11-24-2011, 03:05 PM
This turned into a big rambley essay, but I felt some explanation was necessary. If you don't think it is, it's spoilered, but hell it was cathartic to write all this down. Mind is racing.
TL;DR generally reduced levels of activity for the next two weeks along with a complete two day absence between the 7th and the 9th of December. Also unlikely to be keeping my usual hours in-game from tonight onwards because I want to get my sleeping pattern back into shape, thank you very much. :B
Spoiler:
Most of you know I live in England. A lot of you know I'm of the age and level of education where one who intends to study for a degree traditionally applies to various universities. About five of you know I've applied to read a degree in History and English at a particularly prestigious institution, one Oxford University. (But now you all do! Fancy that! :P)
A month ago, I checked my emails and saw they'd received and acknowledged my application. I was thrilled. At the beginning of this month, I sat an aptitude test for them to see whether I was smart enough. I also had to mail them three example papers I did previously for class so they could see the quality of my work under normal circumstances. It was all a little tedious to get through, but I managed it. Nonetheless, my mind kept going back to the mistakes I knew I'd made in the exam and I was pretty sure my application would be dismissed.
Ten minutes ago, I checked my emails and saw they'd given my application the green light to go onto the next stage. Somehow, the sample work I sent off and the aptitude test I did seems to have impressed them enough, and some academics at the university want to meet me in person to see if I have what it takes.
I have an interview down in St. Hilda's College, Oxford, Oxfordshire on the 8th of December. Two weeks today. I'm not so much thrilled right now as I am panicked, but really it's a bit of both.
I need to read up on the subjects of the papers I sent them and everything I mentioned in the application statement, because I've been told the interview is largely going to consist of talking about that (they've assumed those are my areas of interest/expertise) with some experts in the fields. Thinking about it, it's actually rather exhilerating, but I need to make sure I'm prepared.
So I'm gonna mend my presently-wonky work ethic in school while dedicating an hour or two a day for the next two weeks to preparing. It'll involve brushing up on my knowledge of the authors, individuals and events I talked about in my application statement (so that's Machiavelli, Charlotte Bronte and the Spanish Civil War, if you're curious) so I can at least pretend I know what I'm talking about when I'm discussing it with leading academics.
I also think I'm gonna start getting some more sleep. If you RP with me on CotH, you'll likely have realised that I do not get anywhere near enough of it, and the sleep I do get is in highly irregular hours. xD f I start sleeping well again, chances are I'll look better, feel better and think better when it comes to that interview. So I'll stand less of a chance of making a complete ass of myself and more of a chance of making an impression on the scholars who are gonna decide if I can join them as an undergrad.
Suffice to say, this is pretty important to me, so I'll be taking a step away from CotH for a while to make room. But it doesn't mean I don't love you guys any less. <3 :3 Wish me luck.
A month ago, I checked my emails and saw they'd received and acknowledged my application. I was thrilled. At the beginning of this month, I sat an aptitude test for them to see whether I was smart enough. I also had to mail them three example papers I did previously for class so they could see the quality of my work under normal circumstances. It was all a little tedious to get through, but I managed it. Nonetheless, my mind kept going back to the mistakes I knew I'd made in the exam and I was pretty sure my application would be dismissed.
Ten minutes ago, I checked my emails and saw they'd given my application the green light to go onto the next stage. Somehow, the sample work I sent off and the aptitude test I did seems to have impressed them enough, and some academics at the university want to meet me in person to see if I have what it takes.
I have an interview down in St. Hilda's College, Oxford, Oxfordshire on the 8th of December. Two weeks today. I'm not so much thrilled right now as I am panicked, but really it's a bit of both.
I need to read up on the subjects of the papers I sent them and everything I mentioned in the application statement, because I've been told the interview is largely going to consist of talking about that (they've assumed those are my areas of interest/expertise) with some experts in the fields. Thinking about it, it's actually rather exhilerating, but I need to make sure I'm prepared.
So I'm gonna mend my presently-wonky work ethic in school while dedicating an hour or two a day for the next two weeks to preparing. It'll involve brushing up on my knowledge of the authors, individuals and events I talked about in my application statement (so that's Machiavelli, Charlotte Bronte and the Spanish Civil War, if you're curious) so I can at least pretend I know what I'm talking about when I'm discussing it with leading academics.
I also think I'm gonna start getting some more sleep. If you RP with me on CotH, you'll likely have realised that I do not get anywhere near enough of it, and the sleep I do get is in highly irregular hours. xD f I start sleeping well again, chances are I'll look better, feel better and think better when it comes to that interview. So I'll stand less of a chance of making a complete ass of myself and more of a chance of making an impression on the scholars who are gonna decide if I can join them as an undergrad.
Suffice to say, this is pretty important to me, so I'll be taking a step away from CotH for a while to make room. But it doesn't mean I don't love you guys any less. <3 :3 Wish me luck.
TL;DR generally reduced levels of activity for the next two weeks along with a complete two day absence between the 7th and the 9th of December. Also unlikely to be keeping my usual hours in-game from tonight onwards because I want to get my sleeping pattern back into shape, thank you very much. :B