You only get graduation dress-up once!

It must nearly be this modest little blogs first birthday, or potentially belated birthday... I feel like LOTS has happened in the past year, and a vast amount of this never made it to this blog. In fact I think a lot has happened in the month or so since I last blogged. I start to wonder how much time I had on my hand during my placement abroad... Wow

 

I just wanted to get this photo in early.
You only get to play graduation dress up once right?

I have moved (albeit temporarily) to Oxford, started an internship at Oxford University Press, and graduated! All of which have been a great experience (and in the past month!).. 

I am just going to keep this very short and sweet. I just want to make sure I keep this blog ticking along so that I can start blogging properly when I have a bit more time. However, who knows when that will be?! I want to start a cake appreciation blog at some point in the future just in case you were wondering where this blog is heading!

I am really enjoying work, and I am soooo much happier than when I was slogging my way through the final stretch of my degree.  It might be more than just the work keeping me happy, such as living in a beautiful place and meeting all the other lovely interns, but I can't help but think the work suits me as well! I feel like this has been an invaluable experience, although I am now craving a summer holiday in the sunshine big time - probably because it feels like summer is over here already. (Obviously I can't get through this post without mentioning the weather)

Graduation was also such a happy day! And here are a couple of photos because you only get to wear the gown and cap once. Another graduation day is probably the only thing which would be worth doing a Masters for! 

All the family! And me looking much taller than I actually am! 

Luke and I. I don't have many photos on my computer at the moment and in this one I had only just put the hat on so the fringe isn't looking too awful. (Note to anyone still to graduate - grow your fringe out, its so annoying on the day!)

An on a final note I turned the grand age of 22 at the weekend! Thanks to all the people who sent messages, cards, gifts and a special thanks to all my wonderful friends who have come to visit me in Oxford. I had so much fun showing you all around. I have already decided I am going to stay 22 forever... 



Lovely photo down by the river, courtesy of Rimini! 

I really want to stay in Oxford, I am enjoying it a lot at the moment, so watch this space for a more permanent move. Anywhere is more exciting than Southampton or Leighton Buzzard anyway!

How can you not appreciate living
somewhere with so much green space?

Degree = Done!

Its slightly odd writing this from my sofa at home, but I thought it was time to finally get around to blogging something to prove I haven't fully forgotten about it!

So really what I want to say is that it finally happened(ish). MY DEGREE IS FINISHED! Done! No more studying chemistry (at least for the time being)! I hope having 6 exams explains my absence from blogging, and I truly hope never having to repeat that ever again, but as I don't get the results for another couple of weeks I don't want to speak too soon.

Studying really did take over the last couple of months but other exciting things have happened, most notably that I am going to be moving to Oxford for the summer to do an internship at the OUP which I am very excited about! There is still a bit to be sorted out which always taints the excitement of moving to a new place but even so I am fully looking forward to working and doing something totally different. But I am quite aware its going to be a fairly steep learning curve and probably quite tough at times! Also on the off chance that someone might know of a room I can rent for a couple of months in Oxford please let me know - I don't want to be homeless! Plus I'll cook for my new housemates!

I also passed my driving theory test over Easter (whoop!), but unfortunately I haven't had many lessons since due to having so much uni work and time just running out. I promise I will start up again soon when I am settled somewhere. I was actually starting to get vaguely okay but even though it goes against all my independent views on life I would to so happy to let someone else drive me everywhere for the rest of my life. There I said it. I actually have no desire to drive. It's far to stressful, I get all in a flap, and it's probably not a good idea for anyone involved! I am much more relaxed and know what I am doing when it comes to public transport...

There was also organising ChemSoc Summer Ball to pass the time during revision which is always so rewarding once you start to enjoy the evening! However I think I know that event planning isn't quite for me, such hard work and late nights!

Me and Luke*

4th years! 

Everyone kept telling me to have to a drink and relax. So I did!

Since finishing exams it's been nice just having some time off, catching up with friends, eating, drinking, dancing and generally just having a lovely time! So for the time being I am sure I will be keeping you all updated through blogging about what I get up to during the summer. I guess I will also be updating on what I will be doing come September, but right now it still feels like I will be heading back to soton in the near future, although that isn't the case, It still doesn't feel read that I am done with uni, such a scary thing to have to write down.

For now though, rather than being overwhelmed by the concept of being a grown up, I have to get back to stripping wallpaper from my bedroom walls to try and get the room all decorated by next weekend. This currently feels very ambitious so wish me luck. Having to sleep in my brothers room is no fun!

Finally to end, a few snaps from the last week or so!

Finally got around to doing some baking! The primrose bakery banana loaf was amazing, and the extra mix was great turned into little muffins! 

The quiz team mascot, the cheeky little onion of knowledge!

If you are ever in Southampton go and have a burger at the Rockstone, It was so good, and I can;t believe it took 4 years to finally make it there for dinner, 

* Probably the only nice photo of Luke and I ever!

A sometimeslightlyoverdramaticandstresssedout chemistry student....

I just had a quick look and I can't believe its been nearly two whole months since I last had time to sit down and write a post. I haven't even to had a chance to half write one which is sitting in drafts. Not that surprising as I've packed up my little life in Spain, written a 10 000 word thesis, presented said thesis, moved into a new house, and celebrated Christmas during this time. Lets just say this feels like the first weekend I have had 'off' in a lonnnnnggggggg time. And lectures for the FINAL SEMESTER of my degree start on Monday 9am so it'll be all go go go go again. No rest in masters year.

Family selfie on Christmas Day. So much food! 

There were times when I thought I would never make it through them 6 months away, and I couldn't in-vision the day in which I would stand up to present in front of my peers. But I did. It has really shown me that with a little bit of 'grit your teeth and bare it' mixed in with being surrounded by brilliant people you can pretty much achieve whatever you set your mind too. (Although I haven't got the results yet so lets wait and see!)

But now back in Southampton, the 'holidays' over, and it's the final push to finish my degree.  Lets just say it feels like my love affair with chemistry is coming to an end, so the only thing motivating me to finish is the idea of graduating. It's funny though, a number of people who know me pretty well would have said I'd be the one doing a Phd a couple of years ago. Even I thought I would probably end up in further research after my degree but I know at the moment I just don't have the motivation for three to four years more of chemistry. But that means one scary thing, getting a J-O-B.

So this really is a what's next for me and what's next for this blog kinda post. Oh the excitement of the unknown. Not knowing where I will be living, not knowing what kind of job I'll be doing, and I 100% don't know what ridiculous stories I will be writing. But one things certain, I am sure there will be plenty of highlights to report along the way, the probability of awkward encounters in my life has increased 10 fold since I have moved back to Southampton.

So maybe this is where this blog is heading, a sometimeslightlyoverdramaticandstresssedout chemist's search for a graduate job. The title of the blog doesn't really fit anymore but 'Online applications and too much wine' just isn't as catchy so I think I'll stick to rambling away on this page for now. Maybe I'll get even more into writing this blog more regularly now I have a bit more unstructured time to fill. I would also be happy to take any advice on how to even start a J-O-B search when you don't have a clue what you want to do. (that unintentionally rhymes, maybe I am going to become a rap star...)