Rejected But Relieved
I’ll go ahead and explain my title first, even though it happened at the end of the day. I got a letter in the mail after dinner, along with my postcard from Kyle’s grandma, which was very nice to get. Everybody thinks it’s so sweet that my boyfriend’s grandma and family send me stuff. I just tell them that they’re great people. And I’m glad Kyle’s grandma told me about the postcard because it was sort of buried under other people’s mail (I share my box with the other two G-town people), so I went through it all just in case it had come. And so I got it and this letter. The letter was from Oxford admissions and told me that my application had been fully considered by Mansfield, my first choice, and they were not going to offer me a place, so now my application would be considered by second choice, Regent’s. So now I might have another interview with Regent’s. I don’t know. But I’m sort of relieved because I didn’t really want to go to Mansfield anymore. I think I would rather go to Regent’s if I did come to Oxford just because I wouldn’t have to go through the whole being “new” thing again. And also I felt like I didn’t really get on well with the economics guy at Mansfield, which I know that’s just first impressions, but that would be really my main focus, maybe moreso than Politics, just because I feel like I’m sort of good at it. So anyway, no more waiting on that, now I just get to wait on Regent’s. We’ll see. I think I’ll be happy with either outcome. I’ve been thinking about it and I really can’t decide which thing I would prefer so whatever happens is what is meant to happen and I’m okay with that and actually not just okay with it, but happy with it.
So now back to the beginning of my day. I got up and didn’t get anything productive concerning my tutorial done in the morning. I always have trouble doing work Friday mornings. I looked at Master’s programs at colleges and things about MBAs and owning your own business and differen’t stuff that I think is fun to do, looking at all my possible options for the future. Then I only had like an hour before lunch so I decided I couldn’t get anything done anyway so I opened the program that I will be designing my senior thesis magazine on and played with that a bit. Then I got ready to go and faced the cold. It was in the 20s today so quite cold, but I have my big coat so it’s all good.
I ran into Ruth when I came into college so we went into lunch a bit early. There were like 7 of us in there early, but we can’t start dinner until someone prays before the meal. So we were all discussing if we should say prayer yet. We decided there weren’t enough people in there yet so we waited until the bell rang and then immediately Jonnie prayed. The salad bar actually looked really good, had mini spring rolls and sausage rolls on it, so Ruth and I were disappointed that we didn’t get it, but then Jonnie said we should just get some of those things anyway since nobody was in there yet. So I got us each one of each thing and we hid it under a napkin so we wouldn’t be found out. They were good. Then I had fish and chips. I had seconds of fish, there were two different kinds so I got some of each. Then we were sitting across from Alex (a girl) and Helen (she’s one of the quirky ones that I went with to get the goodie bag that one time, very nice, sweet girl) and they were debating about getting desserts. I hadn’t signed up but I sort of wanted some too. Alex had had two and Helen was debating getting a second but we didn’t want to take away anyone else’s. Then Jim, the guy sort of in charge of meals and stuff, came over and said we should take as much as we want because they’ll just be thrown away if we didn’t. So I got this apricot cake thing with custard on top. Quite good and I was very full at the end.
Then I went up to Regent’s library and read my textbook until dinner. I got all the reading I’ll do from it done, I think. But it was making me really tired. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I managed to stay awake by drinking water. I haven’t fallen asleep while reading yet and this was the first time since I’ve been here, but maybe that’s because I don’t read at night. I read at night at G-town and quite often, Melissa will come in and find me asleep. I’m trying to be better with that. So anyway, I crocheted a bit too and then went and changed for formal hall.
I met up with Ruth before we went in and then we all went in and sat. We sat near Helen and Becky and Esther, Amy, and Sarah, and talked to them. I was asking Ruth when the Advent choir things were and then we were talking about dresses because all I have is my skirt and nice sweater and I said I might feel underdressed. Ruth said she didn’t have anything but then she asked Esther if I might fit into anything of her’s. And she said yes and then she asked Amy too and she said she had a red dress and then Esther asked Sarah because Sarah is more my size (in the chest at least) and she had this pink one that they said would probably fit me best. Becky offered her’s too but she said it would probably be too big. They all bring extra dresses I guess even if they aren’t going to be wearing them. So we decided I would go try them on after dinner. Then Ruth said she felt bad because she knew it wasn’t her place to ask that for me. But I just laughed and said it was fine. Always fun to try on dresses. She kept apologizing, which I thought was funny. I think she thought I was embarrassed, but it was fine.
Dinner was pate for the starter but I wish there had been more bread, and I got the “vegetable tower” which wasn’t nearly as impressive as it sounded. It was okay, just some cooked vegetables stacked on top of each other and drenched in sweet and sour sauce. There were potatoes, cauliflower, and zucchini (or coourgette) also. So I got filled up. Then dessert was this pastry thing with whipped cream, caramel (which I pronounce wrong, by the way, as well as bananas), and almonds. I ate some, but it was too sweet to eat much. Then Ruth ate one of my almonds and then said sorry, was I going to eat that? And I said, yes, absolutely, I was very mad, etc. And she said I was good at that sarcasm thing. I said my friends were all pretty sarcastic quite often. She said she had this one teacher one time who was very, very sarcastic, which apparently got on her nerves so it must have been pretty bad. But anyway, she said she told him that sarcasm was the lowest form of humor and he replied, yes, but it was the highest form of wit. Which I found that funny.
So after dinner, I went up to the library with Ruth to get my stuff and then we went to her room. Esther wasn’t there yet so we went to the JCR to wait. I checked my mail and got the letter and postcard. I told Ruth and showed her the letter so she knows. Then I tried on Sarah’s dress first. And they all said it looked really good and looked like it was made for me. It was a little tight around the ribs but not bad, so we decided I should just wear that one. Then Esther went to get some silver shoes that she said would look nice with it and we wear about the same shoe size. It’s hard because all their sizes are different then our’s. I think their size 6 in clothes is our size 2 and their size 5 in shoes is about our size 7. Confusing. So while we waited, Ruth, Amy, and I waited in Ruth’s room and talked. It was sort of neat, because I felt like I actually fit in and it was like a night I would have with my friends back home. I’m finally starting to feel like I fit in here and now I’m getting ready to go home. I guess it just takes me time. Which maybe I’ll be back, and if I’m not I’ve told people they need to come visit Georgetown and I’ll show them all the excitement that is Georgetown, or take them somewhere else. No, I love Georgetown, just not the most exciting place.
So the shoes fit and then they were going to watch Lord of the Rings, the extended version, I think the third one, so I went on back to Stanley Road. That would have been a bit too late of a night for me. When I got there, I tried to call Christi because she had left a message for me on my cell phone that I had gotten that morning, but she didn’t answer so I just left her a message. Then I called Kyle and told him about Mansfield. I really am not disappointed, which is kind of weird. I guess I prepared myself right for this or something because it used to be, even if I didn’t want something, I would be disappointed that I didn’t get it because I felt like I failed. But I guess I still have a chance, but I also feel like all the experiences were worth it even if I don’t get a spot. So I’m in a good satisfied place right now.
I checked my e-mail and had one from the college secretary that told me that I had mail and she advised me to check it this weekend, so I guess Regent’s already knows about it. I also looked up train times to Bath for next Friday. I was going to go today but then I found out there is this Christmas market that doesn’t open until December 1 there and that Friday will be after my tutorial so I won’t have anything to do. So I figured I would get about the same amount of time there and could still get back in time for the Advent concert thing. So I’m waiting. And today I’m going to try to get a lot of work done so I can spend a little more time with people in my last week here. So then I called my mom and talked to her and Ian and told her about Mansfield. She was driving though so we didn’t talk long. Then I went to bed, at midnight, past my normal bedtime since I’ve been here. And then I slept in all the way until 9 this morning. Wow!!