I'm in my final year at school. And I have two school weeks left. Ever.
That fact has kinda been scaring me recently. It's getting to the stage where I'm almost ready to leave school, but still not knowing what I will be doing with my life in 6 months time is quite daunting.
I now have all my replies from the University courses I applied for. I have been accepted to study International Relations in both Edinburgh and St. Andrews, but have been rejected from studying English in each of those places. Thankfully,. I had my heart set on IR from the start, but it's never nice to be rejected, especially when you're unsure of what more you could have done!
What this leaves is a very exciting decision: 2 fab Unis. But I can only attend 1!
There are pros and cons of both which I won't detail just now, but I keep swinging between the two as a result! I'm going to visit each place again in the next couple of weeks and have resolved to make my decision after that. Once the decision is made, I know that what I need to do is completely forget the other option and put my all into getting the most out of what I decide.
Last year, I wrote a post called Positive Dilemmas about how the decisions which are the hardest to make are those that include equally awesome options. Occasionally, these sorts of decisions lead me to mini freak-out mode. Then I feel guilty about getting worked up because I know that there are so many people who would be over the moon with unconditional offers to just one top Scottish Uni, far less 2!
I know that I'm an exceptionally lucky girl, and so my stressing is honestly not meant to be spoilt sounding! I think its just that sometimes something a big as moving away from home and beginning to study something totally new with totally different people is a little overwhelming! Exciting, yes! But a little overwhelming, in the best way possible.
I'll keep the blog updated on my decision, but I think sometimes I need to just take a step back from my initial panic and come up with a plan. as my mum has told me, I can't really make a wrong decision. Either way, the unknown is seeming so close now... :)
Please feel free to leave comments, would love to hear about your mini freak-outs and your positive dilemmas!
Catriona x
Saturday 28 March 2015
Tuesday 17 March 2015
Book Review: 'Q: A Love Story' by Evan Mandery
So one of the things I enjoy doing, when I have a few free minutes, is to watch Youtube. With limited time, I don't follow many channels on a regular basis, but probably the only person who I have watched every single one of their videos is Carrie Hope Fletcher. An actress, singer, writer and avid reader, I really trust her book recommendations.
I have a list of books she's mentioned in videos and so when I fancy reading something I know nothing about, I take a title from the list and order it on my library app.
It has taken me stupidly long to get through this relatively average sized novel.. mostly because I've had NO TIME and not enough motivation to read.
It doesn't mean the book was bad, because it wasn't. But it wasn't the cute easy-read love story I was expecting and I've also had a tough few weeks motivation-wise in general.
But it has finally been completed and enjoyed.
I chose this book because the blurb intrigued me. The lead female's name is Q, and the reviewers comments suggest it would appeal to anyone who enjoyed 'The Time Traveller's Wife', which I really did.
Despite it's title, this novel hardly contained Q at all, and wouldn't really be what I would class as 'A love story'. The book was more about self-discovery and the interesting concept of time and day-to-day decisions.
I liked the use of real-life science and philosophy because it linked nicely to my RMPS course and therefore I could appreciate it. However, it did make it a little more of a confusing read than I'd initially been expecting.
The principle character (whose name I must know, or have known, but honestly cannot remember in this moment because it was written in first person and consequently of very little importance) is a little frustrating for me at times, as he is so easily led by his 'future selves' and cannot make his own decisions, even when he notices the pattern of impossible solution which was excruciatingly obvious to me as a reader from a very early stage. I therefore became a little bored with the penultimate section of the book because it was overly repetitive and therefore kind of predictable
But, as a whole, I really enjoyed the book. The characterisation, particularly of the hero, was .well created and I felt I could relate to the idea of wanting the best possible outcome but hating the process of altering your lifestyle in order to make that happen.
So, although a few of the ideas were a bit far fetched and long-winded, I really enjoyed this book. It was the complete opposite of what I expected, so may be for any of you too, but worth a read anyway!
I have a list of books she's mentioned in videos and so when I fancy reading something I know nothing about, I take a title from the list and order it on my library app.
It doesn't mean the book was bad, because it wasn't. But it wasn't the cute easy-read love story I was expecting and I've also had a tough few weeks motivation-wise in general.
But it has finally been completed and enjoyed.
I chose this book because the blurb intrigued me. The lead female's name is Q, and the reviewers comments suggest it would appeal to anyone who enjoyed 'The Time Traveller's Wife', which I really did.
Despite it's title, this novel hardly contained Q at all, and wouldn't really be what I would class as 'A love story'. The book was more about self-discovery and the interesting concept of time and day-to-day decisions.
I liked the use of real-life science and philosophy because it linked nicely to my RMPS course and therefore I could appreciate it. However, it did make it a little more of a confusing read than I'd initially been expecting.
The principle character (whose name I must know, or have known, but honestly cannot remember in this moment because it was written in first person and consequently of very little importance) is a little frustrating for me at times, as he is so easily led by his 'future selves' and cannot make his own decisions, even when he notices the pattern of impossible solution which was excruciatingly obvious to me as a reader from a very early stage. I therefore became a little bored with the penultimate section of the book because it was overly repetitive and therefore kind of predictable
But, as a whole, I really enjoyed the book. The characterisation, particularly of the hero, was .well created and I felt I could relate to the idea of wanting the best possible outcome but hating the process of altering your lifestyle in order to make that happen.
So, although a few of the ideas were a bit far fetched and long-winded, I really enjoyed this book. It was the complete opposite of what I expected, so may be for any of you too, but worth a read anyway!
Monday 9 March 2015
Permanent Exhaustion...!
I can't believe it's been exactly a month since I last blogged. Well, actually I can believe it but it's not good enough! I've wanted to write so many times but it's been non-stop, and when it's not non-stop I'm wiped out because of how non-stop it really is... get me?
It's like, I NEVER have NOTHING to do. There is always always something.. any essay re-draft or first draft or plan, an exam or test to revise for, violin practice to do, a letter to reply to. Just to clarify, I'm not complaining at all. I'm genuinely not. I love being busy, and I love the fact that I have to opportunity to play music, and I have amazing friends who take the time to write me letters. But sometimes I just wish that when I come home in the evening and sit and watch the boxset of Friends it didn't come with this constant guilt because it's not a productive a use of time as it could be, particularly when I have a million and one other things that need doing. The fact that I only have like 4 weeks left of school ever is scaring me in many ways. Firstly, it's scaring me because I love school and have spent the last 13 years of my life at school and where has that time gone?!? Secondly, its scaring me because I have some major decisions to make about what I do after I leave (i.e. what Uni I pick!) and that's not something I feel I have the time to face right now (Think I'll put up a separate post about this soon!). Lastly, it's scary because I have so much work to do and so many deadlines to meet in just 4 short weeks.
For the last two weekends I've been training to sit my lifeguarding qualification. It's fun, and I really want to pass, but it's really hard physical and mental work too!! Thing is, it has run for the last two Friday nights, all day Saturday and all day Sunday and when I get home in the evenings, I just don't have any energy left to do the homework I need to.
This post isn't actually intended to make me out to be an ungrateful teenager who just complains! I'm so lucky to have so much going on for me, I really really truly am. But sometimes, just sometimes, wouldn't it be nice to have a day which is just cancelled and you can go back to bed?
Haha, I'm going to go and make an attempt at some of this work because, in the end, the best way to not stress out over how much I have to do is to get on and do some of it! Let m know in the comments if you ever go through periods of just permanent exhaustion- I bet I'm not alone! x
It's like, I NEVER have NOTHING to do. There is always always something.. any essay re-draft or first draft or plan, an exam or test to revise for, violin practice to do, a letter to reply to. Just to clarify, I'm not complaining at all. I'm genuinely not. I love being busy, and I love the fact that I have to opportunity to play music, and I have amazing friends who take the time to write me letters. But sometimes I just wish that when I come home in the evening and sit and watch the boxset of Friends it didn't come with this constant guilt because it's not a productive a use of time as it could be, particularly when I have a million and one other things that need doing. The fact that I only have like 4 weeks left of school ever is scaring me in many ways. Firstly, it's scaring me because I love school and have spent the last 13 years of my life at school and where has that time gone?!? Secondly, its scaring me because I have some major decisions to make about what I do after I leave (i.e. what Uni I pick!) and that's not something I feel I have the time to face right now (Think I'll put up a separate post about this soon!). Lastly, it's scary because I have so much work to do and so many deadlines to meet in just 4 short weeks.
For the last two weekends I've been training to sit my lifeguarding qualification. It's fun, and I really want to pass, but it's really hard physical and mental work too!! Thing is, it has run for the last two Friday nights, all day Saturday and all day Sunday and when I get home in the evenings, I just don't have any energy left to do the homework I need to.
This post isn't actually intended to make me out to be an ungrateful teenager who just complains! I'm so lucky to have so much going on for me, I really really truly am. But sometimes, just sometimes, wouldn't it be nice to have a day which is just cancelled and you can go back to bed?
Haha, I'm going to go and make an attempt at some of this work because, in the end, the best way to not stress out over how much I have to do is to get on and do some of it! Let m know in the comments if you ever go through periods of just permanent exhaustion- I bet I'm not alone! x
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