Category Archives: Durham

End of an era

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Well, haven’t the last three years flown by! I am now officially a graduate of Durham University, having gained myself a 2:2 in Software Engineering. Matthew Dyson BSc (Hons) (Dunelm) does look rather good 😛 It was quite sad to wave goodbye to Durham for the last ever time (as a student, no doubt I’ll be back soon, having witnessed the carnage at the alumni weekend this time around!), and I’m starting to get a bit nervous about going off into the real world! I’m not ready to finish with the student lifestyle yet!

After a rather mad few days of interviews a month or so ago, I have been offered a job as a Technical Account Manager at OpenMarket Inc, and have since accepted – I’ll be starting with them in early September, and have now got the unenviable task of finding myself an affordable place to live in Chiswick, London. Eeek. I’m hoping to head down there next week to have a browse around some houses, we will see what happens…

Before all that, however, I’ve got to get myself sorted for the Jamboree in Sweden. I’ll be travelling out a week on Tuesday (that crept up fast!), and spending a couple of days as a tourist before turning up on site early to be part of the ‘build team’, and then spending my time during the Jamboree itself as part of the International Service Team – not got a clue what I’ll be doing yet!

Might actually get time to breathe after all that is sorted out… The nice relaxing summer I’d imagined isn’t really working out!

Busy times

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I really should get round to writing here more often!

Spent quite a lot of last night writing up a summative essay for Intro. to Management, a lot of bullshit went into it though! I’m currently procrastinating instead of walking the 40 minute round trip to hand it in. Really can’t be bothered!

48 hour production in college this weekend – and all the PA Committee ‘freshers’ are involved, I’ve just had an email saying I’m doing all the mixing for the band – joy of joys! Should be a fun weekend anyway, can see me being drunk for the majority of it though!

Also been told I’m ringing in another quarter with DUSCR next week, I think I’ve scored more this term than I’d done in the 8 years before uni!

Peace out…

Half-Fire-Life-Drill

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7867861.stm

Found that on the BBC website this morning – looks like a fantastic use of my departments research team! Maybe just an excuse for them to play Source games all day?!!

Basically, the team (headed by Dr Shamus Smith) took the Half-Life engine, added a map representing the CompSci department, and then used it to run a simulation about escaping from a fire in the building. Sounds like a good idea, in theory!

Found this very interesting:

"If a door was on fire, they [gamers] would try and run through it, rather than look for a different exit," said Dr Smith

I’d like to think that I’d go for a different exit anyway… or are all gamers retarded in that way? Hope they wouldn’t try a similar strategy in real life!

Really didn’t like how the university covered this though (http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=7525). Sure Half-Life is violent, but simulations have been around for ages!

My life

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Well, its been a very long time since I posted here! Don’t believe I’ve written anything since I got back from Hungary even… that was a long time ago!

Upon getting back from Hungary, I’d heard from Durham that I’d been accepted into Van Mildert College, which has been my home for the last term. I moved in on October 4th, was consistently drunk for 10 weeks, and then moved back home in mid-December, having learnt not a lot – but having had a bloody good time! You can see why I’ve not had time for blogging!

Hungary was awesome if you were wondering, as was Summer Camp the week after – a good preparation for the ensuing mayhem at university!

I’ll try to post more on here as and when I remember, including some updates from Durham!

P.S. – Happy belated Christmas and New Year!

Durham Interview

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Note: Had written this on Thursday, but forgot to post it! Haha!

Durham interview went well today! Apparently will be receiving an offer of AAB within the next few weeks, which isn’t too bad! Also heard back from York, they want AAB including Maths!

Josephine Butler college at Durham is extremely nice, en-suite rooms, lovely bar (:P), free gym… loads! The kitchens for the flats were actually nice as well!

Sadly, the choice isn’t too clear cut between York and Durham, since Durham’s Computer Science facilities didn’t really impress me much (no reference to the song!), whereas at York the CS department is awesome!!!

I’m off to see Nottingham next Wednesday – that still looks like my first choice, with York/Durham forming the back-up offer (I know it sounds stupid, having a first place offer lower than the reserve!). I did learn, however, that Nottingham has the highest rate of student crime in England… may leave my phone at home!!!

Really enjoyed looking round Durham campus though, since it was a week-day I got to see more of the uni at its busiest – and I liked what I saw!