Blogger of the Year(!)

HELLO FRIENDLINGS!

I won the Blogger of the Year competition!!! EEEEEK! Okay, maybe I'm being a bit hasty. Make a cuppa and I'll tell you the story. So, after nervously waiting for what felt like a LIFETIME, I finally found out on September 1st, when my brother and I were sat in a bar in Majorca enjoying a spot of free Wi-Fi. Naturally at the moment I decided to open the email from UCAS, my phone decided that it was a brilliant time to have a momentary meltdown. Not good.

Anyway, after a few painful seconds, I read the email and danced around the bar happily knowing that my often meaningless ramblings WON ME AN IPAD! How crazy is that?! I'm not blogging off my iPad right now (but that is a definite must-do...), instead, I am blogging off my new laptop for Uni! Very exciting.

I also got to my Dad's house today to this surprise...

From Red Bull to One Direction plasters (don't ask), this lil box is filled to the brim with absolute essentials - Yes, oreos are essential. 

One week today I'll be in Sheffield! I've found all 9 - yes, nine! - of my flatmates and I'm suuuuper excited to meet them all. If you're going to Uni next week like me, or if you're already there....HAVE FUUUUUUN.

See you in Sheffield,

Anna x

When Annie met Sally

Hola!

Firstly: I'M REALLY SUPER EXCITED TO BE BLOGGER OF THE MONTH AGAIN! Thank you so much to everybody who voted...Keep going because Blogger of the Year competition is coming up in August (this is basically a total of all the votes since we started blogging); VERY exciting. Ta daaaaa: www.ucas.com/connect/blogs/voting

Last weekend my friend from Wales, Sally, came to stay so I finally have something Uni-related to blog about. YAHOO! I met Sally in France when I was 15 and she was 14..so, being a year younger she's currently looking at different uni's and writing the dreaded personal statement. She wants to study Chemical Engineering (I attempted to understand what this is but my brain just couldn't hack it. Chemistry was never my subject. Or biology (or physics)). ANYWAYS, she came to see me in the wonderful land of Derby (no sarcasm intended) after an open day at Loughborough University, which she really liked. We spent the weekend attempting (and failing) to ride a tandem, having a massive picnic, and eating lots of ice cream.

Overall, Sally's visit made me realise a few things...

Firstly, although at the time of writing them, personal statements seem like THE. BIGGEST. DEAL. EVER, they're really not. Don't get me wrong, you can't spend two minutes writing it and produce 42 lines on how your passion for eating pizza can help you get to University. HOWEVER, predominantly I learnt that as long as you CRAM it with experience, along with a mega-enthusiastic passion to study your particular course, you're personal statement will be WONDERFUL. I spent hours changing teeny words and stressing about things like "DO I USE A COLON OR A SEMI-COLON??? THIS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER I GET IN OR NOT". It won't. Give yourself a slap in the face (or alternatively take a stroll) and remember that this is just another small step towards getting to the University you want to go to.

Secondly, enjoy it! Amongst all the stress, deciding what you want to do with your life is kinda a little bit exciting. Make your decision wisely and do what's best for YOU, not your parents, your friends or your great-auntie Hilda. Definitely not your great-auntie Hilda.

Speech over.

In other news, I started ACTUAL-UNIVERSITY-PREPARATION yesterday! My brother and I made home-made spaghetti and meatballs for tea, along with orange flapjack for pudding. I'm getting there right?

P.s After somebody pointed it out, I am starting to realise that I have a slightly extreme obsession with brackets and capital letters. I LOVE THEM. There I go again.

P.p.s Like the ingenious film reference?? Anybody?

Anna x

THIRTEEN WEEKS (!)

Hiya!

I have FINALLY found time in my busy schedule -of watching films, making smoothies and sleeping- to write a much-needed blog post. Yay! Sooooo...the exciting part- EXAMS ARE OVER! Can you sense my happiness through the computer? I'm sending happy vibes right now.

Exams were okay. I think. We can always hope. Only the 13th August will tell *screams in fear*

It's odd to think that school is OFFICIALLY over...Not sure what to think about that one. I reckon it's going to take a good few months (or years) to actually miss it, but it still feels weird. Anyways, I'm not complaining, as it's a Monday morning and I'm still in my pjs watching Take Me Out on repeat. Winning. 

The other result of leaving school? University seems so much closer. I'm definitely excited now, and I think the element of being absolutely petrified is wearing off. I think. Somebody mentioned to me at work at the weekend that it's less than 100 days before we go! (I also just worked it out and it's now 13 weeks...THIRTEEN WEEKS. Maybe I was wrong about the whole not being scared thing??). One of my friends is already clearing out her bedroom ready to go, plus my Nan rings me on a regular basis asking questions like "What size tins of beans do you want for Uni?", or the latest "I've bought you a lovely fruit bowl"...my family are well prepared for September (or just crazy?). I'm also finding the University groups on Facebook highly entertaining- especially when full-scale arguments break out and people say things like "I hate you all already". Nice.

Anyways, I better get back to doing absolutely nothing:) Saying that, we've just got a new puppy so my current job is a puppy-sitter, which is actually a very demanding occupation. He's so cute though, I don't actually mind...

B&W for emotional effect

Little Ted...CAN YOU HEAR MY SOBS

I hope that everybody's exams went well! Year 12's, this is just the beginning for you...get

booking open days asap, as well as ordering prospectuses in bulk (that's the best part).

P.S, the Blogger of the Year competition is coming up soon, and it would be totally fab if you could vote for me:) The link is here....www.ucas.com/connect/blogs/voting
it takes approx 3.6 seconds and you could win some shopping vouchers! Woooohooo.

Anna x

Decisions, Deadlines and Destinations

Hiya!

First of all, Merry (late) Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hope you've all had a fab break and are ready to get back to Uni decisions and A-Level fun. I turned 18 on January 1st, so now I'm feeling very adult-like and mature (kind of) as this is the age I'll be when I go to Uni. Unfortunately I don't have much to report on the University front..except that it's kind of hitting home that THIS is the year that it's all going to happen...flying the nest and all that malarkey. Is it just me who is absolutely excitedly terrified?

OH, I did get an unconditional offer from Lincoln during the hols. That was pretty cool. Basically if I put Lincoln as my first choice I can go regardless of what grades I get...so very tempting, those pesky admissions people. 

Also, the UCAS deadline is approaching as fast as a...train, so get on with it and apply or you're going to get left behind in No Man's Land (aka clearing). 10 days, tick tock...But in all seriousness, I've been talking to some people who just can't decide whether to apply or not and I'd say definitely go for it, even if it's just as a back up to an apprenticeship, work etc. What have you got to lose?

In other news, for Christmas (among other normal teenager-like presents) I got a kettle, an ice-cream shaped kitchen timer and some scales. Although having made my New Year's resolution for the past few years "I will learn to cook", I am conscious that these items will be hidden away in my "rubbish draw" for the next 9 months. Sorry Mum.

PS, I was so pleased to receive a cute little note from UCAS recently saying that I had won the first "Blogger of the Month" competition..thank you!

Anna x