IH Times Exam Special

Hey, folks! I know it’s all stress and work at the moment, but here are a few articles to give you a sense of what’s going on (in case you’ve been stuck in your room for the last few weeks and have no idea about any happenings in the outside world) and maybe a bit of a chuckle.

Scroll down for the IH Seven-Steps-to-Revision-Heaven exam tips, and a little bit about things which are happening soon.

Also, if anyone would like to write anything for the IH times, or more likely just has an idea of something for the next issue at the end of term, or suggestions about the welcome edition for next year’s freshers, email it to ihtimeseditor@gmail.com. You will be paid in a thank you from me, and perhaps some good karma too. Cheers! 

Revision Tips

It’s exam time! Yay! No, even though some residents have begun to resemble notes-and- textbooks-carrying Sean of the Dead extras recently, really, it doesn’t have to be that bad. There’s no need to become a stressed, panicking mess over the next few weeks, even if you’re sitting your finals (third years have been spotted in IH on occasion, apparently!). Just follow the IH seven-steps-to-revision-heaven, and you’ll be fine.

1 - Wake up!
It’s a well-know fact that you can do many times more work in the morning than you can in the afternoon (probably because everyone else is still asleep, so Facebook isn’t very interesting). So set your alarm for 8-ish, get down to a delectable and nutritious IH breakfast, and get going with your revision.

2 - Unplug the internet
Facebook, Youtube, ...you get the picture. They seem to get more interesting when you have more work to do, to the point where watching videos of people falling off bikes etc. is absolutely hilarious. Do yourself a favour, go somewhere where you physically cannot go on the internet (go to the park, leave your ‘phone behind), and you’ll be more productive than ever.

3 - Take a break
You might be able to sit there with a whole textbook and spend 12 hours reading it cover- to-cover. You still won’t learn as much as if you took a little longer, and took plenty of breaks, though. Get a drink. Have a walk to the Brunswick. Do anything, just make sure you take a break.

4 - A little help from your friends
Get someone to test you on your subject. Bribe them if you have to. This’ll help you find out what you’re okay with, and which areas need more work. You might have to do the same for them, but if it helps you both, then why not? Just try not to distract each other too much. Oh, and try not to pick your ‘thinks they’re a comedian’ friend (everyone has one) ... they might screw up your exams intentionally!

5 - On yer bike!
Apparently, exercise freshens up your brain, lets you concentrate longer, and reduces stress. Sounds like a good idea, surely? Go to the gym, for a walk, or (shameless plug alert) get to IH badminton or basketball on a Saturday, or join in IH yoga on a monday.

6 - A change of scenery?
Do you get bored when revising? Of course you do. Who doesn’t? It might help to go somewhere else though, away from the same drab four walls of your room or the library. You could try a different library, like Senate House instead of the one at your uni, a coffee shop somewhere, or even (here’s a novel idea) outside! The park is twenty seconds away, and it’s lovely. Try it.

7 - Relax! That’s an order!
You’ve been studying all year. You’ve been revising like a madman for the last few weeks. (Of course, if you haven’t, this point doesn’t apply to you!) Cramming in an extra five minutes here or there probably won’t get you even one extra mark in your exams, but will actually make you more stressed. As silly as it might sound, a little time to yourself is the best thing you can do to prepare yourself now. So, relax, and good luck!

What's On

If you’re taking the advice from the IH revision tips and taking a break, or you’re one of those lucky people who get to finish their exams really early and hang around looking smug and annoying the rest of us, there’s plenty on in the next few weeks. Here are a few highlights.

Hawaiian Luau Party - 25th May
This will be a great afternoon, and so close to IH! All the elements of a Pacific Island festival right here in sunny London (really, remember this is Britain; it will rain and be chilly for most of the summer, so make the most of this lovely weather while it lasts!). Plus, for the terminally unsociable amongst you, this is a great chance to meet people from the other UOL halls in Bloomsbury who you should have met last year, before everyone leaves for the summer. Tickets are limited, so book NOW if you want one. For more details see the poster:

RHS Chelsea Flower Show - 21st-25th May
While I personally don’t understand the attraction of a flower show, I’m told that this is the one to go to, if that’s your cup of tea. The Chelsea Flower Show is world-famous, it’s in London, and it’s soon. So, if a fine fuchsia or a radiant rose excites you, this is probably your best opportunity to visit such an event. Details can be found at: http://www.rhs.org.uk/ shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/2013

London Literature Festival - 20th May-8th September
If you’re an avid reader, thespian, poet, or have an interest in literature in any other way, you should check out the wide range of events at the Southbank Centre over the summer. There are book launches (one of Melvyn Bragg’s new novel), lectures, poetry readings, plays, talks, etc., etc. In fact, if you’re interested in arts of any description and you haven’t been to the Southbank Centre, just have a look at the events listed on their website: www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Apart from the literary (including a year-round poetry library), there are dance events, art events, and of course the Royal Festival Hall (in the same building) is the home of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and hosts many other forms of music, from chamber to jazz. See you there.

 

Field Day - May 25th
Okay, this does clash with the Luau party - which EVERYONE should be going to - but if you were never going to go to it anyway, there is an alternative. Here’s a cheekily copied list of the artists on at the Field Day festival:

Animal Collective, Bat For Lashes, Solange, Tim Burgess, Everything Everything, Four Tet, Fucked Up, Savages, Palma Violets, TNGHT, Daphni, Django Django, John Cooper Clarke, Kurt Vile, Seth Troxler, Toy, Stealing Sheep, Objekt, How To Dress Well, Disclosure, Chvrches, Jagwar Ma, East India Youth, Gabriel Bruce, King Krule, Metz, Kwes.

If you’re hooked by them, more details can be found at: http://www.fielddayfestivals.com It’s at Victoria Park (near Mile End tube), 7am ‘til late, and a great way to go ‘festivaling’ without leaving London, or camping in some muddy suburb of Reading or Leeds. 

BOAT PARTY

The atmosphere in halls had been building for weeks...not a student went by without a glowing countenance of excitement...and then the night finally arrived...the night of...

THE IH BOAT PARTY!

After ten days of being accosted at dinner by morose club committee members desperately trying to sell tickets, the residents who turned up to Embankment pier on friday night were certainly expecting a grand vessel. And they were not to be disappointed; the London Belle, casually bobbing around on the glittering surface of the Thames, offered everything one could ever dream of: free drinks, a cheesy DJ, and a good nautical sway (in case anyone didn’t quite manage to just drink themselves into being ill).

In fact, the merry time enjoyed by all can be summed up in a good, old-fashioned before-and-after shot of a group of revelers:

Boats evidently encourage different behaviour in people too; some like the classy nature of a social event ‘at sea’ - donning suits for a friday night lash, different from their usual baggy-jeans-and-dirty-shirt look brought out for evenings at ULU, whereas some are just natural posers:

...or arrogant to such an extent that they think they’re in charge wherever they go:

...though they were just chasing sirens, as these ambitious strategies didn’t appear to change their luck with the ladies.

Despite a fairly early finish of 12 o’clock (one LSE student overheard complaining this didn’t give him the chance for at least six hours’ study the next morning) a good time was had by all.

To everyone who came: thanks, you’re welcome...and for the next IH party, drag your shyer friends with you! (They’ll love it...even if they’re at LSE).

IH Times - Autumn Edition

Hola comrades,

The time has finally come for me to present to you this year’s second edition of the IH Times. Remember the orange/brown welcome guide-booklet you received when you moved in? That special printed edition of the IH Times hopefully helped you to settle in a little and to not make yourselves socially awkward within the first few weeks ;) a special shout-out to the infamous Hemish Goodeal for producing such lovely and entertaining texts - THANK YOU!!! And now that we’ve all settled in, it’s time for a little more fun.

The IH Times is – in its widest (and very academic) sense – a platform for communication. Practically that means: if you have something fun to say about life, the world, uni, your neighbour’s sex life or anything you think other residents could be interested in – give me a shout. The Times is an online newspaper which keeps you updated about life at International Hall.

Hence – feel free to contribute in WHATEVER way you’d like, may it be a horoscope, an event calendar, study music, a party review, photos, or a little rant about the fact that the food in the cafeteria consists mainly of oil and grease. Me, the lonely editor, is ALWAYS looking for contributors. My name is Wanda and you may have seen me around – so just stop me from my usual lung-polluting smoking-off-the-steps routine and talk to me about your ideas. 

Or just email me at IHTimesEditor@gmail.com– I can reward you with free pizza and a bit of reputation. I bet you’ve always wanted to be known as ‘the person who made the hilarious IH Memes’ or similar. See? There you go. Contact me. (If no one does, I have to stay up all night by myself, drunk, and come up with hilarious things. Some of you may not approve).

So what can you expect in this edition? Well, simply keep on scrolling down this page or use the index bar on the right hand side to find the following:

-       The IH Club – who we are, what we do, and how to be us next year

-       The extravagant IH Beach Party review

-       Ramble-corner

-       London/IH Events in November

-       Room Championship

-       The 7 best ‘alternative’ hangover cures

-       Aghababian’s Practical Guide for doing your business in University Hall Toilets

-       Overheard at IH

Now scroll, my friends. :)