Summer

Well, it's been a long time since I last blogged. I've finished my second year at Aberystwyth University and summer has arrived. I plan on changing my blog around at some point, maybe even switching to WordPress - my brother's fiancée has recently done this and it seems as though WordPress allows more to be done :)

This post is just going to be a brief overview of the past few months and then I hope to blog on more detail about some of the things I've done or will do this summer.

Last time I wrote, I'd just been baptised at my church in Aberystwyth where my mum and grandparents had come over especially to watch. That was in February and although nothing major has happened in my life, life has continued to move forward.

I suppose an important event that occurred was that my brother proposed to his girlfriend (the fiancée mentioned previously) whilst they were on holiday in Athens. They've been together since they were 17 and he's almost 22 so I'm guessing it was the naturally the next stage in their relationship.

I also had my geography field trip to Killarney in Ireland. For saying that Ireland is so close it's the first time I've ever been. I had my worries about the trip as the things that were going to be looked at weren't really my cup of tea but I managed to get through the week, without too much trouble.

Over the Easter holidays I went back to working at McDonald's for the first time since my brother died; I wasn't sure how it would go to begin with - I thought I'd have forgotten what to do but it seems like it never goes away. Lots of new people have started working there, some of them in Kieran's year at school which not only makes me feel old, but makes me realise what Kieran is missing out on in terms of getting a job, going to college, having a future ahead of him.

After Easter at uni I had my final exams for second year and I feel as though they went much better than the one I had in January which is a good sign I hope :)

Despite finishing my exams on the 23rd May, I didn't go home from Aber until the 7th June - this was so that Alex and I could actually spend some time going to places and just relaxing instead of having essays or revision to do. Thankfully the weather was mostly nice so we could go to the beach and make the most of our seaside location :)

I was only home two days though before heading down south to see my family. My parents have gone away to Germany for the week and Aidan is still at Loughborough so I'd have been home alone and since Kieran died I haven't really liked being in the house on my own. So, I've been down in Essex from Tuesday until Saturday seeing my cousins and my Auntie and Uncle (I wish there was a word that co-joined these like how you have siblings for brothers and sisters). Now I'm at my grandparents's until Tuesday when I head back to the Midlands.

Over the summer I've got a few things planned involving a Mission Week with my church in Aberystwyth (the students go to another parish and help out there), visiting Alex in Wales as well as starting work on my dissertation and working at McDonald's. I think I'm in for a pretty busy summer so hopefully I'll actually have things to blog about for once :)

23. result!

Today I got my Semester One results back from the five exams I did in January, and I passed them all!

Two of the exams had been essays which I had mostly been worried about, particularly one of them as it was an unseen exam. I think what I struggle with at university level is remembering references, as for A Level and GCSE I could just write without having to worry.  The other three exams had been multiple choice - and luckily Aberystwyth University (or at least my department) doesn't penalize you for getting an answer wrong! Although the multiple choice exams had been in modules that I didn't understand as well (due to them being pretty scientific), I'm good at remembering facts so I did okay.

My results! :D

I'm glad that I didn't fail any of them as I would hate to have to do resits, especially with having more exams in May, and I think I'd be really stressed. However, I think that in May I'll know how best to prepare for exams as I've done some now, so although I didn't get the highest grade in any of them at least I know what works when revising.

Another result I got last Saturday was my Driving Theory test which I passed first time. I wasn't too nervous about the multiple choice part because I'd done quite a lot of revision, but I was a bit worried about the Hazard Perception as it all depends on when you click, and after one of the clips where my score had been given 0 due to 'clicking too often', I was really apprehensive and thought I'd failed it. So when I got given my results, I was so happy! I walked from the test centre back to my flat with a HUGE grin on my face. I felt like such an idiot!

I think I'm fairly lucky when it comes to exams as I don't get too freaked out by them like other people do. I just remember to keep a clear head in the exam and not to panic too much, so that I'm able to focus on what I'm supposed to be doing there and then, rather than worrying about whether I'm going to do well or not. I hate waiting for results though, and after exams I over-analyse and compare what I wrote or answered to other people's answers. Some people think I'm stupid for thinking negatively after results, and expecting to fail, but in a way, I prefer it, because then when I don't fail I'm really happy, and if I do end up failing, I won't be too disappointed as it's what I was expecting (stupid plan, but it kinda works).

What are your thoughts on exams and revision? :)

Tara

10. just some pictures

I felt that I should probably post some pictures of my room as I realised that in the posts about moving into my room at uni, there weren't really any photos of what my room looked like once everything was unpacked and sorted. So, here are just a few pictures :) 

My notice board - as a geography student I felt the need to have a world map on there, so Rob bought me one,. Along with it are some flyers for stuff and the fire safety notice (in both English and Welsh). Also, you can see my TV and freeview box (not the most exciting) but it means I get to watch programs live, which is always a bonus! And then some storage units, with books and work on top. All very exciting :L

Inside my wardrobe - as a built in wardrobe, I have plenty of space at the bottom, as well as a shelf at the top to put shoes and towels etc, which is good, and luckily, I can just about to fit all my clothes in the actual wardrobe - although I think my jumpers take up a lot of space, which isn't really ideal :(

My 4' bed - a brilliant bonus, as at home, I only have a single bed! I luckily, having read the emails off the uni before moving, knew that some rooms would have a 4' bed, and therefore didn't buy my bedspreads until I knew what size. Some people in my flat, brought single bedspreads with them, and had issues! MR Moose, the cuddly moose on the pillows, was a present from Rob from when he went to Sweden in 2011, for the 22nd World Scout Jamboree. 

Shelf in my room - kind of glad that I didn't bring more books and DVDs as I probably wouldn't have had enough room. Did bring the first three seasons of gossip girl though, so that's keeping me entertained. Chace Crawford - I forgot how much of a hottie he was :L Also, I've got my biscuit tin, and luckily lidl sells packets of biscuits pretty cheaply, so I'm always able to have a supply, just in case I'm in need of one. 

Desk, looking very neat and tidy for once. I brought a printer with me to uni, as my brother said that in the long run it'd be much cheaper, and I have to say, he's probably right. For some lectures, I don't mind taking notes, but others are much better to add notes to the already existing PowerPoints - especially if I'm not totally sure of a concept or the lecturer talks around photos. Also, have my rather cool stationery stuff (something I didn't buy new for uni!) that comes in very useful, especially as it means I don't have to go round asking if anyone has a hole punch or a stapler.

The next two pictures aren't of my room, but they were taken in Aberystwyth, so I thought I might as well put them up, as I'm not really sure if I'd write a blog about them :L

This was taken sometime mid-October, when the weather was really unpleasant.  Originally when I realised that although I was living on the seafront, I didn't get a sea view (the en-suites were in a more recently built area at the back of my halls - I don't really have a view) I was a bit disappointed, however, after seeing the waves that happen, and the about of stones and pebbles thrown up into the road, I'm glad I'm at the back. These waves were really something to watch though, they were pretty spectacular.

Sunset looking out over Cardigan Bay - I managed to capture this moment as me and Rob were walking back from one of our lectures, and it was just so beautiful, with the pastel pink and purple mixing into one another. I'm a sucker for picturesque moments. I just wish I was better at taking photos, so that these moments could be truly justified :)

07. aber..what? Part 2

So, this post will continue where the last one ended...

Wednesday
On Wednesday there wasn't a lot to do but the societies fair was taking place so I went along to that. Walking into the hall I was immediately bombarded by people in animal onesies asking me to join the BioSoc... Not that i don't like animals but I don't particularly like biology :L I went with Rob whilst he signed up to the Scouts and Guides Society, and then I went to ask about music, where this really snobby woman was. I told her that I played the oboe and trumpet, and that I wanted to ply my oboe in orchestra having played it in my school orchestra and the county youth orchestra... She responded by saying that she didn't think I'd be suitable and asked me to come along to wind band instead!! She put me off going to orchestra full stop, so I'm just going to wind band now :(

Thursday
Thursday was the geography induction field trip :) I personally think it still counts as a field trip, although my brother, did not, purely as it was a trip where we walked to Clarach Bay (just north of Aberystwyth). We were split into groups to walk in, so that individual lecturers could talk to us, and explain some of the geography behind what we were seeing. It was more interesting this way, and it was easier to talk to some of the other geography students, as we were out and about rather than sitting in lecture theatres. When we arrived at Clarach Bay (lots of caravan sites, although I personally didn't see the attraction - maybe it was the cold weather) we had to look for factors that could put the area at risk from flooding and landslides. We then had to do a litter sweep, as due to the awful weather in the summer, quite a lot of rubbish had been swept onto the beach by the sea. On the way back to Aberystwyth, we walked the shorter way, up to the top of Constitution Hill, and then down to by the seafront. All in all, it was a pretty good field trip, and luckily it didn't rain!

The view from Constitution Hill - my mum took this picture when she went up the Cliff Railway

So, everything went well for freshers week at Aberystwyth Uni, and I'm looking forward to the future!! :D

Tara

06. aber..what? Part 1

So, I've now officially been in Aberystwyth for a week and a half and it's beginning to feel more like home :) I'm going to split this up into parts as I don't want to bore anyone, and moving away from home is pretty huge!

<< My uni room with some stuff having been brought up!

My uni room with pretty much everything in! >>

Saturday
Last Saturday morning, I arrived with my parents at Alexandra Hall with a car full of stuff to move in to my room. Finding out I was in flat 43 didn't seem too bad until we realised there weren't any lifts and we had to make about 5 trips up 4 flights of stairs! Painful! Luckily I managed to unpack fairly quickly with mum's help (dad went on a wander round Aberystwyth) and when I went into the kitchen to put my bits and bobs away, I was lucky that my flatmates were having breakfast so I got to meet them and talk to them without any hassle. They all seem really nice, which is a good thing as I'm going to have to live with them for the next year! Around lunchtime, Rob had arrived in Aberystwyth and had moved into his room up at the top of the hill, so I went to visit him as no one seemed to be about in his house. My first night at uni was spent curled up in bed, as I had a really bad cold, and as much as like having a good time, I prefer to be with people I know, rather than go out with strangers. Also, I felt like I should continue my watching of Doctor Who, especially as the finale for this part of the series was coming very soon!

Sunday
Sunday morning, my parents came and visited so that they could bring some storage units they'd picked up in Matalan for me, as I didn't have enough room for my clothes (!) before going up the cliff railway which, ideally for them, is only about 500m away from where I'm staying. After they'd done that, we said our final goodbyes, before they headed off home! That afternoon, me and Rob went out with his parents to Devil's Bridge (or Pontarfynach in Welsh) for a slice of cake (nom!) before they headed off home too! That evening, we planned on going to 'The Big Quiz' at the Student's Union - something we didn't realise would be extremely popular - and in the end, we decided to head back to mine as we were told we'd have to sit on the floor, and we were fairly close to the start of the queue!

Monday

Had to be up at the campus (tiring walk up the huge hill!) for 9.30am, so that we could listen to the head of the Science Falculty's welcoming talk! Can't really remember much of what he said, it wasn't very interesting, but after that we had the welcoming talk for the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences (IGES), which was more interesting! Probably because the Physics and Maths students had gone for their institute's talk! The Fresher's Trade Fair was also on, which basically meant, having access to getting loads of freebies! Some of them were totally pointless, but I managed to gain a few pens (and for some reason, I always think that freebie pens write the nicest!) That afternoon was the 'What I Wish I'd Known Last Year' talk from some IGES students, which was pretty useful, as they told us which lecturers put their notes up on Blackboard (the virtual learning platform), and which ones didn't. They also told us about the societies related to our subject, and at the IGES Fresher's Social that evening, I signed up to GeogSoc, and also got my 'glow in the dark' green wristband! the wristband actually does glow in the dark... if only slightly! That night, I struggled to get to sleep, and then about an hour after I finally did... The fire alarm went off! I panicked, however, as a girl (from what I gathered when were all stood on the seafront at 2am) I had the common sense to wrap up warm, put shoes on and grab my phone! At first, we all thought it was just a fire practice, however, when the fire engine turned up... we were all slightly more worried! However, there wasn't a fire, and I later found out that someone had decided to make toast... by putting bread in the microwave for 8 minutes!

 << Nathan Caton

Tuesday

Tuesday was registration day! The day where, in my opinion, I officially became a student of Aberystwyth University! I had to choose which optional module I wanted to do, I chose Planet Earth because it sounded fairly interesting (plus it gave me the basics of geology - which, although has never really appealed to me, I felt it might be fairly useful later on in life) and also, because apparently the lecturer (who's retired and only teaches this one module) is pretty funny and is also enthusiastic about the subject! After registration, me and Rob went to look for the Sports Fair, to see if there were any clubs we wanted to join, however, due to it having been mentioned that it was being held in the Student's Union due to bad weather, we went there, only to find a few stalls which were all in Welsh. That evening, we went out to the ComedyWorks event, in which Nathan Caton was headlining! The compare guy was Andrew Ryan (Irish - his accent was the best!) and Matt Rees, who is a young comedian from South Wales. It was really good, and although I'd heard some of the jokes before, I was glad I'd gone - although, I was very thankful we weren't seated right at the front!

Anyway, that's all for this post!! More to come very soon!

Tara

05. preparations for uni life

Sorry that I haven't updated that recently, but in the past week I've moved to Aberystwyth and am now a fresher :)

In the 3 days before moving to Aberystwyth though, I had a lot of stuff to do, and on the Wednesday I went to visit my grandparents in London, who I don't get to see very often, and as I'm not likely to see them until Christmas at the earliest, my mum thought it'd be good if we went down and spent the day with them, so that they could have a catch up with me, as I haven't seen them since before the summer holidays. 

Then, on the Thursday, me and my mum went into Burton to buy last minute things for uni, and some clothes (I just can't resist!) which was good, although it took forever, as although we had a list of things to buy, we kept remembering other things that would come in useful! Because at Aberystwyth they want you to have surge protected extension leads, we kept looking round to find the cheapest (as they can be quite expensive!) and we found a 6-socket one for £5 in B&M Bargains! Also, compared to Tesco's 5m ethernet cable (the cable that you plug your computer into for internet) which cost almost £20, we managed to find a 5m in 'Poundworld', and it works, which was something I was a bit apprehensive about! After shopping, I began to pack all my things together, trying to fit clothes into vacuum bags (which then popped up anyway!) so that I was able to go and visit my boyfriend, Rob, that evening, to just chill out and relax before going to uni!

On the Friday morning, my mum picked me up so that I could go and visit my nan as she'd got together a box of food for me, such as tomato soup, hot dogs, spaghetti and things that will last a while in case of emergencies, and she'd also bought some cleaning products, as my room at uni has an en-suite! I felt really bad, as my nan was not only having to see me go to university, but also had found out that her brother had died the day before, and that one of her friends was going into hospital for an operation! After saying goodbye to my nan; me, my mum and my eldest brother packed the car, which took quite a lot of effort, and then when my dad got home from work, me and my parents set off for Aberystwyth!

That evening we stayed in the Aberystwyth Park Lodge Hotel, as we weren't sure what time we'd arrive so we'd decided to move me in on the Saturday. We ate at the restaurant there, which served absolutely huge portions!

<< My BBQ chicken breast with bacon and cheese + loads of gorgeous chips!

That night when I was on the phone to Rob, I suddenly realised that I'd forgotten my instruments! Luckily, Rob offered to pick them up in the morning, and I was able to contact my brother to ask him to get them ready for collection. After sorting out logistics for my instruments, I settled down, ready for the big day that lay ahead :)

Tara

03. tidying

As I'm off to Aberystwyth University in less than a month, I figured I best sort out my room at home so that I know what I'll want to take, and what I need to get. As I was sorting I came across science sheets from year 9, Bliss and Sugar magazines from July 2008, as well as a whole load of other random stuff I had no idea still existed. Clearly, I hadn't had a sort out for some time.

I decided to keep all my geography folders from the past year, as I think they'll probably be useful when I'm at uni, (still don't know whether to take them, or whether to just ring up and ask my mum to find the facts I'm looking for!), and I also kept ,my french work, as I'm hoping to keep up learning french somehow, so they'll probably be useful too. 

As I know that I need to buy a lot of stuff for uni, mostly stuff for the kitchen, although I'll buy a new duvet and pillows when I get to Aberystwyth (I don't know whether I'll end up with a 4' or a 3' bed - annoying in a way as I can't buy in advance!), I browsed online in matalan and tesco to see if there are any offers on. I quite like the fact I can buy baking trays from matalan for a £1! They may not last forever, but as there is a matalan in Aberystwyth, I can easily replace them :)

On the whole though, I've felt today as been fairly productive, as although I hate tidying up, I've managed to sort out what I probably need to take to Aberystwyth that I've already got, and also, what I'll need to buy in the future!

Tara