Goodbye, and thank you!

A few months have now passed since I finished the IB and graduated from Atlantic College. Ever since then I have been meaning to write a final post on here but only now have I found the time to sit down and do it! The final weeks and days of AC have by now blurred together in my memory as mixture of exhilaration (finally finishing the IB!), happy moments spent with dear friends and the great sadness shared by everyone as we packed everything away for one last time. After my last exam (French Paper 2) I returned to the chaos on campus as First Years prepared to leave that night and Second Years started to comprehend that their AC days were truly numbered. I cannot begin to explain the number of different emotions I felt in those last days. From the tears as the First Years’ bus disappeared into the night to the party-like atmosphere of Second Year Leavers Dinner the following day, the roller-coaster of emotions experienced during the two years continued to the very end. The utter pain on everyone’s faces as we bade each other goodbye was visible for all to see. The intensity of those last days and hours was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. We laughed and had fun whilst knowing that things would never quite be like this again. The urge to cry was countered by a determination to cherish every second possible. I have spoken to many of my friends since then and everyone agrees that no one was quite sure what to think or do during those last days. In the midst of it all, sleeping and packing seemed both inconvenient and entirely unimportant. Consequently, I barely slept and left packing until I absolutely had to do it. As I had often thought during my time at AC, I was very lucky to be a Brit because I didn’t have to fit everything into a couple of cases, or catch a bus on time. I could instead spend time with the friends, housemates and co-years who had been such an important part of my life for the past two years. UWC students tend to be very well travelled and many of my co-years had amazing itineraries for the summer break, often visiting the homes of AC friends. After AC I spent a week in London and then three weeks traveling around Turkey with my Japanese dormie and Turkish friend. We stayed with friends and relatives of our Turkish friend and encountered incredible kindness and hospitality wherever we went. En route we also met several UWC friends and co-years and took every photo opportunity to brandish the UWC flag with pride! Since arriving home I have been kept busy doing things around the house and caring for my Mum. In the past few weeks she has improved and so I am now busy preparing for Uni and catching up with friends and family before I leave once again. I’ve just realised that I haven’t said where I’m going to university! I am heading off to St.John’s College, Durham University in a couple of weeks!!! This was my first choice uni and I cannot wait to embark on this new chapter and adventure in my life. I’m going to try to write a blog once I’m there. The address will be www.lifeatjohns.blogspot.com if you’re interested in following my life after AC. The past two years have been a truly incredible experience, and I have tried to give you all an insight into AC life through this blog. I hope I have managed to share with you the wonders but also the ups and the downs that were my life at Atlantic College. My life has been enriched by the people and the experiences which I’ve been privileged enough to encounter since I started this journey back in 2010. I have made incredible friends and learnt a lot about myself and many other aspects of life. I will always be grateful to the people at home and at AC who made this journey possible. I hope to show them my gratitude by continuing through life on this journey of discovery, with my eyes open to the world and the people who make it so special. Someone wrote in my AC yearbook that the end of AC is just another beginning. I may have officially become an alumnus of Atlantic College but that opens up another world to explore, one of UWC alumni. We awoke on the 26th May to see the campus shrouded in mist, a grey scene which seemed to mirror how everyone was feeling. As I walked through the impressive castle doors, ate breakfast in the Dining Hall, gazed out at the sea and returned to PK for one last time as an AC student I realised just how much I would miss it and everything about it. As we drove off from PK, passed the now empty student houses and away from the castle, I opened my yearbook. For the entire journey home I read wonderful messages from friends and co-years, tears streaming down my face. My life at AC may be over but the memories mentioned and feelings shared in those messages will never disappear.

Almost done....

8am- Good morning everyone! It's nearly all over. After I finished Economics on Wednesday I felt as though I had finished my IB. I still have French on Tuesday, and I will work for it, but my main exams are over! It was a wonderful feeling going to bed on Wednesday night, knowing the next couple of days would be quite relaxed. Some people have actually finished all of their exams and its amazing seeing their joy. I've managed to relax more since Wednesday and even made it to LLantwit yesterday. Most of my friends finish this morning with Biology and we are celebrating afterwards. I got up early to have breakfast with them and now I can work on French. I did some yesterday and so I am still working (just not anything like as much as before!). On reflection I feel as though most of my exams went OK. I'm trying not to go over them because there really is nothing anyone can do now until results day. 6th July will be a big day... I'm going to go back to PK now. We have the 2nd Year Show tomorrow night which will be lots of fun. The 1st Years put on a show for the 2nd Years in each house and it was really good last year. There will be lots of partying tonight so I should really get down to my work for a while. Love to all from a beautifully sunny AC.

Time flies

9.45am- Good morning everyone! This past week has been so hectic I didn't realise I haven't written on here for so long. I started my IB last Wedesday with English paper 1. I think it went quite well. I had Maths Papers 1 and 2 and Thursday and Friday. They weren't great, just OK I think. I was so happy to finish Maths, the relief afterwards simply fantastic. I almost threw my text book back at the teacher when we had to hand them in afterwards! I have a couple of days off from exams now, but then it gets very busy. I have English Paper 2 on Wednesday, then E Systems Paper 1 on Thursday. On Friday I have E Systems Paper 2 and History Papers 1 and 2. That is going to be tough!! History is my favourite subject(and most important post-AC)and it's annoying to have E Systems before it in the morning. Luckily for me however, that is the only time I have two subjects in one day. Some people have absolute horrors- World Religion and Maths, Spanish and Biology... My Japanese dormie and I went to visit our Danish dormie on Saturday in Llantwit. She is staying in a cottage with her Mum and it is absolutely perfect for her. She is doing much better- she's happier and more relaxed and it was lovely for the three of us to spend time together. I'm working a lot and find I forget to relax sometimes. It has reached the stage where if you stop working, there is nobody around as they are all working. The First Years have codes again but they seem so free in the afternoons and evenings. I remember this time last year- it was probably my best time at AC. I'm determined to enjoy the lat 2 weeks and not dwell too much on the fact that we're leaving before we've even left! It's taken we 45 minutes to finish this post as my Botswanan friend and I were procrastinatin reading the news and looking at Vogue.com! Must go. Am going to revise some Econ before my lunch date with a friend. We don't arrange to meet each other in houses anymore but in the carrel unti! Love to all.

Rain is good!

11.45am- Good morning! It has been miserable and raining heavily for the past couple of days and for once, I'm glad. It means I can happily sit indoors working and listening to the rain for hours! I had a good day yesterday. I think I worked well and then relaxed after check-in. My Turkish friend's parents are visiting and bought lots of food. We cooked and ate in the Dayroom for a while and it was great. My houseparent also made us some muffins (so much food!). I've been working on E Systems this morning and it's going quite well. My poor Japanese dormie has been ill for the past two days. She's never been this ill during the course of the two years. I think it can only be put down to lack of sleep and exhaustion. She's a little better today but she's resting so that she's completely better for English next Wednesday. Will finnish marking my past-paper and then will go to lunch. Love to all.

One week and counting!

3.15pm- Hello everyone! I had a day off yesterday, which was lovely. My Japanese dormie and I went to Cardiff with my parents. We had a great time talking, eating and shopping! When we got back we were supposed to work but we ended up cooking and talking some more. At 9pm I finally panicked and realised that I'd only worked in the morning. I ran out of the Dayroom with my tea straight to the Quiet Room! Today I've been working on Maths. I have my Paper 1 a week tomorrow. I actually start the IB with English a week today. Must return to my carrel unit now! Love to all.

Technical difficulties...

10am- Hello everyone! The settings have changed on the Blogspot website and for some reason I can't view the editing screen properly. I haven't even been able to do that for a couple of days. I'm trying to fix it but I think the college computer operating system is too slow. If this post appears in a strange format, that's why! Things are pretty much the same here. People studying like crazy and not much else! I've been talking to people in other houses however, and PK seems to definitely be the most intense house. There are people up in the Quiet Room until 2am every morning. I'm always fast asleep by that time but that's what I've heard.I had a History day yesterday which was nice as I love studying it! Today I plan to work on Maths, E Systems and a bit of English. We are on study leave and are not woken up as we do not have to be anywhere at certain times. I got up for breakfast however as I need to eat before I can work. Should really get down to working now. Have been reading about the French Presidential elections on the 'Le Monde' website for too long! Love from a rainy castle.

You know the IB is almost here when...

......you only ever see Second Years at breakfast and check-in and some briefly at mealtimes in between.
     - your social life seems to involve only those in your Carrel Unit.
     - everyone supposedly 'relaxing' in the Dayroom at check-in is talking about work.
     - everyone at supper is so tired they simply stare at their plate.
     - people start drinking coffee at 10.30pm
     - you go to the Quiet Room when you used to go to bed.
     - you see people walking around eating Nutella out of a jar.

Yes, the IB is starts in a fortnight and you can really tell by looking at the Second Years!! The First Years have exams now, and this year they count as their predicted grades for Uni. There are some stressed First Years on campus as well.  I'm trying to get my sleep but it is hard. Even if you don't work you want to be able to relax and talk to people about something other than work for a while. I'm working until 7pm tonight and then I will sit a Maths Paper 2. We did Paper 1 as a class last night as well. After that we don't have Open House as we're having House Breakfast on Saturday. However, I will bake a cake for my History class with my Dutch friend in our Houseparent's house. Tomorrow is my last day of Codes- ever! We seem to be having food in every class and probably have to dress up. We're going to my History teacher's house during our code which will be really nice.  Must go now. Love to all.