Exam over

By the time I publish this, the exam will be over, and I will have some time again that is not defined by what I have to learn or write. I have not been able to revise in my normal way this time, so I am writing this two hours before the exam, not sure whether there's anything better I should be doing.

I have written before that this has been an unusual and disappointing semester, and the exam continues in that spirit. Each semester we have modules worth 60 credits (although last year the two semesters were split 50/70), and my big project report is worth 30 credits. The community nutrition module is 10 credits all from coursework (no exam), 10 credits are split between coursework that I handed in before the holiday and can't even remember now and the tiny presentation and poster we each did about some aspect of dietetic practice. The remaining 10 credits is for the exam I'm about to sit.

My difficulty is that unlike previous exams, there is no defined syllabus or learning content this time, and as the format of the exam has changed, there are no past papers either. We went through some example questions in a lecture at the end of last term, but I didn't feel that I really understood the scope of the exam. The only thing that has reassured me was that as we all expressed our unease about what was expected of us, the lecturer said "If you took the exam today, you would all pass." So I'm hoping that anything I have done in the meantime means that my grade will be higher, and combined with the other good marks I've got up to now, I should be all right. It's unsettling though; I won't know until I see the paper whether the assumptions I've made about what might be in it are right or wrong.

Of course, there's nothing else to write about at this point, because I've hardly left the house except to play badminton last night. As usual we taunt the gods of fate and our Christmas cards still decorate the living room well beyond Twelfth Night, and although we have been in touch with both builder and plumber, we still have a slightly odd heating controller and a large hole in the kitchen ceiling. I have list a mile long of Things To Do When The Exam Is Over, including finding some accommodation for my clinical placement that starts on 7 February. And I shall get my hair cut, visit the dentist, have another practice snowboard session, do some cleaning, and relieve Mr A of some of the cooking duties he has been performing so well.

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Here I am the morning after, feeling a whole lot lighter and more cheery. The exam wasn't my finest hour - I mistimed the questions and realised this morning that I should have written about refeeding syndrome - but it's over. We celebrated last night by having supper in the pub and then going to see The King's Speech, which is a very fine film indeed.

This morning I didn't get up until I realised that I was thinking back to the exam and discovering all sorts of points that I missed. I am looking forward to today, because my huge list is ready and waiting, and I intend to do a great deal of crossing off while simultaneously enjoying myself, and not doing any school work at all.