h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sums up two aspects of today:

I woke up at about 4am and turned on the World Service, as I often do, to help me get back to sleep. Hit the moment when they were reporting live on the first of the Chilean miners coming to the surface, and it was so exciting that I listened for ages.

Then at the office we are collecting in applications for the academic year 2011-12, and we are always hoping for more than last year - hence the counting. The deadline is Friday, and as they have to apply online through UCAS lots of them don't press the 'submit' button until 11.50pm, so we're expecting a rush on Monday morning. Fingers crossed!

Now know that our numbers are in fact slightly down on last year. However, this is apparently true in the university as a whole as well - with a large proportion of the decrease consisting of applications from outside the EU. Because of the stiff competition for entry for overseas students, high fees, or the UK Border Agency ... who knows?