Phd open day

Returning from an open day at my choice of uni here in Kent, I can't help but feel very floaty.

Grey buildings which looked a little ugly and industrial were ignored as I walked into the conference suite which had grass on the walls as artwork.  It was beautiful.  The place felt nice. The coffee smelt welcoming.  The English literature stand saw me gaining a helpful email address for the postgraduate administration team.  That'll be useful.  I also have a name of a potential supervisor who already has my email sitting in his inbox.  He teaches life writing, biography and memoir - perfect!

Following this skippy trip to the heart of Kent, I returned to my local town to pop in and say Hi to my fellow ambassadors.  This is the first day I have missed working an open day and it's sad but times move on.

During a conversation with one of the people who work in the recruitment department, I was invited to do some public speaking as an Alumni for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) recruitment days.  With bells on! I'm there.

This is a good day in relation to all these things. I'm always great at being an ambassador or being a good person to talk to yet....the actual work eludes me right now. Which is tricky.  I need to crack on and start churning some more work out. Sooner rather than later.

Is my personal life getting in the way?  Should I possibly simply quit any other sort of life and become a workaholic once again?

Bank Holiday revision

After much panic (needed panic?)  I am sat at university on Bank Holiday Sunday.

The weather is streaming sunshine outside.  Yet here I am revising.  Thankfully things are starting to click into place and I feel like this is what I need to do.  To just brave it out!

At university we have been discouraged from using  the internet.  Especially you tube.  Yet last year I felt it really helped so much.  Two friends of mine (one from last years uni and one from this year) both suggested I use Youtube.  So I have.  Sitting here with my headphones on and watching youtube.  Making notes and hoping to get around to writing up some bullet points.

All the while I am sharing these videos over on my Science of Nutrition Facebook page.  I hope it will help some of you guys too.

After previous disappointing results, I have really been going to town beating myself up about this.  Silly.  Silly me.

Yet the family have needed me as we have been taking Scott through a series of heart operations, tests and issues.  Of course I'm still there for mum as we get used to life without Dad and now on top of these types of dramas my car has gone wrong.  Not good as I need to pay a small fortune to fix it.  But good as I am now getting a new one!  Wonderful.  Excited.

Meeting up with my personal tutor and the mental health team on Thursday.  Just to get some support.   A little rub on the arm and a 'come on Louise, you've got this' will help massively.

Panic.  Breathe.

Waking up too early on Mothers Day

Mothers Day is here once again.

With my mother still here to grace us with her presence, yet my mother in law about to have her final curtains drawn on life, I can't help but wonder what is it all about.  Then I remember, I know now.

Wisdom.

Age.

Time.  

They have all taught me exactly what I should be doing with this thing called life.  I should be chasing memories and creating JOY.  And I know what that means for me and where it takes me.

To the woods, the trees, the nature. 

As a family, we are beginning to rethink things.  We want to be in the woods and grow organic vegetables, breathe good air and the like. 

What wakes me so early? Is it excitement? Stress?  Thinking?  Physical health?  I'm really not sure.  

Exams and deadlines loom all around, I feel flutters within my heart.  They frighten me.  Apparently, that coupled with the memory loss I keep experiencing and the lack of sleep all come up with anxiety, depression and stress (when you use Google).  

My old friend from London Met used to say "I like the Google very much." In her strong adorable indian accent.  I miss her.

So mothers day brings me to a place of once again being at my desk,  writing (I can't get enough of it)   and wanting to do more and more and more all of the time. There's so much there's too much.

Project proposal looms.  I'm going to love that yet I'm unclear where to start.  Watch this space, I will give you more detail and information as I can.

Meanwhile, back to looking for sellotape to wrap mums gift. That eludes me.  

Presentation skills workshop

Attending a presentation skills workshop seemed a no brainer when the invite arrived in my inbox via the employability office. 

Many times we have been encouraged as a class to get used to the idea that we would be presenting many times over. At my last university, in year Zero, I was fortunate enough to be encouraged to speak at many of their events which were well attended by industry experts.

Most of us felt as though this was more of a practice as opposed to learning workshop, which was fine, yet I did feel I would have loved to go further into detail.  Perhaps as a mature student with experiences already I was expecting too much.  As a note to myself, I wondered how I should be learning more about my presenting skills.  Perhaps this is something I could look further into very soon. I know there will be many videos on the internet helping with the finer details of making a good presentation.

Nevertheless, this was not a waste of time as I met a couple of new students who I could now smile and wave at on campus, as well as fulfilling a requirement of attendance towards my own course credits.

Win/win.