Happy Halloween! Yes, this is me being fashionably late making an October themed post in November. So sue me, Halloween was really lit, I decided to make a post about it shortly after. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I did promise you readers that I was going to regularly update my blog on my life abroad, and kick-starting this journey is my first actual Halloween celebration, which was top notch by the way.

Fun fact: I have gone to a Halloween dinner gathering with my dance team/ family back in Malaysia, where I just threw on a jumpsuit and some extra props to go as Samantha from Bewitched. That was great too; a simple celebration with good food and great company.

This time however, I decided to go as one of my all time favourite film characters- Morticia Addams. She’s truly an icon, as well as one of the characters I truly wanted to dress up as for Halloween. Also, my flatmates and I decided to have our respective costumes along with a flat theme- skull heads. And your girl was in charge of the face makeup holla! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ At the end of this post will be the full details about my materials, costume and inspirations.

Y'know guys, I honestly am grateful for a great bunch of flatmates. It makes my uni life experience much more enjoyable living with people just as quirky and fun as me. We spent the night in our flat with Cards Against Humanity and then heading off to Silk nightclub, ending the night with spirit, triple pun intended. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Hence, I could not resist featuring them in my Halloween Lookbook for 2017! Featured in this lookbook are also Belle and Keshana, my course mates and very dear friends here in university. We experienced our first Halloween together here in Edinburgh and they're also Malaysian ayyy!

So here you go readers, a lookbook of my first Halloween celebration. Enjoy the grunge aesthetics in my usually pastel-themed feed. ~(˘▾˘~)

MY SOURCES

• Smiffy's Adult Women's Immortal Soul Costume
• 2 Large 18ml Snazaroo Face Painting Compacts Colors: 1 BLACK and 1 WHITE
• Harry Potter Lace Choker - Primark
  Note: It is only 2 quid in local Primark stores. I bought mine from the Edinburgh outlet.
• Roxxsaurus Half Skull Tutorials (Bottom Half , Side Half)
• Pinterest!

And there you have it! Shoutout to my flatmates: Constance, Tim, Hamish and Trevor for a great night and to Trevor for helping me with my skull makeup in return! Also shoutout to Belle and Keshana for joining in our Halloween celebration. I truly look forward to more festive seasons with this bunch.

Let me know in the comments what you dressed up as this Halloween, or what you would want to dress up as!

Phew, it's good to be back!

I'll be honest, the months before have not been my best times. Since it neared A2 examinations until about a few weeks ago, I have been focusing more on my personal development and overcoming some major struggles. It was a roller coaster ride. Yet with all the noise and madness, I was blessed with love, support and kindness. And now, I am happy to say that I am getting back on track with a fresh and determined mindset. I am ready for the next big stage of my life- university!

That's right, I've just started studying second year Actuarial Science in Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh! (fangirls)

I'm in bliss. It's a new chapter of my life, and I am starting it abroad! Living on my own, meeting new friends and experiencing a whole new culture. It's truly a magical experience.

More on that later. As much as I am super excited about sharing my life for the next three years here (best believe I will), I thought of talking about the things I've learnt; and want to share with the world. I was truly someone who had a good luck streak with my life where hardship did come but in minor blows. It was only until recently that I fully experienced somewhat "rock bottom".

And you know what? I'm grateful for that. You can choose to gain or to keep losing, I chose to gain. After some time struggling to get back up, I finally did. It's cheesy I know, because everyone goes or has gone through this stage. But that's the beauty of life isn't it? It's not the same for everyone, but everyone goes through some form of hardship. We are all in this together, and that's why I wanted to unwind by openly expressing what I have gained from this. And I know now, I can only gain more in life, which is now my university life.

So here it is, 19 things I learnt turning 19. Because right smack middle of this entire period was my birthday. Well, at least I got a gift to remember.

1. Life, although carefully planned and executed, does not go the way you want it to. At all. You could have planned out five years worth of life goals, but it only takes mere seconds to destroy all that you have built.

2. If you slip in life, or hit rock bottom, that's totally normal and fine. All you have to do is make use of plan B or plan C or etc and give it your maximum effort. Your new path might just surprise you, even when your Plan A dreams were smashed to smithereens.

3. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Even when you are confident in your work, keep striving to make it better. You will widen your oppurtunities for yourself in the long run.

4. You cannot depend on anyone more than yourself to slowly get back on your feet. You are the one who makes yourself eat and the one who tucks yourself in at night.

5. Be your biggest fan and your biggest critic. Motivate as well as evaluate yourself. No one else can be both these things at the same time other than you.

6. So love yourself. They say you cannot love another without loving yourself first, and at first I thought that was bollocks, but it's not. Self love means you know your worth, your wants and your needs. Self love means you act upon those and stand up for yourself when shit hits the fan.

7. First love will hurt the most. Because first love is not the first person you love, it's the first person who breaks your heart.

8. First love most likely doesn't last, even when you are confident it will. That's also why it hurts so much, the expectations and you are shattered.

9. Any form of close relationship, platonic or intimate, is a two-way street. If you are not receiving or not giving with immense love, compassion and dedication, it’s not entirely worth it. You deserve to find people who you will feel absolute bliss and love for and be returned with the exact same feeling

10. Do not cling on to people that cannot benefit you in any way possible. As much of a good person you think they are, they will not be a great companion for you.

11. Do no harm but take no shit. Treat others as how you want to be treated, but also stand your ground when necessary.

12. Remember that in life, even with your family and your beloved friends, you come first. Just like how airplane safety guides tell you to wear your oxygen mask first before attending to others, make sure you put your needs and your comfort above others.

13. Don't have expectations for people or for situations. No matter how much you try, you cannot control circumstances and you cannot alter a person's personality. It would only hurt you more to try and move a brick wall.

14. Hence, accept that some things are not in your control, but you can choose how you react to them.

15. Mistakes are what make you learn. If you never did make the mistake, then how would you be able to grow and expand your potential?

16. Be fearless to fail. Life is not perfect, and neither is yourself. You cannot expect perfection in everything that you do, but do input maximum effort, even if the results do not turn in favour.

17. Every relationship will be a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs. Sometimes the downs are plummeting and harsh, but two people in a relationship who truly want to invest in each other will sort things out

18. And just like relationships, or anything big and beautiful, it takes time. Your goals, your spiritual growth and love, they all need time and effort to bloom and flourish. Give it time.

19. However, life is short. So love fiercely, laugh loudly, live freely. Give everything and anything you care for your attention, time and love. Life is not about quantity, it is about quality.

So I spent a Sunday Funday with my girl squad a fortnight ago. It was truly one of the peak moments of my February.

We laughed, we played Mario Kart, and we cooked! (I HELPED COOK AND I DIDN’T BURN THE HOUSE DOWN YAY ME) It was a really good time both learning the ways in the kitchen as well as making obscure puns. I mean, if I’m going to study abroad later this year (fingers crossed!) I need to learn some basics. Cooking is no doubt one of them.

So for today’s blog post, I will be sharing the few recipes me and my friends used for our Sunday Funday lunch. We made three main dishes, all of which turned out marvellously (hallelujah), so here they are!

Okay, so, this is BY FAR my most favourite appetizer dish ever. It tastes like buffalo wings, but SPICIER and BETTER. Plus, they’re dairy free and meatless! Perfect for almost anyone really.

The original recipe to this delicious appetizer is here, complete with picture guides and thorough instructions to make it. All ingredients are very easy to find in local grocery stores, so don’t fret! Be sure to use baking paper on your baking tray. Spray oil is also fine, but the cauliflower bites still stick a hell lot on the tray. Also, we used half the amount of hot sauce instead and it was the perfect amount of spice. If you use the recommended amount, it'll pack a punch and will be way spicier.

If you are interested to try a healthier alternative, check out a recipe here!

This is just as savouring. As you can tell, we crave spicy food. Chilli Lime Chicken and Chilli Lime Shrimp are recipes we obtained from RasaMalaysia, and they are really worth the try! However, we didn’t completely follow the chilli lime shrimp recipe. Instead, we used the same marinating mix from the Chilli Lime Chicken recipe for the shrimps. It still tasted wonderful, so there is no need to do different marinating mixes for both of them.

The original recipe says to marinade for a couple of hours but we did it for 30 minutes and it still turned out fine. Also, butterfly the chicken pieces to marinade them easier.

BONUS SAUCE ALERT! So my lovely friend (and great cook) Safra made some sauce to complement both the chicken and shrimp. It’s really simple, below are the instructions!

1. Take the remaining marinade and put it in a pan on high heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix some cornstarch with some water and add the mixture to the pan.
3. Stir for a few minutes until it reduces and thickens.

The sauce will be a good addition to eat the chicken and shrimp with some rice. Plus the cauliflower bites and you have a great lunch prepped for you and your peers!

Special thanks to my dear gals Zhi Wen, Sas, Safra and Sabrina for an absolutely wonderful day together. To many more to come!

Do comment below how these recipes turned out for you, and I wish you best of luck in the kitchen! ｡◕‿◕

Unpopular opinion alert : A Levels isn't as bad as you think.

Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking it's ghastly, like riding a bicycle in a park. Only that the bicycle is on fire and you're free roaming an uncontrolled Jurassic park.

Trust me, you'll survive. All you need is a whole lot of determination, passion and a survival guide. So voila! I've decided to compile tips, tricks, websites, links, and other sources that would be very useful throughout your time in the A-Levels programme. BUT REMEMBER, all sources even if given by me or seniors or teachers are just enough to get you halfway. The rest of the effort to ace your exams comes from you!

P.S With help from my fellow friends, I managed to compile tips for subjects I do not take. Kudos to them!

First thing you should know about A-Levels - last minute studying is a big no no. Don't even try. Sure you may pass, but that is not what we all really want, do we? It is best to start the ball rolling in your first semester itself, even though AS is relatively "less of a challenge". The transition from AS to A2 is HUGE. You will not survive if you were not practicing consistency from the beginning.

Also, attend classes. Try not to skip them unless for valid reasons. Your lecturer may provide extra notes which is much easier to comprehend or they may also verbally give extra pointers for your examinations. If your class is small, even better! You get personal attention while learning the syllabus. So don't just blatantly skip, make every close source useful.

When you have troubles understanding anything at all, ask without hesitation. At the end of the day, the exam is what you are going to face. So don't ever feel embarrassed if you said something wrong or asked something obvious. There is no shame in learning.

Make sure you complete all homework/assignments/exercises given. You learn how to do the questions by this way, and when the lecturer discusses it the next day, you won't feel entirely lost. Remember, consistency is key.

Do past year papers religiously. This will give you a good idea of how questions will be formatted and asked in the actual exam. It'll also help you recognise which topics/facts they tend to ask on. Make sure you start this habit early; however, don’t just rely on this to help you study! It appears that the level of questioning for examinations are becoming increasingly harder, and require you to think and apply your knowledge rather than just vomiting out whatever you’ve learnt.

Disclaimer: I am speaking from experience from my time in the CIE A-Levels. I have made this guide general to fit for all students from different examination boards, so I hope my guide will still help.

All I can say for these two are PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Dedicate at least an hour a day outside classes to practice math questions, and double it for further maths ones. With maths, you'll only REALLY need a scientific calculator (my preferred model: FX-570ES PLUS), loads of test pad/ a thick exercise book, a pen and perseverance. A-Levels Math and Further Math questions are tailored to be challenging, even though the concepts taught are rather doable. If possible, find ways to obtain questions from 2002 and earlier (my best bet is with your respective lecturers). Questions in this range have extra elements that can prepare you even more. It's not a must, but it's always acceptable to over prepare, especially if you plan to pursue a Mathematics degree.

First of all, reading is crucial. If you don't read, you won't know. For economics, you will need to read not just your notes but also real life articles. Follow the BBC News and The Telegraph, perhaps use their mobile apps for daily notifications. Reading the news will boost your general knowledge and also give you more quality to write in your essay.

For me, cannot study with just reading; make your own notes too! What I do is, I rewrite the notes given by my lecturer in a way I will understand more after each lecture. I also include extra verbal keynotes he has added as well some general knowledge he talks about (I usually write this in the handout first during class, then rewrite it later on). To be frank, so little time is given for a pretty high essay expectation. So do past year writing questions within the standard exam duration to give you much better preparation.

Do all the practice essays you're assigned. Even if you don't hand them in, at least you get an idea of your timing and it also reassures yourself about your skill level. Always do a little bit of personal research on the side, and share 90% of your knowledge with you classmates; keep a little bit to yourself so you have something to make your essay stand out. Take your lecturers comments into consideration, but don't make them the entire basis for your improvement. Also don't be afraid to experiment with different styles of essay formats, and talk to your seniors about how they did it. Make super detailed annotations, make your notes fun!

First of all, even if you didn't take Accounting in high school , you can still do it! For me, I told my lecturer I had no exposure to accounting before so after writing any notes or formats on the board, she would ask me if I was alright. Practice passionately. I learned how to do the questions by this way. If you couldn't get the answer, just ask how you should calculate it and make sure to take up your calculator and try it until you get the answer before closing the book. Don't just assume you will know how to do just by listening to the answer and not trying it. If you do not have enough time start past year questions from 2009 to the end. And when you think you want to feel more secure, do the older papers. Thoroughly understand the theory parts. If you are desperate, just flip to the mark scheme and read the answers to the theory questions. Those answers will definitely give you marks in the real exam, and don't ever think they will not repeat the questions because they usually will.

This subject requires a great deal of memorisation. How I have always studied it is through repetition-as much as possible. However, the content of the A level syllabus is too much for your poor brain to be expected to retain by just reading through a chapter a few times. I recommend making mini flow charts and mind maps for important processes that are difficult to remember. I myself only did that last minute but it’d be better for you to do that ASAP! Your coursebook might be a little hard to navigate, so it might be easier to use other sources including your lecturer's handouts or online notes. If you prefer using the coursebook however but feel that it’s a little too expensive to warrant buying the original, you can download a free pdf version/ buy a secondhand book!

Biology practical examinations are usually pretty manageable, so just make sure you’ve got your practical skills down. For microscope work, ensure your drawings are neat and labelled clearly if required. Read through questions so that you include everything they want. Check calculations to avoid silly mistakes. Some basic knowledge of certain topics may be required to answer questions, mostly on chapters like transport in plants, mitosis, transport in mammals.

For sections such as physical chemistry and organic chemistry, do pay attention to your lecturer and try to understand the topics as best as possible. If you’re still facing problems, I found that the videos on Khan Academy provide very thorough explanations. For inorganic chemistry, you really do have to sit down and study properly. It’s cold and hard facts and there’s no shortcut through it. Making short and brief notes for you to browse through before a paper is useful. For organic chemistry specifically:

• it’d be best to make a mind map connecting all the functional groups with the reactions, reactants and products to help you see the big picture
• understand thoroughly all the reaction mechanisms and how to draw them
• make sure you know frequently asked terms

For practical examinations, there’s really not much I can say but do pay attention during lab sessions and be very precise with your handling of equipment. Be careful with your calculations as well. Look through past year questions to get a rough guide on how to carry out calculations.

• for titrations, make sure you know the respective colour changes for each indicator
• for qualitative analysis, recognise the reactions and expected changes to your chemicals

Unlike Bio and Chem, you cannot study this subject with memorisation. Physics is all about concepts, understanding and accurate calculations. Hence, practice past years as much as you do for math. You'll gradually understand the theories/concepts for each chapter through repetition of various kinds of questions. Past years are very tricky, so learn to revise with past year questions even though you think you got the concept down.

As for practical examinations, familiarise yourself with the apparatus in the lab as well as questions in the paper. Crucial things include how to calculate percentage uncertainty, handling measuring instruments (vernier calliper, micrometer screw gauge, etc), and being able to identify problems and solutions for the conducted experiment. The main format never really changes so you should be able to score this paper if you concentrate during lab sessions. Reading will not get you anywhere, you have to make sure you have thorough hands on experience.

In terms of revising, it is not advisable to rely solely on your textbooks. While the internet is certainly a useful guide to flesh out some ideas you may have, sources are not always reliable (Wikipedia is not always your best friend!) Instead, try to read sources from well-known historians who have essentially devoted their lives to the subject, but as always take into consideration their backgrounds and possible bias. When writing your essay, time management is key!!! I generally use the PEEL method to structure my essays well and to ensure my essays do not become to descriptive, focusing on analysis instead.

For me, the best way to revise is to tackle a certain topic in various manners, and practicing writing essays for those areas. For example, say the subtopic is about the Bolshevik's rise to power. Practice writing essays arguing for different sides of the argument. (Ie. Lenin was the most important factor/Trotsky was the most important factor/The provisional Government's weakness etc). Always always always make sure you discuss both sides of the argument in your essay but conclude that one side of the argument is more convincing. It won't do to have a one-sided essay without a sustained judgement as you will definitely lose a lot of marks.

Notes/Revision/Past Years for multiple A-Levels examination boards (CIE, EDEXCEL, AQA, OCR)

CIE Past Year Papers

Economics Help

Tutor2U Economics

CIE Extra Notes (You may want to add a little info here and there though, as these aren’t too complete.)

Cambridge International AS and A Level Chemistry Coursebook (2nd Edition)

Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology Coursebook

AS Level Biology Revision Videos (2016 Syllabus)

A2 Level Biology Revision Videos (2016 Syllabus)

I'll keep updating this post as I find more subjects to help out with. With A-Levels, it's go big or go home. Study hard and don't waste this oppurtunity to pursue your dreams! What are some of the subjects that you need extra tips for? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy New Year, fellow readers! Hope your first two weeks were interesting and lively.

Fun fact : I am not-so-secretly obsessed with my BuJo. Just when I thought I have no more things to find absolute interest in, the Internet brings another into my life. (Damn you Tumblr.)

But let’s talk about this. I’m sure you have come across the phrases “Bullet Journal” or “BuJo” floating around the Internet. It could be from your creative/stationery-enthusiast friends or those Twitter aesthete profiles. Bullet Journalling is one of the top trends nowadays amongst Pinterest users, Tumblr users, or regular people who just aspire to get their life together with some personal style. In this case, I’m all of the above (teehee).

I am all for getting my tasks and life together, but I don’t click with standard planners. They never seem to motivate me to use it long-term or they don’t have all the aspects I expect. So when I discovered the BuJo trend, I was hooked like a worm on a bait.

Why is it a trend you ask? Well let me enlighten you young grasshopper, along with a fellow BuJo enthusiast and dear friend - Christal Clyde (Internet alias : Tokiiros). She is low-key passionate for constellations, colourful things and stationery.

Christal's BuJo layout.

This is the most crucial characteristic that made the BuJo so popular. All you need is your choice of stationery, favourite notebook, and a drive to organise effectively. Most layouts and page ideas which you design and include in your BuJo are to your preference. Hence, you will find it easy to keep up with it on a daily basis. Plus, you have the power to change whatever layouts and page choices anytime you want.

Note (by Christal) : You don’t have to have all those fancy stationery to make your bujo nice! Just gotta use your imagination & creativity.

Your stationery could range from one black pen and a ruler with a few other coloured pens (my preferred choice) to a whole collection of Artline Stix Brush Pens, washi tape and Zebra Mildliners (Christal’s collection). I will place a list of stationery we use at the end of the post!

Christal's stationery collection.

My BuJo daily log layouts.

Basically, your BuJo will have everything and anything you need. It could be shopping lists, class assignments and trackers. Again, a BuJo is to fit you and your daily life.

Note (by Christal) : Just roll with whatever ideas you have when making a layout, don’t overthink it hahaha.

A BuJo is pretty much a great option for everyone - especially students. I emphasise the student demographic because a BuJo will not just be their tip-top organiser, but it will also train them to multitask like a pro and have a strong passion to excel in all of their tasks. We BuJo users can totally confirm this.

My studying layout (according to subject.)

As a college student, heavy workload is unavoidable. There are also many hours of lectures a week back-to-back for several subjects. Hence, I include my subject planner for the month, having each subject take up one page each. I like to include the lectures, past year questions which I completed, self-practice tracker, extra assignments and a column for pop quiz grades. If necessary, I would also add in the upcoming test date so that I don’t forget.

I feel this layout is very useful for students, especially for those who are active in extracurricular activities or have assignments as a part of their total grade (Foundation and American Degree Programme). I am always active with something other than academics, so a personal BuJo would be very fit to manage your time and keep updated with your daily tasks.

Note (by Christal) : However, you need to have the motivation to do it and not forget to do it. Otherwise, your BuJo becomes redundant.

Christal's studying layout.

And there you have it! With the start of a new year just over two weeks ago, I highly recommend your reset starting with a new and improved way in getting your student life in order. If you want more information on the fundamentals of BuJo, go here and here! These links are very useful for teaching the basics in the meantime. Be sure to check out Christal's social media (Tumblr) (Instagram) to see more of her BuJo and study aesthetics!

Be sure to stay tuned for the next post on THE (BUJO)urney, and comment below your feedback!

MY MATERIALS

CHRISTAL'S MATERIALS

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