Another Busy Week

Last week was busy - get the bike serviced, start wuk back at my old job, albeit only part time, and a rather cirtical biology exam!

This week sees another "Big Wednesday" - interview at St George's, followed by an open day. The open day is critical to help evaluate my top picks, although tbh I need to get on with the other big thing this week - the biology practical pilot studies. Croydon College have been fab, so hopefully I can fit them in on Thursday and Friday.

I'm really enjoyign being back at work part time. Ok - the gap on Monday's is annoying, and I could do with a few more hours, but it's giving me something to think about outside of myself, and teaching maths has made me think about teaching more than anything I've doen for a while. It's new stuff to me, and I have to be creative in how I present it - and that's one bit of the job I still love. Shame I'm only coming in part way through the year when the kids are struggling - I think if I'd had them since the start of the year then they could do really well. Still going to have a damn good crack at it, but can't help feel I'm up against it time wise!

No idea what's happening weight-wise - haven't looked for weeks, I suspect it's up! Exam stress and all that. Not overly bothered at the moment - things are generally going well - biology exams seemed to eb a success, I have some (although not as much as I'd like) money coming in, the main down side is the knee hampering training, although that is really a secondary goal this year. Was good to get out and socialise Friday though :o)

Woooooooooooo!

Linda from St George's has just called - got an intereview next Wednesday at 10:40 :oD

Finally! Now - must make sure I kick arse and get myself an offer!

Finally - It's Over!

Right! The day of the last exam (for now) had arrived, and I woke up with a headache. I put it down to exam nerves, got up, had a bringing up mucus spell (again I put it down to nerves), and wndered if I had the start of a lurgy as I did seem quite sinusy. Not good preparation for an exam!

Anyway - into college, and no-one from the group was about. Hardly surprising given the snow and travel conditions, we only met up once I got to the exam hall, with pretty much everyone there except Jason who had been driving from Crawley! I'd spent the half hour before the exam conducting a practical experiment into the effects of a lack of ADH, namely rushing to the loo every few minutes!

Right - at my desk, get my pens spread, calculator, ruler etc. ALl good :o) I was well prepared. It was funny hearing the exam regs read out, as I'd done it myself numerous times and pretty much knew the speech word for word!

Open the paper - oh good! It's on the brain! Hang on - this picture is the opposite way round to the brain in all my notes :os Don't panic! Damn! Where's the hypothalmus? I know it's in the middle somewhere, connected to the pituitary, but which one of those bits is it? Why didn't I revise this? I know the functions of it - but where exactly is it? Ah well - one mark lost maximum. Now - is it in the midbrain or hindbrain? Hmmm - looks mid, but then midbrain is MPM - oh no, that's brain stem. Hmmm - it's going to be a primitive thing isn't it, so maybe hindbrain? I changed my mind about three times, and eventually guessed between the two options. Chatting in the canteen afterwards, it seemed this question tripped up a lot of people - correct answer is forebrain! AH well - second mark lost - it's out of seventy!

Next question - eyes. Standard stuff about rods and cones, and I knew the deal about rhodopsin and how it generates an action potential really well - glad I made the effort to clear up the cis to trans thingy. Nailed it - just a bit thrown by the "How many different types of iodopsin are in the cells shown?". It's obvious isn't it - one cone, so one type of iodopsin. Seems two obvious, what have I missed? I tried to check. Yeah - if the one cone contains all three types of pigment, then how does the nerve distinguish between red, green and blue? Must be one. The concensus (and more crucially, the textbook) agreed!

Kidney question - easy peasy! Lots of stuff about percentage of sodium remaining and why oit changes (duh - reabsorbtion), and then a bit about the counter current mechanism (another well practised one) and then soemthign on percentage of sodium. Really just a matter of water levels drop (reabsorbtion - damn - should have said osmosis) at the same rate as sodium, so concentration is the same. Very little knowledge of the kidney needed - mainly just understanding that stuff is reabsorbed and understandign the difference between amount and concentration.

Now - respiration (mentally punches air) - I drilled this to death. I write "plan", and start jotting down points to mention. Then....I notice that the word is "anaerobic" rather than "aerobic" - whoops! Okay, I know this, just pick the relevant points out. Shame I forgot to cross the plan out at the end, because there's some non-anaerobic stuff in it, hope the examiner realises where the essay proper starts! Anyway - think I nailed htis one - apart from "Phosphorylation to glucose 6-phosphate" I think I mentioned every salient point, so should score well.

One more question in the core section - forget what it was about though. Not female hormones. Phew! Just as in life in general, female hormones are something I never feel I've really grasped properly. Anyway - I felt I'd answered whatever the question was well! Ah yes - it was to do with homeostasis - no problem!

Onto the option section. A quick flick - nothing on aseptic technique or preparing streak plates etc - all of which I'd asiduously revised since seeing questions on past papers - I'd initially neglected this topic! Anyway - it was stuff I knew. I hesitated briefly at the yeast fermentation (surely a bit similar to the anaerobic muscle question?), but went for the obvious answer. Several "basically say in words what the graph is saying" - easy marks for me, and a few definitions. Then one on how lousy lactose is for a carbon source for some yeasts. Nice that this came up, as I only revised it in the last few days

Paper done and dusted bar the fast two marks, so I read back, made a few minor amendments, and tried to figure out the hypothalmus thing, but got no further. Time to stop! I looked round, saw that Jason had arrive, and got (and gave) a thumbs up from/to Naeem. I thinkw e all liked the paper, although we did think it was a bit skewed and neglected completely some rather big topics. Them's the breaks though. Should be an A in the bag for this module - which was great as I felt the A2 modules might drop below this and so I'd have to get higher on the AS modules to compensate.

Went home, slept, then back into class, and realised that the practicals were a week earlier than expecetd and I needed to get some stuff together quickly! So - instead of my planned "chill out" day today, I'm back into college to start getting my list of kit and H&S thingy done.

Relieved that the exams are over, still got this semi-lurgy, but I really must have a break soon! On the plus side, the genetics stuff we did last night was fascinating. CSI will make a lot more sense now :oD

Back to Work...

Today (Monday) was back to work - that's right, the old place I was sick of!

It was odd - I was actually looking forward to it. Sure - there was some money being earnt, but the chance to interact with peeps, see a fair few of my old students and actually have ot think of something outside of my own study was great.

First downside was that the scooter is playing up - so I had to use the push bike to get in (could have got the train I guess but over the week that'll wipe out a sizeable chunk of the money I make!). It all went okay - it rained, so I got wet, and it took longer than expected, but I arrived in one piece. SO all in all not too bad.

It was weird though - quite a few new faces, and I felt like an old hand, but of course to them I was this new guy who'd just arrived. Lots of questions about what I was doing back - I basically said that nothing had changed, plans are still the same, just doing some work to get a bit of cash as I had the spare time.

Anyway - all went well, although I have lost my ability to drink filter coffee all day without getting the serious caffeine jitters! All those months of instant at home!

Got home, and after some revision decided to check the UCAS tracking site - and Southampton have offered me a B :oD

SO that's everyone offered me a B, except St George's who haven't invited me for an interview yet. I know they have interviews this Wednesday, but I couldn't have gone them as I have a module exam! Hopefully I'll be getting an invite soon - my application this year is so much stronger I find it impossible to believe I won't get an interview, and whatever I decide about SOuthampton, I know that I interviewed well - so fingers crossed!

Southampton and Other Stories

Wednesday was one heck of a day! Up early to catch the train down to SOuthampton Uni for an interview. Have to say I'd intended it mainly as practice for ST George's (assuming that comes through - what's happening??), but in the end I really liked the place. It was a modern building, lots of equipment, some fascinating sounding research, and the people I met were all amazingly friendly and made me feel like it would be a great place to spend time at - assuming I canget round the practical details.

Anyway - I arrived, and met up with two women who at a guess were in their thirties - both formerly dressed, so I was glad I'd taken the trouble to wear a tie and posh trousers. We were given a quick form to fill in to talk about personal circumstances where we'd been stressed, had to take a stand, and stuff like that, which was quite a shock as I had to fill it in on the spot, but I think I did a good job, and managed to use each to "sell" myself quite well.

It was great to talk to other peeps in a similar boat to me - one was goingto have to go back to live with her parents, and I think we all felt good about the fact that we weren't the only nutters taking this less than standard route through life! Then it was onto the interviews - although it was really all very relaxed and a nice casual chat - a chance for us to show why we wanted to do the course. The only slightly tricky question was whether I'd choose Kings or Southampton, I said I'd need to see Kings first but I was very impressed with Southampton - which was an entirely genuine answer.

Then it was lunch, and a lot of 18 year olds arrived (some with parents) for an open day type thing, and we joined in for the talk and tour. The more I heard the more I liked the place, and the tour of facilities was impressive - they have a great sports centre for £80 a year!!

Anyway - then it was back to Sutton, grab some chips, stuff them down (standing by the moped) and head off to college, and manage to arrive just in time. I was glad I had taken the bike and parked it opposite the station! We had a productive evening goign through old papers. I got home knackered, to find a nice cheque with a tax refund waiting for me, plus an offer from UEL for a B, and also an offer of some teaching work - what a day! It'll be a few days until I hear from Southampton, but I have tos ay that apart from the distance thing I'm enormously positive, and expect to get an offer (probably another B - which will make five)

The teachign work has me slightly apprehensive - I agreed to start Monday which is before my exam - I hope I'll have done enough by then and just be on "maintenance" revision - it's only a few hours teaching so I can still fit in a bit - and maybe not do too mcuh in the days before which I think may have left me more stressed last time!!

It's odd to think of going back to DLD (my old work) - I'll teach some of my old students, which is great, as I liked that group, but I won't be head of department any more and making decisions. It will be hard not to tread on my successors toes - I'm not one naturally to take a back seat if asked how to solve something or asked for my opinion, and ultimately it's his department now, and by all accounts he seems to be doign excellently! I'll be at DLD but not a full part of DLD, which will be odd. I do think the social interaction will do me a lot of good though - I've been getting too isolated of late and it hasn't been makign me happy. Here's hoping I pick up a few more sessions a week too, although I'm not going to go above three days. It's dribs and drabs at the moment, but will help reduce the drain on my savings, while givign my a bit of a boost energy-wise as well I think. And hopefully I'll pick up some more hours too.

Out of The Blue...

I got a phone call from Southampton Uni!

Interview date was set for Feb 14th, after rescheduling from Jan 10th which was the day of my first exam. They want me to go down on Wednesday. All seems good, get it done and dusted and it'll serve as practice for St George's, who hopefully are going to invite me in for an interview in the near future. It was tempting not to go in some ways - Southampton won't be one of my choices unless I get drastically put off by Kings or Brunel, as it'll mean living in digs and renting my flat, which tbh is just a pain and was really only a back up plan if all the other places didn't make an offer. Still - at least I'll see what it's like, it'll be practice, and it'll make a break from revision.

Leg is a bit sore today - possibly putting the weight up on the squat track in Body Pump yesterday to 15kgs each end. The knee doesn't seem to be any worse, but is clearly still not right. I'm going to try an outdoor bike ride in the next few days since it seemed to survive spin okay, but I did keep the resistance fairly low.

Just off to college - AS night so we start module two - must think about my practical project. It's a busy life being a student!

Bliddy Beetroot!

Been a while since I posted - probably largely because I've had my head stuck in textbooks and notes most of the time. I've done a couple of gym classes, but not any running or biking. The knee's still giving me gyp - so not good.

Anyway - as it happens it was brilliant timing, as I needed to study. I did two past papers the day before and aced them. So - yesterday I woke up quite edgy - it was odd to be doing an exam again after so many years, and especially one that mattered a lot. ANyway - into college, where I bumped into one of the group - but she had her notes sprawled out on the table and that was the last thing I needed! Another of the gang turned up, and we chatted inanely before heading down to the exam hall.

I tutted a lot at the exam regulations, which IMO were a bit iffy, particularly the desk spacing if I've remembered the rules correctly, and probably sounded like a right exams anorak, but when you've been teaching for years these things tend to stick.

The paper was an odd one - in that questions were on topics that hadn't been covered in past papers - or at least in a different way to before or in more detail than before, which made it hard to call on the bank of ready answers I had. I managed most of them fine (I think), but one on beetroot floored me. It was probably meant to test the top few per cent of candidates - the "how well can you apply your knowledge to a completely new scenario" type thing, and I think I gave an intelligent answer.

Overall then, I did well. I did have ideas of getting one of the "top five students in the country" letters, which was possible and still is, but I don't think I did quite well enough. Pretty confident I'll get an A from it, but I was hoping to do that and then get as much of a buffer above that for the tougher modules in the A2. I can always retake it in the summer, but I'd rather not if I don't have to. I suspect I'll get an A either way, but the more pressure I can take off the better! Anyway - if George's offer me a B then that'll help a lot :oD

Time to get down to module four, but I'm goign to take a day to recover. I felt knackered at last night's class, but it was good to see the peeps again and have a bit of a natter. I got some reassurance that my beetroot answer was right, although I haven't asked the tutor.

I've still got an ofdd unsettled feeling now though - the fizzio goal is going along nicely, but somehow the cloud of getting a job at the end of it (there's problems with finance and stuff) is taking the shine off it. Sure - I'll have a fun time studying for it, I'm loving learning again, but if I go through all this to then struggle to find work, or get a poorly paid job, it'll be a bit of a pisser!

New Year's Day

Happy New Year Everyone :oD

Anyway - in the tradition (started last year) I decided to do the Serpies NYD 10k in Hyde Park. If nothing else it would mean another eye-damaging t-shirt to train in! Not complaining, I rather like it :o). Anyhow -turns out this year's souvenir was a thermal mug - which could be rather useful, except I never let my tea get cold 'cos I drink it too fast!

I had been uncertain whether to run, but decided to hobble round after my six miler of last Friday. I wasn't expecting to do a good time, and went up saying "I'll be chuffed if I get under 50", given how dead my leg had gtone before. The main purpose was to meet up with Pink (birthday girl), Aiki, and Cookie, which I duly did! Great to see them again, and sorry I didn't stay for lunch (was sorely tempted but revision was calling and after beer I wouldn't have got any done at all!).

Anyway - by the time I'd downed my coffee in the exhorbitantly priced coffee shop - nearly £4 for a cake - FFS, it was time for a speedy change (stripping off top layers) and dumping the bags at the bandstand. Then off to the start. How far to position myself forward in the heaving throng? I followed Cookie, which was rather daft, as he's a 41 minute 10k runner! Anyway...

The starter horn went, and I set off, and hit gaps as they appeared. Before I knew it I was ahead of Cookie! Something was wrong! Still, I felt good, and in spite of heckling ("How am I supposed to get round this fat git in front of me" - thanks Cookie!), and a subsequent overtaking and vanishing in a cloud of dust, I was happily trotting along. HR was 160, all felt good. First kilometre marker reached in 4:28 (Garmin had it a few seconds later) and feeling good. The next bit has a steady climb, but the pace didn't slacken by much in spite of this, and then a mainly downhill section. There's a steep short climb in the third kilometre, and my HR was up in the mid 170s. I can normally cope with this okay - see the Oxshott report, where the HR was up there from very early on, but this time I couldn't handle it, so although my third kilometre was again under 46 minute pace (for 10k, not the kilometre!), I knew I couldn't keep it going, I have barely traoned the last few weeks. Steady training since Oxshott, even two or three times a week, and things would have been different.

Anyway, I walked through the drinks station at the end of the first lap, which gave my HR time to go down, and headed into the second lap. My pace still wasn't at all bad, and I did even briefly entertain the idea of getting under the 46:46 I did at Oxshott, but the wind across the open section of the park really kicked in and my pace slackened. Still not at all bad, but it would be tough. How much was I going to pay for my fast start? I resolved to get under 50 no matter what!

The second lap trundled by, and with the downhill I decided to push to see if I could give myself a chance of sub 47. In the end this didn't do me any favours, and the HR went up and I decided to walk the drinks station again. I could probably have kept going, but decided not to bust a gut as a PB for the year (well - since the restart of PBs in 2006) was highly unlikely. I just didn't feel I had the fitness. The left leg was starting to deaden a bit by now as well, so I had a fairly relaxed last lap - which in the end wasn't that much slower by the time the sprint finish had been built in. I'd decided part way round to get under 48, as all was going wll, but just lost enough on the short sharp hill to make that unlikely, and in spite of a burst down the long home straight, I wasn't that near. I wanted to beat my Elmbridge time of 48:22, but in the end tied it exactly!

Anyway - mixed feelings, chuffed to bits to do so well given the problems I've had, but then knowing I could have gone a fair chunk quicker with the extra bit of speed endurance I would probably have had given solid training. Still - a good way to start the new year :oD