Hannah Elizabeth

I feel the Scavenger Hunt deserves a post all to itself. Right in the middle of Fresher Fortnight, the longest event falls on the middle Sunday each year. I didn't do it the first year because I think there was an F1 race on but I also just needed a day to recover! This year I did do it and sure did my body know about it! It was a really good way to meet people and see the majority of things in the city, if you hadn't already so it was a really good Fresher event. I happened to be in a group with some of the most competitive boys so they insisted on getting every item ticked off the list and walking almost everywhere! It was a nightmare and I have blisters all over my feet. I definitely did not pick the right shoes! So while I did get in some pretty images of London... ...we also had a mission to complete. I've made a video of all our funny clips and embarrassing challenges we did! We somehow managed to loose the condom clips and

As I've now completed two Fresher Fortnight's, I feel I have an unusual perspective on the whole event. The first year I did most of the RUMS events as well as the UCLU events. This year I did a few of the RUMS I hadn't previously done, had a new view on some events and got a chance to have the experience of a fresher all over again. I feel like I've now almost done all the events. I may be a little biased but I think the RUMS events are all amazing and for what you get, pretty cheap and affordable! Over the last 3 years, the events have stayed almost identical with a few small alterations. Here is a rundown of the RUMS events as well as the select few UCLU events I've been to :) Boat Party - Monday  You all meet in the UCL quad a take a tube ride to the River. It's such a great way to meet everyone and make initial introductions! Plus, the views of London are amazing! You end up all the serious landmarks and travelling in London with no traffic is th

I'm dying right now. I still can't believe this little baby that used to fit in one arm is now turning 3! I've been reminiscing by looking at pictures and crying over how big she has gotten. I may have gone a little carried away with presents but I can't help myself! I seriously did ration myself I could have bought a lot more! This is literally the cutest little outfit ever! It's an oversized jumper with these fun print leggings! I want this outfit! Of course, how could I not get my Number One Cutie, this Number One Cutie dress! I think every child has one of these at some point, I for one have had many. I thought it would just be nice to add to her presents as I already had it in. Everything you need in just one little pack. Vicky is currently redoing her garden and Bop is always trying to help but hurts herself because she ends up using big versions. I thought this was a cute little mini set for her to use :) That's the presents I got for

I always wear the same dresses over and over again and I feel like everyone's seen all my favourites now. I have a couple of events coming up so I was looking for some evening outfits for them and went for the easiest and cheapest option:  ASDA George . In the end I didn't end up getting the dresses I thought because hen I tried them on they didn't fit right but I'm happy with the purchases I kept. I'm not usually a fan of jumpsuits so I was a little hesitant. I think on skinny people they look great but on fatter people it makes you look even bigger. On top of the fact, when going to the toilet you have to take the whole thing off! This one has like double material that is loose over the tummy area so is more flattering than usual; the back has a half zip and button at the tops so you can take it off yourself! I love this! It's a cute little cami that fits great. It is a little see-through but I'm using this as a gym top so it's perfect!

A number of friends of mine have posted things recently about the whole Jeremy Hunt situation and I have to say, even though I've only been apart of the medical world for a year, I agree. I would like to start of by saying, when I applied to medicine I didn't realise how hard it would be. I thought it would be hard but I thought I would manage. I never thought I would struggle to pass exams or even fail the end of year exams and have to resit the year. I never imagined it could be as hard as it is and I think the only way you can get through it, is to be absolutely sure you want to be a doctor. I've met a number of people at UCL who have said that they were forced to do it by their parents or even that they only want to apply to say that got in or that they're dropping out after year 3 and just getting the first degree. To this I was shocked. Firstly, to take away the opportunity of someone else getting on the course, who is totally committed to a career in medi

So once the application is sent off, interviews have been conducted and offers offered, regardless of whether you receive an offer, your goal HAS to be the same regardless. From around April onwards just concentrate on your subjects and exam results. Don't get down if you didn't receive offers because if you're serious about medicine, you can take a gap year and reapply. If you have the results needed and spend a year getting work experience, volunteering or even travelling (you can say you want to see the differences in the healthcare systems), once you have those results, it's a massive plus. If you did get the offer, don't become complacent. You still need the grades to get in. No course in medicine will offer you an unconditional offer regardless of how amazing an applicant you are. if you can't show your academic ability in the results, you won't get in. The offer will be made on the basis that you get the predicted required grades. The most str

So I applied for 4 universities all offering the medicine course but 3 slightly different courses. These were: UCL - a 6 year course with a BSc Nottingham - a 5 year course with a BSc Birmingham - a 5 year course Newcastle - a 5 year course Briefly, I'm going to mention what I learnt from these. I got interviewed by all 4 universities and accepted by 3, not Newcastle (it was strange). UCL is probably the most clear about there process. They look at GCSEs, AS results, work experience and personal statement. They give points for it all and then rank every student in order. When they get the BMAT they add that rank but I don't think they put too high a weighting in it. The year I applied I didn't have a great BMAT. I was below average for the country so way too low for the average at UCL, for the first two but then got the highest essay grade so not too sure how that works. But either way I was still in the first set of interviews so a really high overall rank. I

Throughout the application process for medicine I think it's important to do your research and prepare. You need to research the courses and what you need from each and then prepare. Preparation is absolutely key to success and I can not stress that enough! You can use the internet of course, and it's the easiest place to get everything you need and the all important information about universities. Having said this, I always go back to a good old book. A physical copy of written down information. I like to highlight key points, bookmark pages I want to return to and write notes.  As previously mentioned, I used 2 key books to prepare for the admissions tests. You can read the full post  here  but the names of the books were 'H ow to Master the UKCAT'  and ' Get into Medical School: 400 BMAT Practice Questions' .  My favourite book though was definitely 'Medical School Interviews: A Practical Guide To Help You Get That Place At Medical School'. As t