News

The life of a student has two sides. On the one hand, there is this new level of independence, the huge number of possibilities to have new experiences and so on. And yet, on the other, scarier hand, a list of new and unprecedented problems and questions seem to wait just for you.

How can I save money without having the feeling of living a beggar's life? Which recipes suit both my (low) budget and my taste? What are the best ways to comfortably earn some extra money? And, after having resolved the financial challenges, how can I socialise and make some lovely new friends?

Having got through all these problems myself, I can provide you with some quick, handy and useful tips to make your everyday life much more comfortable.

1) Keep calm and enjoy your meal

I know that probably 80% of you come to university not having any further cooking experience than how to ‘cook' instant pizzas and noodles (I'm not blaming you, Mum's dishes tasted too good). Am I right? If yes, try this super-quick, super-budget and super-lovely curry.

Chicken and Vegetable Curry (from this recipe):

Today, November 5th is Bonfire Night, which means there are stunning fireworks displays across London this evening and over the weekend. We've gathered together some of the very best from every corner of the capital for you to take your pick.

To find your closest display, us this brilliant map to see what's on.

Central London

Lord Mayor's Show

Where? River Thames, SE1
When? Saturday 9th - 5pm
How Much? Free

The huge Lord Mayor's show will be winding its way through the centre of London on Saturday and will end in one of the biggest firework displays in the Capital. Set off from barges on the Thames between Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges, more than half a million people are expected to watch from the banks.

The amazing video footage below was shot from the helmets of five skydivers. It was supposed to capture their triumphant and serene fall from a plane 12,000 feet above the ground.

Instead it caught a mid-air crash between the two planes carrying them, one of which burst into flames. The skydivers are thrown from the plane, though miraculously they all survived unharmed. 

Watch the report from NBC below:

The annual Mercury Prize awarded to the best British album of the year was held last night, with experimental, ambient artist James Blake taking home the award for his second album Overgrown.  

He beat bookies' favourite soul singer Laura Mvula and the legendary David Bowie to the £20,000 prize, joking "well, I lost the bet".

The prize traditionally celebrates the more unusual and obscure music produced in Britain each year. However, critics claimed that the nominees were too mainstream this year with large acts like Arctic Monkeys, Disclosure, Rudimental and Jake Bugg all on the shortlist.

The smaller acts were however also represented by the likes of folk band Villagers, the all-female punks Savages and electronic musician John Hopkins. 

You can listen to one of the tracks from the winning James Blake album below, or download the entire album here.

With Halloween coming up this week, we've brought together some of the best ideas around to make the spooky holiday a little different this year. From making your own costume, to spending the night in dungeons, to carving a David Cameron pumpkin(?!), have a look at the brilliant ideas from around the web below.

1) Watch a Horror Movie

One of easiest ways to get in the mood is to scare yourself with a horror film. Whether you prefer monsters, the paranormal, zombies, vampires or plain old evil humans, there will be something to scare you silly.