For many months, I have taken particular issue with people using the phrase ‘over exaggerate’. It seems to have crept up on the vocabulary and now appears in almost every single lesson, to which I have occasionally snapped back with “you can’t over-exaggerate, it’s meaningless!”
However, after a tense phone conversation with Joshua and Fabio where I remained defiant – and then scuttled online to do some research – I have retreated. Because I have discovered that whilst over-exaggerate is still a stupid phrase, it’s actually no worse than many others I myself (I myself? What is that??) use on an almost-daily basis. Rise up? Totally unnecessary? Absolutely essential? The toxin required to cleanse my language of these poisons would no doubt do far greater harm to many innocent by-standing phrases, and so I have decided to let it rest. Over-exaggerate away.
In other news, it has been very hot and now it’s slightly less hot but still rather hot.
The good news: AS exams are now over and I have a week off 
The better news: Unit 2 of Physics went well! Reasonably confident about that paper, and was quite lucky in the questions they set. There were quite a few electricity calculations which I can generally do, so I’m happy about that.
The bad news: the final paper was a complete and utter unmitigated disaster. 
And in case you think I’m over-reacting, consider that even Hiten complained of a lack of time, and Robert decided 10 minutes in to junk Solid Materials and do Astrophysics instead! When someone does a module we haven’t been taught at all, you know things are bad. I’m sure he’ll do better than I did too. Annnnd I made exactly the same mistake I did waaay back in Unit 1 in January. Ouch.
Physics is broken down thusly:
Unit 1 – 30% – I’ve got a B in that (might retake)
Unit 2 – 30% – Reasonably confident about that paper?
Unit 3 – [20% – Practical exam which went OK &
20% – Solid Materials disaster]
So judging on that… I have absolutely no idea how I’ll do. Oh well. Happy end-of-AS to all.
History exam… tragic or triumphant?
The first paper was the sources-based questions on Russia in Revolution. Unnervingly, our paper was entirely about 1905 – and we’d spent countless hours learning about 1917 in painstakingly detail 
however I did know about 1905 so it wasn’t terrible. I’m just not sure my answers were quite as tight or insightful or un-rushed as I’d had liked them to be, so I’m a bit unsure about that paper. We’ll see, I guess!
As it happens I was more confident about Russia last night so this morning I spent my time revising the second paper, on Civil Rights in America. I drew up an A4 sheet with a time-line of dates and about five random statistics which I managed to memorise, hurrah! Given this, the exam question was a gift to me – concentrating on exactly the period I revised. It did mean I picked the other option from, ur, everyone else I spoke to afterwards… but never mind. I feel good about that paper.
Sorry for all the exam-themed posts. Tomorrow I will learn everything there is to know about Physics for the exam on Friday morning, then I’m free! (Well, for a week. Then A2s start.) You should see normal blog service resumed then.
Just finished a Mechanics exam which (barring any retakes) wraps up Maths AS. I have to say, without tempting fate, I found this paper pretty straigtforward – far more so than the practice exams. There’s one question I know I lost a mark or two, and a few I’m a bit unsure about, but on the whole I finished with plenty of time to spare. Yay! Mechanics is easier in Maths than Physics. Fancy that.
Now time to dive right into History because that’s tomorrow. Fairly confident about Russia in Revolution assuming I manage the time well and my hand doesn’t explode, Civil Rights will require more work. Tonight. To memorise things. Lots of things. Descriptive today aren’t I?
Enjoy the sun! 
Hellos! We’re back. Back to sunnier-than-thou weather, which is a bit strange. I know you’re only here for the (now traditional?) set of gorgeous photos so let’s just get straight to that, shall we?
We had to take this. We were in Paris!
Got to the top… lovely view…
But obviously just an excuse to pose
With unflappable hair
Historic y’know – Napoleon’s in there
Looking glam!
Carefully built to look exactly like the Da Vinci film set
Armed and dangerous
Jumpin’
Paris is really rather cultured
Or is it? I laughed so much at this
No no no idea what these are
Happy Family Moment (TM)
Rob Bell on Baby’s first blog: “Congratulations! Sounds like you are really enjoying the first few weeks which is great. Time flies!” Oct 13, 12:59
