Nearly there...

So whilst all of my friends are currently free and have started their summer, I'm sitting at home about to mark my S2 paper. Whyyyyyy.

I hate stats, so it's just really irritating when the one exam that I have three days straight to revise for is the one that I hate the most.

Anyway! I'm nearly there! Last week was absolutely horrible - I had 4 exams in 5 days and it was just so stressful. I had a breakdown on Thursday before Biology Unit 5 on Friday because I was just so stressed because I felt like I didn't know anything, and I was terrified that they would give us a horrible exam. The exam itself actually went okay, and I'm really pleased because I came out of the exam hall feeling happy!

So, last week I had C3 on Monday. When I was actually in the exam I literally sat there thinking "I've failed." but when I came out I actually realised I probably hadn't failed, because loads of people had got similar answers to me! I know I made some silly mistakes, which is really frustrating, but there's nothing that I can do now!

Then On Tuesday I had Chemistry unit 5, omggggg that exam is just so hard! The exam itself wasn't terrible, I mean it could have been a lot worse. But looking back, there are things that I knew and I just didn't write them down and it's so frustrating:( I'm definitely the most worried about my grade in chemistry out of all of my subjects because I really just don't know. I'm the worst for over-thinking exams and assuming I've failed though. I'm literally just praying for an A.

Then C4 on Wednesday was okay. The first five questions were great, and then I turned over to question 6 and was like oh. The last 3 questions took me longer to do than the first 3 questions, and I still didn't manage to finish. I know that I also dropped some marks in that exam for irritating mistakes as well. That seems to be a big thing for me this year: silly mistakes.

And then, as I said, unit 5 biology definitely went better than expected! I liked the questions on the article, except for one which was a genetic diagram question that I just couldn't get my head around. I'm sooo pleased that I revised my AS stuff, because it was so so useful.

My advice for your A2 exams is don't panic. I think I've dropped quite a few marks this year from panicking when I saw a question that I didn't know the answer to immediately, and then just all I could think was "I'm not going to uni.". Just concentrate, forget what the exam's for, and focus on doing your best rather than panicking because you're not sure about one question.

This time tomorrow I will be freeeeee! But I better get back to stats, so that I can finish on a high rather than having an awful last exam!

Bye!xxx

First exam done!

So yesterday I did my first exam - Chemistry Unit 4!

I really don't know how I did - I found the first two questions quite difficult so then I was so scared for the last two questions, because I thought it must get harder, but then I thought that the last two questions were okay? Everybody on the student room said that they thought it was really hard, which is a good sign because at least I'm not the only one who struggled on those first two questions! I came out feeling alright-ish, and then obviously have made myself start panicking that I've done really badly. But there's nothing that I can do now anyway so I'm just going to have to move on and do really well in my unit 5 chemistry (probably easier said than done!).

I have Biology on Friday and then my horrible week next week, and after that only one more exam! Two weeks today until I finish!

I literally can't wait because there are so many exciting things happening after exams! I have my prom, and I'm going on holiday with my friends and then my family, and then I'm looking after my cousins for two weeks! And then we have results day which could either be great or not so great... Hopefully great! And then fingers crossed if I manage to get those 3As, I'll be heading up North in September to start being a medical student! It's so exciting!

Anyway, back to chemistry unit 5 revision... so much fun!!!!!

Bye!xxx

Boredom and Revision

So it's nearly time for my exams to start! A week tomorrow and I will have sat my first exam ahhhhh

I finished school just over a week ago now, and it was so sad:( I can't believe that I've finished! At my school we dress up in fancy dress on our last day of sixth form, and so me and my friend came dressed as lab rats. We wore lab coats, and tied up our hair in buns and sprayed our hair white with dry shampoo. We also put black eyeshadow all over our faces to make it look as though we'd been in an explosion. After school we all went to the pub and some of the teachers came, and it was just really nice for all of our year to go out together on our last day! It's probably the last time I'll ever see some people, as some people can't come to prom, and I might not see people on Results Day.

So the whole of half term has just been revision mainly. I've started worrying about Unit 5 Chemistry because it's just so difficult and it counts for 50% of my A2 grade! I need to know all of the synpotic information too, which is so annoying to have to revise, because I just want to focus on the new, harder things. I'm just doing past papers and then revising things that I mess up on - I'm also trying to learn all of the reaction conditions which is sooo difficult because there are literally so many reactions to know, and when it comes to having to apply them to a synthesis or something, I just get so stuck.

I've been out a bit as well! I went to see Matilda on Wednesday, because I got tickets for my friend for her birthday so that was really fun! And then today I'm going to see Maleficent with my mum because I just need to leave the house because I'm going mad from just sitting at my desk all day. I've also rediscovered the piano, so that's become a useful method of procrastination!

I literally just want my exams to start so that they can be over sooner. I'm so fed up of just revising and waiting for them to arrive! I want it to be the Summer so that I can just go out, and go on holiday and catch a tan.

I'm really not looking forward to my second week of exams though. It goes: Monday - C3, Tuesday - Chem unit 5, Wednesday - C4, Thursday - break, Friday -Biology unit 5. Help! I also have an exam on Friday 13th (Biology unit 4) so I'm going to be shaking before that exam starts hahaa

I hope that revision is going well for everybody!

Bye!xxx

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...