Tag Archives: student

Dinner, Duns, and editing dissertations (Rousse)

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Four years later than anticipated, finally I was the guest of honour at a dinner to mark my retirement. Former colleagues and long-term friends joined the celebrations. The locals included MS and IH from work. From further afield came university … Continue reading →

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How to build a good teacher-student relationship (Rousse)

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Dreamaticus

I wanted to endear myself to the next cohort of students at the start of the new academic year. So, above the wording ‘We don’t want to be here’ chiselled into a long table in the lecture theatre, I picked … Continue reading →

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A rubbish reunion (Rousse)

Posted on June 14, 2026 by Dreamaticus

I’d devoted months to seeking out and inviting old undergraduate friends to the reunion that was due to start at 6:30pm prompt. Now, with just under an hour before the start time, absolutely nothing was ready in the venue. The … Continue reading →

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A thieving work placement student (Rousse)

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Dreamaticus

When TPR asked me about a mystery £1000 transaction that featured on our latest credit card statement, I thought back to the day when one of the students ‘kindly’ offered to use my card to make a minor purchase on … Continue reading →

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Couple from America gatecrash drawing class (Rousse)

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Dreamaticus

KJR and her Texan husband T gatecrashed my final year honours class. The students waited patiently while I fielded KJR’s questions. This was a tricky task now that she spoke with a strange Americanised North East English accent. Eventually one … Continue reading →

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Idi Amin’s secret son (Rousse)

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Dreamaticus

I couldn’t sleep so, in the middle of the night, I visited our old neighbours. It was about 1:00am and they were watching television as a wind-down before bedtime. I recognised an episode of The book group on the screen. … Continue reading →

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Undergraduate accommodation options (Rousse)

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Dreamaticus

Student finances were so tight that the university accommodation choice for the typical undergraduate student boiled down to: A very expensive traditional room in hall A ‘blow-up bedroom’ – effectively a blow-up mattress inside a tiny tent ‘Suitcase sleeping’ – … Continue reading →

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Medicine as a mature student at the University of Cambridge (Rousse)

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Dreamaticus

Aged 25, and after several exam attempts, I was finally admitted to the University of Cambridge as a medical student. My mother and sister S came with me to Cambridge on my first day to help me settle in. They … Continue reading →

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A proposed oral penalty (Rousse)

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Dreamaticus

EH was away so I was left to chaperone the learned dignitary who had flown in from the US to deliver a guest lecture to the final year students. She was the only British academic to have ever won the … Continue reading →

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Apple Mac con man scam (Rousse)

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Dreamaticus

I should have trusted my instincts when the man struck up a conversation with me at the bridge. Instead, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and fell for his charm. Before long I was lifting up the screen … Continue reading →

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