April 12, 2010 1

I’ll see you 1st July (maybe)

By Ann in Personal

Quick post to update you on my life since when my favourite bloggers stop posting I like to know they’re still alive and have some sort of existence somewhere on the planet now and then.

  • Am crazily revising. Sort of. I’ve been really good this year and have written out a revision timetable, and actually have been working over the holidays for like the first time in my life. Beginning to slip this week though, and am starting to see the attraction of watching Zac Efron-based movies instead of figuring out how to integrate cosec(x). Gotta keep my eyes on the goal.
  • Speaking of goals, mine is Durham Uni. Went up there on the post-offer Open Day to stay in my college and I had a really, fucking amazing time (and considering I tend not to swear on this blog, that says something). Everyone was really friendly, I’m convinced I picked the most awesome college, and I finally found a Music course which seems made for me (aurally based rather than performance based). Came back home and accepted it as my firm offer, with Royal Holloway as my insurance, though I’m practically in love with Durham I wouldn’t be as happy anywhere else.
  • Which brings me back to exams – I’ve had my first, 40% of my Music which was the performance. I think it went OK, I freaked out a bit at the beginning so don’t remember much of that but after I calmed down I played really well. The questions the examiner asked about my performance were a bit odd, but I at least got in everything I wanted to say. Overall I think it went better than last year, so hopefully I’ve got that A in the bag, just for another two more to secure my A in music which I need for both Unis. Unfortunately I don’t get any leeway at all this year when it comes to marks and grades – Durham was very clear that due to the government’s cutbacks, and the fact that they’ll be fined £1000 for every student they go “over budget” with they won’t be taking anybody who just missed their grades, even by the tiniest of leeways such as one mark (when I probably would have before). ONE MARK under an A and I won’t be going to Uni. I hate this government.
  • Speaking of which, I’m voting this year. Got a call earlier for the Lib Dems asking who I was going to vote for. I told them to sod off.
  • Back to my life, in between the revising I’ve been watching quite a bit of telly. So happy for Guttenplan winning UC last week, gutted that Amit went out in the semis. Oh, and my friend is actually arranging coffee with him – he’s a friend of a friend. In her words, “Jews know every other Jew in the area.” I’m understandably jealous, but have considered bringing my Jewish roots into this.
  • Also been watching Doctor Who. Am in love with Matt Smith, and would be with Steven Moffat if he wasn’t quite so old. Don’t even know who that other guy was who used to play the Doctor (I’ve been watching so much NCIS recently I think of Ziva when I see the name David anywhere).
  • Finally, I’m taking this weekend off and going away with my oldest friend Rachael. Church group leaders have organised that the final year students go away for the weekend (I have no idea where) but since there are only three girls it’ll be me, her and some other girl I haven’t seen for a while, plus two leaders. The guys are going off somewhere (camping I think, which is why we’re not going together) and we’re just going to relax and catch up since work and exams mean we don’t spend much time together now, and since we’ll all be going off to Uni in different places come October. I’m really glad I get the chance to do this since I’m not bothered about leaving anything or anyone in general any more, but I haven’t really been thinking about leaving my friends at Church since they seem almost like family, and I know I’ll probably miss them more than anyone. I guess I feel I haven’t spent as much time with them as I want to. Meh. ANYWAY then on Sunday we’ll meet up with the boys and go off to church somewhere and then come home. CAN’T WAIT.
  • I just ordered my mother the New Moon DVD for her birthday. Hey, I needed an excuse.

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March 15, 2010 0

Smart is the New Sexy

By Ann in General

Going to a girls’ school does have it’s advantages in that we can have lots of really girly chats over boys we fancy. Going to a nerdy girls’ school also means we watch nerdy kinds of programs, one such being University Challenge. If you’re not familiar with this then the title really says it all – teams from all the UK’s universities (or in the case of Oxford and Cambridge, teams from each college) are allowed to enter, and then each week two teams battle it out to be awarded the fastest, cleverest, and generally most nerdy university.

A lot of people in my year watch it including myself, perhaps because it appeals to the very kind of girls at my school – desperately competitive, clever and a little bit up themselves. About half of the questions are final-year standard, and more are general knowledge, so I’m sure they get an ego boost too when they can correctly answer questions most uni students puzzle over (I don’t include myself in this since I can only ever remember getting some music ones which noone ever knows, and a further maths one).

Last year Gayle Trimble made the headlines as the captain of one of the Oxford teams, as she became one of the most unlikely sex symbols, purely through her knowledge of aparrently everything. Well this year it’s the turn of the boys.

The first person we saw who appeared to know everything was the captain of one of the Cambridge teams, Alex Guttenplan. He instantly won over the hearts of girls like me by acing the round, yet constantly looking terrified he was going to get it wrong. Although I must admit he wasn’t the best looking of guys, I, and many girls (and guys) loved him and couldn’t wait for his next round.

BUT! That wasn’t all. Imperial College had a team, captained by someone who seemed to know just as much as Guttenplan – a guy called Gilead Amit. Of course, the Jewish girls in school were going crazy since both he and Guttenplan were Jewish, and everyone else instantly fell in love with him because he is pretty gorgeous. AND NOT ONLY IS HE GORGEOUS BUT HE KNOWS EVERYTHING TOO.

These two guys have divided our year – half are siding with Guttenplan because he may just have the edge of knowledge, but half are siding with Amit because he’s cute AND smart. It was tense when they were placed against each other in one of the quarter final rounds – Guttenplan’s team won but Imperial are back tonight because each team needs to win 2 out of 3 matches and this is their third. I, personally, am very much torn between the two, but my friends and I love Amit that little bit more. He studies PHYSICS (hardest subject in the world). He knows poetry. He couldn’t decide between studying English or History at Uni for a time, he was THAT CLEVER. He can seduce you in four languages. OMG.

Judging by the ratio of cute-builder-to-nerdy-guys in the year’s conversation, I think we can safely say that tonight, smart will definitely be the new sexy.

I think my sister’s in the minority on the cavewoman thing.

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