Podcasts to suit every kind of student

Podcasts are absolutely perfect for listening to on the walk to lectures, sat at home with a cuppa or to have on in the background when it’s your turn to clean the bathroom. The amount of podcasts that are available can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to choose where to begin. See which of these stereotypes you fit into and hopefully you’ll find the perfect podcast for you!

The gym bunny

Ben Greenfield fitness 

More than qualified for the job, Ben can act as your own personal trainer and you don’t even need to enter a gym. He has a great list of credentials including completing the Ironman, and he has even got two masters! The best part is he makes complicated information about human biology easy to digest, so you can focus on reaching your fitness goals.

The Jillian Michaels Show A lot of fitness bunnies are partial to a Jillian Michaels workout DVD, with her tough love approach and deadly routines. However her podcast is not quite what you’d expect, she talks about everything from love, professional life, as well as throwing in the odd health and fitness tip.

Bulletproof radio 

This podcast is run by Dave Asprey, a self-styled ‘biohack’ expert. He’s sharing his secrets on biochemistry to make you the best version of you possible. This podcast is perfect for those of you who want to be on your top biological form. The girl’s girl

Call your Girlfriend 

Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are two best friends who essentially record their weekly catch-ups, which we get to listen in to. They speak frankly about anything and everything and it’s truly brilliant.

 Pandolly 

Two posh girls who write for the Sunday Times Style natter about current affairs, discussing everything from the Kardashians to facial hair. Really easy listening, and often very funny.

The creative soul

Longform 

Perfect for aspiring journalists, this podcast features the best non-fiction writers around speaking about their careers and their writing. Really inspiring and also great for when you have writers block.

99% Invisible 

If you’re a design geek this podcast is totally perfect for you. The episodes are short, only about 10 minutes, and each one goes into the design of a certain object. The show has featured everything from flags to pinball machines. Wacky, but cool.

Wear your dreams 

Perfect for creatives hoping to work in the fashion space, Alice interviews inspiring women and grills them on their career path and how they found their way into their dream job.

The one that wants to keep learning

 TED talks 

The podcasts are pretty much as good as the videos and much more convenient to consume anywhere and everywhere. The wide range of topics make this perfect for pretty much anyone…great for dipping your toes in the podcast world if you’re a newbie.

Stuff You Missed in History Class 

Great for when you’re feeling a little nerdy, this podcast rounds up some of the lesser-known moments in history, such as when the US tried to start a hippo farm to solve their meat crisis.

Radio lab 

One of the most popular podcasts in the world, it’s pitched as a “show about curiosity”. The best thing about it is you’re learning without actually feeling like you’re learning. If only all our lectures were as slick as this…

The music guru

Desert Island Discs 

A beautiful classic with hours and hours of podcasts you can listen to. Some of the best include: Jarvis Cocker, David Nott, Emma Thomspon and Bill Nye. David Beckham was even interviewed for its 75th anniversary.

Song Exploder  

This podcasts dissects songs with the musician, getting into the nitty gritty of how it was composed. Great for those of you who obsess over the minor details in songs.

The Sporkful 

“Not for foodies, it’s for eaters”. Dan Pashman brings great people on to the podcast to talk about small, yet interesting things about food. For example, in a recent podcast Pashman and L.V Anderson passionately ‘discussed’ the differences between hash browns and home fries. To be honest give me either and I’m happy.

Burnt Toast 

Hosted by Kenzi Wilbur, the managing editor of food blog Food52. The episodes usually involve some spirited debate about how to cook and eat properly, which is totally perfect for you opinionated foodies.

The one that wants a good lol

My Dad wrote a porno 

Totally hilarious and a must listen. Jamie Morton reads out chapters from an erotic book his 60-year-old dad wrote with his friends James Cooper and Alice Levine. The best thing about it is his poor Dad having pretty much no basic understanding of the female anatomy.

 Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 

Kinda like Have I Got News for you, but in podcast form. This show is professionally produced, has a live audience and is always funny (and a bit educational…)

No Such Thing As A Fish 

Hosted by four of the researchers from QI, they unload their fact-packed brains of brilliant and hilarious factoids they’ve learned each week.

The sparky entrepreneur

 ASOS My Big Idea 

Each week an editor from ASOS speaks to a female entrepreneur who’s started her own business. The conversations are easy going and relatable, but still super inspirational, especially if you dream of running your own business one day.

Marketing School

Hosted by Neil Patel and Eric Su, they make marketing techniques that seem complicated and overwhelming super simple. The best thing is each episode is only 10-minutes long, so you can learn a little bit everyday without it taking up too much time.

Girlboss Radio

Although Sophia Amoruso lost her first company Nasty Gal, her new venture #GIRLBOSS is so much better. She interviews really amazing women every week and tries to extract key insights into their lives, finding out what has made them successful. Sometimes rather philosophical, but always motivating.  The #inspo hungry one

 The Time Ferriss Show

The author of The Four Hour Work Week talks about productivity and personal development with various guests on each show. On some shows it is just him talking about his own experiences, these are particularly great and certainly inspired me! It’s perfect for motivation on those days you’re feeling a bit down.

The Life Coach School

Brooke Castillo shares her knowledge on life lessons in everything from training your brain to weight loss. The podcast essentially teaches you how to be your own life coach, which is pretty cool and very useful.  http://thelifecoachschool.com/podcasts/

 School of greatness

Long interviews and inspiring guests who really open up to Lewis about the ups and downs in their lives. There’s loads of variety between the guests, so you’ll be sure to find a few you’ll love!  http://lewishowes.com/category/podcast/

House hunting around the exam period

We all know this time of year isn’t great. We’ve just had a nice break at home with our families, with loads of presents and sooo much food. Now we’re back to the reality of Uni life with all its ups and downs. Most of us have exams, which we probably didn’t revise for as much as we would’ve liked (blame the Christmas cheer). Looking for a house on top of this seems impossible, but fear not! Check out these handy tips to make January a breeze…

Work out who you want to live as soon as you can

This is often the hardest part of house hunting so working out the kinks and getting a solid group together early will save you so much stress.

Use any free time to discuss what’s important to everyone

Some people may be adamant they want to be a 10-minute walk from campus, whereas others might be super stubborn about having 2 fridges. Having these discussions over a group meal or a drink means everyone can have their voice heard, communication within your group is the key to smooth house hunting season.

Have a firm budget everyone agrees on

This is a tricky one, money can be a sensitive subject, but it’s arguably the most important thing to agree on. Try and do some research early on (i.e. before the late night cramming sessions start) so you have a good general idea of the prices that everyone is willing to pay. Remember to consider what you think is worth paying for, some people would pay extra for a dining table whereas others would pay for an extra bathroom, keeping this in mind while setting a budget will make the process of elimination a lot easier, we promise eventually you will find your perfect home.

Align everyone’s exam timetables in January

This may seem a bit extreme, but if you can work out slots when 2 or 3 of you are free for a day or an afternoon, you’ll make sure no one ends up wandering around looking at houses just before an exam. Organising yourselves well also means that it won’t be left to one person to do ALL your viewings, it’s a lot of pressure for one person and it’s important for everyone to be happy with the house before committing! A great time is just after an exam, for a bit of a break ( and a quick trip to the pub, because you know, you’ve been working so hard recently) before you get your head down for the next one.

Communication

The group chat is your friend even if the notifications do wake you up at ungodly hours every night for a month. If you’ve found a good house make sure you communicate all the key details like price and location and check that everyone’s happy before making any commitments to the landlord. Group chats are a great way to do this so everyone can communicate on the go. Don’t worry, you can turn off those notifications soon, only a few weeks of this madness left!

AAAAAnd relax

Once you’ve signed and sealed your house for next year and your exams are over, you can chill and enjoy the rest of the term without any stress, it’ll be back to hangovers every weekday and “ oh I don’t really need to go to that 9am” (Until that coursework deadline comes around…)

We’ve still got loads of stunning properties available in Leeds, Leicester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Portsmouth and Exeter. If you’d like to book a viewing, or even just have a chat about how to house hunt visit our website now http://bit.ly/2j4csk4

Development

Best Places For Christmas Shopping In Leicester

Best Places For Christmas Shopping In Leicester

It’s that time of the year again when we’re all thinking of the presents we’re going to have to buy for our family and friends. But hay don’t let Christmas shopping stress you out! Why not use this handy list to make sure you find something perfect for everyone and get into the Christmas spirit yourself!

Christmas Farmers Market

Gallowtree Gate, Wednesday 17th December, Thursday 18th December

Great local produce for all the foodies and remember to keep cheese in the fridge and not under the tree…

http://bit.ly/1Ihapgq 

Leicester Vintage and Old Toy Shop

1-3 Odeon Arcade

Stocking collectables from the 1950s to the 1980s, because we’ve all got that one toy nerd in the family that would love something from here.

http://bit.ly/2gH2qTV

John Lewis

2 Bath Lane

For when you want a hassle-free experience with everything you could possibly want under one roof.

http://bit.ly/2hqFHKf

Nest

43 Francis Street

Beautiful gifts from British designers and independent businesses. You’ll be sure to find something special in this lovely little shop.

http://bit.ly/2hihF6h

Clarendon Park Christmas Fair

Sunday 4th December

Crafts, gifts and home made foods. Keep an eye out for Archer’s hog roast to keep the shopping energy levels up…

http://bit.ly/2hqEylE

Le Maison de Sacs

 38 Francis Street

A beautiful collection of specialist designer handbags, for when you want to splash the cash on someone special (hint to all the boyfriends out there).

http://bit.ly/2hAt6Y6

Highcross

 5 Shires LaneWith a collection of over 100 shops, this is

With a collection of over 100 shops, this is the perfect place to go to if you just want to walk around all day and tick everything off in one go! (Plus you can sneak in a trip to the cinema).

http://bit.ly/2gVOjaM

Fenwick

36 Market Street

5 floors of premium shopping heaven. You’ll find everything from cosmetics to confectionery, but make sure yourself set a budget first! The two restaurants can be pretty tempting.

http://bit.ly/2hoT9AP

Happy Christmas shopping! And don’t forget to set a budget and write a list of everyone you need to buy something for to avoid that classic Christmas Eve panic

Secret shopping havens in Leeds

Colours May Vary

screen-shot-2016-11-11-at-15-13-03A perfect little stationary come bookshop with loads of unique goodies that are obsessed with.

 

 

The Traditional Shaving Company

Get a shave from a professional or stock up on luxury beard related goodies in this beautiful shop

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Lambarts Yard

A beautiful creative lifestyle shop that supports emerging talent and even has a mini WAH London nail salon!

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Tall Boys Beer Marketscreen-shot-2016-11-11-at-15-13-30

Perfect for beer lovers when pre drinks need to be a little special

 

 

Blue Rinse

screen-shot-2016-11-11-at-15-13-38For all the vintage pieces your heart desires

 

Chirpy

Everything from cushions to beauty products made by local artists and creative – this is the place to go for quirky gifts and personal touches to your home

screen-shot-2016-11-11-at-15-13-47

10 reasons why learning to drive at Uni is terrible

Hot Fuzz
Getting up for a morning driving lesson after a night out = THE worst

1. Your friends mercilessly mock you for not learning to drive at 17

2. You had to cancel your lesson for being hungover… AGAIN

3. You spend your summer holiday learning, and then a year passes and you’re awful again

4. Your instructor will try and make polite chit chat about your degree when really you wish they’d tell you how to turn the wipers off

5. You see everyone you know and will inevitably see a Facebook post with your hands in the 2 and 10 position

6. You come back from your lesson and talk to your friends how pleased you are for only stalling twice, and then they laugh in your face, forgetting the hours they spent mastering the clutch

7. Having to turn down a night out to save money for your next lesson will leave you with mega FOMO

8. You struggle through the highway code to pass your theory test, only to find all of your driving uni friends don’t know what half of it means – is this really necessary?!

9. When you fail the first time you basically feel like giving up…

10. But when you finally pass you feel like you’re now part of the elite drivers club… Where’s the next road trip headed?