I grabbed the hot tin tray of party food (with extra sausages rolls) and ran along the corridor to the classroom. I was 5-10 minutes late, but I knew that the students would wait for me. What I didn’t anticipate was just how many would do so.

The classroom was packed. Here were not only the students who had actually signed up for the module, but also around thirty Indian and Chinese student observers, and a gang of children. I couldn’t possibly control this huge group, so I embarked upon an eviction process, starting with the foreigners. Once they, the children, and anyone who begged “I know it’s week 6, but please can I still join your module?” had left, the number dropped to a more manageable 30.

Now, for the last time before the syllabus changed, I was ready to share my knowledge of business information sources with the class.