My fear of learning to drive and how to prepare for learning to drive

Hello world! Firstly an apology for the lack of posts, I am currently in the middle of looking for a job/attempting to start my own business/dealing with life as an adult but hopefully I will be able to work out some sort of schedule for posting now that the summer is over - especially now that all of my tv shows have finished.

Speaking of being an adult, I recently decided to over come my fear and learn to drive and today was the first day of just that! I have always hesitated and found excuses to avoid learning to drive, whether its that I can't afford to learn or I'm at university to don't need to learn or even that I just simply don't have the time...to be honest...none of these excuses were technically good enough at the time. Starting with ordering a provisional licence and then contacting an instructor through a recommendation I soon found myself sat in the drivers seat of a car. After hearing a whole number of different stories I didn't know what to expect but it was alright in the end I guess, its only been a few hours and I still can't decide how I felt about it but I do feel better for doing it. My instructor was very understanding of my nervous, patient and was happy to go over things multiple times so I thought I would put together some sort of guide for those who share my feelings about learning to drive!

First things first...get a provisional licence! Once you have one then you have 10 years to learn how to drive aka, convince yourself that it is a good idea before you are required to order a new one.

Next step...choose a driver based on someones recommendation, ask around, email a few drivers and be open about how you're nervous to learn - there are drivers out there that specialise in nervous drivers for this very reason. Ask the instructor what happens during your first potential lesson with them to get an idea of their methods and whether being thrown into the deep end is the best way for you or like me going at a much slower pace.

Once you have chosen and booked a lesson with them its a good idea to ask your relatives and friends that drive about driving. Knowing about a car and the basic mechanics and noises surrounding the car can really help a fear because it gives you a greater understanding of something your unsure about. You could even spend some time studying and take your theory test so that you understand the rules of the road however it isn't a must have thing for learning to drive you just can't take your practical exam without taking your theory exam.

The night before your lesson get some sleep! There's nothing worse than making your mental state worse with added tiredness.

On the day...
- Eat a proper breakfast no matter how nauseous your nerves make you
- Choose some flat and comfortable shoes - trainers or converses would be ideal
- If you need glasses then remember to take them
- Take a small bottle of water
- Don't forget your provisional licence as your instructor will want to see this
- Get them to pick you up from your home to avoid what could be a potentially stressful environment
- During the lesson remember to ask any questions that you might have no matter how silly it may seem - one of my first questions included has anyone ever crashed during a lesson.
- Get yourself a treat such as chocolate or sweets that you can eat after the lesson almost like a reward

Your instructor will most likely drive you to a large open space with few or no cars, they will then spend time going over the controls, experiencing a purposeful stall, how to use the mirrors and answering any questions you might have before getting you to try driving. My instructor didn't even let me go much above 5mph or turn any corners my lesson simply consisted of driving in a single direction, changing seats, being turned around and then driving straight again. She also reassured me that we wouldn't be going onto a busy road in the second lesson either.

Try and arrange your next lesson whilst your still sat in the car at the end whilst your still feeling good about your first lesson, this way you will get rid of any time you may have to panic or freak out and essentially avoid booking a second lesson.

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Social Anxiety

So this blog post is more of a serious topic, I am quite a shy person and just over a year ago I was diagnosed with social anxiety. This is something I have had to deal with all my life along with many other people, it made school life really hard as I found it hard to talk to new people and when I did make friends, after a while I would become very paranoid which made me feel like they didn't really want to be my friends and that they were simply putting up with me. When I got to college life didn't become any easier as I was placed into a class of just guys and then little old me and considering I only had one friend whom went to a different college I became very lonely.

During this time at college I quit my job working at a hotel because my boss was a terrifying person, which again made my life easier as she accused me of being rude and various other things simply because I didn't say hi to her each day. So I left my hotel job to work in a cafe that was just starting up, everyone that worked there turned out to be lovely and 3 years down the line I am still working there between my studies at university.

Ok so that was a lovely story but what was your point Sammy? I am saying that as terrifying as getting a job, one of which consistently required endless amounts of socialisation with the customers each and every day it was one of the best things I could have possibly done. My confidence improved and I soon found that my day was basically scripted, greeting each customer with the same "Hello how are you today?" taking their order and then saying goodbye. Because of working at this cafe in such a friendly environment I gained the confidence to go to university, even though I panicked several times during the summer period before leaving home and cried on the first night after being dropped off by my parents because of how terrified I was about doing the whole social, club nights, drinking thing. The fact that I didn't drink and had never been to a party/club didn't help but I can honestly say, being sat here now 3 years down the line and about to graduate I am so proud of myself for doing it. I have a great group of friends who are in the complete know about my paranoia and will listen to me and re-assure me that I am crazy when I do freak out.

So for anyone who is in a similar situation to what I was 3 years ago I advise you to make the jump and to get a job and go to university as you will find people that understand you and how you feel. I don't feel like I am in a situation of telling people what to do I just remember feeling so crappy and scared about things and so I'm simply saying that life can get better.

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Things I learnt as a student

I worked out this morning, whilst in the shower that I am now just over half way into my third and final year of university so here is a few things that I have learnt over these 3 years about life as a student.

1- Judgement free zone - When you first start uni you soon discover that it is a judgement free, care free zone, people honestly don't care if you turn up to class in a onesie, if you decide to spend the day in bed watching Netflix, people are understanding and they won't question either of these things.

2- A place for everyone - Whether you just want to get your head down and spend the three years working or if you want to go out and party every night of the week even if you have an exam the next day there will be other people that will be doing the same thing as you. Saying that, this is where societies also come into place; you name it and there will be a society for it, a place for potterheads, photographers, bakers, gamers.

3- Yik Yak is the place to be - Yik Yak is the place full of all of the campus gossip and where rumours are made, you hear all sorts of different confessions about what happened the night before on there and it can be a brilliant read whilst enduring the bus ride to campus.

4- Jobs aren't all that whilst your studying - Its the time when you want to be making the most of your life as you have minimal responsibilities and your a student so people don't have high expectations from you for anything. If you can afford to live off of your student loan then do and if you do have a job then make sure your employer is understanding enough to let you have less shifts when your deadlines start to build up.

5- Organisation is key - Everyone has their own ways of being organised, some have diaries, some have to-do lists but during your time at university I have found that having these things make life a whole lot easier. I currently have a calendar on my wall, a calendar on my laptop and phone, a list of deadlines on my wall, a smaller list of important dates coming up in the next 2 months on a whiteboard. You can get good grades, enough sleep and a decent social life you just have to plan ahead!! Not to say that I stick to my plans but its a start...

6- We all need Netflix - Netflix is the one to have, someone is always talking about what they watching on Netflix last night and it can be a great conversation starter. It might just be because I am a media student but my lecturer in first year started every session having a chin wag with us all about what happened on Breaking Bad.

7- Make the most of your uni life - Everyone says this before you go to uni and I can honestly say I agree with them. If your in a different part of the country to your home town then explore the area, meet new people, travel the world, binge watch your favourite movies. My housemates and I spent our first year hosting 'shit movie nights' where we would watch movies that had a rating of 3 or below on Imdb.

8- Choose your housemates wisely - the number of people I know that after living in halls in first year with people who they became very close to that are no longer living together is crazy. My house got lucky and I have been living with the same people for the entire 3 years because we just get on so well, sure we have our ups and downs but its because we get on so well that we get over them.

9- Student accomodation is...interesting - First year is halls, the best year for getting to know new people and being able to rely on a cleaner and knowing you'll always have wifi, hot water and central heating but...the cleaner will only clean if its clean already...yes I quite literally mean what it says. Our cleaners were really fussy, if the bins hadn't been taken out or if the dishes were still out on the side then rather than cleaning it we would receive a written warning...3 warnings and the entire block gets a fine.  Independent student housing is still great because you've chosen who you wish to live with this time but thats when the arguments come in...how much do you have the heating on? When is it the right time of year to turn the heating on? The house very quickly becomes a tip and slightly drafty...walls are paper thin meaning you hear EVERYTHING and the landlord tends to be a bit of an asshole so it takes a lot of messaging to get anything fixed (took us a year to get 1 of our showers fixed).

10 - You'll get sick of people asking you what your plans are for after graduation

But most of all...just make the most of it...as cliche as that sounds they are genuinely the best 3 years...stressful but full of fun when you can get away with so much

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First Time Make-Up Advice and Recommendations

Not calling myself a professional but I am someone who was a late bloomer when it came to wearing make-up partially because I had no interest in wearing it and also because I had no clue with where to start. Googling for help wasn't something I thought about doing, I'm not even sure if it was a thing at the time either... it probably was but like I said...late bloomer. So I thought that I would put together a blog post with a few recommendations and tips for those who want to try out make-up but not spend a fortune. I have found that make-up is something you can never know everything about, it has been 4 years since I started wearing it and I learn something new all the time, mostly because of you-tubers like Zoella and Tanya Burr.

Cheap Brands 
- Miss Sporty
- KIKO
- Maybelline
- The Natural Collection

Mascara...

Collection Volumising Mascara - £3.99

Where does it go?....On your eyelashes

Honestly the best way to find a mascara is to go into the shop yourself and just pick out the cheapest one you can find as once you get more confident with using it you'll find yourself constantly buying different ones until you find the one that works best for you. My first mascara was the Collection Volumising Mascara as this is what my mum actually used at the time, its not waterproof but it is £3.99 which is a great price, if you have fairer hair you might prefer a brown mascara rather than a black but that is personal choice.

Eye Shadow...

Miss Sporty Studio Colour Quattro Eyeshadow - £2.99

Where does it go?....On your eyelids

A lot of us all receive eye-shadow make-up sets for birthdays and Christmas' which tend to be big boxes of lots of colours, these are great for experimenting with different colours to see what you prefer...don't even worry about 'blending'... a single colour looks just as good. If however you don't have these big gift boxes then either go into your local drugstore or even supermarket and look for something low in price of a colour you quite like or something with a few in, quad palettes work really well to start off with. I love the Miss Sporty Eyeshadow's as they tell you on the back of them where to put each shade with gives you an introduction into blending. I actually got a really cheap unbranded natural colours palette for £3 when I was learning to blend my eyeshadows.

Foundation...

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation - £5.99

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream - £7.99

Where does it go?....All over your face

Foundation was something that I was advised to try and avoid using when I started wearing make-up because it doesn't take long to make you start feeling insecure about leaving the house without wearing it. Its the one piece of advice I wish I had paid more attention to as it has taken me until now...4yrs down the line to be able to leave the house with a small amount of make-up on my skin...still can't leave without something on my face!!! If you do decide to use one though then a BB cream is good because its quite light coverage where as a foundation covers everything. Apply them all over your skin using a sponge or a brush but only apply it a small amount at a time so that you don't look like an oompa loompa. When your in the shop put some on the back of your hand or arm until you find the shade that matches your skin the most.

Powder...

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - £3.99

Where does it go?....All over your face, normally on-top of your foundation but theres no harm in putting some on instead of foundation

This Powder is one I still use today, it stays on really well and comes in different shades, transparent is the best one to wear on-top of foundation and using a coloured one is good if you don't want to wear a foundation...just apply with a large brush all over your face. You really can't go wrong with this one.

Brushes (No judgement they are messy as I no longer use some of them!!!)

Things like eyeshadows come with a small sponge brush which is perfectly okay to use and for foundation you could even apply it with your hand to save any expense but here is a quick guide to brushes...

Face Brush

Use this brush to apply powder











Blush Brush

Smaller than a face brush, use to apply blush










Eye Shadow Sponge

Comes free with most eyeshadow palettes, use to apply eyeshadow







Eye Shadow Brush

Use to apply eyeshadow, unlike the blending brush this one is flat










Eye Shadow Blending Brush

Use to blend eyeshadow colours, unlike the eyeshadow brush this one is more bushy










Foundation Brush

Use to apply foundation










Foundation Sponge

Use to apply foundation










If you use brushes then make sure to clean them every few weeks in order to get rid of germs, this can be done using just a hand soap

Remember that make-up doesn't have to be technical!!! Nowadays we have youtube and channels like LucyandLydia are great for beginners as they tend to use cheap products but its always fun to experiment and if your like me then the more you use it, the more comfortable you will become walking into a shop to find a new product then trial and erroring it until you find the right one for you. Most of all...just have fun with it and don't forget the face wipes, everyone you see wearing makeup has spent hours of their life sat in front of a mirror trying to perfect it!!!

For products that are more expensive then see my previous post 'Makeup I am Loving' which also has things like bronzer, blush and eyeliner on it as this post is just about the basics.

Great Youtube Videos for beginners!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9LNQ5s_fK8 - Tanya Burr's back to school tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_040r_PRR8 - LucyandLydia's Christmas Party Makeup Looks

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