Burble burble
I have been doing lesson plans all week and my brain is starting to get a little fried. Really I feel like I should be satisfied with the progress I've made so far since I've got a lot of new material, but the list of things to go through actually seems to be growing rather than shrinking, lol! I can't even relax in the normal way by listening to music or I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue anymore, as I find myself constantly assessing the material to see if it's appropriate for lessons! Ah well. It's the weekend soon, and I'll have a break since I'll be spending most of my time pestering Ilya with Ilya.
I went into uni today to see the careers people - I had to ask them about job opportunities after doing a PhD. She admitted they wouldn't be too good, especially since I'm not too keen on the idea of living permanently abroad, and really when the jobs are thin on the ground you have to be willing to go wherever the work is. She also advised that I talk to my old professors, so I went and knocked on a few doors - the only person in was Luker :D. He makes me laugh so much - he seemed really harassed at first and said he couldn't give me long since he was so busy ("only five minutes!") and then he said the same thing to the fourth year student who knocked on his door shortly afterwards ("we'll be done in five minutes!") and then proceeded to keep me talking about 20 minutes after that :D. Bless him. He didn't tell me a great deal that I hadn't already heard, though he did give me a few useful contacts in case I do decide to go into it, but it's looking very doubtful now. But in the midst of all that we went through a whole range of random subjects (proper Luker-style :) including the strange shape of Tamworth train station, bitching about Professor Dobrenko, and how he once knew the headmistress at one of my local schools... This man seems to have contacts everywhere. No wonder he takes Dr Zhivago so seriously (I think possibly Amanda will be the only person who would get that reference... oh well)! He was also so sweet when I said I was worried I might not have the people skills to go into social work cos I'm too withdrawn... Ah, he made my day, he really did :)
Also this week I have been to visit Hannah, which was really nice. She gave me loads of helpful advice about teaching. And I have completed my very first Games Workshop model! I think that deserves a fanfare :) I'm quite pleased with it considering it's my first model (an ork), but it's kinda saddening to think I probably won't be able to complete the other models we picked out for at least 6 months... It's a strangely potent reminder of just how completely all my Ilya-time is about to be derailed.
I went into uni today to see the careers people - I had to ask them about job opportunities after doing a PhD. She admitted they wouldn't be too good, especially since I'm not too keen on the idea of living permanently abroad, and really when the jobs are thin on the ground you have to be willing to go wherever the work is. She also advised that I talk to my old professors, so I went and knocked on a few doors - the only person in was Luker :D. He makes me laugh so much - he seemed really harassed at first and said he couldn't give me long since he was so busy ("only five minutes!") and then he said the same thing to the fourth year student who knocked on his door shortly afterwards ("we'll be done in five minutes!") and then proceeded to keep me talking about 20 minutes after that :D. Bless him. He didn't tell me a great deal that I hadn't already heard, though he did give me a few useful contacts in case I do decide to go into it, but it's looking very doubtful now. But in the midst of all that we went through a whole range of random subjects (proper Luker-style :) including the strange shape of Tamworth train station, bitching about Professor Dobrenko, and how he once knew the headmistress at one of my local schools... This man seems to have contacts everywhere. No wonder he takes Dr Zhivago so seriously (I think possibly Amanda will be the only person who would get that reference... oh well)! He was also so sweet when I said I was worried I might not have the people skills to go into social work cos I'm too withdrawn... Ah, he made my day, he really did :)
Also this week I have been to visit Hannah, which was really nice. She gave me loads of helpful advice about teaching. And I have completed my very first Games Workshop model! I think that deserves a fanfare :) I'm quite pleased with it considering it's my first model (an ork), but it's kinda saddening to think I probably won't be able to complete the other models we picked out for at least 6 months... It's a strangely potent reminder of just how completely all my Ilya-time is about to be derailed.