The Cambridge Chat Thread

leala4628

If it helps I've kept losing my 3 signal too :frown:

Makes sense. 3 use Orange's network for 2G signal.

Reply 2901

User182034

Tom

Makes sense. 3 use Orange's network for 2G signal.

Do they? My mum was going crazy before because I gave her my old 3 phone this week and she's convinced it's playing up because she's using it :s-smilie:

Reply 2902

Excalibur

Scipio90

So, imagine you have ~150 people to allocate practical slots to, with 3 slots. Each person needs to be given a card with their times on, which they are allowed to choose, subject to availability.

Do you:

A) Place the cards in 3 piles outside the lecture theatre for the introduction session, allowing people to take the one they want as they come in

or

B) Hand 1 card to each person as they come in, then let everyone mill around inside trying to swap with people for the one they want ?

Seems the physics department think B is a good idea...

The practical registration for bio today was an absolute nightmare :facepalm:

. About half of the slots for one of the subjects were already nearly full before we even got there, because they were filled to the brim with more medics than they expected (it had like 3 spaces for natscis or something). The slots filled with medics were the only times I, and many other people, could do because it would otherwise clash with other subjects' practicals (which are, for what it's worth, held only on two days a week when some subjects of a similar size hold it for five days a week). It's not even an obscure combination that I've chosen - there are dozens of us doing the same combination and reported the same problems.

It's also so annoying when you know that some people signed up for one of the practical times because they just wanted that day off or something, and they take up the space for other people who really need that slot because of clashes with everything else.

I don't know, for a university as good as Cambridge, I would have thought they could come up with a more efficient and systematic system (like a computer algorithm) than this grab-a-slot-as-fast-as-you-can thing. It's annoying when you can't do the subjects you want for reasons out of your control completely (it's more understandable if it's chosen by class results, like it is for third year). I don't know if I can still do my subject combination, and my lectures start tomorrow.

Reply 2903

ukebert

hollybobs82

I've been having the same problem today - I'm not sure what's up with Orange today... :confused:

I've had the same thing. Most annoying.

leala4628

If you play a musical instrument in your room is someone likely to come and do this?

:rant:

Only happened to me once and I play a LOT in my room :biggrin:

Reply 2904

psyche87

8

Excalibur

The practical registration for bio today was an absolute nightmare :facepalm:

. About half of the slots for one of the subjects were already nearly full before we even got there, because they were filled to the brim with more medics than they expected (it had like 3 spaces for natscis or something). The slots filled with medics were the only times I, and many other people, could do because it would otherwise clash with other subjects' practicals (which are, for what it's worth, held only on two days a week when some subjects of a similar size hold it for five days a week). It's not even an obscure combination that I've chosen - there are dozens of us doing the same combination and reported the same problems.

It's also so annoying when you know that some people signed up for one of the practical times because they just wanted that day off or something, and they take up the space for other people who really need that slot because of clashes with everything else.

I don't know, for a university as good as Cambridge, I would have thought they could come up with a more efficient and systematic system (like a computer algorithm) than this grab-a-slot-as-fast-as-you-can thing. It's annoying when you can't do the subjects you want for reasons out of your control completely (it's more understandable if it's chosen by class results, like it is for third year). I don't know if I can still do my subject combination, and my lectures start tomorrow.

Is that for Pathology practicals (only subject I can think of that has medics and natscis together)? Is there any possibility of swapping with the medics/etc?

Reply 2905

User182034

I can't stop coughing now. I'm going to have no friends :frown:

Reply 2906

Supermerp

2

MC REN

The new blue books are cheap and rubbish though.

That's the idea - it used to cost them a lot to give everyone the fancy spiralbound things.

Reply 2907

Excalibur

psyche87

Is that for Pathology practicals (only subject I can think of that has medics and natscis together)? Is there any possibility of swapping with the medics/etc?

Yup, it's for path. It's horrendously oversubscribed, both from the medic and natsci ends.... I've told my DoS, who asked the course organiser, who basically said "we'll see how it goes tomorrow". The problem is that it's not just a matter of a few people with clashes, but a whole group of people, so it can't be as simple as swapping people around. And until this is sorted, I don't even know what subjects I'm doing, can't arrange supervisions and can't organise anything extra-curricular or social around it.

Sorry, I'm in a moaning mode... I had been standing and fake-smiling and yelling "are you interested in xyz" for at least 12 hours over the two days of freshers' fairs, so am not really in the best of moods. :p:

Reply 2908

OP

Scipio90

I just find it hard to believe that the correct resistance for you to do ~30 minutes is higher than what the biggest guys in my boat club would do a 2k on.

Well I'll waylay FTB some or other weekend and ask him to check everything's working ok. Its a rower and I've never been on water, so I'm happy to believe I might be doing something wrong.
However I've been working hard to get my technique right based on all the advice boaties have been giving me, and I was very encouraged by this guy in the gym in SA coming up to me and telling me he'd never seen anybody row that hard for so long before and asking who I rowed for :s-smilie:

(he was a boatie for University of Pretoria) He thought my form looked fine!
So maybe my other gyming helps the rowing. Eg I gym about six times a week, half of which is intense cycling and the other half of which is weights. So I'm hoping its just that I'm very fit now. If I am using the equipment ineffectually, though, I'll want to change that! To me rowers seem quite tricky because of the various things you need to get right and manage at the same time, so obviously I might still be doing it wrong.

Reply 2909

OP

Its practice.

Excalibur

Sorry, I'm in a moaning mode... I had been standing and fake-smiling and yelling "are you interested in xyz" for at least 12 hours over the two days of freshers' fairs, so am not really in the best of moods. :p:

That is really annoying! I hope they sort it out soon. And I sympathise about FF, although luckily I only had one hour today and packing up to do.

My department only ever release lecture times a day before they start, so I was dreading having a full day tomorrow, but luckily I only have something introductory at 3, which means that I'll have a bit of time to unpack everything and settle in a bit. At the moment my room is completely drowned in boxes and bags, and I'm really not happy starting lectures and work in that state.
I would usually arrive earlier, but I needed to make the most of the SA trip.

College have lost my internet cable, which is really annoying. And the computing office is only open 2-4, except that they're never there when you go and don't answer emails. So its library for me :hmpf:

My room is gorgeous. Unfortunately its quite noisy. However sharing my bathroom and kitchen with only two other people is going to be a major plus. Also we're the only three living in the staircase, so its going to be comparatively quiet inside this year, apart from noise filtering in through Old Court.

Reply 2910

ukebert

I am in a rotten mood. Even a trip to Life and transatlantic sessions hasn't quite expelled it. God I am not looking forward to tomorrow. First day of lectures again... from that point forward the slog needs to begin and I'm finding it difficult to work up any enthusiasm for my subject at all.

Reply 2911

fumblewomble

2

Craghyrax

Unfortunately its quite noisy.

ear plugs.

Reply 2912

minimo

Well tonight was a bit ****. I swear every time I look forward to something (and I was massively looking forward to tonight), it turns up ****. I was *this* close to bursting into tears in the MCR toilets. :frown:

The fact I'm home at 10 past 11 reflects this given I had every intention to stay out late.

Reply 2913

Y__

Excalibur

Sorry, I'm in a moaning mode... I had been standing and fake-smiling and yelling "are you interested in xyz" for at least 12 hours over the two days of freshers' fairs, so am not really in the best of moods. :p:

I know exactly what you mean. Promoting stuff at Kelsey Kerridge is boring, tiring and humiliating. The only thing that really brightened the day at Kelsey Kerridge was the fact that some weird CUSU officials seemed to have put the Feminist Society's stall right next to the Pro-Life Society's stall (the feminists had a cake that said 'riot, don't diet', the pro-lifers had plastic models of fetuses. The former was much more popular, especially with a lot of boys. I'm pretty sure that more boys than girls signed up to their mailing list).

Reply 2914

OP

fumblewomble

ear plugs.

I already use them.

Reply 2915

Y__

minimo

Well tonight was a bit ****. I swear every time I look forward to something (and I was massively looking forward to tonight), it turns up ****. I was *this* close to bursting into tears in the MCR toilets. :frown:

The fact I'm home at 10 past 11 reflects this given I had every intention to stay out late.

What was wrong?

Reply 2916

Scipio90

ukebert

I am in a rotten mood. Even a trip to Life and transatlantic sessions hasn't quite expelled it.

As in the club?

Reply 2917

OP

Y__

I know exactly what you mean. Promoting stuff at Kelsey Kerridge is boring, tiring and humiliating. The only thing that really brightened the day at Kelsey Kerridge was the fact that some weird CUSU officials seemed to have put the Feminist Society's stall right next to the Pro-Life Society's stall (the feminists had a cake that said 'riot, don't diet', the pro-lifers had plastic models of fetuses. The former was much more popular, especially with a lot of boys. I'm pretty sure that more boys than girls signed up to their mailing list).

On the other hand, I was really impressed with CUSU this time. Tom came round to all the stalls and asked everybody how things were going, communicated important info so nobody was confused, and the whole thing felt well coordinated.

Reply 2918

minimo

Y__

What was wrong?

well it's not that I was by myself or anything, I have a couple of good friends, it was just one of those evenings I guess. I feel like I'm the stupidest person ever, super boring and way too quiet. And it doesnt help that my friends here seem to talk a lot about how they have their lives planned out and I have no idea what my future holds. That and I've kind of gone off drinking more than a couple of glassses of wine so feel held back with socialising...and everything just started to remind me too much about the bad bits of Cambridge. I think I need to lower my expectations about what this year's going to be like, I keep thinking it's going to be a totally fresh start but it's not coz I'm still very much the same person I was last year so that, at least, is held constant.

I've also come to realise that I'm probably quite a cold/off-standish kind of person which doesnt help.

Anyway, I'm going to bed, I reckon.

Reply 2919

ukebert