Day 4: Living without this would be impossible...

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

It is day 4 of the #writersbootcampZA. Happy Independence Day to all my American friends! Hope It was a great day! Today's challenge is to write about the thing which I cannot live without. Now, the people close to me will already know this answer very well.

What is the one thing I can't live without, you ask?

My wild imagination!

Yes, my wild imagination. I sometimes wonder where these images come from. Like how did I ever think of the things that pop into my head? 

Always when I'm talking I'll make the most random comparisons, which makes a lot of sense but no one would ever think of it in that way. I would usually describe my future as a kid who smudged cake in his face meaning it's blurry and I don't know what I'm going to do in the future, but I'm sure as hell enjoying it to lick the icing off my face, meaning I'm enjoying the uncertainty and still enjoying life.

I am way better at writing fictional stories than I am with writing realistic stories. When I was little I used to believe in fairies, trolls, gnomes, you name it and I believed in them as a child. I think the world would be wonderful if we really had such mystical creatures roaming the earth. My imagination never stopped thinking of them and I still love to write stories about these creatures. 

When I was about 10 years old, a friend and I decided to build a house for fairies and we put it in the field below us. We had fully believed that the fairies would be staying comfortably in that house, I was really crushed when there was nothing when we paid a visit a few days later. 

My wild imagination is part of my daily life and I would never give it up! It makes my life interesting and more than never, I want to laugh out loud about the things that are going on in my head because it is an imagination which is priceless. 

What is the one thing which you cannot live without?

How NOT to fall asleep in class

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

It is sometimes very hard NOT to fall asleep in class, especially when your lecturer/professor has a one tone voice or they are simply just boring. I still struggle with staying awake in class and my Creative Writing professor started calling me Sleeping Beauty.

My tired roommate after a good night out

Here are some tips to try and stay awake:

• Take ice cold water with you to class and drink it when you are starting to fall asleep.
• Eat in apple in class. It has the same effect as caffeine.
• Try to write down every single word the lecturer/professor says, if they are slow it will be easy, if they talk fast, good luck!
• Stare at someone in your class, until they look back and continue staring. See how long it takes to creep them out or make them shift in their seat. If they continue staring at you, ABORT MISSION!
• Ask irrelevant questions and see how the lecturer reacts.
• Try and draw your lecturer, no matter how bad you are.
• Text everyone you know in class and see who forgot to put their phone on silent.
• Click your pen to irritate people and see who tells you to stop first.
• Hum your favorite tune and enjoy the dirty looks.
• If this didn't help, take a nap. The lecturer must then be really boring!

Survival kit to university

By Arnia Kiara Oosthuizen

At university, there are a few things which one cannot live without. Your life as a student would not last long, if you don't have these few things.

• A diary- this is the most important thing! Always right your homework down, or else you will forget. You will not remember your homework on your own, when you have 15 other projects at the same time.
• An exam pad- To scribble down everything the lecturer says. If a lecturer focuses a lot on a certain topic, pay attention! Chances are it will be in the test or exams!
• A pen- most obvious of all. A pen is needed everywhere, from writing down things, filling in forms, lending it to a cute guy. Meaning a pen is always important!
• Previous years' exam papers- You will realize that lecturers are also lazy and they LOVE to use their previous years' exam papers. Usually the only thing that changes on the paper is the date! 
• Water!- Always take water to class. It helps to keep you awake from those boring lecturers and water is also very healthy and keeps your mind going.
• Breakfast- Eat breakfast in the mornings, it helps to get your digestion going, but it is also helps to get your brain on the move and to get it bright!
• Vitamins-  After breakfast drink a few essential vitamins, like vitamin C (for immune system), Omega 3 & 6 (essential oils for the body), Calcium and Magnesium (To help keep your nails and bones strong).
• Sleep- Allow yourself at least 6 hours of sleep. Being bright and awake is better than being tired and not being able to think on your feet.

I hope these few guidelines will help to make university a lot easier.