This term, here at Her Campus Durham, we’ve been given a Sister Chapter. We were lucky enough to connect with Her Campus Aberdeen, and we interviewed their editors, Rachel and Laura, to find out a little bit more about them!
Where are you both from? Age? What subject do you study?
RHQ: I’m from Dunfermline, which is near Edinburgh! I’m 23 and I study (loosely) English and Politcs!
LKR: I’m from Edinburgh. I’m 22, and I’ve graduated from my undergraduate Law degree and currently studying for a Diploma in Legal Practice.
Rachel
Laura
Describe Aberdeen in 10 words!
RHQ & LKR: grey, FREEZING, wet… but a great student city!
What are your ultimate guilty pleasures?
RHQ: I am a huge fan of Netflix marathons, specifically Grey’s Anatomy and Friends. I am also a bit of a hoarder…
LKR: I love really REALLY bad TV! I love TOWIE and I’m A Celeb! I also am obsessed with Vlogs and watching tutorials on YouTube.
What are your plans for after university?
RHQ: God, that question fills me with anxiety. I have no idea. Some days I want to move to London to work for a magazine like Ideal Home or Country Living and other days I seriously contemplate packing my bags and just travelling forever.
LKR: Well I’ve got a traineeship in Edinburgh starting in August next year. If I weren’t going to be a lawyer, I’d love to work for a magazine or as an author of Young Adult novels!
Where are we most likely to find you?
RHQ: I’ll either be hiding under a duvet, at work or running around frantically trying to get somewhere on time. I am perpetually late. The day I make it to anything on time will be my greatest achievement.
LKR: Literally anywhere that there is fairy lights or food.
If you could be any film character, who would you be and why?
RHQ: I would be Cindy Lou Who because I would love to meet the Grinch. I would also like to be Bridget Jones because duh… Hugh Grant AND Colin Firth – not too shabby for Rachel.
LKR: I would be Professor McGonagall because she’s such a badass… Or Mila Kunis (so I can be with Justin Timberlake).
What do you love about Her Campus and what’s your favourite article Her Campus Aberdeen have published?
RHQ: I love that we’re all like a massive friend group. I’ve met the best girls there! Laura and I didn’t know each other before we were on the HC committee, and now we’re total besties who live together! I love that we all support and help each other out as well, it really reinforces the ‘sisterhood’ vibe we’ve tried to create over the past couple of years. I’m so proud to be a HC CC, it’s definitely been my biggest accomplishment at university! My favourite articles (sorry, can’t choose one) were written by our former Treasurer, Emily, and I re-read them all the time; they’re just so good!!!
http://www.hercampus.com/school/aberdeen/love-waiting-game
http://www.hercampus.com/school/aberdeen/welcome-inbetweenies
LKR: I really like how it’s brought girls from all different groups together. It’s a great creative outlet for those of us who aren’t doing particularly creative degrees! I think Her Campus can be anything you want it to be. My favourite articles are both great for different reasons, Marie’s article about her experiences working with refugees was fantastic because it was so relevant and moving, while Eira’s playlist was fab as it was something a bit different!
http://www.hercampus.com/school/aberdeen/her-story-my-experience-working-refugees
http://www.hercampus.com/school/aberdeen/autumn-playlist
If we came to visit you in Aberdeen – what day would you plan for us?
RHQ & LKR: We’d start the day by going for brunch at Rach’s favourite place, Rye and Soda. Once you’d filled up with some Eggs Benny, we’d jump on the train to Stonehaven so we could show you round Dunnottar castle! You’d need to work up an appetite for the huge ice cream cones we’d get from Auntie Betty’s by taking a walk on the huge beach by the castle; before hopping back on the train to Aberdeen! When we get off the train we could slip on our dancing shoes and wander over to Christo’s Greek Taverna for some amazingly authentic Greek cuisine. After dinner we’d take you for cocktails at Orchid or Tippling House followed by some serious dancing in the cheesy room at Institute!
What are your go to things to do when you’re feeling down?
RHQ: The first thing I always do is grab my favourite blanket and some headphones; I like to find a song that will either cheer me up or mirror how I’m feeling. If that doesn’t cheer me up then I head straight into town or onto ASOS to do some serious financial damage.
LKR: I like to snuggle up in bed armed with a cup of Earl Grey and a tub of Ben and Jerry’s to watch my fave YouTube family The Michalaks!
If you could buy absolutely anything in the world right now, what would you buy and why?
RHQ: First things first I’d have to get a pug or I’d adopt every animal that didn’t have a home. I’d also really like an alpaca or one of those giant bears from Costco.
LKR: I would buy a gorgeous flat in the centre of Edinburgh… and a tiny little dachshund puppy of course.
Most embarrassing moment at uni?
RHQ: Oh my god my life is just one embarrassing moment after an other… where to begin?! Oh I know! Okay so I was in a tutorial taking frantic notes and the guy next to me asked if he could borrow a pen, I nodded and, without looking, I stuck my hand in my bag and pretty much threw the pen at him while I carried on writing. A couple of minutes later he tapped me on the shoulder and said “um.. sorry… I… think this isn’t a pen”. So I turned around to see him offering me back the tampon I had just thrust in his face. Not good.
LKR: The first time I met my boyfriend’s cousin I was really nervous, and asked my boyfriend how I should greet his cousin… should I go for the kiss on the cheek or handshake etc etc. Well he told me to just give him a kiss on the cheek, but when I went in for it his cousin just stepped back and gave me a wave. Awkward, to say the least.
What has university taught you?
RHQ: That I was not made for university! I’m kidding… kind of. Seriously though, I think university has taught me that no matter what you think about your mum when you’re a teenager you need her more than anything else in the world. I LOVE YOU MUM!
LKR: As scary as it sounds, uni has taught me that you’re kind of on your own. Oh god that sounds so grown up!
Who is your ultimate female role model and why?
RHQ: I would have to say both my mum and my granny. I know that’s so cliché, but its true. I am creepily obsessed with both of them and they barely tolerate me! My mum and granny are just great, they’re both strong and talented women who taught me pretty much everything I know. My mum is the most determined person I’ve ever met, and she’s so clever! Granny is the same, plus she’s really talented when it comes to things like knitting or sewing. Both of them always have a million projects on the go, which inspires me to keep working hard to try and make them proud!
LKR: I don’t particularly have one female role model sorry! I find so many qualities of different women inspiring. I find all the girls in HC Aberdeen’s ideas so inspiring, I look up to my own Mum everyday when it comes to her parenting and I would always love to be like my Granny one day as she continually has nothing but a positive outlook on life.
What’s the best thing about each other?
RHQ: Laura is the most organized person in the world. It literally amazes me every day. She never loses anything… EVER! She’s also just so wonderfully strange and funny. She’s so talented, Laura is the best singer and painter that I know but she’d never brag or show off. She’s also really great to work with – she keeps me in check and always makes sure that we’re doing the best we can.
LKR: RHQ (we call her this as well as it being her initials) is one of the most headstrong people I know. I really admire her strong sense of person and her very kind and generous heart. Often when I’m having a bad day she’ll text and say she’s cooked me my favourite tea and it’s in the fridge which always perks me up. She’s also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and I’m so lucky to live and work with her.