Student Debt

I presume that this image will need viewing in a seperate window. This is exactly how much debt I am in from my BSc degree. This does not include the money for my Masters, or the debt I owe my parents.
The worrying thing is the constant addition of interest - at around 3% until I start paying it off.

The thing is - I won't start paying it off until I earn more than £15,000 per year. The rate I'm going at that won't be for another 3 years at least - possibly 5 years depending on which degree I do next (if any).

So, if there are any wealthy business people out there, or any well meaning company that would like to sponsor me, give me an email!

Merys (in debt)

Just an idea

I think I may have worked out why I'm tired.

It may possibly, just perhaps be due to the 73 hours of lectures, part time work and work experience I have been cramming into my average week. I haven't included any time I spend in the gym, jogging, studying on a night time or looking after my first years. This is simply uni (lectures, library time at lunch and walking time), working (bar job) and work experience (observing etc).

I mean, it could be something else I suppose.....

Sweet divine pleasures

Ok guys, get your minds out of the gutter. I'm talking about sleep; and more importantly getting enough of it.

Due to recent course work, work experience, jobs and study - I have not been getting anywhere near enough sleep. This had led to me feeling a little *ahem* irritable and upset. In fact certain people who spoke to me on Thursday night will vouch for me being in a terribly foul mood and being a lot more obnoxious than I usually am.

Well today that all changes. I have had my first lie-in since January 7th, and wow, does it feel good! Or at least it would if I didn't have a skull-splitting headache*

*1.5 glasses of wine and a martini on a full stomach before you ask, so it can't be a hangover....I hope

And in other good news...

I've heard good news on two accounts today.

Whilst running around my usual route today I ran into the paramedic I went out with on that call. (I must have scared the poor bloke to death as I yelled at him across the road.) We got chatting and I asked him how the baby girl was doing. Last they had heard she was still in hospital - but they think she was getting better. Here's hoping.

I also received a letter today from a university. A university that I had made an application to. An application for medicine. The letter said that I had a place to study there provided I pass my masters.

*Insert loud cheers and whooping here*

A day in the life

0730 - Alarm clock starts to go off

0731 - Back up alarm clock also goes off. Turn both alarm clocks onto their 9 minute snooze cycle and return to bed.

*wash rinse and repeat until around 0835*

0835 - Get out of bed, disable both alarm clocks and answer telephone from parents to make sure I am out of bed. Brush teeth, wash face, straighten hair, get dressed.

0925 - leave flat without breakfast. Have forgotten to eat so grab a nutrigrain en route into uni.

0945 - arrive in uni with plenty of time for 2 cups of coffee and some pro-plus.

1000 - have lecture on TB and HIV

1045 - coffee, email check and chat in between lectures

1100 - computer session on TB prevalence worldwide

1245 - start of lunch period. Check emails and keep up with correspondence and coursework. Generally chill until afternoon lecture sessions.

1400 - lectures until 1630

1630 - start to leave uni to walk home. Realise halfway home that I have carted used library books around all day and they need to be returned by 1700 otherwise I will be fined. Start to walk back to library

1653 - Get to library with smug grin on face, remember I haven't got my swipe card on me and cannot get into library. Beg with entry man to let me in. End up compromising that he will give them back for me.

1659 - Join the throngs of first years walking back to halls. Plug iPod in ears loudly to drown out aimless chatter from freshers about alcohol consumption. Neglect to hear police car on sirens while crossing a pedestrian crossing. Turn iPod down to avoid any repeat.

1730ish - arrive back at flat to large amounts of paperwork regarding my first years and damage they have done to fire extinguishers. Curse first years loudly.

1735 - call corridor meeting to discuss damage. Suitably chastise students and tell them that they will be fined if they don't name names. Hold out no hope for identification, but it's not my damage deposit.

1745 - put head on pillow to try and sleep. Sleep for 25 minutes before phone rings. Discuss day's events with parents, then get up and have quick shower.

1910 - realise with sadness that I am in work at 1945 and quickly dry and straighten hair.

1947 - Sneak into work unnoticed. Pretend that I was on time

2000-2300 serve 3 glasses of wine, 11 snakebites and black, 4 pints of bitter, 21 pints of lager, 43 shots, 17 bottles, 3 pints of Guinness, 7 double vodka red bulls, 11 soft drinks. Multiply this figure by the 7 bar staff who are in. Observe redecoration of bar by drunken prat and his stomach contents - manage to avoid cleaning it up.

2345 - have another shower to remove beer, smoke and scum from body and hair.

0130 - eventually crawl into bed post-study.

I am 1!

Do I really need to say anything more??

and to think....

...that a year ago on this night, a drunken arrogant man at my students union building managed to wind me up so much that I started blogging.
...that before November 2004 I didn't even know what a blog was.
...that I feel proud that I have had over 5000 hits in that time. Not as high as some people, but I feel proud.
...that I have made some amazing friends under my pseudonym, and some that I will hopefully keep for life

...that I still don't know what I want to do!

Magic Tricks

Did I ever mention my amazing skills?? (no - not those skills, get your mind out of the gutter!) I mean the skills where I can turn a reasonably sober human being into a rude arrogant twat? Yes, it is all my fault.
But I do practice responsible bar skills - honest.

Tonight I actually walked away from serving a customer because he was too cocky and arrogant. His attitude works fine with some of the bar staff - but being called babe and winked at by a drunken fool kind of rubs me the wrong way. Especially when reference to my chest is made.

I also learnt tonight that some music is completely incompatible with a busy bar; Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex for example. Combination of this song with crowds of people holding glass recepticles usally ends with said receptacles on the floor - potentially followed by flying fists over spilled drinks. Quite funny to watch the bouncers settle that one.

In other news, it's coming up to my first birthday in a couple of days. It's all his fault.

Oh, and not to forget

Pinch and a punch and all that jazz.

Quite frankly, you should be suprised

Considering what I do for study, you would be really nastily suprised by what my coffee mug looks like.

We have a communal kitchenette for the guys on my course, and we all use it to death.

If you saw the state of the sink, microwave, mugs, cutlery - you'd wonder how we weren't permanently ill. I feel that a late new year's resolution is in order.

In fact, my mug hasn't been washed properly since November, and I think it has someone else's lipstick stains on it.

Or maybe, just maybe this is why I have a strong immune system