Back to Uni: Academics

Hello Lovelies,

Hope you've all been well! Today's blog post in my Back to Uni series is going to be about the academic side. The real reason we all attend uni is to walk out with a piece of fancy paper that we show to other people with fancier papers (or plaques) to get ourselves jobs. We all want a bunch of letters and abbreviations under our name on our office door to give us credibility. But with so many new jobs these days, and so many fading jobs, and so many jobs you don't even know exist, how do you pick what you want to do?

Well I'm going to begin by explaining what I study and why I chose to study it. I'm currently doing a double degree. I study a Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a country major in France. I will soon begin a second business major in Sports Management. I chose this because my passion is sport and I thought the best way to pursue a career in sport was to team it up with business. This works out well for me because I am quite business minded. I have a dream to increase fan involvement, commitment and passion in various sports around Australia and gaining these qualifications will definitely help me secure a job that will allow me to do this. I want people all around Australia to feel as connected to their team and sport as I do. Hopefully an education in marketing and sport will help me do this. Furthermore, I'd love to increase female participation in sports around Australia. This is partly the reason I applied for a double degree. A second degree, which gives me language and global cultural experience, puts me a step ahead of other graduates and gives me a greater chance of being awarded the position. Getting myself in the industry is the first step to getting more women in the industry.

So how are you going to decide what to study? Well, you have to find your passion. I don't expect you to be passionate in accounting, or nano engineering or macroeconomics. But think of a big picture and narrow it down to what degree you need to gain a career in that sector. If you are passionate about helping people, you can look at whether your prefer working with adults or children, then see if you prefer education or medicine and keep narrowing it down until you find your perfect degree. Perhaps you may be a passionate foodie. Think about what you like about food. Is it the preparation? The experience? Talking about your adventures? The health side? Choose your area and decide if you are going to become a chef, a journalist, a nutritionist or a restaurant owner. You need to find something you love and think of what careers may branch off that. And then what degree you need to get that career.

Chances are there won't be a degree that suits your career exactly. You may need masters or PhDs or a side diploma or even simply on the job experience. But, if you are going after something you are proper passionate about, you will do what it takes.

DO NOT EVER, EVER, EVER ENTER A FIELD BECAUSE OF EXTERNAL PRESSURES TO DO SO. Never let your parents, siblings, friends, teachers tell you what you should study. Study what you are passionate about, not what is safe or what is expected. And I can guarantee you, you will find university much more enjoyable.

So I hope you get some guidance out of this. If you have any questions or want further advice, comment below or contact me on my social media!

Happy studying lovelies,

Back to Uni: OOTD

Hello lovelies,

So to continue my little series on going back to university, I'm posting my Outfit of the Day for the first day back. Today is my first day back and it's a long day. My first class is at 9am, then I have a break from 11am to 5pm before having my final classes ending at 8pm. So I need to dress for the cold mornings and night but also be prepared for the warmer temperatures during the day. This is what I came up with!

The pants are from Glassons, the jumper is from Jay Jays and my shoes are just from Big W. Underneath the jumper I'm actually wearing a plain black long sleeve top from Myer just for extra warmth. The scarf is from Tree of Life. As I said in my last post, my bag is from Equip and my sunglasses are from Valleygirl. I'm wearing very simple jewellery- my usual Armani Exchange watch, some simple diamond looking studs from Lovisa and an assortment of stacked rings also from Lovisa.

I think first impressions are really important so I want to look somewhere in between dressy and casual as not to look sloppy but not pretentious either. I think this outfit finds that balance with the casual shoes and top but the dress pants and bag.

What did you wear on your first day back to school or university? Let me know!

Have a wonderful week lovelies,

Back to Uni: What's In My Bag?

Hello lovelies,

This week, thousands of people in NSW are heading back to university to begin their Spring Semester. So I thought I would take the chance to do a couple of posts on university: life, style, academics etc. I'm beginning with a post on what I take to university each day.

I recently bought this bag: It is from Equip and I think I paid $37.50 which was 25% off. It's a plain black faux leather bag with beautiful gold detailing and the inside lining is actually leopard print. There are a couple of inside pockets too which is handy. What I really like about this bag is the flat bottom and studs which help the bag sit up on its own, not fall over, and the flat straps as opposed to those rounded ones, which I find sit much more comfortably on my shoulder.

So now, what's in my bag? Well of course, firstly I'll have to put my books in. I have exercise books from Typo and of course my textbooks. I also bring a 2014 planner or diary to record my homework or any catch ups or events I plan. This is also from Typo. I then have a small pencil case. Mine is just a black tube pencil case from A Brand Called Ed at Officeworks. I also like to bring a bottle of water, sunglasses and chewing gum or mints. Of course I carry my wallet. Mine is from Strandbags. I also take a makeup bag (mine is a gold sequined bag from Napoleon Perdis) with my lipstick of the day, some tissues and sanitary items, a chapstick and sometimes a powder. I'll also bring bobby pins and a spare hair elastic. Finally I bring my phone, iPod, headphones, USB key and house keys.

One thing I don't take with me to university is my laptop. I have a rather old laptop and it is quite heavy. On top of that, the battery doesn't last nearly as long as it needs to for me to use it all day at university so I'd have to carry extra weight by taking the charger. In my mind, it just is not worth it.

But that's basically it! Sometimes I'll bring a spare jumper or a hat or scarf depending on the weather but otherwise I try to keep it pretty simple. My buildings are very spread out at uni so I do a lot of walking and want to keep my bag as light as possible.

Do you take anything else important to uni? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful semester lovelies,

Priceline Haul!

Hello Lovelies,

Priceline has been having all kinds of amazing sales lately and so here are a few things I've picked up recently:

• Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation in the colour 100 Ivory ($17.95 however I paid half price). For a full review see my last blog post http://misskristeenee.blogspot.com/2014/07/product-review-rimmel-london-match.html
• Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer in the colour 010 Ivory ($13.95 however I paid half price). For a full review see my last blog post http://misskristeenee.blogspot.com/2014/07/product-review-rimmel-london-match.html
• Rimmel London I Love Lasting Finish Nail Polish in the colour 030 Double Decker Red ($5.95 however I paid half price)
• Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss in the colour 07 Silky Red ($4.10)
• Essence All About Nude Eyeshadow Palette in the colour 01 Nude ($7.10)
• Covergirl Lashblast Bombshell Volume Mascara in the colour 800 Very Black ($21.95)
• Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Eyeliner in the colour Black ($9.95)

So that's all I got. If you would like more reviews on these products let me know!

Happy reading Lovelies,

Product Review: Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation

Hello Lovelies,
Hope you've all been well!
Today's blog post is a review of a product I recently bought, the Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation. Firstly, some facts about the foundation:

• I bought the colour 100 Ivory
• It's SPF 18
• It has "light perfecting radiance" particles
• price: AU$17.95 at priceline.

I really like this foundation! It's quite light on the skin and blends really well. When it says it is designed to match the colour of your skin and thus look natural, it really does achieve this. In saying that, it only gives a medium coverage but I think it can be built up to a fuller coverage. Maybe it will be better when I have less blemishes on my face. It lasts with a good primer and powder just like most foundations. I'm yet to try it on its own.

The colour range overall seems quite comprehensive. There were three or four colours lighter than mine which I found strange because I'm usually the lightest colour. The lighter tones seemed to be far more pink toned than this one. I think this was the lightest yellow toned colour. Now I'm not really pink or yellow based, I'm pretty neutral and I think this is a very good neutral based foundation. 

I quite like the packaging as well. It comes in a sturdy glass bottle with a plastic pump which to me, is essential for liquid foundation.

I bought the complementary Rimmel London Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer. It's a 2-in-1 Concealer and Highlighter in the colour 010 Ivory. I think this is fantastic. Better than the foundation to be honest. It gives great coverage and the colour is perfect against the the foundation. I don't really like how the tube is topped with a brush. It's supposed to be for easy application but I find it difficult to get the product out of the tube and onto my face so I can then use my own concealer brushes but that is just me. I can see what they were trying to do with it. Price AU$13.95

hope you enjoyed this!

Those Who do not Read are Lost

Hello Lovelies!

Today's blog post is a short compilation of lists of my favourite books in various categories. I love to read, I find it enlightening, relaxing and entertaining. I have learnt so much from the characters and stories of the books I've read, not to mention improving my vocabulary and English skills tenfold. I truly believe that those who do not read and missing out on so much in life and if you claim you do not enjoy reading, then you simply haven't found the right material!

In these lists, I've tried to avoid listing entire series and so for circumstances where I love the entire series, I've listed only my favourite book out of the set. They are also in no particular order. So without further ado, here are my favourite books!

Fiction: I found it incredibly hard to create this list because I've read so many fiction books of all different genres so I tried to think of which ones influenced me the most, excited me the most and that I simply could not put down as opposed to those which I enjoyed but was hardly phased by.
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden (shout out for being Australian!)
4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
5. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Special mention to Richelle Mead and her wonderful series, Vampire Academy and to Louise Rennison for making me laugh with the adventures of Georgia Nicolson.

Children's: Children's tales are oddly rewarding to read. They often tell the most powerful messages in the simplest and clearest ways.
1. Once by Morris Gleitzman
2. The Red Tree by Shaun Tan
3. The Violin Man by Colin Thompson (thank you Mr Thompson for so kindly replying to my email of questions regarding the story whilst I was studying it for school. It was greatly appreciated)
4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
5. Belonging by Jeannie Baker
Special mention to Dr Suess and Roald Dahl for the pleasure their stories gave me throughout my childhood. Are You My Mother and The BFG always made me smile when I was down.

Non-Fiction: I don't read too many non-fiction books unless they are required textbooks for my studies. This section is mainly comprised of biographies or autobiographies which have had a profound affect on my view on the world. However there are two books, at the end of the list, which are pure non-fiction thus explaining the heading of this section. You will notice they are mainly sport novel, reflecting my interest.
1. Open by Andre Agassi
2. Mickey O by Michael O'Loughlin
3. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
4. The Rise of the Swans by Martin Blake
5. Who Moved my Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.
Special mention to Andrew Johns and his book, The Two of Me, which I am in the process of reading now and very much enjoying, and to Mark Gasnier for his autobiography, Gaz. Also a little note on Who Moved my Cheese: this is a non-sport book about managing change and uses a cute little tale of two mice and two little men to do so. It's adorable with a powerful message.

Classics: Classics is the last category. I find it difficult to read classics because the old English language makes them harder to understand and so I cannot read them when I'm tired or not fully concentrating. But there have been some which have been amazing.
1. As You Like It by William Shakespeare
2. Little Women by Louise May Alcott
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Special mention to JD Salinger for the odd yet interesting tale of Catcher in the Rye, and to L.Frank Baum for the excellent tale of The Wizard of Oz.

I hope you take the time to read these stories one day, if you have not read them already that is. If you would like to know more about any story, comment below or ask me on twitter!

Happy reading lovelies,

The Power of Sport

Hello Lovelies! Hope you've all been well. As you may be aware, I am quite the sports fanatic. Whilst I'm only dedicated and loyal to a few specific sports, teams and players, I find myself willing and able to watch any sport in front of me, engage in discussion about it and learn all I can. Sport is the best entertainment I could ever ask for.

This winter (in Australia anyway), we've been blessed with an abundance of sport all at once. The French Open blurred into the Australia v France Rugby Series which blurred into the Fifa World Cup which blurred into Wimbledon which will blur into the Tour de France  which will blur into the Rugby Four Nations and Bledisloe Cup, all while our regular AFL and NRL seasons run in the background as well as the pinnacle of league, State of Origin (and a beautiful series win by New South Wales!!!!). And hasn't it been magical!

I've never realized the power of sport until our country was hit with it on such a mass level. Obviously personally it always meant something to me and I found such joy in supporting a team. The adrenaline rush of a close win, the excitement of extreme skill, the pain of a loss... it all comes together to make sport an emotional rollercoaster that I want to ride time and time again. It makes me so glad that Australia got the opportunity to feel this with me over the past few weeks and the few weeks ahead of us. To see a nation stand united, to see a nation stand proud of our representatives, to see a nation smile simultaneously as magic  (I'm looking at you Tim Cahill!) happened before us gives me hope that the world is not as sour as we all think it is. It felt so refreshing to turn on the news program and hear about success, triumph and pride rather than another murder trial, rape charges, lying politician, car crash or drug overdose. I understand those things are newsworthy and it is important that society is aware of it, but in my opinion, it's turned us all bitter towards the communities we live in. Sport has had the power to reverse that and for the first time in a long time, I walked past my local park and saw children running to join in a game of soccer rather than being told to walk away because of the danger of strangers or other children. Sport has returned a light-hearted, jovial atmosphere to our nation, and whilst it may only be temporary, it is definitely good while it lasts.

I think that the idols sport presents us with gives children role models to look up to and while there are those bad eggs, yes Todd Carney that is you, the elite group that remind the rest of the world what Australians are truly made of provide foundations for children to build on in their own lives. They are admirable and inspirational and portray the dedication, persistence and burning desire to succeed and improve that all Australians should emulate in their own lives.

Sport is powerful and when it comes all at once the change in society is clear. It may not be your primary interest but everyone gets behind the Aussies when it matters. We are united. We are proud. And above all we are smiling and things are peaceful.

Think about the power of sport through your own rose coloured glasses and tell me what you think of it in the comments below! Would love to hear perhaps a less biased view on the matter (I love sport so obviously I think it is powerful and special and important!)

Happy reading lovelies,