Well a month has passed since the Amnesty AGM and quite a lot seems to have happened, but then when doesn't it really haha.

School -
This seems to be the busiest area, but then considering the current stage of life that would generally make sense! Exams are coming up, the first one being a week today which is Statistics woo haha. I can't believe the real A2 exams are so close, it hasn't sunk in at all. It's scary to think that the exams I'll be taking in just a week's time will be deciding my university placement and with that the next 4 years of my life. Will I be sad to say goodbye to the RGS? Not really, not anymore, I've outgrown it now, having been there for 5 years - which has flown by, it's still time for a change.

There isn't much that really really ticks me off, but recently there have been parts that have. I do a lot of things at school either because I enjoy them, or because I'm quite happy to do it as my duty. Things like running the school amnesty group, or being a library tech I get thanked for. But things like the Guildfordian or taking minutes on the charity committee for 5 years, now I never asked to do the second one, I did it because they needed someone, and I like to think I did a very good job. At the end of the last meeting I mentioned that they needed someone new to take the minutes, the deputy head just dismissed it, I didn't get so much as a verbal thank you for doing it for 5 years - to me that's just a rude kick in the teeth, it doesn't take much to say thank you, yet two words actually mean quite a lot - mini rant sorry!

Went to the Charity Gig last Friday and thought it was a brilliant success, well done to all those who took part and to Nick and George for organising it again. Certainly some weird people in our school with a semi-goth band. But the people in our year were very good, as were the third form band, thought they were excellent. All in all thought it was a fantastic night, bar getting locked in the old building part of the school with Jamie for a while because no one thought to check the courtyard before locking all the doors out of the place.

Ringing-
Well I haven't been going to any practices recently, and don't think I will till after exam periods. The only reason why is because my local practice drives me up the wall for reasons I've moaned about in previous blogs, although part of it goes along the same lines of the mini-rant above about not feeling appreciated. However, I haven't been to the cathedral in a while either, and the reason for that is because when there I need to learn a lot of new methods and at the moment until exams are over I need to put my energies into focusing on vital things rather than ringing things.

Got the peal next Saturday, and I haven't even started learning Norwich yet, I'll start tomorrow haha. We were meant to be ringing London, Norwich, Cambridge, Beverly, Surfleet, Wells and Ipswich, but I just can't learn 6 new methods, not at the mo, so changed it to 4 extents of Norwich and 3 of Cambridge.

I seem to be a week behind somewhere along the lines as I thought the peal wasn't for two weeks, and thought the striking competition was next week, but got a text today from Kathy asking if I was ready for Saturday, quick check in my diary and yep I'm ringing in a striking competition on Saturday haha.

As well as that this week I've had all sorts of hassle with trying to get something into the ringing world... Eleanor I'm blaming you for getting me into this mess :P

University-
Well really looking forward to going to Bath, should be fantastic. Still counts on grades of course haha. Buuuut I heard back from that scholarship form, and they are offering me £1000 in my first year which is fantastic and will help, so I'm thrilled with that. Apparently 300 people applied but I got awarded it so really chuffed. Dad decided to have his say and sent a few stroppy emails to me about it, but hey at the end of the day getting the scholarship is a good thing not a bad thing, and if he has a problem with it, then it's his problem alone and certainly not mine :).

Amnesty-
Nothing new to report here really as there haven't been any other meetings since the AGM. However, I'm going to do the school amnesty bit within this section. We had a good meeting the other week looking at the new water boarding video (www.unsubscribe-me.org) and having a discussion over that. Then at the end of the meeting Mrs. Goodman thanked me for running the group for the last few years and had a nice little applause. Alex is now going to be taking over from me and a few words of warning - good luck for a start, and really try and push Mrs. Goodman, she tends to go off on tracks for a start. Come to each meeting with something you want to get done, either a letter or something to debate, tends to work better that way :), and keep asking her to pass on the monthly mailings, oh and at March remind her to pay the fees, deary me, she alwwwwways forgets!! But good luck, you'll do a brilliant job, and Alex stay in touch!

Birthday-
I'm 18 in 12 days (20th May), that scares me!! The maturity difference between each year always strikes me as quite impressive, and 18 always has seemed in the past that big number where people suddenly start becoming serious (although think I sadly passed that line a while back). Don't get me wrong I'm really looking forward to it, it's that age when you truly take your life into your own hands. I do have a chemistry practical exam on my birthday, but that's not too bad. Then going out for dinner in the evening with friends and family, basically the 8 people I love the most in the world, so it'll be fantastic, even if I do know almost all the presents people are getting me haha, I'm impossible to buy for that's why.

Anyways long blog being drawn to a close now - if you do read this, and I know a lot of people actually do, please could you just write a short comment... thanks!