I'm staring at the top of my screen, the tab that says "Inbox (5)", and I keep willing it to change to "Inbox (6)". It does. I open the tab and disappointment - it was just a Meteor survey. Oh how I hate surveys right now (and always really)!
I'm waiting for an answer from the University College Dublin. To go and study Science and more specifically Zoology. The application process has already taken over 6 months, if I count from the very beginning. Actually, the real beginning is even further in the past, but let's just go to the beginning of this application.
I started to look through the different course choices in September - October time last year. Trying to decide what I want to be when I "grow up" is probably the hardest question I've ever asked myself, as I never really want to grow up... I wonder sometimes will I feel like a real adult when I graduate. Probably not. Anyway, sidetracked again!
I'm going through the agricultural courses like Animal Science and Food Science, and I wander over to the Arts section, "Maybe languages?" I think to myself... "..nah..". I had just finished a novel (can't remember the author OR the name of the novel) about a linguistics professor finding Atlantis and it's long forgotten library. I had this dreamy image of linguistics in my head. But then I clicked on the Science section, found Biological, biomedical and biomolecular sciences. There it was: ZOOLOGY. Even the very name of the degree is so appealing. Who wouldn't want to be a ZOOLOGIST!? Pure awesome.
So I started to look for different schools that provide this course. I found that Trinity College Dublin also has a zoology course. Check that for a second choice.. Now, I needed one more, just in case I didn't get into the first two choices. I found a Biology course in Maynooth University. I ticked that for my third choice. Now, the application process...
Being 25 this year, I classify as a "mature student" (I wonder on what grounds someone decided over 23 yo's are mature....). This means, my Matriculation Diploma doesn't count anymore for getting into school unless I want it to. Great! It all depends on my written application and life experience.
(Oh! "Inbox (6)"!! ......Mullingar equestrian centre...hmph...)
Where was I... Ah yes. I won't take you through all the little details of the application process because quite frankly it was FULL of the little details... Simply said I only had to apply through CAO, then apply through all the school's own websites as mature student. Sounds easy yeah, but writing 3 different applications on why you want to get into that school and into that particular course is strenuous. And on top of the written applications, UCD had a Mature Student Application Path Test and I had to complete an English competency test for Trinity, and both of these tests of course have a fee of their own. The application process itself was by no means cheap! But I took the tests because I wanted to get into school.
Both tests went well, the MSAPT a little less so than the English test but I was fairly satisfied with it still, even though the boyfriend might have a different opinion on my reaction to the results... First I got a letter from Maynooth; a call for an interview. That was the most embarrassing interview of my life I think, so in a way I'm happy they were the ones that called me in first. I drove to Maynooth totally unprepared for their questions about career plans and what classes I want to take. I thought I was doing pretty well in even convincing them that I know about biology until it came to the question "What do you want to work in?". I said I'd love to do conservation. They gave me an example:
Interviewer: -So, you know the grey squirrels are taking over the habitat of the red squirrels in Ireland, and it can be seen especially in Phoenix Park. What would do about it?
...me thinking hard...
Interviewing professor continues: -Would you trap the grey ones and kill them?
Me, shocked eyes wide: "God no!! I could not kill them, no no, killing the animals, that's not my style!" (and yes, that last part is word by word what I said...)
Interviewers look at each other and I can see the "This one is not in the real world" - look on their faces. And I know I said the wrong thing. I felt like a little 5 year old girl with plaits in her hair stroking her snow white pet rabbit in the same room with two hungry wolves and telling them, it's not ok to eat Bunny, Bunny is a friend, and actually expecting them to turn around and say OK (yes, in this image there are speaking wolves).
So the first interview, not a success. Well, I didn't want to go to that uni anyway.
Then I got emails from both Trinity and UCD to tell me that they are reviewing the applications and Trinity will call for interviews from mid-april to end of May and UCD will let applicants know the outcome of their applications in May. May came, and I had no word from either of the schools. I was starting to loose hope (even though I had also applied as normal to Trinity with my Diploma to ensure a place, as my points were high enough). Then Trinity contacted me and wanted to interview me. I was excited, but was hoping to get an answer from UCD before the interview as UCD was the first choice... No word came in time, however, so I went for the interview and it went much better than the first one. After all, this time I was trying to get into a course I really wanted to do. It was easier to talk about it. I even managed to make them laugh a little. I walked out of that interview room with a good feeling. Not much to say about it, but a good feeling. And they had told me to expect an answer within the next 10 days. After 3 months of waiting for something, 10 days for a final answer sounded like a holiday!
But there was still 2 weeks of May left, and I wanted to hear from UCD so badly. I emailed them on the second last week of May and they replied I should receive and answer "early next week". In my books early week is Mon-Wed. So I'm expecting an email on Wednesday the 29th of May. I think this is reasonable.
Yesterday, Monday 27th of May, I received an email from Trinity to go and check the status of my application on the online tool. I opened the tool, and I saw a message with "offer" in the title. I had a studying place!! For sure!! I got an offer of a place on the Natural Sciences in Trinity College Dublin! Now that's pretty ****** cool!! Just one condition on the offer though: English test. But I passed it 109/120 and the limit to get into Trinity is 88! YEY!
There is just one thing (I love the "one thing though" comment). Trinity was not my first choice. I still haven't heard from UCD. I am hoping they will also give me a yes, but maybe that is a little too much to ask. Then again... It would be legendary to get to pick between the two best known universities in Ireland!
This waiting game is not quite over yet. But it should be tomorrow! ;)
-S-
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