8 weeks to go!

Got two very different emails from RVC this week. I have to say, though, this is probably the most emails I've gotten since I was offered a place...

First: I'm gonna be in College Grove for first year, which is exactly where I wanted to be. I was reading reviews and a lot of people said that Mary Brancker was a better accommodation than College Grove, but I really like the idea of having my own bathroom. And it's Co-Ed. Only one kitchen, though, so I hope it won't be too bad having to share with 6 other people. I did it at UNH, I can do it again. And it'll probably be easier to share with someone who isn't my mother. The kitchen truly is her domain and it's been ages since I cooked myself a meal that didn't come out of a box. It'll be nice to cook my own meals again, stretch my cooking muscles a little. Although I've been told that there is cheap good cuisine around London (Borough Market area has a lot of good curry places, info courtesy of Stuart, my London friend), I still look forward to cooking my food, and at least I know I'm a fairly good cook (thank you, Mum, for the Sicilian cooking genes).

Second off: That whole woe-is-me post from a few days past? About not being able to do EMS in the US because Direct Loans were only to be used in the UK? Well, Chief Operational Officer Bill Taggert had it completely wrong. Here's an excerpt that I got from Rachel, the International Admissions Officer:

"After checking with other officials in the department we have discovered we were misinformed by Bill Taggart, the Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. Department of Education, that students in receipt of Direct Loans can no longer use that money to fund any study in the United States.

This means students in receipt of Direct Loans CAN do AHEMS (Animal Husbandry Extra Mural Study) and EMS (Extra Mural Study) in the United States."

What a huge weight off my mind. I'm limited to 8 weeks of AHEMS here anyway, but that means I can come home for summer and finish them off here before I start Year 3. I'm still debating whether to come home for Christmas, though.

Last but not least: I'm sending out my payment form for the pre-sessional program today (really, I'm not waiting 4 days like I did last time, mostly because I have the day off and I have a lot of money in my bank account that is burning a hole in my pocket...). Buh-bye, $1000 that I've saved so far. Only about $1000 more to go to cover costs until I receive a loan check...