UKCAT 2008 Key dates
UKCAT registration opens:
1 May 2008
UKCAT testing begins:
07 Jul 2008
Bursary and voucher application deadline:
26 Sept 2008
UKCAT registration deadline:
26 Sept 2008
UKCAT testing deadline:
10 Oct 2008
UCAS application deadline:
15 Oct 2008
source: http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/home/aboutus/key-dates/
ahhhh...the dreaded ukcat returns! now... for an early exam date or a later one... hm....
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Revision started well and slowly grounded to a halt as i dossed away the weekend eating too much junk and watching too much tv..
.... though reading back on an old post of mine, from april last year... i realised its not a one-off..and infact this seems to happen this time of year... EVERY YEAR...
Hence, i decided to change my revision tactics, and opt for the same option as last year.. to go into the library and revise at night when the telly is good, thus being at the library i avoid all temptations to watch tv (i will be missing desperate housewives tonight!!!), and sleep during the day. This will definantly ruin my sleep pattern, but hey.. if it gets the work done, then its well worth it.
however...this wouldn't be possible without the presence of the fantastic 24 hour library facilities on every kcl campus! up until uni i never really felt the need to use the library other than to borrow books, and i have to admit.. i was one of them annoying immature teenage kids who used the library as a social club, with revision as a bad excuse to meet in groups at the library to work (a little), and chat (a lot).
I guess having grown up a little bit, being at the library definately sets a different atmosphere with added pressure to be working and, of course being away from temptations such as the television or the computer really helps me to settle down into working mode. Hopefully all the hard work this year will be reflected in my results, but only time will tell.
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Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Monday, 31 March 2008
BB0333 revision
Today protein folding has officially become my favourite protein topic and i bloody well hope it comes up this summer!!
Although i've always done well in protein modules, attaining at least a high 2.1 in protein related modules during both years, its definately one of my least favourite modules, and indeed it sometimes makes me question whether i should have stuck with medical biochemistry which has a great immunology component (and no protein !!)... but then again immunology is very very hard.. and if i ever get into medical school, i know its the topic i'd be dreading most!
Today, after almost 3 years of studying biochemistry, i sat down and had a good chew through protein folding, and i'm starting to appreciate protein structure a lot more. I guess in the past years i literally passed exams by regurgitating a lot of facts and notes (i have a very good short term memory), and then forgetting it after the exams; but i think today i managed to grasp the key concepts of protein folding, and now thinking back, i regret not prioritising "learning" over "remembering facts" during the past 2 years.
though when it comes to looking up answers, i go back to my lazy way of researching online.
whilst having a dig about online for "Anfinsen's Dogma", i found a fun and interesting blog of a biochemistry lecturer i'd like to reccomend:
http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/
Although i've always done well in protein modules, attaining at least a high 2.1 in protein related modules during both years, its definately one of my least favourite modules, and indeed it sometimes makes me question whether i should have stuck with medical biochemistry which has a great immunology component (and no protein !!)... but then again immunology is very very hard.. and if i ever get into medical school, i know its the topic i'd be dreading most!
Today, after almost 3 years of studying biochemistry, i sat down and had a good chew through protein folding, and i'm starting to appreciate protein structure a lot more. I guess in the past years i literally passed exams by regurgitating a lot of facts and notes (i have a very good short term memory), and then forgetting it after the exams; but i think today i managed to grasp the key concepts of protein folding, and now thinking back, i regret not prioritising "learning" over "remembering facts" during the past 2 years.
though when it comes to looking up answers, i go back to my lazy way of researching online.
whilst having a dig about online for "Anfinsen's Dogma", i found a fun and interesting blog of a biochemistry lecturer i'd like to reccomend:
http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Revision Day 1
Lab project was due yesterday, i was quite happy with it ..up until i saw the other projects... some student even found photos of amsterdam to stick on her front cover .. i did ask her why she had decided to stick a photo on her project cover... only to hear her tell me "i thought the photo looked quite nice".. her project was on air pollutants...
if only i knew other people were going to make fancy title pages.. i would have stuck homer simpson and a mouse on the front of mine! well.. ok perhaps just the mouse.. i don't think the examiner would have appreciated my take on "homer 1b/c" protein expression in the brain.
Final Year Revision ~!
The perfect student would have written their notes after each lecture, and have a full set of notes, articles and journals this late into the academic year... but i am not (far from) the perfect student.. in fact if making notes classifies a student...then ..well i've only become a sudent today.
The exam timetable is quite revision friendly this year, theres biology of cancer on the 8th, biology of ageing on the 13th, protein structure and design on the 15th, and a nice week before free radical in health and disease on the 22nd... so theoretically with the time left i have about a week to revise for each module during april, and then have a relax-ish may inbetween exams.. well so i hope!!
if only i knew other people were going to make fancy title pages.. i would have stuck homer simpson and a mouse on the front of mine! well.. ok perhaps just the mouse.. i don't think the examiner would have appreciated my take on "homer 1b/c" protein expression in the brain.
Final Year Revision ~!
The perfect student would have written their notes after each lecture, and have a full set of notes, articles and journals this late into the academic year... but i am not (far from) the perfect student.. in fact if making notes classifies a student...then ..well i've only become a sudent today.
The exam timetable is quite revision friendly this year, theres biology of cancer on the 8th, biology of ageing on the 13th, protein structure and design on the 15th, and a nice week before free radical in health and disease on the 22nd... so theoretically with the time left i have about a week to revise for each module during april, and then have a relax-ish may inbetween exams.. well so i hope!!
Sunday, 16 March 2008
10 days 9 hours and 13 minutes remaining!
Theoretically it's only the 1 day 19 hours and 57 minutes till my last ever lecture at KCL (!!!), and although im quite excited to finish the lectures, im not too pleased with the measly 10 days 9 hours and 13 minutes left until my dissertation is due in.
I do wonder why the biochemistry students have such an early dissertation deadline.. whilst the other biomedical health sciences have until mid-april !!
That said... i am just over half way with my dissertation now, the materials and method section was quite a nice part to write up, as i literally described the experimental procedures...BUT..the introduction was HELL! its only just over 2000 words..but it has taken every last bit of my patience, and my forehead has suffered immensly - thre are 4 visible red bumps where clear skin used to be !
A little off track, i've signed up for the Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK, on the 19th of july..which should hopefully give me enough time to get into shape and adequate fitness to face the 5km run. Admittedly 5km is quite a wimpy distance, but im not exactly the fittest of people out there!... and so hopefully i'll find some time in between revision to go for a few jogs in the park.
Not heard from any post-grad applications yet, though at the moment, its on the bottum of my list, where as the long awaited exam timetable is right at the top!
2 days 17 hours 56 minutes until the exam timetable is posted
and just the...
50 days 17 hours and 55 minutes until the start of exam season !
I do wonder why the biochemistry students have such an early dissertation deadline.. whilst the other biomedical health sciences have until mid-april !!
That said... i am just over half way with my dissertation now, the materials and method section was quite a nice part to write up, as i literally described the experimental procedures...BUT..the introduction was HELL! its only just over 2000 words..but it has taken every last bit of my patience, and my forehead has suffered immensly - thre are 4 visible red bumps where clear skin used to be !
A little off track, i've signed up for the Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK, on the 19th of july..which should hopefully give me enough time to get into shape and adequate fitness to face the 5km run. Admittedly 5km is quite a wimpy distance, but im not exactly the fittest of people out there!... and so hopefully i'll find some time in between revision to go for a few jogs in the park.
Not heard from any post-grad applications yet, though at the moment, its on the bottum of my list, where as the long awaited exam timetable is right at the top!
2 days 17 hours 56 minutes until the exam timetable is posted
and just the...
50 days 17 hours and 55 minutes until the start of exam season !
Sunday, 9 March 2008
No more western blotting!!
After the past 3 grueling weeks of early starts and late finishes at the Wolfson CARD, i can finally say after over 100+ western blots... i have finally finished the lab based component of the project, and can sit down and work on the write up..!!
Though... after all the hard work and effort.. i managed to prove my hypothesis doesn't work.. and my experiment showed no difference what-so-ever... so im going to have to spend the next 17days writing up my 10k paper and explain and back-up why it did not work.. ! >.<
Post-grad applications are sent now, so its just going to be a long wait (hopefully not toooo long) before i hear back..
Though... after all the hard work and effort.. i managed to prove my hypothesis doesn't work.. and my experiment showed no difference what-so-ever... so im going to have to spend the next 17days writing up my 10k paper and explain and back-up why it did not work.. ! >.<
The weather picked up a few days ago, so i decided to have a walk along the river after i finished my last experiment.. well it was more a walk to visit someone.. and walking there seemed like a good idea as i had an hour to spare, but a little stroll ended up as a walking tour between the 3 main campuses at kings.
Started my walk at New Hunt's House (Guy's Campus, london bridge), made a quick stop at borough market to pick up a sarnie, then headed off along the river side, past the tate modern, then on to the royal festival hall where i got a peek at the Franklin Wilkins Builing (waterloo campus, waterloo), and finally up and across waterloo bridge where i caught sight of the london eye, big ben and the houses of parliament. At the other end of the bridge was the Strand campus (Strand)..and from then i gave up and jumped onto a bus to get to my destination..
if you are un/lucky enough to come to kcl and so happen to be an international student turning up to the induction day..this will be a walk you'll be taken on..so remember to wear comfortable shoes ^^
Started my walk at New Hunt's House (Guy's Campus, london bridge), made a quick stop at borough market to pick up a sarnie, then headed off along the river side, past the tate modern, then on to the royal festival hall where i got a peek at the Franklin Wilkins Builing (waterloo campus, waterloo), and finally up and across waterloo bridge where i caught sight of the london eye, big ben and the houses of parliament. At the other end of the bridge was the Strand campus (Strand)..and from then i gave up and jumped onto a bus to get to my destination..
if you are un/lucky enough to come to kcl and so happen to be an international student turning up to the induction day..this will be a walk you'll be taken on..so remember to wear comfortable shoes ^^
sorry the photos are taken with my phone..so they are a bit out of focus >.<
Post-grad applications are sent now, so its just going to be a long wait (hopefully not toooo long) before i hear back..
17 days left until dissertation deadline.. and only 9 more days until my final lecture at KCL ..!! Graduation date has also been set for the 23rd-july-2008 ..with the new very snazzy KCL vivienne westwood designed gowns and the new kcl certificates... even though the gown sounds very nice.. i really can't imagine a gown looking any different..and if it did look very different from what gowns traditionally look like.. i may not like it.. even if it is supposidly "designer".... however.. i think i should be worrying about the final exams (less than 60 days away!) as opposed to the design of the gown!!
As for medicine application 2009.. anyone up for taking part in a BMAT revision class in london?? .. i guess its going to be quite unlikely seeing as most people taking it will already be doing 3 sciences at alevel.. whilst i'll be stuck with questions on basic gcse physics!!
Monday, 18 February 2008
A Year in study or a year in Personal statement building?
UCAS APPLICATION 2008 -- FAILURE ~
Had my last rejection after interview from Barts and the London yesterday, and with that came a lost of emotions.. wasn't very sad, just pondered on the question as to what i might get up to next year..
OK being very honest it was my last hope for 2008, and of course i am slightly unhappy that i'm going to have to at least take a year out after uni now before i get anywhere close to becoming a doctor, but the rejection isn't going to put me off applying next year, and on a positive note.. perhaps a break would be nice...
....that said i've already finished completing my application form and going to ask my tutor for a reference and have that form sent out asap for postgraduate studies.
Its silly to think.. but being out of education is something that scares me, because i don't quite know what i want to do with myself.. (i know i sound like a wuss/ a lazy student who doesnt want to face reality etc etc)
should i get a job purely to boost my voluntary work and work experience for next year..but ..what if i get faced with 4 rejections for the 2009 ucas round?
if i do a postgraduate course.. will i just be building up more debt for no reason if i do manage to get into medicine.. then the MRes will be pretty useless.... (well that is if i even get an offer for the Mres now... sigh)...
or..
should i be a complete doss about and take everyones advice and go travelling...? (this is a nice idea.. but i would hate to think i'd be going into more debt or spending my parents money for travelling because i couldn't get into medical school, didn't want to do a postgraduate course, and didn't get a job..)
....hopefully i'll be able to balance it out and have something constructive done next year, i guess things will work out one way or another when the time comes..
Having put my failed 2008 application behind me now, my goal is to graduate with a 1.1 ..this is going to be hard as exams are very close.. but im going to give it everything it takes.. and if i dón't get it..well then im going to look very silly/stupid..but oh wells, i can only try my hardest and be positive.
i wish everyone good luck for those who are still waiting to hear from their 2008 ucas application, and for those with summer exams looming... we can do it !
Will Be Working Hard for UCAS 2009!!!!!
Had my last rejection after interview from Barts and the London yesterday, and with that came a lost of emotions.. wasn't very sad, just pondered on the question as to what i might get up to next year..
OK being very honest it was my last hope for 2008, and of course i am slightly unhappy that i'm going to have to at least take a year out after uni now before i get anywhere close to becoming a doctor, but the rejection isn't going to put me off applying next year, and on a positive note.. perhaps a break would be nice...
....that said i've already finished completing my application form and going to ask my tutor for a reference and have that form sent out asap for postgraduate studies.
Its silly to think.. but being out of education is something that scares me, because i don't quite know what i want to do with myself.. (i know i sound like a wuss/ a lazy student who doesnt want to face reality etc etc)
should i get a job purely to boost my voluntary work and work experience for next year..but ..what if i get faced with 4 rejections for the 2009 ucas round?
if i do a postgraduate course.. will i just be building up more debt for no reason if i do manage to get into medicine.. then the MRes will be pretty useless.... (well that is if i even get an offer for the Mres now... sigh)...
or..
should i be a complete doss about and take everyones advice and go travelling...? (this is a nice idea.. but i would hate to think i'd be going into more debt or spending my parents money for travelling because i couldn't get into medical school, didn't want to do a postgraduate course, and didn't get a job..)
....hopefully i'll be able to balance it out and have something constructive done next year, i guess things will work out one way or another when the time comes..
Having put my failed 2008 application behind me now, my goal is to graduate with a 1.1 ..this is going to be hard as exams are very close.. but im going to give it everything it takes.. and if i dón't get it..well then im going to look very silly/stupid..but oh wells, i can only try my hardest and be positive.
i wish everyone good luck for those who are still waiting to hear from their 2008 ucas application, and for those with summer exams looming... we can do it !
Will Be Working Hard for UCAS 2009!!!!!
Saturday, 2 February 2008
After a day spent in the computer room having met up for a meeting with Dr C at the Waterloo campus, i decided to pop over to Cyber Candy at Convent Gardens to pick up a few things for my sweet (and caffeine addicted) tooth before i catch the tube home; and i think you can tell which item my dog liked best ^.^!
Penguin mints (had 3 mints so far) - surprisingly quite nice.. wouldn't expect chocolate mints to be nice.. but they will surprise you..and well the caffeine and low calories are always good too.. though the price is a big no no .. so it gets a 3.5/5
Jones Soda Carbonated Sweets (tried 2 from each packet so far) .. weren't that fizzy..and the taste is only so so .. the cream soda version wasnt very cream soda-ry and the grape one was slightly better .. only gets a 1.5/5
Presentation has been arranged for tuesday...... (>.<) i don't particulary hate the idea of it..at least it will get me working.. but i would just prefer it if i didn't have to do it! (i don't ..it is not assessed...but my project supervisor wants to know how my results are going and what sort of research ive done around the topic... i wish he could just come into the lab and took a look or have just asked me instead!).
I was clearing out the cold room on friday as we were running out of petri dishes, and i had to grab my samples out anyways (they have been sitting in primary antibody overnight).. and i came across the MSc student's plates.... i was instructed to clean them out as she hasn't turned up to the lab for the last 2 weeks ...
Red goey crap was growing in two of the boxes, the milk in 3 of them had turned to the colour of mountain dew (which im drinking now), and 1 looked fine.. though taking no chances i chucked the contents into the waste bag and gave everything a good soak in a combo of hot water, bleach and fairy liquid!!
Though not the keen neuroscientist i looked on in interest whilst my lab supervisor was teaching the phD student how to disect a rat on the opposite side of my work bench. With a few props and a scalpel, the rat was clamped down with two bits poking up its nostrils, and the skull was opened with the brain in clear view. It was indeed very intersting.. though it left me questioning myself whether i would be able to do something like that if i ever had to face a similar project in the future... yet alone a part of the human body if i ever get to enter medical school.
Bioinformatics coursework is going slowly, i keep reminding myself how i should have chosen a different module, but realistically im glad i don't have to revise for another exam in the summer.
I have set myself the target to get atleast half of it done tonight so i can go out for lunch with friends tomorrow.... i am still on the first page..whilst my friend has already finished... with 34 pages.... i should feel shame.. but i feel sleepy more than anything!
Its quite a pricey shop, but now and then its nice to have something different from the norm, and its definately going to be a long while before i pay another visit.
quick review of the items:
reese pieces (finished) - too sweet! i am quite a fan of reese's but this was far too sweet... so it only gets a 2/5
Penguin mints (had 3 mints so far) - surprisingly quite nice.. wouldn't expect chocolate mints to be nice.. but they will surprise you..and well the caffeine and low calories are always good too.. though the price is a big no no .. so it gets a 3.5/5
Jones Soda Carbonated Sweets (tried 2 from each packet so far) .. weren't that fizzy..and the taste is only so so .. the cream soda version wasnt very cream soda-ry and the grape one was slightly better .. only gets a 1.5/5
Mountain dew diet (1 can) - well i've had this before, not like its new, its quite a nice treat... gets a 3.5/5
Presentation has been arranged for tuesday...... (>.<) i don't particulary hate the idea of it..at least it will get me working.. but i would just prefer it if i didn't have to do it! (i don't ..it is not assessed...but my project supervisor wants to know how my results are going and what sort of research ive done around the topic... i wish he could just come into the lab and took a look or have just asked me instead!).
I was clearing out the cold room on friday as we were running out of petri dishes, and i had to grab my samples out anyways (they have been sitting in primary antibody overnight).. and i came across the MSc student's plates.... i was instructed to clean them out as she hasn't turned up to the lab for the last 2 weeks ...
Red goey crap was growing in two of the boxes, the milk in 3 of them had turned to the colour of mountain dew (which im drinking now), and 1 looked fine.. though taking no chances i chucked the contents into the waste bag and gave everything a good soak in a combo of hot water, bleach and fairy liquid!!
Though not the keen neuroscientist i looked on in interest whilst my lab supervisor was teaching the phD student how to disect a rat on the opposite side of my work bench. With a few props and a scalpel, the rat was clamped down with two bits poking up its nostrils, and the skull was opened with the brain in clear view. It was indeed very intersting.. though it left me questioning myself whether i would be able to do something like that if i ever had to face a similar project in the future... yet alone a part of the human body if i ever get to enter medical school.
Bioinformatics coursework is going slowly, i keep reminding myself how i should have chosen a different module, but realistically im glad i don't have to revise for another exam in the summer.
I have set myself the target to get atleast half of it done tonight so i can go out for lunch with friends tomorrow.... i am still on the first page..whilst my friend has already finished... with 34 pages.... i should feel shame.. but i feel sleepy more than anything!
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