Living in student digs.

You may know by now, I'm a student. If you didn't, you know now.

I'm in the inbetween of living arrangements. I don't live at home, though I do treat my mums like a hotel the nights I don't have to go back to uni, nor do I live alone.

I live in private accomodation, which to me, is the greatest way to spend university life. It has the benefits of living alone:

• Option to have quality alone time if you want.
• You get to do whatever you want, with whomever you want - within reason.
• It's a great way to meet new people in a new area (especially when you're in an unfamiliar place, like I was.)
• Ensuite anyone?
• You can shower at ANY time. This doesn't seem like a dealbreaker but the amount of times I've had a 2am shower without having to worry about waking anyone up.
• Stay up until whenever.

It also has the home away from home feeling:

• You're never really alone, you always have your flatmates.
• Don't have to worry about paying bills every month - Most student halls/private accomodation ask for termly payments when your loan goes in, so once it's paid for, you're covered for heat, water, lighting and most importantly, internet.
• Home cooking...kindov - Some student halls are catered so you don't have to worry about cooking anything.
• Me and my flatmate still get our parents supplying food sometimes. There's something about halls that console parents that we haven't completely flown the coop. (Though, me and my friend are useless for food. We'll live off ready meals if you weren't being supplied actual meat.)

Most importantly though, living in halls whether for one year or for your entire course, makes the change from living with parents to living independantly a little bit easier.

Do you live in student halls? Have you but you now live alone? Let me know if you agree/disagree and explain why. Feedbacks nice.

Pets as Therapy.

A couple of months ago, when I was traveling back to Liverpool from university, I met a woman with her dog. Now, being a serious animal lover, I can barely resist the temptation to go over and stroke any dog within a 5 mile radius.

Seriously, it's a bit of a problem.

This time, I'm extremely glad I did. The lady was more than happy for me to stroke her dog, which looked like a Jack Russell cross, for anyone who wants specifics. The dog was wearing a neon green jacket, with a slogan on it, and when I asked about it, she told me she was a volunteer at a charity called Pets as Therapy.

Now, I hadn't heard of this before, but the title gives a little away about what it does, and animals as a form of therapy is ingenious to me. I have a dog, and just seeing her cheers me up when I'm at my lowest.

This lady and her dog had been to see some kids at hospital, and apparently the kids love it. And why shouldn't they! Unless you were terrified of dogs, seeing one is sure to cheer you up? Am I right?

This charity intrigued me, and being a journalist, (sort of) I instantly wanted to write about it, and the idea has been pestering me until now, now I'm finally writing about it.

I thought it was just dogs that traveled to all these places where they are needed but no, cats go to. At the moment there are 4,500 active P.A.T dogs and 108 P.A.T cats going around the UK visiting the sick and the disabled.

The places they go are:

• hospitals
• hospices
• nursing homes
• residential homes
• day care centres
• care homes
• special needs schools
• mainstream schools

and wherever else they are invited.

Some volunteers do some therapeutic work with stroke victims and those who have dog phobias, and there is now a READ 2 DOGS programme, which helps encourage those children who are struggling or reluctant to read. 

 These incredible animals and their volunteer owners visit a total of 130,000 people a week, which works out at 6.75 million people a year, which is increasing due to the rising awareness.

Since it's inception in 1983, there have been a total of 23,000 therapy dogs. Once it's time for them to retire, another willing volunteer steps in to help and they undergo several tests to make sure they are up to the job. They go through temperament testing, and are vaccinated, and their owners are taught how to deal with everyone they meet.

Children and young adults are encouraged to join into this charity, with the Pets as Therapy Jr Club. They get involved in the work and learn about the charity as a whole, about the community and also learn how to be a responsible owner in an enjoyable way.

This charity is such a good idea because it connects those who are visited with home comforts, especially if they have an animal at home they miss, which sometimes can help speed up recovery.

And I'm not alone in thinking this is such a good charity. Well known faces like Matt Baker, Clare Balding and Joanna Lumley have shown their support for this and so can you.

You can donate online at: https://www.cafonline.org/system/Charity-profile.aspx?friendlyUrl=Pets-as-Therapy through Charities Aid Foundation.

You can also contact the charity directly using any of these methods: http://www.petsastherapy.org/ and you can take part in fundraising, events, donations or even become a volunteer yourself.

Or you can just mention it in passing to others, because they may know of somewhere that would benefit a lot from this charity.

Heard of this charity, like the idea or hate that i wrote about it?

Comment/Explain/Post guys.

Dating Sites: The Ones That Have A Go.

Online dating sites are addicting. I'm obsessed with it, and I've only been active on it for about 12 hours. It's nice how many people have emailed, or said YES on the Meet Me page, but at the moment I'm not really responding. I need to sort out what I'm actually on there for, other than to categorise people.

I am only emailing this one lad. Hes cute. I must be careful :) Oh! And he's just this second emailed me back.

See!! Addicting!

Back to the purpose of this entry.

You might have seen in previous posts, that I have found different categories of guys on this dating site. I'm not saying these are the be all and end all of all the personalities on there, just to be clear. It's more based on first impressions than anything.

Today...

The Blatantly Have Made An Effort guys AKA Seemingly genuine guys.

The previous posts have basically had a go at the lads that put pictures of their buff body parts as their display picture, and have had terrible headlines. So these are the guys that seem to just do it right.

Their picture is a smiley webcam one, with no poses to make themselves seem cooler, or even group photographs out with friends. These are nice, and not to be underestimated. A picture surrounded by friends says a lot. It says your comfortable enough with your appearance and it shows friends are important to you. Personally, this is a big deal. I wouldn't like a guy to ditch his friends to spend time with me, because I would be expected to return the favour. That's just not something I'm cool with. 

The headlines tend to be well thought out. A cheeky joke that doesn't insult anyone in any way, and doesn't fail to make you smile. Spelling and grammar are correct. This sounds pedantic, but really, you're trying to sell yourself, in what is basically an advert. If you can't be bothered taking the time to correct a few mistakes, I can't be bothered sending you a message.

A simple picture of you being yourself, with a nice, well thought out line that gives out a little bit of personality, goes a long way.

And, I guessing, they get the most responses?

Grammar nerds are everywhere, and there are more of us than you realise :)

Agree? Disagree?

Please A/D/E/P Agree/ Disagree/Explain/Post in the comments.

Dating sites: The Blatently Fake Ones.

Joining me now? Skip back two posts and start from the beginning or your going to think I write jibberish.

I'm just going through categories I've found on a dating site I've joined, so see you in a bit :)

Okay, where we're we. Oh yes, group 2.
 

THE PHOTOSHOPPED TO AN INCH OF THEIR LIVES guys AKA Fake guys.

Now, today we have a society that does everything online. Makes friends online. Finds future husbands online. Gets medical help online. Improves appearance online.

Photoshopping yourself to make your self look super pore-less and perfectly tanned for your online friends is one thing, but fellas, if you are actually hoping to meet "the one" on these websites, be yourself. Be yourself in your messages, but also in your pictures. 

I'm not just going to pick on peoples choices of photographs on this run down of catagories, trust me, and it's not all going to be negative but at the moment, this is what I'm focusing on first, because it's what people everywhere notice first.

Its those first impressions cropping up again.

Don't do this to yourself! Don't put a picture of yourself up, that doesn't look like you, because you're going to cause yourself unnecessary stress. How can you put a perfected picture of yourself out there, get a date and not worry about not living up to what you've provided so far. Save yourself the turmoil. Get a normal, everyday picture of yourself, and just stick it up. That way, you haven't given "viewers" someone your not, and you get to look forward to your date, instead of spending hours putting man pore cream on. And I know some of you do it. And good for you. Just don't do it when you have other things to be nervous about. Like is this person going to be your future? Another thing with putting a normal picture of yourself up, aside from stressing out about living up to it, you'll actually get girls and guys getting in touch because they're interested in the real you, and surely that seems more genuine, than going for a pore-less tanned super man.

Also in this category? Photoshopping yourself into difference scenery to make yourself more interesting. Don't. Because it's obvious and, even if you do trick someone into thinking it's real, you're not exactly going to be compatible are yo?

Example I've seen: A guy photoshopped himself into a snowy mountain scene. Could attract the healthy outdoors type, true, but is that really the best thing when your idea of an adventure is traveling to an away football game, not climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. 

That's enough for this one. I'm going to mention the good categories next I think or you'll all think I bitch a moan all the time.

I do need to make a point here too. I am not on this website to slate people using it, I am using it for curiosity reasons, this is just something on the side.

Just like last time, feel free to comment and slate, just D/E/P. Disagree/Explain/Post.

Dating sites: The arrogant ones

This is the first in a string of 'types' I have found with browsing an online dating site. Everyone knows first impressions are everything, and in the world of online dating, common sense suggests that it applies more so here. How else are the opposite sex (or same sex) going to give you another look if the first one is terrible.

On the Meet Me section, these 'types' are apparent, because you only get the photo, headline, what they're looking for and basic details (age and location), which made it very easy to sort out the first impression catagories. Read and learn guys and girls.

There are two parts to this one.

It's called arrogance.

PART 1: The 'there's a reason your single and it's apparent from your picture' guys. AKA. Muscle guys. 

These are the guys that either have pictures of just their bulging biceps as their display picture, or have their shirts lifted up to show off their "amazing" abs.

Okay guys, we appreciate the view, but really, the amount of times I personally have hit NO straight away because I've seen one of these pictures. If you want to show off what your packing, feel free. Just don't do it on your display picture. Do it on your follow up pictures. Otherwise, it gives off that you think your body is the only thing a girl, or guy is interested in. Never mind personality. Sure, you might be a great guy, but I am not going to look any further if this is all you think I want to see. A picture of you smiling at a webcam or with your friends is nice enough. Is that too much to ask?

Now, I realise I'm aiming this all at men, but I only see their profiles so I can only go by them. I know though, that the guys must get lots of breast and arse action on their Meet Me pages, and ladies, if your looking for a long time boy, your not going to get one with everything hanging out. No judgement, but it's true.

PART 2: The 'is this really going to be a good headline for you?" guys. AKA Words Say It All guys.

Words say it all, and not in a good way. For those not familiar with online dating sites, you get given a headline, which is meant to grab peoples attention but basically just says things about your personality.

These guys are the ones that suggest they're the greatest. My favourite at the moment went as far as to say that women should stop looking now since they'd found him. Needless to say, I carried on. Don't be patronising in these headlines, because sometimes they say more about you than a display picture does. And if there's a lone bicep picture combined with an egotistical headline, and you're looking forward a future mother to your children, you're not going to get very far, are you.

Personally, I've found intentions are a good way to go. Or even a witty joke. My favourite, though silly, is "What do horses eat?"

An ice breaker and a greeting in one. Can't go wrong with that.

Feel free to slam this post btw, opinions are welcome. But don't just have a go for the sake of it. If you disagree D/E/P. Disagree/Explain/Post.

Online Dating Sites

If anyone reads this regularly, which I doubt but I live in hope, you will know I am 20 years old.

If you don't read this regularly and this is your first time to this page, welcome!! And I am 20 years old.

21 in November.

But you don't need these specifics.

Back to the point at hand.

At my age, in my own little world, I am happy to be single. The idea of dating makes me nervous and so I try to stay away from anything that could lead to the awkward situation of me having to say the words; "it's not you, its me, I'm a dating-phobe."

That's a medical term, you can look it up.

...

Don't. It's not really.

However, several of my friends, at a similar age to me, have joined this website called POF. (Is it breaching anything if I write the full name? I won't, just in case it is.)

It's an free internet dating site, and so far I have heard great things about it. So obviously, my curious mind persuaded my logical mind to join up.

There's a feature on this site called Meet Me. It gives you photos of people on the website in your age range and you can select YES MAYBE and NO.

It's the epitome of the internet. Flicking through potential boyfriends in seconds, survival of the fittest. Literally. The fittest ones according to you are the only ones that make it.

Now, I've been properly on this website, picture up and everything, for about half and hour and in such a short space of time I have figured a few things out:

1) A surprising amount of guys my age are on that website.
2) There a several different types on this website. As in categories. And I'm going to list them as I find them. Every day.


So, what did I find with this website?

I can't speak for all dating sites, but it's addictive. Worryingly so. I've checked my "viewed you" page about 10 times in 20 minutes since I got my picture up, telling myself it was to see the difference from when there wasn't one, but really we all know it's for my own vanity. Users of these sites may need to be careful to not base their own feelings of self worth on comparing how many inboxes they get to every viewing.

Like I said earlier, it's something everyone on the site does. Skips through to find their own preferences. I wouldn't take it personally. It's speed dating, without the awkward 5 minutes of conversation. You don't have to sit there debating on whether you like them or not, it's a split second decision, and we know that you'll be hitting the back button on your browser after looking at someones profile too.

The amount of times I have hit no on the Meet Me page is becoming ridiculous, so much so that it would be hypocritical of me to become offended at any lack of inboxes from "viewers". And besides, if I do like the look of someone, I'm sure as hell not going to write to them first, so that could be happening on the guys end too.

Basically, don't get too wrapped up in who's viewing you. If you want to do the whole online dating thing, go for it with guns blazing. Hit as many no's as you have to find some yes's. And if there's no responses from those yes's, move on. There's plenty more fish in the sea after all ;)