The Perks of Being a Swot

Swot.

it's a funny old word.

A very British word.

According to Urban Dictionary: (verb) To Swot; Revision undertaken preceding an exam.

But used as a noun it is considered offensive slang.  Swot; A person who values his education at least three times more than his social life and his teacher at least three times more than his friends, hypothetically.

We first came across this word in an episode of The Young Ones. Exam results are in the post but a particularly young and keen girl has jogged down to get hers early because as she says it with a smug sense of satisfaction, "I'm such a girly swot."

I completely identified with her. I have more than a bit of Hermione Granger in me. I am that kid that nobody liked in school. if I was keen on a subject then i was *very* keen. I always like sitting front and centre in a classroom so I can concentrate and not be distracted by my peers who may be taking things less serious than me. I am the type who enjoys the challenge of homework and raises my hand tall and straight (none of this wussy barely creeping up to shoulder level apologetic hand raise), I like to raise it straight up like a rocket and often accompany it with a serious raised eyebrow look and finger wiggle.

So it was really no surprise to me that I did very well on my Welsh exam. 

Yes folks, the results are in. Spiderman and i both passed our exam and will be receiving an entry level qualification certificate (a certificate! be still my beating heart. i am such a gold star junkie). Spiderman did well, he was well above the passmark but I did outstanding.

But then I am a girly swot.

My total score was  369/400. 
The breakdown  is as follows:
70/80 listening comprehension test
202/220 Oral test
58/60 Reading Comprehension and Gap Filling test
39/40 Writing test.

I am chuffed to bits with my scores  but  wish I could see where I went wrong. I would like to see the paper when it comes up on the website as a past exam paper to revise so i can see where i think I went wrong. I know one thing. I am 100% sure that my minus one point on the written comes from forgetting to mutate prysur to brysur. I was so busy trying work out how to use it in a sentence (it means busy) that I forgot to mutate it.

But we are both pleased that after only one year of living here we have learned so much. We have a very basic understanding of a difficult language and are excited about another year's worth of study that lies ahead of us. We have already registered for the Foundation Level Welsh Class next year because we both genuinely love learning.

So ffrindiau, diolch yn fawr a hywl. Friends, thank you and goodbye.

PS What kind of student are you? Are you a Hermione? or are you the type that beat up the Hermione's of this world? (she says from experience)