How to choose a dissertation focus;

Hello my lovely, lovely blog!!

You missed me?

I know I've been on a summer hiatus but I am finally back and better than ever!

So just to keep you updated I've got lots of stuff to tell you about;

• I've turned twenty.
• I've gotten myself an internship in fashion journalism (yay!)
• I'm headed back to university to complete my third year.

Now, I'm sure you know that in third year, you have to complete a dissertation. A dissertation is a large piece of work which can be up to 12,000 words long (wow!), and counts for a lot of your final grade. For me, it's the work I have been dreaded since enrolling in first year. 

But recently, since the dreaded module is getting closer and closer, I've really started looking into my topics and have actually chosen one which I reveal later in the year!

So I thought I'd give you some tips on how to choose a focus for your dissertation...

Do your research

Make sure you research your potential topics to make sure there's plenty of material available about the topic. There's nothing worse than getting passionate about an idea and finding out there's no literature to support it.

Make sure you're interested in the topic

Choose something which ideally, has a lot of literature about it AND that you're really passionate about. Your dissertation is your own study and requires a lot of time and effort so ensure you can be interested in the topic for at least eight months - even though you'll probably hate it by the end. 

Speak to your tutors

If you're still stuck on what you should do for your dissertation, try talking to a tutor about your strengths and interests regarding your topic. My tutor was a huge help when choosing my subject, and gave me lots of information about how to shape my study. 

Start early

I cannot stress this enough! If you have to do interviews or your own research, please start early and get yourself sorted so you aren't panicking at each deadline. I've already started my reading for my lit review and suggest you do too. 

Hopefully you'll take my advice and I hope choosing your topic is a breeze!

Thanks for reading, 

Joanna x

Book review (i): The Devil wears Prada;

Hello Lovelies!

Now if you follow my Instagram you will see that I recently purchased three of Lauren Weisberger's books, 'Everyone worth knowing', 'Revenge wears Prada' and the infamous book turned movie, 'the Devil wears Prada'. Today's review starts with the latter.

This book follows the story of Andrea Sachs, a Brown graduate who is itching to get a job in magazine publishing. She ends up as an editorial assistant at the magazine 'Runway', to the most esteemed fashion mogul, Miranda Priestly. Andrea knows nothing about fashion but gets pulled into the world of designers, skinny women and all things Runway.

Miranda, of course, is not the ideal boss. She's awfully vague, spoilt and adopts a 'holier than thou' attitude throughout, and seems intent on making Andrea's life hell.

If you've watched the film, then you definitely need to read this book, to get a new perspective and relive some of those amazing fashion moments and name drops that every fashion blogger needs to know. Everything is different but still an incredible read.

I couldn't put it down and page after page, I wanted to know more about this 'she-devil' Miranda Priestly. Even though she seemed like the boss from hell, Weisberger still made me feel like that was the kind of environment I wanted to work in and I can't wait to start the next book!

After all, a million girls would kill for that job...


Thanks for reading,



Jx

A day in my life: Day off edition

Hello Lovelies!

Tuesday was my day off this week and since I really want you all to get to know me, I thought I'd show you what I do! 

Breakfast:

Two slices of 50/50 toast with crunchy peanut butter and raspberry jam and a nice cup of tea.

Im not really much of a breakfast person, but I will say that this combination is one of my favourites! Perfect start for my lazy day.

Blogging:

When I have any free time now it's dedicated to writing for you guys! I want to keep my blog flowing and make sure I upload content as much as I can. I currently have over twenty drafts pending and I'm so excited to share them with you all. I use this time to promote my posts on my social media sites (see contact me page) and check the stats and read comments you leave me! 

Skincare:

Even on lazy days, a shower is high up on my priority list, it makes me feel fresh and much better about myself. I exfoliate my face (see skin routine here) and then brush my teeth (mm, minty fresh)! I've decided not wear make up today, to let my skin breathe a little.

Reading: 

I'm currently reading 'the devil wears prada' (review coming Friday!) so I've taken  this day to really get through it. It's so good and I can't put it down! Reading is definitely a big thing on lazy days, as it keeps my brain working even though I'm feeling sluggish. This with a cup of tea and some yummy snacks (banana and peanut butter) is just a day off heaven! 

I also need some suggestions of some books to purchase, any suggestions leave them in the comments!

Elliot's home!

Elliot has been at work today so now he's back its time to chill out and wind down. He's got some university work to do so I take this bit of time to watch some TV and browse social media, (I live on the Internet). I also decided to restart an on line fitness class called Blogilates, created by YouTube fitness guru Cassey Ho. It's so great to get your blood pumping and work on toning your body. 

I love meditation and pilates so I'll try my best to find you guys some tips and tricks to stay flexible and healthy! 

Dinner:

After my workout, I'm starving so it's time for Elliot and I to make dinner. We actually decided on making a veggie curry out of things we found in the fridge! Recipe coming soon!

Bedtime:

Bedtime for us is usually around 11.30pm, we've both got to get up early and one of us doesn't enjoy the mornings *cough* Elliot *cough*, so it's time to settle down. Sometimes we watch a movie, or just do some last minute things ready for the morning. Tonight I'm having an Options hot chocolate so I fall asleep peacefully. Night night x

So there's a basic outline of what I do during a lazy day/ day off! What do you do to relax when you're not working?

Thanks for reading, 

Jx

How to get a good night's sleep;

Hello Lovelies!


Now, as a young teenager, sleep was not my friend. I was one of those people who stayed up until 2-3am and woke up at 7am to go to sixth form. It was unhealthy and caused a lot of grief when I was rushing around the house looking for things when I'd overslept - admit it, we've all been there!

I have realised now how important a good night's sleep is and here's some tricks I used so I have a great night's sleep.


1.) Hot drinks

If you're into herbal teas, like me,camomile tea can knock you out! Having one of these in bed will make you drift off into a peaceful sleep in no time. I suggest going to Holland and Barrett and having a good root around their shelves to find the perfect blend for you. My personal favourite is their 'Night time' blend, but there's lots to choose from! However if you're not into herbs, don't fret! I've also heard that a hot chocolate or warm milk will do the trick too!

2.) Get up early

The early bird catches the worm! Getting up early means you make more of the daylight hours and tire yourself out so when it's time for bed you'll be out like a light! This will boost your productivity and you'll feel accomplished everyday.

3.) Go outside

I don't know about you, but fresh air makes me so sleepy! Since working outside is quite a big part of my job description at the safari park, I've been sleeping so much better. So go outside, walk the dog, go for a run, walk into town! Get yourself out in the fresh air and sleep like a baby afterwards!


There's some things I use to make sure I get enough beauty sleep! Hope these tips help and you feel so much more rested! If you've got any more tips for me, don't hesitate to comment below or get in touch!


Thanks for reading!



Jx

photo from indulgy.com

Things to learn before you move out:

Hello Lovelies!

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, I will be moving back to Liverpool to continue my studies. I'm really looking forward to moving back to a city where I can focus on studying and enjoy living life as a second year student!

Although there are a few things I've had to learn before I branch out and start a new chapter of living alone, so I thought I'd depart my wisdom onto any of you wonderful first years and people who are moving away from Mum and Dad and start independence.

1.) Remember to sort out your finances. You're paying for everything now so you've gotta make sure you've got enough for food, commuting to uni and paying rent. Don't get caught out at the train station or in the restaurant eating your food without money.

2.) Don't forget to learn how to wash your clothes. You will look gross if you're going out with soy sauce / chocolate/ blood on your shirt (what you do on your own time is your business).

3.) Learn to say no, You can't do everything and you've got to make sacrifices in order to live a life within your means. If your friends want to hang out, suggest coming round to yours and having a night in, it 's cheap and fun too!

4.) Be handy. If something breaks, try to learn how to fix it (unless you could get electrocuted - then hire someone or tell your landlord).

5.) Find hobbies. Living alone, like myself, means you've got a lot of time to kill. Do your uni work, watch TV that you enjoy, read books! Maybe even start something creative, a project maybe?

6.) Get to know your city/town. Walk around and get to grips with where you live. Where to go, where not to go, where's cheap, where isn't. The better you know your city, the safer and more at home you'll feel.

Hopefully this will help you guys with moving away and make preparing for the process as easy as possible!

Thanks for reading!


Jx

I survived my first year of uni;

Hello Lovelies!

Just a little post today about my overall opinion of my first year at Edge Hill University. As most of you know, I study Public Relations there, which is endlessly interesting and informative and makes me so happy (most days). I felt quite a few emotions throughout my year at uni, but it ended for the better.

I enjoyed living with people from different places and picking up words from different dialects. We had some amazing nights out in Alpine (the coolest club in Ormskirk), went dancing in Superstar Boudoir and Baa Bar. I smile while I think of how much fun I'm going to have with these amazing people next year!

So here's a thank you to...

Beth J, Beth P-J, Chloe, Caroline, Lore, Holly, Caitilin, Izzy and everyone else in the PR class who made me feel so welcome and made me laugh throughout!

See you all in September!



Jx

Life update;

Hello Lovelies!

Just a quick update to say what I'll be doing in August.

I am a subscriber of PRexamples.com and their CEO has organised an event for practitioners and other students to socialise and create contacts.

And I'm going!!


I'll be blogging about it and finally getting back into my passion of PR!

I'm so excited and I can't wait to share it all with you! If you're also going please don't hesitate to contact me!

Thanks for reading!


Jx


Enquiries: diaryofa-prgirl@outlook.co.uk
Twitter: @joanna22x
Instagram: @jo_annaxiourouppa