As a joint Christmas and a 'Congratulations You've Made It Through A Really Shitty Start To University Life' present for myself, I bought a pair of second hand Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones. As someone who likes the quiet and gets irritated easily by stupid people, wearing these headphones on my weekly big shop at ASDA has been a revelation. I literally can't hear anything except my own music.

So I was standing in the queue at the checkout this morning, staring vacantly at the six tins of peach slices and block of Cathedral City cheese belonging to the woman in front, listening to the haunting sounds of John Williams' War Horse score. I look up, and the checkout man and Peach Slice Lady are both staring at me. I take off my headphones.

Me: Oh God, sorry. Did you say something? I can't hear anything with these headphones on.

Peach Slice Lady: We were just wondering what you were thinking about my shopping.

Me: What do you mean?

Peach Slice Lady: You've been staring at it since you joined the queue. I'm a little concerned about what you think I'm going home to cook.

I wonder briefly about whether this woman could take a joke or not. She seemed nice enough, and she wasn't angry or anything. I risk it.

Me: Erm...a cheese trifle?

She looked at me like I'd suggested covering each other in jelly and having a cheeky wrestle. She packs quickly, pays and leaves. I pack quick quickly, pay, but just before I leave the checkout man winks at me and says:

Checkout Man: Nice to know there's someone with a bit of wit up at that university.

I put my headphones back on and leave with a smile on my face.

Today is the day of my 20th birthday! I have been inundated with texts, messages, cards and lots of lovely things and I have to say I feel very spoilt. Happy happy happy. So here is a picture of my transformation, and also my wall of stuff which is now predominantly birthday cards!

Thanks so much to everyone, and congratulations to Neil who passed his driving test today!

Lots and lots to be happy about. Awesome.

YEAR END LIST 2011

TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Hans Zimmer

2. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - Harry Gregson-Williams

3. Doctor Who: Series 5 - Murray Gold

4. Iron Man II - John Debney

5. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? - The Vaccines

6. Velociraptor! - Kasabian

7. Iron Man II - AC/DC

8. X-Men: First Class - Henry Jackman

9. Robin Hood - Marc Streitenfeld

10. Still Got Legs - Chameleon Circuit

HONOURABLE MENTIONS (SONGS): Otis (ft. Otis Redding) - Jay Z and Kanye West, I Got A Thing - Hanni El Khatib, Louder (ft. Sian Evans) - DJ Fresh, The Road Goes On - A.R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale and Varttinna, Kristofferson's Theme - Alexandre Desplat

TOP 5 FILMS

1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Director: Guy Ritchie, Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law

2. Bridesmaids - Director: Paul Feig, Starring Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - Director: David Yates, Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes

4. X-Men: First Class - Director: Michael Vaughn, Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender

5. Fantastic Mr Fox - Director: Wes Anderson, Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Thor - Director: Kenneth Branagh, Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Paul - Director: Greg Mottola, Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Whip It - Director: Drew Barrymore, Starring: Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore

TOP 5 TV SHOWS

1. Doctor Who - Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan

2. Bones - Starring: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz

3. Merlin - Starring: Colin Morgan, Bradley James

4. Psychoville: Series 2 - Starring: Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton

5. True Blood - Starring: Anna Paquin, Alexander Skarsgard

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Frozen Planet - Starring: David Attenborough, Misfits - Starring: Iwan Rheon, Lauren Socha, Life's Too Short - Starring: Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais, Rev - Starring: Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman

MAN OF THE YEAR

[On his two cats] "Eighteen months ago, I'm saying: 'I don't want any rescue pets within one hundred yards of either of my residences. I'm sorry. I don't want some, like, tripod, abused animal.' I was adamantly opposed to the whole idea. And now I couldn't imagine living without them. I've become one of those people where the Missus is like: 'They don't want to see iPhone pictures of our kittens right now. Stop it.'"

- Robert Downey, Jr

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

"I went through my high school year book recently. I was surprised people wrote I had a good sense of humour. I don't remember being funny."

- Kristen Wiig

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS

1. Getting to university. I don’t mean moving away or grades or anything, I mean finally getting to university and realizing that things happen when you make them happen. I’m genuinely looking forward to getting back down to Falmouth and getting back into all the things I’ve started.

2. Getting my maths GCSE. I finally have a C, and though it might not be the most impressive thing in the world I’m certainly proud of myself for getting it together and taking the exam. The pressure is off and it feels great.

3. Getting back into football. I am secretary of the women’s football team at Tremough and have made it clear that I take the game seriously. I can’t wait to start playing matches and scoring goals.

4. Mallorca with the family. A really good two weeks of sun and relaxation. For the most part!

5. Being friendly and reliable at work. Though it might not be the most glamorous job in the world, it did make me feel good to know that people would come into the shop just to see me. A regular came to my leaving drinks before university, what more do I need to say?

6. Chillin’ with my buddies. Particularly poignant in the year we were scattered across the country. Whether it involves parties, cheesy chips, Doctor Who or birthdays, I love you dudes, I really do.

Targets For 2012:

1. Find a nice, three-bedroom house in Penryn with Natalie and Bryony.

2. Score a hat trick during a football match.

3. Pass my shorthand exam.

4. Finish the year with a 2.1 (or above would be nice. I’m being practical).

5. Go/travel somewhere.

6. Get work experience in journalism.

First of all, apologies for not blogging since the 1st of this month. I had planned to do a couple of entries over the course of the last few weeks but being at home and having my own bed and the Xbox and food and sofas and general Christmas shenanigans meant that I haven't sat down and put any thought or effort into writing.

Christmas is over and done with for another year. I had a really good one, did you? I got just about everything I wanted and then some. Highlights include Bridesmaids on DVD, a fantastic furry hat with paw extensions and ears, a pen knife, a book all about fonts and a brand new Carlisle shirt that I can't wait to wear next term at training. And under my kit for good luck, of course.

My only disappointment came in the form of Doctor Who, and I can't tell you how rubbish I feel saying that. I thought it was a bit flat and the story was just rushed. I don't know. Maybe I need to watch it again. I didn't find it particularly funny (unlike dad, who laughed hysterically through the whole Lily/Cyril's room bit) or sad either, to be honest. Move on Jane, move on. This is blasphemy. I was genuinely grinning at the end though, with Amy and the Doctor. That was nice.

Anyway my next blog will be focusing on the last year and what happened and what I hope to happen next year. That should do it.

What did you get?

It's December 1st, and this is an obligatory 'it's December 1st' post.

When I bought this advent calendar in ASDA, the conversation with the checkout man went like this:

Man: "Is that Peppa Pig calendar yours?"

Me: "If I say yes, will you judge me?"

Man: "No. I love Peppa Pig. I'd have got the exact same one."

Anyway I opened the first window whilst listening to a certain Mariah Carey Christmas classic on the radio so I'm feeling pretty festive this morning. I also just downloaded the Love Actually soundtrack.

I'M COMING HOME IN 10 DAYS!

I have a lovely little group of friends here at UCF. As many a wise owl told me before I moved down here, I would find people who liked the same things I do. These people share the same opinions as me and enjoy the little things, like drawing zombies in our notebooks and playing endless games of pool during our free time. I guess (as people in general) we're all pretty desperate at the beginning of university to make friends so we end up becoming this exaggerated version of ourselves. Like some sort of weird animal attraction display. I admit I blew my crescent like any good Parasaurolophus in the first week and yes, I did speak to people but it was after the first week that I finally settled down and talking to new people actually became just the normal thing to do rather than some sort of omgIhavetomakefriendstalktomehahahahahaaa.

So there we were, my group of sandwich-eating ornithopods, at half ten in the morning some time last week. Probably Thursday. We were in the Stannary (student chill-out area/canteen) when a load of guys rolled in and ordered a round of beer at the bar. At half ten in the morning. Was I wrong in thinking 'blimey, they're a bit early'? I guess if you want to drink from half ten in the morning then you can, who am I to judge. I caught the eye of a Parasaurolophus on my right and went back to my roll. Half ten on Thursday morning might suit you as a pefect time for drinking, especially if you're a heavy set Ankylosaurus like these blokes were.

And then today I was sitting back on a stool in the Stannary before I was joined by two students I know, both in their second year. It wan't half eleven. No exaggeration, every two minutes I was asked to go and get a drink, to buy a drink, to go and get a drink, to have a drink, to go and buy a drink. And I got so sick of it. I like these people, but I almost just walked away. What is so unfathomable about not wanting to drink alcohol in the morning? It was like I was trying to protect my eggs of moral highground from a pain in the arse Dilophosaurus (the one that kills Wayne Knight in the original Jurassic Park).

This is why I'm glad I'm a Parasaurolophus. Because I have a herd and we like each other and all agree on the same things. And there's no real pressure to do stuff we don't want to do. My crescent is finally a nice, healthy colour.

And that's not a euphemism.

So here I am, back in Falmouth after a week at home. I have to say that I was surprised at how much I missed being near London. It was a weird feeling getting off the train at Paddington last Saturday. Dad wasn't sharing my excitement at the new tubes on the metropolitan line or the lovely interior of St Pancras. It certainly cemented in me the fact that no matter how much I might like the countryside and being near the sea, I feel like I belong either in or close to London in the future.

I had a pretty good week. It was busy and despite being called a 'reading week' I think I read more of Caitlin Moran than any newspaper over the course of the seven days. I walked round Verulamium in the drizzle and went on the swings and played CoD: Modern Warfare 3 with Maddy and had a posh lunch in Tunbridge Wells. I also got my hair cut because it had got to a stupid length and now it's nice and manageable again.

I have four weeks until I come home for Christmas. That's no time at all and yet I have so much to do. I'm currently restless about not being able to crack on and get going.

The train ride between Paddington and Truro (four and a half hours) was interesting. It was quiet until we reached Plymouth and then all hell broke loose. I specifically reserved a seat in the quiet carriage but these two oldish ladies got on and started talking really loudly between themselves. Another lady got on and took the seat opposite me and within two minutes had put her iPod in. She said I was allowed to poke her if she was playing it too loud, because I was trying to do shorthand, her excuse being "I need to drown out those two". Then everyone and the dog (literally) got on, including two eleven year old girls who proceeded to eat a pomegranate between them (I watched them, bemused, in the window reflection) and unpack what seemed to be all of Plymouth's Toys R Us. They were sitting across from the loud ladies, who were now quiet and watching disapprovingly as the two little girls covered the table in plastic boxes and toys. Then one of them got over-silly and spat her Oasis all over the table into the lap of one of the older ladies. I would have laughed if I hadn't found it so disgusting. She then laughed so hysterically she fell out of her seat and onto the dog. Her friend sat and ate salted cashews loudly the whole time.

I was glad to finally get off.

I get back into the flat and within five minutes of my arrival the walls are trembling with the bass music from the room across from me. I thought I was going to explode but didn't have the time as I was on all fours mopping up the pond on the floor of my flooded bathroom.

Good to be back, eh?