone your age really who is overseas on Instagram. You will most likely find yourself sighing over pictures of them posing in front of the Eiffel Tower, swimming in Santorini and riding round on double decker buses in London, whilst scoffing down a block of Cadbury chocolate and feeling sorry for yourself.

Sometimes it is ok to call in “sick.” Go ahead. Really. Sit on the couch all day and have a Harry Potter marathon. You deserve it.

Remind yourself of the savings you will have to help you through the years ahead. You should be chuffed that you will not be penniless and living on packets of Maggi chicken noodles whilst you are at university.

Get yourself a hobby. This is important as you will probably have a lot of free time and there are only so many TV seasons you can watch. For me, it was running. When I was at school there were not many things I hated more than PE lessons. I remember running around the oval and pondering whether anyone would notice I was missing if I hid in the change rooms next lesson. But after this year I can run the distance of a half-marathon and enjoy doing it, which is pretty sweet.

Be happy when exam time rolls around at uni. Find joy in the fact that your Facebook newsfeed is clogged with statuses complaining about studying whilst you are cocooned in your doona making your way through an embarrassing number of Buffy episodes.

Enjoy it. Sure, you might not be off on some crazy Contiki tour like your friends or learning new and exciting things at university just yet, but you get to come home at the end of each day to your family and your pets and maybe a nice cup of tea made by your mum. And I’ve realised that those things are another kind of great.  

{Photo (of where I really, really wish I could have been this year) by voldy92}