I’ve fallen pregnant, so since I’ve completed all components of my arts degree (but not science), I’m graduating at the start of next year with a Bachelor of Arts. I can always go back and do the BSc, getting credit for my previous work, but right now I’m not fussed. Glad I’ll be getting a degree! This is what I’ll be wearing: 7 months ago

actually, I’ve just been incredibly busy studying. and it’s paid off! I got 98% on a physics test which I was blown away by – I knew I’d passed but didn’t know I did that well! this semester is incredibly intense, and I’ve taken up some volunteering at an animal shelter too, so I’ve been quite busy – on top of that my boyfriend’s brother just got married, and this Thursday there’s a science ball in the city themed King Arthur, so I’ve also got a lot of extracurricular activities going on.

I’m really enjoying it, but not updating my 43things very much – no matter; when I finish my exams on November 27 I’ll be free for three months to work on all my goals! 20 months ago

science: 77% D
maths: 65% C
physics: 58% P
french arts: 79% D

I was really shattered when I got my maths results, because I’d gotten 95% in semester, meaning I got about 35% on my exam. When I sat the exam I was already frustrated because I felt it was unfair (a few other students agree that we were tested on things which we were not taught), and although I went to the head of the department, she basically just said she thought it was a good exam, yada yada. I was exceptionally upset, and considered dropping the science component of my degree – why bother working hard when a poor lecturer decides to write a bad exam?

I wasn’t happy about physics, but that was my own doing, and I know that I need to study harder (I wasn’t prepared for how hard it would be), and … yeah. I’m determined to go back and work exceptionally hard to get good marks. I’ve considered going to a higher power about the exam, but I have the feeling that my words won’t be listened to, really. I can’t be bothered expending all that effort when I know that the head of the department thinks I’m wrong, and I’ll just be given the spiel that she gave me about separating out the “good students” (which is bullshit, because the difficult questions involved methods we’d never used or been taught, not just harder versions of what we knew). I’m getting angry just thinking about this, so I’ll move on.

In my other subjects I did okay – I should have worked a little harder, but my best subject (79%) was the one I studied least! I hardly showed up to lectures, nor to most tutes, but because it’s an English-based subject (i.e. you write essays) it was easy for me to do well.

I’m determined to be brilliant at science, I am. I know that I’m smart, and if I actually focus and work hard, I can prove that. Up ‘til this year I’ve never really been challenged in learning – everything’s been easy enough – and so I need to learn how to stay calm, stern and focused in the face of challenges. I can do this. I will do this. 22 months ago

exams are over. finally. I was quite cross at my maths lecturer because I knew the material backwards (almost), but then he asked for lots of proofs on the exam, which we weren’t taught. very, very angry. otherwise, awesome feeling! out for the afternoon with my boy. 23 months ago

did my science exam yesterday, and I think I did pretty well considering I didn’t really study (it was a pretty easy exam).

next, I have physics next week, then maths the day after, so I really need to get studying for them. 23 months ago

I’ve finished all the work for my arts subject, and in three days I have my first exam for science, which is a general subject and I think will be fairly easy.

Next week, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, I have my physics then maths exam. I’ve gotten 95% in semester in maths, and 72% in semester in physics, and I figure this will be a rough indicator of my performance in the exam, minus 5 to 10 % I guess. I’ve started organising the study for maths and physics, taking notes of notes and getting things in order so I can go through study questions and practice exams with an easy guide.

23 months ago

this is a bit confusing, because I’ve done it in bits and pieces, but I started with an arts degree, which I’ve done most of, and now I’ve added the BSc. Technically I’m not enrolled yet, but I’ll find out soon whether I’ve gotten in to the double degree. this is what I’ve done so far:

ARTS (out of 16 subjects)

english, level 1: academic writing (78%)
enh 1: reading & writing literature (78%)
enh 2: fairytale traditions (69%)
enh 2: poetry writing (63%)
enh 2: narrative practices (68%)
enh 3: intro to fiction writing (76%)

history 1: medieval europe (83%)
history 1: renaissance europe (76%)
history 2: the arab-israeli conflict (72%)
history 2: the american civil war (65%)
history 3: 20th century britain (80%)

european studies 1: modernity & enlightenment (86%)
european studies 2: modernity and romanticism (77%)

SCIENCE (out of 16 subjects)
maths 1: mth1020 55%
maths 2: the nature and beauty of mathematics (56%)

this semester:
arts (general): paris in literature & visual culture
maths 1: mth1030
physics 1: phs1011
science (general): sci2010

next semester:
enh 3: the dark hero
enh 3: shakespeare
physics 1: phs1022
maths 2: mth2010

next year:
6 x physics (nuclear, particle)
1 x maths

subjects from another uni:
antarctic studies
geology

- both count towards science

so, after this semester (for which exams are in about 3 weeks), I’ll have 11 subjects left out of 32 – which means I’m about two-thirds of the way through, and have about a 33% left to go. 1 year ago