3 for 2 on vitamins? Why don't I just buy the whole shelf.

Freshers has had its toll on me. After going out five consecutive nights on the trot, and two nights the week before, I feel like I can't hack any more drinking or partying. I'm getting too old for this! It's not surprising the past two nights have been a lot more casual. Saturday night my housemates and I had a bit of a dinner party with some of the guys we know, nothing too fancy, just fajitas and a couple of glasses of wine! And last night was spent curled up on the sofa in our duvets watching X Factor and Downton Abbey. Middle-aged before our time? I think so.

Lots of beautiful Swansea Students

This week has been overly crazy, I feel like I've been on the go the whole time. I reviewed a little bakery in Mumbles this week, which I have now decided is my new favourite place. I'm going to post the review on my blog here. Not only have I been going out every night, I've been trying to fit in gym sessions, catching up with friends, going down to the marina, going to town to get those essentials my house seems to always run out of, and completing blog posts. I am writing for the Swansea Siren blog now, which I am terribly pleased about, as I get to blab on about baking the whole time. Perfect!

One of the meals I made for myself and a friend this week - went overboard on the creamy rosemary sauce, there are pork chops underneath!

I made that tart I was talking about this week (with the Disaster Buttercream, as I have officially called it), and it turned out looking fairly messy but was sufficiently creamy and sweet, the right kind of thing we needed midway through the day at Freshers' Fayre, which is where I brought it to. I was helping out at the rowing stall, so I cut out SURC (Swansea Uni Rowing Club) in capitals to place on the top with some of the leftover pastry. Repping my club, of course! It was incredibly busy, and I was high on sugar from all the freebies that I was continuously collecting from the other booths; jumping around, and more often than not, jumping on various different students to get them to join the club. But all I think I did was scare people.

Apparently I only took a picture of the pastry... Next time I'm going to double check I take a finished product picture before it's all eaten, sorry guys.

I am excited to begin my course this year as well. Going into second year is going to be a lot harder and I'll need to be paying more attention to lectures and seminars, and actually making sure I attend them all. Other than a lecture clash, my timetable seems to be panning out quite well. I was hoping to have Fridays off (I was hoping to have a luxurious three day weekend) but I think if I'm shuffling my options around, I'll be in on that day too... Learning about the political economy, which sounds really interesting but I'm kind of scared that I will freak out about all the facts and figures and end up panicking when it comes to writing essays. Either that or I'll become too bored that I'll resort to napping on the the lecture desks, which can be incredibly embarrassing. I'd know, I've done it before - that moment where you haven't had enough sleep the night before and you are holding your eyelids open with your fingertips, only to twitch and wake yourself up five minutes later, with your lecturer looking at you, less than impressed.

Hey organised!

I used to love beginning a new year at school, and the same goes for university. I get all my notepads and pens ready (always Bic. I can't hold other pens quite as well because of my claw-like grip when I write) and my 'schoolbag,' which has developed to be just an ordinary shoulder bag over the years, and go about my day feeling all professional and motivated. Sometimes I like to pretend I am going to the office, and dress up in my best suit-like clothing, with my patent shoes on, and my smart mac. It's my version of the dress-up games I used to love playing as a child. I can no longer get away with pretending I am a princess - I would probably get laughed at if I wore a tiara on campus - so office-lady dress up is quite a nice substitute. Today isn't one of those days unfortunately. I am feeling a bit ill and have dosed myself up on my 3 for 2 vitamins from Tesco (I have a lot of love for the chewy kids tablets and the Berocca right now, Freshers' flu you better not catch me) so am going for the casual and comfy look. Also known as 'I-can't-be-bothered-so-I'm-just-chucking-on-jeans-and-a-massive-coat.' Big love for the slobby student dress sense. I feel more conscious at home in my trackies or a big hoodie, but I like the fact that coming back to Swansea I am at the height of the trend of student wear.

Good luck at beginning uni if you're doing so this week, or you already have done so. This year's going to a good 'un, I can feel it. Keep on track, it'll be worth it, I promise!

Big love, xo