Day 1513

Got to campus early. Went to the coffee shop for a pre-exam cuppa, fag and Mirror read. 8.20 am and just like old times, eh?
Natalie asked what I was doing there at such an ungodly hour. I explained I wanted to get ready for my exam. She wished me luck and I thanked her and it apparently worked. It was the easiest exam I've ever done in my life, though out of 3 hours I was writing for 2hrs 57 minutes.

Conversed with M afterwards, we agreed one could've just read an issue of PCW beforehand and passed it.

Day 1512

Much hotter today. Got 10 sessions of revision done. In fact I noticed the signs of revision saturation.

M rang up to tell me that our infant school is celebrating its 25th anniversary and asking for memorabilia from former pupils. We noted that in 1975 we must have been the fourth intake.

Read a book C got from Oxfam, a be-your-own-lawyer book published in 1901. Dead interesting. Was inspired by it to read selected Sherlock Holmes stories. Apparently £50 was an average price for a horse then. Now, if in The Noble Bachelor a room at a posh hotel was 6s, or 30p, that's (say) £200, or 600x as much. Therefore the horse costs £3,000, or as much as a decentish second-hand car, which makes sense.

Bed at midnight preparatory to 9 am 3-hour exam. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten my resolve to stop the REM sleep loss.

Day 1511

Had quite disturbed night, waking up at 4.30 am and being subjected to scary hypnogogic visions when I went back to sleep.

Having spare space in the revision day went to Southend, spent 20 minutes in a traffic jam on the A127. Walked up and down the front and beach appreciating the sea air.

Came back, looked up 'hypnogogic' in the encyclopædia and found that boozing (or taking speed or whatever) deprives one of REM sleep. When one boozes less one gets an REM rebound where one spends much more of the night dreaming, and they tend to be unpleasant and vivid dreams.

Spoke to T on phone, she told me of an interesting theory that, if alc/drugs prevent you having dreams, you may go into dream-like states during the day, and that would explain a hell of a lot.

Day 1510

Only got 6 sessions done as I went to Dulchester to get vital science revision stuff. Had a long talk with C (you can't have a short chat with that lad!) about our group project mark and the exams. He's finished his, being a part-timer; he wished me luck with mine.

Day 1509

My parents said I could use their car while they're away if I drove them in it to Stansted, so up at 8.30.

Got 8 sessions of revision done, actually got lex to work.

Watched the Dr Who film. It took extreme liberties with the mythos. 'He's British,' explains temporary companion Grace. 'Yes, I suppose I am,' says the Dr, though what Drs 3 and 4 would've thought of that I don't know.

Day 1508

Not only got 3/4 sessions done even before I'd planned to start, but got 2 of tomorrow's sessions done too.

Put in some time on my parser - it needs redesigning to avoid backtracking as that Brown Compilers book suggests.

Day 1507

Got 5 sessions done, as planned.

To the Crown in the evening with M and E. We had a really good conversation about E's family, the upcoming Dr Who film and wedding arrangements.

Last night read that thing I wrote on Sep.1, 1989 about how dodgy I was feeling. It's been going on 6½ years and yet there's been a steady improvement in my character and prospects. Never forget, I'm never so close to solving it as I am when I am most strongly affected by it. I must say 'Roll with it' has been my closest approach so far.

Day 1506

Rained all day. Got 8 sessions done, 1 more than planned. Don't think studies'll be much trouble. Science might be more of an ordeal though.

Had an e-mail from T - 'End of an Era' as she finishes at her job. Next weel she's starting her 18 grand PR job. She says she'll come back as 'Lynn Franks mk. 2'.

It's dead good this e-mail. We've been communicating nearly every day for nearly 9 months at very little cost.

Vacuumed the whole house, played Sim City, read Herodotus. Nice to have a day without an exam for a change. A leisurely 5 sessions planned for tomorrow.

Day 1505

Exam went well. Estimated mark 60.5. Talked to M before it. He was pleased with our group project mark. Surfed the Web for a bit before coming home.

Relaxed for a change: dumped all the databases, engineering, C++ and group project notes in the defunct box.
Now I've got 7 days to revise for science/studies and 2 days for just science. I can slacken off from 10 sessions/day but I mustn't let it go completely as there's a lot of material to cover.

T rang up at 7.15, she was showing Ms Touchy around the Internet from work. Got an e-mail from the latter later (!), replied. Played Sim City

The exams seem to've come very quickly, in fact the whole MSc year has gone very fast. I've been doing it 7½ months but it doesn't seem like it. It either seems like 10 minutes or 3 years. Roll on the results eh?

Day 1504

Rainy, windy day. Got to campus about 2.10, did the exam. Ran out of time again.
Collected the two assignments. Got 70 and 80.

There wasn't really time for anything else to happen. I plan to take tomorrow afternoon and evening off before embarking on the science/studies revision. They are double courses so should I do twice as much revision? Well, the material is easier and also better-explained so perhaps not. I have done 39 sessions each for the other courses; to bring these two up to that level would take a total of 50 sessions. I've got 9 days and we mustn't forget weekends, the Bank Holiday and my birthday. I'll have to draw up a plan.

2 down, 3 to go.

Day 1503

Did the 13 sessions, 6½ hours. Started early so finished at 9.49pm. Hard work.

Got the group project mark e-mail. We got 67% - excellent! And my Implementation & Testing Plan got 11/15, 73% and some very complimentary comments. Also, our FRS mark was revised from 64% to 72%. Even better.

Engineering exam tomorrow, C++ on Wednesday. I hope they're not as trying as the databases.

Pris soon.

Afterwards!!! There will be no more Pris. The first I heard was the continuity announcer before the ads before the programme saying it was the last ever. And it was. Ferguson did get arrested, so bang go the 'boat' and 'no conclusion' theories. What am I going to do on Tuesday and Thursday nights? It never did get to MCMLXXXVII (1987).

I am proud to have been part of the history of Anglia Pris. And it's been a hell of a long haul. When I first saw it England were still in the World Cup. I must've seen something between 300 and 450 episodes. Goodbye Fay, Hazel, Judy, Vicky, Bobby, Sam, Daphne, Myra, Reb, Spike and others too numerous to mention.

End of an era.

Day 1502

At campus by eight. Everyone stood around nervously outside the exam hall - like being taken back five years to the finals. The exam was a bit doubtful - I made heavy weather of the first question and didn't have much time for the second two.

Came back via a fruitless search in the campus bookshop and the one in Mugsborough for a particular C++ book. Did six sessions of C++, running through the examples in the notes with the VC++ debugger - most illuminating. Glad I did it.

Watched Space, the one with Marcus Aurelius Belt in it.

Jon Pertwee died today. They showed clips from Day of the Daleks and Planet of the Spiders on the news. Wonder if they'll show anything as a tribute, especially with the film coming up? I like to think he's just regenerated...

Hard day altogether. Think on this - I'll never have to look at databases again unless I'm being paid to.

Day 1501

More databases revision, plus some C++ practice. T rang up to wish me luck. M came round and wished me luck too.

One consolation of the looming exam (12 hours away) is that by noon tomorrow I need not know anything about the databases course. I've done 39 sessions for it, 19½ hours for a 2-hour exam.

Day 1500

Got 2 seshes done in total. Played Sim City.

To M's in the evening. Just as I got back the drizzle turned into heavy rain and I got soaked putting my bike away.

Databases exam in only 2 days.

Day 1499

Another 10 sessions, five hours. Overslept so had to shorten breaks to fit them all in.

Very cold as central heating still broken.

Only 3 days till the databases exam. I don't think I'll go for 10 sessions tomorrow, I'm approaching saturation point database-wise as it is. Sunday I'll have to devote to going over key points etc.

Done 110 sessions altogether, 55 hours. That's 4½ hours' revision for every hour of exams. I hope it's enough. Let's see: I've done 140 lectures. At 50 min each that's 117 hours. So I've spent 47% as much time revising as I have being lectured, or to put it another way, 20 lectures is 16 hours, so my revision has been the equivalent of 3.3 terms of lectures. That is a significant commitment and ought to get me through, especially given I've always been fairly good at exams.

Dr Who film trailed on BBC1 tonight. Will it be good?

Day 1498

Got some questions answered at the revision lecture.

Came back and got 4 revision sessions done, total 100. Found a way to change the internal city name in Sim City - useful, because lots of them tend to end up being called New City. It's stored as a string and a length byte at the very end of the file.

I'm quite pleased with my revision, I'm really getting a handle on the database stuff. My technique is to go through the notes and write down everything I don't understand. Then I look it all up in Elmasri, writing down anything I don't understand. Then read the notes again... It seems to be quite effective but only time will tell.

Revision is very dull at 10 sessions a day, but I'm investing time now for a future return.

Day 1497

Another five hours' revision. Rather cold weather. ST: TNG quite good with the crew 'de-evolving' - absolute bollocks scientifically but interesting to watch.

C++ revision lecture tomorrow.

Day 1496

Five hours' solid engineering revision. Was struck by an ironic thought while revising project management - how ironic it was that I should be studying that, who got slung out of my only proper job after 2 weeks (by a complete bastard). Strange things do happen.

Got an e-mail from T about her daydreams about David Duchovny.

Watched Men Behaving Badly. '"Not so different now," Toby opined.

The Dr Who film comes out on video tomorrow, eight years since the last ep. Don't hold out much hope of it being any good myself.

Definitely saw the phase on Venus again. I think she's at maximum brilliance this week.

Day 1495

Did seven sessions of C++ revision, 74 all together..

Reading my 1989 diary yesterday made me think. I was much more out-of-control then than I feared I was in 1995. All perspective.

Watched The X-Files - Ice. Very very good, like a 3rd/4th Dr Dr Who story. Excellent. More revision tomorrow, gosh what fun. First exam in one week.

Definitely saw a phase on Venus - new crescent. Never managed to see it before. Very pleasing.

Day 1494

Got plenty of C++ revision done, did an example inheritance as an experiment. Understood virtual functions anyway.

Went out briefly to the shop, that summer night smell was in the air and Venus was visible.

I get the feeling I am drifting in my usual tortured way towards better things. It's such slow going though. Things are slowly working themselves out - I am slowly working things out.

More revision tomorrow. What fun.

Day 1493

Did five studies revision seshes. Watched the FA Cup, Man U won. Experimented with fork() under Linux. Read Of Mice & Men but stopped as I could see the way it was going. Read Cannery Row instead.

Today's entry doesn't take long to read, does it? Hard work and so forth doesn't make long diary entries. Central heating not working so very cold.

Day 1492

Put the IDP documentation on the group directory after handing in my C++ and group project stuff. Yes! We have finished the group project. And I've finished all my coursework.

At home tidied up the computer room. Sim City-wise, got Flint to 90,000 population and 'Flint Has Taken Off'. Also finally got a Hard city off the ground (hydro-electric power is the key).

Got the lighting brackets fixed on my bike, rode round to M's. Coming back rememberedI haven't ridden a bike pissed since June 1990, nearly 6 years ago. Didn't have any lights then.

Day 1491

Off at eight to campus. Conversed via e-mail with T, went to the C++ revision lecture, captured the results for the assignments.

Came back, played Sim City; beat the Malibu scenario and, finally, the Flint scenario. Still could not get a Hard-level city off the ground. Regenerating Flint more than made up for it. The Roger & Me bloke would be proud.

After much difficulty printed out four group project documents and two C++ assignments. I had to change to the LQ emulation to do it. No more group project (apart from handing the buggers in). E-mailed T in triumph.

I've been on the course 7 months now. I appear to have been completely regenerated. Gosh. Not had that feeling since the Summer of Love in 1988..

Day 1490

Worked all day on group project stuff. E-mailed T, she responded with a missing tampon saga. A forwarded e-mail from the C++ lecturer threw my assignment plans into confusion - I'll have to go up early tomorrow, try and get in the software engineering lab and make copies of the results of my progs. Fucking bastard.

Watched ST: TNG.

Day 1489

Had a good (last) group project meeting. Indulged in some mutual congratulation. Commiserated with N over Ipswich's failing to get into the play-offs on Sunday.

Was going home at 12.50 when Natalie hailed me and invited me to do another psychology test. Got £3 for 45 minutes' work.

Weather strange combination of being hot and windy. Played Sim City and worked hard on the Implementation and Testing Plan.

Two days at home of revision and group project stretch ahead. Good opportunity to get some hard work in.

Day 1488

Bank holiday so I sat about a bit. Got four revision sessions done. Watched the first hour of The Lavender Hill Mob. The trouble with Ealing comedies is they always get caught.

Then embarked on a double X-Files session, delayed 25 minutes by the snooker. I have a special commission from T to tape all X-Files (she has currently got no video) so I dared not miss 'em.

Day 1487

Got 4 science revision sessions done plus working on those damn group project things and playing Sim City. Designed Mugsborough for SC.

Put those rechargeable batteries back in my Psion, it worked OK again.

There was a woman in the curry house last night who looked exactly like Merle from Pris, except less huge. She was even wearing the same check shirt. It was uncanny.

Day 1486

Up about 9.30, revised by implementing my precision arithmetic thing as a C ADT. Interspersed this with Sim City till 4.30. Beautiful sunny afternoon.

In the evening out for a curry. E. asked me in consequence of the discussion whether I wanted children, which I said was like asking a hitch-hiker whether she was going to drive to Edinburgh.

Had a great feeling of Here þu hast þat þīn is.

Walked back with S and her boyfriend Aaron. S not ranting this evening, he's obviously a positive influence. There were extraordinary numbers of pissed people about but no atmosphere of threat. It was like New Year as Aaron said. Must be the bank holiday weekend.

Day 1485

Tories lost 560 seats, lost Basildon, lost all their seats in Oxford, Manchester and Newcastle and lost Tunbridge Wells to the Liberals. Vote share Lab 43-Con 28, cf 36 each a year before the last general election. With 54 weeks 6 days at most to go, come on Tony. The Day approaches.

At campus the exam blurb had arrived in the pigeonholes. 17 days to go. Had the last science revision lecture, worked on my precision arithmetic program. Lecturer didn't turn up for the engineering, so went home and got three science revision sessions in.

In the evening watched Hi-de-hi. Why is it so much funnier 12 years later? C's theory is that it's because comedy has declined so much since.

Had another letter from D, seemingly in fine form. Unusual for her to write twice in such a short period of time.

Day 1484

Before our Design Review Meeting N mentioned the proposal that his football team play the staff. I said it was a pity as the C++ lecturer could be the best goalie in the world without even moving; N said the engineering bloke would be pretty handy in midfield with all the ground he covers (he walks up and down continually during lectures).

Went to the Cricketers to meet M and E. S came along later, she has become very reactionary since I last saw her, in some ways it was rather unpleasant.
M plans to get pissed by herself after seeing Men Behaving Badly (involving extreme pissedness) on Tuesday.

Local elections going very well, Labour gaining Basildon and the Tories losing 400 seats with half the votes in. Good going.

Day 1483

Started revising at 10am, got in eleven sessions altogether (5½ hours solid). Finished at 8pm. Played Sim City for relaxation. I'm very proud I've managed to use the time so profitably.

Apparently the Tories had 240 councils in 1979, they now have 14. They've lost 94% of their councils! Tomorrow is the elections. Judging by the number of Labour posters in Ferry Farthingale they should be interesting.

Also tomorrow: C++ revision lecture and group project 'presentation'. Should be equally interesting!

Got a bit of a shock in the evening when I realised I'd be 30 in four years' time. Bloody hell. I'd better sort myself out sharpish.