State of the world
It's been a while since I last posted, I almost can't remember how.
Exams are trundling along as expected. Not the exams themselves, of course - they start in three days - but the revision. Tum ti tum. Get up, study, eat, study, study, study, sleep. It's a simple and not terribly rewarding life I'm leading at the moment.
I am considering being adventurous and leaving the house in search of pastries and chocolate. I am reasonably certain that the corner store will stock them, so it won't really be a terribly long journey.
These are finals, and finals are only two exams. Well - I say 'only'. They are:
1) a seven-hour case study examination, which is the 'pratical',
2) a research paper, which is the dissertation defence, more or less.
The first one is coming up on Wednesday, the latter on 11th Dec. I confess to being worried about the latter more, as it requires a great deal of work, and knowledge, and not-being-stupid-ness. The case study requires luck, and not panicking. I can't do much about that, other than make sure that no amount of statistics they throw at me will faze me.
I suspect that stats will be involved. I suspect that project cash management will be involved. I also suspect that it will involve dealing with an irate Councillor or member of the public, and possibly include drafting a press release. What any of these things have to do with being an accountant is anybody's guess, but we have to be able to do it - so unto the breach once more, dear friends, with all fingers and toes crossed.
I will be screwed if it involves financial accounting (debits, credits, the works - all the traditional stuff), because I'm not very good with them under pressure. I panic. And you don't want to panic during a 7hour exam. *sigh* I hope that it won't feature, because the pre-seen material makes it unlikely, but... let's just say that they've pulled rabbits out of hats before, and it was never very pretty. And I want to pass this.
The dissertation defence/project paper - I'm researching re-agggregation of public services. Except that it might also relate to localicm, and mergers, and stakeholder consultation, and public sector change processes, and... well, everything.
I am, in fact, researching everything. It isn't going that well.
I've put the research on hold until the case study is done, because my brain can only retain so much info, even with the help of guarana and tea and coffee and fish oils of various kinds. I've even resorted to vitamins in a desperate search for health and memory and brain function.
Anyway. Dec 11th, and it's all over, one way or the other.
*
For something completely different - the Xmas wish lists! Woo and indeed yay. I have no time or money this year, which makes things interesting come shopping time. So I'm not gonna be listing purchases or amazon wishlists, as I can't reciprocate. But that doesn't mean that I can't have fantasy lists, right?
Step One:
- Make a post, with a list of ten holiday wishes
- If you wish for real things include your contact details
- post the rules in your journal
Step Two:
- surf the flist/random journals to find other wishlists
- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true.
- don't spend any money unless you really want too, it's not to put people out but to spread joy
The fantasy wishes
1. I want to pass my exams. I really, really do. I want to wake up and it's January 25th and I've passed, and never have to sit another accounting exam again.
2. I want a Fulbright scholarship. Not a big thing, right? *g* Not just for the money, even, although it'd be mighty handy, but because retraining is a big thing and I've already done it all on my own a few times, and it'd be really good to have support this time around. It'd be really... reassuring. I feel like I'm running headfirst into a very big, very scary thing, and it'd be really good to know that people have my back. 'cause at the moment, it's feeling mighty lonesome on my own out here.
3. Acceptance to Columbia's JD programme. Ambitious, moi? *g* Definitely a fantasy at this point, and I won't even be able to apply until the latter part of 2008, but... hey, we're allowed to wish for anything!
4. I want to go on holiday. At the moment, I don't know if I'll have the money. Every penny is going into paying off debts, so I can... take on more debt by retraining. And I'm good with that. I am. I'd just... like a tiny little bit of extra cash to do something fun.
The fandom wishes
1. Some Quark&Odo fic. I am a simple gal.
2. The mini ficathons we used to run for small fandoms, and everyone made time, and it was great. Now, we don't have time - I don't, for one - and it's upsetting. I want those mini ficathons! They made me happy.
3. As I'm on a DSN kick at the moment (it's fuelling my studies), so Cardassian fic would also be goodly & fun. Even - gulp - G/B.
4. I want the new Star Trek movie!
Others
There's a girl who has been sentenced to 200 lashes because she was gang-raped. I don't want her to get those lashes. I want her to be let go, and given help & support. I want her lawyer to be let go. I want to stop reading about things like that in the paper. I want better things in the news, and better people in the world.
I want there to be more people like the highschool seniors who decided to wear pink to stop a younger kid from being picked on. I want there to be more people like the little girl who helped her dad rescue drowning people in a little boat. I want people like the documentary filmmaker who decided to stop her local communities from using plastic bags, and made a ban happen in three months - a bill be floated for the London area, too. I want more people like the anonymous donor who donated millions of dollars to an impoverished Pennsylvania town.
I want better people in the world.
As I said. Fantasies.
I have to go and make more tea, and go back to studying. I'll be back mid-December, if it all goes well.
Exams are trundling along as expected. Not the exams themselves, of course - they start in three days - but the revision. Tum ti tum. Get up, study, eat, study, study, study, sleep. It's a simple and not terribly rewarding life I'm leading at the moment.
I am considering being adventurous and leaving the house in search of pastries and chocolate. I am reasonably certain that the corner store will stock them, so it won't really be a terribly long journey.
These are finals, and finals are only two exams. Well - I say 'only'. They are:
1) a seven-hour case study examination, which is the 'pratical',
2) a research paper, which is the dissertation defence, more or less.
The first one is coming up on Wednesday, the latter on 11th Dec. I confess to being worried about the latter more, as it requires a great deal of work, and knowledge, and not-being-stupid-ness. The case study requires luck, and not panicking. I can't do much about that, other than make sure that no amount of statistics they throw at me will faze me.
I suspect that stats will be involved. I suspect that project cash management will be involved. I also suspect that it will involve dealing with an irate Councillor or member of the public, and possibly include drafting a press release. What any of these things have to do with being an accountant is anybody's guess, but we have to be able to do it - so unto the breach once more, dear friends, with all fingers and toes crossed.
I will be screwed if it involves financial accounting (debits, credits, the works - all the traditional stuff), because I'm not very good with them under pressure. I panic. And you don't want to panic during a 7hour exam. *sigh* I hope that it won't feature, because the pre-seen material makes it unlikely, but... let's just say that they've pulled rabbits out of hats before, and it was never very pretty. And I want to pass this.
The dissertation defence/project paper - I'm researching re-agggregation of public services. Except that it might also relate to localicm, and mergers, and stakeholder consultation, and public sector change processes, and... well, everything.
I am, in fact, researching everything. It isn't going that well.
I've put the research on hold until the case study is done, because my brain can only retain so much info, even with the help of guarana and tea and coffee and fish oils of various kinds. I've even resorted to vitamins in a desperate search for health and memory and brain function.
Anyway. Dec 11th, and it's all over, one way or the other.
*
For something completely different - the Xmas wish lists! Woo and indeed yay. I have no time or money this year, which makes things interesting come shopping time. So I'm not gonna be listing purchases or amazon wishlists, as I can't reciprocate. But that doesn't mean that I can't have fantasy lists, right?
Step One:
- Make a post, with a list of ten holiday wishes
- If you wish for real things include your contact details
- post the rules in your journal
Step Two:
- surf the flist/random journals to find other wishlists
- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true.
- don't spend any money unless you really want too, it's not to put people out but to spread joy
The fantasy wishes
1. I want to pass my exams. I really, really do. I want to wake up and it's January 25th and I've passed, and never have to sit another accounting exam again.
2. I want a Fulbright scholarship. Not a big thing, right? *g* Not just for the money, even, although it'd be mighty handy, but because retraining is a big thing and I've already done it all on my own a few times, and it'd be really good to have support this time around. It'd be really... reassuring. I feel like I'm running headfirst into a very big, very scary thing, and it'd be really good to know that people have my back. 'cause at the moment, it's feeling mighty lonesome on my own out here.
3. Acceptance to Columbia's JD programme. Ambitious, moi? *g* Definitely a fantasy at this point, and I won't even be able to apply until the latter part of 2008, but... hey, we're allowed to wish for anything!
4. I want to go on holiday. At the moment, I don't know if I'll have the money. Every penny is going into paying off debts, so I can... take on more debt by retraining. And I'm good with that. I am. I'd just... like a tiny little bit of extra cash to do something fun.
The fandom wishes
1. Some Quark&Odo fic. I am a simple gal.
2. The mini ficathons we used to run for small fandoms, and everyone made time, and it was great. Now, we don't have time - I don't, for one - and it's upsetting. I want those mini ficathons! They made me happy.
3. As I'm on a DSN kick at the moment (it's fuelling my studies), so Cardassian fic would also be goodly & fun. Even - gulp - G/B.
4. I want the new Star Trek movie!
Others
There's a girl who has been sentenced to 200 lashes because she was gang-raped. I don't want her to get those lashes. I want her to be let go, and given help & support. I want her lawyer to be let go. I want to stop reading about things like that in the paper. I want better things in the news, and better people in the world.
I want there to be more people like the highschool seniors who decided to wear pink to stop a younger kid from being picked on. I want there to be more people like the little girl who helped her dad rescue drowning people in a little boat. I want people like the documentary filmmaker who decided to stop her local communities from using plastic bags, and made a ban happen in three months - a bill be floated for the London area, too. I want more people like the anonymous donor who donated millions of dollars to an impoverished Pennsylvania town.
I want better people in the world.
As I said. Fantasies.
I have to go and make more tea, and go back to studying. I'll be back mid-December, if it all goes well.