The Class of COVID: Reacting to Cardiff University’s Graduation Plans

An opinion piece by Niladri Singh Rajput Cardiff University recently announced plans for a three day graduation ceremony, taking place at the Principality Stadium in July, for the cohort of 2019-2021. This news, alongside a video teaser of the ceremony on Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs Instagram page, initially got me buzzing and nervous in an excited kind of way. It honestly did feel like the graduation ceremony … Continue reading The Class of COVID: Reacting to Cardiff University’s Graduation Plans

The Best Foodie Gifts to DIY this Christmas

Image by ymkaaaaaa (via Pixabay) By the time Christmas rolls around, many students have blown most of their student budget on one takeaway too many; leaving not much left over for presents. The next loan drop feels very far away, but you donÔÇÖt want to come home with piles of dirty laundry as the only present (Merry Christmas, Mum). If youÔÇÖre in this boat, then … Continue reading The Best Foodie Gifts to DIY this Christmas

The Government Has Quietly Increased Our Student Loan Interest Rates – Here Is Everything You Need to Know

By Eva Rodericks In a closely guarded secret, interest on student loans is increasing from 5.4% to 5.6% from September 2020. Hidden information for most, given that it has barely been reported on, here is everything you need to know about the changes to your student loan.  What is happening?  This change will affect students on the Plan 2 Student Loan Scheme, these are students … Continue reading The Government Has Quietly Increased Our Student Loan Interest Rates – Here Is Everything You Need to Know

Algorithm Aftermath: Shattered A-Levels, Inflated GCSEs & University Chaos

By Sam Tilley The Role of Gavin Williamson The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many areas of life since bursting onto the international scene at the turn of the year. Executives across the spheres of sport, theatre and travel have all been left with various headaches by the restrictions imposed on us by COVID-19; but perhaps no-one was left with a greater migraine than the Secretary … Continue reading Algorithm Aftermath: Shattered A-Levels, Inflated GCSEs & University Chaos

ÔÇ£Why arenÔÇÖt you drinking?ÔÇØ The question everyone asks but no one should have to answer

Disclaimer: I have not done Dry January and I donÔÇÖt intend to stop drinking anytime soon. The cleansing month of January is now over, and so the tolerance for people not drinking alcohol is about to slip away. It seems that the expectation for alcohol consumption always creeps back in after Dry January, but why? I decided to write this article after noticing the reaction … Continue reading ÔÇ£Why arenÔÇÖt you drinking?ÔÇØ The question everyone asks but no one should have to answer

The Freshers’ Pressures and New Anxieties

Here are some amazing students talking about their own experiences dealing with anxiety when moving to Cardiff for uni. If you can relate, we hope you can find comfort in their words… Manavi Mehrotra The idea of college has been so widely painted by movies and TV shows that, much like most things in life, we have a deluded idea of the dream world awaiting … Continue reading The Freshers’ Pressures and New Anxieties

Why Project Semicolon is Still Important

by Hannah Marie Stait   In 2013 a non-profit project was started, something that once a year would bring people together to start the discussion of mental health by drawing a simple mark of punctuation on our skin. A semicolon. The meaning behind the semicolon however is a lot more important than it seems in that throughout the history of Literature an author would use … Continue reading Why Project Semicolon is Still Important

Cooking Survival Guide – 10 Things You Didn’t Know you Could Make with Baked Beans

By Ellie Philpotts Beans, beans, good for the heart. And a lot of other things, apparently. Like, theyÔÇÖre good for conserving precious energy by being such a minimalistic thing to whip up in the kitchen. TheyÔÇÖre good for making you feel like a proper student, when you arrive in halls laden with them. And finally theyÔÇÖre good for… well… writing this article, I guess. You … Continue reading Cooking Survival Guide – 10 Things You Didn’t Know you Could Make with Baked Beans

Freshers’ Food Guide to Cardiff – Round Three

Hangover Haunts By Georgie Bolwell It’s 10 am. You’ve got a raging headache and your mouth feels slightly like something crawled in and died. Last night was incredible. This morning? Not so much. You’re a fresher, it’s what you do, but now you need some way of curing that sore head and quelling that queasy stomach. So where do you go? The Early Bird ÔÇô … Continue reading Freshers’ Food Guide to Cardiff – Round Three

Freshers’ Food Guide to Cardiff – Round Two

CardiffÔÇÖs Caffeine By Georgie Bolwell Coffee is a student staple. Whether it’s a pick-me-up before a 9am lecture, or a reprieve from the rainy weather on an Autumn afternoon, everyone has their favourite cup. So why not check out these little coffee shops around Cardiff and find your ultimate? Costa, SU – First and foremost, a popular choice for students is the Costa next to … Continue reading Freshers’ Food Guide to Cardiff – Round Two

Freshers’ Food Guide to Cardiff – Round One

By Ellie Philpotts International Eating┬á Cardiff is a melting pot of a range of cultures, and with a range of cultures comes a range of great cuisine. If youÔÇÖve moved to Cardiff from another country, youÔÇÖre more than likely to find easy access to food thatÔÇÖll remind you of home, and if youÔÇÖre from round here anyway, itÔÇÖs the perfect chance to widen your palate… … Continue reading Freshers’ Food Guide to Cardiff – Round One

Exploring Cardiff

Whether you’re a budding first year, eager to explore your new home, or a long term resident of our glorious city. Here is a run-down of the best day trips in and around Cardiff! St Fagans St Fagans is a pretty village in the west of Cardiff, a humble 5 miles from student domain Cathays. If youÔÇÖre living in Cardiff (and you probably are if … Continue reading Exploring Cardiff

Pop, Look, Listen, Learn.

AIMEE-LEE ABRAHAM┬áinvestigates the rise of nootropics (‘smart pills’) and the pressures that are influencing students to succumb to their dangerous charms We have reached a point in higher education where courses intended to creatively liberate and intellectually stimulate risk being reduced to exercises in relentless memory retention. Even the attainment of a glowing First will not necessarily suffice in the current economic climate, but we … Continue reading Pop, Look, Listen, Learn.

Two duck lovers walking along a lake

Love Games

Exploring relationship issues at university with someone totally unqualified to do so. I┬áwill make absolutely no pretenses about my credentials as any sort of relationship expert, guru, czar or any other position of relative authority you care to choose. IÔÇÖm also aware that there are many people infinitely more capable of explaining the various vagaries and complexities surrounding romance, a fact that will remain true … Continue reading Love Games

The North-South Divide

    Gravy guzzling Northerner? Or stick-your-pinky-out Southerner?┬áAlex Chapman┬ádiscusses the ongoing feud┬ábetween students either side of Watford Gap in ‘The North-South Divide’ University life is never guaranteed to come without its fair amount of trials and tribulations, from the often crippling amount of coursework and revision to the realisation that, after living like kings for the best part of a fortnight after your loan going … Continue reading The North-South Divide

Hashtag Foodporn

The ‘food’ hashtag on Instagram has over 90 million entries: thereÔÇÖs no doubt that documenting your meals is here to stay. However, is it a trend worth embracing, or should we shun those who dare whip out their phones at the dinner table? Emma Forbes and Britta Zeltmann investigate both sides of the issue. FOR┬áby Emma Forbes┬á LetÔÇÖs discuss the widespread phenomenon of instagramming food. … Continue reading Hashtag Foodporn

Survival of the #Fittest

  As fitness booms throughout social media, Emma Giles questions the development of a new competitive lifestyle, its benefits and possible repercussions in ‘Survival of the #Fittest’ The season of New YearÔÇÖs resolutions and the surge of self-motivational Facebook statuses has (thankfully) well and truly gone. Whilst this is a welcome change to those who realise that they have already broken their resolutions, one thing … Continue reading Survival of the #Fittest

The best way to explore the continent?

Travel writer┬áAnica Whitmore┬átalks us through why InterRailing is becoming the most popular way to get a┬áwhistle stop tour of Europe…┬á Whatever the nature of the trip, whether it is a short summer holiday or a month exploring, InterRailing is becoming increasingly popular with those seeking adventure. One ticket which allows you to freely hop on and off EuropeÔÇÖs trains sounds to me like a perfect … Continue reading The best way to explore the continent?