As you may or may not know, I have recently finished my first year of University! I am studying Geology, and start my second year in about 3 weeks (which is quite scary!)
As part of my course, I take modules in different areas. For my first year I covered quite a broad spectrum of areas, and in the Summer, I had exams =| I'm not normally one to fret about exams, they normally just pass me by, but after the year I've had, and being so close to quitting University at Christmas, combined with my anxiety & stress related depressive disorder getting more and more intense... I wasn't looking forward to these exams, at all.
Anyhoo, I sat most of them, I had to sit in a separate room under medical supervision (in case I had a panic attack or a freak out and tried to kill myself..) and I got my results of these exams in August. One of my exams, I missed, as I did have a panic attack, and ended up on double dose medication & anti-anxiety tablets.
This exam was for my most favourite, and best, module - Introduction to Palaeontology. I LOVE Palaeo, it's the area I want to work in when I graduate in a few years. I missed the exam, and it was rescheduled for late August. So, I prepared and prepared and revised and cried and revised some more and panicked and chilled out and generally read my books A LOT. I also kept my old A-Level notes, so I used all of them too! Had 2 days off work - 1 to chill before my exam, and 1 for the actual exam - did it, my brain was well & truly frazzled by the end and my arm/hand were cramping and all I wanted was ice cold water.. but I did it. I just had that feeling that I'd conquered it, and all would be fine.
So yesterday I had an email, saying the results were online!! Not having a computer at home, I had to call my sister and she looked on her laptop for me - oh my god!! I got 68% on Palaeo! I only needed about 50% to make it worthwhile, so to get a very high 2.1 for that module is just amazing =D I'm well pleased with myself, really chuffed. All the cramming and crying and revision paid off, and all I need to find out now is how it's affected my overall mark for my first year. I was sitting on a Third, but now that I have this result, I'm probably up to a 2.1! =D
It reminds me of a song title, unfortunately by Fall Out Boy, and it's called 'Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year'. I most definitely think I've done the latter.
I'm so happy! I was nearly crying down the phone to my sister.. I thought she'd said 58! And then I phoned my mom at work.. again, nearly crying. Called dad.. the same. And then I called my Tutor, the lovely lovely superstar that is Dr Jason Hilton, the man who managed to talk some sense into me and make me realise that I want this degree, the man who sat with me while I cried my eyes out in Wales (several times..), the man who trusts me with his most prized fossils and a pneumatic pen.. I'm so grateful to him for just believing that I could do it, and for lending me the Levellers CD's...
So these are my first year results:
- Palaeo ... 68
- Structural ... 62 (which is still a shock!)
- Field Skills ... 44 (which isn't surprising..)
- Mapwork ... 43
- Earth Systems ... 53
- Topics (Report Writing) ... 48
- Strat ... 54
- Earth Materials ... 40 (which is surprising, I thought I'd done really well in that exam!)
- Chemistry ... 57
The pass mark for a module is 40, so I only just passed Earth Materials, but in hindsight I didn't make great notes for it, didn't really understand it, didn't really revise for it, and generally didn't try. But, I have got my 120 credits, so I can pass Go, and I can get onto Second Year! (no £200, but I do get loan, grant & bursary..)
I got 4 Thirds, 3 2.2's and 2 2.1's! Which isn't bad for a first year, when all you need is 40% and 120 credits...
And I also did an evening course in Level 1 Arabic, basic communication skills, and I got 69 in that! Which is 1% off a First! =D
Next Saturday, I'm off on my first field trip of Second Year - we're going to Scotland! The 'real' Scotland, the rugged hills and no civilisation and Northern Lights and rain, sleet, snow & then sun! And midges. OH! And ticks. Can't wait. Bring it on! We're based just outside Ullapool, at a place called Ardmair Point. It looks absolutely stunning! This is it - http://ardmair.com/ - I hope you're all jealous ;)
Love x
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