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

I saw your plea on another thread, for someone to come over and say hello to you. So, I thought I would oblige, even though I really should be doing some work.

I think you have more stuff on your personal space than any others that I have seen. It’s all worth reading too. I like the idea of time travelling in a flashing neon wheelie bin that hovers.

You’ve been involved in a lot of guide entries, haven’t you? I’m lagging somewhat in that area. I am trying to write one at the moment – but I’ve been trying to write it for about two months.

Anyway, some work has appeared on my desk so I had better go and do it.

Liz
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Ah, iot came across as a plea, did it? Well, I suppose that's about right. Not the most socially able or active of all people, lol Thanks for coming over anyway, I'm sure we'll have a fun time

My personal space is a bit out of date... almost 2 years out, truth be told, but I just can't be bothered changing it just yet (I don't really have anything interesting to put!). I like the idea of time travelling full stop, but doing it in a flashing neon wheelie bin that hovers would just add that touch of class.

A lot of them were ones advertised on the front page as collaborative entries- just a line or two of mine in most of them. There are a couple that are mostly mine- one was even a re-jigged essay I did in the first year of my degree course. I've got a couple of other entries on the go, but I haven't done much with them for a while. If you see anything that you'd be interested in having a hand in, let me know- I'm not overly possessive with my entries!
Also, if you want to do something you think I could help with, just ask!

Right, I'm going to hop over to your personal space and see who you are now, so have fun with your work, and I hope to hear from you again soon!

TK[1]

Well, I sorted out the enrolment forms that landed on my desk this morning, so I am back on hootoo, desperately trying to keep up with all the threads I have involved myself in.

Are you still based at Leicester? or is that part of your personal space out of date too? I gave my personal space a fairly major overhaul a couple of months ago after I decided to move it permanently to h2g2, having previously been based on one of the other DNA sites (Get Writing). I got bored with writing and reviewing, so I came over to hootoo because it's more fun.

Liz
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No, I'm not still based in Leicester- I've recently finished my degree (graduation ceremony is this friday!), so I'm back at home now, in a village near Kettering in Northamptonshire.

I just had a look at your space, and saw the Get Writing stuff. It tempted me as I have a couple of short stories, and a few longer books on the go. I might put some stuff up- I like the feedback, but at the same time I'm a little worried about people stealing my stuff (if that's a little bigheaded of me, then so be it!)

TK[1]

I don't think anybody will pinch your stuff if you put it up on GW. I got some reasonable feedback for the stuff I posed on there, but I've rather lost interest in writing just lately - hence I'm lurking on hootoo.

So what are you going to do with yourself not that you have finished Uni?

I hope you enjoy your graduation day tomorrow.

Liz
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I might put some stuff up then...

At the moment, I'm claiming JSA whilst searching for a temporary job to take me up until september, when I hope to start a PGCE course.
Other than that, I'm playing on my PS2, spending most of my weekends back up in Leicester and driving my mum to work and back!

Thank you, I'm sure I will Got the summer ball in the evening too- that should be fun. Jools Holland's playing! As are Four Poofs and a Piano. And Girls Aloud, but less said about that the better!

TK[1]

Wow! Proper, bone fide artistes playing at your summer ball! That is swish! I look forward to hearing about that next week - assuming you can remember any of it, of course.

One of my work colleagues is trying to do a PGCE course, as well as working full time, running a kids drama group and doing goodness knows what else, and is finding it tough going. I don't think the course being run here is a terribly good one. Another colleague has already done her PGCE somewhere else and does not appear to have had the troubles poor Laura gets.

So, are you planning to teach Maths eventually?

Liz
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Jools was AMAZING! Four Poofs were entertaining, and I didn't see any of Girls Aloud- apparently they were an hour late and then only played for 20 minutes! Don't know how true that is though...

Ouch, that seems to be a heavy schedule!

Yeah- to do the PGCE you've got to have a degree in the relevant subject. As I graduated yesterday, that means I qualify in that area at least!

TK[1]

Sounds like a great party.

I understand that there is a shortage of maths teachers - so you should be in much demand once you qualify.

My mate who is doing the PGCE is teaching IT as part of her course, even though she has no IT qualifications (her degree is in media studies). My other pal who already has a PGCE is currently tutoring an on-line Mentoring course, although her degree was in maths and she used to teach maths in a secondary school. She liked school teaching, but gave it up because she didn't like all the hassle that went with it. My brothers girlfriend is also a teacher, she teaches French in a secondary school in Birmingham. She likes teaching too, but finds the behaviour of some of her pupils prevents her from teaching effectively. School teachers have my utmost respect! So do people who can do maths - a subject that remains as much a mystery to me now as it was when I was at school.

Liz
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It was pretty good

That's what I'm hoping

Lol, maths isn't that bad, it's just a bit boring at times. I think peopl are scared away by the belief that it's so difficult rather than it actually being that difficult.

Teaching is something which I feel will certainly be challenging.

TK[1]

I had to have extra help with maths at primary school, and I don't think I ever recovered! Reading and writing have always been much more my forte than numbers. I am reasonably numerate (I worked in Finance for several years) but actual maths is often difficult and I can't do mental arythmatic at all - it's a bit sad to still be counting on your fingers at the age of 37, isn't it?. I recently cocked up a funding claim because I couldn't add the value of two travel claims together .

Liz
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I had to have extra help with maths shortly before doing my SATs, and then it just clicked.

I love reading, and I write occasionally too. I loved English lessons when we had some piece of creative writing to work on.

My mental arythmetic is absolutely appaling- I still count on my fingers and I've just completed a maths degree. I find doing calculations in my head immensly difficult, especially if I'm subtracting, and I often don't trust the answer I come up with. I know pitifully few of my times tables. Just goes to show that you don't need to be any good at that stuff to actually grasp what maths is all about!

TK[1]

I'm not good at times tables either. I blame part of my problems on the fact that we moved house twice while I was at primary school. This was long before the National Curriculum was thought of so each school I went to used a different system for teaching maths and I think I missed a bit somewhere! I managed to get grade 2 CSE at maths, so I'm not too bad. I was politely advised to leave the 'O' level maths class though.

Underachieving at maths didn't stop me from working in accounts departments for five years. An accountant once told me that there is a big difference between being numerical and being mathematical and I think she was right. I did an numeracy test at an employment agency once and scored 100%. I was rather proud of that.

Liz
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I'd agree with that- numeracy and mathematicalness are very different.

Well done I think the maths-related achievement that I am most proud of is getting a level 8 in my Mathematics SATs when I only did the levels 5-7 paper. In case that sounds dodgy, it IS possible to get a level 8 out of a 5-7, but you have to be well into the 90%s (I think it's 97/98 ish).

TK[1]

SATS didn't exist when I was at school, so I don't know much about them. I'm pleased to hear that you need to get a really high score to get the top marks though. It's a shame they don't make other exams that way - I scored 80% for the AS level I did last year, which gave me an 'A' grade but I think that is unfair given that there will have been people who scored in the high 90's who still get the same grade as me. I am led to believe that a mark of more than 70% gets an 'A' at GCE level, and I think that is ridiculous.

Liz
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I know what you mean- at degree level anyone who gets 70% or above gets a 1. I think there should be some kind of extra commendation for those who get into the 90's.

TK[1]

Absolutely

I'm having a busier day today and I think that is partly to do with the end of the academic year looming and also because tomorrow is my last day before my holiday. Why is there always so much crap to sort out just before a holiday?

I'm a bit stiff today - some colleagues and I had a bit of a picnic in the park yesterday lunchtime and then played a quick game of rounders. I ache in all sorts of unusual places

Liz
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I had a bit busier day yesterday- saw a friend for lunch, bought a bike etc. Today was O.k- paid my first dole cheque in (lol) and bought Starsky and Hutch on DVD with money given to me as a graduation present by one set of grandparents.

I wouldn't know- I don't go on holiday all that often. Where are you going?

Sounds nice- I had a game of rounders with my dad's work's social club on sunday. I ached in places I don't know existed. But it was a good kinda ache, so I've bought a bike, and I'm trying to find people who will play badminton with me- I need to make a determined effort to do more exercise, get a bit fitter and lose some weight.

TK[1]

I am now on annual leave - yipee! Thursday was my last day in the office and I go back to work on Monday 2 August (assuming the HR department manage to issue me with a new contract before then). I had a very lazy day yesterday (Friday) and spent the whole afternoon in the garden, initially trying to read a bit more of War and Peace (which I have been bogged down with for about three months). After a while, the sound of my nosey old next-door-neighbour yakking to whoever would listen got on my nerves, so I fetched my portable CD player and lay outside listening to that.

We are going away to Bath for a short break next week. We are due to travel down on Tuesday and return next Saturday. I usually get a bit stressed about going away on holiday, but so far I'm remaining rather cool about the whole thing and I'm rather looking forward to it.

So how is the new bike going? I'm not a fan of cycling myself but I keep fit enough to be healthy (although probably not fit enough to class myself as fit) by walking. I don't own my own car (but do occassionally pinch my boyfriends) so I walk to work and back every day, which is 15 minutes each way, walk into town in my lunch break and often walk into town from home at the weekends (as I did earlier today), which takes about half-an-hour. Some of my work colleagues play badminton together and if I ever get around to buying myself some proper trainers, I might just join them. As a rule I'm not terribly sporty, but it's so easy to lead a sedentary life nowadays that I think I need to make more effort fitness wise.

Liz
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Yey for you!
I haven't read that- it's one that's on my (rather lengthy) mental list.

I'm not a holiday person... I don't know why. I just find the flight/ ferry the best bit of any holiday... I could just go backwards and forwards for two weeks.

NEw bike's O.k- not ridden it much though! I'm going to have to persuade some friends to come on a decent ride with me. I might go and play badminton too- I found my old racquet in my grandparents' garage when I went up to show them my bike!

TK[1]