Dressing Like A Professional

The August 2015 edition of Vogue Australia features articles on two highly powerful and inspirational women – our recent Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop and, perhaps unexpectedly for some, Victoria Beckham.

Sometimes what you wear can really transform your confidence – I know dressing like these two ladies would definitely make me feel like I could take on the world. They are often wearing structured ensembles, which are perfect to emulate if your part time job is in a professional environment.

Victoria’s own ready to wear collection mostly features sleek, smart pencil dresses but aren’t exactly justifiable price wise for the average student.

For both men and women, you can find great dupes from the likes of Zara, ASOS, GAP, J Crew, Uniqlo and which are all good quality.

Victoria Beckham dress (https://www.victoriabeckham.com/ready-to-wear/back-tab-t-shirt-fitted-16.html), $1250, versus:

Zara Dress, $50

http://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/dresses/view-all/mid-length-tube-dress-c733885p3004575.html 

For even cheaper options, you can get some very inexpensive shirts from places like Cotton On and H&M.

H&M men's blazer $79.95

http://www.hm.com/au/product/56281?article=56281-C 

Cotton On shirt $29.95

http://cottonon.com/AU/p/cotton-on-women/giselle-cotton-shirt-2/2024648717937.html#start=1 

If you're super strapped for cash (and let's face it, most of us are), then don't doubt places like Target and Kmart for corporate attire!

The 4 Best Value Smartphones You Should Consider

Hi I'm James, and welcome to my first post!  I'll be writing about how to maximise your tech lifestyle whilst living on a budget. 

It’s not that long ago that owning a smartphone was a luxury only a lucky few could afford.  Well it’s 2015 and there now really is no distinction between a “phone” and a “smartphone” to the average person.  Smartphones have become more and more affordable each year and we’re now at the point where you no longer have to pay a premium price for a premium experience.

Here is my list of the 4 smartphones you should consider on a budget.

iPhone 5C ($360 – Ebay)

The iPhone 5c comes in a variety of colours.¹

The only phone Apple has ever produced for those on a budget.  Released along with the iPhone 5S, the 5C offers the essentials of a smartphone, without the premium specs or materials found on other iPhones.

Pros: Cheapest iPhone.  All the benefits that being an iPhone brings.

Cons:  Now 2 years old.  Discontinued product.  Difficult to find in stores.

Verdict:  Good phone at a good price, however destined to be painfully slow to use in the next year or so with new releases of iOS.

OnePlus 2 ($550 – Everbuying Store)

The second iteration of One Plus’ budget flagship phone that started the trend of premium specs sold at a budget price.  Branded the “flagship killer”, OnePlus hopes it can prove to the world they are paying too much for their phones.

The OnePlus 2 "flagship killer" has an interchangeable back cover.²

Pros: Top of the line specs.  Brand new on the market.  The design of the back of the phone is interchangeable (pictured).

Cons:  Unfortunately, to buy the phone you need to register to receive an invitation from OnePlus.  This has caused a supply-and-demand premium that means the phone is currently being resold for more than it’s worth.  In a few months it is expected to be sold at the advertised price.  Average camera.

Verdict:  Everything you could want in an Android phone, for a competitive price.

ZTE Blade S6 ($350 – Gadget Gear AU Store)

The Blade S6 can take 2 SIM cards, and can
run on two mobile networks at once.³

ZTE is a Chinese company that have traditionally specialised in designing network infrastructure.  They have more recently tried to break into the consumer smartphone market.  Their Blade S6 has been the first model with the potential to compete in a premium space.

Pros: Well-built phone with a good camera and an option for a second sim-card.  Expandable memory.

Cons:  Lacks the battery capacity and the screen quality that the Plus 2 boasts. 

Verdict:  For $200 less than the Plus 2, the Blade is perfect for people who can live without a full HD screen.

Huawei P7 ($488 – Harvey Norman)

Selfies come out massive with the P7's 8 Megapixel
front-facing camera.⁴

Huawei is the Chinese company emerging as one of the big players in consumer electronics.  Their P7 offers a premium build for a discount price and it has made a real statement to the likes of Samsung and Apple to either innovate or become competitive with their prices.

Pros: Well-built phone with a glass backing.  Huge 8MP selfie camera.  Big 5 inch FHD screen, strong Gorilla Glass 3, quad-core CPU.

Cons:  Will not run on the fastest WIFI standard wireless AC.

Verdict:  Most complete package.  Best value phone of the mix.  Phone is 1 year old yet still offers very solid specs.  A steal below $500 and set to drop in price as successors are released.



Images:
1 - Mac Rumours http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2013/09/iphone5c-header.jpg
2 - OnePlus 2 https://content.oneplus.net/skin/frontend/oneplus2015/default/images/events/op2Launch/oneplus2-og.png
3 - ZTE http://www.ztemobiles.com.au/assets/img/Blade_S6_angle1_SIM_Tray.png
4 - Huawei http://consumer.huawei.com/ucmf/groups/public/documents/webasset/hw_334681.jpg

Fagan Park

Cost: $5 for parking on site
Where: Galston
Opening Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
If you live in the hills district almost all of you will have visited the beautiful Fagan park. If you are from Sydney I would mark this down this park as a must visit.

Parks are a huge money saver for spending time with friends. The problem however is that they are usually only seen as for families with young children. Fagan park manages to cater for everyone and is so big that you can visit Fagan 10 times and still feel like you are stepping into a new park. It is set on over a massive 55 hectares at Galston and hosts 11 different nation themed gardens. The gardens are perfect for picnics where you can be transported to Holland, China, Japan, the Mediterranean and even to Outback Australia. 

To the more actively inclined there is plenty of wide open space for games of cricket, soccer or even kite flying. The park also contains short bush walking tracks and plenty of paths with room for bicycles. 

For those who prefer a more relaxed approach there is a coffee cart available every weekend and every day of the school holidays. There is also barbecues located throughout for an operational fee of $1. While there is plenty of activities for families at the park there is still plenty of room in the park for adults to find a quiet corner to sit in the sun and read a book. 

For the history buffs among us pay a visit to Nethersby Cottage, the original homestead of the Fagan Family from 1848. Come learn the history of the orchards and cattle in the adjoining museum and check out the restored milking and packing sheds.

There is truly something for everyone at Fagan park. So set up a Facebook event and convoy up to Galston with your picnic rug and basket in tow.

Welcome to Travel

Welcome To the travel section of our Macquarie Living blog. Here we will adventure to some of the exciting places  for those on a uni student budget to visit. To begin we must of course start close to home so the first few posts will be exploring Sydney.

We will take a look at some almost cliché favourites of uni students including bars, parks, markets and museums as well as any fun places to visit in between. I hope you enjoy these establishments and locations and share them with your friends as we explore this magnificent city together.

Let Us Introduce Ourselves…

(L to R) Karla, James, Starllie, Sofia, Vibha & Lily 

MQ Student Living is a blog created by a group of students at Macquarie University brought together by our interest in living well on a student budget. We are excited by this opportunity to combine our individual interests in travel, style, food, tech, health and fitness on this blog, and hope by sharing our discoveries we can provide inspiration to our readers for thriving in the many aspects of modern life.

Here are a few words from each of the blog’s authors.

Sofia – TRAVEL

Hi, my name is Sofia. I work in the Early Childhood sector and am currently studying my Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. I have grown up in Sydney the last 22 years and I am always excited to find new places to catch up with friends and explore.

Lily – STYLE

My name is Lily and I'm currently studying Law with a major in Media & Technology. Hope you enjoy our blog and my posts! 

Karla - FOOD

Hey, my name is Karla. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Human Sciences majoring in Human Movement. I'm looking forward to researching the best value eating options that are available in Sydney.

James – TECHNOLOGY

Hey, I'm James. I'm in first year and I am currently studying Engineering with a major in telecommunications. I'm researching all about technology as it is similar to my intended career path and one of my main interests.

Starllie – HEALTH (WELLBEING)

Hi, I’m Starllie. I am studying a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Writing. Working to manage and improve my health and wellbeing has become a crucial part of navigating life as a university student — dealing with stress, surviving classes during flu season and living as healthily as I can in affordable and simple ways.

Vibha – HEALTH (FITNESS)

Hi, my name is Vibha. I’m currently in my 2nd year studying Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Professional Accounting. I'll be giving few basic tips on maintaining fitness.