I think I might have mentioned before that our fire alarms are really sensitive. Now, I'm all for having fire alarms that work. Heck, if a drunk student actually manages to catch something on fire I want to be notified of it. However, when there are warnings that steam from showers can set them off so you have to be sure to close the bathroom door while taking a shower (in a room that has no ventilation fan so of course mold grows quicker, but that's another story) is when I have a problem with the sensitivity of our fire alarms. I mean, I love lighting candles but I can't do that here because it would most likely set off the fire alarm. This is only one of the many reasons I'm excited about not living with UNITE next year (though I must admit, the people in the office are always pleasant and easy to talk to). BUT! This is not the point of post.
The point is this. When I was woken this morning at a quarter to five by the blaring fire alarm I...well first I thought it was part of my dream and tried very hard to get my friend to stop playing the fire alarm (as in the fire alarm was a musical instrument), but then I started my round of curses while slipping on my robe and slippers. I walked out of my room, almost ran head first into my flatmate Vivi, and both of us stumbled down stairs. We waited out there in the cold. Tired. We heard some people talking and gathered that they were the ones who set it off. Hate. There wasn't really much we could do about it so we sat on the bench plotting our revenge and waiting for the alarm to be turned off.
Now, the way fire alarms work here is that they go off, fire brigade is called, if there is no fire you shut it off quickly least you be fined, and you go back about your day...or your sleep. For us, we have to wait outside in the parking lot (which is in the middle of all three buildings so I never really understood why we waited there) and wait for a tech person to come shut off the alarm and let us back into our buildings.
Well, as of late the tech person has been a strict, middle aged woman. I mean, she really does scare the living daylights out of me. I'm hoping that within the next week and a half that I do nothing to set off the fire alarm. Why? Because my dear bloggers, unlike the other tech people before her, she singles out the people who reside in the room which set off the fire alarm and have a personal chat with them. This morning it was, "Room 503A! Would you please explain why you were smoking in your room and then tried to cover up the fact by spraying deodorant!" A guy standing to the left of me started apologising, but it was to no avail. She asked him to stay down while everyone else went up. He was obviously in some deep shit.
Now, I would almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Except one thing. He was smoking in his room at five in the morning and anyone who has living here for more than a week knows that the fire alarms are sensitive. He woke me up almost two hours early. While, you know, too bad for him, he had to talk with the scary lady, it was is own fault.
Parents are coming in today. Trying to stay awake.
Peace.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Waiting for Impending Doom
So, I got the time wrong for this morning's English exam. It's not actually this morning. It's at noon today. Essentially, I got up early for no real reason and left the house a little over 3 hours earlier than I needed to. I decided not to go home, but instead I am here in the Hub waiting for the exam to start. I did spend and hour reading one of the books I should have read already for the exam. It's only a backup book, so it's alright that I haven't finished all of it...right?
Here's what I can expect during this exam. There will be 2 sections. The first section there will be 3 questions to choose from and I am to pick one and write about it. I can use 3 of the books that were on the last section of the course (the "Race" section). These books include Doris Lessings "The Grass is Singing", Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and Chinua Achebe's (I think I spelled that name correctly) "Things Fall Apart". I've chosen Lessings as my first choice and Conrad as my second. See, I had to read HoD last year for High School and I don't want to have to write another essay on it. Especially not an eassy where I only have an hour to write. The second section there will be another 3 questions to choose from and, again, I am to pick 1 question and write on it. I can choose any book from the course as long as I have not yet written an essay on it. That ruled out "Maus" and "A Doll's House" for me. So, I picked Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". I'll use "Lolita" if the question I choose is not suitable for "The Crucible". I'll have 2 hours to write these two essays. It's a scary bit of business is final exams.
All I can say is that I wish that the exam would start already because the faster it starts the faster it'll finish.
Here's what I can expect during this exam. There will be 2 sections. The first section there will be 3 questions to choose from and I am to pick one and write about it. I can use 3 of the books that were on the last section of the course (the "Race" section). These books include Doris Lessings "The Grass is Singing", Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and Chinua Achebe's (I think I spelled that name correctly) "Things Fall Apart". I've chosen Lessings as my first choice and Conrad as my second. See, I had to read HoD last year for High School and I don't want to have to write another essay on it. Especially not an eassy where I only have an hour to write. The second section there will be another 3 questions to choose from and, again, I am to pick 1 question and write on it. I can choose any book from the course as long as I have not yet written an essay on it. That ruled out "Maus" and "A Doll's House" for me. So, I picked Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". I'll use "Lolita" if the question I choose is not suitable for "The Crucible". I'll have 2 hours to write these two essays. It's a scary bit of business is final exams.
All I can say is that I wish that the exam would start already because the faster it starts the faster it'll finish.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Bitch in the Laundry Room
Alright, I do try and keep my swearing to a minimum on the blog because I don't know who is reading this or how comfortable some people are with swearing. But there are just some situations just need it.
Everyone has to do laundry right? I mean, in our society it isn't proper to go about in unwashed clothes that make you smell. UNITE (that's the student accommodations I am leasing from) has kindly provided their lodgers with the means to wash our clothes. I won't go into the fact that they charge far too much or the fact that the driers do not dry because that'll just make me angry. But, I do have to go into the fact that they have only provided 3 washers and 2 driers for all of the blocks (this is only one of the many reasons I would not suggest ever leasing from UNITE). That's 15 people per floor, 6 floors per building, and 3 buildings. Doesn't seem like enough space for everyone to do their washing. Also take into account the fact that a lot of the people here still seem to think like high schoolers in the way that "it's all about me and no one else matters". So, there's the background and here's my story;
I needed to do laundry tonight. I waited until around 8pm so that I could grab the clothes out of the washer, hang them to dry (I don't use the money grabbing driers anymore), and go to sleep early so I would be well rested for my exam tomorrow morning. I take my clothes down there and find that all of the washers are taken even though all of the timers are set to "0 minutes". Great. There's the other girl in the room as well just sitting. I was assuming that she was waiting for her clothes to get out of the drier because she was just sitting there. So, I wait for a minute or two before starting to take a load out a gently place it on a small table in the room. My theory is this, if you put clothes in one of the few machines that over 100 people have to share you should set a timer. It's the polite thing to do and if you can't be bothered being polite then I think I have the right to move your clothes from the washer so that I can do my laundry. Even if you're waiting for a drier I think you should take clothes out and put them in a basket or something until a drier is free. Again, POLITE.
So, I open a washer and start to take out the clothes. The girl in the room all of a sudden goes. "NO!" (in one of the rudest voices I've ever heard) and so my first reaction is to say, "I'm sorry?" She proceeds to say, "No! Those are my clothes and I'm waiting for a drier!" At this point I'm thinking, So why didn't you tell me that when I was opening all the washers to see if there was a free one. And then I started to think, Well couldn't you just take them out and put them in that basket of yours while you wait? Then I notice that one of the driers is finished and the other two are on 34 and 43 minutes. So of course I think, Couldn't you just fold those towels and set them on the table and then you'd have a drier and we'd both be out of here quicker? Instead of voicing these in the exact way I think them I ask "Would you mind if maybe I took them out or you did and..." she interrupted before I could say anything else with another rude, "NO! Put the on that thing!?" I assume she was talking about the table and not thinking that I would just throw her clothes on the floor. I swear, she was such a priss!
Now I'm stuck standing there because I have no idea if all the other washers are hers or not and I'm afraid to ask because she was so rude and she had her headphones on. If it were me and I saw someone needed a washer I would have moved my clothes out and let them have it. Maybe I'm just a good person in this respect. Anyway, I end up standing there trying to brush off the rudeness by thinking about what books I'm going to write on tomorrow and what quotes I'm going to use from them and what not. Mental studying. I stood there for maybe 10 minutes when she says in a raised voice, "Fine, you can just have this washer!" walks over the the drier that's finished and THROWS the towels across the room. I mean, JEEZ! they weren't even hers and she just THREW them. Total disrespect for other people's belongings. Then she start furiously and vigorously cleaning the inside of the drier with a wet wipe and is just real pissy about it. I mean REAL pissy. All of a sudden another girl walks in and takes her stuff from one of the washers (I guess they weren't all Bitch's but she was guarding them all that they were hers so I was a little nervous about taking anything out after she yelled at me the first time. And she could have said "Hey, those are mine and I feel uncomfortable about having them put on the table but the others aren't mine. Instead she yelled). I calmly put my stuff in the now empty washer and walked out leaving her furiously washing out the washer (apparently she had another load she needed to do...which she also could have told me). I mean, I'm real anal about some stuff, but really!?
There was something up her ass. I don't care if she was exam stressed or what. Nothing excuses that kind of rudeness and self centeredness. You can't monopolise the washers and driers when there are only 3 a piece. That's just not cool man.
Erin out. Bed.
Everyone has to do laundry right? I mean, in our society it isn't proper to go about in unwashed clothes that make you smell. UNITE (that's the student accommodations I am leasing from) has kindly provided their lodgers with the means to wash our clothes. I won't go into the fact that they charge far too much or the fact that the driers do not dry because that'll just make me angry. But, I do have to go into the fact that they have only provided 3 washers and 2 driers for all of the blocks (this is only one of the many reasons I would not suggest ever leasing from UNITE). That's 15 people per floor, 6 floors per building, and 3 buildings. Doesn't seem like enough space for everyone to do their washing. Also take into account the fact that a lot of the people here still seem to think like high schoolers in the way that "it's all about me and no one else matters". So, there's the background and here's my story;
I needed to do laundry tonight. I waited until around 8pm so that I could grab the clothes out of the washer, hang them to dry (I don't use the money grabbing driers anymore), and go to sleep early so I would be well rested for my exam tomorrow morning. I take my clothes down there and find that all of the washers are taken even though all of the timers are set to "0 minutes". Great. There's the other girl in the room as well just sitting. I was assuming that she was waiting for her clothes to get out of the drier because she was just sitting there. So, I wait for a minute or two before starting to take a load out a gently place it on a small table in the room. My theory is this, if you put clothes in one of the few machines that over 100 people have to share you should set a timer. It's the polite thing to do and if you can't be bothered being polite then I think I have the right to move your clothes from the washer so that I can do my laundry. Even if you're waiting for a drier I think you should take clothes out and put them in a basket or something until a drier is free. Again, POLITE.
So, I open a washer and start to take out the clothes. The girl in the room all of a sudden goes. "NO!" (in one of the rudest voices I've ever heard) and so my first reaction is to say, "I'm sorry?" She proceeds to say, "No! Those are my clothes and I'm waiting for a drier!" At this point I'm thinking, So why didn't you tell me that when I was opening all the washers to see if there was a free one. And then I started to think, Well couldn't you just take them out and put them in that basket of yours while you wait? Then I notice that one of the driers is finished and the other two are on 34 and 43 minutes. So of course I think, Couldn't you just fold those towels and set them on the table and then you'd have a drier and we'd both be out of here quicker? Instead of voicing these in the exact way I think them I ask "Would you mind if maybe I took them out or you did and..." she interrupted before I could say anything else with another rude, "NO! Put the on that thing!?" I assume she was talking about the table and not thinking that I would just throw her clothes on the floor. I swear, she was such a priss!
Now I'm stuck standing there because I have no idea if all the other washers are hers or not and I'm afraid to ask because she was so rude and she had her headphones on. If it were me and I saw someone needed a washer I would have moved my clothes out and let them have it. Maybe I'm just a good person in this respect. Anyway, I end up standing there trying to brush off the rudeness by thinking about what books I'm going to write on tomorrow and what quotes I'm going to use from them and what not. Mental studying. I stood there for maybe 10 minutes when she says in a raised voice, "Fine, you can just have this washer!" walks over the the drier that's finished and THROWS the towels across the room. I mean, JEEZ! they weren't even hers and she just THREW them. Total disrespect for other people's belongings. Then she start furiously and vigorously cleaning the inside of the drier with a wet wipe and is just real pissy about it. I mean REAL pissy. All of a sudden another girl walks in and takes her stuff from one of the washers (I guess they weren't all Bitch's but she was guarding them all that they were hers so I was a little nervous about taking anything out after she yelled at me the first time. And she could have said "Hey, those are mine and I feel uncomfortable about having them put on the table but the others aren't mine. Instead she yelled). I calmly put my stuff in the now empty washer and walked out leaving her furiously washing out the washer (apparently she had another load she needed to do...which she also could have told me). I mean, I'm real anal about some stuff, but really!?
There was something up her ass. I don't care if she was exam stressed or what. Nothing excuses that kind of rudeness and self centeredness. You can't monopolise the washers and driers when there are only 3 a piece. That's just not cool man.
Erin out. Bed.
My First Bouncer Fight
Ok, first I want to make clear that I was not involved in this bouncer fight. For those of you who know me know that I'm a sweet, gentle person who doesn't get angry easy. You also know that I'm a tiny thing that wouldn't stand a chance in a fight. And you should all also know that despite me being tiny it takes a lot for me to get tipsy let alone drunk. So, here's the story.
Last night, instead of studying like I probably should have, I went to the weekly pub quiz with the Roleplaying Society. We had a lot of fun as always, but this week someone suggested that we go to a club afterwards to dance. We were all on the fence for a while, but eventually most of us headed over. While standing in line this guy, who was obviously quite drunk, came back towards a bouncer who had told him to get out. The drunk guy shoved, the bouncer grabbed him and shoved him down, the other bouncer rushed over and the two of them sat on the guy. All the while the drunk guy's girlfriend or something was shouting things like "He's calm!" and "Get off of him." and "Oh, hit a girl then!" (even though neither of the bouncers looked like they would hit her. They did however look like they were prepared to sit on her too if she presented a problem). Also, imagine everything she was saying, but imagine it as someone who is drunk and Scottish. It was quite exhilarating, but at the same time it was a complete buzz kill. See, when the drunk guy pushed into the bouncer the bouncer obviously stumbled backwards and little. Guess who he stumbled into. Yep, me. Basically, all the alcohol I had ingested that evening went away and I was no longer tipsy (yes, someone bought me a tequila shot and it hit me like a brick wall and I was officially tipsy). A few of the others lost their alcohol joy as well so, to make this long story short, we went into the club for five minutes then left. But hey! I experienced my first bouncer attack thing. The police even made an appearance which is pretty cool. Well...not for the drunk guy who shoved the bouncers and started a fight, but in general it was definitely and experience.
If that weren't enough, before this happened we were all standing outside deciding whether or not to go and this very drunk fellow comes over and starts talking to us. It was a little confusing because you couldn't understand a word he was saying. Then, after he left us, this other drunk guy came over and tried to get me and my friend Maren and Lisa to go with him to a...club I think it was. Obviously, we politely declined. Oh, but wait, there's more!
As we were walking home from the club after deciding that we'd had too much excitement for one night this drunk guy follows Sean, Jamie, and me for a while. At first he just asked for a cigarette. Alright, fair enough. Then he just followed us and was talking to himself and joined into our conversation. Except, he didn't' really join in because he came in with something that had nothing to do with what we were talking about. It was something about people's accents or something. I don't remember.
It was a very interesting night to say the least. I'm almost happy that I have an exam at 9am tomorrow so that I can stay in tonight and go to sleep early.
Last night, instead of studying like I probably should have, I went to the weekly pub quiz with the Roleplaying Society. We had a lot of fun as always, but this week someone suggested that we go to a club afterwards to dance. We were all on the fence for a while, but eventually most of us headed over. While standing in line this guy, who was obviously quite drunk, came back towards a bouncer who had told him to get out. The drunk guy shoved, the bouncer grabbed him and shoved him down, the other bouncer rushed over and the two of them sat on the guy. All the while the drunk guy's girlfriend or something was shouting things like "He's calm!" and "Get off of him." and "Oh, hit a girl then!" (even though neither of the bouncers looked like they would hit her. They did however look like they were prepared to sit on her too if she presented a problem). Also, imagine everything she was saying, but imagine it as someone who is drunk and Scottish. It was quite exhilarating, but at the same time it was a complete buzz kill. See, when the drunk guy pushed into the bouncer the bouncer obviously stumbled backwards and little. Guess who he stumbled into. Yep, me. Basically, all the alcohol I had ingested that evening went away and I was no longer tipsy (yes, someone bought me a tequila shot and it hit me like a brick wall and I was officially tipsy). A few of the others lost their alcohol joy as well so, to make this long story short, we went into the club for five minutes then left. But hey! I experienced my first bouncer attack thing. The police even made an appearance which is pretty cool. Well...not for the drunk guy who shoved the bouncers and started a fight, but in general it was definitely and experience.
If that weren't enough, before this happened we were all standing outside deciding whether or not to go and this very drunk fellow comes over and starts talking to us. It was a little confusing because you couldn't understand a word he was saying. Then, after he left us, this other drunk guy came over and tried to get me and my friend Maren and Lisa to go with him to a...club I think it was. Obviously, we politely declined. Oh, but wait, there's more!
As we were walking home from the club after deciding that we'd had too much excitement for one night this drunk guy follows Sean, Jamie, and me for a while. At first he just asked for a cigarette. Alright, fair enough. Then he just followed us and was talking to himself and joined into our conversation. Except, he didn't' really join in because he came in with something that had nothing to do with what we were talking about. It was something about people's accents or something. I don't remember.
It was a very interesting night to say the least. I'm almost happy that I have an exam at 9am tomorrow so that I can stay in tonight and go to sleep early.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
New Blog
Alright guys. If you're interesting in reading a different kind of blog here's one for you. She's a little blunt and very opinionated but she makes interesting and valid points. And she happens to be one of my best friends. She's a brilliant writer and is always up for a debate. So, if you fancy mixing it up just a little then I suggest reading her blog.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Serenity
Serenity (noun): The state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness.
This is what I try to be. I try to look at everything that is and was from an outside view and make decisions as objective as possible. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But, no one can make me upset unless I want to be (or if my guard is down to be completely honest). If there is one good thing about me, it's that I am no one's plaything.
This is what I try to be. I try to look at everything that is and was from an outside view and make decisions as objective as possible. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But, no one can make me upset unless I want to be (or if my guard is down to be completely honest). If there is one good thing about me, it's that I am no one's plaything.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Busy Day
Such a busy day planned. I have to go turn in the report I spent a week writing. I don't know how good it is. I didn't understand the experiment as well as I did the last one, but I know that all the sections are in the right order and that I've put what I need in each. So, at least I know I'll get a passing grade. I am also going to bug the English office about where my last essay is. I do want to know what mark I got, but my tutor isn't emailed me back. Hopefully he finally submitted the essays to the office so I can pick mine up before the final next Friday (YIKES!). Then I'm going to make a doctor's appointment.
Why do I need a doctor's appointment? Well, it's nothing serious (at least I hope it's not) but my right leg has been swelling for quite a while now. It swells for a few hours then goes down so I've never bothered making a doctor's appointment because the swelling always goes down, but yesterday it was swollen from about 10am to well...it must have gone down when I went to sleep because it was still swollen when I tried to get to sleep. That's over 12 hours of my leg being swollen. Means that Erin should go see the doctor about it. I hate doctor's, but my mom might kill me if I don't make an appointment now and she finds out over the summer.
Really, the doctor's appointment is most important today. I have a few other things that I need to do, but they take a back seat to making the appointment.
Hey! You know what would be a fun game? Let's guess why Erin's leg has been swelling for the past few months. Is it a stress reaction? Or could I be retaining water? Is a blood vessel not working properly? Oh gosh! This is fun!
Why do I need a doctor's appointment? Well, it's nothing serious (at least I hope it's not) but my right leg has been swelling for quite a while now. It swells for a few hours then goes down so I've never bothered making a doctor's appointment because the swelling always goes down, but yesterday it was swollen from about 10am to well...it must have gone down when I went to sleep because it was still swollen when I tried to get to sleep. That's over 12 hours of my leg being swollen. Means that Erin should go see the doctor about it. I hate doctor's, but my mom might kill me if I don't make an appointment now and she finds out over the summer.
Really, the doctor's appointment is most important today. I have a few other things that I need to do, but they take a back seat to making the appointment.
Hey! You know what would be a fun game? Let's guess why Erin's leg has been swelling for the past few months. Is it a stress reaction? Or could I be retaining water? Is a blood vessel not working properly? Oh gosh! This is fun!
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Start of Revision Week
Today starts revision week. This means that we have no classes for the whole week and that exams will start next week. My first exam is my English exam on May 27. Well, technically, my first exam was today. Today was my Gaelic Oral Exam and I've been told that I did very well. I know that there are at least 2 questions where I didn't get any points, but out of 20 questions that doesn't worry me at all.
So, what is my plan for the next week as I don't have classes. Well, every day I'm going to work on my Psychology report which is due in on Friday. I have two psychology courses and my practical course does not have a final exam. The final grade is based on our two practical reports (the first one I got an 18) and the MCQs. I'm hoping that I will do as amazing on this report as I did on the last report because I'm haven't done particularly well on the MCQs. I'm also going to choose the books I'm going to use for the English exam and reread them (or read them for the first time...). Finally, for an hour or two a day, I'm going to work very hard on Gaelic. Last semester I got a 17 on the final exam and I'm really hoping for an 18-20 this semester.
Now, you may be asking, "Erin, if you have such big plans for your grades this semester then why are you spending time writing on this blog that apparently no one reads?" That's a very good question and I shall tell you the truthful answer. I'm writing on the blog because I've been working on my practical report for the past hour and I had trouble starting off the introduction so I decided to take a little break so that my brain can relax for just a little and forget about having to write eloquently or grammatically correct. That's right people, I don't really put effort into these posts that you wait for.
I also thought I would tell you guys that Lisa and I are signing the lease this evening. Hooray! Once we've signed this piece of paper we will not have to worry at all about housing for us. We'll be helping Marlene and Amy throughout the week as we're hoping to find them a flat nearish to us.
Well, That's all from me for now. I'm going to continue working on the introduction for my report. Perhaps tomorrow, if you're all very good little bloggers, then I shall tell you what the report is about.
So, what is my plan for the next week as I don't have classes. Well, every day I'm going to work on my Psychology report which is due in on Friday. I have two psychology courses and my practical course does not have a final exam. The final grade is based on our two practical reports (the first one I got an 18) and the MCQs. I'm hoping that I will do as amazing on this report as I did on the last report because I'm haven't done particularly well on the MCQs. I'm also going to choose the books I'm going to use for the English exam and reread them (or read them for the first time...). Finally, for an hour or two a day, I'm going to work very hard on Gaelic. Last semester I got a 17 on the final exam and I'm really hoping for an 18-20 this semester.
Now, you may be asking, "Erin, if you have such big plans for your grades this semester then why are you spending time writing on this blog that apparently no one reads?" That's a very good question and I shall tell you the truthful answer. I'm writing on the blog because I've been working on my practical report for the past hour and I had trouble starting off the introduction so I decided to take a little break so that my brain can relax for just a little and forget about having to write eloquently or grammatically correct. That's right people, I don't really put effort into these posts that you wait for.
I also thought I would tell you guys that Lisa and I are signing the lease this evening. Hooray! Once we've signed this piece of paper we will not have to worry at all about housing for us. We'll be helping Marlene and Amy throughout the week as we're hoping to find them a flat nearish to us.
Well, That's all from me for now. I'm going to continue working on the introduction for my report. Perhaps tomorrow, if you're all very good little bloggers, then I shall tell you what the report is about.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Off the "To Do" List
That's right! Housing for Lisa and me is officially off the "must do" list. :D We're going to be signing the lease on *hopefully* Monday. Either Monday or Friday, but we have a place to live. It's a pretty nice flat with two good size bedrooms, and nice living room, decent sized kitchen, and a pretty nice bathroom. It's also got a garden and, this is the icing on the cake, the landlady will allow me to raise a Guide Dog Puppy in the flat (as long as I agree to pay for any damage done by said puppy). Hooray!!!!!
This being said, Marlene and Amy still don't have a flat, but the landlady was so nice about this. I'm going to try to recreate the conversation.
This being said, Marlene and Amy still don't have a flat, but the landlady was so nice about this. I'm going to try to recreate the conversation.
"You two are looking a little worried. Now there's no reason to be. Here's the names of so many other landlords/ladies who are looking for two people and here are some solicitors who would be happy to see you, just tell them I sent you. I'll have a look around and talk to a few people and let you know what I find."
She really was that nice. And I'm sure we'll find something for Marlene and Amy close by.
Anyway, for now. I'm off to get ready for Eurovision. :D
Friday, May 13, 2011
Home Sweet Where?
As you might have guessed, that house viwing didn't go great. The woman did let us know that the single bedroom was small, but we didn't think she meant TINY. I mean, the room was big enough for a bed and that was it. We decided that we could deal with it because the rest of the house was pretty nice, but it wasn't meant to be. The landlady called me back and said that someone else had taken it. Oh well. She's letting us view a flat of hers tomorrow, but it's only a 2 person flat. We've decided to split into two groups of two in any case, but I was really looking forward to living with Amy, Marlene, AND Lisa. Instead it'll be me and one of them (most likely...almost definitely Lisa). A smaller household but the landlady is going to let me raise a Guide Dog puppy in the flat! (If we get to lease it of course). Wish us luck!
Sorry that most of my posts have been about finding housing for next year. I'm going to start posting about University stuff again soon, but this has been on my mind for a while and getting my thoughts out there in cyber space help to sort them. Tomorrow will probably be rants about how the flat viewings (yes, we found another 2 person flat close by the other and get to view it on the same day), how I'm still in shock over the last day of classes, and my excitement for Eurovision!
Sorry that most of my posts have been about finding housing for next year. I'm going to start posting about University stuff again soon, but this has been on my mind for a while and getting my thoughts out there in cyber space help to sort them. Tomorrow will probably be rants about how the flat viewings (yes, we found another 2 person flat close by the other and get to view it on the same day), how I'm still in shock over the last day of classes, and my excitement for Eurovision!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
No Phone Call
We haven't received a call yet saying that the house we're going to view tomorrow is already taken! :D I take this as a very good sign, but we have to make it through the whole day without a call from the lady for me to get excited. The house we're viewing is a little expensive and we wouldn't be able to move in until July (meaning Marlene, Amy and I would have to find a place to keep our stuff for the summer and Lisa would have to find a place to live for 3 weeks...well 2 really) but I think we're all ok with that at the moment. We'll have to actually see the place to see if it's worth our money, but it's the last 4 bedroom place in Aberdeen until summer is over and we want to have it sorted before the summer begins. So, I'm hoping for good things of this house.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Last Week
Well, we've come to the last week of classes. Next week is revision week and then starts final exams. I can't believe how quick this first year seems to have gone. It seems like just yesterday I had no idea where to find the MacRobert Building (the MacRobert Building is the one I see from my window everyday :P) and I couldn't find my way into or out of town without using the major streets. Now I obviously know where the MacRobert Building is and I frequently use back roads instead of major streets. I still don't know the city half as well as I would like to, but I suppose that'll come with being here just a little longer.
I keep telling myself that this last week will be over quicker than I think it will be and soon I'll be sitting in my exams. Even though I keep telling myself that I can't seem to motivate myself to work or review. I'm blaming it on the unusually pleasant weather we've been having.
It is a little surreal though. In about a month I'll be back home in the States for the summer holiday. In less than a month my last exam of first year will be over. Seriously...surreal.
I keep telling myself that this last week will be over quicker than I think it will be and soon I'll be sitting in my exams. Even though I keep telling myself that I can't seem to motivate myself to work or review. I'm blaming it on the unusually pleasant weather we've been having.
It is a little surreal though. In about a month I'll be back home in the States for the summer holiday. In less than a month my last exam of first year will be over. Seriously...surreal.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Move Down! Move Down!
I have three psychology lectures a week. Monday is cognitive psychology where we talk about the brain. Most recently we've been talking about memory. It's actually been helpful because one week we talked about studying and how to remember information for tests and exams better. Tuesday is social psychology where we talk about how we perceive people and why we do certain things in social groups. Social psychology happens to be my favourite, but only because I don't like the lecturer on Thursdays. Thursday is animal psychology and as I said, the lecturer isn't my favourite. She actually kind of bores me on a subject that I love. It's hard to do, but she manages it. But, for the past two weeks we've had a guest lecturer and she's been wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed her two lectures. Some of the other students may have a different opinion than I do though, because she had this radical idea and decided to activate it during her lectures.
The psychology lectures are all in a big lecture theatre due to the amount of people who take first year psychology (everyone thinks "easy A"). And, as in all other subjects, attendance dwindles after the first two or three weeks of term. Attendance especially drops when it's a subject that very few people take and interest in like Animal Psychology. Attendance will drop even more if the lecturer is kind of boring as our normal lecturer is. So, out of all the students who are enrolled in PS1509 only a small fraction show up. Maybe 60 students...and that number is optimistic.
Now, this guest lecturer for Psychology asked us to do something that no other lecturer had. She asked us to sit in the front 10 rows of the lecture theatre. *GASP!* She said she wasn't going to use the microphone so she would prefer all of us to sit near the front (I also have a sneaking suspicion that she believes that students who sit near the front are more likely to pay attention). Because of my hearing problems (I gots ears full of wax that inhibits my hearing) and my vision problems (I have pretty bad eyesight) I generally sit near the front anyway. I like being able to understand what the lecturer is saying. I mean, I am paying for this so why would I not want to pay attention? Most people picked up their belongings and made their way to the front rows. Some though, packed up their belongings and just left. One couple I remember distinctively.
She asked everyone to move to the front last Thursday and these two stayed at the very back. She looked at them and said, "Come on now." And they just sat there starring at her in disbelief and defiance. After she asked another time they stood up and left. Can you believe that!? I mean, really!? That is what I call rude and if either of my parents (especially my mom) caught me doing something that rude to any teacher I would have been punished for my rudeness.
I've always been under the impression that once you get to University level you should want to be at school. No one is forcing you to go to school, so isn't it by your own choice that you come and sit and learn? If they don't want to be at class so much that when asked to come sit at the front instead of at the very back of the lecture theatre then why are they coming to University at all? I'm here because I want to learn and I enjoy learning new things and I don't have time to waste on people who are here for "shits and giggles." Don't get me wrong have fun, but also have respect for a person who has the title "Dr." before their name.
Also, they missed this video...so their loss I guess.
The psychology lectures are all in a big lecture theatre due to the amount of people who take first year psychology (everyone thinks "easy A"). And, as in all other subjects, attendance dwindles after the first two or three weeks of term. Attendance especially drops when it's a subject that very few people take and interest in like Animal Psychology. Attendance will drop even more if the lecturer is kind of boring as our normal lecturer is. So, out of all the students who are enrolled in PS1509 only a small fraction show up. Maybe 60 students...and that number is optimistic.
Now, this guest lecturer for Psychology asked us to do something that no other lecturer had. She asked us to sit in the front 10 rows of the lecture theatre. *GASP!* She said she wasn't going to use the microphone so she would prefer all of us to sit near the front (I also have a sneaking suspicion that she believes that students who sit near the front are more likely to pay attention). Because of my hearing problems (I gots ears full of wax that inhibits my hearing) and my vision problems (I have pretty bad eyesight) I generally sit near the front anyway. I like being able to understand what the lecturer is saying. I mean, I am paying for this so why would I not want to pay attention? Most people picked up their belongings and made their way to the front rows. Some though, packed up their belongings and just left. One couple I remember distinctively.
She asked everyone to move to the front last Thursday and these two stayed at the very back. She looked at them and said, "Come on now." And they just sat there starring at her in disbelief and defiance. After she asked another time they stood up and left. Can you believe that!? I mean, really!? That is what I call rude and if either of my parents (especially my mom) caught me doing something that rude to any teacher I would have been punished for my rudeness.
I've always been under the impression that once you get to University level you should want to be at school. No one is forcing you to go to school, so isn't it by your own choice that you come and sit and learn? If they don't want to be at class so much that when asked to come sit at the front instead of at the very back of the lecture theatre then why are they coming to University at all? I'm here because I want to learn and I enjoy learning new things and I don't have time to waste on people who are here for "shits and giggles." Don't get me wrong have fun, but also have respect for a person who has the title "Dr." before their name.
Also, they missed this video...so their loss I guess.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Still Looking
So, y'all know the flat viewing we were suppose to go to yesterday? Yeah, that never happened. Why? Because on Tuesday someone viewed it and decided to lease it. *Insert four letter word here* That's the third time in a row this has happened to us. Can't the universe just give us a break and let us find a place to live before finals start? Pretty please?
On the bright side we still have a viewing for the Four Bedroom House next Wednesday. I feel more confident about this one than the others and I am perfectly willing and ready to find a place to store my stuff over the summer if we can't move in before July. Amy, Marlene, and I will all be home by the time July rolls around and Lisa's current lease runs out on June 10th. We'll figure something out if we really, really like the house. Currently, I'm all for taking it no matter what and I've just seen the outside of the house. But the outside is lovely and it has a nice little front garden and a shared back garden. At least I believe it's shared. It might be private, but either way I'd be happy.
Here's hoping that we'll be able to get this place.
On the bright side we still have a viewing for the Four Bedroom House next Wednesday. I feel more confident about this one than the others and I am perfectly willing and ready to find a place to store my stuff over the summer if we can't move in before July. Amy, Marlene, and I will all be home by the time July rolls around and Lisa's current lease runs out on June 10th. We'll figure something out if we really, really like the house. Currently, I'm all for taking it no matter what and I've just seen the outside of the house. But the outside is lovely and it has a nice little front garden and a shared back garden. At least I believe it's shared. It might be private, but either way I'd be happy.
Here's hoping that we'll be able to get this place.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Search Continues
If you read my Dog Blog you'll know that we're still searching for a place to live next year. "But Erin," you say, "what about that nice flat you were talking about not too long ago?" Well, I'll tell you what happened to that flat. The agency had to get the "yay" or "nay" from the landlady which is why we didn't start signing papers immediately. We knew we probably wouldn't hear until last Monday because it was Easter Weekend. When we didn't hear all Monday afternoon, I was asked to call the agency. So, I did. The guy who was dealing with our request said that the landlady would contact either Marlene or Amy and talk to them to meet us because she had found her own people who wanted to move in. Which makes me ask the question, "Why did she go through an agency?" Before you say anything about the flat being on the market for a while it wasn't. When we saw it, it wasn't even technically on the market yet. Anyway, she never called Amy or Marlene (we never even had a chance) and we got a call from the agency telling us that she had picked the other people. We're thinking we'll go to another agency due to the two places we've wanted and have fallen through when we tried to lease them. Ah, well...I suppose that we won't get anywhere nice to live. Everywhere nice and close to campus is already taken. If we can't find a 4 person that we like I might suggest we split up into two groups of two.
We have another flat viewing this Wednesday and someone got in contact with me about a 4 person house I asked about. It's available from the beginning of July, but the woman on the phone said we could talk about that. I'm hoping that she says something lovely like "Yeah, go ahead and move in in June" or something. Mostly because the flat we're viewing tomorrow is about 40 minutes away from the University while this house is about 10 minutes away, if that. I'm going to call her back today and hope. This house also has garden access...I want garden access.
We have another flat viewing this Wednesday and someone got in contact with me about a 4 person house I asked about. It's available from the beginning of July, but the woman on the phone said we could talk about that. I'm hoping that she says something lovely like "Yeah, go ahead and move in in June" or something. Mostly because the flat we're viewing tomorrow is about 40 minutes away from the University while this house is about 10 minutes away, if that. I'm going to call her back today and hope. This house also has garden access...I want garden access.
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