Friday 30 March 2012

One more to go....

I finished my Lab write up thank goodness - now I'm off for a month! Then, the exams start.  I think this makes me nervous but also excited I am so nearly there, nearly at the end of the year and nearly getting ready to start my GAMSAT work and send off my UCAS form. 

I also had some good news I got a first for my last essay submission so I am really pleased about that.  Only one more essay to go and I'm done (aside from exams obviously).  

Outside of uni things are good, absolutely loving the weather this week it has been absolutely stunning.  On the negative it meant we've been spending more time in the garden (which has been lovely) but we've realised that our neighbour has put up her new fence which is much much higher than it used to be so we've had to get legal advice regarding it, which is pretty irritating but we'll get it sorted one way or another.  

My better half and I have two weeks off together now, some of it will of course be spent working on Uni work, however it will be lovely to get to do some little day trips together, which will be fantastic.  

But for now, I'm off to watch "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest".  Enjoy your Friday night, whatever you may be doing! 

Thursday 29 March 2012

Dentists

I have to go to the dentist today...I HATE going to the dentist with a passion.  No particular reason why, apart from having two horrible experiences with wisdom teeth (doesn't everyone?) it isn't the pain I'm ever concerned about, its the noise.  Fillings literally fill me with panic, and fear, and stress, I have no idea why I just REALLY hate it. I haven't been for a while so today will just be a check up, I'm not having any fillings or anything as I have work to do today so the last thing I need is numbness. 

I also have an equally painful appointment just before the dentist at the car garage.  I have to have two new tyres, which will cost me a ridiculous amount of money for what feels like nothing exciting at all.  The joys of car ownership!

I shouldn't complain though it is beautiful and sunny outside, I shall be finishing off my report in the sunshine later, probably having a late night because knowing me I'll rip it all to bits about 20 times and then wish that I'd gone with my first draft because I'm useless like that!  The plus side is that my better half has two weeks off starting on Friday and I only have one more essay to hand in before exam time, can't believe I'm nearly at the end of my 2nd year, it really really has flown by!  Hopeful I'll get through the year with a 2:1! 

Have a good day everyone - enjoy the sunshine, this may well be our summer!  

Tuesday 27 March 2012

GAMSAT Ireland

Initially I had planned to take the GAMSAT twice, I wanted to know what I was heading for before the final attempt in September.  Unfortunately as I've mentioned on here before, life has a funny way of getting in the way of things and after my injuries this year, I'm only just about caught up on my Undergrad stuff in time for exams let alone adding to my stress with GAMSAT revision.  So I didn't take it last weekend. 

A couple of my friends however, did.  They went to Dublin and they took the dreaded exam, and apparently, it was awful.  They said that the humanities side of it wasn't as bad as they thought, but the science side was dreadful. I believe them, I'm sure it was a horrific day but I'm optimistic that it will be ok in Sept. I don't truly know how much prep they did for it.  We've had essays etc due in, and I just don't know how much work they did.  I don't know when they had the time to fit in the amount of prep needed this term, so I'm still hopeful that it won't be a complete disaster in September.  

I'm not sure how it will go for me, but I'm also planning on taking the UKCAT and if I do alright in that I will apply to some GAMSAT and some UKCAT unis.  Still keeping my fingers crossed for a miraculous interview after applications.  I start hospice work soon and I have work experience lined up (only short shadowing), but I also have that exciting project I have spoken about before to talk about in interview, which I've really enjoyed (and I'm looking forward to finishing before my exams start in 11 weeks time fingers crossed!).  So I'm still hopeful, if not MSc here I come.....! 

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Volunteering and Work Experience

Because of my ankle this year has been awful in terms of work experience and volunteering.  I've had to delay everything until I could walk and until I was feeling better, but that means that aside from the work I've been doing since last year, I don't have anything else....yet.  I've got lots lined up for the summer, but still, others on my course have way more than me and I'm really concerned that thanks to my ankle I've messed up any chance I have of going to med school in 2013.  This really worries me as a mature student I don't want to waste anymore time I really want to get on with it. 

I'm hopeful that the work I'll be doing will be sufficient as I'll have plenty of interesting experiences to talk about at interview (if I ever get one!) but its the worry that I think my friends who are all doing fantastic things have more...

I'm hopeful it is quality over quantity, and I'll have 7 months solid worth of work experience when I finish my UCAS application, so that should be ok.  I really hope it will be! 

Anyway, enough stressing, I have a lab report to do! 

Monday 19 March 2012

Exams are looming

So, we're reaching the end of March, at the end of May the bulk of my exams will be over, with only one left to sit at the end of June and one presentation which had to be delayed from earlier in the year due to my poor health.  I have less than two months to go and I still have written work to complete including a lab report and an essay.  I am starting to get stressed as there are a lot of topics to cover.  Even more worryingly, this will mark the end of my 2nd year. 

When I return in October I will have completed my personal statement, ready to send off my UCAS form, I will have been to all of the open days I want to go to, chosen my prospective medical schools, I will have taken my GAMSAT and UKCAT exams and I will be INCREDIBLY nervous in case I don't get any interviews at all.  In half a year I will be keeping my fingers crossed to achieve all of the things I want, yet right now it seems so close and yet so far away.  

I'm so excited about my 3rd year, looking forward to my dissertation, getting the GAMSAT out of the way, and hopefully getting a relatively good mark (eesh!) and doing my work experience over the summer alongside my voluntary work!  

But first, my lab report and revision timetables!