*insert something clever here*
ZOMG, I am alive!
Busy busy week at the moment. Been really chaotic. But. Here we go.
1. EXAMS ARE OVER.
Me. During exams.
HOLY SHIT, this is good news! I am so pleased to see the back of them. I just... I used to like them but that was when we had a structure, and a guideline, and oh, everything. This whole 'throw you thirteen weeks of study and then fifteen exam questions - do something with them" thing is driving me insane. I much prefer the coursework because at least then I have time to fix it if it's broken.
I had two exams - Post 1945 Literature on Monday last week, and Shakespeare and Early Modern Dramatists yesterday. The first one went okay even though I don't think I did very well in it but the second one was a disaster from start to finish.
- No sleep before the exam.
- Panicking like fuck.
- Was told the exam was starting at 8:15 am so had to be down at the library where I use the computers at eight.
- Fire alarm TWO MINUTES before I was leaving and drama because we didn't know what caused it.
- Got to library, found out the doors were locked and it doesn't open until 08:30.
- Panic levels hit the fucking roof because this is eating into my extra time, or so I thought.
- Phone dyslexia support advisor and apologise profusely because EARLY asking for advice.
- Call mother - PANIC.
- Call security at main arts - prepare to walk ALL THE WAY BACK up BITCH HILL which is the Devil's Punishment for people who wear stilettos
- Find out exam does start at 8:15 but only for people who handwrite their exams. Us computer people get to wait until 9:00 to start.
- Get in to the library.
- Collapse for ten minutes on twitter.
- Go into exam room.
- DO EXAM LIKE A BOSS. Kinda. I answered all three questions at least.
- And to conclude, fight with the examiner over anonymous marking.
Because favouritism and negative marking happens.
Obviously, because I don't handwrite my script, I hand in a booklet which is usually full of my doodles, and plans, and a word processed script where I've answered the questions. Only thing is, on the top of all the word processed copies we are told to put our numbers and our names.
Which means we don't get anonymous marking.
Which basically says, "You're disabled, and have special stuff, so you don't get to be anonymous anymore."
And I don't think that's fair. I spoke to two separate examiners, and the one for my post 1945 Exam said that I shouldn't put my name, and the one yesterday said I should because it was required by the little PDF document that we got to read before we started.
Ummm... No. I may be the only student on my module word processing it but that's one incident. There are other modules where there is more than one student who uses extra time and a word processor.
The invigilator couldn't tell me if the scripts were retroactively anonymised by a technician, or if it just goes as is, and I'm just really frustrated now.
It's not just this. The whole clarification over which rooms and time was frustrating as well - you can only find out ON the day or at most, a few days before hand, but the other students who handwrite and aren't given extra time - the 'normal'* students - get to know weeks in advance. It's disorganised - the library staff have a list of modules codes and rooms but they lost it and nobody knew which room which students were in.
Times were weird - computer people started at a different time from handwriting people, but everybody who had extra time, regardless of how they write, was told the same start time of 8:15. So finding out it was wrong for me was really stressful - I could have spent more time preparing mentally and walking down slowly. I was given a copy of Shakespeare's Complete Works and it had minuscule font - as someone who has a condition, it's fucking hard to read and they should have considered that.
So that was a ball of urgh.
Also, found out something interesting. 44 students from the School of Business were caught cheating over the last two weeks using something like rice paper. To be honest, I've entertained it in desperation as a "Oh, fuck, I could do it if I just brought my notes in!" but there's no point. I'd rather take the fail. Cheating is never a good plan - you'll always get found out in the end, and it's a record that you won't be able to shift. At this university, you can be forced to repeat a year, lose all your credits, be denied your degree, or be permanently excluded from the university for any academic learning.
So yeah. No.
After this, I have one more essay in Victorian Literature which has to be in by the 14th of June.
But that was exams :D I'm celebrating:
2. FINLAAAAAAND!
I got in!
I got my first confirmation letter!
It's all haaaaappening now.
Whether or not I go is conditional on passing all my exams.
Basically, you need two bits of confirmation to be allowed to go - the university you want to go into, and your own current one. I have Finland's confirmation - which is wicked - but in order to get Bangor's confirmation, you need to pass your year and have no resits to do.
So much stuff is going on though even though it's not quite assured yet.
I have a meeting today which is to discuss what my needs are being a disabled student - Bangor University is really really really up on providing for dyslexic and disabled students (on the whole, above aside), and there's obviously going to be differences between what Bangor University can provide and what Abo Akademi will provide, and what will still be needed here as well.
I applied for accommodation as well, and am now on the waiting list to hear back for it.
I also have a form filled out to get a EILC (European Intense Language Course) which is probably late but I dun curr. It starts on the 1st of August so it could be really scary and soon if I get it.
I need to hand it into the International Exchange Office. There's also some faff about my modules form which is driving me insane. Basically, Abo wanted me to use their special form for modules, and I submitted that one. But Bangor is getting all complainy because they want their own paper used. So I have to send that off again and get Abo to sign it. XD Shouldn't take long though. I don't think.
I've applied for Student Finance which means I should get my money in the first or second week of October, even though term for Abo starts on the 1st of September because it runs on the University schedule here, not abroad. I will get some extra money because living abroad is expensive - more so than here. And I've also applied for an ERASMUS fund which gives extra money in two bursts for students on study aboard schemes.
After that, there's not so much to do. I have to wait until I find out what's happening with my grades, and if I pass, I have to accept the accommodation offered to me, book flights, fill out a destination flight form, and apply for insurance. And you know. Pack. And panic. Lot of panic in there.
If I get in, I shall be like this.
All over everything that I love. And twitter. And here.
If the latter happens, I love you but I shall be a hermit for a few days, and so shush. Deadline to find out is July 5th, when the grades are released officially but the people down at the ISO have unofficial access to unratified marks and start preparing earlier.
3. MOVING HOUSE.
Holy shit, I'm moving house. Hard to believe that I'm doing this.
But yeah. I'm packing up to leave here. Mother's coming down on Friday, staying over night, and we're packing the car and driving home on Saturday. It's a long drive home - seven hours or so, but that's if we don't hit lots of traffic.
So I've got three days to pack up, throw shit out, clean, and make sure everything's okay.
Urgh. It's complicated.
Today's the day I need to go and speak to people. Tomorrow is unfucking, cleaning, and scanning in my piles and piles and piles of documents. It's going to take hours.
And Friday is packing everything into bags, and moving everything downstairs onto the platform downstairs.
Saturday is loading the car, and leaving.
I can do this. I can do this.
I found an awesome tumblr called UnfuckYourHabitat, and it's like FlyLady but it's less cutesy and god like. The manifesto on it is basically:
You just have to overcome the compulsion to sit on the couch, on the computer, watching TV, and get up and do SOMETHING. Anything. So, Unfuck Your Habitat is about lighting a fire under all of our asses. Because when we accomplish something, especially something that seemed impossible, it feels awesome.
They run challenges, help people with depression or anxiety learn to tackle dififcult situations around cleaning their home - I know that feeling; when it's so big you just don't know where to start, - and loads of other stuff like breaking down huge projects into 20/10s, or 45/15s. Which are 20/45 minutes of work, and 10/15 minutes breaks at a time. You just pick a kind, pick a challenge, and do it. Or make your own. Or do it for coursework.
They also have really good tips on cleaning, and it's really supportive. It's not twee, and there is plenty of the F-Word for those who are interested XD. The person who runs it is not shy about calling out laziness but they're also good at helping. It's about being accountable.
It's helped me.
Check it out :D
*sigh*
But yeah. I'm kind of tired. I have lots more to tell people about fic and stuff but I need to get up and get on, so that'll have to wait.
See y'all tonight!
