Chapter 5

The Wednesday of the publication of the first year exam results finally dawned.

In those days, before the advent of word processors, computers, laser printers, the internet and all the other technology that we now take completely for granted, the typewritten results were posted up on the notice boards adorning the walls around the Great Hall in the Students Union, and you had to go to see them to find out how you had done.

We woke up to a steady drizzle against the front windows; the thunderstorms had broken the spell of dry weather and let in some rain from the Atlantic.

Julie and I had a cuddle before we got out of bed, but we were both on tenterhooks, and not really in the mood to make love. The grey day outside seemed appropriate for the nerve-wracking experience we were undergoing. Had we done enough to pass, and go on to the second year? I told myself that I had, and I told Julie that I was sure she had too; but we both knew that I might be wrong.

After a somewhat silent breakfast, when nobody really ate their usual amount, we all put our anoraks on, and headed off towards the Union.

I suppose that we were quietly confident; we knew that we had attended all our lectures and had put some real effort into our revision, but we all had a small wobble in the pits of our stomachs that we might have messed up one vital part of the exam.

There had been a story going the rounds, about a previous student who had taken 'speed' to give him an edge during the exam, and according to legend, he had written constantly for the full three hours as his over-stimulated brain disgorged all the information he knew. Unfortunately, he never actually turned over his first sheet of paper, and he kept writing over and over on the same side, so that his answers were completely indecipherable. We had no idea how true that story was, but we could well believe that in the heat of the moment strange things happened - witness the torrential nosebleed I had seen, which had magically transformed into attempted suicide once the rumour mill had got hold of it!

We were surprised by the number of people already climbing the Union steps ahead of us. We obviously weren't the only ones who had not had the best of nights! The general mood seemed to be serious but optimistic; we all knew that the vast majority of people passed the exams first time, and most others would pass the resits in early October. But we really didn't want to have to resit any of our exams.

We pulled down the hoods of our anoraks as we entered the Union building, the place was crowded, and you needed to be alert to avoid being bumped into by some goon who was not looking where they were going. And there were plenty of those around today!

Typed by the departmental secretaries, the sheets of paper were hard to read from any distance, and a scrum had already formed around most of the notice boards before we arrived.

Someone had had the good sense to put up a floor plan on an easel, so at least we all knew which part of the wall to head for. I kissed Julie and wished her good luck, and headed off for the Faculty of Science section.

I reasoned that as my surname came at the beginning of the alphabet, I should be on the left hand board, and I fought my way through the crowd until I could see the typescript.

Bugger. It was also alphabetical by Department. And Astronomy, Botany and Biology all came before Chemistry. I moved to the second board.

I cursed the current fashion for long hair and the odd 'Afro' style frizzed up hair do. Some of the people in front of me effectively had heads twice the size they need have been, obscuring my view. Eventually I managed to push my way to the front and study the sheets. I found myself at the end of the 'B's.

Bruce.

Bolton.

Blake.

Bitten.

Bhatti.

Beale.

Bates.

Baker.

BAKER!

Baker J. R. Chemistry 1. Maths 2.1. Physics 2.2. Pass with Credit.

I'D DONE IT! I'D PASSED MY FIRST YEAR EXAMS!

And, absolutely astonishingly, I'd got the equivalent of a First in Chemistry!

I pushed back through the crowd and away from the notice board. That was nearly as difficult as going the other way.

It seemed very perverse that those people still wanting to look were effectively stopping those who had already seen their results from getting out of their way!

I stood in an open space until I saw Julie escape from the press and come towards me. She was beaming with delight.

"So you failed all three, did you, darling girl?"

She pretended to punch me, but did kiss me.

"And let me guess, your Chemistry results were so poor that you're going to have to do a Physics degree now?"

"Oh dear, you seem to be able to read my face like a book! A book that someone is holding upside down a hundred yards away!"

Vee joined us, then Sian. Both were beaming, and it was clear that they had also passed.

I looked around, hoping to see Malcolm, but couldn't pick him out in the crowd.

"Now we need to go and sign up for next year!"

Sian had actually read the instructions as well as the results, which was rather fortunate, as none of the rest of us had.

"If you sign up before the end of term, then the University will write to your LEA to confirm that you should receive a grant for next year, and there won't be any delay in paying it come October."

That was a very good reason for me to head straight for the Department of Chemistry. We all knew people whose grant cheques had been delayed, and how difficult things had been for them until the money did come in.

"Have you decided what to do next year, darling?"

"Oh yes, I was pretty sure that I wanted to continue English, and there's no problem there. Vee will as well, but I think Sian is going to drop History and do Economics instead."