2013-06-19T09:29:23-04:00 Lauren Cope http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=lauren-cope Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Lauren Cope Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2806502 2013-03-04T13:03:49-05:00 2013-05-04T05:12:01-04:00

Lauren Cope http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-cope/
1. Pasta sauce was only the beginning.

Dishes like pasta, stir-fries and curries might seem easy as pie (desperate attempt at a pun) now, but I vaguely remember my mum teaching me how to make a tomato pasta sauce before I moved away to study. Somewhere along the way, I learnt to experiment with ingredients, herbs and sauces, and now run a cooking blog to experiment on.

2. Emptying the bins is always going to be disgusting.

Although the cleaners who visited us once a week left little room for us to clean, moving into a house in second year and dealing with messy housemates, emptying the bins and cleaning the bathroom was sobering affair. Add that to bills and rent, and I had been given a strong dose of reality.

3. It's hard to find people you 'click' with - and that's a good thing.

I met a multitude of people at university who I experienced some amazing times with, but it's only a certain few that get you. As you get to know yourself, your standards with your close friends gets higher, which is only a good thing. It's a common truth at university that you only really narrow down your friendship group in second and third year, and I couldn't be happier with the ones that are left.

4. I am still as bad with money as I was three years ago.

Living on the student budget might have taught me how to be frugal with money, but when I look back there is no evidence of me implementing those lessons. I still went shopping, I bought more takeaways in the last three years than I did in the 18 years prior, and I somehow still managed to pay bills. And, somehow, instead of feeling ashamed at my binge spending, I'm actually quite proud.

5. No matter how many times you try, tequila will never be your friend.

I've drunk my way through three years of study, and have plenty of photos, new clothes and memories to prove it. Now I'm nearing heading into the real world where it's not acceptable to drink a £3 bottle of wine from Co-Op for pre-drinks, I'm actually quite looking forward to getting my liver back into a healthy state.

6. Law, law and more law...

At the risk of sounding like a bore, although my degree was at times painfully dull (Land and Trust law, I'm looking at you), it taught me some valuable gems of information for later life: if you don't want to end up homeless after a messy divorce, get your name on the deed. Being a housewife won't cut it. Also - if you want to practice sadomasochism, do it with your husband or wife; it won't count as GBH. See, like I said, valuable.


7. How to make fancy dress out of nothing.

White T-shirts, safety pins, felt tips and a Robin Hood hat that often masqueraded as Peter Pan or a pirate are some of my favourite fancy dress tools. That's got to show innovation to any potential employers, surely?

8. I'm actually quite independent.

It might not have felt like it at the time, but somehow I've survived these three years. I'm on course to get a good degree, I live in a nice house with some great housemates and I've had to make plenty of appointments/angry phone calls/awkward meetings without the help of my mum. I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I grew up.

9. These were the three best years of my life.

Bit of cliché, so I'll keep it short. Through some amazing friends, hilarious moments and hundreds of photos lining my walls, I don't regret one second of my experience, and I wouldn't go back to change it. There we go, done.

10. "UEA is wonderful..."

You can insert your own university here, but I didn't regret my decision to study at UEA for one second, whether I was siting in the square in the sun, wheeling a wheelbarrow in the rain for Pimp my Barrow, at Colney Lane for Derby Day, chanting UEA is wonderful at pre-drinks or simply sitting in lectures. A great university I'm very proud to be a part of.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2551523 2013-01-25T12:24:13-05:00 2013-03-27T05:12:01-04:00

Lauren Cope http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-cope/
1. Give up meat.
Don't panic, I don't mean go veggie. But swapping certain meats for Quorn products is much friendlier on the wallet and better for your body. Chicken-style pieces and fillets as well as the Quorn mince and burgers are great alternatives for a fraction of the price. Containing much less fat and more fibre, they're much healthier. And, although I'm sure you won't believe me, they don't actually taste that different. Really. Especially in meals like spaghetti bolognaise and chili con carne, you'll barely notice the difference. They offer a wide range of options including southern fried chicken breasts, pieces, chicken dippers and Quorn roasts. Give it a try.

2. Try herbal teas.
It's hard to deny the lure of a hot cup of coffee or tea in the morning and it's equally as difficult to stop at one. We all need a caffeine fix from time to time, but a developing reliance on caffeine can seriously damage your health. Heavy daily caffeine usage, more than 500mg to 600mg a day (equating to around four cups of coffee), can cause problems including insomnia, nervousness, restlessness and stomach upset. Swapping your normal PG Tips for a cup of mint, fruit or green tea, which contain significantly less caffeine, is much more beneficial. Try green tea or, if you're not a fan of the taste, a flavoured green tea, which is renowned for its multiple health benefits, including a potential to fight cancer and heart disease.

3. Go brown.
Swapping white bread and regular pasta for the brown alternatives offers more fibre with all the goodness intact. White bread is refined, so all the good wheat and fibre is removed, and regular pasta can offer empty carbs if you are trying to lose weight. Breads containing seeds and wholegrain have a lower GI, which protect against heart disease and reduce hunger pangs.

4. Drink water.
I don't believe people who claim they don't like water. Firstly, it has no taste, and, secondly, there isn't anything more hydrating than a cold glass of water. Getting rid of sugary cordials (or finding lower sugar alternatives - High Juice cordials are good) and fizzy drinks largely cuts down your sugar consumption. Regularly drinking fizzy drinks can cause unhealthy weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Although the caffeine in fizzy drinks can make you feel 'addicted' to them, they are more dehydrating than they are hydrating, so once you get over the initial effects of going cold turkey, it'll be much more beneficial health-wise.

5. Swap your potatoes!
Although I would usually recommend buying sweet over white potatoes, nutritionally there is little difference between the two. Instead, the importance is on which potato product you opt for. Rather than having chips, choose a jacket potato (without too much butter!) or herby roast potatoes.

6. Make your own takeaway.
Combat Dominos pangs with a fresh shop-bought pizza or a packet of ready-made dough mix to make your own - much healthier and cheaper (yes, even with a Dominos voucher!). If you fancy fish and chips, buy some frozen breaded fish fillets. Admittedly, sometimes you just need a takeaway. And that's fine; at the end of the day, the most important thing you can live by is 'everything in moderation'.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1873117 2012-09-11T06:13:43-04:00 2012-11-11T05:12:01-05:00

Lauren Cope http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-cope/
So, if the first step you plan to take when you come to applying for jobs is a Google search, think again. By and large, most students in the same position will search similar words or the same big company names and most will end up on the same 'want to work for us?' pages; a depressing thought, to say the least. Some sites even provide handy counters that helpfully inform you that 'you are the 53rd person to apply for this job'. Right, great.

Of course, though, someone has to get these positions, and if you've had your heart set on working for one of the big companies since you were a wee one, you of course should still give it a shot. It's definitely still worth trawling through dozens of application forms in case you are the cream that rises and you climb to the top - if you don't apply, your chances of being offered a job will drop... dramatically. So, by all means, go ahead, but don't rely on the trusty CV.

If you take one mantra away from university (no, not 'first year doesn't count'), let it be that in life, it's all about who you know, not what you know. Building up a hefty little black book, knowing someone who can put you in the right company and having impressive names on your email is what will count. Nowadays a 2:1 is more likely to put you on a level playing field rather than make you stand out.

My cousin recently landed a great job at a PR firm in London through my aunt bumping into an old friend at the races who was recruiting which, if it wasn't great enough by itself, has allowed him to land his girlfriend a job at a top magazine through a client. In an ideal world, you'd either be at the right place at the right time or have a contact that can put you there. A perfect world is rare, though, and if the right people and circumstances don't fall into your lap, you'll need to make them happen yourself.

Start by identifying who'll be able to help you. Whether that's a company or some top names in the industry, locate them; follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their blogs and get their contact details. Drop them a tweet, comment on their posts or send them an email - even if your contact goes without response, your name might be remembered and showing a genuine interest will be appreciated. After posting on Twitter that she was looking for a PR-related job desperately, one girl was lucky enough to benefit from hundreds of retweets and ended up being offered a position. Hard work? No - we can all handle 140 characters of typing, a good idea? It might not work for all but, yes, apparently so.

LinkedIn has developed itself as the professional version of Facebook, the social-networking hub for reputable businessmen and women. Search for specific companies and people to 'connect' with them directly, making it easier to slowly build links. Don't expect to have a new best friend by the end of the day though, professionals are inundated with people contacting them, it's the consistent, respectful and interesting ones that will stick in their minds. Start slow, with a tweet/email for some advice or comment on their work and work your way up. By the time you graduate, you'll have some valuable contacts under your belt. Plus, LinkedIn has an app for most smartphones, so it's easy to stay current on the go.

I feel way too young to be discussing conferences, but here I go. If you don't feel like you're ready for an industry level one, companies and organisations put on student conferences across the country in all different fields. They're often a little costly, but networking face-to-face with experts is well worth it. Be direct and confident; tell them your name, your experience and what you want to do. Your personality and business-like manner (which means you should put down that last glass of free wine. Yes, you) will shine through. Even if a 'hey, we're actually looking for someone in that position, would you believe it?' situation is a little unrealistic, you can at least ask experts how they landed their current jobs, and what they would recommend for you.

If you decide to ignore everything I've just said and are full of confidence in the good old CV, at least stand out. Whether that's something tiny, like changing the colour of your email background, it's the little touches that will get you noticed. Research the company well because, although a rookie mistake, most don't and your knowledge will translate. If, for example, you're applying for a fancy boutique, perhaps send in a handwritten CV on pretty, perfumed paper. Tailoring your application to your industry and being that little bit different will help your chances.

It's difficult out there, no doubt. One thing my cousin was repeatedly told in his job hunt was that there are jobs going, plenty of them, but lots of companies don't even bother posting positions on their websites. Some go round the office and aren't released publically (grrr), so instead of pinning your hopes on your CV, build up your contacts book, start networking and land the dream job you didn't even know was going your own way (apologies for the cheesy ending there, I felt it was necessary). The traditional methods aren't working for we current graduates anymore, so it's time to get creative.

Good luck, folks.]]>