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!

Productive Procrastinating

So I have been meaning to write a post for a while now. In this I mean I have thought about it more than once after each fun weekend I have had over the last couple of months.*

But then the only time I really sit down and blog is when:
1) I am feeling a bit like I have 100's of things whirling around my mind and writing just something down makes all this clearer.
OR
2) I am putting of doing something I should be doing.

Right here, right now, it is most definitely a mixture of the two. I am putting off doing all the things I know I should be doing. Talk about everything coming around at once. Life really does follow that funny little phrase about two buses turning up at once or none at all. (I do want to point out none of these things are bad but with a graduation date hurtling towards you at about 148 mph it can all feel a little bit daunting).

But what I really want to do is put a few little things about what I have been up to 'recently' down on internet paper form.

There has been lots of catching up with friends in a variety of different locations including Bristol, Brighton (twice) and a holiday to Dublin! I could probably write a whole post about each of these weekends, but this would probably end up being food reviews and I haven't reach that territory on this blog yet.

A Lovely Weekend in Bristol seeing my fave Emma's 

Leighton girls ready for a fun night out in Brighton. Also the night I happened to each a meat pizza before telling my friends I had stopped being a veggie. 

A wonderfully sunny, relaxing, funny few days away in beautiful Dublin with one of my fave girlies. 

We take the odd decent selfie ;) 

 

An England catch up with 2 brilliant chicas! And obviously we had to have afternoon tea.

Plus I have also been home for a week (mainly to see the doggy of course), been to the casino for the first time (I am holding my opinion on this), learnt more Salsa steps, won a pub quiz and spent far too much money on train travel. Gah, one day I will pass this bloody driving test, yet another thing taking up my time at the moment. I am determined to drive (I've started so I'll finish), but as I am sure the people around me are bored to death with my driving stories I'll leave them out for now.**

Right now along with ChemSoc event planning, driving, job searching (yep still on... ish), studying for my final ever uni exams and trying to fit in some gym classes I am not sure how much time I am going to find for blogging in the next couple of months. But then again the boredom of revision will probably lead to procrastination...

On a final note I am genuinely not sure if I am looking forward to graduating. As much as I want to stop studying chemistry writing this little post its made me realise how sweet life at uni really is... Someone slap me if I complain about being a student every again!


* No tapas or test tubes have been involved.
** I haven't run anyone over yet, so success?

Wifi on the Train!

I'm just on the train on the way back for a weekend at home so what better time to write a little blog post for you all. And added bonus I have free wifi!

I wanted to air my observations on the difference between placement and being back in lectures down in Southampton. I don't think while I was away I ever really appreciated not only the cultural change (which was pretty obvious when you are in a different culture) but also the genuine and more generic 'lifestyle' change which I was having to adapt to. 

I'll just sum it up in a few short words, I was only ever busy with work. Back in Southampton I have so much more going on, be it going to gym classes, organising meetings or social events, I always have something I should be preparing for or something fun in the diary for the next couple of days. There are also plans for the weekend, trying to make dates match with friends or, like this weekend, fitting in a weekend at home. I didn't have any of this whilst I was in Barcelona. And in hindsight it might have been more than the culture and language I was getting used to. 

Now don't get me wrong, I meet some pretty amazing people whilst I was away, and I was head down with lab work to keep me occupied, plus exploring a new country. But it wasn't the busy life I have got used to over the last couple of years at uni, the lifestyle I like and have chosen. Anyone who knows me well can appreciate how bad I am at doing nothing, let's just say my morning shower and brisk walk up to campus is enough 'me time' for me.    

Selfie with Rosie. She still hasn't mastered looking at the camera YET. 

It's got me thinking about where I want to work when I have finished, I need a varied job which lots going on. I want to live somewhere where I can make a life which is busy. Basically I still want to be a little bit hectic sometimes!! I guess that's a start with the job search, it's slow process when you aren't 100% what you want to do or where you want to go. 

I guess now I should fill those of you who are still interested enough to be reading in with what I have been up to in this self-proclaimed busy life of mine (obviously not writing blog posts). Embarrassingly I finally made it to Winchester after three and a half year, and I can't wait to go back to visit in the summer, it's such a lovely little town so close but so different to Southampton. I have also been salsa dancing which was so much fun, and I want to make sure I keep up going regularly, and it's such a transferable hobby - everywhere has a salsa club (forward planning I know)! I have also had nice catch up with a number of friends, and feel quite old as a cheese and wine night now has so much more appeal than a night in jesters (think I'm finally out of the cheese coma!)

A pretty awful, but a photo, none the less, of Winchester Cathedral. 

Found a lovely spot down by the river watching all the ducks. 

Dinner with Rimini. So much food. So much wine. 

And SHOCK HORROR I have FINALLY about five years too late started DRIVING lessons!! I'll keep you all posted on this because let's be honest I'm sure it will throw up some funny stories. And any tips on how to make this process as pain free as possible will be much appreciated!!    

Back in Ann's Tea Room!

Also, slight side note, there is the funniest lady on the train who has just proclaimed because she is Northern she talks to everyone. I want to point out she is the only person (minus the young children) chatting and laughing in the whole packed carriage. Maybe moving to the North would be fun! 

*Update, she's getting slightly annoying now.

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...)

25 Things I am looking forward to going home for.

Blah Blah Blah, lists aren't proper writing, blah blah.... I couldn't think of a better way of presenting this post so I just wrote a list of reasons why I am looking forward to going back to the UK! There is an equal, or maybe even longer, list of things I will miss and why I don’t want to go back. But this will make me far too depressed about the fact in 3 weeks’ time I will be on a flight back to the UK so I won’t write it now.  

In no particular order, I am looking forward to: 

1. Food. I could probably name 25 different food items and meals I am looking forwards too but that would be dull.
2. A proper cup of breakfast tea. I haven’t had anything other than green tea in far too long.
3. Quiet. Spain is loud. But then I am going home so there is unlikely to be any peace there.
4. Not having to use plug adaptors. Hate them, hate them, hate them.
5. Pounds. I have given up trying to convert the cost of things in shops, so I will probably be able to budget a bit better back in the UK
6. Probably should add something about seeing my friends and family…
7. Fluffy warm towels. It’s the simple pleasures.
8. Which brings me on to radiators. I miss being able to make things, including myself, toasty.
9. I am so looking forward to being reunited with all my shoes. 2 pairs on rotation is not cutting it at all.  
10. ROSIE CUDDLES
11. Being rid of the vpn to watch iPlayer. Or any TV in English come to think of it! Dubbed telly drives me mad.
12. No longer nearly dying every time I cross the road. Thank god for the green man as I can’t get used to looking the wrong way when I cross the road.
13. Not sounding ‘posh’ compared to every other single person I meet. Yes I have a British accent, no I’m not from Downton Abbey.
14. Lined paper. What is the obsession with squared paper?
15. Not being charged at every cash point which is not your bank. So much effort. So much thinking ahead.
16. Shops being open on a Sunday. Nope still not used to everything being closed on Sundays.
17. No longer having to master a Spanish keyboard. Typing on a computer at work takes nearly double the time! Who even knew they were different?
18. Understanding things. I still don’t really know how my phone contract works, I just go into the shop and point.
19. Not feeling weird for wanted to eat dinner at 6.30. It is not the afternoon, its tea time!
20. Ann the tea lady. Nuf said
21. Having a haircut. I am far far far to scared to go here. Probably irrationally but I am way to fond of my hair to let something happen to it.
22. Not feeling so young all the time. Who knew that in most places they think you are crazy for doing your masters at 21…
23. Phone Calls. Facetime and Skype are too much effort for me and I have never been a fan!
24. My fluffy blanket. And a double bed. Not that my bed at home is a double but I am sure here is a seriously small single.
25. Not having to do lab work. I have realised I am much too emotionally unstable and over dramatic for lab work. I think undergrad teaching labs taught me that, but working here has double confirmed that I am way too nervy and on edge to work in a lab full time. It’s not good for my health!

That blue sky! Just one of the things I'll miss. Overcast isn't going to cut it.

Also: Every single thing on this buzzfeed is right - especially the one about boredom - weighing out 25 vials on a Friday afternoon makes the whole weekend seems more fun!!!! 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/floperry/ways-being-a-science-student-changes-you-forever