Posts Tagged by advice
AJ’s Advice – clumsiness
| March 30, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
So, readers, I don’t know if you know this, but I am pretty clumsy. Sometimes, dangerously so. None of my clumsiness has yet led to disaster, touch wood, but I have had my moments. Graceful people of the world just laugh at clumsy people like me. The problem is, it can be a genuine problem. Luckily, I can function in day-to-day life, but simple things like walking on uneven ground can prove challenging. Cobbled streets are pretty much my worst nightmare. But lately, I’ve discovered simple things that can help, so, dear reader, if you’re anything like me, read on. 1. Keep focused when walking: For some incomprehensible reason, I find the sky fascinating when I’m out and about, which often… more
AJ’s Advice – finding inspiration
| March 23, 2013 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
Yes, I know, it’s been a bit longer than a while. Honestly, I’ve been lacking in inspiration lately, and trying to sneeze out a piece of writing can often just result in a blank page and a massive headache. And believe me, there have been many headaches. Finding something to inspire you, not just to write, but to paint, to work to generally enjoy being alive can be difficult, but you just have to find a system, or a set of things that won’t fail to inspire you. That way, you won’t be blank for more than a bit longer than a while. Here are the things that inspire me most (in no particular order): 1. People I have quite… more
Critical feedback: disheartening or encouraging?
| December 23, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under culture, lifestyle |
As a recent entrant into design school I have become all too familiar with critical feedback sessions, which are rather terrifying (for me, at least) but integral to many university courses – especially the creative ones. The thing about critical feedback is that often it can just be really disheartening and fairly harsh, but the question is: is that, well, useful? What format should criticism take? How, in the long run, will it become more useful to us, whether we’re in industry or just learning to be? It’s fairly clear that we all need constructive advice and criticism to improve. That’s just how the world works; if you don’t find the flaws in something and criticise them, that thing won’t… more
AJ’s Advice – irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
| November 5, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a pretty grim condition which annoys the hell out of anyone who experiences it. While the exact causes of IBS aren’t really known, some things can trigger and aggravate the situation. IBS can often cause stomach or abdominal cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea, and is essentially a difficulty with food digestion. Luckily for those people that have it, there are things you can do at home that can help, but before I get into anything: if you have, or think you have IBS, it’s best to consult your GP before making major changes in your diet and lifestyle. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best way forward. Often, IBS can be… more
Festival survival tips 101
| October 15, 2012 | Posted by India Cash under entertainment, lifestyle |
At the end of a busy year juggling essays, exams and the odd hangover or two, going to a festival with your uni mates is a great way to celebrate the end of the academic year! Whether you’re intending on going to a small local festival, or you spent hours refreshing the page until you managed to secure your Glastonbury ticket – it’s definitely worth planning ahead when it comes to preparing for a festival. Here are some handy tips to help you remember what to take with you, and what to do when you get there. What to pack A lot of people have the mindset that packing light equals more room to take booze – that could end… more
AJ’s Advice – time management
| October 13, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
Have you found yourself panicking about a deadline a few times too often? Ever unsure where to start with a massive workload? Do you just never have any time? Yeah, we all know how that feels. Sometimes, as boring as it sounds, we all just need a bit of organisation in our lives. After all, if you’re organised about things then there’s room for more spontaneous fun too, because you won’t be stressing about that looming deadline and considering pulling that all-nighter (don’t do it; all-nighters are not a good idea). There are a few things that you can do to make yourself a bit more organised and more able to manage time effectively, but it’s easy to fall out… more
Top seven tips for starting your small business
| October 12, 2012 | Posted by Guest under lifestyle |
As recession is still prevailing throughout the world and almost all companies are laying off employees from their jobs, it can seem a good idea to start your own business. For this you must have clarity about business ideas and should know how to design a plan for the business as well as how to finance it. To be a successful entrepreneur you must be visionary and enthusiastic. Tips for starting your business Running a business is challenging as most of the energy is used on the day-to-day communications in order to keep everything running efficiently. Marketing is one of the essential elements to make a business successful. The most important factor however is that you educate yourself on the… more
AJ’s Advice – leaving home
| September 22, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
It’s been a while, readers, because I’ve left home for university. I’ve moved about 220 miles away and it’s probably the most frightening thing I’ve ever had to do. For a lot of us, it’ll be really scary – and for good reason. Moving away for university is a really big life decision, and leaving home and jumping into unfamiliar waters can often just make you want to cry (and goodness have I cried!), but it’s something that most of us heading for uni will go through and we’re all in the same boat. So. Leaving home. You’ve got to remember that there are always those people who will settle in much more quickly than others and that everyone is… more
AJ’s advice – packing
| August 25, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
It’s getting to that time of year where people are going on last minute holidays or to festivals, and generally doing a bit of travelling before term starts and we all go back to school or university – but one thing we all seem to universally hate is packing. I hate packing so much that I do literally anything else before even thinking about it. I hate doing it, it’s just not fun. I’m getting irritated even thinking about it now, but alas, it is an ordeal we all must go suffer. Anything is easier when you know where to start, however, so here are my top packing tips. Make lists We all consistently forget something. Last time I travelled… more
Blackbeard’s Tea Party: An introduction
| August 21, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under culture, interviews, lifestyle |
Walking along a street in York, I came across a funky folk-rock band called Blackbeard’s Tea Party. I bought one of their CDs and instantly fell in love. Blackbeard’s Tea Party have been one of my favourite bands for a long time, so when they agreed to answer a few of my questions I was quite excited. I got in touch, and here’s what they had to say. Alaa Jasim: First off, tell us about yourselves! Blackbeard’s Tea Party: We’re a folk rock band. We (mostly) live in York. There are six of us: Tim Yates – bass; Martin Coumbe – guitars; Dave Boston – djembe; Yom Hardy – kajon; Laura Barber – fiddle; and Stuart Giddens – melodeon and vocals. We’ve been… more
