The fact that you say this is your prospective supervisor is worrying. You haven't started with them and yet already having problems. It would be advisable to find a supervisor you can get along with!

I'm not sure if A-levels will be the first thing they look at for a postgrad course but of course they will look to see what grades you got. I think the fact you didn't do so well in your IB will be more unfavourable for you. Also, I'm not sure how much of a factor is the university you are doing your BEng, you say South Bank is average, well in most tables it is below average but if you can get a first, that would really help.

Why is it so important that you attend only those 3 unis?

The number of pms in the inbox isn't updating. It said I had none until I clicked on it just now and I actually had 3!?!?

Are we having a chat room as well?

Shocked! No one has sent me any pms yet :-(

coastie, IE is pretty useless though, so maybe switch to FireFox anyway?

Personally I don't see it as "creepy" and it makes no difference if it was a hetero senerio, if it was just one-sided (you have been checking her out, right?) then maybe creepy.

I think you should pretend everything is normal, e.g don't check her out, don't be late because you know you can get away with it etc. Try not to argue and if she checks you out, try and look uncomfortable so she realises it's not on.

If you can't be "normal" with her, I suggest you look for a new supervisor.

Why has Pete been demoted to just one star? How strange!

Something helpful - ladies, use Mooncups they are better for the environment and your pocket and they are just fantastic (up)

BROW

I personally don't see Sony as being overpriced, as see them as a luxury that some people can't/don't want to afford. If I'm indulging in something, say a camera or a TV, I want Sony. That's because in my head you can't beat them for quality. It's the same with cars, I want only German because in my head nothing beats the Germans when it comes to cars.

If you are really struggling with the evilness that is Vista, get rid of it. I refuse to use it. I recently had to order a new laptop and it came with Vista but I managed to get an XP downgrade disc from them and wiped off pooey vista. Hubby showed off by getting a business edition on his lappie and a few months later gave up with it and went back to XP.

If you dont need to use Windows, scrap it altogether and download a freebie linux red-hat distribution like centos. If you want both on your machine, it's pretty straight forward to set up a dual boot. Might be better if you are a beginner to linux. Theres plenty of help on the net or you can get some books out of the library.

Oh and if you are planning on using Windows, avoid Vista like the plague!

Dells are ok if you get a more business type laptop such as lattitude and above.

I had a Toshiba and they are very very reliable. You can drop kick them and nothing!

Forget the Sony, you will be paying a wad of cash for the name Sony and the lovely design. HP sounds ok, 4GB RAM is more than enough to run any stats programs I know of, 2GB is normally plenty. Make sure you shop around to get the best price. Check out quidco.com to see which websites will give you the most cash back.

Increase warranty if possible and make sure it's properly insured (see laptop stolen thread for who not to insure it by), especially if you live in uni accommodation.

8-)

SAILS

No but I have been to the hole in the ground type toilets in India. It would be VERY difficult to squat and write at the same time and also poo.

I wish, I have to finish my phd :-(