Lifestyle

By Sophie Fairey The Telegraph says that the nation is the happiest since pre-covid levels, with 58% of the population reporting feeling happy at the start of this year. After Covid-19 swept through the globe, it is safe to say that things were far from normal for a long time. Not a single person was left unaffected, but now, half a decade later, according to those numbers, it seems that we are finally healing.  In 2019, the last time the country’s happiness peaked, Ariana Grande was taking the charts by storm with hits like ‘thank u, next’ and ‘7 Rings’, and Billie Eilish was gaining huge popularity with ‘Bad Guy’. And now, Ariana is back in the charts with ‘Popular’ from the 2024 musical adaptation of Wicked, and Billie Eilish is still going strong with ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’. ...

By Lucy Griffiths -- Deputy Illustrator As a student it is important to do our own individual bit for the environment, from reducing waste to recycling we can make our lives a bit more sustainable and even cost efficient, so here are 5 tips for how to be sustainable as a Royal Holloway student! Buying local produce When purchasing your fruit and vegetables make sure to get the loose items to minimise your useage of plastic packaging! Not only does this promote healthy eating ,but it is good for the planet and can save you some pennies, meaning less waste and a chance for your body to be happy! If you fancy some very nice artisan bread, you can visit the Friday Market and you may even come across various sweet treats. For the avid meat eaters of Englefield green, go to Ansel’s ...

By Eleanor Harvey On 23rd December 2023, a 32-year-old woman from Louisiana was released from prison having served eight years for second-degree murder. Originally sentenced to ten years imprisonment, she pleaded guilty in 2016 for conspiring to kill her own mother with her then-boyfriend. On 10th June 2015, she let him into their house, gave him a knife, and stood aside whilst he carried out the attack. She and her boyfriend then stole thousands of dollars of their victim’s money and absconded. Her name was Gyspy-Rose Blanchard. But the chances are you already knew that, possibly from the very first sentence. In the twelve months following her release, Blanchard didn’t exactly disappear from the public eye into a normal life; instead, she became a minor celebrity. Just li...

By Kayla Delaney As a community of students working towards their futures, we find ourselves often looking to the past - writers, theories and ways of living which permeate our studies and choices. I am particularly a fan of turning back to the old works like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or the works of Ursula K Le Guin, Tolkien or the wonderful Studio Ghibli. We have expanded since then, but some of the old-school ways we can budget and live our lives to the fullest still hold true. Here's some classic budgeting hacks, refurbished for today's world! Don't bother with the brands - “There’s no point in acting surprised about it.” This is probably a very familiar bit of advice, but, trust me, it's just as valid today as it was in the past.Avoid the expensive branded stuff ...

By Sophie Fairey – Senior Lifestyle Editor Something that stuck out to me when thinking about modernity was how technology increasingly defines the modern era, and influences the way we interact with the world, with each other, and with ourselves. Dating apps, for example, are a product of developing technology and increasing reliance on our phones for connecting with others and finding joy. Because of this, I think that dating apps have completely changed the way the world views romance. It is beginning to appear to me that these artificial connections mean that our hearts just aren’t really in it anymore. There are two sides to every coin, so dating apps are both a blessing and a curse. They allow people to kick start their dating life and match with potential partners who they mi...

By Evelyn Fernandez-Jarvis- Deputy Editor-In-Chief Whilst I feel in the modern world anxiety and mental health has become more accepted, at times it does still feel that when you suffer from it daily, you are inevitably, completely alone. Personally, I can only come from the perspective of someone who has anxiety. As a 2nd year student I believed that when I came back after a summer break that all the first year fears would simply float away. Unfortunately, that is not how anxiety works. It creeps up on you at unexpected times and before you know it, you are in a flood of your own spiralling thoughts that feel inescapable.  Sometimes it's like I am peeping through a glass window and looking at all the people who are doing different, exciting things and I am constantly wonde...