Hangover cures!

You know the feeling: the rooms spinning; the stomachs churning; the light shining though the curtain starts to become painful and despite numerous attempts, you just can’t get your head off the pillow.

The pain doesn’t end here; in fact this is just the beginning. So, like most people you start asking questions. Why am I still fully dressed? Why do I have a number of messages from an unsaved number? Why have I responded to these messages? And why do I am stamps printed on the majority of my forearm?

Welcome to a hangover.

We’ve all been there, but how many people actually know what a hangover is?

Alcohol is poisonous to many of the bodies systems. Excessive amounts of alcohol can affect the liver, the brain, the gastrointestinal system, the central nervous system and sensory perception. It can disrupt your sleep and other body rhythms, affect your mood and affect your attention and concentration. The alcohol also has a diuretic effect which causes dehydration; which results in that horrendous dry mouth in the morning.

Although unavoidable, here are some handy tips on how to make a hangover just a little more bearable:

Powerade– Any energy drink will do; preferably not red bull after a heavy night at Superbull however. It’s packed with sugar and sorts out the dry mouth that comes hand in hand with a hangover. If you no you’re going out, purchase it the night before; seeing a bottle of Powerade staring at you in the morning will cheer you up instantly!

Food – So, the stomachs still churning, there’s a half eaten kebab on the floor and the thought of food pushes your queasiness to the edge. Food in this case though is a necessity. Bananas can replace potassium and other electrolytes that your body has lost so stock up on a couple of those. A good old fashioned round of eggs of toast is also a life saver in this situation; full of healthy nutrients and the combination of protein and carbohydrates is easy on the stomach!

Ibuprofen– Your liver’s already working its socks off to get rid of the high level of alcohol you consumed last night so steer clear of anything that could damage it further (Tylenol, Paracetamol). Make sure you’re safe with it though; no more than 2 every four hours and eight in total for the day.

Stay busy– Now I’m not advising that you try and climb any mountains on this day, however stimulating your brain is a great distraction from the hangover. Get some friends round, rent some films and have a good laugh.

Shower– If only you could wash away the night before! Although, having a shower in the morning will wake you up and get you started for the day. It will also rid you of any stamps you have on your arm and the make up from the night before.

Use social media to get a job

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A quick introduction to social media

Let’s be honest. Most students know how to use social media but here is a quick fact file on “the big three.”

Facebook: With over 800 million active users, Facebook is 5 times bigger than any other social network. Primarily used to maintain contact with friends and stay in the social loop.

Twitter: A conversational platform used by 175 million. Twitter resembles public text messaging system. The latest news and trends can be found here as users report directly on location.

LinkedIn: Considered the definitive professional networking site by 135 million users. It’s the place to be to showcase your talents, network with other individuals and research companies.

Tips to use social media to find a job

Twitter

Let’s begin with Twitter. I have found that by following certain individuals, I’ve become aware of opportunities that I wouldn’t have even caught wind of had I not been active online. These include internships at Channel 4 and SKY.

You see, a lot of employment comes about as a result of your connections (they call it “networking” in the business world). It’s about who you know, how you know them and if you don’t know anyone, find someone who knows the right somebody (you get the gist.)

Now twitter appears on many corporation websites as most of them have an online presence on various social media sites. Many organisations use Twitter, from AT&T to New Look fashion store and even the unlikely, U.S Chamber of Commerce.

Select the organisations you fancy and make a Twitter List, this will help to keep an eye on all of them. Alternatively use hash tags to help locate specific interests.

Facebook

Although Facebook may not be your first stop when trying to apply for a job, there are some organisations that use Facebook as a means to interact with potential employees.

My friends set up a business recently, making African styled accessories. It’s called NyDesigns. In need of a website, they used Facebook as well as other avenues to try and find someone who was skilled in web design. “We’re currently working on a site now and to be honest, we wouldn’t have got this far without the use of Facebook”

If you do want to use your Facebook account as a way of connecting with potential employers, it could be wise to remove any drunken pictures of yourself passed out naked in the street. That usually doesn’t get a good reaction.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is probably the most important form of social media that can prove to be very useful in getting a job. This is very much a professional online environment compared to websites such a Facebook and the now relatively ‘old school’, MySpace.

My lecturer Ola Ogunyemi actually told me that he personally uses LinkedIn to expand his already existing network of professionals. “It helps to increase the opportunities”

LinkedIn allows you to upload your CV and other skills and so can act as a tool to advertise yourself. This makes it easier for employers to find the skills they require in you. To add to this, it also suggests jobs that might be applicable to you.

Social media has been embraced by some organisations and detested by others. It may be wise to spend 15 minutes in between uploading last night’s photos or tweeting about your extreme procrastination, to see what you can access employment-wise on these websites.

 

How to tackle sleep issues at university

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I used to pride myself on living the late nights, whether it be spent partying or just being awake with mates; the ‘uni way of life’. I wore the bags under my eyes with pride, my badges of certified student living. Not anymore!

University is ultimately a place of education, however I noticed that my crazy sleeping patterns were reducing my productivity immensely and caused sleep issues. I may be speaking for myself here; some people can manage to thrive through days on just 4 hours sleep. Not me. So I thought to make a guide on sleep as it’s surprising how such simple task can be so hard to achieve at times.

Ways to get to sleep

1. Tea/Hot Coco

I’ve found that a cup of tea in bed helps me get to sleep much quicker. Especially in such cold conditions, it could be helpful to have something warm in bed to help kick start your dozing. Normal teas like PG, Tetley but I do recommend Red Bush; that does the business.

2. Music or a bland documentary

Since secondary school, I have relied on music to get me to sleep. No matter where I am, if there is a way I can either play my music off my phone or plug my earphones in, I will do it. Create a play-list that has slow and relaxing songs. Another thing is sticking some David Attenborough on, his voice is the next best thing to a lullaby.

Here’s my bedtime playlist. If yours is any sadder and slower than mine, tell us via twitter or post it in the comments box!

 

Tips to wake up

1. Alarm Clock

This is an obvious one that works a treat if you have the most annoying song on as your alarm tone. On days that I know that I have to be up by a certain time, I set at the least 5 different alarms on my phones. Each of these alarms is set at half an hour intervals, with the last two being 15 minutes apart, for what I think, is maximum effect.

My most annoying song at the moment is ‘Gangnam Style’ and prior to that was ‘Call Me Maybe’. What’s yours? Get involved with our poll or tweet us!

2. Curtains

Keeping your curtains open when you go to bed ensures  (granted that your window positioning permits) that light enters your room in the morning. So when you do finally wake up, you don’t wake up to a dark room but the effect of bright lights will help shake the groggy death-like-feeling off quicker.

What to avoid

1. Naps

If you can, please avoid napping. These things are immensely deadly. I discovered that once I took that first nap in the middle of the day here at Uni, my life changed dramatically. My sleeping pattern had no direction and there’d be days that I’d stay up till 7/8 am. Though I was awake, my brain was too scattered to produce any good quality work. So my advice is to avoid naps like the plague if you can’t trust your body clock to operate properly.

2. Eating after 10pm

Okay this is a given. It’s actually a good habit to consider, though the student life may make this harder. No matter how much KFC, Iceland pizza or whatever your flatmates stick under your nose, resist temptation. Personally I’ve realised that when I eat after 10pm I just have unnecessary energy. Not good when you have a 9am lecture the next day. Medically its’s not a wise move either. If you want to lose weight or want a peaceful sleep, eating after 10 messes with your digestive system. This means your body is focused on processing the food rather than resting to sleep.

If you have any tips of methods of your own, please leave them in the comments!

 

How to get cheap healthcare and dentistry

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We are lucky in this country to have a national health service that provides a vast range of treatments, most of them ‘free’ to UK citizens. However I found that when I first went to collect my usual prescription as a university student, I had to pay.  I’d never paid for a prescription before and I wasn’t too keen on making it a habit. So I began a little investigation.

It turns out that a lot of students are unaware of the costs of dentistry and healthcare with many avoiding dentists and GPs simply because they are unsure how to approach it (along with horror stories of huge dentist bills).

Registering for a GP as a student

If you are moving away from your hometown to go to university then you will most likely need to change your GP to a more local one to avoid having to travel home every single time that you get ill.

Lincoln has many NHS run GP’s. Most people just register at the University one however if you’re looking for a private one then it’s a good idea to speak to student support who can give you a list of trusted GPs.

Free Prescriptions as a student

I registered at the university GP and found out that there is a way for students to carry on collecting prescriptions without paying for them.

There is a particular form that I had to fill out called the HC2 form which is issued under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

A prescription can cost over £7.50 every single time and if you are someone that regularly needs it, then you can see the costs add up.

But the benefits of this certificate do not end at free NHS prescriptions. There are more goodies that come with this form.

*Please note that your application for your HC2 certificate is based upon your income and your student loan may be treated as income. In this case you can apply for an HC3 certificate which will give you a smaller discount.

Free/Cheap Student Dentistry

The certificate states that you can also receive “Free NHS Dental treatment”. I called up and visited  numerous dentists (too long to list here) such as All Smiles Dental Practise and Carholme Dental Practise and most of them do permit the HC2 form when signing up to be a patient.  The private ones that I visited such as Lincoln Smile Centre and Oasis Dental Centre still expect the student to pay to be a patient however they did offer some cheaper deals.

Glasses and Contact Lenses

If you need help with new glasses or contact lenses, help with the cost is provided through NHS optical vouchers.  The value of your voucher will depend on your prescription – the person who tests your sight will be able to tell you how much this is.

You can normally use your voucher at any optician, though not all opticians fit contact lenses. The certificate entitles you to the full value of an NHS optical voucher.

Other benefits of the HC2

The form also allows the holder to receive free NHS wigs and fabric supports.

It also helps cover costs of travel to receive NHS treatment.  If you need to travel:

  • in England to receive NHS treatment under the care of a consultant, or through a referral by a doctor or dentist; or
  • in Scotland to a hospital to receive NHS treatment; or
  • in Wales to receive NHS treatment under the care of a consultant

you can get help with the cost of your journey. In England, if you are referred by a doctor or dentist to the same premises but on a different day you can claim for that travel cost.

Apply for an HC2 certificate now >>

Keep in mind that the certificate lasts for a year so you have to renew is as long as your course goes on for.

So there you have it. If you ever get in trouble with your health during your time at university then you need to make sure you get an HC2 form otherwise you could be in big trouble and end up footing a whopping bill.

 

 

 

 

Gay marriage; a step in the right direction

Gay marriage; two words I seem to be hearing a lot lately. I have no problem with this; in fact I applaud the government for finally attempting to enforce equality in such a sensitive area.

However, the issue I do have is the constant need for the word ‘gay’ to be used in front of marriage. If members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) community decided to purchase a car would we call it a ‘gay car?’ Would a gay person go for ‘gay lunch?’

A change is being made, I can see that, but is it enough? Equality represents the state of being equal, in status, rights and opportunities. Of course, we each are individuals, but surely we all have the same basic functions as one another. We all love, feel heartbreak, have crushes, fantasies and attractions; why should it matter who they’re aimed at?

To me it feels natural, like a number of people I fell in love, the only difference is that I fell in love with a girl. This certainly doesn’t make me feel any differently, this is simply who I am.

When people finally stop discriminating and drawing attention to the differences between straight and gay people, maybe then real equality can be achieved.

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