Elo Elo Elo....

Finally, things seem to be picking up for me! I’ve eventually managed to move out away from that bunch of nutters, and into a much nicer, calmer flat (which is pink YAY)! Sadly, I already had a trip to Newcastle planned so I haven’t actually met my new flatmates yet, i’ve met 5 of them, so 4 to go. But they seem pretty nice! BINGO! 

I’ve been in Newcastle exactly 9 days now, it’s been such a fantastic week, I really don’t want to go back to Manchester, though I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of things down there, as much as I will miss my Gran.......I don’t know why i’m sulking about it really, i’m back in the land of the geordies in less than 2 weeks anyway, wooo! 

This week was reading week, apparantly meant for essay writing, unfortunately I can’t really say much of that has been going on. Woooops! Christmas shopping, and wrapping, and watching Saw 7 (which was fab!) and going out drinking sounded like much more fun than writing a boring old essay. I did manage to get 500 words down though, taking me up to a 1000......only 600 left to go! 

I have this formative assignment ‘thingy mi jig’ due in tomorrow, and I have approximately 0 words. Good work Stacey! On the bright side, I am sat here prepared to do some work, though clearly wasting my time on this thing, muahahahaha!

I suppose I better get going, unless I want to fail it, so for now, cheerio folks! 

P.S I hope you’re all having a smashing time at uni! 

Halloweeeen!

So i’m well aware that my last post was a pretty morbid one......i’m hoping this one may be a little more cheerful! 

It’s friday afternoon, i’ve been naughty today, I skived my last lecture, I really couldn’t be bothered, and I justified it to myself by saying i’ll work on my essay - almost 2 hours later, i’m still sat here putting any work off. Truth is, i’m just shattered and I cba. Though I vow I will get some work done before the nights through!

It’s been an OK week this week. Nothing too exciting. I now have all 4 essay titles which need to be done and completed sometime before Christmas. How exciting! Ha. I have started two of them, but one of them i’ve completely lost all interest in writing......you know when something seems so simple, then you overthink things and make it complicated = a very confused self? Yeah? Well that’s me. What I thought was a simple essay, now feels like rocket science. I believe I have 3 weeks to get my backside in order. 

Started taking the gym more seriously this week. Think my hard work is paying off, i’m feeling better about myself. Having said that, no matter how much exercise I do, I still can’t get used to the 3 floor climb up to my flat in halls..........I still always feel like i’m dying by the time I get to the top. I’ve started swimming this week too......it’s pretty cool, nice and relaxing, not to mention there is some pretty good conversation going on at the pool. Fell over getting out of the pool first time though, didn’t bank on the floor being that slippy, wooops! Hope nobody saw me, hahahahahaha. Nevermind, life went on!!!

I’m planning on going to the cinema tomorrow. I’m thinking maybe Eclispe (again!)..........or Paranormal Activity 2, though i’m not too enthusiastic because the first was a little shite........or Life as we know it, which looks pretty cool. I’ll also add that i’m dyyyying for the next Saw to come out. Yeeeha!

Halloween next week, woopee! I LOVE Halloween. I don’t do anything remotely exciting, ha, but this yeah, i’m going back to Newcastle for Halloween, I plan on stuffing my face with pizza, crisps, and sweeeties (it is Halloween afterall!) whilst watching good old Hocus Pocus. I’m really looking forward to carving a few pumpkins too....it’s gonna be awesome!!! 

I apologise it's not the most cheerful post!

Soooo it’s been an awful long time I last posted a blog. Well, the truth is, I just haven’t felt like writing, i’ve had a hard time settling into uni unfortunately. Firstly, I didn’t click with my flatmates, they are all party animals, which I have no problem with, providing they don’t wake me up at 4 every morning, but they do. The majority act like children, which is appalling, we are supposed to be university students!

Secondly, i’ve been feeling quite homesick. I didn’t realise how much i’d miss my Gran, Dad, Mam and dog until I moved away. Thankfully, it seems to be getting easier though. 

I can honestly say Freshers week was like hell for me. It was boring, it was awful so I went home. I actually had more fun at home. I know going home isn’t the best thing to do but tbh, I just couldn’t hack the boredem. I was hoping to meet people like me but unfortunately not.

Thankfully, now work has actually started, i’m starting to settle in, now I actually have something to do. Woah, that makes me sound like a geek doesn’t it! I do get sad sometimes, knowing that I haven’t made any proper friends yet, but then I remind myself it doesn’t matter, i’m here for my degree, friends come and go. Having said that, it’s only 3 weeks in, maybe i’ll meet someone eventually, but for now, i’m content enough to get on with my work and visit family on the weekend.

Lectures! I never realised how boring they could be. I always imagined myself to be a thoroughly interested student, who paid attention and absorbed as much as I could. Yeah, right, truth is, lectures are possibly one of the most boring things on earth - sometimes I have to literally stop myself from drifting off to sleep. 

Wow, it sounds like all I have to do is moan right? Well, when your at uni, living with people  you don’t click with, and you haven’t made any friends yet, it’s kinda hard to be happy and cheerful all the time. So I apologise for my morbidness. Hopefully next time I blog, i’ll actually have something interesting to say.......or at least cheerful! Ha, believe me, i’d of loved to have written a piece on how amazing Freshers was, how wonderful the people are and how exciting actual uni is like, but i’d be lying. Ha!

Ciao for now folks! :) 

Thoughts.

So it’s Tuesday night now, only 3 whole days until moving in day arrives. I actually don’t know how I feel about it. All of this just doesn’t seem real to me. Maybe it’s because i’ve spent so much time planning it, it feels as though it was never going to roll around, and now it’s almost here and i’m actually going. I don’t really think it’s going to hit me until I wave my Grandma and friend off on the train back to Newcastle. That worries me a little, because once I start crying, it feels like i’ll never stop.

I’ve been getting things ready and in order lately, packing is finally getting sorted (after unpacking and repacking a couple of times), I have so much stuff to take. I think i’ll need 2 taxis to get to the train station. Thank god the uni isn’t too far away from Manchester Piccadilly. 

I’m not sure how I feel. The thing i’m looking forward to most is joining the gym. Boy have I missed it! That’s my plan of action for the Monday, join the gym. Can’t that come any quicker? I feel quite sad because i’m going to be leaving my dear Gran and Dad behind. My world basically. We’ve never spent longer than 4 days apart, so this moving out malarky sure is going to be a challenge.

I realised something lately, I just don’t have enough photographic evidence of my childhood, and that saddens me a little, I keep thinking of these amazing memories.......past christmas’s, past birthdays, random day trips out with my Gran, and stupid silly moments with my Dad, and yet I have nothing to show for it. Nothing to remind myself in ten years time to say this is what happened, that’s what happened, and that makes me sad. So i’ve decided to make a pact for myself, from now, to take as many photos as I can, of anything! A cake mix gone wrong, a pretty christmas tree, my friends and family pulling funny faces, and I vow to make sure everything I take, I print, and put it into an album, an album worth treasuring, so that when I look back on them, those photos can remind me of how I felt at that exact moment in time, I want to be able to remember. My Grandad died 6 months ago this Friday, and i’ve realised that I don’t have any decent quality photos of him (he was camera shy anyway!), and it makes me sad because those memories exist only in my mind, there is no evidence or anything absolute to set as a reminder. So from today onwards, I vow to document every important and precious moment in my life. 

What's the crack?

Sooo it’s been a while since I posted a proper blog post. To be honest, i’ve been far too busy. It is now just over two weeks until I move down Manchester. I’m feeling really excited about it, but concerned with how much luggage I have!!

So far, I have one giant holdall which I have previously posted about, a suitcase which has bits and bobs in such as ipod speakers, smellies, bowls, etc. And I have a smaller suitcase which is dedicated to just books. I have counted, I currently have 13 academic books to take with me. And they are beasts! I’m not even joking, a couple are average size books, but I have a few huge books, big and fat and heavy. Thank god that suitcase is on wheels! I also have my laptop bag, which i’m not too bothered about. It’s the cases that’s got me worried. Firstly, I have no idea if i’m going to get them all in one taxi, which means costing around £20 to get to the station alone. Secondly, i’m hoping there is enough luggage space on the train without causing problems to other passengers. And thirdly, I don’t even know if I will get all my stuff down there! 

Anyway, aside from that, i’m very happy uni is getting closer! I sound like such a geek, but I really can’t wait to start learning. Sod freshers week and the endless nights of alcohol, bring on actual uni!

So how is everyone else feeling about uni? Any luggage problems like me? Haha :(

Maybe something useful......

Hi guys, firstly, can I just say that I have not written this list myself. I have gotten it from the Palgrave Study Skills book, I personally believe whilst the book is useful, it is a bit scattered and things are here, there and everywhere. So I decided to try and simplify it and write up a word document for my own personal use. But then I thought I might as well post it on here for you guys too. So I hope you find it useful! :)

**For some reason, for each point of the procedure, the net has decided to put it as number 1 for all of them. Ha, that's silly. I did have them all numbered correctly in my word document so I have no idea why they have changed, so just ignore it. They are all in order despite all being labelled as number 1! (I can't change it without messing up the layout!)

A seven-point procedure for writing assignments

1. CLARIFY THE TASK

• Examine the title and course notes very carefully. What exactly is required?
• Write one line to sum up your basic opinion on argument. Adapt it as soon as you proceed.
• Brainstorm to record what you already know.
• What do you need to read or find out?

Analysing the title.

If you do not answer the question, you will get zero marks. Write about what the question asks, not what you want to write!

• Underline or highlight words which tell you which approach to take.
• Underline words which guide you on how to select the subject matter of the assignment.
• Write it out more fully, putting it in your own words. What is the assignment really looking for? What is the central question.
• How does the title link to what you have heard in lectures? What else does it ask you to find out?

Make notes.

• Note obvious questions prompted by the title, such as ‘Why did this happen?’, ‘How often?’ etc.
• Ask yourself why this question was set. Is there some public or academic controversy you should know about? Are there important issues to include?
• Note down your reflections on the title, and your opinions.
• What do you not know yet? Where or how can you find out more? 

Use the title.

• Put the title where you can see it easily.
• Keep checking the exact wording. As you research and write, remind yourself of the exact wording of the title. It is easy to forget the focus of the title and drift off on a tangent.
• In your ‘introduction’ (the first paragraph of your writing, refer directly to the title in order to focus your reading. Say how you interpret the title.
• In your conclusion, refer back to the title. Link your final sentence to the question contained in the title.

1. COLLECT AND RECORD INFORMATION

• Be selective - you can’t use everything.
• Write a set of questions to guide your research - and look for answers.
• Check the word limit to see how much information you can use for each point.
• Keep a notebook nearby to jot down ideas.

Types of material.

• Factual information.
• Ideas, theories, opinions.
• Experience.

Sources.

• Books, articles, official reports, surveys.
• Data from laboratory work, projects, internet, interviews etc.
• Television, radio, newspapers, videos.

Method.

• Keep asking yourself: ‘Do I need the information?’ ‘How will I use this information?’

Recording.

• Brainstorming, pattern notes, linear notes, etc. 
• Where you found the info and ideas - for your references list.
• Notes of themes, theories, dates, names, data, explanations, examples, details, evidence, page numbers.

1. ORGANISE AND PLAN

• Make a big chart to link ideas and details.
• Make a rough outline plan early on - you can refine it as you go along.
• Keep checking what you are doing, careful planning helps to prevent repetition, helps to organise and clarifies your thinking.

1. ENGAGE, REFLECT, EVALUATE

When you have gathered the information, think about where you have got to.

• What have you discovered?
• Has your viewpoint changed?
• Have you clarified your argument?
• Have you enough evidence/examples?
• What arguments or evidence oppose your POV?
• Is it clearer to you why this task was set?

1. WRTE AN OUTLINE PLAN AND FIRST DRAFT

Now structure your writing.

• Refine your plan. Work out the order to introduce your ideas, using patten notes or headings and points.
• Work out how many words you can write on each point. What must you leave out?
• Write a first draft, write quickly, it is only a first draft. You may find it easier to type headings onto the computer first.
• To begin with, state things clearly and simply in short sentences.

1. WORK ON YOUR FIRST DRAFT

Develop your first draft. You may need to do this a few times. Leave time between drafts for your ideas to simmer.

• Rewrite your early draft.
• Adapt the structure and organise the writing into paragraphs.
• Make sure your argument is clear to readers.
• Check that you have included evidence and examples to support your points.
• Write out your references (or bibliography).

Writing drafts.

Writing is easier if research, planning and organising have already been done.

Draft 1: a quick draft to get ideas down.

• Write out your interpretation of the title/question.
• Write out your central idea or main line of reasoning.
• Write headings and subheadings from your plan, but leave these out of your final draft.
• Add in details below each heading.
• Use your plan. Keep referring back to it.

Draft 2: Fine-tune the structure.

• Checkin that information is grouped and ordered - especially into paragraphs. If not, colour-code and number paragraphs in the order in which you will rewrite them. 
• Check that the line of argument is clear from one paragraph to the next - if necessary, add in sentences to link ideas.

Draft 3: Fine-tune the style.

• Read it aloud, does it flow? If not, add in sentences or details where needed.

Draft 4: Finishing touches.

• Aim to leave at least a day between drafts. After a break, you will find it easier to spot passages that need rephrasing.

Editing.

• Does it make sense?
• Have you used the appropriate structure? Is connected information grouped together? Is information presented in the best order? Is the work well paragraphed? 
• Have you backed your argument with evidence, examples, details, and/or research?
• Is the source of your information clear? Are your quotations accurate? Are references written clearly?
• Is the text easy to read?
• Are any sections confusing?
• Is it precise enough?
• Is the style appropriate?
• Does it follow any presentation guidelines you were given?

Proof-reading.

• Look for mistakes such as typing or spelling errors. Look up doubtful spellings or ask someone. Look up doubtful spellings or ask someone.
• If you used the computer’s spellchecker, check especially for words that may have been correctly but were wrong words. Eg, there and their.

Drafting on the computer.

• Drafting on the computer is a continual process - you will probably find you make many small corrections and move texts about as you go along. Leave spellchecking until the final draft.
• If you intend to make major changes to a draft, save a copy of the document with a number at the end of the name. Then edit the copy. If you change your mind, you can revert to the earlier draft, or use information from it.
• In case of loss, print out drafts as hard copies and keep copies of files on a CD or a memory stick.

Print your essay.

It is easier to read and edit your work on paper printouts than working onscreen.

1. FINAL DRAFT

Edit and check your final draft.

• Read it aloud to check that is is clearly written.
• Keep redrafting until you are happy with the text.

The Day After Results Day.

So today is the day after results day, and i’m thinking I should record my thoughts and feelings now and not when i’ve forgotten. I would have done this yesterday, but I was exhausted. Anyway, here is my results day experience.

I woke up at 5:15AM, and you know that feeling on Christmas when you wake up and think “Woah it’s Christmas” and you get all excited, well I had that buzz in the air the moment I woke up, except it was nerves instead of excitement teamed up with my first thought of the day - “WOAH! It’s results day, oh god”. And I felt illllll.

So I went on TSR and had a neb around a bit and got a little annoyed with the retards who kept lying and posting stupid things about track updating when it hadn’t even gone live yet. Around 6:10AM, people started posting they’d got into uni. I couldn’t even get onto track, it kept bringing up the service unavailable page, this was really getting on my nerves, because for other people, they’d already put their details in, I couldn’t even get that far. It was beyond frustrating. By 7:00AM, I still had not been able to get onto track :( 

Ten minutes past and I got a text message from a very good friends of mine sending bad news. Unfortunately she didn’t get into uni, totally gutted for her. So I rang her up and made sure she was ok, blah blah blah, and I asked her if she would check my track for me if she could get on, so she did, and waiting for that to load, we rambled on about the options available to her, and unexpectadly she said “You got in”, and I asked where, and she said my firm! So I was really happy, though sad that we weren’t both celebrating. 

After getting off the phone to her, I shouted up the stairs to my Gran who patiently waiting in bed for me to tell her my fate. “Your granddaughter is going to Manchesterrrrrrrrr.” To which she came running down the stairs with a massive grin on her face, to squeeze me and say “Get in there me darlin”. Bless her. I then text all my friends and my Dad who was really happy for me, and said he was very proud. 

Ten minutes after my friend had told me my fate, I got a text from MMU saying Congratulations. My first reaction was “Aye flaming typical, all this nervous waiting around, until my friend looked for me, and then they decided to send the message. They could have sent it bloody earlier to put me out of my misery ha!”. I really wanted to see for myself , the UCAS track saying i’d gotten in, so I kept trying. Eventually, almost 3 hours later from the original starting point, I managed to lock into track, at 8:50AM. Not fantastic for someone as impatient as me!

Anyhoo......

I went to get my results, they weren’t amazing. BCC, but I was happy with those for several reasons:

• That was the offer the uni had given me.
• I know i worked hard to get those grades, unfortunately i’m not one of those lucky people who can get Cs without work, and As with work.
• This year, has by far been the hardest of my life, so i’m quite happy i’ve managed to get the results I needed regardless.
• During the Media exam, I was actually in no fit state to be out of the house, I was physically ill, so the exam was like hell for me. But I managed.

One thing that actually surprised me was my Sociology results. I’ve always struggled with this subject. I resat a D grade, and managed to pull it up to a B. Also resat a E grade and got it up to a C, which by the way I was very proud of. The exam was split into sections, your supposed to pick the one which your college have taught you. But I took a gamble, instead of doing Power and Politics which i’d been taught, I chose Media instead. And i’m bloody glad I did. And then in the final Crime and Deviance module which everyone says is so hard, (I was very panicky about that), I managed to get a B, unfortunately all of these grades added together, BCCB, added up to a C overall. But nevermind, i’m still very happy with those! 

When I got home from college, my Gran had a bottle of Smirnoff Ice on the table, and a card which had some money in. I was most pleased with the card, I plan on putting it on my corkboard/noticeboard at uni. So that everytime I feel like slacking off, i’ll look and it and be reminded how good it feels when you know you’ve done your family proud! Plus, it’s a pretty card, tis good decor! :)

Anyway, before I went home, the rest of my day consisted of phoning up uni’s to try and get a place in clearing for my friend (unsuccessful!), and a driving lesson. By the time I got home, I was shattered and ready for bed. So I put my PJs on, ordered a kebab, settled down in bed, with Finding Nemo on and my bottle of Smirnoff. I tell you what, that kebab was bloody lovely! Finished off with Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream, kindly bought by my Grandma as a treat! 

So yeah, that’s my results day, which was a very good one! :) I hope yours was as exciting and rewarding as mine. For those of you who got the results and university place which you want, CONGRATULATIONS and best of luck with your studies!