10 things...to make the cold weather bearable

As winter looms, the weather is getting chillier and the days are getting shorter, those summer days we spent strolling in the park and lying on the beach feel like a fading, distant memory. However, all is not lost as winter can actually be a truly magical time. Here are ten things to embrace about winter:

1) Cosy cardigans, hats and ear muffs! As the wind gets harsher, the roads get icier and there is more often than not even a hint of a snow storm, this can only mean one thing: it is time to layer up! The bikinis and lovely summer dresses that us women spent all of summer fake tanning ourselves to look nice in, can now be put to the back of the wardrobe and be replaced with the likes of a wonderful, thick, comfortable cardy, a bobble hat and a pair of fluffy ear muffs if gets really cold (although I just like to wear them anyway). There is no greater comfort than the cosiness of warm clothes, so snuggle up in them during the coming, cold months.

2) Winter Food  Pies, parsnips and Sunday roasts are just a few of the delicious winter treats on the menu that can be enjoyed as the temperature starts to drop.

3) The best TV of the year With both X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing battling it out on screen to be at the top of the ratings list, not to mention the up and coming Christmas specials and films – who needs to paint the town red on a Saturday night? It is time to cosy up on the sofa  in your PJ’s and enjoy the epic , winter TV season.

4) Hot Chocolate (with marshmallows) You can’t drink one of these in the summer (without looking like a weirdo) so make the most of it! The weather usually starts getting colder from around October onwards, so head to the shops and buy a sachet of either the fair trade or Cadbury’s hot chocolate, boil the kettle and add some marshmallows for the best result!

5) Hot Water Bottles (and a nice warm bed) If your bed is a feeling a bit cold due to the decrease in temperature, do not fear – hot water bottles have been warming beds for many years and are one of the greatest winter comforts. Several shops now even sell microwavable animals that can do the trick just as well – you simply put them in the microwave for a minute (and seriously no longer – the results are traumatising) and then take them out to reveal a warm, snugly, cute little creature that will warm your bed up in seconds.  Aww.

6) Snow days   With our increasingly changing climate meaning that the winters of the last 3 years have had large snowfall amounts widespread and very low temperatures; we can probably expect some more snow in the months to come (especially if rumours of this ‘big freeze’ are anything to go by). Snow, it has to be said, can be a pain in the backside but it does however mean that we tend to get a day (or two) off school and as travelling from A to B starts to become slowly impossible, what better excuse to stay inside all day and do nothing but watch TV? Or, if you are feeling really energetic, then venture outside with a carrot and a bobble hat and make a snowman. You’ve got to love a bit of snow, you know.

7) Baking I don’t bake/cook or even attempt to, but I have always viewed it (probably as a result of watching too many Christmas films) as a lovely, wintry experience. Whether you are baking mince pies, a Christmas pudding, or just some homemade bread, with all that biting cold air outside what better time of year is there to take shelter in your warm kitchen and get your culinary juices flowing? 

8) Social Events  Whether it is a Halloween fancy dress party, a firework display or Christmas drinks - winter holds all the exciting annual events.

9) Mulled wine, sherry (you know, for Father Christmas…) and winter cocktails

Tis the season to be jolly, so have a little head start with some of these wonderful winter bevvies. 

 10) CHRISTMAS! Best time of the year.    Enough said really. 

Is Facebook actually having a positive impact on our education?

 Facebook and twitter have famously been used as the catalyst for students procrastinating in the past. However, new studies suggest that it could actually be having a positive impact in education performance.

According to data gathered from several sources by OnlineEducation.net, Facebook and Twitter are used to remarkable benefit— sometimes. Students welcome online networking and resources and around 75% of students said they’d like to do some online facilitation during lessons.

Also, social media may have a positive impact on students’ sense of themselves in the community and among their peers. Social media-using students were twice as likely as other students to feel well-liked by their friends and to participate in extracurricular activities. And 20% more of Facebook-using students said they felt connected to their school and community. 

Helje Solberg, executive editor of the norwegian paper VG, spoke at a conference recently about how her newsroom use social media. She said staff are now asked to spend 10% of their time working on social media. She went onto explain that social media can be a great tool for newsgathering, content distribution and community engagement when used correctly. Therefore, by using social networking sites as a collaboration in classes at both schools and universities, it might be actively preparing students for life in a work place. 

However, negative effects always arise.  Students who use Facebook and hit the books simultaneously found their multitasking led to 20% lower grades than those of their more focused peers. Facebook-using students also made less money during school from part-time work, putting in around five hours per week as opposed to 16 hours per week for a typical, unplugged counterpart.

Not only do grades and finances suffer, but students might actually end up feeling more depressed or lonely. Almost half of students believe they are sadder than their friends on Facebook, and 25% of college students have shown signs of severe depression in their status updates at one time or another.

In a word, the results are inconclusive. But with around 96% of all university students on Facebook, only the most dedicated academics would consider giving up social media for slightly better results.