Weds 2nd September

Well the big day finally arrived - I say 'big', it's nothing particularly special or out of the ordinary, but I got to go to uni and see the Post Grad Co-ordinator, and pick up a list of the courses that are running this year, find out exactly how all this part time bit works. Can't say that I've got my head completely around it yet, but as I understand it at the mo, basically I do the core course, Research Training, 5 short courses, and a dissertation. Twenty thousand words I think, which - me being me, hopefully won't present too much of a problem.
Anyhow, you have to spread these courses out over the two years. Apparently most people do it as the core course, and 3 short courses, in the first year, and then two courses and the dissertation next year. (You'll have to bear in mind that I might have got this completely ar*** over tip.) I will have to phone her back again tomorrow and double check I think. It's just that when I got given the course booklet, I was all agog, and 3/4 of what I was told has gone right out of my head!!! And of course, the same courses might not be running next year, so if there's something that I really, really want to do it's best to do it this year. I know - pretty much - what courses I want to do, and of course I have to fit in Latin into this mix along the way. I'm not exactly looking forward to Latin, and to make it worse there are three different types of Latin course to choose from. Latin for those who've never had a Latin Lesson in their Lives Before (in a few less words I should say!), Latin for those who've heard of Latin, and are heading towards or doing Classics, or Medieval Latin for Post Grads. Now that's what I technically should be doing - being like a baby medievalist, but the notes attached to this suggest its a course aimed at those who have experience of language learning. The last time I tried to learn a language was when I was about 15 and being put through the hell of schoolgirl French. And yes, we all know how well that turned out. (As a total side bar, something went in, because David always seems slightly surprised when I know the odd word here or there.) I think I'll go for the Latin for Novices version, I can always put myself through Medieval Latin for PostGrads next year. As I may be one of those people who needs two go's at it to really get the hang of it, that sounds to me like a plan. And since the classes are at 9 in the morning it will give me no excuses not to be head down in the library!!!

So as you can see I've had plenty to try and get my head around. Needless to say after this I had another of my quick trips to the Post Office - tried the one on Alexandra Parade this time, rather than the one on Duke Street - I think I'll be going there probably as my regular post office, it's much quicker to get too. And it's been another of those days where pretty much every time I set foot outdoors the rain came down - but the poor kids on the pitch have had to just put up with that. Nothing like a hockey or football lesson in the pouring rain! Yep, they use it for hockey too - seems nothing like the dire lessons that I had to endure when I was younger. We used to get sent out to this huge field in the middle of nowhere, wind and rain pelting down, nothing like this lovely little half sized pitch which at least has a few walls and high trees to give it a bit of protection. Ankles the size of tennis balls I used to have after that, until I got the hang of swinging my own stick around a bit!!

Anyhow I've now got another while to go before anything more happens. Well, I've got to speak to the Convenor of the Latin course and sort out which course is really the best, and give Christelle a ring tomorrow and double check all the stuff that she told me today. In one ear, out the other that's what it is. Actually it's not, it's this whole two term business. I look at the plan they've drawn out for the terms and I'm thinking if I do this then, I won't have anything to do after Xmas. Part timer eh?