A Student's Guide To Effective Time-Planning

Since I started university, I have to admit that I'm not as organised as I once was. Getting up at 9am is such a struggle and gym?! Pffff what's a gym?! All I knew during my first year of uni was work and lectures, work and lectures... and then just work. I got lazy and would stay in bed all day, do homework at the last minute and go to the gym once in a blue moon (hands up if this sounds like you), which is the complete opposite of what I used to be like! I didn't even go out partying (WHAT?!)! So this month I decided to become a little bit more proactive with my time-planning so that I could have time to study AND play. And guys, it's been working!

Below is a timetable I've come up with to help me plan my week more effectively and efficiently (it's a lot so take a few minutes to take it all in). Keep reading to find out how I decided to allocate my time in the most useful way!

• Must-haves: Everyone has the things that they must do during the week. Your's might be school, a job, homework etc etc. Mine were going to my lectures, so I scheduled these in first, and doing my homework assignments. On average, it takes me 1 hour to do 10 questions (that's Maths for you) and normally for one assignment, I'll get 20-30 questions. So for each class, that's 2-3 hours of homework. I have 4 classes so that's 8-12 hours of homework each week, give or take. I've also scheduled in some Extra Homework sessions, just in case I miss one earlier in the week, or if I have more homework than usual. Figure out how long it normally takes you to do a piece of homework so you schedule in enough time. I also have a kick-boxing class which I get credit for, however, it's not on campus, so I have to make sure I allocate enough time to get there and back before my next activity (make sure you remember to do this if you need to as well!).

• Needs: So, I don't know about you, but I LOVE my sleep. So much so, that if I don't get my 8 hours, it's VERY unlikely I'll get up on time the next day. So the next thing I scheduled in was bedtime (I'm still working on this though!). However, everyone's different; some people only need 6 hours of sleep and they'll be fine the next morning! Take some time to find out how much sleep you can properly function on, then schedule that in. 

• Wants: Here's where gym fits in, because it's not a necessity but I really enjoy going to the gym and want to get healthier. BUT I know there are some people who need to go to the gym for 2 hours a day, every day, every week. If you're one of those people, make sure you schedule this in with your 'Needs' section, to make sure you allocate enough time for it! 

• Clubs & societies: If you are apart of any extra-curricular activities, like cross-country running, football, theatre rehearsals etc etc, you'd want to schedule this in with your 'Needs' also. However, there are often times when if things do overlap, you can alternate between weeks. I am apart of the Black Student Union and also apart of Aggie Radio, and their meetings happen to fit in nicely with everything else! 

• Religious activities: Now, certainly not everyone will need or even want to put this into their schedule, but if you do go to Church or Temple, then make sure you put this in your 'Must-haves' or 'Needs' section.

• Food, hanging out & naps: All the blank spaces are for going to lunch/dinner, hanging out with my friends or having a nap (because it's true, sometimes you really need them!). 

Tip: If you normally roll out of bed 20 minutes before your lecture, make sure you have prepared everything the night before. This means packing your bag, laying your clothes out, putting your make-up out in order (so you're not fumbling around trying to find your eyeliner) and making a quick breakfast. It only takes me 5 minutes to do this before I go bed and it saves me so much time in the morning!

Et voila! Make a schedule one week and really try to stick to it! You just might be pleasantly surprised with how much you can get done!

DIY | Quick & Easy Donuts!

Quite possibly the yummiest post on Love, Lois Layne so far! My roommate decided she wanted to make donuts (doughnuts?? Oh well) on Sunday morning after a weekend of partying. It's safe to say they were scrumptiously yummy!

You will need:

• Buttermilk biscuit pre-made rolls
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence 
• 1 cup Caster Sugar
• 3 tablespoons water or milk
• 1/2 bottle vegetable oil
• Your favourite toppings such as Nutella, Sugar, Peanut Butter

To make the donuts:

To make the frosting: Take the caster sugar, vanilla and water and mix together until it becomes a silky liquid! 

Now just take your frosting and toppings and pop 'em onto your donuts! Nom nom nom nom nom. 

How To Save For A Trip

"I can't because I've got no money." 

How many of us have said that before? It's a sad fact that many people believe they can't go travelling, or even on a holiday, because they don't have a wad of spare cash lying about. Yes, travelling and holidaying can be expensive but if you really want to do it, you can. There's nothing stopping you except yourself! I'm not saying go and take out an overdraft or a credit card. No no, that's definitely not the way, I vowed to myself I'd never get into debt- bar my student loan, because that's enough in itself, isn't it?- especially to travel. 

So here are 9 ways people I know and myself have saved cash to go travelling:

• Get a Christmas temp job- When you first get to uni, a lot of stores would have already began hiring christmas temps. I applied really early, the end of August to be precise, and after around 30 applications, finally got an interview at John Lewis. Yes, it's time consuming and applications are long but THINK OF THE MONEY. Remember: Christmas is one of the easiest times to get a job because virtually everywhere need extra staff! I worked from November until January, around 16-20 hours a week (plus overtime) and earned between £6-7 per hour. A lot of people think they can't work and study at the same time, but if you're organised and determined to reach your goals, you can do anything.

• Tutor- If you're good at something, use it. I'm good at Maths, so in January I decided instead of applying for more jobs, I'd just tutor. I posted my profile on TutorHunt and an ad on Gumtree. I got so many responses! January is the prime time for tutors because people are thinking "crap, I need to work harder" so use it to your advantage. I have 8 students, work 12 hours a week and charge £15-20 an hour. In short, it worked out better for me than a normal retail job because I got higher wages and worked less hours.

• Alcohol? Bleugh- A lot of my friends ask me how I've saved enough money to go on so many holidays. Well, the truth of it is, I rarely go out. My party girl days are over (I can't believe I'm saying that at 18). Whilst the rest of my friends are spending their student loan on partying, alcohol and other substances which shall not be named, I'm jetting off somewhere! Go ahead, go out and enjoy yourself, but do it in moderation. A test: Take one month off from heavy drinking, partying and eating out. You'll be surprised to see how much you've saved! 

• Go on a study abroad/exchange- Every year the government offers a certain number of places for undergrads to study abroad, often during Easter. They pay for everything bar flights and visas, but you can always ask your Study Abroad office whether they can help with additional funding. On the other hand, most uni's also offer exchange programmes to countries all around the world. It usually varies depending on your department but if you do get accepted, you can also apply for a travel grant via Student Loan. Depending on your household income, the government may pay for up to 3 return flights from the UK and help with any additional fees such as vaccinations. Also, have a look at ERASMUS- I'm sure everyone would have heard of it before, even if you don't know what it actually is!

• Intern- There are HUNDREDS of internships abroad. If you're signed up to Prospects or TargetJobs you'll always get emails about them. The great thing about internships is that they're usually paid and some companies even offer accommodation for the duration of the intern. Best of all you have your weekends free to do what you want using the money you've earned!

• Get a TEFL qualification- If you're thinking about staying in one place for a month or more, I'd definitely suggest teaching English. A lot of countries, especially in Asia, want more English teachers so there's always vacancies. The course is often expensive and will require a few hours dedication a week but if you look on deal sites like kgbdeals, Groupon and WOWcher, you'll find them for a fraction of the cost. I got mine for £29 and it was originally £524- did someone say BARGAIN?!

• WWOOF!- If you don't mind some hard graft every now and again, you could try WWOOF-ing! It's essentially where you work on a farm and in exchange for 4-6 hours hard work, you get accommodation and food. Excellent for when you're strapped for cash! You can do this pretty much anywhere in the world and the time you spend there is negotiated with your host, so it's perfect if you're only somewhere for a short time. When Nile and I go on our year abroad, we will most definitely be doing this to save money!

• Leading on from WWOOF-ing, Volunteer. When I first started looking at volunteering I was shocked to see how much I would have to pay to volunteer. I mean isn't the whole point of volunteering so that it's virtually for nothing??? Anyway, a friend pointed me to Original Volunteers which is a LOT cheaper than most volunteering sites. STA travel also do packages which vary in price, but some are very unique and can't be found anywhere else. I've also found loads of wildlife centres in Africa who offer the whole package (accommodation, on-ground transport, food etc) for helping out at the centre. A must for animal lovers. Have a look around online, you'll definitely find something.

• Au Pair- If you're good with kids, this is definitely for you and NO it's not just for girls. There are loads of sites for Au Pairing internationally. The best way is to search for your host countries agencies, but you can also do it privately- just make sure you know the requirements to work in the country. Normally, your host family will provide accommodation, food and flights from your home country. Sometimes they even offer you a car and your own apartment! (But that's very rare). You also get a weekly wage which, since everything is pretty much paid for already, is just pocket money to you! 

How To Save Money In Paris

As mentioned in A Guide To Paris, we spent £1,100 in Paris. For a 5-day trip, that's £110 per person per day for everything, which considering we went between Christmas and New Year's, isn't THAT bad.

Still it would have been even more if I hadn't tightened the purse strings. Here's my 7 money saving tips when in Paris, because after all, it is bloody expensive.

• Book a 'secret' hotel package- This just means you don't know what hotel you are staying in until you've paid. We booked with lastminute.com and our flight and hotel came only to £420 for the 5-days. You know the rating of the hotel and area it is in- that's it. For us, we got lucky and loved our hotel, but beware, you might end up less than satisfied.

• Buy a 'carnet' of tickets- I would say that the best way to see Paris is by foot, so apart from getting into the centre, you don't need to use that much transport. A carnet is a book of 10 single tickets and costs around €13. We only needed 2 carnets because as mentioned we walked a lot. Depending on your itinerary you may need up to 3 each a day, but I would say that's the max. 

• Choose the set menu- There's nearly always a set menu in most restaurants which offer a starter, main and dessert for a lower cost than buying them separately. The price varies depending on what kind of restaurant you go to, but the average one along the street (bar Champs-Elyees) would set you back around €25. Drinks are really what eat up your budget, so when eating out, drink as little as possible. 

• Buy breakfast from local shops around your hotel- We bought brioche and croissants every morning from a shop next to our hotel. It was cheap, it was French, it was delicious. 

• Skip the Eiffel Tower- Whilst it isn't THAT expensive (around €12 each to go up to the 2nd floor) it isn't that amazing either. As mentioned in A Guide to Paris, the Sacré Coeur is the highest point in Paris and has the best views, so apart from taking a picture next to it, skip the Eiffel.

• Most museums and attractions are free to those under 26- If you're a student (or a young buck), milk it. You're not paying 9 grand a year for no privilages. You need to bring your passport and still wait in line to get a ticket, but most lines move quickly and IT'S FREE! Need I say more?

• Look around for deals- Everyone who knows me, knows how organised I am and how obsessed I am with planning, so I do a lot of research before going away. I came across ComeToParis and fell in love with their deals. I bought our cruise from here and our Cabaret at the Lido. If we had more money and time, we definitely would have done more.

And that's it! Feel free to share your tips below with other readers!