I’m the type of person that likes to be kept busy; I’m always planning ahead and making plans. I prefer having lots of things going on as I feel it gives me purpose and that’s why one of my favourite sayings (and one I live by at university) is work hard, play hard!

University is a time of your life like no other. I decided to go to Bournemouth for many reasons – the town, the social life, the freedom, but the biggest reason I decided to go to Bournemouth was for the course.

I study BA Television Production which consists of a lot of practical work, which works great for me. Saying this, even though there is a lot of work I enjoy getting stuck into, there always seems to be that one piece that I like to put off… usually an essay! It’s easy to procrastinate and ignore it but my way of getting over this is by telling myself “the faster I get this done, the more time I have for myself.”

On the flip side it’s also important to remember we are only young once and university is the time to have fun and enjoy the freedom. It’s not good for anyone to work 24/7, so for the sake of sanity everyone needs to let go every now and then. In “normal” life, going out on a Monday night is unheard of, but at uni this is the norm. We must really make the most of it – especially at Bournemouth where there is so much nightlife. The ‘play hard’ part is made pretty darn easy!

The key is balance. I like to stay organised and plan ahead, always having something fun to look forward to. I enforce this by having a calendar in my room and writing all events on. This way I can power through that essay because if I get it done, I can then begin to look forward to the next thing!

By Gemma Jewell