11 Question Tag

24/10/22

My fourth and final year is in full swing! To get started on big documents like literature reviews for my thesis, I find it easier to just start writing. Pen to paper, because I’m an old-fashioned girl (and Word is annoying when you need sub- and superscripts and words you don’t find in a dictionary, as does a chemist). I was then able to overcome the paralysis and start typing the actual thing.

(This was a brain dump — what do I know and where did I get the information from? What do I need to look up that should go into the review?)

Sorry for the absence lol

We all forget things.

So today I was meant to give a presentation in front of my chemistry class, but I completely forgot and didn’t prepare anything. I was mortified when my name was called and I told her, “But I can’t - I’ve literally not prepared for this at all!” The room went silent and I felt so awful in that moment.

My chemistry teacher said, “I will see you outside.” And I thought I would get a bollocking. As soon as I got outside, I broke down crying, annoyed at myself because I never do things like that. I wanted to show her how on it I am and how well I can rise to challenges like public speaking, but instead I failed to follow a simple instruction and humiliated myself in front of the class.

So I went outside, ready to go on the defensive about why I should not be made to present. My teacher gave me the biggest hug and told me that I am only human - which is why she would let me do my presentation next week and just in front of her. She reminded me not to be so cruel and hard on myself, because I do that. I beat myself up over little things.

She told me that I have so much on my plate right now with university stuff as well as upcoming mocks that I should allow myself to be forgetful once in a while.

She told me that she is usually the most organised person ever but she forgets to bring stuff to the right lessons all the time.

She told me she doesn’t hate me, isn’t disappointed in me and all she wants is for me to stop stressing. And then she told me to go to the toilets and wash my face while she told the rest of the class not to talk about it.

My point is, it’s okay to skip a beat and forget something. It’s okay to admit you are only human.

And I am blessed to have a teacher who genuinely cares. How many people can say the same nowadays?

30/1/19 - Where has January gone?!

So I’ve become very bad at posting lately but I am so so busy! I’ve made good progress with A2 Maths and I have so many French books to read, too. My lovely French teacher has lent me three books in one go after I finished the one she lent me yesterday that very night haha

I hope your January has gone well :)

22/9/19 Moving into uni!

I moved into the University of Birmingham yesterday and met my lovely flatmates! I’m very excited to finally have a proper desk to work at - I have graduated from an almost-three-legged coffee table and an old pouffe :)

It’s a bit of an adjustment but it’s a lot of fun so far and I think things will turn out just fine. I love love love my campus; it’s so pretty!

Music tag

Rules: Put your entire music library on shuffle and list the first 10 songs, then choose 10 victims.

Thank you for tagging me, @marie-curie :)

1. Hold Me While You Wait - Lewis Capaldi

2. Laughter Lines - Bastille

3. Some Might Say - Oasis

4. Caméléon - Maître Gims

5. Legenden - Max Giesinger

6. Nummer Eins - Stereoact

7. Zeitlupe - Madeline Juno

8. Doom Days - Bastille

9. Angel with a Shotgun - The Cab

10. Borderline - Madeline Juno

There are disproportionately many English songs on this list; the majority of songs in my library are in French and German haha

My victims are: @studydiaryofamedstudent @patriotstudies @problematicprocrastinator @vocative @alettereminuscole @apricot-studies @hastily-written @dusknotes @briellestudies @fluencylevelfrench

(Sorry if you’ve already been tagged!)

8/2/19 Chemistry :D

I hate surprise tests but I know I need to start revising now so that’s what I’ve been doing all evening. Now I’m done I can finally sit down with the book I’ve been wanting to read all day!

I love that feeling of being so absorbed in a book you don’t want to ever put it down. I’ve finally found pleasure in reading again - something I lost when I found out aphantasia wasn’t something anyone else I knew had. I just read because I love words and can feel their nuances rather than see them in action in my head :)

Have a lovely evening!

Summer School is hard graft at Cambridge but I love it

Congrats to OP on finishing finals! Also, I have to share because LOOK AT THAT CAT OMG 😍

23/6/2020

My finals are over!! Yes yes yes! I am so glad I made it through (successfully?) So here is an old photo of my cat interrupting my study session.

Good luck to everyone still studying and trying their best! You can do it and you will!!

To any GCSE/A level students who have to teach themselves because of the coronavirus outbreak

Everyone is very much focused right now on Years 11 and 13, whose exams have been cancelled, but Years 10 and 12 will more than likely have exams next year that aren’t - and this time off means you’re losing a lot of teaching time. Whatever measures end up being taken for you next year, it’s important that you are still preparing yourselves for the eventuality that every exam goes ahead as normal. Even if it doesn’t, it’s better to be over prepared than underprepared. I imagine you’ll have been given resources to help you with this, but it’s not the same as being at school/college/sixth form.

So, if you need help with chemistry, French, German, biology or maths, I am happy to answer your questions. I took these subjects at A level and achieved A*AAAA, and I achieved 11 A* grades at GCSE. I am now doing a chemistry degree at a Russell Group university. I taught myself the A level maths course in a year, on my own - I know how difficult self-teaching is and I know that there will be people who will struggle more than others with this. I’m not saying this to brag at all; I’m saying that I am more than qualified to give you some tips if you would like them!

I have no doubt that your teachers will be doing their best to help you as well; I am just offering to do what I can because these are unprecedented circumstances. Nobody knows what next year will look like, or even if we’ll be able to return to our respective institutions in time for the new academic year. The best thing you can do for yourselves is to keep your heads down and do the best you can to keep learning, ready for your eventual return.

I know you probably feel a bit lost (or maybe you don’t - lucky you!) without a teacher in front of you to guide you, but if I were in your boat - and to some extent I am, because I still have to think about standing myself in good stead for next year - I’d be looking to do all I could to minimise my disadvantage.

(Obviously I am busy with my own work as well so I won’t be able to respond immediately, but wherever I am available I will try my best to give you a different perspective on a topic, or perhaps point you towards some new resources if I know of any!)

Good luck guys.

28/06/2020

My exam results were released yesterday - I averaged 91.1% and I’m honestly elated with that! Taking a very low-key year to focus on being kind to myself was the best thing I ever did and I’m in a much better place for next year.

I’ve been flitting between this and that today - a bit of reading, a bit of work and some digital sketching. What you see is the mess that my brain is today haha

Stay safe my dudes :)