Socs Fair

Next Tuesday (22nd of January 2019) is a great opportunity to meet and chat with members of all different Societies.

There will also be a poster sale in the foyer of Aras na Mac Leinn.

Socs Fair 2019.JPG

Super easy homemade granola

Hey guys, so this week in honour of it being study week, I’ve got a straightforward recipe for you guys that contains omega fatty acids which a great for your brain! And it takes less than 15 minutes to make. All you need is………..

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbs cinnamon
1 cup oats
1 cup seeds and nuts (I just used sunflower and pumpkin seeds because I had them on hand)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Mix the oats and nuts together using your hands.


3. Add cinnamon and mix it in. I may have gone a bit over the top with the amount because I love cinnamon but feel free to add extra or take some away.


4. add coconut oil and melt in with the heat of your hands, so it coats the mixture this gives the granola its crunch.


5. Cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or till the oats and cinnamon become fragrant.
6. Enjoy!

Motivation in Fitness

I could embellish the whole meaning of this piece by declaring that my own motivation arises from inner will-power and determination. I could fabricate reality by stating that my own motivation stems from my soul and personality. I could distort the truth and express that I do not experience slumps in my own motivation. But; that all would be a colossal lie.

When following my own healthy lifestyle, I always decide what truly motivates me. What deters me away from taking a second biscuit and what encourages me to endure a sweat-dominant workout on a Monday morning? Boiling down to the psychology aspect of things, I have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

Intrinsic motivation can be defined as any internal stimuli that drives an individual to adopt a behaviour for their own internal satisfaction or fulfillment. It took me a long time to come to grips with this meaning, as I only incorporated intrinsic stimuli into my life quite recently. I have learned that this kind of desire arose between the relationship between myself and my attitude towards fitness. I no longer perceived fitness as ‘dieting’ and ‘abs’ and ‘calorie counting’ but through the lens of what emotions exercise and healthy eating made me feel. My intrinsic motivators include

  • Experiencing the high levels of happy hormones during and after a workout
  • Feeling productive rather than sitting at home doing nothing
  • Feeling full and not wondering when my next batch of calories could be eating
  • Possibly not a shared motivator among people, but I fall in love with the burn and muscle fatigue EVERY SINGLE TIME

 

Extrinsic motivation can be defined as any external stimuli that drives an individual to adopt a behaviour. This used to be my only motivator, which was very dangerous as it contributed towards my unhealthy perception and relationship with fitness. My sole focus was appearance and aesthetics, and what opportunities this ‘perfection’ could open up for me. Before truly falling in love with fitness, these were my extrinsic motivators

  • Seeing numbers drop on the scale when trying to lose weight and seeing numbers increase during times of muscle gaining
  • Being able to see lines for abs or bicep muscles
  • Believing that if I was a size smaller, I would be more confident

 

I can say that now, my motivation is intrinsic and I have never been happier. My newfound self-esteem has stemmed from my attitude and belief in my healthy lifestyle, not from the way I look. And, it is THAT confidence, that has allowed me to fall in love with the world around me, grab opportunities as they fly by me, and truly become the person I am happy to be.

Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated?

First, you dream. Then, you do.

Stay beautiful, stay smiling,

Anna.

10 Things to Do in Galway at Christmas

1. Go Ice-Skating at Leisureland in Salthill

Student tickets are only €13, so get down to Lesiureland in Salthill between November 18th, 2018 and January 6th, 2019!

More info: www.galwayskates.com

 

2. International Potluck Party at the Hub

 

In association with the International Student Society (ISS), we’re hosting an International Holiday Party here at the Hub on Friday, December 7th from 5pm to 8pm! Bring a traditional dish to share and enjoy a little study break on us!

3. Lunchtime Recital at St. Nicholas’ Church

On Tuesday, December 4th at 1:10pm the St. Nicholas Church is holding the From Europe with Love: Czech Republic classical recital. Admission is free, but donations are always appreciated!

4. Christmas Day Swim – Blackrock

An annual Galway tradition, the COPE Christmas Day Swim down at Blackrock in Salthill always brings a crowd. It takes place Tuesday, December 25th from 10am to 1pm. Registration is €10 and goes to COPE Galway to support vulnerable and isolated men, women and families.

More info: www.copegalway.ie/get-involved/events/christmas-day-swim/

5. Galway Christmas Market – Eyre Square

Already well underway, the Galway Christmas Market takes place from November 16th through December 22nd, 2018. Get down to Eyre Square to see all the festive sights, snack on all the delicious goodies, and see Galway from a different perspective from the top of the Ferris Wheel!

6. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony –Human Biology Building

Join students, staff, retired staff and friends from the community outside the Human Biology building in the South Campus on Wednesday, December 5th from 3.30pm to 4.15pm as we switch on the Christmas lights. Food and festive fruit punch from our campus caterers, with entertainment from our choir and student societies. Wear your Christmas jumper! Bucket collection in aid of COPE Galway and Galway Rape Crisis Centre.

7. Connacht v Ulster Rugby Match

If you’re sticking around Galway for the holidays, Connacht plays Ulster on Friday, December 28th, 2018 at 7:35pm at the Sportsground in Galway. Student tickets are €22.

More Info: www.connachtrugby.ie/tickets/

8. Festive Afternoon Tea – Hotel Meyrick

Get down to the Hotel Meyrick with your friends for afternoon tea served in their stunningly-decorated dining room.

More info: www.hotelmeyrick.ie/afternoon-tea.html

9. Fields of Athenry 10k

Only a 20-minute train journey from Galway, the annual 10k Fields of Athenry race will be held on December 26th, 2018 at 11am. Registration is €20 and will hopefully inspire you to get training during the holiday season.

More info: www.athenry10k.com

10. Christmas Lights on Shop Street

Check out the festive lights on Shop Street and get started on your Christmas shopping with a hot chocolate!

DE-STRESS THE STRESS

We’ve reached the time of year where the looming thought of exams are going to take up 50% of our thought process, while the other 50% is made up of a mix of studying and whether you should be going out! Exam timetables were posted on 15th November (if you haven’t checked your timetable, I’m trying to remind you, cough! cough!). Here are a few tips I’ve found to be useful in my previous experience: 

Have structure: As it is to be expected, most people are only starting their studies now, and some only during study week! So, the big question everyone asks themselves as they view the mountain of information provided to them; “Where do I begin?”. I believe creating a plan of action for yourself will give you a starting point allowing you to build on that. 

Keeping a routine and taking regular breaks: So, let’s remember those secondary school days where most people were productive in their studies. If you compare the number of exams and assignments that was given to us, we seem to have a lot less in comparison to now. Having a routine, and constant repetition in our daily lives is especially useful when it comes to our studies. But remember, you must also allow yourself to relax as the stress builds. For example, taking a walk, some gentle exercise or watching an episode of your favourite TV series (stick to just ONE episode!!) is a great way to unwind and destress. Everybody is different so find what works for you. 

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine etc.:  Reduce your consumption of these items where possible. The stress of exams might normally lead students to increase their intake of stimulants such as coffee and cigarettes to help with the study process, and alcohol to unwind.  As a substitute to these beverages, try to increase your intake of water. It keeps you hydrated but also enables the body to cope better with stress. If water is not your “cup of tea”, then how about some other suggestions; diluted natural fruit juices or even herbal teas (see what I did there). 

In conclusion, I would like to wish everyone the best of luck in their studies, and hope you get the results you deserve. Don’t let stress get the better of you, exams are just another point of growth in your life. 

-Ola  

 

Easy lemon drizzle cake

Hey guys, so this week I’m going to give you the recipe to my favourite type of cake lemon drizzle cake. It’s super easy to make and tastes amazing. All you need is……
cake:
225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g self-raising flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon
icing:
juice of 1 lemon
40g icing sugar
40g caster sugar

1. Preheat the over to 180 degrees and grease a baking tin with butter
2.Beat together butter and sugar until pale and creamy add lemon juice3. Add eggs one at a time beating slowly

4. Sift in flour and add lemon zest and mix

5, Bake for 45-50 minutes to check if its cooked insert a fork into the middle if it comes out clean the cake is made.

6. For the icing add the juice of a lemon and icing sugar and caster sugar mix together and pour on the cake once its cool.

7. enjoy!

adapted from: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4942/lemon-drizzle-cake?fbclid=IwAR1qdeAxJjWbSxrgE1wJyM09_7iglMWSLY_X8jkWsxezZnHalM2QehWmucU#recipe-method

-Claire

Study Snack Hack

It’s that time of the year again; we are finally into our last week of classes for the fall semester. The Christmas market in town is proof that all the fun things going on surrounding the holiday season are so close and I’m sure we all can hardly wait, but one huge thing stands between us and a Christmas ham: exams!

I understand, as a student, just how stressful and exhausting this time leading up to our exams can be. We are spending long hours in the library and not leaving until we know we’ve completed our tasks for that day..and that is tough! What I find the most difficult personally is staying motivated and focused when my body feels expended. When I feel this way, I tend to take a break to just decompress, grab a snack or coffee and head back to the books. The worst thing you can do is go and take a study break and eat things that will actually make you more lethargic and unfocused. I’m writing this brief blog post to just offer some ideas for healthier, more energizing snacks than just a Smokey’s muffin that you can easily pack for yourself to bring with you studying.

Ideas:

  • Hummus and vegetable sticks (carrots, celery, peppers)
  • Apples, peanut or almond butter, and granola
  • Frozen fruit with yogurt (just freeze fresh blueberries, raspberries, or anything with yogurt and voila!)
  • Homemade trail mix however you like with mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts), dried cranberries or raisins, maybe some chocolate chips if you’re feeling crazy
  • Avocado toast (add literally anything..go sweet and top with strawberries or make it more savory and opt for chickpeas, tomato, and onion)
  • Hard boiled egg and a fruit (banana, apple, orange)
  • Roasted edamame and chickpeas
  • And if you have a little more time on your hands I will link a website here that has loads of really yummy protein ball recipes that are perfectly filling and energizing snacks for long days studying!

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/g4892/protein-ball-recipes/

P.S don’t forget the Hub kitchen is open everyday for you to prepare these yummy snacks or leave some things in the communal refrigerator or freezer!

Ok, that’s all I’ve got for now, but think positive, eat well, get sleep, study hard, and good luck on those exams!

Michaela

 

 

MUSIC MONDAYS

Welcome to MUSIC MONDAYS, this is where I will be posting the top 10 most played songs every week!!! 🙂

Wanna listen to the songs that are trending the most while studying for the upcoming exams? Stay Tuned..

 

 

******SONGS OF THE WEEK******

   1.Happier- Marshmellow & Bastille

Here is the official video, I will be posting a video of the No.1 song of the week!

 

2.Girl like you- Maroon 5 Ft Cardi B

3.High hopes- Panic! At the disco

4.Young blood- 5 seconds of summer

5.Better now- Post Malone

6.Love lies- Khalid & Normani

7. Breathin- Ariana Grande

8.Lucid Dreams- Juice WRLD

9.Sicko Mode- Travis Scott

10.Broken- lovelytheband

 

 

 

That’s it for this week guys

Have a great week, best of luck in the upcoming exams & Enjoy !!!!

Daria 🙂

 

 

 

Upcoming Events Week 12:

Image result for upcoming events

As the final week of lectures finish up and we all get down to studying hard, don’t forget to enjoy yourself every once in a while at our upcoming events! As per usual for a full list of everything that’s happening check out the socs calendar at https://socs.nuigalway.ie/calendar.php

 

Monday:

 

Time Lord Soc Games night – The time lords are back! Who could have seen that coming? The weekly Doctor Who themed game night is back in The Small Acoustic Room in Aras na Mac Leinn @ 19:00

 

Music Soc Open Mic – Come one, come all! Test your singing skills or just be the center of attention for a bit in Sult @ 21:00

 

Tuesday:

 

The Hub Bake Sale – Are you a fan of brownies, cookies, and cakes? Of course you are! Come on down to our bake sale to help our Hub keep running. Everything is free, but feel free to donate what you can. Be there or be square, at the Hub from 1:30 – 4:00

 

Trad Soc Session – If you’re a fan of traditional Irish music, or just want to explore the culture some more then a trad session is a must. If you have an instrument or even just a voice, come on down to the Crane Bar @ 21:30

 

Wednesday:

 

Compsoc Web Development Workshop – Computer whizzes and n00bs are all welcome to learn a new skill and create something completely your own. If this is something that your interested in then be at IT 203 @18:00

 

Med Soc Yoga – Does a yoga a day keep the doctor away? Well come on down and get a professional opinion in The View in Aras na Mac Leinn @ 18:00

 

Thursday:

Photography Soc- Come on down to the Art room in Aras an Mac Leinn @16.00 to enhance your knowledge and skills in photography, take a picture it will last longer!

Rock soc– Interested in a jamming session? Come on down and join rock soc in the small acoustic room in the Aras an Mac Leinn @19.00 where drums, amps and mics are provided!

 

Friday:

Comp soc- Come down for a programming and problem solving session, where you can practice for technical interviews and interact with other computer science students! @14.00 DISC Room 205 IT Building

sign up with this link: https://goo.gl/forms/4hyZGmCwGmwzYaLj2

TGI Friday at the Hub- Head down to our very own Hub where we start off the weekend with a bang! , there will be snacks, games and great tunes! Including our Freestyle Fridays where you’re able to request songs, so come on down and socialize!

 

Saturday:

Global Lounge- Head down to the Hub for a nice relaxed Saturday where there will be food fun and conversation and a great opportunity to interact with others!!

 

Finbar & Daria 🙂