I've just had such a great night out. I really do have some amazing friends here. Thank you all - you're amazing and I love you very much. xxxx :)

I'm not out in the Union. *shock horror*

Today wasn't bad: my assessed solo performance went pretty well (thanks so much for accompanying me, Bob!) and straight afterwards Adam and i went across to the varsity centre for the University Sports Day. It was really cool - we were supporting the J Team and the Union Team, as well as GU2, though I didn't get to watch them play at all. I woiuld ave loved to be able to play, but it started at 1pm, when I was busy practising away in PATS!

After that i shot back to campus (well, Andy drove back in the minibus) to take the MaD Soc AGM, which was interesting. I can't believe it's 3 years since I was first elected onto the committee. It seems like a lifetime ago.

After that I ended up hanging around in the activities centre with Neil, Helen, Anthea, Jo, Scoot and BobGod. Nothing changes, but I love it. :)

Tomorrow's my repertoire exam. I don't know a lot, but it's only worth 25% of my final GRK mark, so hopefully i'll just be able to scrape through...

The weather over the past week has been as un-English as you can imagine - it's been SUNNY! For about 7 our of the last 8 days it's been gloriously sunny outside, and today it was too hot to even wear any sort of jumper over a t-shirt. And it's only March! We've got loads and loads of open space here at Surrey and when the sun comes out so do the students - the amphitheatre was packed at lunchtime, making it particularly funny when Scoot turned round and yelled "bye!" to Pete, Ian, Adam and I, and appeared to be shouting at about 50 other people who were sitting around too!

I've had a pretty cool day - very random, but very good. We had Student Council at lunchtime, then apart from a quick rehearsal I spent the rest of the afternoon with Pete, Adam and Helen, along with Tug, Crazy Pete, Claire's Pete and Melody, at various points. Far too much time was wasted on msn in teh activities centre, and we ended up in Chancellor's eating tea - wedges with cheese and beans - mmmm!

Anyhow, I'm getting a wee bit worried about my assessed performance (which is tomorrow) and my Repertoire exam (which is on Thursday) as well as my violin lesson (yup, Thursday again) so I'd better get down to work.

Cor blimey guv'nor, it's pushing 7pm and it's still (vaguely) light outside - summer's almost here!

Looks like 'end of term-itis' is upon us once again. This will probably be the last time I'll experience this as a student, which is rather an odd thought.

Didn't have the best of days yesterday, for a variety of reasons, but spent some time with Pete, Claire and Chris which was good. I didn't go out in the evening though (shock horror!). Today i've got a rehearsal and concert for Pops Orchestra, and tomorrow I have the same for the University Symphony Orchestra - and my last orchestra concert at Uni.

Blimey, so many things are becoming 'lasts' right now. It doesn't seem too long ago that I left school, yet it was four whole years ago, and here I am again, leaving one chapter of my life behind. It's rather surreal. I haven't quite acknowledged that a lot of my friends won't be around next year, which is a bit of a scary thought. But luckily I do know quite a few who will be, thank goodness.

it's lovely and sunny outside - think I might go and enjoy it while it lasts!

Coursework = done. All of it. Not very well, I admit, but at least it's finished. I only have one coursework essay left for my degree ever!

Having finished my essays a day early I ventured to the Union last night (my 2nd home) to see the one and only CHESNEY HAWKES! He played here this time a year ago, and again he was very very good. Of course, he ended with "The one and only" before an encore, but did an hour set of covers and other songs. Most 80s and 90s pop stars touring universities are admittedly pretty crap, but Chesney is the GOD of music at USSU. He has a massive fan base here and the Union was packed (see photos on funkyberry.com). He was very very good, and t'was a good night, ending in style with Coke Bottle Rockets on the Twyford Field.

Classic moment of the night = Wrighty aka USSU President trying to set fire to a hairspray can on the Twyford field at 4am, using a can of deodourant and a lighter. And we voted this guy in to run the students' union?! ;)

I have 4,000 words worth of essays to finish by Thursday. I have done 2,500, which is no mean feat.

However, the question for Prog Rock is:

"Develop an argument to the effect that the 'progressive' surface of the music (its imagery and lyrics, instrumentation and rhythms) in Heart of the Sunrise by Yes is superimposed on thoroughly conventional formal, melodic and harmonic structures. Having donw this, evaluate the strength of the argument you have put forward. Does it stand up to scrutiny?"

WHAT THE HELL?! Why can't coursework questions be written in English?! :o(

Just got back from my 3rd Union night out of the week... having won 2 tickets to King of Clubs on 5th April for coming running up girlie in the Budweiser Challenge. Not bad. Ali was winning right up until the very end, when another guy came in and beat him by 0.2 seconds - and he almost won a holiday to Ibiza! :( Ah well. I was there with Chris, Ali, Scoot, Mental, Jonah, Jo, Digi, Mel and Chops, and we had a pretty fun night out. Tonight also took my total spend at the Union this week up to £2.30. Can you believe it? That is all I spent on going out in the evenings this week! Kinda makes up for the obscene amount I keep spending having lunch in Channie's or Seasons.

Tomorrow I am lucky enough to be experiencing the rare occurrence of - a visit from my parents and ickle sister! They're pretty busy so rarely get down here to visit, but they're coming down and taking me out for lunch to celebrate the election results last week. Very cool! We're going to the Wooden Bridge Pub - my favourite haunt from the 2nd and 3rd year. I'm quite looking forward to it!

Anyhow, 2.43am is relatively early for me, but i'm going to toddle off to bed now, so I can get up at a reasonable hour. My room's tidy, I've had a fun night out, have got enough money to last me the rest of the term... all I need to do now is some work for my degree!

It's proving to be pretty difficult to get back into the swing of academic work, after all the excitement of elections last week. I can't believe it's a whole week since that amazing evening of results. I've missed elections this week. Life has seemed very mundane, and we've all been very tired, after running on pure adrenaline last week. I've been doing a lot this week, but very little academic stuff. Yesterday I spent a lot of time at GU2, and then at a GU2 meeting for a couple of hours, then Channie's Challenge and LASER QUEST in the Union. It was stunning - the Union building is just made for it.

Anyhow, another FNO approaches, and I need to eat. Fare ye well, and see some of you tonight.

Luckily I am not the only one walking around campus at the moment with a massive smile on my face. I've seen all the other sabbatical elects today (Pete, Chops, Claire and Chris) and we're all still very very happy. Pete, Chops and myself in particular are finding it very hard to get back into the rountine of academic work, after the crazy excitement of elections. But common sense tells me I have to do the work as a means to an end. I need to pass this degree so I can graduate and start work as the next VP Comms and Marketing for USSU.

Pete and I spent about 4 hours sitting in the Union activities centre today, from 5 til 9pm, talking, going on the net, listening to GU2 (or breaking the hifi in Pete's case, albeit temporarily!) and just 'hanging out'. Scott gave Pete and me one of the ballot books each from last week, as a souvenir. I've also got a polling station sign, and a voting poster. I still can't believe it's all over.

I am so excited. I am looking forward to working with Pete, Claire, Chops and Chris (as well as other union staff) more than anything in a long long time. The other four sabbatical elects are some of the most amazing people I have met in 4 years at University, and I really feel honoured to have been chosen to work with them next year. It's going to be stunning.

But meanwhile, I have quite a huge amount of coursework to get done, as well as violin practice, orchestra rehearsals and concerts, a solo performance and a load of composition. But as I said, it's a means to an end. :)

I am still feeling pretty much on top of the world. I just met up with Pete, Chops and Chris for lunch in Chancellor's, and as we Pete and I were walking back we just turned to the right by the Union and said "there are our offices". It's so exciting. I am looking forward to next year more than anything in a long long time. I am going to be working with four amazing people, in a job I have wanted for over three years. Wow.

This weekend has really just been recovery time from the past few weeks. Very soon I will be writing more about the elections, but at the moment I am just collecting my thoughts. There were so many funny things that happened, that I must put down in writing before I forget. On Friday, so many people I hd never met before came up to me, and said "i'm so happy! You are the five I voted for!" All 5 of us have had so much support from so many quarters over the past few weeks, that it's really quite hard to comprehend.

Have a look HERE for some pictures and things about some of the people who have helped so much over the past few weeks. You were all amazing. :)

We only went and won it!

I have just had one of the best days of my entire life. Here are the results:

President:
Paul Canning: 368
Pete Tivers: 644
RON: 57

VP Comms & Marketing
James Whitehurst: 280
Sarah Butterworth: 707
RON: 66

VP Education & Welfare
Claire Iles: 711
Luke Jeffries: 316
RON: 43

VP Sports
Dave 'Chops' Chapman: 547
Natalie Tarrant: 336
Paul Stack: 160
RON: 26

VP Societies & Culture
Chris Hunter: 841
RON: 202

As far as I know, with the minimum lead being a massive 211, they have been the most decisive elections since I have been at Surrey, and probably before. I won by 427 votes, Claire by 395, Pete by 276 and Chops by 211, despite him being against TWO other people. Chris was against RON, and came out with a decisive victory as well. It has been an amazing day. I will write more soon... but safe to say, there are five very VERY happy students at the University of Surrey tonight. :)

Pete, Claire, Chops and Chris - I can't wait for June. It will be amazing. Thanks for a fantastic past few weeks. :) :) :) :) :)

The lack of election updates has certainly not been due to lack of activity on that front - quite the opposite in fact. Since voting started on monday at 10am I ahven't stopped. Along with the other candidates who have been outside the lecture theatres all this week (Pete, Claire and Chops) I have been talking to people, blowing bubbles, giving out stickers, and literally shouting from the rooftop about voting. The number of people who have cast their vote is now up to 1,000, and we have 2 hours of paper voting left, and online voting is on permanently until midday tomorrow. At around 5pm we find out who will be running the students' union next year. It's going to be one of the most exciting and scary days of my life, I can see it...

We've had our fair share of ups and downs, people negative campaigning, getting bitchy, getting upset, but overall I have had an amazing week. The support I have received from so many people has meant the world to me - my massive thanks go out to the campaign team: Adam, Ian, Neil, Chris, Sorrel, Pete, Helen, Mel, Bob, Scoot, Mental, James, Jay, Bex, Amy, Ally, John and all the others who have helped out at any point over the past week. You've all been fantastic.

So, the day of reckoning is upon us. Check out www.ussu.co.uk tomorrow afternoon for the results, or come down to Chancellors to keep the candidates and their teams company. We're certainly going to need some nerves calming.

I can't believe this is all nearly over. I have had the most amazing (and knackering) week ever. We've had highs, we've had lows, but I have got to know many people so much better than before, and made loads of new friends. Now all we can do is blitz campaigning tomorrow morning, and then hope that all our hard work has paid off.

And now, I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes of the week, which happened last night in the Union. Pete said to my friend Claire "would you like to kiss my baby?" (the plastic presidential baby Janet), to which she replied, "no, but i'd like to kiss you - I think you're gorgeous!" Well, it entertained Pete and me for quite a while afterwards, anyway....

4pm+ tomorrow. Not long now.