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Post by amberaleman on Feb 26, 2008 22:35:25 GMT
Wishing you the best of British!
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Post by ojiveojive on Feb 26, 2008 22:35:50 GMT
GL GoT
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Post by Giggy of Telford on Mar 7, 2008 19:01:00 GMT
Ok, had my interview at Leicester, just hadn't got around to mentioning that yet. Journey there and back was ok - 2 hours from wellington to Leicester with a change at Birmingham New Street. From Leicester station a 15 minute walk to the university. Got there and we did a tour of the medical school first, then in our groups we went for interviews one at a time. I was first in for my group. Interviewers were really nice, first question they asked me was "how was your journey up?" I'd like to think they do take that question into account as i answered that one well. They asked the standard 'Why Medicine' and 'Why Leicester' questions most people get. Also had questions on dealing with stress, a hypothetical situation which I had to say what I'd do. Then at the end they asked both 'if you could change one thing about yourself what it would be' and 'why do you deserve a place?'. Overall thought the interview went pretty well, answered all of their questions and thought my answers were fairly decent. yet to think of anything i said which was really bad. Down to what they think though. Supposedly will find out one way of the other by mid-late march. Keele on the other hand still haven't contacted me as to whether I have an interview or not, could just be they're still making a few decisions one way or the other.
Other piece of news is that yesterday I got my exam results from the January exams: Core 3 Maths - 81/100 AModule 4 Physics - 81/90 AModule 4 Chemistry - 85/90 AModule 5 Biology - 90/90 AStill got exams to come in June but so far on the right track.
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Post by stretfordendling© on Mar 7, 2008 20:44:45 GMT
Whatever you do do NOT go to Liverpool!
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Post by ambersalamander on Mar 7, 2008 23:06:50 GMT
Oh Giggy, well done! That's absolutely fantastic. Good luck!
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Post by Giggy of Telford on Mar 19, 2008 0:28:43 GMT
Leicester have supposedly made all of their decisions and are in the process of posting them, some people have received decisions so I should be hearing any day now. Have heard so many different statistics on 'applicants: interviews: offers: places' ratio for Leicester I have no idea what my chances are.
Having had a very crappy Monday I really need this to go well to give me a bit of a lift. Failing that I'd have to put all my hopes on Keele: A. Offering me an interview in the limited time left B. Actually liking me enough at said interview
To get a place somewhere.
Nervous? Absolutely terrified is probably a better description.
In other news i phoned Keele telling them I'd changed address, had updates UCAS but had still had some stuff going to my old address. They took note of my new address and while there I asked for an update. They said my application was being remarked alongside some others and I should hear within the next 2 weeks, if not then phone them again.
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Post by malxscfc on Mar 19, 2008 10:38:43 GMT
"Worry is a dividend paid in advance to disaster." Why worry now? There's absolutely nothing you can do about it! ;D Wish you all the best, m'laddo. No matter what happens, you'll still have to keep aiming for 100% in your studies though. Don't settle for second best!
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Post by Giggy of Telford on Mar 29, 2008 22:44:32 GMT
Woke up to a rejection letter off Keele today, all rests entirely on the interview I had at Leicester now. According to the letter i can write to them asking for feedback (I probably will) and included was a list of courses i may be interested in, I was not interested in any of them.
I also learned that a Medical Biochemistry course that I already hold an offer for may allow students who achieve certain grades in year 1 of this course to then transfer to year 1 of the Medicine course afterwards. If I were to not get an offer for medicine I would have to decide whether to take this course or taking an unplanned gap year. In which I would have to redo the UKCAT, rewrite my personal statement and get ready for interviews again. However if I was to take this course and then was not able to transfer I would have to study a course I don't want to do for another two years. After which I then either go for a 4 year postgraduate medicine course which is even harder to get onto than the courses i'm going for of I then apply to another 5 year undergraduate course, for which I would get very little financial support as it would be considered a lateral move. Either way it would work out ridiculously expensive as in the best case scenario it is 7 years at Uni. Taking a gap year and reapplying is an option i really don't want to think about even though it is supposedly easier. This may simply be pshycological as when I was ill in year 8 (age 13) and as a result only managed to attend just over half the year i was told I could retake the year if I had missed too much work and so spent year 8 and 9 doing everything I could to prove that I could keep up. After fighting my way back up after that I don't want to get left behind now. Whichever way I look at it the whole thing would come down to which I would find worse, 3 years of a course I'm not even that interested in or a year out where everyone else moves on and leaves me behind. Also with no garuntee of even getting a place second time around. Ofcourse this all only comes into play based on what happens regarding Leicester interview. On that note having no idea where I'll end up and what I'll be doing just 6 months from now makes it bloody difficult to motivate myself into doing this mountain of homework set over the easter holidays.
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Post by Giggy of Telford on Apr 1, 2008 17:00:37 GMT
Rejection number 4 today. Having spoke on the phone to someone in student services at college they reccomend taking the Medical Biochemistry course, though the majority of people on a forum I go to are reccomending reapplying. I would rather at the moment take the Biochem course and go for graduate entry Medicine, I will however give it a few days to think over before making a decision, probably talk to a few of my teachers next week for advice.
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Post by robotsmfc on Apr 1, 2008 21:41:34 GMT
That's really hard luck Giggy, do you have any idea why they turned you down? stop
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Post by Giggy of Telford on Apr 1, 2008 23:58:53 GMT
The interview I got at Leicester was always gonig to be a tough one, unless you get 28/30 as a score you don't get an offer. The other 3 I didn't even get that far, one thing that could be an issue is that my GCSE grades were ok but not great, at college I have found out I am elligible for learning support sessions and +25% time in exams due to my dyspraxia. They would not offer me this at secondary school when I did GCSEs. There was also a kerfuffle with the maths GCSE which means even though I should have got an A* they marked me down to an A (through no fault of my own), even though I have since found out I had 87% when 80% is meant to get you an A*. We appealed 3 times over the initial kerfuffle with nothing happening, it is too late to appeal the second thing. Liverpool rejected me instantly as my GCSEs were below the threshold they wanted, therefore would not even consider me. This annoys me as they would have been but for maths and also they told me my grades would be good enough and I didn't find out they would be untill after, losing me an application slot straight away. Also as i was under 18 when I applied I was having difficulty getting relevant work experience, since applying I have got a part time job as a care assistant, it was too late to add it to my personal statement however. Manchester in particular are very big on work experience it turns out. If i were to reapply next year I would have the A-level grades already so that would work in my favour, I would also be able to write more about work experience which would also work in my favour if i kept up my job. However I really don't want to take a year out. If I were to accept the Biochem course I have an offer for then i could apply post-grad aslong as i got a 1st or a 2i, I would keep up my job during holidays so would have work experience and hopefully my GCSE grades would have less bearing on my application as i would be a graduate. However graduate entry is if anything more competitive. Tough decision.
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Post by malxscfc on Apr 2, 2008 12:13:03 GMT
What percentage certainty is it that you'll be able to get a 1st or 2:1 in this Biochemistry Course? Might be worth investigating. Ask to see some past exam papers, which should give you a bit of a foretaste. Don't think of the Year Off as a disaster. Ask anyone over 30 and they'd rip your right leg off for that chance!! You can approach it positively, as a challenge to achieve as much as you can. You WILL BE more valuable as a person and a Medical Student 1 year on than you are today. You're more rounded, have more life experience, and sometimes it's good to blow the cobwebs out of your head from poring over books for 10 years solid... P.S. I'm sure there's a point of diminishing returns, but I assure you that women/men will find you more attractive at Uni if you're that little bit older!
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Post by medibot on Apr 2, 2008 13:41:38 GMT
P.S. I'm sure there's a point of diminishing returns, but I assure you that women/men will find you more attractive at Uni if you're that little bit older! The general rule seems to be if yer older and stupid then first year girls will fall all over you. When i go back in October i will be one of the oldest people on my course and know about four people and i still thoroughly recommend taking a year longer to be done with uni.
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Post by ambersalamander on Apr 3, 2008 18:26:30 GMT
I took 3 years out between my BA and my MSc and it was a very good idea!
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