Mocks and Miley Cyrus

So this is more of a general week post, as the application process is now over, my posts will be more about what's going on, revision and just general things of interest!

So, this week, the first thing that happened is that I went to see Miley Cyrus on Tuesday at the O2! It was literally amazing and I'm sooo glad that I went. I wasn't that excited because I preferred Miley when she was more country and before she cut her hair, but after I went to see her in concert it definitely changed my mind! We were in the standing bit, and we managed to get sooo close to the front - about three rows back! And we had such a good view:

Miley at the start!

I can't believe how close we were!

Miley on a hot dog hahahahaa

Me and my sister wore our hair in buns like Miley, and this was definitely a good idea, as not only did we look like her but it kept us so cool in the standing area!

Our Miley buns

I've never been so sad the day after a concert before - if I could do it all over again I definitely would! The support act, Sky Ferreira, was really good too! I used to listen to her but stopped for a while, but now I want to buy her album because I really like her music after rediscovering her!

So apart from Miley Cyrus, I obviously had school. And I had two mocks this week. Two!

On Thursday I had a C4 mock, which was okay, except for the fact that there was a differentiation question that I spent so long on, trying to figure out what to do, and I only realised in the last two minutes that I could literally do it in one step! Unfortunately I didn't manage to finish that question in time, which was really annoying. Overall, though, it wasn't toooo bad but I think that there's definitely some room for improvement.

Then, on Friday afternoon I had a Biology Unit 5 mock, which I was only told about on Tuesday, which was reaaaally annoying. After seeing Miley Cyrus on Tuesday, I only had two days to revise properly for it, so I wasn't expecting great things. I was able to answer all of the questions but I don't think that they were of the best quality - I have a feeling that my vocabulary could have been a bit better and that I really need to get my head around all of the topics.

Also, as of yesterday, it's one month until my exams start! This has really made me get motivated as I can no longer say "oh, it's over a month until my exams." I've been revising all day today, except for going to see my grandma for her birthday, woo!

I've also sorted out a summer job for August, in order to raise a bit of money for uni and going on holiday. So, during the first two weeks of August I'm going to look after my cousins which should be really fun! I'm excited, and we've already started planning some things that we want to do. Of course, I'll be taking results day off so that I can either drown my sorrows or celebrate! (Hopefully celebrate!)

Anyway, I should probably get back to revision - I've been procrastinating for too long reading blogs etc.

Bye!xxx

The Whole Application

So, I thought that since now my whole UCAS experience is over, I would tell you my whole story, just to give you some information about where I applied and how I went about it.

So, my 'stats' are:

GCSEs: 8A*s, 5As (I actually got a B in English Language which I retook in year 12 to get an A - it wasn't worth it, I wouldn't recommend it!) with A*s in all the sciences and Maths.

AS Levels: AAAA in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and French

UKCAT: 817.5

Work experience: 1 week working with disabled children on a trip to Lourdes, 1 week working at a school for disabled children, volunteering every other weekend during the summer in the kitchen at a hospice, 1 day at a hospital (after I submitted my UCAS!)

Universities I applied to:
Newcastle - Offer
Nottingham - Offer
Leeds - Rejection pre-interview
Cardiff - Rejection pre-interview

I genuinely never even thought that I would get one offer for medicine, so two was absolutely amazing and I'm still so happy about it! Especially since Newcastle and Nottingham were always my top choices.

So, my experience.

My whole decision to apply for Medicine was made last January, and I've talked about how I came to that decision here. As I didn't have much time, there was a frantic rush for work experience, and although as you can see I didn't manage to get any in a hospital - really, it's what you make of it!

After I'd received my AS results I began to work for my UKCAT which I took in mid-September (some people don't advise taking it once you're back at school, but I actually thought that it was good because I was in the frame of mind to work!). My university choices were completely dependent on my UKCAT, so I'll show you my lists to give you some ideas of where you could apply depending on you score/grades.

Bad UKCAT:
Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff

Medium UKCAT:
Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff

Good UKCAT:
Nottingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Cardiff

My advice for choosing where to apply to is have one or two in your list that are 'tactical' i.e. you're pretty sure you'll get an interview there. For me, this was Newcastle, but I honestly loved it there anyway!

Anyway! So, I sent off my UCAS and then did my work experience at the hospital in October half term and got my interview at Newcastle in mid-November. I was absolutely ecstatic! So I began to work for my interview and my tips for interviews can be found here.

The interview went quite well, and I came out of it smiling which is always a good sign! I got to speak to other applicants which was really nice too, as they understand what you're going through.

Then, in December - the day before my birthday - I received an interview for Nottingham! I was literally sooo happy because at this point Nottingham was my first choice. So throughout my Christmas holidays I worked for my interview there and when it came around I was naturally sooo nervous! But it went well too, and I was happy when I left.

Then in January, I found out that I hadn't got into Leeds. I had to admit that I was really upset at first because I had like it there, and it was my first real taste of rejection! However, I soon picked up myself up and reminded myself that I was lucky to have two interviews.

Obviously, the next few months were absolutely horrible. I was so worried about not getting into Medicine and having to take a gap year, I wanted it so much that I couldn't even sleep some nights because I was just worrying all the time. If I could offer any advice I'd really say, you're going to find out when you find out, just focus on your school work because you still need your grades whether you get in or not. I know it's really difficult, and easier said than done, but you will know eventually!

So, I carried on working and kind of started losing hope for Cardiff. I had a feeling that my GCSEs were below the cut off because of that B in English Language, and lo and behold I got a rejection at the end of February! To be honest, I was expecting it, so although I felt disappointed it didn't affect me dramatically as I felt as though I was in a good position.

So now I knew that my next two track updates would be from universities where I'd actually got an interview! It was back to the constant email checking, and as soon as March hit the checking increased and increased. And then Newcastle started giving out offers. Panic mode.

Literally, every 10 seconds I was checking for emails, looking for that track update and every time I was disappointed until... two days after they gave out their first batch of offers I was out shopping with my sister and I got the track update. My hands were shaking madly and it felt as if it took an hour for the page to load, but then the page popped up. And I saw that I'd got an offer! I literally couldn't believe it and all I could say was "oh my god, oh my god" *cue tweet about offer*. I was on cloud nine and so so happy.

And then about a week later, Nottingham started giving out their offers. Although I was starting to worry slightly, I was just pleased to have one offer so I wasn't panicking as much as I would have been otherwise. They gave out one batch and that was it - slightly strange, but I resigned myself to thinking that I wouldn't get an offer/rejection until after the last interview which was about a week and a half away.

So, about 5 days after that first batch, I saw that I had an email from track. Ahhhhhh! I was at the bus stop with my friend, and so I opened it and logged in (which as usual took forever) and there it was! "The University of Nottingham has offered you a place to study Medicine". Two offers?!?! Whaaaaaat!

So then came the decision making. I have to admit, it's so so difficult to pick, because every medical school is so good, and they all teach you the same thing! So how do you distinguish? And you may think that you have your top choice sorted out, but if you get an offer from another place it just suddenly confuses everything.

I've decided to pick Newcastle though, because the way the course is structured, I think, is really good. You have a year of clinical placements in third year, where you're actually based at a hospital. And then in fourth year you come back to Newcastle to do SSCs and your elective, and kind of reinforce everything you've learnt on placement. And then in fifth year you're back on your clinical placements for an entire year. You also do a family study in first year, which is where you are assigned a pregnant woman and ask her questions to see how having a baby/pregnancy has affected her life. And then in second year you do a study on a chronically ill patient. And the town and university itself is just so lovely, and my interviewers there were so kind, I just think the whole atmosphere of the university and medical school is great.

As much as I absolutely love Nottingham, I just feel like Newcastle is the place for me! I've heard so many great things about it from everybody that I've met, I just can't say no.

I hope my story has helped you even a little bit! If I can give you any advice, it's work hard and stay positive, and it'll all be worth it in the end.

Bye!xxx

Firming

Soooo I think I've decided where I'm going to firm!

I received offers from Newcastle and Nottingham medical schools, but I think I'm going to firm Newcastle.

I went to the Newcastle post-offer day on Wednesday and absolutely loved it - we got to go into the dissection room and hold dissected hearts and lungs, and learn about the thorax. Then, after that, we went into the clinical skills room and attempted to make a heart out of plasticine (very difficult), and then got to see their SimMan and listen to his heart, which they had made sound like it had a defect. After the SimMan, we got to see an F2 demonstrate ultrasound on a student's neck, and we identified a vein and an artery. It was so interesting, and it's made me so excited to start now (as long as I get my grades)! I met some lovely people, and there was a girl there who I'd met at my other interview so that was really good!

I got to speak with loads of students as well, and I could just tell that they all loved the course and the university. I also noticed how well they all knew their stuff - I was so impressed with how they just knew all of their anatomy and observations, and what they could tell us. I'm so excited to know all of that too! And everyone seemed so clever, I could feel my competitive edge coming out as some people knew the answers and I didn't. It's so bad, I need to learn not to be so competitive, especially at medical school. Everyone's going to be so clever so it'll be difficult!

It's motivated me more to start revising, as it all just feels so real now!

Bye!xxx

Offer!!!!!!

So I got another offer today! I can't believe I got two offers, I never even thought I would get one! Wow.

So now comes the decision making...

Interview Tips

I know that when I was in the process of applying to Medicine I was always so grateful for any advice that I could find that helped me with how to prepare and behave in interviews. So I'd thought I'd make a list of tips for anybody who's looking for some help for medical school interviews! The only types of interview I had were traditional interviews, so I don't know how helpful these tips will be for MMI interviews but hopefully some of them will be useful!

I also used an interview book by ISC which was sooo helpful - definitely try and get it if you can. You don't need to listen to everything they say, but it does teach you how to structure an answer and is helpful for learning new words.

1. Back everything up. Wherever you can fit it in reflect on your work experience/an experience you had/something you've read. Show them that you can think about what you've seen or read and relate it to yourself. It also shows them that you've paid attention in your work experience, got something out of it, and also that you've actually done some work experience - sometimes they don't have your personal statement! Also, if you answer a question they're probably going to ask some subsequent questions according to your answer - be able to back yourself up! Don't make things up, or mention things that you don't know about.

2. Why do you want to do medicine/be a doctor? Have your reasons and rehearse your answer. This is usually the first question they ask you and first impressions are important! Make sure that you know what you're talking about, and be able to back up what you're saying. If you say "I love that you're always learning new things", have an example from your work experience which shows how you know this!

3. Research. Know about the NHS. You don't have to know every single reform, but know generally about what's going on at the moment in the NHS and how it could affect you as a doctor in the future, or how it may affect people. Also try to throw in some key words in these answers like "postcode lottery" or "clinical commissioning groups", it shows that you know what you're talking about. A really useful website is The Kings Fund which explains the NHS reforms in a video. Also, know about your medical school! They will probably ask you questions about the course or the medical school itself so make sure you know this.

4. Take your time. If your mind goes blank or you don't understand a question ask your interviewers! It shows that you're not afraid to ask if you don't understand something, which is really important. In my interview my mind went completely blank on the question "What do patients look for in a doctor?" which isn't very difficult. However, I told them and we moved onto a new question. In the new question I mentioned empathy, and then said "And that relates back to the previous question!" You can always redeem yourself if something goes slightly wrong.

5. Smile, relax and be yourself. I was sooo nervous for my interviews but I tried to come across as happy and confident. I know that it's easier said than done, but when you come in smile and be enthusiastic! If they make a joke then laugh along - they want to find out what you're like as well as what you know. Be friendly and polite, and think of it as a conversation. If you're passionate about something - show them! If you make a point then defend it, and try to lean towards the interviewers and speak animatedly with your hands and face. Try to ask a question at the end as well - it shows that your interested!

Finally, let them know how much you want to go to their university, and try to come across really excited about it!

I really hope these tips help:)

Bye!xxx

Offer!!!!!!!

I got an offer!!!!!!

I literally am so happy right now! After these last two days of being so miserable about university and everything, I can finally relaxxxxxx!

I was out shopping with my sister, and I'd already been checking my emails every five minutes to see if I'd got an update from track. And then I randomly checked them and there it was! We were in the middle of a shop but I couldn't wait until I got home so I just typed in my UCAS login details and waited for what seemed like forever to see what it said, and there it was! I literally can't believe it ahhhhh! My hands were shaking so much wow

My friend got an offer from the same university, so that's exciting!

I still have one university left to hear from and then it's done! I'm not panicking as much now, because to be honest, all I wanted was one offer and I'm just so relieved!

Eeeeeeek still so happy!

Bye!xxx

Bad Day

I have just got so frustrated this evening.

First of all, I have my mocks this week. Today was biology and stats, and they were both just bad:( biology included a 10 mark question on something nobody had revised as our teacher said it wouldn't come up. And then stats was just a joke, I swear they just put all of the most difficult questions into one paper, it was horrible. I sort of just gave up towards the end because I was hungry and I had no clue how to approach the questions:( the last one was 12 marks with no a b c d e etc., it was just one question for 12 marks! I got an answer but it probably wasn't right.

Secondly, one of my universities started giving out offers. At first I was like oh yeah, okay it's not that bad, there are several more batches. But then I just started overthinking (of course) and panicking about everything blah blah blah, grrrrr.

And last of all, I just did some revision for my bio and chem mocks tomorrow and I just felt as if nothing was going into my head at all! I feel as though I've been working all year but nothing is going into my head no matter what I do. It doesn't help that I'm extremely competitive and hate when people beat me, so I always anger myself by stressing that my teachers are going to think I haven't tried or that I don't care.

I just don't like this A2 year, I want it to be over and to just get my grades! Or I just want some motivation:( either one would be great! Plssssss

And all this uncertainty just makes it worse - I could be in this exact same position next year, just waiting for offers/rejections, not knowing if I'm going to uni.

I've just realised that all of the recent posts on my blog hae been so negative... Sorry for the rant! I just needed to release my stress somewhere hahaa. I promise I'll get back to being positive soon!

Bye!xxx