DOUBLEEE ARGHHHH!

FAMILY AND EXAMS :@
x

Aaaaargh!

I have to write my personal statement... by TOMORROW!!

Whatever happened to 'it would be a good idea to have it doen by the end of the summer holidays'?!?!?

That's a little..... OTT? We've not even begun ours yet!

Its not the real deadline i dont think. (well it had better not be because I'm not getting anywhere with it so am just going to take in a sheet of notes on it, because i was only given 4 days notice, which gave me one day to do it in what with exams )

That's nice. We have to have our final final UCAS applications in by 1st October for Oxbridge people. They do want a draft personal statement by the end of this term though...

AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!!

That's better.

When's bonfire night?

Does that mean you have loads of fireworks going off too? We've had them pretty much non-stop for the last few evenings (apparently its because its all the Cambridge May balls)

My, they don't give you long to recover from the AS exams at your school, do they?!

Seriously, you can't possibly do even a draft in that time - they need a lot of thought and preparation. If you're going for Maths, the universities are basically interested in just Maths, perhaps with a bit of Physics thrown in, so don't waste hours writing about all the extra-curricular things you've done.

Start with why you want to study Maths, move on to why you feel you are suited to a Maths course (include your other subjects and how they will complement your Maths), and add any info about Maths Challenges, Physics Olympiad, spare time Maths-related hobbies including books read, etc. This should take up about 2/3rds of your personal statement.

1/4 to 1/3 of your statement can be outside interests. It's a good idea to say what these have given you in terms of confidence, organisational skills, etc.

Your last paragraph could include long-term goals, e.g. whether you want to be an actuary, a teacher or an academic.

It's probably a bit late for tonight, but this type of statement should get you interviews/offers if it's done well.
You will probably need to redraft it several times before you and your teachers are happy with it; perhaps that's why they are anxious for you to make a start now.

EDIT: If it might help, I'll ask son tomorrow for permission to send you a copy of his personal statement . It gained him offers for all 5 unis he applied to.

Not exactly.

It means that some well meaning person at church has bypassed me and had a piano delivered today.......

wow, what a reply - really helpful! It would be really great if you could send your sons one.

Do you have any ideas what to write in the conclusion/future plans bit if you dont know what career you want to do? I'll probably ask my tutor tomorrow (that is after she's finished ranting at me on how i should get organised and write my statement, do critical thinking, and the usual, then at some point she'll pretend to be interested in my instruments, tell me that i need a better reason than the fact that i'm really interested in a subject to do AS...)

No, I can't advise on that, I'm afraid. You may find as you work on your statement that it becomes more obvious how to conclude. It's very important to be honest in your statement, so don't put anything you aren't prepared to defend in an interview. I expect the tutor will be happy for now to know you've made a start on the statement - (s)he must know that you had an exam on Monday, so can't be expecting you to have done much.

I'll ask my son tomorrow, but of course it's only to give you an idea - your statement must be personal to you, and the way you write it will be uniquely yours.

It's strange your statement is in for tomorrow seeing as you can't even apply until September.

Anyway, my ARGH is that it's 3.30am and I am awake. I was asleep, but woke up and now can't get back to sleep. Partly because I feel rubbish. I don't know whether it is just hayfever being stupid (I can't really think what else it could be), but I am so blocked up, eyes are being silly and throat is yucky too. Rahhh.

awww sympathy Nicki x

Apologies for my late night rantings...feel a bit better!

as I can't respond to him by PM ....
should I comment here on someone who makes an erroneous remark, sends a PM then blocks a reply. Is that arrogant or what?
Third occasion.

ARRRGH Angry at myself today!

I hurt my throat singing too often, too loudly and a song that I barely knew, and that is difficult for me. That was Monday! Rather than stopping, I kept on singing, and went to choir yesterday, humiliated myself by trying to sing the song again (and nope, it hadn't miraculously got better), and just made my voice worse!

My throat feels like it's got broken glass lodged in it, and it's all my fault... This with a singing lesson tomorrow, that I can't afford to miss with my grade 7 exam coming up!

Why am I such an idiot?!

you must take care of your voice, Lucky.
as you have that exam - but I am sure you will do well... Good Luck

ARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH


Anyone like a teenage daughter???????

Been there, done that - never again!!! Just keep your sense of humour; most of them grow up to be just fine!

I'll swap her for a teenage son - ok?

Are you my mum?! We've had three arguments already this weekend! I don't know why, I thought we were over the whole mother-daughter blow-up stage, but she's been much naggier lately, and I think she's annoyed at the fact that I'm sitting at home doing nothing while everyone else works.

Of course she'd say that I'm ungrateful and lazy and expect too much from my parents (lifts to singing etc), so I suppose I can see it from both points of view.

Actually it's the lifts that are really getting the be the crux of all of our disagreements. Every Thursday I remind her I have my lesson, and every Thursday she gets angry with me, and acts inconvenienced and blindsided - it's been Thursday lessons for two years!
She lectures me all the way there about how she has to run around after me, whilst I try, and invariably fail to remain meek and grateful. Then I get angry and it all blows up.

Tonight there was another blow up - because she doesn't see why she should have to take me to the train station to go to my exam on Friday.

I do appreciate her efforts, I know she doesn't have to be at my beck and call all the time, but every time she uses lifts as a guilt trip, a punishment, or something to hang over my head to make me agree with every word she says, I get a little bit less grateful. It wouldn't be a big deal if there was a bus service from my village, but there isn't.

Since I've been having extra music lessons, I've been going in to town at 8 in the morning, on the school bus, having my lesson at 11, and waiting around in town all day, doing nothing, being bored, til it's time for my evening lesson at 7:30, so there aren't any extra trips for her, but she still makes me feel guilty all the time!

Even if there's just a small disagreement for example: "Lucy, it's your turn to cook the dinner" "no... look here's the rota, it's Cathy's turn!" she snaps "You will do as you're told if you want a singing lesson this week!"

It just doesn't seem fair, I can't wait for a bit more independence!

Now will I have lots of parents telling me I'm ungrateful and horrible?

I do see that she doesn't have to drive me around - I'm old enough to get there myself etc... but without being able to drive, there is literally no other way for me to ever get into town.

Erm...bike maybe?

As for my scream...AAAAARGH

My recorder which was apparently sent off to Germany two weeks ago is actually still in England and hasnt even left the shop yet

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Oh dear, that is a long scream! What's up?

Nothing, ive just never posted in here.
XD

You have now !

I used to do that, but my brother now needs the bike to get into work... As well, if it's raining seven miles is quite a long way to bike.

Not trying to be defensive... but I really have tried everything, I'm not just being lazy!

Poor Lucky! I certainly shan't tell you you're ungrateful and horrible. I expect your Mum just has a lot to do, and finds taking you to lessons one job too many. Also, she is probably feeling a bit funny about the prospect of you going away (was York your first choice, I've forgotten?), and reacting to it in a way you wouldn't expect. Good luck for Friday!

Poor Sarah too! It must be so frustrating to have bought a new recorder and have so many problems with it. Life just isn't fair sometimes.

Thanks Berkshire mum

Umm... yees York was my first choice, but I may have been overly optimistic with grades. My back-up is Cardiff, but I think I've probably got ABB in my exams, so I might have to go through clearing.

My future is very undecided at the moment!

Oh well.

I think my mum can't wait for me to go really... Obviously not in a callous way, just I think she really wants me to be more independent which isn't very easy when living in the middle of nowhere!

And again.

Fights with Mums...I sometimes think we Mums forget that arguments make both sides miserable.

And that "just starting university" stage was a mother-daughter minefield, as I recall it (luckily or unluckily mine aren't quite there yet, and if some of them don't shake a leg and start studying, they never will!). Try to forget every incident as it happens, and hope that you will get on better in future!

So whose bike was it in the first place anyway?! Can you and your brother go halves in a new one, if he has completely taken over what used to be a shared bike - or won't you need one at university?

Or maybe fill in your time in town in a coffee shop studying for your driving license paper test, just to show your Mum that you're working towards independence. (I can still recall my Mum giving my sister driving lessons - luckily I got mine from my Dad.)

Meanwhile, I had a friend who went to York (long ago...). He had a wonderful time there, so if you do go there, hope you enjoy it too.

It was my brother's bike, I had one at about the same time five years or so ago - but as he's older, he got an adult size one, and I got a kids one, which I then grew out of - my sister has that one now.

I haven't got a job, which is another thing that she's upset about... And again I have excuses galore about, but it just sounds like I'm being defensive if I say them (no buses, means there's a corner shop and a pub in my village to work at! No jobs are available at either!) If I did have a job, maybe I could pay for more driving lessons, and pass more quickly, then there wouldn't be an issue at all!

Grr.

That was exactly the sort of thing that happened between me and my mum before I went away - it's only now twenty-odd years later that I can appreciate the reasons. I think the fact that I was the only girl and the youngest by 5 years didn't help either. It wasn't just the first time I went, I used to come back for the summer holidays and just before I was due to go back she'd start having a go at me about something trivial. There are still a couple of things I feel were a bit out of order on her part, but at least now I sort of understand why.

Aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhh

Families!!!! Who needs them?

Just got an earbashing from one cousin for saying that I won't attend the funeral of another cousin.

I would have gone if I could - the cousin who's died and I were fairly close. But she'd understand the reasons I can't go. Which are as follows:

Basically, the classes I teach on a Thursday have had three teachers this year. I didn't know it, but when I took over from the previous incumbent, I went for one visit with her a couple of weeks before taking over. She neglected to tell the kids the takeover would be happening, so their experience is that a visitor comes and a teacher goes......
The county co-ordinator for recorders came to do an observation of my teaching last Thursday, and the kids are now worried that this means I'll disappear too. So I can't not be there this Thursday or they'll really freak out. Especially as it's the last lesson of term.

So for the sake of the kiddies I'm not going to the funeral. Any other group, any other day - even this group any other week, I'd probably have gone.

My son's only 11.... are they as difficult as girls? It's the being lovely one moment and then completely stressy the next. And I try to remain calm and behave adult like.... but she will continue until I blow. I have thought maybe I need to learn to explode really early on.... then we might save an hour of grief as when I finally explode, she calms down....





I fell out with my daughter over lifts!!!!! Your post made me smile. It made me think about it from her point of view. I was chatting to some people this morning about teenagers.... and another mum said 'They grow out of it' and a lovely 20 year old said 'No we don't... No one apart from my mum can wind me up but my mum can still make me flare up!!!!!' She has just returned from a year in Canada as part of her degree and course.... that made me smile too. She said it's hard living at home after independence and she reminded me that my daughter is lovely with everyone else and it's just a mother and daughter thing!!!! My daughter went off to a sleepover after we fell out and she has been lovely since returning!!!!!!
I just want her to check when I can and can't give lifts and to say thank you!!!!!!!!






My daughter would understand.... we live in a rural area. She has just discovered she can cycle to the local village..... but only in the summer as it's across fields and too muddy in the winter and to be honest the roads are too dangerous (and hilly) for any but the hardened cyclist where I live .

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Having a seriously bad day!!
Was putting stuff in the tumbledryer, and something fell on my finger and sliced it open and it's staved, and I've torn all the ligaments at the top. It's so so sore, can't move it properly, and it's swollen
So I asked my best friend if he wanted to come for a walk, and he said yes...And then he didn't appear round so I went on msn, and he's decided he's not coming anymore, because he wants to talk to me about all the girls that he thinks fancy him, and apparantly I won't be as good to talk to if I'm not feeling well, and it was selfish for me not to be in this afternoon when he called on me.....eh, sorry but I was at the hospital....hardly my fault!!
We've never ever fallen out before.
I'm SO annoyed! Grrrrrrr!

AAAAAAAAARgggghhh!

Just returned from an afternoon of playing Mozart piano concerto movements. My piano teacher's diploma standard pupils were playing a movement each, and I was asked to be part of the orchestra. I've played 8 movements in total, involving a lot of playing and a lot of counting. And I'm shattered.

And no-one in my family seems to appreciate a) that I'm shattered and b) that I have a right to be shattered. So they've told me of all the things they've done today that have made them tired, like mowing the lawn or playing football with friends.

No, they're just different. I've had a daughter go through this phase too, now she's 17 and nearly grown out of it, except we still have the odd explosion. I've learnt how to phrase things and pick my moment.

Sonny Jim's different. He's gone fairly monosyllabic and grunty. Funny thing is when hubby's away working, Sonny Jim and I get on like a house on fire. We have a good laugh and he's very easy to persuade to do things. When hubby reappears, back to the monosyllables, the grunts and fierce expressions. Boys!

AAARRRGHH!!
My father has just decided to inform me that he and my mother are going out tonight.

Me: But what about my singing lesson?
Him: Well, how were we supposed to know you had that?
Me: I have it every Thursday. Also, I reminded you on Monday. And yesterday.
Him: Oh well.
Me: I have a singing exam tomorrow!
Him: Oh well.

ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!

Demand money for a taxi, or if that doesnt work, make it clear who you will blame if you get 2 marks of a pass/merit/distinction

I will try and sort out some sort of taxi money - I am desperately hoping for a pass to be honest, due to a number of issues that have conspired to keep me slightly unprepared... I've been thanking God I have this lesson to correct a few last minute things!

I think it might be ok if I sort it out with my dad. My mum would be a no go...

hope you got the lift sorted Lucky
and that the exam goes well tomorrow

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH is the sound I made at 6am this morning when I was trying to carry a heavy box down the steps from my car to my house and I heard a horrible tearing crunching sound coming from my thigh .

I'd hurt the same place last Saturday going up some steps carrying lots of heavy bags but it was getting better - then I go and do THIS...

Fortunately the osteopath could see me this evening so I've been crunched and stretched and hopefully things will start to improve so that I can actually walk again...fortunately it appears to be a muscle problem rather than a ligament...wonderful, wonderful people, osteopaths!!

AND my throat and ear are still not right, even after nearly two weeks of antibiotics - haven't felt at all well this week and got sent home from school on Wednesday.

*feels sorry for self*

Hope you're better soon C...

Aww, thanks, noodle and barry - sorry to be a bit of a wimp but I'm getting fed up with feeling unwell and being in pain so I indulged in a whinge!

and why not have a whinge sometimes? good idea

and this morning - gorgeous day
but I think I may have double-booked myself to be in two places at once!

phone call to make when I might be called by someone else!
It'll work out ok.

Hope you feel better soon

Hope you feel better soon

seconded C !

Hope you're feeling better soon Cyrilla. But I think it might be that you need a Rest to recuperate fully - very long half term - everyone's flagging. Hope you've a nice summer break planned.