Through wind and storm

Aberystwyth, which is usually known for its calm pittoresque promenade and fresh Atlantic breeze, was being continuously hit by sharp winds and high tides destroying everything that came to their way. Waves peaking twenty meters high brought rain of stones and sand on the historic Victorian structure on the seafront. The city council in cooperation with university authorities decided to evacuate the town's city centre on several occasions.

That is how my new year started. I live on the bank of the Afon Rheidol river approximately half km inlands, so our house was often endangered by the incoming high tides as a result of which the water would often float in the opposite direction away from the sea. Even though the pictures of the destroyed town look scary it must be said that local authorities did keep the situation under control and didn't allow anybody to get injured. I was pleasantly surprised by the quick communication, emergency accommodation, free food, and frequent information updates from the side of the university. For the sake of student's and staff's safety the January exam period was put off by one week. So, overall, I think that the situation is a good example of crisis management well done.

Regarding my studies, last 2-3 months were heavily focused on my final year project. During a two week period in December, which I spent at the University of Bangor, I  collected sufficient amount of data, which I am now analyzing for more than two months. It is my first purely own project, so I am very rigorous about it hoping that if the results are of enough scientific exclusivity I will be able to publish it at the end of the project. At this point, I have sufficient findings to report in my dissertation and on several student conferences, which take place in April and May.

Naturally, one of the biggest questions of my life at this point, is what future path to take after I finish my bachelor's degree. I would like to continue conducting research in neuropsychology, so I applied to multiple US institutions for PhD and MSc programs. The good news is, that I haven't been rejected by any of them thus far, but on the other hand I also haven't been invited to any interview. This leaves me with some hope, but the uncertainty about future makes me uneasy.