Lottie Cousins

Hi, my name is Lottie and I am a third year English Literature student at UCL. I’d like to pursue a career in journalism or, if the fates allow, to become a professional musician.

I spend most of my free time on music, mainly song writing and performing, as well as being a part of my university’s musical theatre and live music societies. I also enjoy spending time exploring with my friends, devising systemised rankings of all the parks and charity shops in the city. When I’m back in my home town I work in a jewellery repair shop, so I have a keen interest in vintage jewellery.

My Accommodation

In my first year, I lived in one of my university’s student accommodations on Gray’s Inn Road near King’s Cross. The bathroom and kitchen were both shared with my 4 flat mates and there was a common room that anyone in our accommodation and the neighbouring one could use. During my second year I lived in a town house in Camden with 3 of my friends, and 4 of my other friends lived in the house next door, so we ended up feeling like a large household of 8 and went between the two houses frequently (which was especially handy when our hot water ran out!). I now live in a two bed flat with one of my closest friends just round the corner from King’s Cross Station. The location is perfect as it’s very near our university campus and has great transport links.

Working at AFS

I started working for AFS very recently after joining one of their podcasts in August. I’ve since participated in more podcasts and written an article on getting accommodation through clearing, which I enjoyed researching. I’m really looking forward to writing more articles and continuing to be a part of the AFS team. I think it’s such a valuable resource for students, and it gives me opportunity to write and talk a lot, which are my favourite things to do!

Why I love being a student

I love being a student because of how many opportunities there are to engage in all of your interests outside of your degree. As a person with a lot of hobbies, the time I’ve spent in my university societies have been incredibly fun and enriching and I really valued the chance to meet so many great people with similar interests to me.

Best Advice

My best piece of advice for new students would be to try to maintain a good balance between your work and social life. You can also combine the two, for instance my friends and I regularly had study sessions together which meant we could work and spend time together at the same time. Ultimately, there are so many ways to make your university experience work well for you, and you’ll be able to figure it out as you go along!