Imperial College, Day One (A Short Retrospective)

[anarchist_nomad]

First day on the new job went well. There are pros and cons to the switch, but overall I think that this is going to be a good thing.

Main disadvantage, of course, is the commute -- I just barely got back to Oxford in time for my ice skating lesson tonight! However, I have some ideas for helping with that. Tomorrow I bring my bicycle on the Oxford Tube, which should make the London side of the journey shorter. The eventual relocation to east Oxford should shorten the overall commute somewhat. And there are a couple of purchases that I could make to enhance the productivity of the journey.

As for the new job itself... well, that requires a longer post than I want to make tonight. Something to really go into the physics that I will be working on. Can't do that now, as I am particularly knackered and about to go collapse into bed with my dear cheshcati

Before I do, though, I want to publicly thank cheshcat and tawneypup and Darelle... all of whom were quite encouraging today. On my [sleepy] way to work this morning, Darelle sent a very sweet text message for my first day. If I had not been on the bus when I received it, I might have even started skipping! tawneypup sent multiple cheery e-mails to bolster my spirits. And those spirits weren't even low -- so that is saying something about the bouncy and beautiful goodness that is tawneypup! Sometime in the afternoon, cheshcat sent me a "first day" e-card that nearly brought a tear to my eye. It reminded me that this woman has shared my life since I was a mere slip of an undergraduate, scarcely a year after I decided that I had wanted to pursue a career in physics. She has been here for the trials and tribulations of my early courses, the insane stress of my first year in graduate school, and watched me in each and every experiment that I have collaborated on. Plus she (and resourceress edited my doctoral disseration -- all two hundred pages of it[*]! If all that weren't enough... she had dinner waiting when I got home from my first day.

Pardon the incoherency, gentle readers. I did warn that I was knackered. However, eloquent or no, I felt it important to write this entry and acknowledge that I am lucky enough to have some very special people in my life!

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[*] Indeed, the dedication in my PhD -- crafted back in 2003 -- is to cheshcat.

Comments

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

Y'know how you're a physicist and now working at Imperial, and how Imperial is known for being a place what scientists come from? I'm doing an art history degree and the lecturer we're going to be getting on Thursday is based at Imperial. That surprised me a bit when I heard, but it seems he really is and Art History person.

Congratulations on the new job and enjoying it. The commute is a bit of a bugger though - 's bad enough from here only doing it a couple of days a week.

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Y'know how you're a physicist and now working at Imperial

I have heard news to that effect, yes! *grin*

I'm doing an art history degree and the lecturer we're going to be getting on Thursday is based at Imperial.

Cool! You will have to let me know how the lecture goes!

Actually, Imperial College is quite highly ranked overall, worldwide. I believe that the Times Higher Education Supplement has it ranked as number five in the world -- after Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, and Yale. It may not command the same name recognition, but it outranks Princeton, Standford, Berkeley, MIT, CalTech... and basically everyone else!

Congratulations on the new job and enjoying it.

Thanks! I think that it is going to be a lot of fun!

The commute is a bit of a bugger though - 's bad enough from here only doing it a couple of days a week.

The commute does indeed suck eggs. Ostrich eggs. Large ostrich eggs. The only thing that makes it even remotely palatable is the broadband access whilst en route. Indeed, I am writing this to you from the coach right now...

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know Imperial is one of the big hitters really, it's just that one (well, this one anyway) tends to think of it as a science place and not so much for the arts.

I'm sure there will be a full rant/whinge/enthuse about Thursday's lecture appearing on an LJ near you by about Friday at the latest :-)

[anarchist-nomad.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I look forward to reading it!

Any change of seeing you next week at the Poly MeetUp? It has really been too long...

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

I just answered this on your other recent post... :-)

Great minds think alike/fools seldom differ. Delete as appropriate.