Application to study abroad
Keele give all students the chance to take a semester out during the second year to go to an International University to Study Abroad for one semester a completely unique experience that would look brilliant on a CV
I've started begining my application, I've been doing loads of research into the 7 Universities I have availible to me and I have managed to limit these down just to 4, for my application however I need to limit it down to 3 so to make that descision as the 4 universitites I have now I like alot I have to look at each universities courses they are offering and ensure that they more or less match the modules I would be taking in the First Semester of the second year
As well as all of that I need to get an Academic Reference, I am going to find this difficult as my academic interaction so far has been very limited due too the fact that mainly I have been doing Lectures which is simply just listening to the lecturers. My personal tutor however is the head of the Cell and Molecular biology module and we have had some interaction in lab classes when he's been going over pratical questions so I'm going to send an email off to him later today and we will see how it will go from there!
Maths
In maths I have got back my Assignment 2 marks, there has been a massive improvement from the assignment 1 marks I think this is due to the fact that I put more effrot and managed to take the assignement much more seriously this time, In my Maths assignement 2 I achieved an overall average of about 75% on my assignment 1 the overall average was about 45% so a massive overall improvement I've been set an Assignment 3 now (Last of the year finally!) to be due in for next monday hopefully that will see good marks as well although it may be harder due to the fact complex numbers are included which I really need to do more revision into as I do not understand them that well!
Biology
In Biology Cell and Molecular as well, we've been set a paper on a PCR Practical we did in class, me and my partners pratical did not successfully work, so didn't most peoples to be fair! but it was familiarising me with the pippette and giving me some much needed pratical lab skills, That lab paper is due in for about the 19th so 2 days before we break up so I have a fair amount of time too write it, although I don't like leaving things till last minute so i'll probably start tomorrow. As well as that I need to organise my 6 minute presentation to a small group on the Golgi Appratus luckily it is not assessed but i'd imagien we'd get into alot of trouble if we didn't put our all into it!
In Introduction to Human Physiology, we've been set no work so far really it's just been hard lectures which i really need to put more revision into as there is so much content in that module!
Home Life
So far I've been home twice in the month and a half period I have been at university, it seems too me it is becoming evidently clear that all the people I considered friends while in Burton, are now slowly growing apart. Which to be fair is not at all that suprising as prolonged periods apart and everyone is now busy after sixth form with their jobs or university life.
Of course there will always be online interactions over skype and the occasional text but I suppose it's not as close. I'm sure at christmas though there will be alot more interaction time.
After the first two weeks at Keele I went home, where we all decided too come home from our universities too go to a local pub and meet with one and other, which was a nice way too catch up, a month after that i came home again with my friends at university deciding not too come home and lead their lifes, I went out with a different set of friends too the burton nightclubs which was nice too catch up with different friends but there is still the feeling that we are all growing apart
Assessment
So far in Biology we've been set no work, no homework or anything that could be moderated. It's just been lectures refreshing us from A level, then practicals on the lectures we've had which is a nice technique too help us learn the Biology. At the end of each Lab Class we have questions on the experiment which we can hand too the lecturer too tell us ways we could improve our answers.
In Maths I've had one class test, one Assignment and have been set another assignment that's due in for next week. These tests and assignments count towards 40% of the module while the other 60% will be decided by class tests in the Janurary which i'm fearing!, as the content is pretty harder than A Level which means I will have too revise harder!, The bad thing about the Biology side is that I've not seen much example questions that could come up on the Janurary test.
Halloween
Our whole Block decided too go as zombies too the Haloween event at the student union where a band called Theme Park (Amazingg) was playing and after that a seperate DJ played for the rest of the night, my costume is in the picture below:
As you can see my facepaint went prettttty wrong, I decided too go as a trangender zombie, what you cannot see in that picture is I'm wearing tights with a suit, and torn shirt as I thought I may as well add a bit of variety too the costume, It was a pretty fun night and everyone looked awesome, there were even some people in the student union on stilts!
LacrosseThere was a tourtament last week called a freshers tourtament which was pretty fun as everyone had the same level of talent really there were no very good people playing, I played in all 7 games without getting subbed off which is a pretty good achievement we played birmingham city uni, Nottingham trent uni, coventry uni, warwick uni & loughbrough uni, some of these unis at both first and second teams as Lacrosse was more popular in other unis compared too ours, we placed forth which is a pretty good achievement and we had loads of fun while playing in the tourtament but were so tired on the way back!.
Current Situation
At this moment in time i'm currently watching batman, the dark knight, while looking puzzled at this assignment that I'm trying too make some good progress with, my first assignment went pretty poorly so i'm going to put my all into this one too ensure I get the result a actually want!.