Through the eyes of a geologist

The first year of university is over. I've had the best year of my life, not only do I have incredible flat mates who I'm sure I'll stay friends with till we're old and grey, I have the best course mates I could ask for. We're a little Geology family, very sociable and have a great mix of work and play. I do miss being at home, but right now I want to stay at university for ever! I got my exam results and am very pleased, roll on second year I say.  Barkby family, John Foster Hall

After a nine hour journey, finally back home to Leicester for two days anyway. Sleep is definitely on the cards...

First lay in in weeks - well if you call 9am a lay in. Yesterday we mapped inland geology on the peninsula, and were tourists for the day! Coloured in my nearly finished map, just need to do expand my notes into proper, concise annotations. Today is going to consist of making a GVS for the area and doing cross-sections. Tomorrow we'll enter the field for the last time to get any information we may be missing. The Langness peninsula is a combination of straightforward and challenging - would recommend it for practice. Getting a view from above Is anyone home? View for lunch Tourists for the afternoon

Today I've finally finished the bulk of the mapping and will most definitely be celebrating tonight. We've finished ahead of schedule so have a few days to go back over any localities we've missed taking measurements for or to take photos that may come in handy when report writing over the following months.  Jo

So the seals made a visit today, making the heat and fieldwork more bearable. We're now on day nine, and the tiredness has kicked in. We practically work from 9am to 11pm, so my body is feeling the burn. Although I may moan, I absolutely love fieldwork - the idea of exploring and interpreting a geological area by yourself and solving the puzzle really is an accomplishment. When you don't understand what happens, you think of all the possible theories that could have happened and with the process of elimination, work out which is the most appropriate. Seals sunbathing on the SE tip of Langness peninsula Sunbathing seal, posing for me Blue sky, blue sea View of Jeremy Clarkson's back garden quite literally

I better start saving! Volcanology and Ecology in Nicaragua

Today we had the best weather yet - t-shirt and shorts weather all day, with a gentle breeze. It was perfect as we got everything we wanted to done, as well as have a spot of sunbathing. We've only got four full days of fieldwork left, so the panic is beginning to set in. We're on target timing wise, but we can never estimate for an unforeseen back set. And to think in just over a weeks time, the hard work will be paid off and I will be sunbathing and exploring in the Caribbean - sounds like heaven to me. Jo

When we wasn't mapping drift onto our maps, we was exploring... Myself (left), Zeinab (centre) and Grace (right)

Today isn't going to be totally wasted. We've used Google Maps to look at the expected drift geology and this afternoon we're going to confirm it. The rest of the day is going to be spent catching up and reviewing what we've done so far and planning the rest of the trip now that we've only got seven mapping days left. Best get cracking on with it then... Jo

Mapping is taking it's toll, so we're going to the pub tonight, in need of a drink or three. Today the weather was pleasant, making mapping much more enjoyable. As you can see though, my mapping colleagues are not the photogenic types:   "What is going on here?"   Having a heated debate Conglomerate in the distance, mudrock by Zeinab

Today's playground: It took a couple of hours, but we finally debated it out as to the geological history of the area. Today has been rather productive, nearly finished the West coast of the Langness peninsula, onto the South end by tomorrow, hopefully on target to finish in time to return to any localities if questions arise. When we're not working in the field, we like to have fun too:   The funniest moment of the day (see above photo). Zeinab splitting her waterproof trousers at the bum, providing plenty of banter on the way home! 

Day three in the field The view of Castletown in the distance:  Today mainly consisted of heading out during low tide to find today's baffling rock boundary. Except as you can see, it was more than just challenging!

This has most definitely caught my eye: Lets hope I get a ticket! Jo

Day 2 of Fieldwork Today it was a comfortable temperature of 19 degrees Celsius - more days like this please! We thanked the fairies as we crossed the Fairy Bridge on the way home for the lovely weather, fingers crossed for more. This was our view at lunchtime: Today we focused primarily on the limestone, of which is only visible at low tide, so we had to cherish the few hours we had with today's outcrop.  Working hard as usual:  Zeinab for scale, on the bedded limestone outcrop Grace (left) and myself locating ourselves using bearings Unfortunately this blog is going to be short and sweet due to the amount of work I need to do tonight, in preparation for another 8 hours in the field tomorrow. Wish me luck! Jo

Currently blogging from the Isle of Man. Today was day one of fieldwork, what I like to call the 'Reckie Day' (Reconnaissance Day). We walked around the area, got the feel of the place, and have planned the rest of the two weeks here. It rained all day, but I like to think we got as much as we could done, powering through 9-4pm in constant rain! I'm going to write a daily blog while I'm here, going through the ups and lows, my group and I experience whilst we independently map for the first time as Leicester undergraduates. Meet the Isle of Man mapping group:

Welcome to my first ever blog as an undergraduate student. I dream big, aim high and even though I may be disappointment along the journey, I never give up. I love to learn and never want to stop. I’ve had some set-backs this year, having applied for Aggregate Industries bursary, G-Base work experience, putting myself forward to be elected member of the PCSB Geology Society and numerously applying for part time employment and being unsuccessful in them all, my eyes have been opened as to just how competitive university life really is. So as I begin this blogging adventure, I plan to share with you my current experiences as an undergraduate Geologist within a very competitive world. I plan to take advantage of blogging using the internet and hopefully will be able to define to you my very own personal brand. Having read through Clare Whitmell’s blog post, titled ‘Why a traditional CV isn’t always enough’ on the Guardian’s website, it emphasizes how an online presence is ...