Hello again!
Firstly - to reassure you, dear readers, that the pigeon is still alive, and so far has not died in our care (thank goodness)! She's much more perky, and hopefully she'll be up and about on Thursday, ready to complete her race!
I had a ROADS the Musical rehearsal today, which was slightly uplifting, slightly depressing! We are now a mixture of old cast (those that have been rehearsing for over 18 months) and new choir (a younger lot that are doing amazingly well!). The only problem is one scene that has EVERYONE on stage for an extremely long time for a musical - it's a scene that lasts about 15 minutes. Include here that there are four different dances, and all of the main characters are wandering on and off stage...basically it's a dramatic nightmare!
That's been really stressful, but one excellently good thing did come out of today - everyone now has costumes! Well, except for two extras which would have been nice, but we'll try and sort that out if we have time! It's such a relief to get it sorted, because the last thing that I wanted to do was for someone to not have a costume, or to be uncomfortable in the one that they are in. So yayness!
In other news...hopefully off to the beach tomorrow with a load of my friends. It seems like the summer has finally started, and, strangely for Britain, we are in the middle of a heatwave - brilliant!
My eye is still slightly painful, but it's definitely getting better so here's hoping that I'll be alright for results day! It's so terrifying, it's only five days away now! I got a letter in the post today from Kent University inviting me to an Open Day on the 4th - two days before results day! I'm not really sure if I can be bothered to travel there, but I could find out two days later that that's where I'll be for the next three years...scary!
So anyway, I'll keep you updated on my eye, the pigeon, the beach party, the rehearsals, the show (don't forget your tickets from http://http//www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian/THEATREJULY2009.html) and the all important RESULTS DAY! Scary scary!
Have a good day!
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
The Mystery of the Pigeon
No, it's not a new Enid Blyton novel. It is merely the escapades of yesterday for me!
I thought that yesterday was going to be a slow day - work for a couple of hours and then home to chill out. But no, when arriving at home I was informed by my brother (HAYDON!) that there was a pigeon in our garden. Not surprising, you would have thought, considering that we live near a city, but this pigeon was different - it was ringed, and we suspected, a racing pigeon.
After finally getting it into our rabbit carrier, we attempted to read the numerous digits on the various rings around its feet. Having decided that the pigeon was a girl, we fed and watered her, and then rang the official racing pigeon body.
They were shut. This meant that we had to wait until 9am this morning to ring, but the line was almost continuously engaged, meaning that we had to redial constantly hoping to get through.
Eventually we discovered that she belonged to a man that lived in Newcastle, and still had 600 miles to go! Apparently she is an old hen, and frequently takes pit stops on races. We have been charged by this man to care for Pidgie (our name for her, not his!) and then release her on Thursday.
So at the moment she's sitting in our rabbit carrier in the garden. I just hope that she doesn't die in our care - she may be worth something, not counting emotional worth to her owner. I assume that due to her long stay here, she won't be in the lead, unless pigeons always do that on races - can anyone enlighten me?
Apart from that, nothing much to add except for the conclusion of my eye adventure! I went back to the opticians today and had all the tests done - and I am pleased to announce that my eyes have suffered no damage! According to the optician I had badly bruised my eye, and so I have to keep putting drops in it and not wear contacts until Saturday - but I want to be sure, so I have set the day that I will next wear contacts as...you've guessed it, results day! Yes, that's this time next week, when I will know (hopefully) exactly where I will be this time next year.
That's all for now, dearest readers. See you tomorrow!
I thought that yesterday was going to be a slow day - work for a couple of hours and then home to chill out. But no, when arriving at home I was informed by my brother (HAYDON!) that there was a pigeon in our garden. Not surprising, you would have thought, considering that we live near a city, but this pigeon was different - it was ringed, and we suspected, a racing pigeon.
After finally getting it into our rabbit carrier, we attempted to read the numerous digits on the various rings around its feet. Having decided that the pigeon was a girl, we fed and watered her, and then rang the official racing pigeon body.
They were shut. This meant that we had to wait until 9am this morning to ring, but the line was almost continuously engaged, meaning that we had to redial constantly hoping to get through.
Eventually we discovered that she belonged to a man that lived in Newcastle, and still had 600 miles to go! Apparently she is an old hen, and frequently takes pit stops on races. We have been charged by this man to care for Pidgie (our name for her, not his!) and then release her on Thursday.
So at the moment she's sitting in our rabbit carrier in the garden. I just hope that she doesn't die in our care - she may be worth something, not counting emotional worth to her owner. I assume that due to her long stay here, she won't be in the lead, unless pigeons always do that on races - can anyone enlighten me?
Apart from that, nothing much to add except for the conclusion of my eye adventure! I went back to the opticians today and had all the tests done - and I am pleased to announce that my eyes have suffered no damage! According to the optician I had badly bruised my eye, and so I have to keep putting drops in it and not wear contacts until Saturday - but I want to be sure, so I have set the day that I will next wear contacts as...you've guessed it, results day! Yes, that's this time next week, when I will know (hopefully) exactly where I will be this time next year.
That's all for now, dearest readers. See you tomorrow!
Saturday, 27 June 2009
My eyes...
Those readers that are squeamish - look away!
I wear contact lenses, which is usually not a problem. Although I hate touching my eyes, over the last year of so I have got acclimatised to poking around in the old eyes to get the contacts out - normally it's a simple in-out manoeuvre.
Not yesterday night.
I had had a brilliant time at my church youth group, and was not expecting a problem, apart from maybe getting to sleep. But no, of course everything had to get complicated. I thought my contact wasn't out, but I couldn't see; I thought it was in the corner of my eye, but I wasn't sure....
cue panic.
I knew it was really bad for your eye to sleep with a contact in, so I rang my friend's mum (who is an optician) and basically cried down the phone to her! Embarrassing looking back, but it was astonishing how I was trying NOT to panic. In the end she told me that as long as it wasn't on the colour (cornea?) of my eye, I could sleep with it in, and it should slip out by morning. Thanks should at this point go to my friend and her mother, who really didn't have to advise me at almost midnight!
By this time it's 12:30, and I'm exhausted. Unfortunately, I'm so terrified that my eyes are going to harden over, that I'm waking up every 90 mins. Disaster.
And so I'm up and about again at about 8 am today, and guess what - I wasn't sure, but I thought my contact was still in...
cue panic.
I told my poor father, who took me into town. We went to the opticians, but the lovely lady on the front desk told us that there weren't actually any qualified opticians in that day. Or tomorrow. Actually, there wouldn't be ANY opticians available until Wednesday.
cue panic.
After we had ran to the next opticians, I realised that as I wasn't registered to that opticians, I would have to register before they would even LOOK at my eye! Talk about bureaucracy! Finally I went in and saw an optician who was really lovely and helpful, calming me down and then looking at me eye.
I must reiterate here and say that I hate people touching my eyes, myself included. After about twenty minutes, dye had been put in my eye, moisturiser (?) had been put in my eye, as had cotton buds, I was starting to completely freak out. The optician couldn't find any evidence of a contact lens, but there was something in my eye.
cue panic.
Eventually, the optician said that she was almost certain that the contact lens wasn't in my eye, but that some hairs from the corner of my eye had been clogging up, and may cause an infection. She couldn't get them out (oh great), and I would have to put drops in my eye every hour until Monday, and then come back in for a check up. If there was no improvement, the hairs would have to be tweezered out.
cue panic.
And that pretty much brings us up to date. I can't wear my contacts now until at least Tuesday, not that I'm heavily inclined to now, but I had really wanted to wear them for the barbecue this evening - the barbecue that may not be happening because of the really heavy rain pouring outside my window right now.
Great. Just great!
On the bright side, this whole fiasco has managed to make me forget for about twelve hours that there is only one week and two days until results day!
Fun fun fun!
I wear contact lenses, which is usually not a problem. Although I hate touching my eyes, over the last year of so I have got acclimatised to poking around in the old eyes to get the contacts out - normally it's a simple in-out manoeuvre.
Not yesterday night.
I had had a brilliant time at my church youth group, and was not expecting a problem, apart from maybe getting to sleep. But no, of course everything had to get complicated. I thought my contact wasn't out, but I couldn't see; I thought it was in the corner of my eye, but I wasn't sure....
cue panic.
I knew it was really bad for your eye to sleep with a contact in, so I rang my friend's mum (who is an optician) and basically cried down the phone to her! Embarrassing looking back, but it was astonishing how I was trying NOT to panic. In the end she told me that as long as it wasn't on the colour (cornea?) of my eye, I could sleep with it in, and it should slip out by morning. Thanks should at this point go to my friend and her mother, who really didn't have to advise me at almost midnight!
By this time it's 12:30, and I'm exhausted. Unfortunately, I'm so terrified that my eyes are going to harden over, that I'm waking up every 90 mins. Disaster.
And so I'm up and about again at about 8 am today, and guess what - I wasn't sure, but I thought my contact was still in...
cue panic.
I told my poor father, who took me into town. We went to the opticians, but the lovely lady on the front desk told us that there weren't actually any qualified opticians in that day. Or tomorrow. Actually, there wouldn't be ANY opticians available until Wednesday.
cue panic.
After we had ran to the next opticians, I realised that as I wasn't registered to that opticians, I would have to register before they would even LOOK at my eye! Talk about bureaucracy! Finally I went in and saw an optician who was really lovely and helpful, calming me down and then looking at me eye.
I must reiterate here and say that I hate people touching my eyes, myself included. After about twenty minutes, dye had been put in my eye, moisturiser (?) had been put in my eye, as had cotton buds, I was starting to completely freak out. The optician couldn't find any evidence of a contact lens, but there was something in my eye.
cue panic.
Eventually, the optician said that she was almost certain that the contact lens wasn't in my eye, but that some hairs from the corner of my eye had been clogging up, and may cause an infection. She couldn't get them out (oh great), and I would have to put drops in my eye every hour until Monday, and then come back in for a check up. If there was no improvement, the hairs would have to be tweezered out.
cue panic.
And that pretty much brings us up to date. I can't wear my contacts now until at least Tuesday, not that I'm heavily inclined to now, but I had really wanted to wear them for the barbecue this evening - the barbecue that may not be happening because of the really heavy rain pouring outside my window right now.
Great. Just great!
On the bright side, this whole fiasco has managed to make me forget for about twelve hours that there is only one week and two days until results day!
Fun fun fun!
Friday, 26 June 2009
Time...
Just a quick one today!
As I predicted, a lazy day today, but I'm just about to head off to my church youth group to start practising for the worship tonight - very exciting!
I spent the day with my grandparents, who are obviously excited/terrified about my results. The next time that I will see them is the day after results day (which is the 6th July), so it'll either be celebrations or commiserations that day!
All of my friends are starting to get panicky as well, and I can understand why - at the moment it's the not knowing that frightens us. Once we DO know of course, a whole different sort of panic will settle in! All the more fun for us!
There just didn't seem enough time before the exams to really consider what would happen to us if we didn't work hard - but now that reality could only be around the corner!
Other news - I've been searching for another job at the moment, because I'm just not earning enough to save for (possible) university. I've given my CV in to one place that sounds promising, but that was only yesterday and I can't hope to hear until Monday at the earliest. Nowhere else really wanted to know, which I can understand. In this recession, many places simply aren't hiring, and it's difficult especially to take on people like me. I have no dependents, no mortgage, no bills to pay - it makes more sense to keep on or hire people with children and commitments. I fully understand and support that...but it does mean that I may be an extremely poor student (like that'll be a change...).
So, I'll sign off for now. I'm going to a barbecue tomorrow with almost all of my friends, and then I'm celebrating a friend's 18th birthday with another group of friends on Monday. Hopefully now my life will be full of work and friends - which is how I envisaged my summer would be! Nothing to worry about now, apart from ROADS the Musical http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx, the musical that my best friend wrote and we are performing. We'll just have to see how it goes!
As I predicted, a lazy day today, but I'm just about to head off to my church youth group to start practising for the worship tonight - very exciting!
I spent the day with my grandparents, who are obviously excited/terrified about my results. The next time that I will see them is the day after results day (which is the 6th July), so it'll either be celebrations or commiserations that day!
All of my friends are starting to get panicky as well, and I can understand why - at the moment it's the not knowing that frightens us. Once we DO know of course, a whole different sort of panic will settle in! All the more fun for us!
There just didn't seem enough time before the exams to really consider what would happen to us if we didn't work hard - but now that reality could only be around the corner!
Other news - I've been searching for another job at the moment, because I'm just not earning enough to save for (possible) university. I've given my CV in to one place that sounds promising, but that was only yesterday and I can't hope to hear until Monday at the earliest. Nowhere else really wanted to know, which I can understand. In this recession, many places simply aren't hiring, and it's difficult especially to take on people like me. I have no dependents, no mortgage, no bills to pay - it makes more sense to keep on or hire people with children and commitments. I fully understand and support that...but it does mean that I may be an extremely poor student (like that'll be a change...).
So, I'll sign off for now. I'm going to a barbecue tomorrow with almost all of my friends, and then I'm celebrating a friend's 18th birthday with another group of friends on Monday. Hopefully now my life will be full of work and friends - which is how I envisaged my summer would be! Nothing to worry about now, apart from ROADS the Musical http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx, the musical that my best friend wrote and we are performing. We'll just have to see how it goes!
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Shopping!
Why good morning readers!
Now I don't want to sound like the stereotype of a girl, but I have been unsuccessfully shopping all day and I am exhausted! In my capacity as Head of Costume for ROADS the Musical http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx, I've been trying to find the perfect shoes for two of our male leads.
Five hours later, and I am completely destroyed after pacing the paving slabs in desperation. I really can't believe that I can't find the shoes that we are looking for - they are similar to the plimsolls, and so in fashion! It was so frustrating, and so I've come back tired without my prey!
However (after a nice long drink and a sit down) I began to reflect. How lucky I am to be able to go out and search for something as disposable as shoes, in the freedom of knowing that I am not going to be attacked or in danger. That is something that so many people across the world - men as well as women - are not able to do, which I believe is a basic human right. Why shouldn't people be able to go out and live their lives? I don't want to name any places because in most cases I'm sure there are those that know much more about it than I do, and I do not want to offend anyone. There are so many wrongs in the world and I know that I cannot right them all, but I think to ignore them and not to comment on them is unfair and unjust to the people living through them.
Anyway, enough about that.
Results day is in one week and four days now, and despite me promising myself that I would no longer count down the hours, I'm finding it hard to concentrate on other things. My whole life is depending on these results, and they can still be good but not good enough. It's difficult merely waiting. Waiting. Waiting knowing that whatever I do now, that's it - I should have done it six months ago. I just feel so helpless, especially considering that Clearing (a service run for students that don't meet their university overs to find university places) doesn't begin for six weeks after my results, so I will have to go through six agonising weeks waiting to see if I'm even going to university.
Stressful much? I'd think so! My other blog http://http//thelibraryofemily.blogspot.com/ has been helping me to concentrate. It's nice to have something to focus on, to aim for - university apart - and it gives me a very pitiful amount of pleasure to see what books I have loved and scoffed!
Tomorrow is another lazy day, apart from in the evening when I'm playing keys and singing in the band of my church youth group - something that I love doing. I'll hopefully have soon time to note down my thoughts for all of you, but if not, see you at the weekend!
Now I don't want to sound like the stereotype of a girl, but I have been unsuccessfully shopping all day and I am exhausted! In my capacity as Head of Costume for ROADS the Musical http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx, I've been trying to find the perfect shoes for two of our male leads.
Five hours later, and I am completely destroyed after pacing the paving slabs in desperation. I really can't believe that I can't find the shoes that we are looking for - they are similar to the plimsolls, and so in fashion! It was so frustrating, and so I've come back tired without my prey!
However (after a nice long drink and a sit down) I began to reflect. How lucky I am to be able to go out and search for something as disposable as shoes, in the freedom of knowing that I am not going to be attacked or in danger. That is something that so many people across the world - men as well as women - are not able to do, which I believe is a basic human right. Why shouldn't people be able to go out and live their lives? I don't want to name any places because in most cases I'm sure there are those that know much more about it than I do, and I do not want to offend anyone. There are so many wrongs in the world and I know that I cannot right them all, but I think to ignore them and not to comment on them is unfair and unjust to the people living through them.
Anyway, enough about that.
Results day is in one week and four days now, and despite me promising myself that I would no longer count down the hours, I'm finding it hard to concentrate on other things. My whole life is depending on these results, and they can still be good but not good enough. It's difficult merely waiting. Waiting. Waiting knowing that whatever I do now, that's it - I should have done it six months ago. I just feel so helpless, especially considering that Clearing (a service run for students that don't meet their university overs to find university places) doesn't begin for six weeks after my results, so I will have to go through six agonising weeks waiting to see if I'm even going to university.
Stressful much? I'd think so! My other blog http://http//thelibraryofemily.blogspot.com/ has been helping me to concentrate. It's nice to have something to focus on, to aim for - university apart - and it gives me a very pitiful amount of pleasure to see what books I have loved and scoffed!
Tomorrow is another lazy day, apart from in the evening when I'm playing keys and singing in the band of my church youth group - something that I love doing. I'll hopefully have soon time to note down my thoughts for all of you, but if not, see you at the weekend!
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
My brother Haydon!
Well hello lovely readers, just a quick one from me today.
It's been tres tres busy as I've been trying to sort out the last of the costumes for ROADS the Musical - now showing in just over two weeks. It's all been a tad stressful, so although I am loving the experience I will be glad when it's over!
Now to the title. I have a brother (as you may have guessed) called Haydon (again, obvious). Because of a request from him I am including him in this blog.
That is all that needs to be said on the subject of my brother Haydon. Only joking, bless him! He's a couple of years younger than me, and has just reached the stage where I can actually talk to him about stuff that's important to me, so that's nice to have. Hello Haydon!
I went into town today to have lunch with a very old friend of mine, which was lovely because I hadn't seen her for about a month due to exams. We had a good ol' natter which was great as I had really missed that. Tomorrow I'll be having lunch with another good friend, so the chatting will commence about then! It's really great to get out of the house away from everything.
I've also started another blog that ties in with my passions - the library of Emily! Check it out at http://http//thelibraryofemily.blogspot.com/. This is where I review the books that I'm reading - please do take a look, comment on whether you agree with what I've written, and suggest new books for me to read!
See you tomorrow, dear readers!
It's been tres tres busy as I've been trying to sort out the last of the costumes for ROADS the Musical - now showing in just over two weeks. It's all been a tad stressful, so although I am loving the experience I will be glad when it's over!
Now to the title. I have a brother (as you may have guessed) called Haydon (again, obvious). Because of a request from him I am including him in this blog.
That is all that needs to be said on the subject of my brother Haydon. Only joking, bless him! He's a couple of years younger than me, and has just reached the stage where I can actually talk to him about stuff that's important to me, so that's nice to have. Hello Haydon!
I went into town today to have lunch with a very old friend of mine, which was lovely because I hadn't seen her for about a month due to exams. We had a good ol' natter which was great as I had really missed that. Tomorrow I'll be having lunch with another good friend, so the chatting will commence about then! It's really great to get out of the house away from everything.
I've also started another blog that ties in with my passions - the library of Emily! Check it out at http://http//thelibraryofemily.blogspot.com/. This is where I review the books that I'm reading - please do take a look, comment on whether you agree with what I've written, and suggest new books for me to read!
See you tomorrow, dear readers!
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Ruby Tuesday...
Morning!
Today began nice and warm, and has continued that way and so I've been reading Tom Jones in my beautiful garden. I'm trying to catch up on my classics before I go away to university, and so books such as Orlando by Virginia Woolf, The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers, and Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. So many of these great books are forgotten now that our bookshelves can be overwhelmed with second rate literature, poured out by printing presses.
Don't get me wrong - I love that the published (and blogging) world is now much more available to the general public, allowing events like the unrest over the Iranian elections, the problems in Zimbabwe, and other world events to be discussed truly worldwide. But I can't help but feel like some genres are over published, leaving little space for beautiful poetry, or literary criticism.
Anyway, literature moan over! It's a wonderful day and I feel - for once - mainly positive. After being held in isolation it seems for weeks, today I'll be going to a rehearsal for ROADS the Musical http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx. Almost everyone that acts, dances, or sings in this musical is one of my close friends, and so rehearsals are relaxed fun times - except for when certain people (naming no names) forget their lines or cues in songs. The shows are getting closer and closer, and as Head of Costume there is a lot of pressure on me to get it all right! Thankfully my love of history and literature has helped me, and now it's just a case of getting the last few dancers their costumes.
Other events in my life today - we have crossed the two week threshold for my results, which is increasing my terror ever daily. These results will almost control my entire future, and it's worrying that right now there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it!
To those who aren't familiar with the IB, here's an extremely brief summary. Each student takes 6 subjects; their first language as literature (in my case English), a foreign language, a science, mathematics, and then two other subjects - either another language, science, or two humanities. The subjects that I chose were English Lit, Spanish, Environmental Systems, Maths, History and Philosophy.
Now to complicate matters - three of the six subjects are taken at a Higher Level, the other three at Standard Level. The only exception to this is Maths, which has three levels; Studies, Standard, and Higher. Each subject is marked out of seven, which is the highest mark.
And lastly, each student must also take Theory of Knowledge classes, write a 4000 word essay in their spare time, and also in their spare time do activities that come under three categories: Creativity, Action and Service (CAS). These are marked out of three.
The discerning reader would have worked out that the IB is out of 45. Due to the complexity of the IB, university offers vary as much. My personal offers are:
York
6s in History and English
a total of 36 points
Kent
6s in History and English
a total of 35 points
As you can see, there is very little difference between the two offers, and it means that if I do not achieve a 6 in History or English then I won't be going to university at all!
Neither of my parents went to university, though they both would have loved to go. Unlike many people in similar situations, I don't feel any more pressure because of this - I know that they would love for me to go to university on my own back, because I love the subject. I think most of the pressure that I feel is the pressure that I put on myself. I want to prove myself, to prove to myself that I can go to such brilliant universities as York or Kent.
The other universities that I applied to were Oxford, Durham, and Exeter (although I applied to study English at Exeter). Oxford was originally my dream - not, as many think, because of the glory of Oxford, but because it had the best course for me. It contained two bridge modules, while York and Kent only had one, and Durham had none.
After gruelling essays, tests, and interviews, I received my letter that although they wanted to give me a place, there simply wasn't space for me. I know that thousands of others were probably told exactly the same thing, but it really knocked my confidence. I don't like to boast, but academically I am strong.
The next blow came when I was rejected from Durham without them asking for essays or interviews, but because of my previous academic achievement. My GCSEs (exams taken at 16) were extremely strong. What was wrong? No university wanted me.
I was so despondent that my offers from Kent and York simply passed me by - I had never considered them. But research into York especially taught me differently. York is a top ten university, with excellent research status, a brilliant library, and treated as a wonderful university by students, teachers, academics, and employers alike.
So, now all I can do is wait. The A Levels will have to wait longer, I know, but I feel indignant really because I took my exams so much earlier. Another sore point is that I cannot obtain my results until 3pm, so it'll be a long wait in the morning!
Duty calls now, and so I'll sign off for today. I'll keep you posted, dear readers!
Today began nice and warm, and has continued that way and so I've been reading Tom Jones in my beautiful garden. I'm trying to catch up on my classics before I go away to university, and so books such as Orlando by Virginia Woolf, The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers, and Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. So many of these great books are forgotten now that our bookshelves can be overwhelmed with second rate literature, poured out by printing presses.
Don't get me wrong - I love that the published (and blogging) world is now much more available to the general public, allowing events like the unrest over the Iranian elections, the problems in Zimbabwe, and other world events to be discussed truly worldwide. But I can't help but feel like some genres are over published, leaving little space for beautiful poetry, or literary criticism.
Anyway, literature moan over! It's a wonderful day and I feel - for once - mainly positive. After being held in isolation it seems for weeks, today I'll be going to a rehearsal for ROADS the Musical http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx. Almost everyone that acts, dances, or sings in this musical is one of my close friends, and so rehearsals are relaxed fun times - except for when certain people (naming no names) forget their lines or cues in songs. The shows are getting closer and closer, and as Head of Costume there is a lot of pressure on me to get it all right! Thankfully my love of history and literature has helped me, and now it's just a case of getting the last few dancers their costumes.
Other events in my life today - we have crossed the two week threshold for my results, which is increasing my terror ever daily. These results will almost control my entire future, and it's worrying that right now there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it!
To those who aren't familiar with the IB, here's an extremely brief summary. Each student takes 6 subjects; their first language as literature (in my case English), a foreign language, a science, mathematics, and then two other subjects - either another language, science, or two humanities. The subjects that I chose were English Lit, Spanish, Environmental Systems, Maths, History and Philosophy.
Now to complicate matters - three of the six subjects are taken at a Higher Level, the other three at Standard Level. The only exception to this is Maths, which has three levels; Studies, Standard, and Higher. Each subject is marked out of seven, which is the highest mark.
And lastly, each student must also take Theory of Knowledge classes, write a 4000 word essay in their spare time, and also in their spare time do activities that come under three categories: Creativity, Action and Service (CAS). These are marked out of three.
The discerning reader would have worked out that the IB is out of 45. Due to the complexity of the IB, university offers vary as much. My personal offers are:
York
6s in History and English
a total of 36 points
Kent
6s in History and English
a total of 35 points
As you can see, there is very little difference between the two offers, and it means that if I do not achieve a 6 in History or English then I won't be going to university at all!
Neither of my parents went to university, though they both would have loved to go. Unlike many people in similar situations, I don't feel any more pressure because of this - I know that they would love for me to go to university on my own back, because I love the subject. I think most of the pressure that I feel is the pressure that I put on myself. I want to prove myself, to prove to myself that I can go to such brilliant universities as York or Kent.
The other universities that I applied to were Oxford, Durham, and Exeter (although I applied to study English at Exeter). Oxford was originally my dream - not, as many think, because of the glory of Oxford, but because it had the best course for me. It contained two bridge modules, while York and Kent only had one, and Durham had none.
After gruelling essays, tests, and interviews, I received my letter that although they wanted to give me a place, there simply wasn't space for me. I know that thousands of others were probably told exactly the same thing, but it really knocked my confidence. I don't like to boast, but academically I am strong.
The next blow came when I was rejected from Durham without them asking for essays or interviews, but because of my previous academic achievement. My GCSEs (exams taken at 16) were extremely strong. What was wrong? No university wanted me.
I was so despondent that my offers from Kent and York simply passed me by - I had never considered them. But research into York especially taught me differently. York is a top ten university, with excellent research status, a brilliant library, and treated as a wonderful university by students, teachers, academics, and employers alike.
So, now all I can do is wait. The A Levels will have to wait longer, I know, but I feel indignant really because I took my exams so much earlier. Another sore point is that I cannot obtain my results until 3pm, so it'll be a long wait in the morning!
Duty calls now, and so I'll sign off for today. I'll keep you posted, dear readers!
Monday, 22 June 2009
Welcome!
Why good morning my lovely readers, and welcome to my blog 'The Only Emily'.
Together we'll be travelling through my memories, my present doings, and my hopes for the future. I hope that you, reader, will follow me through this important part of my life as I enter 'the read world'.
And so, a little note about me. I'm eighteen, have just finished school, and am waiting for my results. Unlike most people that live here in the UK, I didn't study A Levels, but the International Baccalaureate. That was exhausting, but I have finally made it through and have come out of the other side relatively good. Results day is only two weeks away, but until then there's not much to do except for wait for the sun (yeah right!) and get some reading done.
I'm hoping to study History and English, and depending on results, at York or Kent. When (if) I go to uni, I'll be living away from home to the first time - something that I will admit scares me. Most other eighteen year olds can't stop talking at the top of their voices how much they want to get away from their families. As much as I do want my freedom - the liberty to choose food, tv, movies, days when I go out and days when I stay in bed - I've come to realise that actually what I want is sheltered accommodation. Freedom with a safety net.
Hopefully when (if) I go to university, I'll be staying in student accommodation, and so will have that reassurance, but if I'm truly honest I know that I will be terrified when I leave home and will desperately miss my family. Though they are completely crazy.
I know that most people say that their families are crazy, and yes, as weird people go my family are thankfully not as bad as some, but still. I have a large extended family which I love, and a diminishing group of friends.
It's strange. Before and during my exams (May 4th - May 19th) I would console myself with the thought that at least after the exams my friends and I would be able to chill out, go to the beach, watch movies. But since exams have ended, over a month ago, I haven't really seen anyone. I guess the main problem was that for the majority of my friends studying A Levels, their exams hadn't finished. Now that they have, we should be able to meet up.
Lastly - stuff that's important to me. My church, and my church family. I know that many people will get offended by this, but I'm not going to apologise about my faith; neither am I going to challenge the faith of others or try to push my ideals on anyone. My music - I play keys, and I sing. When I was younger I sung concerts in places like Canterbury Cathedral, but as I got older I ran out of time. I listen to music ranging from Bach, the Beatles, Tallis and Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd. I'm about to star in a musical that one of my best friends, Becky Callaghan, wrote called ROADS the Musical. Check out the facebook page: http://http//www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=84351998941&ref=ts. Or look at the website http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx. Literature and history (obviously) I am devoted to; I am also partial (as are all teenagers) to a bit of sleep.
So there you have it, readers - a slightly winding introduction to moi. Feel free to comment or ask questions. I am open to opinions!
Together we'll be travelling through my memories, my present doings, and my hopes for the future. I hope that you, reader, will follow me through this important part of my life as I enter 'the read world'.
And so, a little note about me. I'm eighteen, have just finished school, and am waiting for my results. Unlike most people that live here in the UK, I didn't study A Levels, but the International Baccalaureate. That was exhausting, but I have finally made it through and have come out of the other side relatively good. Results day is only two weeks away, but until then there's not much to do except for wait for the sun (yeah right!) and get some reading done.
I'm hoping to study History and English, and depending on results, at York or Kent. When (if) I go to uni, I'll be living away from home to the first time - something that I will admit scares me. Most other eighteen year olds can't stop talking at the top of their voices how much they want to get away from their families. As much as I do want my freedom - the liberty to choose food, tv, movies, days when I go out and days when I stay in bed - I've come to realise that actually what I want is sheltered accommodation. Freedom with a safety net.
Hopefully when (if) I go to university, I'll be staying in student accommodation, and so will have that reassurance, but if I'm truly honest I know that I will be terrified when I leave home and will desperately miss my family. Though they are completely crazy.
I know that most people say that their families are crazy, and yes, as weird people go my family are thankfully not as bad as some, but still. I have a large extended family which I love, and a diminishing group of friends.
It's strange. Before and during my exams (May 4th - May 19th) I would console myself with the thought that at least after the exams my friends and I would be able to chill out, go to the beach, watch movies. But since exams have ended, over a month ago, I haven't really seen anyone. I guess the main problem was that for the majority of my friends studying A Levels, their exams hadn't finished. Now that they have, we should be able to meet up.
Lastly - stuff that's important to me. My church, and my church family. I know that many people will get offended by this, but I'm not going to apologise about my faith; neither am I going to challenge the faith of others or try to push my ideals on anyone. My music - I play keys, and I sing. When I was younger I sung concerts in places like Canterbury Cathedral, but as I got older I ran out of time. I listen to music ranging from Bach, the Beatles, Tallis and Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd. I'm about to star in a musical that one of my best friends, Becky Callaghan, wrote called ROADS the Musical. Check out the facebook page: http://http//www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=84351998941&ref=ts. Or look at the website http://http//roads-themusical.art.officelive.com/default.aspx. Literature and history (obviously) I am devoted to; I am also partial (as are all teenagers) to a bit of sleep.
So there you have it, readers - a slightly winding introduction to moi. Feel free to comment or ask questions. I am open to opinions!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)