When the free spins ran out I wanted to keep the little buzz of playing. It was a nice pick-me-up during the course of a day, and I thought a harmless way of distracting myself from stress.

Before long I was sneaking in little sessions on my phone during breaks whenever I felt a bit low at work. The spins were cheap but played with such frequency they started to add up.

It lead to me having to borrow bits here and there from friends. I was so embarrassed to admit what was causing the shortfall, but eventually things came to a head when I started getting irritable with loved ones and struggling with frequent mood swings.

Gambling doesn’t have to end up like this, but it can be an easy problem to slip in to if you aren’t prepared. Casino Searcher offer a great article of signs to watch out for.

One of the easiest ways to keep safe is to set limits right at the start, before things can get out of hand. Giving yourself a budget is a really simple way of putting a limit on your outgoings.

It will help with keeping your finances in check every month, as well as taking away the stress caused by worrying about spending.

It’s also worth investing some time in looking for hints and tips around the game you want to play, so you can use your budget effectively rather than waste money on mistakes.

If you start to feel out of character or are struggling with your mood, make sure to talk to someone sooner rather than later – it’s completely possible to get back in control of a gambling habit gone awry, and will give you your life back.

In the UK, there’s a really positive attitude to gambling. Playing bingo was many a British housewife’s escape route from household drudgery. It brought some excitement into life and the chance to meet up with friends. This is totally different from attitudes in the United States, where ‘gambling’ of any sort wouldn’t be considered a fit pastime for a mother. In the UK, it’s like ‘as long as it’s only a little fun, no harm done’.

Online Gambling Sites

From bingo to slots to poker, gambling has moved online. I can play for money, virtual or real. I can download the casino onto a laptop or mobile. With rich, colourful graphics and easy payment and withdrawal methods, the pleasure’s anything but virtual. After the examinations, I love to kick back and enjoy the casino. But there’s a lot of fear out there about rigged casinos. Are these sites taking us for a ride? Should we worry?

British Regulations

As well as a positive attitude towards gambling, which is seen more as entertainment than vice, the British have a strong sense of fair play. The government body known as the British Gambling Commission(BGC) regulates the gaming industry in the UK. In order to get BGC approval, gaming companies have to prove their integrity and transparency. Play on BGC. approved sites and remain tension free. You should report any irregularity you may find. Users must be vigilant.

Responsible Gaming

If I need further proof that a site is fair,I look for a notice promoting responsible gaming. Ethical sites usually proclaim their support for this. They advise users who wager more than they can afford to stop immediately and contact Gamblers Anonymous. Of course these sites like to make money, but not at the expense of their clients’ health.. The BGC seal and the responsible gaming notice mark a site as fair and transparent.

But one day, I thought I would give it a go because a friend of mine was raving about how she had won a tenner while she made a meal for her family. I logged on and signed up, and was delighted to receive a bonus for the same amount that I had deposited. I am not a very trusting person, so I made sure to read through the terms and conditions before I paid a penny. 

At first, I thought I would have to spend an awful lot of my own money before I could claim any wins, but when I read through all the information carefully, I could understand the minimum wagering requirement. 

Many online gaming sites offer tempting bonuses to draw in new customers, like me. If you deposit, for example, twenty pounds, they will double it. This gives you forty lovely pounds to spend on whichever games you prefer. Now, assuming that you win big in your first few minutes (it is rare, but it happens). You will not be able to draw that money out, until you have met the wagering requirement, which might be two hundred pounds. To be clear, you do not have to pay in two hundred pounds in order to draw it out, you have to wager two hundred pounds – which could be the same ten pounds played and won over and over. Once the requirement is met, you are good to go.

Nowadays, I play for a little while most evenings, and now I have got the hang of the bonus system, I have a lot of fun for a little investment each month. I do not make a profit – but then, I only ever wanted a bit of fun and excitement in my life. That I do get!

The use of a coach is, however, not limited to this field. A coach is simply a person who instructs and works with his or her students to prepare them for just about anything: from reaching peak performance in professional or recreational sports, to developing specific skills that will help them achieve their career and life goals.

It can be argued that for many people the priest is their spiritual coach. And a yoga instructor is in fact nothing else than a coach who teaches his or her students the inner workings of yoga.

If one of your hobbies is playing chess there is no reason why you should not get yourself a good coach, not only to improve your knowledge of the different strategies, but also to help prepare you mentally for a major contest. In fact, many famous chess players of yesteryear rose to fame because they had an excellent coach.

Another hobby where having a coach could have major benefits is photography, particularly if you are serious about becoming a really good photographer. It might take you years to stumble upon all the secrets of this trade, or you might never learn them. With a good coach, however, the learning process will be much less frustrating and much more rewarding.

Finally, if you think you can become a world class poker player by reading books and watching YouTube videos you are probably right – but it could take you a few lifetimes. With the right coach by your side you will learn many hidden tricks of the game which you might never have discovered on your own, and hugely increase your chances of becoming a successful player. A good site to find more information on this topic is The Poker Prophet.

The University of Edinburgh established in 1583, is ranked 23rd, in the top 50 list of World Universities for 2018. The University has nearly 40,000 students studying over 150 disciplines and attracts the brightest minds across the globe. J.R Rowling the author of Harry Potter is one of the luminary Alumni.

What to Expect Educationally

Edinburgh offers circa 500 undergraduate, over 300 masters and 150 research areas and is the recipient of the highest rating possible by the ”Quality Assurance Agency” for the ”quality of student learning experience”.

Masters Studies

There are 15 disciplines in the Master’s studies with nearly 500 courses being offered from Applied Sciences and Professions to Journalism and Media to Law, et al. Edinburgh, is known for its research, is ranked 4th in the UK for its breadth, depth and quality of its research.

Master’s Degree is the theory behind the nuts and bolts of undergraduate studies. The courses are divided between academic learning; tutorials, and project and team work oriented learning which depending on what you are studying may involve interacting and working with an entity; professional, commercial or institutional outside of the university.

To get your Master’s Degree you will need to specialize and to write your thesis on your chosen subject (this may also necessitate doing a practical application or project depending on the course you are taking). There are assignments; essentially papers you have to write every semester that will be graded and will count towards your degree.

Career

Edinburgh University for employability, the University ranks 6th in the UK and 32nd in the world. To give the students the edge in a very competitive job market the University provides lots of opportunities for students to develop their skills, knowledge and experience through the Careers Service, also on offer, as a free service through LAUNCH.ed. is assistance to students who want to set up their own businesses.

Place to Live and Study:

In the QS Best Student Cities 2017, Edinburgh came second as one of the best places to live and study.

Throughout our existence we’ve always yearned for ways to express ourselves and speak to the outside world of what we feel and think. At times it doesn’t even matter whether someone responds to the echo we transmit through writings, poems, stories and etc. Figuratively speaking, so long as the literary plethora stuck in our soul finds an outlet, it makes little difference whether the falling tree in the woods makes a sound for someone. We write for the love of it.

Brain in a vat

My love for writing began the moment I became consicous of putting my thoughts and emotions somewhere other than in my own brain. After all, writing and existence are both forms of substance creation without de facto superficial hindrances. Some, such as author Ayn Rand, pursue deeper forms of philosophical self-expressions whereas others vent for themselves in a locked and hidden diary. Who am I then?

Existence Writing

From early childhood I found immense pleasure in designing stories and conceptualizing them into a coherent form. A form, which I controlled, morphed and even destroyed at the whim of a pencil. Some might ponder whether creating alternative realities is the ultimate power aphrodisiac, congenial to perhaps divine creation. I cannot answer that, only admit that stopping the process writing a story is like holding one’s breath: eventually you’ll give in and do what is natural: breathe. Just like we cannot make the choice to stop breathing on our own, I cannot make the choice of ceasing to write.

The Never Ending Road

Then how does one know when he/she has achieved literary nirvana or when something that has been written would be considered a piece of perfection, the end of a road so to speak? I wish to never find out. Writing for me is like taking a never ending stroll with the greatest human minds, always finding something new to think and write about. An endless project to not only grasp the purpose of others, but most importantly ask whether you think and therefore are?

Hi and welcome to my blog page. I am a young student who lives and studies in the lively, cultural town of Edinburgh. I love being in a city which is so diverse, vibrant and cultural. I am currently studying for a Masters degree in English Language and English Literature and I cannot think of another place where I would rather live, work and study for this type of course. There is plenty going on here to support and inspire anybody studying along the Arts and Humanities side of education, for example we are the world’s leading city for festivals. Let me tell you more about these exciting events which bring our city to life on a regular basis.

Essential Festival Dates for your diary

Where to start, well, August is the festival party month with the Edinburgh Art Festival from 26th July – 26th August and the Edinburgh Book Festival which takes place from 11th-27th August and happily goes on the road globetrotting as well.  Also in August there is perhaps the most well known festival and I am proud to say the largest arts festival in the world – the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which takes place from the 3-27th August every year. This festival consists of just over 3 exciting weeks crammed full of amazing shows and street events which are brought to you from all over the globe along with two big arts and crafts street markets.  There is also the International Children’s Festival which is held from the 26th May – 3rd June followed closely by the Edinburgh Film Festival from 20th June – 1st July.

In October we have yet another fabulous festival which is the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. Again people convene from across the globe to share their stories and to inspire others with their creativity of the written word.

With all of this going on, what more could an English Language and Literature student ask for?

Picking a dress code

This was fairly simple because comfort is the only important details and as my older sister, cousin Denice my best friend David rang the doorbell it was the clear that they caught the memo as they had matched by simple and ”comfort is key” take on the fashion for the evening.  

What time to start

We had decided on starting our movie evening early simply because we wanted to get through each film we had all selected and have some time for short refreshments and bathroom breaks which seemed as an important matter to consider when planning on baking on the couch for several hours.

What to watch

Choosing what films to watch was the hardest thing to decide on with having to sift through films that none of us had seen or deciding which ones were worth watching again. In the end we had decided on each of us having a pick of a specific genre. I was given the comedy and Taryn was choosing the drama, Denice had the action and Dave the horror. We were to watch then in the following order; Central Intelligence, Changeling, Batman vs Superman (dawn of justice) and The Conjuring 2.

What else is needed?

Great comfort food is an important factor of a great movie evening and the obvious traditional movie snack, a lot of popcorn. We had also engaged in short conversations about the actors in the films and which ones we had found especially attractive right before every film was about to start causing us to pause the film for a good 10 minutes to express our desires.

Coach and Horses

Beginning the night for some nice low priced drinks (for London that is), is this long standing pub in Soho. Rather old school and definitely not pretentious like a lot of the bars and pubs in this area, the Coach and Horses sports a rather old timey atmosphere. Originally a writers’ watering hole, this delightful pub still clings to the remnants of its past complete with old carpet and pickled eggs behind the bar. Heading there on a Saturday night will afford visitors the fun a piano sing-along complete with current pop hits and some strange cockney classics. The perfect start to a night on the town.

Cross Keys

Another old school institution, this pub is found in Covent Garden. With a feeling of having just arrived in the Lake District, this makes this pub one of the most quintessentially English pubs in the city. Not just good for a night out, this pub is excellent during the day time when a chilled out pint can be enjoyed amid the flowers and greenery that decorate the front of the pub.

Jerusalem Tavern

Even though this pub has only been in operating since 1990, it still retains one of the most authentic pub feels in the whole of London. Created to look like an ancient brewery, the beer here is not to be missed. Try out the sweet St Peter’s Cream Stour for a truly exciting new experience, a great start for someone not used to dark brews. Perfect in all weathers, this pub even sports a large fire for those winter months, get in quick to nab a seat there.

Casinos

When it comes to casinos in London, we were spoilt for choice. With the Hippodrome, Empire and the Ritz always at the top of anyone’s list it does boil down to budget. In the end we plumped for the Hippodrome, the largest casino in the city as it comes not only with an exceptional array of games but also an excellent venue for drinks and the option of the theatre.

Cosmetics

Makeup shopping is a huge staple in a girl’s wardrobe. This needs less help from girl friend’s but it can be useful having friends that use different brands. I prefer to head to Boots as my first stop for this. Boots is great as it offers a wide variety of makeup brands from the budget versions through to some of those serious high end products. Matching that with Boots’ many gift vouchers and coupons, shopping here can often yield multiple bargains even on the fancier ranges. Testing out products is available and also highly entertaining. It’s perhaps prudent on this kind of shop to actually leave the house makeup free!

Clothes

Every girl knows their body size and shape and which stores they prefer so I am not going to name drop here. What is harder however, is choosing an outfit that actually looks good. We all have tried something on and think it looks the best only to have our friends shake their heads in disbelief. That’s why I always take a trusted group out with me – they save us from making those embarrassing mistakes. Plus on occasion its fun to simply try on the worst outfit you can find, just for a laugh of course.

Café

After a tiring day shopping (yes, it is tiring even though its fun), there is nothing better than to discuss the day’s shop whilst taking a load off. My friends and I love nothing better than to head to a small café somewhere off the beaten track. I prefer the independent shops myself, the coffee is fresher and the cakes and pastries on offer are freshly home baked. Okay it might be a little pricier but these cafes are often quieter and more intimate for the kind of gossip our gang tends to indulge in.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your girls and hit the shops for that perfect girly day.