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

Hurrah!

And I`ve also gotten a place to live now I was starting to think I would have to pay a lot of money for something. Then today I went to a place which was really cheap, easy to get to and had a large room with a double bed. And friendly flatmates. Seems like I got really lucky there. I`ll be moving in on monday. My life is shaping up quite nicely right now

Good news all around then, Xan. Congratulations. Another case of methinks.

B

Oh yes, things are going quite well now.

Now, this new room of mine should I decorate that as an Austin Powers-style lovenest do you think? In case I get some NFG`s in there?

And remember you got a standing invitation.

A standing invitation to an Austin Powers Love Nest? How could a gal resist?

Actually I am trying to persuade my Private Life that a week in Dublin is just the thing to do in August - I want to see you, and ChaiWallah, and it would be cool to see Azara and Gnomon too. However the likelihood of it actually happening is between 20% and nil.

B

ChaiWallah? Nobody I`ve ever heard of. Is that a researcher or just someone with cruel parents?

Well it can`t be all that expensive, all you need is the time.

It's lovely to see things are working out for you, Xan

"a reasearcher or someone with cruel parents?"



As you know, I am both! ChaiWallah is a researcher though.

B

Hey

So cool to come back after the weekend to the good news! Well done Xan

Got visions of Xan on a circular moving bed now doing Austin Powers' poses...

There are so many of you now in Dublin. Let me know if you do organise something, Ben - I'll come too!!!

Well done Xan. All good things come in threes. You have the job, the flat, now it's a toss-up as to whether the third one will be the NFG or a fantastic offer from some university somewhere. Which will probably come with a couple of dozen suitable females thrown in - so you win either way!

Well, I need some advice again. The job I`ve gotten isn`t all that grand anyway. Very boring, and they`ve now made us wear fancy clothes. Not really something I would like to be doing for too long. And so far no word from university, I imagine the chances of getting in are pretty bad anyway.

So what do you think I should do? Seems my plan of studying here won`t work, and I don`t have enough money to do any travelling. Should I attempt to head off into the wild blue yonder anyway? Should I stay and work? Or is there a third option?

Are you going for a place at the University starting this October, or next October? I assume it is this October.

I have been working in academic admin, and the administrators don't go home in the holidays. In other words, they could well still be working on your uni place, and no news is - er - no news.

It might be worth making a phone call to the uni, and asking them when they expect to have a decision, and is there anything in your application which needs clarification.

Nil desperandum. I would not make any decisions on what to do and what not to do until I had the definitive word from the Uni.

B

Well, the Danish guy sitting next to me at work also applied and he got a letter last week saying he got in. But I haven`t heard anything so far. I will wait for a while before I make any decisions, but it would be good to find out what my options are now.

They process applications in series, not parallel, so the fact they have not written suggests that for whavever reason they are still processing yours.

Persevere, mon brave!

Let us know how it goes.

B

Worry less, you come across as being far more intelligent than you seem to think.

If you don't get in then do apply again, and don't worry about what job a degree might leed to, especially if you don't know what job you want to do anyway.

If you did indeed apply for astrophysics in the end, well, that means logical problem solving, which could well make you extremely employable. Physics graduates tend to eventaully end up earning far more than a vocational degree in the same line such as engineering. Even if money isn't what you want, that probably means there'll be a variety of jobs as well.

Watching the news today, I heard that the UK A'Level results are not out till tomorrow. Since most universities make conditional offers depending on A Level results, they cannot have finalised their places yet.

I know that Dublin is in Eire, and not in the UK, but it is still relatively early in the summer, hard though it may seem to believe.

B

Yeah, phone and ask the Uni if they know when you can expect an answer (nicely ). Don't make any decisions until you definitely what's going on.

Then let us know, so people can plan whether to organise a 'pulling' night in Dublin later this year

Well, suggestions are welcome. No universities wanted me.

Is that official? And did any of them give reasons? (They usually don't, but it is still worth asking).

I am fresh out of suggestions though.

Here, have another

B