Where Does The Time Go?

Fecking hell, where has the time gone?

It seems like only 5 minutes since I was taking pictures outside the Caird Hall...

 
... and in the Caird Hall...
  

...on orientation day on 10th September 2012 which marked the very start of my new insane journey - kicking off a 4 year BSc Honours Degree in Forensic Psychobiology at Abertay University in Dundee at the grand old age of 38. 

How did it all begin?

Well, I was divorced, bankrupt and starting again so I decided it was time to do something for me, something dramatic and I thought to myself - 'what else can I possibly cram into my already ridiculous life - I know a 4 year degree'!

My Awesome Divorce Party

So, I found out what qualifications I needed to get into Uni for the course I wanted and discovered I would need either a Higher in a Human Biology (I only had O Grade Normal Biology) or a Certificate in Forensic Science and Medicine. Ach, sod it, I'll go for the certificate then.How the fuck would I pay for it though? It was over £1,200?!  Oh, I know, I'll say YES to the lovely lady who wants to write about my divorce and divorce party for the magazines and use that to part pay for it...

Front Page - I'm top left!!

 

So, cheque in hand, I signed up for a 1 year course in Forensic Science and Medicine at The University of Edinburgh.I started the course in October 2010 and on the first night of class was presented with a 100 year old penis in a jar. I felt like I had found my way home.I met some amazing people and had a great time. I looked forward to my Wednesday night classes. I think they saved me.The course content was brilliant but meeting different types of people was just as amazing - I was the only arty type in the room. Everyone else was a solicitor, a Procurator Fiscal, a cop, a nurse, a physio or a doctor. On day one, when we went round the room and when I said I was an actor looking for something different, there was an interesting reaction. 
I loved it. I asked the questions everyone else was too scared to ask in case they looked stupid - you know me, I couldn't give a fishes tit about looking cool or not cool. We made DNA strands out of liquorice and marshmallows (mine was shit). We had maggots in Tuppeware containers, post mortem photos and crime scene images.

I had a great time with my new forensic pals and our wee clique are still pals today and that makes me happy.

And then fast forward to September 2012...

I've been accepted into Abertay and I decided to live in Uni Halls - what else would I do at 38?

I've had a whale of a time living with the most random folks you can imagine: A Chinaman, a Brown woman, a very pale worrier and a sociopath/psychopath. We didn't mix with the socio/psycho other than to retrieve the things he had stolen or phone the police when he started lashing out. Other than him, it was a very happy flat - we were all quite racist and ageist to each other and we all found it quite hilarious. I now live in a flat on my own, near a big park and a junkie chemist. I live next door to Kevin and everyone seems to know Kevin. He has 2 massive dogs and seems like a decent bloke, even though I get folks knocking on my door wanting to know where he lives, I make out like I've never heard of him. He's grateful for that.Bridget is a wee tourist attraction in the street and folks round here are generally pretty cool and mental - it's like being back in Leith but stepped up a notch.2nd year starts on 23rd September and in our next year we have:- Biological Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Physiology 2&3
- Introduction to Psychopathy and Crime
- Psychological Research Methods 2
- Scientific Detectives 2 To say I'm excited about 2nd year is a bit of an understatement.I turn 40 at the end of 2nd year and I plan to behave disgracefully. I have signed up to Tough Mudder and will raise money for charity by doing the most hideously difficult assault course going in the same year I hit the big milestone. Life is fun, once you get the hang of it :-)