The month from hell

 This month has been hellish to say the least. Before I start, I did manage to get 88% in TMA 05 so that's something! Anyway...

The stress of the EMA and uni in general, plus more work demands, made my health decline which began a vicious cycle of bad fatigue and poor mental health. Someone hit my car at the beginning of the month so my trusty car got written off (which was a sad day) so I had to sort all of that out, looking for a new car (which I thankfully have now). So whilst feeling like crap, physically and emotionally exhausted, in physical pain (suspected fibro) on the day of and day before the deadline, looking for a new car and sorting out my old one, I had to write a distinction level (what I aim for at least) EMA. Then personal issues fired up (on the receiving end of an abusive family member) which led to a bit of a breakdown and it all became too much. I was on the verge of calling in sick because I was feeling so bad, but the anxiety of calling in sick and potentially getting moaned at by management, I thought it'd be better to keep pushing through it than deal with that on top of what I was already dealing with.

I reached out to other students and the OUs peer support service for help and advice. They recommended sending in a special circumstances form which I did. After crying it all out and getting some support, I started to pick myself up a little near the deadline and managed to get the EMA in on time. But I felt like it could've done with a bit more work and refining/reviewing so I'm not expecting it to get a distinction level. Thankfully, I think I need at least 81/82% in the EMA to get a distinction overall so that gives me some leeway.

A few days later, a nice guy from the OU contacted me asking how I was and was a listening ear for me, which was really sweet and supportive. He said my scores were very good and that I was doing well, so hopefully the panel will consider my form as I'm kind of on the cusp of getting a distinction overall. It was really nice being able to talk about what's been happening and feeling heard and supported.

So now I am free from uni for the summer break and I plan on making the most out of it, doing all the hobbies I love doing that I didn't have the time to do during my uni term. I'm gunna take it easy. See you in July for my final results!