That kind of sums everything up really...

Well, I said that my blog would stop be broadcast on a weekly basis as soon as I received my University results. That day has no come and gone, and this will be the very last CATCOUK post to appear on a regular weekly basis (yes, I'm aware that I forgot to write last week). Prepare to be disappointed...

So this week, I have spent the week with the School at Broadstone Warren. Because of some frankly useless new staff, the regular full week was replaced by two and a half days. I was angry when I heard about it, and I was as disappointed with the result as I had expected. Come Wednesday (whne the groups swapped), it felt as if we had only just begun our work as experiential educators. Never mind, back to a full week next year!

Regardless of the poor length of the week, it was still good fun. The children that I worked with were all fantastic. Well, except for the child that knocked on the door to wake Joe (a colleague) and I up Tuesday morning. Expecting some sort of problem, I answered, only to be greeted with: 'How much longer until we can get up?' I looked at the child in disbelief - what did he think we were doing. Lying around just to p*ss them all off? No! I was asleep.

There was also the occasion when the boys staying in the log cabin room next to me said that they were scared of being attacked. On the way from the main centre to the cabin, they had seen a Buck stalking around nearby. They told us that they were freightened that the 'man deer' might attack them. Wet bunch of children...

In the evenings, once the children have gone to bed, the staff settle down, and relax with some snacks. One evening we played charades, and I just cannot forget the actions that Sue (one of the Special Educational Needs Coordinators) used to describe 'The Twits'. Good goodness that was hilarious. Not being well at the moment, I went to bed early at 11.30pm. Some of the staff ended up going to stalk for deer (especially the scary 'man deer'). When they returned, they thought it would be hilarious to stack all of the dinner tables and chairs outside into two large pyramid formations. I was vaguely aware of this, when Joe told me about it at 2am when he came to bed (waking me up). I stumbled up to the centre from the log cabin in the morning (I'm getting less and less a morning person every year), to see this large display - hillarious. [Incidentally, the staff involved chickened out, and brought everything down before the year leader woke up.]

The second group of lads moved in to the log cabin on Wednesday, and told me that they were worried, as they had been told that squirrels attack them. I told them it was nonsense. I awake Thursday morning to the sound of squirrels barking. Odd, but never mind. Later on, I find out that a group of squirrels had indeed gone in through the window, and had caused havoc (apparently wee-weeing on a child face!). Oh well, shows what I know!

Well, Thursday rolled around, and I got a text message from Holly. I am very pleased, and proud to say that she has achieved a 2.2 in her degree (sort of a C), and I would just like to congratulate her. I'd also like to congratulate all of my other Uni friends. I haven't heard from any others, but I'm sure that you all did great - so well done.

Well, I was at camp, with no internet to find out my results. After resisting the temptation all day, I phoned my mum, and talked her through the steps. A painful 20 minutes later, I found out my results. 4 years of hard work, and a massive debt, I just had to know the outcome...

As a side issue, Mum has fractured her forearm in two places. She was turning her motor-scooter in the church car park, and it fell over. Apparently God doesn't save all...

So, just like most things in my life, I tried hard, but in time-honoured Top Gear fashion, I came up short. If things had panned outr as expected, I would now be pleased to tell you the I hold a first class honours (A) in Adventure Education. Unfortunately, one module didn't quite get over 70% (well, the videography man wanted something artsy fartsy - I can't do it). Another was a complete shambles, barely achieving a pass - no other module has scored that low! So, frustratingly, I have to report that I was awarded a 2nd Class Honours Upper Division award in Adventure Education. I'm gutted, but hey, I have a degree, and I can be a teacher. Hey-ho.

So, that pretty much sums everything up. No matter what I do in life, no matter how hard I try, I'm just above average, and things rarely turn out right. Bugger.

(What a finishing line to CATCOUK, huh? Oh wait, bugger, does this one count too...?)