Make-up for Nursing Placements

So this is a slightly random one but a blog post that I would have been interested in reading when I first started in March. If you feel comfortable without make-up then good on you but I really couldn't go without just a little bit to make me look more human at 6am!

Anyway, I love a bit of make-up and thought it might be useful for those students who have just started their courses, prospective student nurses or even those who are yet to start. Actually it might be helpful for anyone who works on a sweaty ward! Anyone who has worked a 13 hours shift knows that they don't look great by the end of it - your foundation has rubbed off, mascara is down your face...you just generally look crap. However, I made a discovery that is student budget friendly that does not budge from my face even after a 15 hour day (including travel) and still looks natural. The main reason I am posting this is because my work colleagues have mentioned on several occasions how good my make-up looks at the end of the day and asked what I use and how I apply it so I thought it might be useful to share.

Firstly let me tell you about my skin and skin care. I have quite an oily T-zone, some redness, quite dark under eye circles (from said long hours) and the odd spot/pimple from time to time. I'm not the best with full-on skin care and generally use face wipes to take off my make-up at night with a full face wash in the morning. I use Huggies Pure baby wipes to take off my make-up as they are gentle and have no chemicals that dry out or irritate my skin, plus they are very affordable compared to the big branded face wipes that generally give me spots or dry skin. I then use a light moisturiser, either E45 or Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser for more spotty days. I don't tend to use spot treatments as they are a little too harsh for my skin so instead I use the Clean and Clear Moisturiser (as previously mentioned). I just pop a dot on a spotty bit and it clears it up in a couple of days.



In terms of make-up, this is what I use:

• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £3.69 and better than a lot of high end concealers by a mile. I use this on any blemishes or areas of redness. 

http://www.superdrug.com/collection-2000/collection-2000-concealer-lasting-perfection-light/invt/592005&bklist=

• Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer - £6.99 and conceals my dark circles as well as brightening my under eye area. I extend my concealer just above the corners of my eyes to draw attention upwards and add as much light as possible.

http://www.superdrug.com/maybelline/maybelline-ny-dream-touch-concealer-ivory-01/invt/249970

• Revlon Colourstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin - £12.49 from Superdrug, so a little bit  pricey but I discovered a brilliant website that sells it for £6.99 from Fragrance Direct - bargain! I have used Estee Lauder and Mac foundation in the past and neither is as good as this, especially for the price. It doesn't last the stated "24 hours", but how many products actually last for the stated time? And who would actually wear make-up for that long....except in very rare circumstances...or if you fall asleep with your make-up on...? ;) I digress! All in all this foundation is excellent - it has great coverage, great staying power even over long and sweaty shifts and feels nice on the skin without being too heavy and cakey. I apply it with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush, which I find works very well and extends its staying power, however using your finger tips works well also. I'm desperate to try the Expert Face Brush but haven't quite got the pennies yet.

http://www.superdrug.com/revlon/revlon-colourstay-foundation-softflex-buff/invt/326690&bklist=
http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/revlon/revlon-colorstay-24h-foundation-combinationoily-skin-30ml/invt/0043123&bklist=icat,4,shop,cosmetics,cosmeticsface
http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/real-techniques/real-techniques-stippling-brush/invt/0048652
http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/invt/0048654&cm_vc=productpage


Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - £3.99 and again better than a lot of high end powders. I do like Mac transparent setting powders but cannot afford them. I apply this to my T-zone and it mattifies my skin, preventing my skin getting oily/shiny throughout the day, plus it doesn't hurt the bank balance too much :) 

http://www.superdrug.com/rimmel/rimmel-powder-stay-matte-pressed-powder-transparent/invt/592471&bklist=

• Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer - £6.99. This is very lightweight and just the right shade (it comes in light and dark but the light is far too light I think). I use it more for contouring my cheek bones and jaw a little and then just to give my skin a bit more colour. One of the greatest things about this is how long it lasts. I've had the same one for around 8 months now and have barely dented the surface, even though I use it nearly every day. This is definitely good value for money.

http://www.superdrug.com/bourjois/bourjois-blusher-delice-de-poudre-peau-mates-halee/invt/321079&bklist=

• MUA Blusher - £1.00! I love this make-up company for blushers, eyeshadows and brushes. They really are brilliant value. This blusher is such a lovely shade and at £1.00 can you really grumble?! It has lasted around 6 months and is still going. It lasts very well and looks nice and natural. (I use shade 4).

http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/blusher

• Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil - £2.99. This pencil is fantastic - long-lasting, a nice shade, easy to use, not too waxy and good value. I've never sen the point in spending a lot on an eyebrow pencil since this one does the job so well and I only use it to extend my brows a tiny bit any way. http://www.superdrug.com/rimmel/rimmel-eyebrow-pencil-hazel/invt/516526&bklist=

• 
  
• Loreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara - £10.99, Loreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara - £10.99 or Soap and Glory Thick & Fast Mascara - £10.00 - All 3 of these mascaras are equally brilliant. I'm pretty fussy with them as I have pretty crap eyelashes that don't do much really and all of these help a lot. They all last well although the Volume Million is too wet when you first open it so I let it dry out a little before I use it properly. I never buy the waterproof versions of mascara as I never seem to need them. I don't know whether it's just the type of eyes I have. Perhaps others would need waterproof formulas. It's all down to personal preference really and trying things out.

http://www.superdrug.com/loreal/loreal-false-lash-telescopic-mascara/invt/382251&bklist=

http://www.superdrug.com/loreal/volume-million-lashes-extra-black/invt/223440&bklist=

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Thick-Fast-Super-Volume-Mascara-Superjet-Black_1238274/

• Revlon Lip Butters - £7.99. I never usually wear any lip products (except lip balm) on placement but when I do I stick to these. The colours are subtle if you apply them sheerly, the application is lovely and they moisturise the lips. They are slightly pricey I think but well worth it. I once wore one for uni and it lasted 5 hours! Now that is good going for a lip product with such a balmy finish. 

http://www.superdrug.com/revlon/revlon-colorburst-lip-butter-peach-parfait/invt/409558&bklist=

I hope this post has been of some help. If anyone would like to know more please contact me via the form below or leave a comment.

Thanks for reading :)

My First Couple of Days as a Student Nurse!

I've just finished my second day at uni and it's all getting very exciting. We were introduced to our Guidance Tutor (GT) and group, told where our placement area will be, given lots of info about the course itself, given our PPDF file thingys (I think they're a record of the skills we build in placements but not so sure yet), measured for our uniforms, given our 'Student Nurse' badges, given lots of paperwork and timetables etc and given a tour of the university and clinical skills areas. We've generally had a lot of free time so far but I'm expecting this to change rather rapidly. I'm really chuffed with my GT and group but not so much with my placement area. It means travelling up to 70 miles each way for some hospitals which would be impossible for me. I'm in discussions with my tutors to try and change this though so hoping for the best.

Not much to report as of yet but here's a pic of some lil things I've collected :) 

Excited for the next few weeks!

Staying Balanced & Healthy, both Physically & Emotionally

It is so  important to maintain who you are whilst doing something very stressful so that you can retain some balance in your life. In fact one of the biggest pieces of advice I've been given for starting this course is to try my best to make time for myself and the things I enjoy. The way I intend to do this throughout my time at university is to keep up my hobbies and make damn sure I do. I always tend to get lost in what I'm doing but this time I've promised myself that it'll be different. My current front runner hobbies are playing with make-up, reading books and exercising regularly. Perhaps a touch of meeting friends and consuming a lil bit of my old mate Rosè wine and Bournville choccy :) I WILL keep this up, I will! (Perhaps just the wine and choc :0p)

I'll keep you posted on my success levels :0/

I Start Uni this Month: My Nursey Supplies

Hi there!

So...it's now March, the month that my course begins. How very exciting...and nerve racking/terrifying! :O This aside, it's been an age since I posted so thought I'd do a lil post about the items I've collected for uni. Collecting things has helped to prevent me being so impatient...hence the volume of things I have, some more unnecessary than others, ha! Some were gifts, some are things I've had for a while and some are little treats that I insisted on purchasing. Have a gander if you wish :)

So here's a little list of what I've got and where to get them:

• Various post-it notes - Asda - £1
• NU notebook with dividers, lined, plain, squared paper and index cards - Asda - £3
• Hole punch - Asda - £2
• File of index cards - Asda - £1 
• Small notebook for placement notes - Asda - £0.50
• Folder - Staples - £4
• Mini stapler with 1000 staples - Asda - £2
• Memory pen - Mam - £Free :)
• Planner (with photo) - personal-planner.co.uk - approx £20
• Box of various bull clips, paper clips, etc. - Staples - £2 (bargain sale!)
• Cork board pins - Wilkinsons - £1
• Love pencil case - Wilkinsons - £2 with highlighters inside (£1 for 10)
• ID badge holder - goodiesfornurses.co.uk - £?? (Gift)
• Tourniquet - goodiesfornurses.co.uk - £?? (Gift)
• Injection pens - goodiesfornurses.co.uk - £?? (Gift)
• Scissors - goodiesfornurses.co.uk - £?? (Gift)
• Bristol Stool Chart Air Freshener - goodiesfornurses.co.uk - £?? (Gift)
• Tetley's Tea bags - Gift :)
• Casio Calculator - Stationary Box (had since I started Secondary school and still works - excellent stuff!)
• Bic Coloured pencils - (Also had for a long time)
• The Student Nurse Handbook - Bethann Siviter
• Bailliere's Nurse's Dictionary
• The Human Body - DK
• Palgrave's Cite Them Right
• The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures (Student Edition)
• The Illustrated Atlas of the Human Body - Beverly McMillan
• Nursing Calculations
• Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology text book and work book
• Littmann Stethoscope Classic II S.E. in ocean blue - £?? - Gift

Still to get/things I want:

• Comfy/ugly nursey shoes
• Fob watch
• Pocket organiser
• Tote bag for books
• Clinical pocket reference guides
• Hand sanitiser and clip
• Blood pressure cuff
• Micropore tape
• Dictaphone 
• BNF Drugs guide

The books I've mentioned can be found in most good book shops, either online or in store. I purchased all  of mine when they were on offer and bought some second hand to avoid paying too much. I think I may be going a little bit mad with all of this...but I don't care. It's all a very exciting journey and I like being prepared for it. I'm slightly nervous about relearning about the body etc. so went a little crazy with A&P books. I should be a genius by the time I've made my way through this lot!

More Nursing Goodies: Littmann Stethoscope and Nursing Dictionary

Hi!

I just thought I'd post a picture of one of my favourite Christmas gifts - a Littmann Classic II SE Stethoscope. My Mam got it engraved with my name so that no one pinches it - apparently that happens rather frequently. And she got it in ocean blue which is my favourite colour! Mine came with an instruction manual and a free interactive learning disc which I'm sure will come in very handy. I was originally just going to get a cheap steth but decided to splurge a little bit on a good quality one so that it lasts for a long time throughout my career. I have literally no idea how to work it properly yet but will be picking my boyfriend's Mam's brain very soon. I also want to get a a blood pressure cuff so that I can practice manual BPs before I start my course in March but let's just see how the pennies work out :) So here it is:

I also bought a nurses' dictionary recently and am looking forward to understanding at least some of the terminology soon :)

A Day at University!

Monday 11th December - a day at university to find out more about the course and meet my fellow nursey folk...EXCITING! Apologies in advance that this is a little all over the place. The day was a blur and went so quickly...besides the fact that I'm recounting from well over a week ago and my memory never serves me well.

The day began with a little meet-up with a few other student nurses...it turned out to be around 10 of us. We had already spoken via a social networking site but it was brilliant to be able to put names to faces. We then travelled to uni, skidding all the way due to the wintery conditions, where we gathered and chatted nervously about what we might find out/do.

First we listened to a presentation on practice placements - where they might be, length of time, health trust areas and how we choose, mentors, etc.

We then got to meet the course leader who is AMAZING! She literally lit up the room when she spoke :) I love it when lecturers are passionate about what they do and how they teach, it makes soooo much difference. She spoke to us about the time we'll be spending in university. We found out that the entire course had changed in the September and that we were the second cohort to experience the new curriculum and structure. It includes a different placement structure, a longer period at uni for the first part of the course, as well as different assessments, including OSCEs and an Anatomy and Physiology exam - eek! It all sounds very exciting though! We were told that this university is the first and only to be awarded accreditation from the NMC - WOW! Proud to be a student nurse here :)

Then we heard from some current students ranging from year 1-3, from all different nursing fields. They (obviously!) have a wealth of knowledge. I just wanted to sit and chat with them all day. The information they gave us was absolutely invaluable. I can't believe that I could be doing that this time next year!

Finally we had to do all of the organisational things - CRB and information on bursary applications. We completed our CRB checks and I literally received mine in the post 5 days later - super quick! I've been trying to do the bursary application for ages and it's giving me such a headache! I can't understand why the form is like 40 pages long. Who designed it?! Crazy people :0p

Oh well, I'm off to battle with the dreaded form again. Hope you're all well!! :)

Quarter of a Century and Birthday Nursing Goodies

I have just recently had my 25th birthday...feeling a little old and perhaps not so wise.

My lovely friend, who is a Midwife, put together a brilliant present for me - a nurse survival kit. I thought I'd show you the contents as I'm very excited to use it all. 

Here it is...

The box - Nursing Survival Kit

Teabags: ...your emergency supply!

Chocolate: ...for when you need that 5am sugar rush.

Bristol Stool Chart Car Air Freshener:  ...because everyone's poop stinks!

ID Holder: ...this will remind you who you are after a 13 hour shift!

Nurse Scissors: ...you're only a "proper" nurse when you have a pair of scissors!

Tourniquet: ...for being a vampire.

Injection Pens: ...because you'll always lose your pens!

I LOVED this gift. It's so thoughtful and all of it will come in very handy in the next few months. I'm sure many other student nurses would love this too! :)

I hope you're all nearly ready for Christmas. It's approaching so quickly!

Books I'm reading before I start

Well, as I have previously said (I think...), I'm a mature student and so I haven't studied or looked at science for a wee while...8 years to be exact, eek! So before I start the course (and make a bit of a fool of myself) I am aiming to learn as much anatomy and physiology as possible and to do that I have recently purchased the Ross and Wilson books. I've heard/read a lot about these books and was very intrigued by them. I must say, what people say is true - they are fab! So detailed, great pictures/diagrams plus the added bonus of giving you access to some online content via a code in the front cover of the text book. I also purchased the colouring and work book which is very good. There are so many different interesting tasks to complete which help to shape your learning and prevent it from becoming as monotonous as it could. So far I haven't done anything too strenuous - a little bit of how the body is made up and some processes. I surprised myself a little with what I have retained from school...then I went a little further into the book and discovered that was the extent of my knowledge, ha! Oh, well, I suppose I can only get better.

A friend of mine, who is now a qualified midwife, gave me a thing called "The Visible Man". It's a model of the human body that you have to put together, including bones, muscles and organs. It looks pretty complicated so I think I'll do a bit more reading and revising before I tackle that!

Aside from A&P (Anatomy & Physiology), I've been flicking through some other books that I'll list below:

The Student Nurse Handbook (2nd Edition) by Bethann Siviter. So many students have raved about this book and I definitely support their raves. This book is so helpful. Before purchasing it I had so many questions and this book more or less answers them all...except for University and course specific ones obviously. Other than the fact that it's helpful, this book is also making me more excited to start the course. Only 4 months to go! Anyway, I would definitely recommend student nurses purchasing this one :)

The Royal Marsden Hospital Manual of Clinical Procedures (Student Edition - 8th Edition) by Lisa Dougherty and Sara Lister. This book has also been highly complimented by the nursing and nursing student world. It is sooooo heavy and literally has everything in it. Just like the A&P books I mentioned earlier, there are also online resources to go with this book, which admittedly I haven't used yet. When I do, I'll update :) As for the detail in the book, it's very good. Everything is written so that it's easier to understand, with diagrams, step by step guides and quite simplistic language. There's also a handy list of abbreviations and their meanings at the front of the book - excellent given that I have absolutely no idea what all of these daft letters mean!

That's all of the books I have at the moment, and honestly I don't think I'll be purchasing many more. I'll probably be getting a book about calculations and drugs later on when I can actually understand some of what they are referring to. Let's not push ourselves too hard before we start sorta thing ;) My University has an excellent library and given that I've studied before, I have learnt not to make the fatal error of paying £££s for books that you may never use or use very sparingly. I think the best idea is to see which books you use the most and find the most helpful over the course of the 1st year and purchase them as you go. At least that's what I'm telling myself now.

Well, until next time, TTFN!

Preparation is Everything!

Since I've got such a long wait before I start the course in March, I figured I'd use the time wisely. I've been doing a few things to help me understand the things that I'm going to face over the next 3 years:

Vlogs/blogs: I LOVE reading blogs or watching vlogs about other nursing students' experiences, which is partially why I made this blog really. It's so interesting knowing how other people prepared, learning what I may come up against, what I might see on placement, things I have to learn, how people come through struggles and hearing success stories. I hope that somebody else out there will get some enjoyment out of reading my silly banter also :) I usually get quite distracted though, especially by makeup tutorials. My latest find is a girl who is also a student nurse who happens to record makeup tutorials - doubly brilliant! I can see it being an issue when I have actual work to do though.

Books: Anatomy and physiology books, advice books, clinical texts, etc. I'm going to write another post about the specific books I've been reading which may help.

Talking to current students/health professionals: I think this is the one that I'm finding the most helpful, after all they've already experienced all of the things I'm researching first hand.

Work: I'm working in care homes at the moment, specifically EMI residential homes. EMI stands for Elderly Mentally Infirm - I hate that name but don't know what else to call it :0/. Every time I go to work I have a million more questions to ask the in-house nurse, who must be very fed up of me by now! I feel very lucky that I'm going into this course with quite a lot of experience in health care under my belt. So many people have to start from scratch and honestly the first time you carry out personal care or feed a very ill person can be quite upsetting and feel strange. I'm glad I was able to do these things in my own time without the worry of being assessed.

Life preparation: I'm thinking a lot about how my life is going to be once I get in to the course. The PGCE completely took over my life and I was so unhappy, so this time I want to make sure that I make time for myself and my family/friends. I have to figure out how I'm going to afford to live. Luckily my boyfriend is amazing and he has said that he'll support me financially. He's a bit of a gem :) I'd like to keep up my agency work but it's very rare that they offer shorter shifts, they're usually 12 hours which I think would be impossible to fit in. I've heard that a lot of students take on some bank work after a round 6 months into their 1st year so that might be an option.

Lists: I am one of those sad creatures who enjoys writing lists - it's literally how I live. Everything goes on my list or in my diary...to then be added to my list, ha! So I've been writing lists of things that I need to research or purchase. Very exciting! I'm not really sure if I need the really nursey things like a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer (copy and pasted as it's a ridiculous word!). I want them, but do I need them? Perhaps to practice manual BPs - look at me sounding like I know what I'm talking about - I don't by the way ;)

And finally, looking at course content, modules and timetables: All very important things so that I know what the hell I'm going to be doing for the next year. The timetable was an eye opener mind. It's going to be very interesting starting the term in March too.

That's about it for now. Until next time, TTFN!

The Nursing Application Process

I'm not even going to try to sugar coat this. I HATED the application process! Oh my GOD it was stressful, but so worth it when you see that status change on UCAS (that's the University and College Admissions Service to all that don't know). It was the best day of 2012 so far!

So the first thing you have to do, aside from actually deciding that you want to do the course and which branch/field (adult/child/mental health/learning disability), is think about where you want to study. My choice was always set in stone. I have several commitments at home, as many people do, so moving was never an option. Besides that, I have one of the most prestigious universities on my doorstep. So that was decided. Then you have to start to compose your personal statement. This is so important as it's the university's first impression of you. You can only use a limited number of characters so everything you say has to be concise and important - if it's not going to really convince them that you want it and that they should take you, then you don't need to say it. There are so many sites for advice on completing your PS (honestly Google it! 3, 470,000 results) that I'm not going to go into detail but I will say this....Show how passionate you are about nursing and definitely mention your chosen field. Nursing courses are so competitive now that you have to show that you know what you want and are committed to a certain field. If you want to study child nursing then make sure you say it and be absolutely positive that this is what you want to study for the next 3 years, as well as work in for the next 40. I would also advise to start your PS with something that will catch their attention. Admissions read sooo many applications that I'm sure they get sick of reading, "I want to study adult nursing because..." - be original! Remember, this is their first impression of you and you need to make it count. Also, in many uni selection processes, each section is pointed, including the PS so it needs to be good to get you further.

Next, reference - Make sure you ask your chosen referee as early on as possible to ensure they have time to complete a quality reference for you. I'm sure no one wants to be a few days from the deadline, flapping because their referee hasn't submitted a reference yet. And you definitely don't want them rushing it - it has to be as amazing as you, right?

Interview - ARGH! Even the word sounds scary. Usually, universities send out some information about the structure and content of the day. Mine sent an email, generally outlining tasks and such. All universities do things differently - some have group interviews, some have individual ones, others have both. Some have literacy and numeracy tests, some have 1 or the other, others have both. Most universities have a little information session though, to break you into the day and help you relax - and obviously to give you more information about the course! At my interview we started by registering. We had to take photographic ID and certificates to prove our qualifications. Following this we gathered into a room where we watched a powerpoint and listened to a talk about the course. The tutors are very friendly and put you at ease straight away. I think the biggest misconception people have with interviews is that they're trying to catch you out. They're definitely not - they want to bring out the best in you. So, anyway, after this we watched a short video (2 minutes) about a lady's negative experience in hospital. We had a 10 minute written activity about the video and had to write about any issues and how we would improve her experience. This was quite simple and was mainly to test your ability to write. This aspect is pointed in the same way as the PS. After this we were put into groups of 5 and had a short break before our group interview. We had the chance to get to know each other a little better and feel a bit more comfortable before being plunged back into the testing conditions again.

Group interview - This was basically a group discussion that lasted for around 40 minutes. Firstly, we talked about the video we had watched in the previous session. The interviewers (2 of them by the way) threw in questions to keep the conversations flowing. It's important to remember that this group interview is not just about what you say, which is obviously important, but the interviewers are looking at how well you can communicate. Communication is HUGE in nursing (or so I've been told :0p). They want to see that you don't sit silently and let other people control the entire discussion, or that you don't completely dominate the discussion and drown others out. You have to find the middle ground with this one. Another thing - make sure to make eye contact and talk to everyone in the discussion, not just the interviewers. I made sure to build on other peoples' points, agreeing, disagreeing, adding my opinion or experience to things mentioned. The best thing to do is to not over think it. Try to be as natural as possible. It's just a conversation - no pressure :0/ ha! To prepare I made sure that I had read up on relatively recent changes or important things within the NHS and in the media. I went in with a general knowledge of several things, but in depth knowledge of around 3 different issues. You don't have to know the ins and outs of everything or know everything that is going on in the world of health. They aren't looking for ready-made health professionals - just show that you've taken the time to read up on a couple of things.

The final part - the individual interview. We were told that this would be very short but I wasn't expecting it to be as short as it was - 5 minutes if that! They asked me one question - ONE! I had answers prepared for at least 40, including what was the last book you read and which bloody super hero would you most like to be! I'm glad I had prepared anyway, just in case. So the one question: which qualities/skills do you feel you could bring to nursing? A question you would expect and should definitely prepare for. I said communication, caring and compassionate nature (cliché but very important), experience in a caring role and adaptability, all very important in nursing. Following this, they asked if I had any questions and then if I'd applied elsewhere - I hadn't. I left, fumbling with my scarf that I almost tripped on, dropping my bottle of water and wishing the door wasn't so far away from my shaking hands. I never get that nervous in any situation, and honestly I didn't think it had gone overly well.

So I was left with the inevitable wait. I received an email from the university a few days later telling me that I had been successful at interview and that I was going to be short listed - fantastic!! I had to send them a second reference and then they were going to take my application and total score to a selection event, where a group of admissions tutors look at applications and decide whether they are strong enough to be accepted. I emailed admissions every few days, phoning them just to be sure they received my email, praying that I'd hear soon. I was told that it would take them until around Xmas time to make decisions and inform everyone, so you can imagine my surprise when I received an email from UCAS telling me that my status had been updated only 2 weeks after the interview. I logged in apprehensively to see the word "Conditional" beside the university name. To say that I cried with joy would be an understatement! 

The application process was difficult, the wait was even worse but finding out I was in was absolutely amazing. 

If anyone has any questions about the application process or needs some clarification on any aspect, please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email.

Until next time, TTFN.