Michelle Almeida

Liberty Belle •

Struggling to balance your deadlines, well-being and socials?

Students have a love-hate relationship with the final four- weeks of semester two. Indeed, May and June bring the long-awaited warmer weather, longer days and… tons of deadlines. Even before the exam season kicks in, everyone suddenly feels swamped with an endless wave of assignments. However, during those stressful weeks, having a strong balance between responsibilities and leisure is crucial in order to avoid being overworked. Occasionally, taking care of your well-being can feel impossible
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Why I am upset with Kim Kardashian promoting diet culture

You’ve probably seen the photos of Kim Kardashian at this year’s Met Gala. The dress code for the evening was ‘Gilded Glamour and White Tie’ with the theme of the evening of course being ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion’. Kim walked the Met steps that evening wearing none other than Marilyn Monroe’s iconic golden gown which she wore when she sang Happy Birthday to J.F. Kennedy. This outfit choice sparked controversy for more than one reason. Firstly, people were unsure about whether Kim ac
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Abortion pill by post to be scrapped- A human rights violation or lawful procedure?

As a result of the pandemic, in 2020 the government made a decision which revolutionised abortion access in England. In a bid to take the strain off the overworked and underfunded NHS at a time of crisis, the government introduced the ‘pill by post’ scheme, enabling women to receive their prescribed abortion medication at home - but this is all due to end as of 29th August this year. In my opinion, removing this option of at-home abortions would be a dangerous step back for abortion rights and w
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Ask Becky: Avoiding burnout and time management in university.

Q) Balancing university work, a social life, looking after yourself, and keeping up with hobbies is hard. I can't help but feel like I sometimes centre my personality and mood around my academic achievements and work, which is great as it acts as motivation, but it is often the cause of burnout and putting too much pressure on myself. How can I make sure I keep up with other aspects of my life and don't focus solely on my studies? These submissions were very real. I love writing this column be
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Opinion: Kim Kardashian on work ethics and would we call out arrogant male influencers?

I’m writing this after an 8-hour shift at Subway and the smell of meatball marinara lingers in my hair. But, according to the final girl boss, the undisputed queen of Instagram and reality stardom, Kim Kardashian, I need to get my ass up and work. “Get your fucking ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.” Says Kim Kardashian in an interview with refinery magazine as a promo for their new reality TV show, The Kardashians. Just as the uproar on Molly Mae’s take on the 24-
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5 Easy ways to be more eco-friendly at university

During the busy years at university, it’s easy to overlook sustainability and how you can positively impact the world in small ways. As students, we definitely have a lot of things on our plate and reducing your carbon footprint may not be a priority which is why we're sharing some easy and accessible ideas on how to incorporate sustainability into your daily life with little effort. I’m sure you do a lot of these already! The average makeup wipe takes around 100 years to decompose in a landfi
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Hypocrisy in the International Women’s Day Posts and Adverts

International Women’s Day took place a few weeks ago (8th March) and is always something very controversial. A day to celebrate independent, female-owned brands or the special women in your life who inspire and support you are both amazing things. While something to be doing all year long, Women should be celebrated just like we would World Earth Day or World Book Day - those days don’t mean we don’t love books and the earth every other day. However, an ever-growing problem is the use of these
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ThatGirl- toxic positivity or role model?

In mainstream society there has always been an iteration of 'that girl'; she’s trendy, smart and talented, all without even trying. From the ‘it girls’ of the 90's to the influencers of today, girls and women have been inspired by everyone from Winona Ryder, to Kate Moss, to Kylie Jenner. But current access to social media has given us a whole new way to model our lives after somebody else’s, to show us a successful person who is just like us! It makes us think this is who we could be if we we
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The politics of teen aesthetics

When I was a teenager in the early 2010s in the super middle-class city of Bath, there was little diversity of any description to be found anywhere. Girls on TV and in shop windows were still predominantly white, blonde-haired and blue-eyed – the most exotic feature you might find was a brunette. The ‘cool girls’ at my single-sex secondary school were also blonde. They all had names like Tilly and Milly; they wore Jack Wills and Hollister; they played hockey and netball in skorts with their hon
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Tips on dealing with a Valentine's Day breakup the healthy way

Breakups are terrible, and we all agree upon this fact. No matter when they happen, they are pretty awful, especially a breakup that takes place within a few weeks of the most love orientated day of the year, Valentine's Day. A breakup with your other half around 14th February can make you feel unhappy and is one of the worst scenarios. It feels like everything is over, and your life has come to an end. While social media is flooded with romantic posts, you're expected to feed your broken heart
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Ask Becky: Break-up interfering with your uni productivity?

Rebecca shares tips on how to get motivated when you feel low after a break-up In my experience, breakups have been really brutal on the old emotions. Some breakups I’ve been through I literally felt like my heart was in my butt and I’d been stabbed in the chest and my life was ending. In essence, what I am trying to say is that I understand the feeling of heartbreak and I empathise with you greatly. If it’s any consolation, I look back at those times in my life and smile at myself, because th
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International Students- here's how you can get back to your university routine after travelling.

Going to university in a different country can be a daunting process - here are some tips from an international student to help you recharge after long-distance travel between home and school. Jet lag is one of the hardest readjustments if you are coming from a time zone with several hours difference. When I arrive from Seattle, which is eight hours behind England, I like to nap for a few hours upon arrival. Then I force myself to stay up until the early morning hours after which I can usually
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Struggling to get back to your university routine? Here are some tips to help you!

After the holiday festivities and a few weeks of exam season, it can be challenging to settle back to the routine of the regular semester. Here are some suggestions to help ease you into the first couple of weeks in semester two. Reading the syllabus before lectures begin, making sure you have all the necessary materials, and doing any pre-lecture work can make all the difference for stress levels when things are gearing up again. Also, getting a fresh set of coloured pens or highlighters can a
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A Very Vegan Christmas: Five Festive Treat Recipes You Need To Try!

Being vegan over the holidays can be hard. Many people still don’t understand veganism or don’t believe that vegan food could be as good as the alternative. As my family’s designated baker, I’ve spent the last five Christmases proving them wrong and here are my favourite recipes. Biscuits are quite often vegan and gingerbread men are no exception. One of my favourite things to do is bake a little gingerbread scene such as this- nativity featuring my frisbee team or the family portrait featuri
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Your mental health matters! And you shouldn’t feel bad for seeking help.

Is anyone else confused as to how we’ve reached Week 11 already?! The semester flying by is good for some, who are maybe keen on their Christmas holiday plans. But it can also be daunting, as deadlines creep closer and workload gets more intense. Whether you’re a first or final year student, stress and mental health challenges affect us all. Life can feel overwhelming, and therefore be difficult to navigate. First of all, try not to be so hard on yourself. You’re only one person, and reminding
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How to decorate your flat on a budget this Xmas!

It’s December and this year I am feeling more Christmassy than ever and cannot wait to decorate my bedroom and lounge to give my uni home a true cosy Christmas feel! So here are some ideas on how to spice up your student house to truly get you into the festive spirit! Fairy lights are essential for your university bedroom all year round, but especially during the holiday season. As the weather gets colder and the evenings get darker, fairy lights are a crucial asset to give your flat or house
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Advice Column: Ask Becky!

Rebecca McPhillips column is dedicated to helping all readers in the dilemmas they face during their young adult phase. Whether you’re a fresher trying to establish a good social life or a third-year trying to balance your coursework and side hustles, this column will be a safe space to discuss and share advice on all things about your university life that can help make the next three years (or more) a smooth journey. Welcome to the new advice column at liberty belle. It took me so long to fi
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OPINION: Does social media help or hinder feminism?

Performative activism on social media is temporary and may one day be more of a hindrance than we realise. Katie Wheatley dives into the impacts of social media activism and the consequence it can have on feminism. To put it simply, there’s no easy way to answer this question – and I certainly don’t have all the answers. Everyone will have their own opinions on such a subjective and complex topic. But just as long as we all agree that we hope, one day, social media only acts as a helpful tool i
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10 things I wish I knew before going to university

University: a whirlwind full of excitement, high and lows, which is arguably one of the best times of your life. But it’s not all party, party, party- there are times which get tough. So, here is a list of the top ten things I wish I knew before going to university. Fresher’s flu is real. Naively, at first, I laughed in the face of people who talked about it. There is no way I would be taken down by a cold. I was wrong and have continued to be wrong every September since. Beware! They will sav
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Here's how you can have a Work, University and Social life balance!

At University we often hear the phrase ‘work hard, play hard’ – but what does this mean in the context of a modern-day university student? Many people still don’t know how to realistically implement this lifesaving mantra into the day-to-day: students everywhere find themselves completing work last minute or forgetting to do that last piece of seminar reading – or worst of all – forgetting about that devilishly early 9 am lecture after a night of clubbing! We’re here to tell you that University
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