Sorry, pardon the pun! But seriously, where has the time gone? I remember not so long ago I was getting excited about starting the new term, and now we're getting close to the end - well, close to exams and assignment deadlines anyway!
I would just like to say that right now, I despise Student Finance with a passion!
I still haven't sorted out my financial support, mainly because some numpty took 1 look at my loan application, saw I'd been at university before, completely ignored the information I'd submitted and assumed I had a degree therefore deeming me ineligible for support. Doh! So fast forward a few months, and I've given them a copy of my actual certificate, explained I was ill with depression for most of my time at university and it was on this basis I withdrew, and they've now requested medical evidence from my GP to confirm it. Anyone else find this a teeny bit unreasonable, seeing as it relates to over 10 years ago?!? And given that the tuition fees when I first went to uni were around £1k a year - compared with the £3.5k they are now - so even if I had received full tuition fee loan amounts for the years I did, it barely adds up to the equivalent of 1 years' financial aid now!! So guess who owes my parents for bailing me out yet again? **sigh**
Anyhoo.....I guess the moral of the story is to allow as much time as possible to sort out the financial side of going to uni, and err on the huge side of caution if you can, cos you never know what obstacles will be put in your way!
As for my course, well I'm sad that I'm already half-way through my aromatherapy module for this year. We've covered 5 oils so far - Bergamot (yum yum!), Lavender (True, Spike aaaaand Lavandin), Frankincense (my fave!), Rosemary & Roman Chamomile. Still got another 5 to go though! What I did find interesting, as part of my readings, is that Frankincense (aka Boswellia carterii) contains a compound called trahydrocannabinole, which is known for its psychoactive properties and considered to be related to other cannabinoids (which are on the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency) so it's no wonder I love burning the resin as incense!
Massage is going great, although I'm kinda freaking out just a lil bit that next week we start working on REAL clients (instead of just practising on each other) but in a way it will be much better for getting proper constructive feedback - working on people you know is fine, but sometimes you wonder if they really mean that everything was fine, pressure was perfect etc etc!
The thing that surprises me is the Mindfulness module - I looked forward to it at the start of uni, and the 1st semester was ok, but it just bores me now and I really don't enjoy it at all. So I'm not looking forward to the assignments at all - the first of which is due in later this month! I think perhaps for me it's the teaching style I don't respond to - my previous experience of Tai Chi was very positive, but the form we are being taught at uni is totally different and there doesn't seem to be any real structure to it....which worries me a little, since we are being videoed doing the form as part of our assessment! That and we are meant to be keeping a reflective journal, from which we need to use 4 extracts to write a 2.5k essay! Reflective journal entries are fine (although most of mine tend to be in my head!) - it's the part about analysing it from an academic standpoint that I don't like, as reflection is meant to be a personal thing in my opinion....and do they really want to know what goes on in my head???
Never mind, roll on better weather!
I would just like to say that right now, I despise Student Finance with a passion!
I still haven't sorted out my financial support, mainly because some numpty took 1 look at my loan application, saw I'd been at university before, completely ignored the information I'd submitted and assumed I had a degree therefore deeming me ineligible for support. Doh! So fast forward a few months, and I've given them a copy of my actual certificate, explained I was ill with depression for most of my time at university and it was on this basis I withdrew, and they've now requested medical evidence from my GP to confirm it. Anyone else find this a teeny bit unreasonable, seeing as it relates to over 10 years ago?!? And given that the tuition fees when I first went to uni were around £1k a year - compared with the £3.5k they are now - so even if I had received full tuition fee loan amounts for the years I did, it barely adds up to the equivalent of 1 years' financial aid now!! So guess who owes my parents for bailing me out yet again? **sigh**
Anyhoo.....I guess the moral of the story is to allow as much time as possible to sort out the financial side of going to uni, and err on the huge side of caution if you can, cos you never know what obstacles will be put in your way!
As for my course, well I'm sad that I'm already half-way through my aromatherapy module for this year. We've covered 5 oils so far - Bergamot (yum yum!), Lavender (True, Spike aaaaand Lavandin), Frankincense (my fave!), Rosemary & Roman Chamomile. Still got another 5 to go though! What I did find interesting, as part of my readings, is that Frankincense (aka Boswellia carterii) contains a compound called trahydrocannabinole, which is known for its psychoactive properties and considered to be related to other cannabinoids (which are on the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency) so it's no wonder I love burning the resin as incense!
Massage is going great, although I'm kinda freaking out just a lil bit that next week we start working on REAL clients (instead of just practising on each other) but in a way it will be much better for getting proper constructive feedback - working on people you know is fine, but sometimes you wonder if they really mean that everything was fine, pressure was perfect etc etc!
The thing that surprises me is the Mindfulness module - I looked forward to it at the start of uni, and the 1st semester was ok, but it just bores me now and I really don't enjoy it at all. So I'm not looking forward to the assignments at all - the first of which is due in later this month! I think perhaps for me it's the teaching style I don't respond to - my previous experience of Tai Chi was very positive, but the form we are being taught at uni is totally different and there doesn't seem to be any real structure to it....which worries me a little, since we are being videoed doing the form as part of our assessment! That and we are meant to be keeping a reflective journal, from which we need to use 4 extracts to write a 2.5k essay! Reflective journal entries are fine (although most of mine tend to be in my head!) - it's the part about analysing it from an academic standpoint that I don't like, as reflection is meant to be a personal thing in my opinion....and do they really want to know what goes on in my head???
Never mind, roll on better weather!
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