UCAS History

I did the International Baccalaureate instead of A levels, so when I was offered a place at University of Southampton for Med with 36 points and 666 at higher, my 32 with 644 at higher (4 ½ A’s at A level equivalent) didn’t get me very far. It did however, get me into a Biomedical Science Degree at Southampton Uni, which I absolutely loved (apart from neuroscience – very interesting but I appear to be rubbish at it, plants and molecular which are just dull and complicated and filled with three letter abbreviations for everything!) Here I learnt I could cook, I learnt to row, I made some great friends and I met my boyfriend. All was going well until the start of my final year, when I developed asthma so had to stop rowing and then anaemia, so my body tried to stop me doing everything – moving, concentrating and remembering, which is not conducive to revising for finals, or indeed sitting them. I had to take time out of my dissertation research but carried on battling to lectures. The uni had told me that they would apply a sickness policy to me, unfortunately, due to their anonymity policy, this didn’t help me in the slightest. Once again, I missed my offer of a place at the University of Leicester, but this time by a measly 3%.


So now here we are at round three. I revised and took the GAMSAT, and amazingly passed which was surprising considering I don’t really do well in exams and I have no background in Physics at all (I dropped it in year 9). This got me three interviews at St George’s 4yr, Nottingham 4yr and Peninsula 5yr. I found out last week I didn’t pass the interview for St George’s which is a shame because that was my first choice, but there we go, two left. I have the other two interviews coming up this month, and I honestly cannot pick between the two. Peninsula is close to home, a nicer program, has better facilities and I’d get to watch my god daughter grow up and see my family more often. On the other hand, it’s more expensive as I wouldn’t get a fee loan and I’d have to move every two years. Nottingham is a grad entry program, so a shorter course, I get a fee loan, it’s a nice friendly place but I’d be far from home and based at Derby away from the main uni and student-y goings on. I’m hoping actually going to the two places for interview will help me decide, and then again there is the distinct possibility that I will only get the one offer (if any) and so my decision will be made for me. I guess really, I’m going to enjoy wherever I end up going as it’s the course that I want to do and if the area’s really *that* bad I can just throw myself into my studies. Oooo, I just hate the waiting though! I submitted my application in October, which was ages ago. I went through all the stressiness of waiting to find out if my GAMSAT was good enough, then waiting to see if I’d get any interviews, then waiting to hear the results of my St George’s interview and the waiting’s getting kinda old now nice admissions people, yeah? Unconditional offers please! I’m a nice person, I’d work hard for you, do I really need to be interviewed? Aww, I wish, sadly, it’s not to be. Peninsula interview this is Thursday so I’m boning up on my ethical arguments and terminology. Fingers crossed for me!