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

By the way, did you try and call me yesterday? About half way through our SMS conversation, I got an incoming phone call which I tried to answer, but my phone's been playing up, and frequently just gives me silence when I answer...

(I thought about calling you because I wasn't quite sure if I could get across the strangeness of the admissions process in 140 characters or fewer... Anyway, if you've got any more questions, might be easier to ask them here where I've got space for a more eloquent answer...)

Nope wasn't me, I continually have about 4p credited on my phone so I can never cope with phoning people

I don't actually have any questions more just complaints about the foolishness of it all as it's like waiting for exam results continually...
*grins*
Why aren't they offering me interviews??? I read some of the dullest books ever written for them... I mean I read all of part of Turn Of the Screw and that's appalling...And I'm on page 32 of Uylsses which has one of the most confusing openings ever...I need to be interviewed so I can pretend to be interested in the complete works of Milton I may be forced to petition...there's only 4 days of phonecall opportunities left...gaaaa... and then I'll end up in Durham...and it's cold there...continually...although they did have a nice icecream shop...hmmm...ooooh and there's generally more snow so that'd be fun...

*wanders off to finish reading about the complete history of Anglo Irish literature since 1069*
It's fascinating this book you know

It does sound a bit rough. I'm not quite sure what the procedure is. One of the people renting my house got pooled (and she's the most intelligent person I know), although she got picked from the pool by her second choice college. (Not all that surprising - it was Newnham, one of the women's colleges, and perenially undersubscribed.) And it was 11 years ago, so she was having some trouble remembering the precise details. So I guess things happen a little more quickly in that case. Sorry you're being kept waiting in the dark.

Turn of the Screw? I once saw a poster for Benjamin Britten's opera of the same name (and presumably the same story) with a picture of a prison guard holding a bird. The Tern of the Screw, presumably...

Um... Did you say in your interview that you only read these books because you felt you had to for the interview?..

I'm not worrying, it's fine, there's two whole days left they could ring in
*grins*
Besides my mate has asked one of his friends who was pooled and he says that they didn't get asked down for a second interview at all...so I'll not know one way or another until 30th January... which is really not that far away...kind of

*laughs*
Course not, I was way convincing in my love for dull books Seriously though, I read many, many books which I thoroughly enjoyed and some of them even suprised me. Like "The Great Gatsby", that was so entertaining and I completely didn't expect it to be... and "Portrait Of the Artist" sounded quite dull but as it was by Joyce I persevered and it was really interesting. Especially as I'd already read his epithanies and the original letter so it was actually quite fun to see how he'd fitted them into the final novel... Oh and I really enjoyed the Canturbury Tales too, for some reason I always assumed it'd be kind of like Shakespeare but it's actually really funny
*realises she's waffling*
Erm...

So, 2 days you said. Dare I ask: any calls yet?

Well... it depends which calls you mean... generally no useful calls regarding further interviews however, (and this is a big however apparently!) I spoke to the admissions staff and they confirmed what my mate said in that as they already know that the pooled candidates are the best candidates many colleges actually don't bother interviewing again and indeed many people aren't interviewed as they don't feel the need to in order to accept them...

The way I figure it, either this is extreme optimism on behalf of many people or it's actually true and because I had an interview last year as well they may have run out of questions to ask me and so I don't need another one...possibly This is so foolish it's unbelievable, it's actually worse than waiting for exam results as at least there was a set date that they appeared. With this all I know is that I'll be told towards the end of January which is so vague it's like the epitamy of vagueness...not that I'm letting it annoy me you understand

So you might not have to come down to Cambridge for more interview? Darn it! There goes another chance to show off the Elise... (Or if you do, it'll doubtless be the week after next when I'm in California... And no, I won't just leave you the keys so you can drive it yourself. )

I guess if nothing else the admissions process appears designed to put off everyone except those who are actually quite keen on going - I wouldn't blame you if you rejected any offer they might give you just on the grounds that if they put you through this kind of hassle you don't really want to go there...