I thought it was the rsearch reputation of your department that counted, I didn't realise that the big choices happened over punts

Yep, unless the Uni says there's funding (NERC etc) its probably going to be a bit tricky...

My medieval historian friends are all doing latin courses and spend a lot of time translating, depends what particular area though I suppose. Can't hurt though, can it?

They've even locked the room with the coffee machine in it

Finally going to face the big pile of job application forms on my desk...

Is anybody else the only one sitting in their department?

Hey, a few points:

1. Congratulations!

2. The whole accepting then cancelling at a later date (I know the conversation is past this now) is a bit dodgy because you might still be working in the same area, and its probably not a great idea to annoy a future post-doc partner or collaborator, or just someone you might meet at a conference! I'm sure they'd understand.

3. The Graduate Union website goes into the whole College thing in detail, and they produce an alternative prospectus for Colleges: www.gradunion.cam.ac.uk/forum

4. Officially, as a student you're supposed to register your car with the University (you're not allowed one at all as an undergraduate except for medical reasons) but I think in practice you can get away with it: www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/studenthandbook/studentlife/vehicles/motors.html

5. Have fun!

I don't always agree that they have to be the super high profile ones. I'm not sure how much you get out of them, because you don't get the chance to network too much because all the big speakers are too important...

A lot of people turn their noses up at postgrad-only conferences, but I've made so many contacts with people at a similar stage to me, which is now helping me when looking for post-doc projects.

Variants of the Imperial one have been going there for years. Make sure its based at Silwood Park though, and not Wye; they're in the process of closing that campus down.

I want to open a Wonky Farm

So, if I pay loads of money and have someone carve their initials in my retina with a laser, then I'll get a girlfriend? Wow, if only it was that easy...

We have to write bloody GANTT diagrams every 5 minutes...

So does Imperial, based at Silwood Park - type this query into the search box for previous threads...

Where's natherland? Is that near nather-natherland? Or never-never land? E-business hasn't caught up with Peter Pan just yet.

I would rather have a nice pen than alcohol-filled marmite...

I was just trying to be nice!