Tuesday, June 9Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Lifestyle

3 ways to spend Valentines day with your best friend.
Lifestyle

3 ways to spend Valentines day with your best friend.

Valentines day is a day when love replaces oxygen, lovers rejoice under the moonlight and all objects on the street take the form of a heart. In spite of that for some, this is a day that closely resembles the black plague. Instead of a romantic dinner with the love of your life you end up refuged in your best sweats under your month old duvè sheets watching a horror movie (where the male protagonist dies of course) and waiting impatiently the passing of those fatal 24 hours. Personally I’m always up for a cuddle with my dog with a bowl of chocolate ice cream watching romantic comedies (I do it more for the dog, he just loves them), however a notion that is commonly confused is what valentines day truly represents. Yes, valentines day is defined by the presence of love, however it doesn’t ...
Valentine’s Look Book
Lifestyle

Valentine’s Look Book

Casual/Daytime looks Valentine’s day may not always be about evening dinner dates and cocktail dresses. Some people might prefer a casual day out, whether that’s going for a walk at Virginia water, a day out in London, or just going for lunch and some shopping. This look book is inspired but comfy, casual dress, that can be dressed up or down depending on how you feel. If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, a pair of trainers or flats accompanied with a rucksack or backpack (who wants to carry their bag on their arm for a whole day?) will be best. But, if you are going somewhere that doesn’t involve walking too much, take advantage of winters’ biggest shoe trend: The knee high boot. Pairing them with both jeans and skirts, they add a little something more to an outfit, and...
Super-Sweet Two Step Fudge Recipe
Lifestyle

Super-Sweet Two Step Fudge Recipe

Valentine’s day is the perfect post-Christmas excuse to eat your own body weight in sugar! Whether that’s in the form of chocolate hearts from your other half, or ploughing through a 10-person portion of Victoria sponge cake, we all break our ‘new year, new me’ nutribullet fuelled fad when it comes to the 14th of February. We’ve tried and tested  this 2 ingredient fudge recipe, that’s both simple (seriously student proof) and tasty enough to impress anyone this valentine’s day. The recipe makes around 40 fudge cups and It can also be frozen for up to 2 weeks after for that midweek pick me up.             Here’s how to do it: What you’ll need: A large microwavable bowl A fork, A tablespoon and a Teaspoon (if you even have this ...
Lent Lusciousness: You don’t have to go without
Lifestyle

Lent Lusciousness: You don’t have to go without

Lent can be a difficult time for those of us giving up some our favourite things, so I’ve collected some gorgeous recipes that will make everything a lot easier (you can thank me later, after lent with a big bar of Cadbury). Giving up chocolate is enough to test most people’s sanity, not to mention willpower. But those who fail are the ones who haven’t been introduced to the Peanut Butter Blondie – so yummy and sweet that you’ll feel like you’ve cheated on chocolate: Ingredients: 125g plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 100g butter (at room temperature, plus extra for greasing) 150g crunchy peanut butter 175g light brown sugar 1 egg (beaten) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 75g either peanut butter chips, fudge chunks or chopped peanuts Method: Preheat the oven to 170C/ Gas 3. Butte...
Disastrous Dating: Single Girls Struggle Through Uni
Lifestyle

Disastrous Dating: Single Girls Struggle Through Uni

“Your dating history is as smooth as Egyptian Whisky!”   A friend commented last year and although my first reaction was to throw a tumbler full of Jack Daniels in his face I chose to laugh it off, as he was completely correct. I have thought about this comment at various moments over the past year and have come to conclusion that being a single girl at university is nauseating and like a sour whisky the mouth goes numb and you want to spit it out and run!   I have had a ‘date, I did not know was a date.’ He came round to my flat to cook for me, then spent two hours eating his food whilst dropping it into conversation that he was a virgin. The word awkward doesn’t even come close to describing the atmosphere, turning as red as the wine I wanted my empty bowl to swallo...
16 dating resolutions for 2016
Lifestyle

16 dating resolutions for 2016

16 dating resolutions for 2016 1. Put yourself out there more – don’t be afraid to make the first move! What if someone else gets there before you? 2. Don’t underestimate the importance of social networking – and I don’t mean Tinder; how do you expect to find your perfect partner if you’re constantly hiding behind your phone? Join new societies, expand your social group, and you’ll increase your chances of meeting a likeminded person! 3. Don’t be restricted by a particular ‘type’ – maybe there’s a reason it hasn’t worked out in the past. 4. And leave the past where it should be – don’t let it affect your future. 5. Give people a chance – chances are, you were both as nervous as each other on your first date, so don’t be too hasty in refusing a second date. Yes, first impressions count...
Damn those VKs: handling a hangover
Lifestyle

Damn those VKs: handling a hangover

Hungover? Head banging? Feel sick? I have the cures! The majority of us have been hungover at some point since being at university and I bet I’m not the only one to still attempt to make a 9am lecture feeling like I’ve been hit by the alcohol train as I drank too much the night before. Especially considering we have just experienced re-fresher’s I found it obligatory to help those of you who, like myself, enjoy the parties and socials. I’m not encouraging drinking or discouraging it but it is easier to prevent a hangover than it is to cure one, that being said here are some tricks of the trade: 1- The first one is a given, the good old H20- alcohol dehydrates you majorly so help yourself the next morning and have a pint of water before you sleep and when you wake up. If you alread...
Love is in the air…
Lifestyle

Love is in the air…

Considering the fact that Valentines is fast approaching, the Lifestyle team is focusing on dating and love; as we know how hard it can be to find someone when you’re swamped with work. Therefore for this issue’s photoshoot we decided to recreate famous iconic images of love with real couples, just to prove it is possible to find someone at Royal Holloway. We photographed Fashion Society’s president Grace Caro and her boyfriend, in the style of the renowned V-day Kiss in New York’s Time Square (1945). The original was photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt and portrays an American sailor kissing a woman (a nurse) in a white dress on Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) in Times Square. It is so iconic because if taken from any other angle the lighting would hide either the sailor or the n...
Rohoroscope
Lifestyle

Rohoroscope

Aries 21st March – 19th April Love: If a relationship or prospective partner inspires you to feel adventurous and free, time to move full steam ahead! You want the romance to be varied, think of ways to mix it up this month. Travel: This is a great time to network and you may meet some promising contacts while you’re out and about. Stay Local and you’ll meet new people. Study: Take a break from all those Christmas deadlines, you deserve it. Taurus 20th April – 20th May Love: You’re off to a sizzling start. You’ve got the attention of your crush so keep working on it! Travel: Travel home for a weekend, you need headspace and a hug from your mum. Study: Time to crack down on that revision you’ve been putting off. Perhaps get creative and make colour coded revision cards. Gemini 2...
Living with a chronic illness at university
Lifestyle

Living with a chronic illness at university

I used to see illness as a handy way of getting out of going to school, and would often envy those with terrible immune systems who were constantly off sick with a common cold. I never caught a cold! Damn my brilliant immune system! How ironic that at the age of 17, right after I sat my final A Level exams, I was to be diagnosed with something a little more severe than a cold... (more…)