Revision

It's a foul word.  Study, study, study. After annual public examinations for five years, you would think we would be used to it.  I find it incredibly demotivating.  But it probably increases our ability to find distractions.

Trying to revise mechanics: failure!  Even brother's explanations are more comprehensible than these notes, and I avoid them when possible.  Panic mode!

School Reunion

What a title.  There's a Doctor Who episode with that title.  Yesterday, after much travelling, I arrived at one of my former schools.  It certainly holds a special place in my mind, as it remains my favourite school.  The establishment was celebrating its 90th anniversary, and the alumni association invited all former pupils in its extensive history.  Much to my delight, there were some from my own year, as well as my teachers.  It was a stunning day, though on arrival, I immediately threw a spanner in the works, with the few words, "I haven't RSVPed."

However, the organisers were superb - they soon made allowances at the dinner tables, which were packed full.  It's an incredibly small school, and the alumni present could probably cover the entire register of the senior school.  Most of the people I recognised responded in kind, and of those, most assumed I was on the course that I am studying.  One exception to this was one of my favourite teachers - I loved parts of the course, but was hopeless at a vast majority of it.  Nevertheless, my teacher had such confidence in me that when she recalled which year I had left, where I'm currently studying, she asked with great certainty that I was reading the course she teaches.  I cringed.  Another teacher present informed her that, "She's doing xxx, of course." Still, it's a great compliment, however I look at it.  

Another delight was to chat to a teacher who I've not had chance to in almost four years.  She retains some of her distinctive interests, and is largely to thank for my continued interest in the course - she was very careful to keep some challenges to the course, and prevented any tediousness that might have occurred.  The marvellous thing of this particular school is the confidence everyone shows to you.  They are thoroughly convinced that anyone can be spectacular - and if you believe that as well, you really are.  I'll never be a teacher myself, but those people deserve the highest praise.  

Returning to hall, the place is once again packed.  We also have a new Hall Warden, whose initial speech was cringe-worthy.  Having returned to hall early for exams, I met him last week.  Within a day, there was plenty of gossip flying, and fuelling a fire is fun for a character such as his.  However, even within such a short space of time, he's convinced that I'm intelligent.  Perhaps convincing him of other parts of my character may distract him from being a sycophant.  

Silent halls

Well, as the parental units decided to go to the Isle of Wight later this week, I'm back in my halls of residence almost a week before lectures start.  I do have an exam to revise for in the mean time, but today, the hall has been almost eerily quiet.  More people will arrive for their exams soon, but walking down dark and silent corridors has the tinge of a horror novel to it, even if you consider that place a home.  

Monkeying about

Last week, fed up of boring town (not as interesting as university city), and having a local friend moan about how boring the place was, we went off to the local Go Ape course.  For those who've never heard of it, it's a high wire course in the trees.  Safety training is provided, but then you're let loose, unsupervised, self-reliant, into the trees.  Issues with organising such trips always occur, as local friends are impossible to get together (apart from living 20 miles from each other without means of transport, not everyone stays in the country), so I was fairly pleased with a turnout of 6. 

However, one had neglected to mention a fear of heights.  She was extremely brave, and took part in two of the five individual courses, and then dithered about the others.  It also informed me that I'm something of an adrenaline junkie - the zip-wires at the end of each individual courses give a great high, as do the tarzan swings - you attach yourself to a short piece of rope, and then fling yourself off the platform into a net.  Extremely scary, but also amazing fun.  

High places rock!

Teenage Fandoms

So, parents away, the mice will play. Or to use another phrase, the offspring allied through terror will cook for themselves. Having scraped something up from the freezer, and having a quiet discussion, brother P asks me "Have you read that Midnight they're all going on about?"

I like books, so my mind doesn't instantly jump to Twilight, as there's always a novel with a similar title. Still, for an almost 21 year old male to be curious about the series says something about how insiduous the series has become, almost pervacious. Also, it points out how few teenagers still read and can notice a good book when they see one. Twilight was published in the UK in 2006 - why has it taken 3 years for people to take note? Of course, the film has made an impact, but like many screen adaptions, fails to do justice to the text.

Perhaps eventually people will pay attention to the budding authors - before media hypes things up in all the wrong ways.

Technology Illiterates

There seems to be something of a routine forming in one of my classes.  The teacher likes to use the projector, to show us video clips, or simply an audio recording.  However, whilst she appears quite capable at using an office suite, and surfing online, anything further is beyond her grasp.  So for the last couple of lessons, she has started the computer, only to run into problems.  No-one else in the class appear to have any inclination to attempt to fix the problems.  So, whilst I struggle with the aim of the class, I'm willing to sort this out, if only to get on with the lesson.  However, I do wish that the teacher would watch, so that she might work out how to do it herself.  I don't particularly care to make a habit of this!  

I generally find that providing you know how to get back to an initial state, messing with computers does very little damage.  I only wish more people took a similar attitude.  

New Year, New Room, New... clearing?

I have to say that I admire the way this hall of Residence is organised.  The University tries to provide 1st years with accommodation, though they don't always succeed.  This hall expects people to drop out, so offers some people 'temporary' rooms, to more students than there are rooms proper.  Then, when someone does eventually drop out, one of the 'temps' can move in.  Having been in this situation for three and a half months, I have finally moved into a better quality room.  I understand that the previous occupant of the room was something of an introvert, and hid behind the 'mysterious door'.  However, he left me the very pleasant gift of about 15 plastic, 2l water bottles in one of the cupboards, which will eventually find their way to the recycling bins.  He also left a toaster, and hidden amongst the afore mentioned plastic bottles, an electric razor.   Not that I have any use for it, I handed it over quite happily to some friends.  They don't seem to trust me with it, for some reason...