February 2018 – Playground of Randomness

Month: February 2018

23
Feb
2018

Fiction Friday: Expelled by James Patterson

Expelled by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was the first James Patterson book I ever read and it was sadly underwhelming. Theo gets kicked out of school for something he didn’t do and is determined to figure out who framed him. His idea? To go around with a video camera, asking questions to other student until he finds proof that he’s been set up. This is a pretty odd idea- in real life, no one would admit to setting someone else up so I don’t know what was going on with that strange plot point.
This book was incredibly well-written with an intriguing mystery (which really made up for Theo’s ridiculous camera idea). I loved how everyone seemed to have something to hide. However while the mystery compelled me to read non-stop, the ending was pretty flat and predictable.

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19
Feb
2018

Book Review: One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank

categories: Books, Reviews

One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had this books for months before reading it (life got in my way) and I sorely regret it. Once I stated this book it was impossible to stop reading. Sophie and her brother visit Paris for their father’s wedding. However their new sister seems determined to do anything and everything to spoil Sophie’s time abroad. Added to that there’s a hot and mysterious guy who’s friend with the evil step-sister AND Sophie’s longtime crush seems to be turning into a jerk. Could things get any worse? Yes, they can but you’ll have to read the book to find out more. At several points I just wanted to curl up in a corner and cry. Sophie goes through so much and it just upsets me. Paris is supposed to be magical and romantic, not full of horrible mean people.
This book was such a delight to read. I really wish I read it sooner. I thought Sophie’s relationship seemed a bit too serious for someone her age but besides that I loved every other thing about this book. I’d love to see a sequel about the other characters who are all so memorable.

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16
Feb
2018

Fiction Friday: Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

categories: Books, Reviews

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are two types of “Caraval” readers: those who loved it and those who found the hype totally undeserved. I was one of the former which was a good thing since I picked this as my first ‘FREE’ Audible read (definitely check out the audiobook. The narrator is amazing).
“Caraval” follows the story of sisters, Scarlett and Tella. The girls have grown up hearing stories about the magical Caraval but neither of them have ever experienced a show firsthand. In fact, neither of them have ever left their island or their abusive father. However, a week before she is about to marry, Scarlett receives a special invitation to Caraval by Legend, the master of Caraval himself. Scarlett is too afraid to attend the event but Tella is determined to finally see a performance for herself. When Tella runs away to Caraval, Scarlett follows her to bring her home before their father catches them. However Scarlett soon discovers that her sister is the star of this year’s game. Tella has been kidnapped and the first person to find her will win Caraval and a wish of their choice. Scarlett has been warned that everything that happens is just a game. But as time goes on, it becomes more and more difficult to trust anyone or anything around her. This book had me second-guessing myself and I loved it. There were millions of twist and turns, some predictable and some not. This book was a rollercoaster ride and it was such a delight to experience. I enjoyed the audiobook so much that I eventually bought an ebook copy so I could read on my own whenever it was not possible to listen (and I’m going to get myself a hardcover copy too because it was just that good). I really enjoyed this book and I CANNOT wait for the release of “Legendary”.

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14
Feb
2018

7 Things College Graduates Need to Know About Their First Job

categories: Career, General Career Advice, Welcome to The Real World

I’m writing this at 7PM on a Saturday. I worked today and I am totally and utterly exhausted. I was watching a video on Youtube where one of the lifetstyle vloggers spoke about her internship experience. She mentioned not enjoying the office environment and found it crazy that she had to wake up at 7:30 each morning (I wake up at 5:30. I’m very jealous). I feel like there’s a huge difference between the college life and the working world. Most of the time, graduates are not prepared. So here are some of the things I think college graduates need to know about their first job.

This may not be the job for you- Guys, this is SO SO SO important. Sometimes your first job may not be for you. I had a friend join a company where she was utterly miserable and could not hide it. She would do the bare minimum of work to get by simply because it was not what she wanted to do. Not every job is for every person and I don’t think lots for people realise that.
You may not have your dream job- Similarly your first job may not be the job you wanted. I spent four months looking for jobs in Media and Publishing before giving it and taking the first job I got. Was it in the field I wanted? No. Did I learn from it? HELL YES!
There will be a transition period for you- Adjusting from the world of skipping classes just coz you could to a workplace where you need to be in is a HUGE adjustment. I’ve been working for ten months and it still makes me sad that I can’t just skip work on Fridays and stay in bed. Damn you, Uni for spoiling me.
It is not always pretty or fair- Such is life. Guys, I can’t even tell you how many times I have been left gaping at the sheer unfairness of life especially in the working world. There’s lying, back-stabbing, betrayal. Think about a Housewives reality show and you have a good idea. WATCH YOUR BACK!
You probably won’t have the salary you want- Starting salaries are incredibly low. I also feel like Durban salaries are especially pathetic. Please can someone explain to me how to survive on R2000-R3000. Have you heard of a little expensive thing called petrol?
Your degree probably won’t count for much- It is very rare to find a job in your field especially if, like me, you studied something in Humanities (also, can I please point out that Humanities is the biggest college in my university and yet they do nothing for the students to find a job? Yes, I am still pissed about that. You’ll soon see why). At the beginning of your job hunt, your degree might not make much of a difference in your career. I had a friend (non-Humanities of course) who worked for three years after university before he finally got a job in his field. I was equally parts impressed and jealous.
It’s not what you know- Following from the above point, it’s more about who you know that what you know. The wonderful job where I learnt so much? My aunt recommended me for the position. While I am grateful to her, it annoys me that my degree was so useless. Why did I waste three years studying when I could have just had someone recommend me for a job. That being said, NETWORK! It is a great way to make connections and you never know where your next opportunity will come from.

09
Feb
2018

Fiction Friday- Book Review: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

categories: Books

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Emmaline lives in the beach town of Colby where it seems like she is nothing but a face in other people’s stories and holiday memories. Emmaline has been with her boyfriend, Luke for practically forever. They’re a great match. Almost perfect.
But things start to change in the summer before Emmaline goes off to college. Her absentee father returns with his son (and some secrets) while a visitor from New York, Theo seems taken with Emmaline.
While Luke is small town, Theo is ambitious and showy. Nothing like the life Emmaline knows but Theo represents the life she could have…If she only chose to move out of Colby.
This was a wonderfully written novel about growing up and finding your identity. Emmaline is a girl from a small town who longs for something more than her ordinary life. However when that something more is given to her, she isn’t so sure anymore if it is what she wants. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a contemporary read or a sweet family story.

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07
Feb
2018

Healthy Snacking For College

categories: College

As a college student, it’s difficult to find snacks that are both healthy and quick. So I searched all over the internet and here are a few of the snacking options I found:

-Bagel or crackers with cream cheese
-Yogurt with fruit or granola
-Dried fruit and nuts
-Bran muffin
-Pretzels
-Cereal bars(these aren’t good for a meal though. I tried them for breakfast and was still hungry)
– Peanut butter sandwich
-Chicken or tuna salad(these both are really tasty and healthy).

06
Feb
2018

Fashion Inspired by Elena Gilbert

categories: Fashion

Elena has a super-simple approach to fashion. She dresses like she woke up, threw on the first items she saw and doesn’t care because she KNOWS she looks good. I love that her style is so casual but still looks great. Here are a few tips for getting her look as seen in season 1.

1) Keep it simple- Elena generally has little to no make-up and her hair is left straight and flowing. Who has time for getting dressed up when you’re being chased by your doppelganger ancestor’s old boy – toys (creepy dude in the hoodie, I’m talking about you).

2) Solid, dark colours- I don’t remember seeing Elena in any kind of patterned top. She chooses dark colours like purple and green and her tops are of one solid colour.

3) Bootleg jeans- Again, I think this is just her way of showing how amazing she looks without trying. When last did you see anyone with bootleg jeans? Elena pulls them off effortlessly.

4) Comfortable running shoes- when you’re walking around in graveyards or running away from vampires, you need shoes for comfort. While Katherine chooses to strut around in heels that she’s compelled from some poor soul, Elena chooses to wear flats and Chuck Taylors.

06
Feb
2018

5 Tips For Improving Your Productivity in College

categories: College

My words to live by are “Work hard, party harder”. This is excellent advice especially if you’re in college. But how do you manage to be productive when you’re just not feeling it? Here are a few tried and tested tips to help you be as productive as possible,

1) Keep a constant routine- have a set time for sleeping and waking up. Try as much as possible to stick to this because it reduces the possibility of you falling asleep in class. Yes, we all want to sleep in class because it’s boring but that’s not very productive.

2) Pay attention in class. Always record the lecture- when I first started sleeping in class, it was totally accidental. First my mind would wander off, then I’d try to rest my eyes and then I would jerk awake. If you know you’re tired/lazy, record the lecture to listen to later. This works especially well for assignments since you can go back and play the recording to find out precisely what is expected of you. Also when you’re actually listening to the lecturer it’s easier to remember what’s being covered in class.

3) Write things down as soon as possible- use your school calender plus your syllabi (is that the plural of syllabus? I’m not entirely sure…) and note down important dates such as tests, projects, when campus closes and reopens as well as the last day for changing your courses. This will a) help you to see important dates and b) you’ll know when you’re busy with a pile of essays or tests.

4) Set your own deadlines- if you have your own deadlines preferably a day or two earlier than the actual due date you’ll get work done faster. You may also have enough time to get a tutor to edit your essay or cover last-minute concepts with your lecturer.

5) Start work as soon as you get it- I don’t mean write the essay or read 3 chapters for that test. Do something small just to make a tiny dent in your workload. List points for your essay or skim a chapter in the textbook. It makes things easier if you start off small. You’ll eventually be able to tackle the entire essay/textbook.

06
Feb
2018

The Playground of Randomness Guide to College: Orientation

categories: College

I remember my Orientation as if it were yesterday. Though in reality it was 2 years ago. Time really does fly!
Orientation or O-week as some call it is possibly the most exciting time for a freshman. It’s your first look at the campus when you know with absolute certainty that you’re going to be a part of it.
But try not to lost yourself in all the magic of the moment. Orientation is your time to familiarise yourself with campus and learn how everything works.

What Actually Goes On:
Some colleges may be different but my Orientation started with a long speech from the Chancellor(that I sat outside for since I had heard the same speech when I arrived for Parents Day).
Most colleges have a campus tour. Pay careful attention to this because not only will it prevent you from getting lost, it will help you understand how everything functions.
Handouts about courses are passed out some times. You may even get a handbook- guard it with your life! I have both an actual handbook and a pdf file. I also stalked my college websites and social networking sites for months before I was accepted but I don’t recommend that. I still feel very creepy about that. But my point is- I was super-excited about college. And you should be too.

What I Did:
(Or also known as ‘Mistakes I Made That You Should Avoid’)
I swear there’s gona be an entirely separate blog post on all my college mistakes but that’s for another day.
For Orientation my campus tour guide wasn’t audible to the people in the back of our 40-50 people group…so I skipped the tour and went with a friend’s cousin instead.
The plus of this was that she completed our registration for us(ie the part where you choose your classes) and we didn’t have to wait in a line. We also got our own private tour.
The downsides was that I didn’t receive a handbook(the copy I got was one that I found) and I also was lost about how to use the library and the computer labs.
Eventually, with the help of a few older students who were friends, I managed to figure out what needed to be done but I still have no idea how to use the library copier or how to print out anything should I need to.
I also missed out on fun activities. I knew colleges had events for freshmen to bond over but only saw the flyers once my first official week of college had started- which was too late.
Bottom line- do yourself a favour, attend your Orientation and pay attention! You’ll be grateful later on.
Xoxo

02
Feb
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins

categories: Books, Reviews

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For some bizarre reason I have really been feeling for a YA contemporary read. Normally I don’t do YA contemporary. I am strictly a YA fantasy and adult contemporary fan (don’t ask me why but this is the way I have always been).
I picked this up to try and fill that craving and it definitely worked! This is a collection of twelve wonderful romances that can be read in one setting. Many of these authors are some of my favourites and it was great to see them write these bite-size stories. For me, personally, I hated that Real Life got in the way of me reading this book but I loved that I could read a story a day. It was like having Christmas in January (which is something I really needed). I also enjoyed the fact that these stories were all guaranteed a happy ending. The stories range from cute and sweet to magical and mystifying. This was a cute holiday read that I recommend to anyone who is looking for a good contemporary. I can’t wait to read the Summer anthology.

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