exams and all that

well, This is my last exam today for this semester and I am just happy to have survived the whole experience.
Talk about pressure,I have never worried ,fretted and dreaded anything more than I did these exams.
In comparison to last years cert exams ,which in hindsight I can see we were spoon fed,it was really difficult.
Coming from the relatively intimate environment that was VTOS last year into the complete;y impersonal and huge examination rooms in DKIT was a truly terrifying experience.
What really struck home for me was the fact that as a third level student somewhere along the line I basically gave up my identity and became a number!
I am a certain number for college references and a different number for exam seating arrangements I obtained yet another number with the granting of my invalid car sticker the list is endless.
On exam days the strain was obvious on every ones faces but I still came up against that old age barrier thing when I tried to share that it was no different for me with my classmates.
I suppose it was a bit like mammy telling them it was gonna be OK .
All in all I think I did relatively ok January will tell the tale I really did study for theses exams but that old dragon came back to haunt me after nearly 30 yrs I was still physically sick on the morning of the exam,I still had that mad moment of having a total blank and I'm still living in dread of the results!
Oh well now its back to the real stuff and sorting out "Daddy Christmas" for all my gang here and abroad.

"Yeah My Momma Told Me There'd be Days Like This!"

Van the Man sure got it right,some days you wish you'd just stayed in the leaba don't you?
Luke Kelly on the other hand went to great trouble "Thanking everyone for the Days"
I guess the secret is in there ,somewhere between the two.
That's my cryptic thought for today,now for my good news.
Got word in the post that a poem of mine is going to be published albeit in a little obscure anthology somewhere in Oxford ,but they all count.
I'm dead chuffed really, It's nice to do something right for a change.
Let me share it with you,I won't go into any explanations as to what it is about though,That's for a different forum..............so here goes

Passover.

I passed your way tonight and I smiled,and you in your world didn't see me.

We both knew I was close by,as I caught you in my breeze

You don't believe? Why then did you lose time?

You closed your eyes for just a while,and in that while I passed your way

And you in your world could feel my presence

Then, came the smile, the smile that brings

the knowledge that I've just passed by

And brought you with me on the breeze

and in that breeze you heard my name

I passed you by with open eyes

I touched you.Yes,and whispered

and with that whisper came "Your" smile the smile that says I've just passed by.

Marie Mc Crum 2007.

has "Blogging "spelt the end for the proper use of English?

Having just spent a wee while spell checking all my blog entries and editing them hopefully to gain a few extra marks,I ventured into the world of blogging and had a peep at some others on site.
Remembering that I come from the days when in order to get a pass at the most basic level in an English exam one had to have 1.proper spelling
2.proper grammar
3.proper punctuation


My question therefore is,if it is acceptable to use slang, colloquialisms,and "text speak" why
then am I slaving over presenting my staid and old fashioned (purely in the literal sense)efforts.
Is the use of swear words and vulgar words now the norm instead of the exception?
Don't get me,as a writer of sorts I believe in the power of the written word and the freedom to write as one thinks,but under these so called exam conditions where does the person correcting them set their boundaries?
May I just add as an aside I was actually quite shocked that some students would even dream of posting some of the examples I peeped at knowing that they were going to be marked on presentation.
If on the other hand the tutor is looking for a realistic verbal reflection on what is actually happening in the blogger's life then disregard what I have just written,but please clarify for the sake of my old shaky trembling hands and my mangled brain just what is the primary purpose of this exercise.

The missing word

Ive always prided myself on being literate,verbose and as anyone who knows me will tell you I could talk for Ireland,but it came to me whilst watching a re-run of the film "in the name of the Father" that there is one word missing from my vocabulary.
I haven't used the word "Daddy" since I was 10yrs old,when my own father was sadly killed in an accident.
All these years and 8 kids of my own later it suddenly hit me like the proverbial sledgehammer .
With my own children I always referred to my husband as "your Dad","your Father"but never "Daddy".
What a can of worms to have opened!
Who would have imagined that nearly 40 years later I would be actively grieving a little word that most take for granted.
It's hard to describe the emotion and for sure this is not the place to do that so I'm not gonna go there .
It makes sense though of that phrase much beloved of psychologists and counsellors "trigger words".
What it also does is actually put a value other than an academic one on the importance of language cos I always believed that using all them big words that only a few could understand somehow made me just that little bit more intelligent than those around me.
It seems though that for whatever reason I have deprived or removed from my vocabulary what is probably the very first word we as children ever speak!
Sorry if I appear to be waffling here but there is a point somewhere in all this,and its probably not just about being aware of the words we use.
It would be interesting to know if other people have words or phrases they just wont or cant use for whatever reason .
OK that's enough of the psycho babble for one day now its back to that other head wrecking subject in my life today,.... exams!

Car park you gotta be joking!

No ,This is not yet another whinging session from your resident in-house grumpy ("not so old")woman.
I am now officially jumping on the "car park gripes" band wagon and here's why.
having had to have an unexpected stay overnight as a guest in Louth co. hospital I was determined to make it in for my study and writing skills class for last minute help with my project,but it was not to be.
Being the holder of a disabled driver sticker I duly pulled up at the designated parking spaces only to find they were all full,I drove around and I drove around nearest spot I could get was in Horseware,not a practical place for me to park.
Back I went to the front door (by this time class has started),still no spaces so I went in and asked at reception if I could park in one of the visitors spaces.
"are you a student"? I was asked "Mmm well yes I am " I answered ,"well sorry students are not allowed to park in visitors spots"
"OK " says I and headed towards my car which is parked in one!!!!
I then had a look at the cars that were parked in the disabled spots and found that of the 6 cars parked only 3 were displaying a permit!
Remembering Colin's recent blog bout staff being clamped and forever listening to my friends and their misery every morning looking for a space,I did some thing I normally would never do
I reported the offenders!.
So anyone who was illegally parked in the disabled spots yesterday and got clamped it was me !
I'm not making any apologies cos the decision did not come easy.
This cannot be allowed to continue, either you increase the parking spaces or you police the ones available properly.
To that end I am giving due warning to the parking company next time I try to park in a designated space or I cant get parked close enough for me to walk without breathing difficulties I will park in the visitors slots,I will double park,I will park in the set down only spots.
Don't worry I will be easily recognised.
I will be the one carrying the placard (in the making process)protesting,cos isn't that what we students do????
oh and just to say this is not the first time i have been left spaceless,but enough is enough.
Opinions on this invited,but support would be welcome and appreciated.
one very tired,angry and ready to fight for the cause blogger.

Now who's useless?

Hi folks progress is being made I now have a pic on my blog!

So what ? you may say ,but for mr this is the equivalent of moving from L driver status to ready for the road.

who knows maybe soon I will be able to put in some photos and even a video just to prove I do actually exist and am not just this faceless person who writes some inane C**** !That is of course always assuming anyone is interested.

WHEN TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH

Morning all yes there is a time when too much is not enough.
I have tried everything to help me with this computer thing ,Ive bought the "Idiots" guide, downloaded all the freebies,poured over whatever notes I have been able to take but its no use.
Theres just a block there oh in theory I know most of it but put me in front of the screen and it all becomes gobbledegook"
Its kinda similar to when I was learning to drive in theory i could have driven a forty footer i poured over the manuals learned the mechanics of every part of the car,knew the rules of the road back to front but I couldnt do that most important thing to get me mobile like turn the frickin ignition key!
Now I dont know if anyone is actually reading this but if you are and can help in any way HELP,
I envy the young peoples approach to this whole techno thing and IM not ashamed to admit that this old fogie is beat.
feel free to e mail me or reply to this blog ,or simply just say hi in class .
No offer of help will be refused the time for pride and ego is long past !
I dont know if this passes Colin's criteria for touching on the personal but to be honest I dont much care I dont want my inability to get on top of this to affect the class results as a whole cos at the moment I feel like a liability .
Thats enough of the "Pity Parlour " for this day, too much may be not enough in my case but maybe just maybe a little bit will prove to be just the job!

things i do in the middle of the night!!

just on the offchance that someone is actually reading these blogs have you noticed that they are all written at really weird times?
so just in case you think im some sort of a nut who never sleeps (or worse) the answer is much simpler and pretty boring.
I have to plug myself into one of those miracles of modern medicine and technology on a 4 hourly basis to help with my wonky breathing.
what i can say is what used to be a really tedious exercise has become so much easier i dont feel so alone in the wee small hours cos thanks to our modern miracles of technology (the puter and the talented mr.cooney)i can talk to you all.
maybe if i keep this up i may actually be able to do the o.l.p.r. module! it wont be for the want of trying.
So mystery solved if theres anybody out there who really gives a monkeys lol.

"DYING TO WIN"?

Hi folks ,in the course of some research I am conducting for an assignment on writng skills looking at the need for addiction treatment centres in ireland i came across some very scary stats concerning suicide in the student population.
What on earth has rthat got to do with "blogging"? you may ask well bear with me and i will explain.
On admision to college these days all students are given an I.D. that enables them to log on to various college sites,then in the name of research they may have to refer to various internet sites,depending on the key words entered they find themselves being bombarded with pop ups directing them to the various gaming sites and casinos on line.
So what?you ask well the stats show that a growing number of students are becoming addicted to these sites,after initially playing the so called "free" games then then progress on to becoming members of the on line casinos.
what starts aas a simple ,normal and accepted passtime can in certain predisposed people lead to full blown addiction and all the misery that comes with it.
Addiction by its very nature is insiduous (it creeps up on you slowly)but before long some of these victims are paying a price.
the stakes may be high but the price is infinite.small stakes soon increase as you chase your money,you start borrowing,bills dont get paid,books for the course you were so proud to be accepted on to dont get bought,you go hungry in the hope that just one win will restore you to financial liquidity not so..... the cost now extends to other areas of your life,you dont sleep,skip class,become a loner stuck in front of a screen chasing the gambling dragon.
Now the cost is no longer just about money,your brain is mangled ,your emotions all over the place,of necessity you become secretive you start to lie to your friends and family .
The physical effects of what is now a full blown addiction become obvious,you stop buying all that street cred gear,you dont shave (cos you dont have the cash for blades)so you grow a beard in the name of your "indivuality" if a girl you stop wearing make up getting your hair done etc.
You may physically become ill through neglect.
Not a pretty picture is it?
And so it continues with the possibility that you finally make it onto that stats list another wasted life another sad loss to family ,friends and society.
So a word of warning before you take that first step or make that first click Think .
This is the best time of your life a time for fun craic romance being "part off".
Its a time of laughter, great hope,and aspirations.
Dont become another statistic on that list of those that are literrally !Dying to win".

"aliterally rib cracking laugh"!!!!

well it could only happen to me,came out of exam yesterday feeling chuffed that it went well,got chatting to a mate ,started laughing at what he was saying had a small coughing attack (i suffer from a lung condition)and wham gopt stuck to the ground with a pain ,yes folks i have a small stress fracture of one of my ribs!!!how mad is that?
Apart from the pain my already suffering pride has taken yet another knock,my teenage son (with all his wordly knowledge)gave me no sympathy,just smiled in that irratating way teens have and said "That's it mum guess you now officially a "WRINKLY".
I guess from here on in my profile should read "dont drink,gamble or fornicate,eat very little so therefore Im a real cheap date,and please be gentle with me cos I break easy!!!!!
Ah well the couch beckons,the cocoa is ready and the furry pyjammies are warming on the radiator....................to sleep perchance tp dream?