Excuse The Blonde: Finding Clarity through Clearing Part I

Like every productive student, about two weeks ago my screen looked like this....

For those of you who know me know that drama, relationships status, or talking about how much Michelle Obama/Ann Romney spent on their Convention dresses isn't really my scene on Facebook. So I am going to be honest and say that I was completely wasting time creeping on different profiles in order to avoid homework in my geology class.

Which is what got me into trouble....

Like news feeds do, this came across my Facebook, and I got a little intrigued.

Back when I was planning on becoming an amazing Archaeologist and Conservationist (with millions of dollars rolling in the bank of course...) a professor of mine had suggested looking into Cardiff University for my masters. Needless to say, I went straight back to my dorm and looked schools in Wales online and then liked Cardiff on Facebook, and then went into a frenzy looking into other Universities I might be able to go study abroad.

Skip to two weeks ago, and finding this post. On August 17th, when most everybody was back in school by now. Soooo how was putting in an application possible? And what in the world was clearing?

Under further investigation (and you know there was further investigation...) I found out that clearing would possibly be the worst thing that could happen to you after taking the SAT's/ACT's. Now as far as I understand it (and I am blonde...check the title of my dear blog) There is an end of the year test taken by UK students very similar to our lovely standardized testing that quite literally puts everything on the line.

So they apply to the University they want to go to, and if the test goes badly for them, and they don't score what Universities in the United States just call "suggested or typical testing scores," they are out of a University....A MONTH BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS.

On the bright side, if you do better than you thought you were going to do, and you want to try to get into a better University, you can take yourself out of the University, and put yourself into clearing.

Click Here for More Info on Clearing!!

Now, this is where I come in!

ALERT...BLONDE RANT BELOW.....

(by the way, that information was totally irrelevant to me and my situation...however, it is to provide some background...and don't you just feel smarter about another continent's education system now? You can tell all of your Anglophilian/Dr. Who/Downton Abbey obsessed friends who really know nothing about real life in Britain something informative and substantial! Not sure where that rant was going....)

During this time, Clearing also opens up to International Students like myself.

(me, an International Student....sounds so strange...but cute, right?)

So like any crazy person who is just loving my time back at A-B Tech, and loving sitting by a sleeping dreadlocks boy who thinks he looks like this... (if only)

but really looks like this....

I kinda started applying to UK schools right away.

Now its not the most sensible thing to do, as it was a month away, plus the cost of living, my credits won't transfer, already paid for A-B tech classes, and a long list of other things...but I wanted to nonetheless just try for it anyways. What would it have hurt? (I am at the moment trying to squish a enumerous amount of shoes into a suitcase and using all my strength to zip it is...it is hurting.)

Skip to about a week and a half later, completed several applications, many 4 a.m. calls to the UK and totally stressing out my poor, wonderful mother...I get accepted to Bangor University in Wales!!

Because I am so completely excited, I immediately accepted, not thinking about all the things I have to get done, all the things I am leaving behind with my wonderful mountains and amazing parents, and I am totally YOLOING!

(I wasn't aware of the meaning until a couple of months ago either, but apparently it means this...I kinda like the You Obviously Love Oreos option better perhaps)