support

Supportive teachers are rare, well for me they've been particulary hard to find; but recently i can add another to the list who i feel has not only done his job as a lecturer but has been very supportive...lets just call him Dr C.

If there was one module i think would severly hinder my chances of obtaining a first or even just a 2.1 would be bioinformatics. Dr C has given me a lot of support, meeting with him for private tutorials every week now just to go over the lecture, and making sure i understand, and that is exactly what happens; i walk out his office feeling like i have made another tiny step in the way of understand the topic.

Its not the first time i've been reminded of my stupidity by my tutors through-out my academic life, but today Dr C told me i was "a stupid girl who tries", he understands that i don't find bioinformatics easy, but i do try.. and very hard indeed.

Its very easy for someone to not try and not understand and just blame it on being lazy, but for me .. to try very hard and yet not understand..does that just make me uncapable?

I sometimes envy my friends who find it so easy to grasp a subject, but i always miss out how hard some have had to work to understand, whilst yes..there are also those who don't turn up to lectures, and arrives the day before the exam reading everything once and still get a 1st... i have a friend like that.

So.. just how hard must i have to try? Are results a good indicator to how hard someone has tried/worked?

The sad truth is that being "clever" i guess really is dependant on the person and not something you can ask for, knowledge is something you can acquire over time, so yes you can become very knowledgable after a period of study, but Clever-ness i feel is something that is either there or not.

I will just remain the girl who tries hard, and hopefully trying will get me through with the grade i need.