"It was like seeing a mushroom and Iggy Pop go at it"

Let's get right down to it. My prediction was correct. I received a 2:1! Which is like a B+ apparently in American grades. I'm happy in the fact I didn't receive lower, but the fact I heard that some people got a 1st and weren't expecting it makes me think that I could have actually got one too if I put a bit more effort in, but regardless, I got a damn good 2:1. Now for the next question: was it all worthwhile? This is a difficult question. I certainly went through a lot of social changes; and I've came out of Derry a completely different but better person, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I had to spend a lot of money on the course itself, getting books, and usually on paying for taxis to take equipment to certain venues, including the uni itself, simply because the uni are just not willing to support their students and help them out when they need to move equipment to do something related to their course! The quality of the teaching was, well, questionable. At times it felt like they didn't know what they were meant to be teaching, and sort-of improvised as they went along. Of course, there were some very beneficial modules and classes, but a lot of the time in classes I was hearing things I already knew, or felt that what we were being taught was not interesting, relevant or important. There were a lot of unnecessary modules in 1st and 2nd year, and not enough options in 3rd year to choose from for the optional modules. I'm glad they've realized that some of these modules are no longer necessary in 1st and 2nd year, and that having optional modules in all years is the way forward for a student to fully get what they want out of the course; rather than being told what they want.

I also think that the course didn't fully recognise improvements made by students most notably in performance, and I also think the course did not present enough opportunities for students to show off their abilities or present any works they done - although in my final year there was a slight improvement in that, thanks to Composers Concerts and DEME. There's still a lot of improvement though; and personal studies advice meetings could have been used better to find out what the student wants.

Anyway, enough about education, cause now I'm officially out of it!

So, yesterday, after receiving my results, I just chilled until the evening where I went out with Garth to Laverys and then Limelight. It was the first time I had been in the Limelight since February, and whilst there was a "new crowd" there, and filled with underage posers, the drink offers were a LOT better - £1 for vodka, £1.50 for bottles of Becks or Stella, I was loving it. Whilst I did get drunk and call my American friends which cost me an arm and a leg, I had to leave early because I knew I had to get up early in the morning for the dole interview.

And the dole interview was HILARIOUS. So, I go in and get interviewed by 2 different people; both of which seemed befuddled that I was actually going on holiday on Monday, and both seemed very unsympathetic to the fact that I was an aspiring musician and wanting to, you know, establish a good career out of it. My 2nd interviewer had the nerve to even say that going into the music business was "a waste of time". High hopes from the people looking to seek me a job. Being in the place itself made me feel uneasy, seeing a lot of depressed, middle aged, unclean, scruffy people coming in and pretending to look for jobs just so they can get their money. I'm already hating the fact I'm on the dole, all humorous implications aside. However, the next thing shocked me, and may shock you:

When I was asked about my religious views, I said "I don't have any, not that should be important". Uneasy, the interviewer put in "none" on the computer. With the glimpse of my eye, and with no error on my behalf, the computer popped up a window saying; "Religious views questionable due to family background". Just read that again and see how wrong it is. How HORRIBLE a thing to say. So, she had to put "Protestant" in the box (she didn't ask what religion I was, then again my name is a bit of a giveaway), save it, reopen it, and put in "none" again. Whilst I'm happy with the fact I'm not labelled in a religion now because I'm not a member of any religion (unless you deem atheism a religion), the whole fact that they needed a Catholic or Protestant option being checked is horrible, and it also probably links to my dad and brother who have both been on Jobseekers at some time saying they're Protestant. So, it means of course that I'm a Protestant because they said so too. Richard Dawkins so correctly said that a lot of people are scared to go against their parents religion because of the possible retaliation and other circumstances that could come from it. Well, I took the questionably brave step and told my parents exactly how I felt since I was young a few years ago, and I've never felt as free in my life, or as proud to say I hold no religious views, because, simply, I'm more intelligent than that to have a religion for something that has been so scientifically disproven. Anyway, that's another discussion for another time, or blog entry. After this treacherous interview, I just came home, amused, and have been chilling ever since.

Tonight, I've no potential plans yet, I might be going out either tomorrow or Friday night with Adrien. As for the weekend, who knows.