Halfway There

Finishing an exam when you still have more to do is such a confusing feeling. Part of me wants to run around in circles and celebrate and the other part thinks "meh, not another bloody exam after this one... just. can't. take. it. any. more."

On the plus side I am halfway through exams now, and all the way through my written exams. I'm so bad as gauging how I've done in exams. I should find out the result of this pretty soon though. Apparently before my OSCE in a fortnight.

It stuns me how the university administration get away with being so useless.

In most companies if you consistantly missed targets and deadlines people would be sacked. It just isn't acceptable. However at uni its the norm. Results are rarely out on time. Placements are never out on time, neither are allocations to special study components... which also always seem to get messed up somehow. Last term I was told I hadn't got any of my shortlisted topics and given a new list to pick from, which included my top 5 choices. Something clearly went wrong there.

If I thought everyone would do it, I would suggest that the whole year boycotted something to show them how unacceptable it is. How would they feel if we turned up at OSCEs 3 days late because we were pretty busy otherwise?

Any bets on when I'll actually get my results? Also taking bets for when placement details for next year are released. They were originally due weeks ago, then the deadline got moved to last Friday and they're still not out. Pfft.

Lily xXx

Hot Hot Heat

This time of the year is probably the one time that you can tell I'm not British.

I actually like this hot weather.

Although it's been too warm to sleep properly and I've been getting all sticky and sweaty, I love this weather.

Yesterday I spent a large amount of time in a beautiful park, sitting under a tree revising. Even when walking through the grotty bit of London I live in, I couldn't stop smiling. I even managed to pretend for a while that I was on holiday somewhere warm and nice.

I have a written exam tomorrow, and then in a fortnight I have my OSCE. Fingers crossed this warm weather lasts until after my exams.

Lily xXx

Drained

Sorry about the lack of posts.

Revision and essays mean I am mentally drained. I can't think about anything to blog about.

Hopefully I'll be back on form soon.

Lily xXx

"Mad Skillz"

Apparently this is what young people now call things they are good at. I wonder whether that makes me old for just not getting why, or in fact cooler than they are.

Although I'm a fairly confident person, I tend not to be arrogant and don't usually blow my own trumpet. There is one exception to this. Cooking.

I am pretty good at cooking.

I've loved cooking ever since I was old enough to help my parents in the kitchen. I was a toddler when I first discovered my love of mixing things with my hands, about 5 when I realised I could eat the whole herb garden in one sitting and about 7 when I really got involved with actually chopping and cooking.

I think because I've had years of practice I don't often think about what I cook, I just seem to put things together and they taste nice. This makes me feel lucky because apparently it doesn't always work like that for other people.

Last night I made lovely pepperonata on ciabatta with the most delicious goats cheese I've ever eaten, followed by really good sausage, crushed potatoes and onion gravy. Om nom nom!

Although this is all very tasty I'm now starting to feel I don't push myself enough in the kitchen. It's surely not good enough to be a really good cook, I should be aiming to be an AMAZING cook. Yes. I did mean to put that in capitals.

I've decided that now I have a fancy camera so can take pics of what I'm cooking I'm going to start up a food blog on the side. Something to encourage me to try cooking things outside of my comfort zone, improving my presentation and improving my food photography skills.

The problem is, I can't think of a name for it.

Any ideas?!

Lily xXx

P.S. Yes, I still have an essay to do, and revision... blah blah blah.

Revision Hot Spots

I can never decide the best place to revise.

Bed always seems like a good option, but I usually end up falling asleep. I've decided to save bed for early morning "reading" revision, when I can read some notes in bed with breakfast but nothing more or I sleep all day.

My flat is nice and quiet for revision, but I get distracted by the internet and watching 4od. They have this amazing program called Pussies Galore, which isn't porn, it's a program about crazy cat people. I love it and watch it whenever I'm bored, along with cook yourself thin.

The library seems like a sensible place to revise. Then again I spend 45mins getting there and 45mins getting back. It's really noisy. I also tend to see people I know and then 5 min coffee breaks turn into afternoons in Starbucks.

When it's sunny I like to go to the park and revise in the sunshine, but I soon end up distracted and day dreaming.

I think I need some kind of personal trainer for revision to stand behind me and shout at me whenever I distract myself.

Lily xXx

Catch Up

Once I get on a roll with work it would be a bad thing to stop myself, and stop the flow. This means I always have a lot of catching up to do after a couple of days hard work. I have lots of washing, washing up and catching up with blogs.

My presentation went OK, except for the time when I had to massively blow my nose in the middle of it because it was running rather unattractively. We got amazing free sandiwches during the presentations from my fav sandwich shop. There are more presentations next week that I'm going to watch just to get the free sandwiches.

Talking of freebies, I know its unethical, but a friend of mine went to conference last week and sent me a massive package of amazing free stuff from drug companies. I've figured it's OK to use it all as I have no idea what any of them are. There is even a pedometer with a heart rate monitor and calorie counter, as well as a stress ball, some USB sticks, pens, pads and my very own purple tourniquet!

As I worked hard for the last couple of days I allowed myself a blissful lie in this morning, so I should really get my bottom into gear and have a shower and get dressed if I want to make it in for the clinic I have timetabled. It would be much nicer to just stay in bed though!

Lily xXx

More Presentation Tips

So we all came up with good presentation tips last time, but I forgot 2 vital ones.

1. Have some vague clue of what you're talking about.

2. Don't "misplace" your USB stick.

Unfortunately I seem not to be able to follow my own advice and had to run into town this morning after disocovering at 9pm last night that I didn't have a USB stick, I'm also faffing about my lack of knowledge in the presentation topic. Oops.

At least it'll all be over with by this afternoon!

Lily xXx

Grotty McGrottbag

This should be my new name.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I'm all yukky. My throat is croaky, my head hurts, my nose is a constant stream of greenish gunge and I am radiating heat like a little heat lamp.

I've always felt short changed when I get a sore throat. I had my tonsils out when I was 8. It was sold to me as "You'll never get a sore throat again." Now that was complete cow poop.

Granted my sore throats aren't as bad, but talk about misleading a child! It just seems that before when I'd get tonsilitis, I now get either laryngitis or a chest infection. Thankfully at the moment I seem to just have white spots over my tonsil-stumps.

I have a big important presentation tomorrow so I hope at least the runny nose and sore throat clear up a bit, otherwise not only will I be a nightmare to watch but I'll also be an infection risk.

I wish I knew who'd given me this. Probably someone on the train coughing in my face. I'm starting to feel that people should be given tissues as they get on public transport. I might start wearing a mask... I've seen a surprising number of people doing it.

Lily xXx

The Countdown...

If my maths is right (which it probably isn't if I'm going to be honest...), it's less than 3 weeks until my written exam! Eep! In fact this time in 3 weeks I will probably be revising like a little loon for my OSCE.

I was really upset because my OSCE is on the last date it could be over a 9 day OSCE stretch of exams to fit the whole year in. I'm now breathing a sigh of relief as I get a week more revision than some of my friends, which considering this huge essay I have do is pretty good.

I'm hoping the weather will be poo this weekend so I'm not tempted to go and sit outside. Although it's allowed to be sunny for OSCE revision time as I think sitting the park taking an imaginary history off my imaginary friend might be quite nice.

I have a presentation on Friday. I really should be getting on with it. I think it's going to require a fair amount of blaggage so I hope I don't look like a complete prat. Thankfully over half my group are also presenting that day and I'm pretty near the start so I'm sure everyone will be too busy panicing to notice if I do.

Lily xXx

Say Cheese...

This isn't a post about cheese. However I do like cheese, my favourites at the moment are roquefort and reblochon. Om nom nom. I'm also partial to a good cheese fondue.

This is a post about my new camera. My canon powershot G10.

In a word it is amazing.

I'm not used to having anything more than a simple point-and-shoot digital camera, so being able to take proper photos and change settings is amazing.

Lucky for me a friend of mine has a similar camera so has been showing me how to use some of the functions. I'm trying to think of the best times to take the camera out to practice taking photos. In all honesty I just want to leave all my work to one side and spend a week playing with the camera.

I have a presentation to do on Friday and I think I'm going to reward myself by hopefully baking a cake at a friends house (and taking photos of it!). I might also have a trek around London to take some nice photos. Does anyone have any recommendations of places which are particularly good for photography around London?

Lily xXx

Chuffing Hell...

... I've decided that keeping the foul language especially in blog post titles to a minimum is probably best. It's the only phrase I can use to describe how frazzled I feel.

I'm so busy at the moment I feel like I'm going to have to sleep solidly through 5th year to make up for this term. Fortunately (or unfortunately for my grades....) it's not all study.

I went to see Les Mis last night with a friend and adored it. I knew most of the songs already so thought I'd like it. My love of all things musical and all things french also helped. Hugo the ferret was named after Victor Hugo infact. I'd also still consider calling a child this, even though I also gave the name to a hairy smelly mustaelid.

I thought this term would be packed full of half days. Not so. I'm going to dash through a bit of work now to make up for the fact I was in dermatology all morning learning very little. Thankfully paeds was much better than that and I learnt a lot about paediatric heart problems. This HAS to be a good thing for exams. Once I've got some work done and had a shower I'm off to a friend's flat for pancakes... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Anyway I better get on, can't keep the pancakes... no wait I mean friend... waiting!

Lily xXx

P.S. Thinking of getting a hair cut this weekend. Any suggestions for practical, easy to maintain nice hair styles for someone with really thick wavy hair?!

More Lessons

Today as well as learning a whole host of medical things I also learnt a few more valuable life lessons.

1. My shoes aren't waterproof

2. My coat isn't waterproof

3. My bag isn't waterproof

4. London rain tastes funny

Once I've dried off I need to get the energy to do some work. I thought the next 3 weeks would be relaxed clinic-wise and I could get loads of work done but I've just had a whole host of extra tutorials thrown in. I'd be more pleased if they weren't all at random times meaning I'll be hanging around pointlessly lots and lots. Grrrr.

Lily xXx