Good news

My loan has been approved, so it looks like I really am on the course. The loan will cover my course fees (and rent) so it seems like I won't need to drop out due to extreme poverty, plus my family won't have to go through hell to support me through the next nine months. Which is great!

I'm in Cardiff!

So the day has finally arrived. This is my first blog post from Cardiff University. I'm in the Magazine suite, we've had an introductory talk and I am currently listening to some of the other students chat while we wait to enrol. It's unbelievably hot in all of the rooms here!

I haven't yet got my head around the fact that I am a post graduate student now - I remember being so awed by all the clever, resourceful postgrads who helped teach us at Swansea. I even had a favourite - James Beard. He's still there. He was so encouraging when I was a first year. Obviously, I'm not studying for a doctorate or anything, so it won't be quite the same. But it is very exciting. Everyone's going for drinks now...think I may soon be the only one left down here, typing into the computer (no change there then).

Anyway, we have a wealth of very 'sexy' (the deputy department director's words, not mine) equipment at our fingertips, and access to InDesign, and both PCs and AppleMacs in the lab, which is great, because I've not had chance to get to grips with Apples yet.
So I'm excited, and terrified, and feel out of my depth financially, but as I said to Timmy this morning, I worked my arse off to get on to this bloody course, and I'm not going to give it up easily.

End of degree numbers!

Numbers for my end of degree:

1450 - approximate number of words I handed in last week.

5 - bottles of cola Dai and I drank last week to keep us going. Also the number of tickets I've requested for my graduation ceremony.

9 - days left of University for me - my big presentation is on the 18th, and that's the last thing.

5531 - how much my fees (in pounds) probably are next year.

19 - the number of journals in my bibliography of my dissertation.

26 - how much it cost to have my ballgown dry-cleaned. It was worth it though, it looks stunning now. I'll be wearing it tomorrow night at the Media Awards.

10 - the number of issues of Waterfront I have been Features Editor for.

It's nearly over. I had my last Waterfront meeting last night, so we all went for a drink, but we're all going to be at the media awards so that's probably our last social.

They said to us last year that the third year would be our most enjoyable year, and they weren't wrong. But it wasn't for the reasons they thought it would be - the course was better last year, I thought. But the paper's been brilliant - I've realised what I want to do and I have a chance to have a stab at it.

It's scary to leave University. And although I really don't want to leave Swansea, I think I'm ready for something else now. New challenges lay ahead - just to deal with this presentation first!

April update...

I have news. I got a place on the Postgraduate Diloma in Magazine journalism course! I was very, very suprised. I got out of my interview and fell ill almost immediately, and I knew I hadn't done terribly well on at least the current affairs quiz. I was enthusiastic though, but I made a terrible joke...when I was going off on one about the new form of media, and how I wanted to be part of it, I mentioned that I was sure everyone was really excited about it..and the interviewer said 'Oh, you'd be suprised...people seem to think they're Canute or someone, but you can't stop it!' To which I replied, 'No, you can't stop the digital tide!'
It wasn't as bad as it sounds...but I can't believe they let me in after I said that cheesey phrase.
So now I need to get the money together. But at least, if I can, I'm on the course! It would have knocked my confidence very badly if I had been refused.
All the people from the Waterfront and Front who went for the magazine course have either got in or been put on the reserve list, which is great!
I stayed with Dai and his family for the interview, it was lovely, just staying there, working on my dissertation and spending time with them. We went back to Swansea for a few days then came down to Plymouth, where I've been trying to get some work done. Today I've managed to do a bit, and I'll be working in the pub a bit later. I've been given approximately a ton of chocolate and some wine for Easter, and Bethan's mum sent me down an Easter egg hunt game, which is really cool!
And it's my birthday soon. I've already had some gorgeous presents, and I'm going to have a quiet one this year as Dad's going into hospital. But that's ok. I'll be down for a bit, then heading back up to Swansea. Must get back to work now. Happy Easter!

Cross your fingers for me...

It's gone. The envelope has been sealed, the contents checked a hundred times. Even in my sleep; I woke last night with a terrible but unfounded fear I forgot to sign something. Applying for postgraduate courses isn't easy; the amount of hoops you need to jump through, forms to fill in and references to obtain, it feels almost like an entrance exam in itself.
So it's been sent and Cardiff should receive it just in time. My personal statement has been worked and reworked; I'm hoping to pull off another memorable statement like the one which got me into university despite my poor A-level grades. So cross any spare things you might have, fingers, toes, legs, if appropriate, and wish me luck, because I really want this. I think I've come a long way this year already; I want to keep this dream alive.
Here's hoping I get accepted.