Week 2 Blog: Out with the Old:

We’ve already made it to Week 2! Somehow it’s only been 168 hours (10,080 minutes, or 604,800 seconds, but who’s counting?). Time has absolutely flown by faster than expected.

Between Lewis Hamilton securing P1 in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc’s unfortunate DNF, it’s safe to say last weekend kept things interesting. Honestly, at this point, F1 feels less like a sport and more like a weekly emotional rollercoaster subscription service (and if you don’t watch F1 yet, consider this your gentle encouragement: proceed with caution).

And just like that, we’re onto the next week in which a lot will unfold, ready or not!

The Blogging Universe and Why Does It Matter?

Before social media became the place where everyone shares every meal, every holiday, and every dance move possible that would probably break a bone if I tried, blogs were a popular way in which people communicated their lives. It became the perfect place to talk about something you were passionate about or, realistically, write a very long rant because something mildly annoyed you (like your horrible customer service experience as you waited 9 hours on hold for support).

I remember when I first had the idea of starting a blog, and my first reaction wasn’t 'Wow, I have to do this exciting opportunity!' It was more like, 'Wait, am I actually going to keep this going?' I was concerned about staying consistent, keeping up with trends, and not starting a project with enthusiasm only to disappear (we’ve all been there, and I am not afraid to admit it).

But then I remembered something very important: this is my blog. The Aisha Insights Blog. My little corner of the internet where I can talk about whatever I want. One week it might be a deep reflection about life (and the sometimes questionable choices I made); another week it might be a completely unnecessary analysis of something random like why Pusheen the cat is queen, and honestly, there’s a strong chance that will be involved in most of my posts.

So if you’re here expecting perfectly created content and me following every trend… unfortunately, you may be in the wrong place. But if you’re here for random thoughts, stories, and the occasional questionable life observation and possibly helpful life advice, join this crazy journey.

Looking Back At The Past:

I have never claimed to be the smartest person in the room (although my friends would probably say I just work myself too hard), but I wouldn't say I'm dumb either, unless we're talking about origami or crochet, which are two skills in art I have completely failed to master. Now that I'm coming to the end of my undergraduate degree, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the journey.

When I finished college in 2021, I was incredibly naive and assumed university wouldn't be that different from anything else I'd done before. After all, I'd worked with children, so surely nothing could be more challenging than that?

For two years, I studied Health and Social Care and trained within the NHS, where I quickly discovered that a good pair of shoes is one of the most important life investments you'll ever make. But somewhere along the way, I realised healthcare wasn't the career path I wanted to pursue.

Instead, I took a chance and switched to psychology.

And no, it wasn't because I wanted to read minds. I had studied psychology as part of my course, and I genuinely loved it. Something just clicked. For the first time, I felt like I had found something that really suited me (although learning about Albert Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment definitely made things interesting).

Of course, I've never been one to do things the easy way. While most of my friends chose universities close to home, I decided to attend one that was two hours away by train. This became even more exciting when you remember that I don't have a driving licence, meaning my entire university experience depended on train timetables, delays, cancellations, and the platform changing the second I arrived at the correct one.

So while everyone else seemed to be living Fast & Furious, I was living Slow & Slightly Delayed.

The start of university wasn't easy. New place, no friends, no familiar faces, just me and my cat bag. For a while, I seriously thought about transferring. But eventually I realised the problem wasn't the university; it was me sitting by myself and waiting for friendships to appear.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that sometimes you have to make the first move. As scary as that felt, it ended up changing everything.

Then came my first assignment.

The moment I realised studying psychology at university was not just 'vibes and feelings,' but also numbers were involved. Statistics had entered the chat.

Despite needing a Grade 6 in Maths and English to get onto the course, nothing prepared me for my first statistics lecture. Sitting there with my coffee, I quickly realised that the only maths I felt confident about was Venn diagrams and the fact that I still used my fingers to do basic addition.

At that point, I became aware that psychology involved far more numbers than my brain had originally agreed to.

And it was not a coincidence that my first assignment grade? A very confident 28%.

I cried a little, panicked a lot, briefly questioned every decision I'd ever made, and then decided I couldn't stay there.

So I got to work.

I read every piece of feedback, attended office hours (which are honestly one of the most underrated parts of university), and kept asking questions until things started making sense or at least until I stopped treating SPSS like it was a final boss battle.

Looking back, that assignment was probably one of the best things that happened to me. It taught me that asking for help isn't a weakness. Sometimes it's exactly what you need to move forward.

To put it simply, my three years at university have pushed me to grow in ways I never expected. I've become more confident, more independent, and much more willing to step outside my comfort zone, which I want to continue to develop.

But if there's one thing that hasn't changed throughout all of this, it's my completely normal and totally reasonable obsession with cats.

Some things change at university.

Apparently, being the Pusheen Queen was not one of them.

I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all seen the news recently about the UK Government announcing a proposed ban on social media for under-16s (and if you haven't, well, you have been told now). Naturally, this is one of those topics that everyone seems to have an opinion on, and I’d like to try to look at it from both perspectives (hopefully without starting a full-scale riot in the process).

It’s important to clarify what social media actually is before we start debating whether it should be banned for young people. Social media refers to websites and apps that allow people to communicate, build communities, and connect with others. This can include chatting with friends, posting photos, sharing videos, creating content, or even documenting your life for people on the internet to see.

Personally, I enjoy social media. It's a great way to keep up with friends and family, share life updates, and post the occasional holiday photo that makes it look like I have my life together and have a social life.

On paper, that definition doesn't sound scary. In fact, it sounds quite positive and something that should be encouraged to use. So why is it a thing that people are concerned about, and what is the real issue behind it?

Well, the issue isn't necessarily social media itself; it's how it's used. Often point to concerns around cyberbullying, unrealistic and high beauty standards, online predators, misinformation, and the amount of time young people spend scrolling through content. Let's be honest, we've all opened an app for 'five minutes' and somehow resurfaced an hour later, watching a video of a cat in a funny costume or a joke that isn't really funny.

For younger users especially, people can argue that social media can expose them to pressures and influences that they may not be emotionally ready to deal with. So while social media can be a fantastic tool for connection and creativity, many people believe the risks are not worth its use.

But does a social media ban for under-16s actually fix the problem? Or does it bring us to a bigger question: are the platforms themselves the issue?

On the surface, banning social media for under-16s might seem like the easiest solution. Remove young people from the platforms, and suddenly the problem will go away, right?

Well, not exactly.

One of the main concerns is that the issue may not simply be young people using social media, but whether these platforms are designed in a way that makes them safe for everyone. If there are problems with harmful content, online bullying, or addictive algorithms, then simply removing one age group doesn't necessarily solve the bigger issue.

It’s like putting a 'do not enter' sign on a road with a hole instead of fixing the road itself. The sign might stop some people from entering, but the actual problem is still there and a risk to people.

So while protecting young people is important, the bigger conversation might need to be about how social media companies create safer spaces, how we educate people about online behaviour, and stopping the spread of misinformation.

Weekly Funny Moment Of The Week:

This week, I decided to reward myself for surviving another week by starting a new Netflix show called Teach You A Lesson. And wow, what a show. The storyline is incredibly intense, the characters are brilliant, and if you like action-packed shows, this is definitely the show for you (before you panic, don't worry: there will be absolutely no spoilers here).

Now, the show was originally filmed in Korean, but in a moment of optimism, I thought, 'Let's watch the show in the English dub. How bad can it be, and surely it will be better to understand.'

Famous last words.

What I failed to remember is that when a show isn't originally filmed in English, the dubbing can sometimes be... an experience. The characters would be halfway through a sentence, their mouths already stopped moving, and occasionally the translation felt as if it had taken a scenic route before arriving at the final script as well as failures in translations.

After about twenty minutes of trying to convince myself I could ignore it, I admitted defeat.

So I've officially started watching it in its original language with English subtitles. And honestly? It's so much better. The acting feels more authentic, the emotions hit harder, and as a bonus, I get to pretend I'm being productive because technically I'm reading and my psychology skills of interpreting characters are coming in handy.

So if you're thinking of watching it, learn from my mistake. Save yourself the dubbing confusion and go straight for the subtitles. Your brain will thank you later, and you will have a better experience.

Aisha’s Tiny but Mighty Weekly Advice Section:

Last week, I talked about not judging a person by their first impression. This week, I want to focus on something closely connected: the power of being kind to others. Because kindness isn’t just a 'nice extra' in life, it’s a skill, and surprisingly, not everyone finds it easy to practise.

Kindness is often defined as a prosocial behaviour intended to help, support, or benefit another person. That might sound like a complicated definition, but in reality, kindness can be incredibly simple. It can be a smile at someone who's having a rough day, a message checking in on a friend, or taking a few minutes out of your day to help someone who needs it.

For me, kindness goes beyond being an action. It's a choice. You never truly know what another person is carrying, whether they're dealing with stress, grief, self-doubt, or simply having a terrible day. A small act of kindness might seem insignificant to you, but it could completely change someone else's day, week, or even how they view themselves.

That's why I've always believed kindness is one of the most underrated superpowers we have. It's free, it doesn't take much effort, and yet it has the ability to make a bigger difference than we often realise. It's something I try to practise whenever I can.

Now, I won't sit here and pretend I'm perfect. I make mistakes, I have bad days, and sometimes my patience disappears faster than a packet of sweets left unattended (that my brother usually steals). But if I see an opportunity to make someone's day a little better, I try to take it. Whether that's offering a compliment, helping someone out, checking in on a friend, or simply making someone laugh with my terrible memes, I think those small moments matter more than we give them credit for.

At the end of the day, people rarely remember every conversation they've had, but they do remember how someone made them feel. If I can leave someone feeling a little happier, a little more confident, or just slightly less stressed than they were five minutes ago, then I'd call that a successful day.

End Of Blog Sign-Off:

Boy, it has been a week! Thankfully, there are lots of exciting things on the horizon for me, which is always nice (coming soon). Unfortunately, there is one small tragedy to report: no F1 this weekend. I know, I'm devastated too.

Whether you're binge-watching a new show, travelling somewhere exciting, catching up with friends, or simply spending the entire weekend asleep (which, honestly, sounds like a solid plan), I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

And huge congratulations to all the GCSE students who have finally finished their exams! You've survived revision, exam halls, and the endless 'how do you think it went?' questions. Now go and enjoy your well-earned break.

Until next week,

Aisha.