Physics at York or Nottingham?

Still have a lot (a lot) to get through but yes. The great thing about programming is that there are stacks upon stacks of online resources.

Cool, what's your background? I didn't do maths a level, all of that is ahead of me but I still want to be able to teach myself from, like now.

Also just got off the phone with a recruiter putting me forward for a job that's a bit beyond me where they would like me to be able to code! Uh oh.

How on earth did you work in a job other than low level administration in the City without much qualifications?


Genuinely interested.

Connections?

No connections actually, which meant had to work harder than you can imagine. Took the traditional junior route into broking. It really impacted my health at times. I did have to do low level jobs to start with, then I got made redundant from a job that I had worked really hard to get into. Most recently I'm I a role that is not low level admin but it's just not what I want to do. I've also, not having had the protection that a proper education can offer, been subject to the kind of harassment that should have earned those men a criminal record. Maybe I should have just been happy with low level admin jobs...

It makes you worry about how you'll make friends, no?! I hope to meet people with life experience and families, because I can't imagine enduring 4 years of the kind of kid you mention above.

You should tell them of some of your experiences. But if I see you about to completely loose your rag with one of these little brats, I will calm you down with "There there Sgt. Bloggs, let's go now."

Yes your son is adorable! Has he seen the castle?

Yes, you're right about having more time. I went on a tour of KCL and at one point I asked how the students break up their day, did they study from say 7:30 till 5 like my normal work day? They didn't exactly use these two letters, but the response was essentially "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

Interesting.

If this is truly you in the profile picture, do you think your looks may have helped get into certain positions.

Not saying you didn't work hard btw.

I'm not too worried about making friends. I think there are good people to be found everywhere and I'm not too hung up on age when it comes to friendships these days. That said, experience is fascinating and I love hearing peoples' stories! I'd just like to have a few solid friends than make thousands anyway.

Ahaha, I'm not going to go military on anyone if I can help it. People are students not soldiers so I can't expect them to act like one or be treated like one either. I'm going to accept people as they are. That said, I'll try and behave like any adult should behave and intervene if there's an argument or a fight or something. Drunk posh kids scrapping in clubs is likely to be brilliant spectator sport, though.

Why physics then? It is a fantastic gateway subject, I know people that have studied physics and gone into both coding and IB, if you're into that sort of scene. But it seems like a real change of pace for a financing arts girl.

I haven't taken tiny people to Castle, yet. I think he's a bit too young to appreciate it. But I did have great fun ignoring warning signs and exploring it with a friend the other day.

I'm also slightly conscious that I've hijacked your thread for an interrogation - albeit an interesting one.

SS

Cool, what's your background? I didn't do maths a level, all of that is ahead of me but I still want to be able to teach myself from, like now.

Also just got off the phone with a recruiter putting me forward for a job that's a bit beyond me where they would like me to be able to code! Uh oh.

Funnily enough I have a degree in Physics from Durham .

Funnily enough I have a degree in Physics from Durham .

And there will be PhD students too who will be a little older to make friends with.

Ha yeah watching bratty behaviour play out could be fun. Hopefully it won't rub off on us....

I just started taking an intense interest in physics. A bit like I did with financial markets. With both interests there was no apparent cause weirdly. I will likely go back into broking or trading tech and the maths skills from the degree will be a big advantage as the industry is changing so rapidly. I've worked in an equity research environment as a junior on the trading desk and I'd like to do that again really. When I was there I got leapfrogged by two kids straight out of uni who were friends of the kids of the COO. They had a sales and an analyst role created for them that I was promised because of this connection and I realised that it was going to be very hard for me to get anywhere there no matter what I did. It's a long story! But I also think that not having a degree held me back there as the client would probably want his analyst to have a degree. Everyone there had graduated from Oxbridge, Stanford or Harvard basically and had 10 years experience in the industry.

Yes it will be a shock to the system after those arts a levels, though to be fair I've never enjoyed the arts, I just couldn't be arssssed at school and chose my subjects based on what my friends were doing, regretfully.

Don't apologise for hijacking the thread! It's likely that if I get into Durham too then you will be thanking God everyday that you had such an opportunity to meet me and be graced with my friendship to be honest.

Well, I for one, planning on going a little wild at uni. You're more than welcome to join me, if you like. Not too wild, but just wild enough. Off-the-rails, Goldilocks style. Not too hold, not too cold. I've had enough of discipline to last me a fair while!




Hmmm, I'm somewhat disappointed to hear that the finance is such an old-boys network. The military is the same way. I have an uncle that runs some sort of takeover department in HSBC in the city but I'm not inclined to head in that direction.

Nice to see some confidence. Time will tell if it's justified. You may end up at Notts and this friendship may be confined to the virtual sphere. How disappointing.

Well, I for one, planning on going a little wild at uni. You're more than welcome to join me, if you like. Not too wild, but just wild enough. Off-the-rails, Goldilocks style. Not too hold, not too cold. I've had enough of discipline to last me a fair while!




Hmmm, I'm somewhat disappointed to hear that the finance is such an old-boys network. The military is the same way. I have an uncle that runs some sort of takeover department in HSBC in the city but I'm not inclined to head in that direction.

Nice to see some confidence. Time will tell if it's justified. You may end up at Notts and this friendship may be confined to the virtual sphere. How disappointing.

I wonder how this story will end.

I'm feeling like I should be well behaved and studious at uni. I've been pretty ridiculous over the past few years. Im known for staying out all night dancing and then getting home just in time to shower and head out back to work. To be fair I haven't done that in 3 months because I'm trying to focus on being the mature 'mature' student. And I'm getting old...like shots can't happen anymore. Hmmm. What's the nightlife like in Durham?

And I can hear the stampede of students looking for IB internships heading in this direction after "I have an uncle that runs some sort of takeover department in HSBC in the city..." That was said in such a chilled way it made me really laugh.

Well you better hope and pray that I don't end up at Notts. In a few months time my avatar is going to be a picture of you with ME on your shoulders!!!

Good response. Bit feeble, "shots can't happen, anymore." Obviously, I'll give you some latitude for being part of the w̶e̶a̶k̶e̶r̶ fairer sex but even so. Step up.

I've heard the nightlife in Durham is fairly terrible. Too many posh kids ranting about gap yahs to give it any real flavour. That said, anywhere is great if you can find the right group of people and even 'mature mature' students need to let their hair down every once in a while. There may even be a place for you on my shoulders if you work for it.

That's an interesting route into physics. You're certainly in the minority there. It's a bit odd to just develop a passion out of nowhere!

SS

I also start talking about physics when drunk, surprisingly other people actually find it interesting when inebriated. I'm scared that the passion will disappear just like it came, but I have to remember that I'm still interested in finance and have made a CV out of it and there are similar things about the two areas, so it's likely here to stay.

Ahh, you see through my barely-veiled manipulation far too easily.

After getting really inebriated, I tend to start getting shots of sambuca and start sipping them like some sort of fine wine. It's one of my more bizarre drunken idiosyncrasies.




Oh dear, you know you've got problems when your passions only become interesting after a spot of drinking. Like any new love, the passion will flare up for a while and then settle down into something more like glowing embers but you've got your financing at the end of it, to keep you motivated.

I think I would have really enjoyed a physics degree if I went to university at 18 it would have been my first choice, it's my 2nd choice now as I wanted something a little more down-to-earth so that I'd have a set of employable skills at the end of it (e.g. coding and software design) - for me that's important as, being older & as a man with responsibilities, I need to be able to walk into a job at the end of it. Obviously, you've already got finance experience so you're well-ahead if you choose to go back into it.

So, what do you do when you're not sitting around eagerly awaiting for my replies on TSR? :P

We seem to have scared everyone else off in this thread. I did consider taking it to Pm's but I'm enjoying the open forum too.

SS

I think it's because usually no one wants to talk about physics, but when I'm drunk I'm like "plllleeeeaaase can I tell you about this really cool fact!!?"

I've never really understood why degrees are so important in areas where you don't directly need the knowledge (medicine, engineering, law). Surely, if you're smart you're going to be just as smart before a physics degree as after one - yet companies don't recognise that. I find it rather snobbish. Great, we need 3 years to prove we're clever but I can tell that you are from the way you compose your sentences and in your thoughful content too.
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You'll be interested to know that Durham offer an elective module to take alongside 5 physics modules which can be with any department you choose. So, you could definitely get down to the economics department and do a module there. Not that it would necessarily be of much educational value to you - but it may be some very easy marks for you to bolster your first year results to a 1:1 or a 2:1.




I find myself strangely eager to hear you best physics small-talk/chat up line fact.

I've also got a quiet day at the office as I've taken a step back from the fast-pace of regimental life to focus on resettlement courses. The rest of my squadron is are headed out on a deployment soon but I'm staying behind this time to get ready for uni.

SS