Yippee! Today and tomorrow mark the Enrolment event in the Octagon Centre for all new students. I get to sit in there for 8 hours per day and enrol all of our 130 new students. There's usually free drinks including hot chocolate - who said there was no god? By the way, the Octagon Centre has 18 sides, not 8 as you would expect!
No real news - life has been dominated by getting ready for this week and the next 12.
More when I come out of this dazed state in a few days.................
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Desperation and Frustration!!!! And Sir Alex!
Quick question to all of you out there:
If you were told you are no good at doing something that you had to pay a lot of money to pursue, and there was plenty of real evidence supporting this claim, would you continue to do it?
Surely, most of you will answer "no"?
So, why is it that when I give very strong advice to first year undergraduate students who have failed their first year that they should not consider repeating their first year again (costing them typically an extra £8000 if you include living costs and fees), they write to me a few days later, saying "I want to repeat first year again"!! Their chances of success are very low, yet they are prepared to pay thousands of pounds risking it!
If Sir Alex Ferguson offerred me a 6 month placement in Manchester costing £10k in which he gave me the chance of being picked for the first team if I was good enough, and at the end of the placement he may say something like: (Laughter, and a Scottish accent) "Richardson, you have three left feet, you can't kick the ball in a straight line, and you fall over when your grandmother breathes on you and you wouldn't play in my team for all the haggis in Scotland!", I think I would take the hint. BUT some of these undergrads just say the equivalent of: "Oh, Sir Alex - I can work harder and I can learn to score goals of the season and win trophies, really!" What does it take to get through to some of these people!?
IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE TELL ME QUICK BEFORE I GO MAD!!!!
If you were told you are no good at doing something that you had to pay a lot of money to pursue, and there was plenty of real evidence supporting this claim, would you continue to do it?
Surely, most of you will answer "no"?
So, why is it that when I give very strong advice to first year undergraduate students who have failed their first year that they should not consider repeating their first year again (costing them typically an extra £8000 if you include living costs and fees), they write to me a few days later, saying "I want to repeat first year again"!! Their chances of success are very low, yet they are prepared to pay thousands of pounds risking it!
If Sir Alex Ferguson offerred me a 6 month placement in Manchester costing £10k in which he gave me the chance of being picked for the first team if I was good enough, and at the end of the placement he may say something like: (Laughter, and a Scottish accent) "Richardson, you have three left feet, you can't kick the ball in a straight line, and you fall over when your grandmother breathes on you and you wouldn't play in my team for all the haggis in Scotland!", I think I would take the hint. BUT some of these undergrads just say the equivalent of: "Oh, Sir Alex - I can work harder and I can learn to score goals of the season and win trophies, really!" What does it take to get through to some of these people!?
IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE TELL ME QUICK BEFORE I GO MAD!!!!
Friday, 12 September 2008
Doctor Nick Hardy!!!
The presentation of the traditional coin in the cork!
(above) Tim, Stu, Mark, Faridah, Benedek, Nick. (above right) Mark in his natural habitat.
(left) Stu, Mark, Faridah, Ben, Sasha, Nick
(left) Before!!!!
Well, he's done it! Nick has passed his PhD viva and is now doctored!!!
Well done to Nick - it's been a stressful day, not helped by very slow staff at Antonio's Flying Pizza restaurant, but it's over and PhD number 20 is in the bag! Here's the before and after photos! Have a great weekend all, especially to you Sid - keep in touch and keep flying the "diamond" flag. One day, "Diamond" will mean something different to a structural facility in the South!!!
"Hardy" Day!!
Today is Nick Hardy's PhD viva - the most important test of any scientist's career!! I'm just waiting for Nick to arrive now, wondering how he will be feeling and remembering back to 1989 when I was in the same position! Nearly 20 years! Come on Nick - you can do it!
There'll be some photos going up within the next hour of "before the viva" and some later of "after the viva"!
I've got a rubbish cold at the moment so feeling pretty groggy; maybe I'll get the lurgies out of my system before term starts for once this year. Anyhow, here's my latest art offering - it's called "Courtship". Let me know what you think.
More later, Tim Moth
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
LHC, 140 students, sanity!
Morning All
Well, today is Big Bang Day! Fingers crossed that this won't be my last post! Of course, there is more chance that I'll be slapped in the face by a live, smoked haddock than the world will end, so those of you who are worried (Donna and Amanda) need not!
I'm tired this morning so this post is a bit dry. I just wanted to air the fact that my major stress at the moment is organising things for the arrival of ~140 students for this coming year's First Year. Five years ago we had around 60 students - if only my salary scaled at the same percentage. I guess we lecturers shouldn't grumble too much about wage rises though since the paydeal worked out a couple of years ago means that we get inflation this September and inflation is HIGH! So we should get about 5% which is pretty good really!
Been invited to my alma mater (Durham Univ) to give a talk in November - that will be nice to go back again. I have this secret hope that one day, there'll be a Professorship there for me to fill, but then again there are a number of places I would love to go to be a Professor at: Bangor Univ is one that you might be surprised about, but there is a magic about the place and of course nearby Anglesey, that is often in my mind. Durham I've mentioned, Sheffield another (this place isn't so bad after all), or somewhere like Canterbury either the UK one or the New Zealand one! Our friends Paul and Caron are going to NZ and they say that when we visit, we'll never want to come back.
Well, that's it for now - just got a lot to do now as I'm sure most of you reading this have. Have a great day!
Well, today is Big Bang Day! Fingers crossed that this won't be my last post! Of course, there is more chance that I'll be slapped in the face by a live, smoked haddock than the world will end, so those of you who are worried (Donna and Amanda) need not!
I'm tired this morning so this post is a bit dry. I just wanted to air the fact that my major stress at the moment is organising things for the arrival of ~140 students for this coming year's First Year. Five years ago we had around 60 students - if only my salary scaled at the same percentage. I guess we lecturers shouldn't grumble too much about wage rises though since the paydeal worked out a couple of years ago means that we get inflation this September and inflation is HIGH! So we should get about 5% which is pretty good really!
Been invited to my alma mater (Durham Univ) to give a talk in November - that will be nice to go back again. I have this secret hope that one day, there'll be a Professorship there for me to fill, but then again there are a number of places I would love to go to be a Professor at: Bangor Univ is one that you might be surprised about, but there is a magic about the place and of course nearby Anglesey, that is often in my mind. Durham I've mentioned, Sheffield another (this place isn't so bad after all), or somewhere like Canterbury either the UK one or the New Zealand one! Our friends Paul and Caron are going to NZ and they say that when we visit, we'll never want to come back.
Well, that's it for now - just got a lot to do now as I'm sure most of you reading this have. Have a great day!
Friday, 5 September 2008
Leverhulme, Weight and Calling A Spade A Spade
Afternoon
Just a quick post about the Leverhulme Trust. Has anyone had any experience of successfully getting funds from the LT? I'm probably going to lead an International Network application and any advice would be gratefully received. Might apply for direct research funds as a separate bid as well.
Photo: Canadian geese and their kids at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, June 2008.
And one or two of you friends have asked if my weight loss programme is continuing well. The answer is yes - I temporarily levelled off at 14 st 12 lb for the last fortnight, but the last weigh-in suggests that my metabolism has restarted as I'm now 14 st 10 lb. So that's 19 lb in 7 weeks so far. Probably on target to reach my target weight by early - mid December. Thanks for your support and to those of you are still calling me "fat _______d" - that really does help, seriously. People are too kind to fat overweight bloaters in the UK. Being told you are too fat means that you are more likely to do something about it! Calling a spade a spade is a forceful and truthful way to make a difference. One final mention to my friend William B who now works in Oxford amongst the dreaming spires - thanks for always keeping in touch William, you're a good 'un! Have a great weekend to all.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Art, Canterbury Tales, Projects and The Old Man
Waiting for me this morning was an email from my good pal Simon H from University of Kent at Canterbury. It has to be said that he isn't the best at keeping in touch but he had some good news about a paper that has been accepted by Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry. And he's keen to collaborate which is even better news - I'm really looking to boost my interests in polymers.
Today's main task is to think up a load of ideas for 3rd (BSc) and 4th (MPhys) final year undergrad projects. I like to submit some "unusal" projects as well as more standard ones, so in recent years I've had a "novel physics board game", "Physics journalism", "Murder Mystery Physics" as well as more research-oriented, lab-based projects. I'm toying with the idea of "Time Management Skills for Physics Students" as a possibility? If any of you blog-followers have any ideas - either research-related (Frank D) or out-of-the-box - please let me know today!!!
It's my dad's birthday on Friday so I've got to buy that card today - forgot again yesterday. He's 73, going on 21............ he still does about 200 miles per week on his bike (remember this is a push-bike we're talking about, not a Harley) and is still knocking out incredible time-trial times at the cycling club he's in. He does 10 miles in about 25 minutes, even at 73!
And finally, here's a photo of a recent painting - it's not in the right frame yet, this is just an old junky one, but tell me what you think. It's a bit more oriental in style and will probably end up being called something like "Chinese Chickens in a Brawl".
I hope you all have a great day! The sun is out here in Sheffield at the moment, or as I like to say in Spanish "el sol toca la guitarra".
Monday, 1 September 2008
Early Morning Laugh
Above: Shrinking Apple Mark 2.
Right: Bella & Frog.
Below: part of our garden.
Morning All
I arrived at work this morning at 7.45 and 5 minutes later, having changed from cycling to work clothes, I walked towards the coffee room, only to see a Professorial colleague and fellow member of the department who shall remain anonymous, struggling to open up his office, ready for the day's work ahead. I gave him a slightly puzzled look as I said "Morning" to which he mumbled his reciprocal reply, followed shortly after by "My key won't work for some reason." And then - and I'd already begun laughing inside at this point - he added, "Oh, damn. This isn't my office, it's Ed's. I'm on the wrong floor!" It's heartening to know that even world-renowned Professors do daft things like this from time to time. Nice one, Neil!
I can't talk of course - I once put an electric plastic kettle on a gas ring! I've never heard my mother shout so loudly!
Well, busy day ahead today - finishing off my part of a proposal my mate David from Hull Uni and I are writing. If it's funded, David says it will be his last project before retirement. It would be nice to have the honour of working with him at the end of his service. Also, must remember to get my dad a birthday card and send it. I'll stick a cheque in and a home-made bike voucher since he spends most of his money on bikes, even as a 73 year old!
I arrived at work this morning at 7.45 and 5 minutes later, having changed from cycling to work clothes, I walked towards the coffee room, only to see a Professorial colleague and fellow member of the department who shall remain anonymous, struggling to open up his office, ready for the day's work ahead. I gave him a slightly puzzled look as I said "Morning" to which he mumbled his reciprocal reply, followed shortly after by "My key won't work for some reason." And then - and I'd already begun laughing inside at this point - he added, "Oh, damn. This isn't my office, it's Ed's. I'm on the wrong floor!" It's heartening to know that even world-renowned Professors do daft things like this from time to time. Nice one, Neil!
I can't talk of course - I once put an electric plastic kettle on a gas ring! I've never heard my mother shout so loudly!
Well, busy day ahead today - finishing off my part of a proposal my mate David from Hull Uni and I are writing. If it's funded, David says it will be his last project before retirement. It would be nice to have the honour of working with him at the end of his service. Also, must remember to get my dad a birthday card and send it. I'll stick a cheque in and a home-made bike voucher since he spends most of his money on bikes, even as a 73 year old!
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