GOGSoc Episode VII: Game of Moans

Where to? We were planning on a USA trip, but people keep getting engaged, so it might just end up going on weddings this year, but that's cool, we can go next year.

Talking of driving, I am so glad I passed my test in the UK before moving, as it is much more expensive and time-consuming to learn here. I have actually just swapped over to a Norwegian license this summer as my UK one was expiring. It took FOUR MONTHS to come through because of problems with the admin at the DVLA. I had to keep going back to the Norwegian DVLA equivalent and getting temporary licenses which had no photo on them so you needed to have your passport at all times as well.

But driving to me is a necessary evil. I do it, but I don't really enjoy it. Me and my OH work very near each other so we drive together and he does all the driving.

Not many people do. The best way to describe it to those who don't know is to compare it to CSI, but those in Forensics really don't like being compared to it as it is completely wrong! Everyone in CSI gets everything right with perfect evidence 100% of the time. As you can guess that's never possible in real life. Most of the things they do on that programme is wrong. I can no longer watch crime programmes with forensic stuff because I end up scrutinising their methods

To come back to your question after my mini rant (sorry that always happens!), Forensic Chemistry is the application of chemistry to the law, so we just use our chemistry to provide expert evidence to law cases, e.g confirming a type of drug and its quantity.

Probably the fact that I have all of the people who are involved in student politics on my facebook. However, there is now a petition to get one of the biggest libraries at my old uni to be open throughout the Christmas break when:

1. Only a handful of students use it
2. There are other libraries in close proximity
3. It wouldn't make a lot of sense considering that most undergrads are actually home home

I made the point of suggesting that students just pick up the books they most likely will need and borrow them and then if they are in London over the holidays there are other libraries. Heck, you can get almost all books in the British Library if anything!

I'm probably being really cynical here (and probably being a scientist means that I've not had to rely on text books until I started my research) but some of the things that students demand for are either not practical or not well thought out. Last year there was a whole campaign to change the exam venue from the ExCeL centre to somewhere more central (which made sense). This one on the other hand has made me want to have a bit of a rant

Apologises for anyone offended by this, I'm just in a bad mood today ........

(and you can tell that I hate student politics!)

what I'd really like to see is all the UoL colleges work together to open the collections to students from other colleges. I mean, why stop me from borrowing a book directly from the LSE but allow me to request that very book from the LSE via my own university? It's a waste of time and money.

It seems the 'University of London' exists in the name only.

Can't you ask the library to buy books?

x

And yeah I see what you mean, probably need more exposure to the library tbh

you'll get arrested

They're too busy renaming themselves retarded names and paying stupid money for the advertising campaign instead of spending it on actually useful stuff. And here's the funny part, they don't want to buy books that other UoL universities have (considering LSE next door has a massive collection that's very up-to-date, no wonder KCL's is **** with such a policy). As for UoL, it's technically just an administrative entity that doesn't seem to hold too much power over the different colleges anymore, but there's still existing links and I feel it's a bit silly to have like Senate House Library but not allow freer inter-library use for students of the colleges still attached to the UoL.

you'll get arrested

I hate everything about those!!!

It seems the 'University of London' exists in the name only.

They're too busy renaming themselves retarded names and paying stupid money for the advertising campaign instead of spending it on actually useful stuff. And here's the funny part, they don't want to buy books that other UoL universities have (considering LSE next door has a massive collection that's very up-to-date, no wonder KCL's is **** with such a policy). As for UoL, it's technically just an administrative entity that doesn't seem to hold too much power over the different colleges anymore, but there's still existing links and I feel it's a bit silly to have like Senate House Library but not allow freer inter-library use for students of the colleges still attached to the UoL.

1) I find this is an opinion that varies a lot depending on whether you're a user or a librarian. In the end, you'll only see a handful of people as a student compared to how many might really be working (especially if you're referring to the Maughan, which is a real maze).
2) You get kicked out of the LSE library at 9pm IIRC (or 10, but you don't get the 24/7 access), and you're also not allowed in when it's exam time (so having our own library open for longer could drive people to use it more, after all it doesn't cater for night owls).
3) Internationals likely don't. Neither do grad students (or at least not for the entire duration), and that's probably the bulk of the users during the holidays, and I think it's quite a good idea.

4) Loans are rubbish at KCL. Most of the books I used were only borrowable for 1 week. If someone requests it or you're away and can't renew them, it's rubbish.
5) Most other libraries don't let you borrow (UCL and LSE don't, for example).
6) Going to the BL is a completely different thing compared to going to the Maughan, you have to know what books you want 'cause they're not all on site, request some (takes 2 days for them to arrive), you can't take them out, you work in a somewhat restrictive environment and there's often quite a lot of people and not that many quiet nooks and crannies (imo). It's really not ideal, and even if you use the inter-library loan service, KCL is a bit rubbish at it and you can't even take the BL books out of the KCL library (or the BL fot that matters) because they're reference only. Basically, you have to plan to go to the BL if you're going there to get specific books. I really didn't like that.

All this aside, KCL should probably focus on the quality of their collection (particularly rubbish compared to the other university libraries I've had access to) and what I'd really like to see is all the UoL colleges work together to open the collections to students from other colleges. I mean, why stop me from borrowing a book directly from the LSE but allow me to request that very book from the LSE via my own university? It's a waste of time and money.

Soz, as an ex-librarian and avid library-user as a student I have to say I was a bit appalled by the poor quality of the collection (particularly for my subject, which is supposed to be one of KCL's forte…) and of the library in general.

Oh God, presentation in an hour. I've gone blank and I feel sick *cries*

Oh God, presentation in an hour. I've gone blank and I feel sick *cries*

Oh God, presentation in an hour. I've gone blank and I feel sick *cries*

Oh God, presentation in an hour. I've gone blank and I feel sick *cries*