Tag Archives: academic

Efforts for an A grade student (Rousse)

I called to DT that I’d see her at the revolving door so that we could head home together. Then I thought that I had better check my office before I left. The PhD applicants who had unexpectedly turned up … Continue reading

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Medieval French literature, relationship advice, a Jacobean trunk, and a blue Maserati (Rousse)

We were working through archives of exam questions, extracting any that could be recycled for the next academic year. My collection was so old that it included questions on medieval French literature from my own undergraduate days. My colleagues started … Continue reading

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Magic tables only a partial solution to University accommodation problems (Rousse)

I was dismayed over the state of my accommodation. I had been allocated a tiny desk squeezed into the corner of a large computer lab populated by PhD students. My computer and printer took up most of the desk’s surface … Continue reading

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Scottish Tory leader resigns (Rousse)

I’d been chair of the Scottish Conservative party since 2006 (against my will). Now the grey-haired bully across the table was forcing me to resign. I was a disappointment to all. Even though I had held my post for almost … Continue reading

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Black M&S knickers laundered for the overworked academic (Rousse)

It was inevitable that I would eventually just give in to my workload and move onto campus. My new “home” was a small space at the end of a bench of computers in a noisy student lab: we had words … Continue reading

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Rousse tweets academic Victorian music hall performance

At one of the most bizarre professional events that I had ever attended, my PhD supervisor stood at the microphone and introduced the first act to come on stage. One of my external examiners, dressed like a Victorian music hall … Continue reading

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A misremembered Loughborough childhood (Rousse)

BP took to holding staff meetings on Saturday mornings. I was first this week, so I left TPR in bed and wandered off to my appointment, curious to know what was on the agenda. BP and I shared experiences of … Continue reading

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The Desert Island Discs theory of mathematics (Rousse)

For once ST seemed just as excited as me that we were meeting in my dreams again. As soon as JC dismissed herself from a three-way conversation about A level maths test results (she scored a mere 40%), I got … Continue reading

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A job opportunity in Finland (Rousse)

I travelled to Finland where I expected to take up EH’s old job. (This was a mistake. EH turns out to be a German academic based in Ireland.) Because I was planning to leave the country, I also had to … Continue reading

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Cycling academics, poor publishing standards, diet Coke rations, a farewell disco, and stiletto heels (Rousse)

I cycled to work to mark the last day of operation of Queen Margaret’s Corstorphine campus. Many other Edinburgh academics did the same, discussing the poor standard of journal submissions as they rode the route. Because it was such a … Continue reading

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