*ker-flops* X_x
I was hoping to be able to write more positive journal entries by now, since i'm not used to being so negative about things, but Uni isn't allowing my mood to elevate since my last few journals. X3
Uni is pretty thoroughly kicking my ass at the moment, along with most other people on my course. The workload last semester was insane, but it's looking to get a lot worse yet.
I wouldn't have minded the workload so much last semester, but we never actually got any feedback from it. We handed in -at least- 30 assignments last semester, but we only got 3 of them back before christmas, and all of those were peer assessed (Part of our course involves marking each others work and self-assessment, so the tutors don't need to go through it all).
Because we got nothing back, we had no idea how we were doing, whether our work was up to scratch or not, or where we could improve.
Though now, over a month since we did most of this work, we're finally getting a lot of it back, buuuut pretty much everyone is now realizing we've been getting our ass handed to us on a plate without knowing it.
I don't know anyone who's doing as well as they thought, and everyone has been disappointed with a lot of their marks lately, though since we've only just got it back, it's too late to do anything about it, and it's half of the years work screwed up.
Last year, it was hard work, but i was averaging at a high 2:1 over all, and expected to get a first in my second year, which I was very happy with, though now that I've got loads of late work back, I've found out my average grade for my second year has probably slipped down a grade, maybe two, to a 2:2, or a 3rd, and I'm not happy about it. It's the same story for most of my friends, unfortunately.
If we'd known sooner that our grades were slipping, we'd have had time to do something about it and we'd probably be doing fine by now, but instead we're all disappointed and worrying about what it'll mean for us for the rest of the year.
I got through all my exams in January, though thanks to my mood around that time, I was having a pretty hard time studying (if ya read my previous journals from then, you'll probably know what I mean). Unfortunately that's also shown pretty clearly.
I failed my Immunology exam, by ONE MARK.
I scraped through my Analytical Science exam with a third (lowest passing grade).
I got a 2:2 in Pharmacology, which isn't too painful, but I know i could have done better.
I'm -really- going to have to work my ass off for the rest of the year if I want to get my grades up to a level I'm satisfied with, as if I wasn't already.
A couple of my friends have ended up in tears lately because of the recent workload/stress, and one of my better friends at Uni recently just quit the course altogether, and has suddenly cut all contacts with me and all of his other friends there, which as left us all pretty worried about him.
I've seen him once since Christmas, when me and a few others went bowling. He seemed fine and happy enough then, but none of us have heard from him since. He didn't turn up to any of his exams, or any of the following lectures, and it wasn't until last week that we found out he'd quit. He's not replying to any of our texts, emails, phone calls, or anything, and none of us know why. :/ It's been a lot quieter without him hanging around with us.
My social life is almost non-existent lately as well, since when I'm not in lectures, I'm hiding away in my bedroom working on assignments. I've had to turn down three invitations this week because I already know I haven't got time for them, thanks to three assignments which are due on monday.
I reeeeally need a break, without any work to do, even if it's just a week or so. Though unfortunately it's about 5 weeks before out next break, and I'm due to have my surgery in that time, so it's not really going to be relaxing. I also know there's already assignments lined up for us to do during that time, as well as exams soon after.
Don't get me wrong though, as much as I complain about this course, I do still like it, it just really knows how to kick us when we're down.
Uni is pretty thoroughly kicking my ass at the moment, along with most other people on my course. The workload last semester was insane, but it's looking to get a lot worse yet.
I wouldn't have minded the workload so much last semester, but we never actually got any feedback from it. We handed in -at least- 30 assignments last semester, but we only got 3 of them back before christmas, and all of those were peer assessed (Part of our course involves marking each others work and self-assessment, so the tutors don't need to go through it all).
Because we got nothing back, we had no idea how we were doing, whether our work was up to scratch or not, or where we could improve.
Though now, over a month since we did most of this work, we're finally getting a lot of it back, buuuut pretty much everyone is now realizing we've been getting our ass handed to us on a plate without knowing it.
I don't know anyone who's doing as well as they thought, and everyone has been disappointed with a lot of their marks lately, though since we've only just got it back, it's too late to do anything about it, and it's half of the years work screwed up.
Last year, it was hard work, but i was averaging at a high 2:1 over all, and expected to get a first in my second year, which I was very happy with, though now that I've got loads of late work back, I've found out my average grade for my second year has probably slipped down a grade, maybe two, to a 2:2, or a 3rd, and I'm not happy about it. It's the same story for most of my friends, unfortunately.
If we'd known sooner that our grades were slipping, we'd have had time to do something about it and we'd probably be doing fine by now, but instead we're all disappointed and worrying about what it'll mean for us for the rest of the year.
I got through all my exams in January, though thanks to my mood around that time, I was having a pretty hard time studying (if ya read my previous journals from then, you'll probably know what I mean). Unfortunately that's also shown pretty clearly.
I failed my Immunology exam, by ONE MARK.
I scraped through my Analytical Science exam with a third (lowest passing grade).
I got a 2:2 in Pharmacology, which isn't too painful, but I know i could have done better.
I'm -really- going to have to work my ass off for the rest of the year if I want to get my grades up to a level I'm satisfied with, as if I wasn't already.
A couple of my friends have ended up in tears lately because of the recent workload/stress, and one of my better friends at Uni recently just quit the course altogether, and has suddenly cut all contacts with me and all of his other friends there, which as left us all pretty worried about him.
I've seen him once since Christmas, when me and a few others went bowling. He seemed fine and happy enough then, but none of us have heard from him since. He didn't turn up to any of his exams, or any of the following lectures, and it wasn't until last week that we found out he'd quit. He's not replying to any of our texts, emails, phone calls, or anything, and none of us know why. :/ It's been a lot quieter without him hanging around with us.
My social life is almost non-existent lately as well, since when I'm not in lectures, I'm hiding away in my bedroom working on assignments. I've had to turn down three invitations this week because I already know I haven't got time for them, thanks to three assignments which are due on monday.
I reeeeally need a break, without any work to do, even if it's just a week or so. Though unfortunately it's about 5 weeks before out next break, and I'm due to have my surgery in that time, so it's not really going to be relaxing. I also know there's already assignments lined up for us to do during that time, as well as exams soon after.
Don't get me wrong though, as much as I complain about this course, I do still like it, it just really knows how to kick us when we're down.