Journal Entries
Plans scuppered by the British weather
Posted Sep 5, 2008
My friends and I were planning to head down to Devon today for a weekend surfing. I took today and Monday off work and was really looking forward to it. We went last year, and had a fantastic time. Unfortunately, the campsite was waterlogged and the beach was closed.
Instead, we're filling the time with activities closer to home. Today we went bowling for the afternoon, tomorrow we're going to Laser Quest then an evening at a friend's house - drinks, films, takeaways and Guitar Hero.
On Sunday we're heading to Go Ape. Someone else from hootoo (was it Roymondo?) went not long ago, you may recall. It's a huge assault course up in the trees, and apparently the weather is not too much of an issue.
Not sure what I'm going to do on Monday. I was very disappointed this morning - I've been looking forward to the trip for months - but this is a pretty good plan B. 
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Latest reply: Sep 5, 2008
W*rk
Posted Jul 21, 2008
I started w*rk today. For those of you who didn't read/can't remember what I said I was doing in an earlier journal entry, I'm a Casework Support Officer for the Crown Prosecution Service. I'm w*rking for a Crown Court unit, which means more serious cases than those dealt with by the Magistrate's Court unit.
There are very specific procedures to be followed, lots of acronyms and information to learn. I think it will take months to be fully conversant with what I'm doing! Other than the horror of realising that, it was pretty good.
They're sending me back up to York next Tuesday for a course on the computer system they use. It's only a day, but hopefully I'll be able to break out at lunchtime and see some friends who are still in the city. It will mean a ridiculously early start to get the train. It was suggested that they would put me up in a hotel the night before, but I can't do that because I'm going to see the Royal Shakespeare Company doing Hamlet that evening. David Tennant. 
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Latest reply: Jul 21, 2008
I urge you all to watch this
Posted May 8, 2008
Some of you may have heard of this, or even seen it.
For those who haven't, the link below will take you to Dr Randy Pausch's shortened version of a lecture he gave at his university. The lecture series he took part in was called 'Last Lectures' because it asked lecturers to think about what they would say if they only had one lecture left before they died.
In Dr Pausch's case, he actually did have only one lecture left. He has Pancreatic cancer and has very little time left to live. It's very inspirational and I hope it makes you all think.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kjZwhcWY-KE&feature=related
(I linked to this reprised version because it's ten minutes long, whereas the original is an hour and a quarter, but you can find that easily enough on youtube.)
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Latest reply: May 8, 2008
Exams
Posted Apr 25, 2008
Well, last term I finished the taught part of my degree. This term is all assessment. In my second year, we were assessed on 35% of our degree, and the remainder is all this term.
On Wednesday and Thursday I had my first exam. It was an open exam, which means you go in early in the morning, take it away, and have two days to write two essays from the questions given, with total freedom to use your books and notes. I handed that in yesterday. It's worth 14% of my degree, but I was pretty happy with it.
Next Thursday I have to hand in my dissertation. It's pretty much finished, I just need to make final final changes and get it bound.
A few weeks after that, I have another open exam, and two weeks after that I have a 3 hour closed exam on the same module - which is good as it means only one module to revise for. Having the open examfirst is great because it obviously doesn't require as much revision, since you have the notes when writing it.
I'm staying sane by planning the month I have off between the end of exams and the end of the uni year. I'm going to do all the things here in York I haven't done yet (walk all the way around the walls, go to more historic properties, etc - expect lots of entries), go walking in the Peak District or the Dales, drag all my friends on trips to the coast (I'm thinking Scarborough, Whitby, and Robin Hood's Bay). Anymore suggestions from anyone familiar with the area?
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Latest reply: Apr 25, 2008
Umm ... Yarr?
Posted Mar 8, 2008
We had our Student Union election results yesterday. Our new president is a pirate.
I wish I was joking.
His policies include cutlasses for all and a cannon on the top of Central Hall. He has a hat and a duck on his shoulder. He runs the British part of Talk Like a Pirate Day. http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/1414/1/
Fun? Yes. Serious? No.
By all accounts, he did well at hustings and seems like he might be capable of doing a competent job, but how does this look to outsiders? It reinforces the stereotype of students who don't really care and just want to have fun. What really bothers me is that the president has to represent the university and the students - how is he supposed to negotiate with First Buses, who run the route between campus and town, for lower fares when he's dressed as a pirate?
http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/1568
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Latest reply: Mar 8, 2008
Elentari
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