Uni interview = arrrrrgggghhhhhh!

[Mollybob]

Congratulations Anita Carys seems to be a popular name at the moment. That's the third little baby I know of with that name. It's a very pretty name too.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks. Carys is a Welsh name and I agree that it's very pretty. Other Welsh names I like include Eirlys (for a girl) and Craig and Geraint (for boys.)

I don't know about Carys raiding my Blyton collection, Lucky Star, but she can certainly count on receiving books as presents from her Auntie Anita!

Anita

[Mollybob]

My husband is Welsh (although he's called Nigel ), which might explain why we know so many Cerys' and Carys'. I really like the Welsh name Myvanwy for a girl, and we thought about Rhys and Rhydian as names for Monty.

[manzanita]

Just a quick update to say that TVU are also offering me an interview. Don't know the date yet, but woo-hoo!

Manzy

[manzanita]

This is copied from my LJ blog about my uni interview...

"Well, I'm back! It was an interesting trip. One the way up train left half an hour late from Exeter as there was no train manager to take over. Normally, I whinge like anything about the state of England's railways, but as I'd only paid £12, I didn't mind. It's been a while since I've been on First intercity services and it wasn't at all bad. The carriages have been redesigned to allow those in wheelchairs better accessibility which means for us that aren't in wheelchairs, they're more pleasant and not like sardine cans on high speed wheels.

As ever I was impressed by the Victorian construction of Paddington station. The sheer height of the roof is just stunning.

Changed at King's Cross and that's been done out too. Presumably because Eurostar trains now terminate there and well, Kings Cross is not exactly the most upmarket area of London. However, the platforms still remain the gritty industrial Tube charm that I'm actually rather fond of. Northern Line still as grungy as ever and changing at Camden Town, I found a sign that was mentioned in a Tube book I have that I hadn't been able to find before. Yes, I am bit of a Tube anorak on the quiet.

Got out at Highgate, took the wrong exit and nearly killed myself going up the steps. They can't be much short of vertical! Walking down to the hotel, I passed Highgate Woods and I was struck by how many owls I heard! I think there was two different species as the calls were different, but could be the same species saying two different things. Never mind a parliament of owls, it sounded more like a full United Nations of owls!

Hotal was very nice, and should you ever require a hotel in North London, I recommend the Muswell Hill Hotel. The guy who runs it was Scottish and I couldn't help but be reminded of the hotelier in "Little Britain".

So... the interview day. Got the tube down to Archway and foudn the building pretty easily and was actually half hour early. The bunch of people there were surprisingly young and I was the second oldest there. At least in the UK, student midwives tend to be older, like late 20s+. I think a lot were also applying for nursing and midwifery, which would explain the younger ages there.

Had my interview at 1140 and well, I am not terribly impressed by myself. I could NOT relax at all and kept fidgeting around. I couldn't understand why, but they asked me why I left Worcester and I think subconsciously it dragged up some stuff about an bad experience with an ex partner, hence the tension and jumbled answering of further questions.

I managed to give one of the interviewers the heebie jeebies too of all things. One said "Since you're moving into the area, I guess you'll need accommodation?" I explained that as I have a chinchilla and the uni don't permit pets in their halls, I have to live elsewhere. Turns out that the other interviewer is terrfied of small animals like chinchillas! How can you be phobic of a chinchilla?!

I also got the impression that they thought I didn't understand the real costs of Living in London. Maybe I took the question the wrong way but it felt a bit patronising when one said "You do realize living in central London is expensive don't you?". I said that yes I know that and have considered that in my financial planning. Devon is expensive too! In fact, the council tax here is one of the highest outside of London, if not THE highest. I wonder if she thought that somehow country living was cheaper? So far, my research is showing that the costs of living are remarkably similar and worked out right, may actually not be much more, and perhaps bordering on cheaper.

I also had to laugh when they asked about my previous care work and if I'd worked with different cultures. Let's just say that Okehampton is not known for cultural diversity and neither was Hereford! So, I was honest and said that to date, I hadn't had the opportunity to work with other cultures but look forward to it dah dah dah.

So, in all honesty I've not got a good feeling about it. I didn't do that badly really I suppose, but when the competition is so high, the smallest things can return an unsuccessful verdict. But, it's out of my hands now and in the lap of the gods and I should hear by the end of March.

It was interesting talking to some of the other applicants. One was complaining that she had to wait 15 mins for a bus. I had to laugh because here, there's a one bus every hour! I think some of them found that very wierd being used to city levels of buses. I also noticed whilst walking up to the tube how people would run for a bus at the stop, despite there being one in 2 mins time. Okay, it's 2 London Transport minutes, but honestly. What is the point in running when all you have to do is wait two mins? To me, that seems crazy. Everyone seemed to be rushing around unnecessarily. Running down escalators at tube stations. Seriously, what difference does a few minutes wait make?

I found the city easier to cope with than I thought. If anything, I think it's more a case of city people would find the rural areas harder to cope with than the other way round sometimes. I suppose I'm also not a fair test as I was raised in suburbia, but it you'd only known rural areas, I guess a city could be quite terrifying."

[Anita Bensoussane]

Very interesting, Manzy. It's great that you heard owls in Highgate! I like the Tube as well - I took the children to London today and we stood still for a few moments in one of the tunnels on the Underground, listening to a wonderful saxophonist.

Hope you get good news in March!

Anita

[Moonraker]

Great post, Manzy. I wish you well.

You are obviously a lass who is not in a terrific hurry! Next time you want to take the train from Exeter to London, take the South West Trains service to Waterloo. This journey passes through some of England's most beautiful scenery. Mainly single track as far as Salisbury, the line traverses the sensational Blackmore Vale - you won't want to read! It does take longer, but the ticket is cheaper and the service if exceptional. SWT trains are punctual, modern and reliable, and the staff are second to none.

I too share your and Anita's love of the Tube. As for the dear old Northern Line, listen to Tottenham Court Road, by The Cavaliers (B side of their current single, Have You Seen This Girl). It ends: "I'm all right, you're never all right 'cos you can't feel fine on the Northern Line..."

Speaking of Camden Town (both our boys live in Camden, Simon just a few doors up from the Tube station), it was terrible to see the market fire, live on the television at the weekend. Happily, no-one was hurt, and the famous Stables Market wasn't affected.

[manzanita]

Yes, I just might take the Waterloo route next time Moonraker Certainly sounds pretty.

Normally I am bit of a rusher, but I think that's environmentally caused rather than truly me. As I mentioned, here buses are every hour so you have a much tighter space of time to work in. Whereas in London, if you leave 3 mins later, it's not a big deal, but here, it would be. So for me, the larger spaces of time were a luxury and a freedom to chill out, but perhaps for others they were more to be feared and the need to fill them with something - ie. rushing down tube escalators. I was quite happy to stroll along Muswell Hill Road safe in the knowledge that there's a train every few minutes! It made a change from panicking that the bus had gone already.

Manzy

[Ming]

I too share your and Anita's love of the Tube. As for the dear old Northern Line, listen to Tottenham Court Road, by The Cavaliers (B side of their current single, Have You Seen This Girl).

Excuse me?! Have You Seen This Girl or You're Not The Same Girl?

Wishing you well, Manzy.

[Petermax]

Next time you want to take the train from Exeter to London, take the South West Trains service to Waterloo.

It does take longer, but the ticket is cheaper and the service is exceptional. SWT trains are punctual, modern and reliable, and the staff are second to none.

I heartily agree, the Exeter-Waterloo route is a very pleasant and less expensive journey. Firstgroup do appear to have a few difficulties in delivering reliable rail travel at the moment, but at least an alternative service does exist. London Waterloo also has the advantage of being closer to the centre of London than Paddington.

Nice comment about SWT staff Moonraker, nice to know that we are appreciated.

[Moonraker]

I too share your and Anita's love of the Tube. As for the dear old Northern Line, listen to Tottenham Court Road, by The Cavaliers (B side of their current single, Have You Seen This Girl).

Excuse me?! Have You Seen This Girl or You're Not The Same Girl?

You are right, as usual, Ming. Have You Seen this Girl posters were displayed in London to promote the single!

Nice comment about SWT staff Moonraker, nice to know that we are appreciated.

I had no idea, Petermax. What is your role in the SWT empire?

[Petermax]

Nice comment about SWT staff Moonraker, nice to know that we are appreciated.

I had no idea, Petermax. What is your role in the SWT empire?

For quite a few years now I have been a Train Guard, initially on BR Network Southeast and following privatisation in 1996, SWT. Based at Fratton, I work fast and semi-fast services from Portsmouth and Poole to London Waterloo and various local services inbetween.

It is a very enjoyable job, but the downside is the increasing number of drunks and feral youths, Friday and Saturday nights can be somewhat unpredictable!

I suppose we had better get this thread back on topic. That lengthy post was a great read Manzanita, and showed that despite its dirt, noise, crime and chaos, London still has a special something about it.

[manzanita]

Well, six weeks on and still heard nothing. It's getting to be depressing to say the least... UCAS not open again until Wednesday so more sitting and waiting...

I have an interview date for Thames Valley on the 10th of April, so another trip to London is coming up if I can afford it! I had to turn down one for Kingston on economic grounds but I wasn't too gutted as it was for a 2008 start only.

Manzy

[manzanita]

Finally Middlesex returned an unsuccessful verdict. It was a long time getting anything out of them - I had been on the phone repeatedly and a few days before it showed up on UCAS, I was told that my score was mid range but they didn't think it would be enough this cycle. However, the main issue for them was that I was applying for 2009 start. They have decided four months down the line to tell me that they don't take deferred entry students!

I was upset at first but from another site it's becoming clear that Middlesex University are talking complete and utter rubbish at times and towards the end, I wasn't inspired at all to go there, given the amount of inaccuracies in their information.

So, it's over to TVU. I've had to reschedule the intervew on economic grounds but it shouldn't be too far off now.

Manzy

[Moonraker]

In my experience, most things happen for a reason. You will find a suitable university and will thank your lucky stars you didn't go to one of the others. Good luck.