Aber Fresh Ltd – Warning to Freshers

By Andrew  |  2011/09/14 18:25 Posted in Fresher's Week, University Life  |  Comments (0)

You may be aware of a company calling themselves Aber Fresh, advertising a t-shirt for what they call the “only official aber moving in party”.

This company is despite claims not involved with students, or the university, and the event is not endorsed by the university or the union.

Given this, and the fact the staff of this company have harassed and repeatedly threatened a member of Aberystwyth University staff, I strongly urge all students to avoid this company and any of their events.

For more details see

http://andrewtindall.com/2011/09/14/aber-fresh-ltd-deception-and-intimidation/

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The Exciting Adventures of Being Rejected For Jobs

By Andrew  |  2011/08/16 17:03 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (2)

Or, The Exciting Adventures of Not Hearing Back From Prospective Employers At All.

I’ve been back in Aber for approaching 2 months now, and in that time I’vve applied for jobs at pretty much every business I’ve come across, although the vast majority have told me they’re not hiring, or are only hiring full-time. Curse them. Whilst sitting around waiting for any form of contact from  businesses that did take my CV, I’ve been keeping tabs on the anti-cuts movement, organising for the autumn, playing minecraft, and shouting at people. I live life on the edge, you see.

As bills flood in and I watch my bank balance creep closer and closer towards zero, I’m having to think about what I have here that I could sell off. So far it’s looking like the 360 is the prime candidate, as the item with the highest value-to-usage ratio due to how rarely I play it. If you’re in aber and looking to get one, get in touch.

The biggest thing to take away from my first summer in Aberystwyth, for all you soon-to-be-freshers, is that firstly, try to get a landlord that gives a summer discount rate on rent. Secondly, don’t be in Aber if you can’t guarantee you’ll have work here to pay the bills… especially now that a bus pass will set you back £180.

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England Keep My Bones

By Andrew  |  2011/06/20 16:19 Posted in Home Life, University Life  |  Comments (1)
Pictured: Spreadsheets In Space Online

So, I’ve been back home in England for just under 2 weeks now, having finished my first year at Aberystwyth. It’s been a relatively tame few weeks, with the vast majority of my time spent mining virtual rocks in minecraft, or mining virtual rocks… IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE in the world of EVE Online; chipping away at minerals to the sound of Frank Turner’s new album (which you should all go buy right now if you don’t already own it)

Unlike many students, I’m only back home for 3 weeks, and from July I’ll be back in Aber, settling into my new house, raging over rent and bills, and desperately running around town looking for work. Fun times. I’m going to apply absolutely everywhere… again, and have already applied unsuccessfully to a few places online. I’m hoping I can get a job at The Co-Op, since as I used to work at one before they might be more willing to hire me.

Stay tuned for more from The Exciting Adventures of Being Rejected For Jobs

Pictured: Spreadsheets In Space Online
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Making The Most Of Your Time

By Andrew  |  2011/05/28 07:43 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (0)

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since coming to Aber, it’s that effective time management is crucial to university life; what with the socials, exams, lectures, meetings, work, shopping, bills, etc. Annoyingly, it was perhaps too late in the year before I started actually keeping track of my time commitments properly. Don’t make the same mistake I did – be prepared, be organised.

The biggest arsenal in my newly-found organised world of magic and scheduling is the glory of Google Calendar. It’s a web-based calendar meaning you can access it anywhere, and if you’ve got Gears, you can even access it offline. It’ll send you emails and sms reminders, too. Even better, since I’ve got an Android phone, the calendar is synced and goes with me wherever I go, meaning at a glance I can find out exactly what I’m supposed to be doing and when; like some fancy business guy from the 90s with a swanky PDA. Yay for smartphones!

My calendar for this past month.

My calendar for this past month. Turns out to be quite busy...

I can not stress enough how useful it is to do such a simple thing as keeping a record of every major thing you’re supposed to do, including assignment deadlines. Sure, you may remember them without writing them down most of the time anyway, but having them in front of you really helps you visualise your time usage, and just how screwed you are when you’ve put off doing work until the week before the deadline.

So yeah, get a calendar, and start using it *before* the last semester of the academic year.

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Freedom From Exams… for a bit

By Andrew  |  2011/05/21 16:24 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (0)

On Thursday I had my 2nd exam this semester. I don’t think it went too badly, other than one question which I sort of had to wing. Luckily for me, the end of this exam marked the start of a 2 week freedom from further exams. Naturally, rather than using this 2 week period to revise for my final exam, I’m instead using the time to sort things out.

This weekend I’ve been tidying my bedroom, although so far I’ve really only managed to clear the desk and shelves, and one portion of the floor. Problem is I still have lots of boxes of people’s stuff from the occupation, which I still need to sort through. Although I suppose in starting the clean-up operation now, I’m saving myself the last minute rush the day before moving out.

Tomorrow, in a break from cleaning, I’m going to see Frank Turner in Wolverhampton. Last time I saw him was at Wembley when he supported Green Day. Rather looking forward to going, since it’s only the second ‘proper’ gig I’ll have been to since coming to Aber.

Most of next week, I’ll be helping out the Oxfam Society down on the bandstand at the Aber Is Green festival, which started today. Come down any day from 10am to explore green and sustainable living through workshops, live music, and entertainment. It’s even free! Full details here.

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Aberystwyth University To Charge 9k from 2012

By Andrew  |  2011/05/09 16:22 Posted in Politics, University Life  |  Comments (0)

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell the administration what I think of them, this time. Just direct you to information!

Today, Aberystwyth University announced that it will be charging £9,000 tuition fees from academic year 2012/2013. (Note: the NafW has put in place plans to top-slice funding so that Welsh students will not pay any increased fees. Although it is uncertain how long this will stay in place)

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Beginning of the End

By Andrew  |  2011/05/08 15:49 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (0)

Well, I’ve not blogged in a while, sorry about that. It can be attributed to a mixture of things including political campaigning, sleeping, and a big project deadline.

Last week marked the end of scheduled lectures, as you could expect from lectures a week after easter and a few weeks before exams, turnout wasn’t exactly amazing, nor was the content. Still, at least it meant getting up in sunlight again, so that’s a good thing I suppose.

With lectures, and the elections out of the way, I was looking forward to getting exams over with and then being able to spend the summer relaxing in my new house down by the marina, and looking for work. Although now that I find myself Secretary of the International Politics Society, as well as trying to organise things for Aber Students Against Cuts, I can see the next few weeks, and all of summer being rather busy.

It’s odd to think I’ve already almost finished my first year at Aber. Lots has changed since coming here: I drink now, for starters, although I should probably stop to save money. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing what  the coming year holds.

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Easter Holidays

By Andrew  |  2011/04/17 00:56 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (1)

So, easter holidays are here, and I’m still in Aberystwyth. Whilst most people have gone, or are going home for the holidays, some of us are sticking around for the duration, which means a quiet town with not much really happening, giving students a chance to work, catch up on assignments, or just sleep.

I have done none of those things, however. I spent all of Monday on a minibus to Newcastle to represent Aberystwyth at the National Union of Students National Conference, alongside the current and incoming Guild Presidents, and a friend. The conference was infuriating but fun, and the nights out were cheap, and full of tales that must not be spoken of. One thing i’ve learned from conference is that delegates have an unusual love of the word “banter”. I can not for the life of me understand why.

Today, I was out in town campaigning with two of the Green Party candidates for Ceredigion. Naturally, the Liberal Democrats, including my housemate and another friend, were already there; as were Plaid Cymru. Our constituency candidate, Chris Simpson, told me how there’s an ongoing war of sorts between PC and LD, where every weekend they’d arrive earlier and earlier in an attempt to score the best spot in town for canvassing, with one party turning up at half six in the morning. Crazy.

Anyway, the rest of the holidays should consist of revision, and assignments. In reality, however, it’ll consist of minecraft and sleeping.

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They Broke Their Weather Machine

By Andrew  |  2011/03/27 22:42 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (1)

There is one hard and certain rule about Aberystwyth that you will learn: It is always sunny on open days. This leads us to the obvious conclusion that management control a weather machine, used to fool prospective students into believing that it’s always sunny and beautiful in Aberystwyth.

Except, now the machine seems to be broken, so it really is always sunny and beautiful in Aberystwyth. Surely this can only mean we are days away from the machine exploding and destroying the universe.

Pictured: The Impending Apocalypse

Pictured: The Impending Apocalypse

Clearly, we must work to stabilise this University weather machine, to ensure both good weather, and us not dying. The question then becomes “Where do they hide it?”. Is it somewhere obvious like Old College, or perhaps the top of Llandinam Tower? I shall endeavour to find out. If you find it first, let me know.

PS Don’t believe any of that crazy stuff like “seasons” that they might use to try to deceive you, everybody knows “seasons” don’t exist.

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No Luck of the Irish

By Andrew  |  2011/03/18 15:36 Posted in University Life  |  Comments (0)

Last night it was the Guild Election results, alas I didn’t win but I’m happy with the candidate who did. The results were carried out as part of St Patrick’s Night at the Union, which is apparently one of the biggest nights of the year.

I find it kind of odd that a welsh university would do an event for St Paddy’s but not for their own Saint just days prior, but that’s just how it is. The event itself obviously involved lots of green, with the joint decorated in clover-covered banners, green lights on full, and people wearing whatever green clothing they could dig out of the back of their closet.

As with most non-regular Union events, there were special deals and promotions to encourage you to spend your money. Last night boasted BOGOF for the main drinks, BOGCF when buying any two different drinks, and free Irish hats or green wigs with every 2, 3, or 4 pints of Guinness.

Between the offers, and the far better music than you’d get at Reload, I’d say St Patrick’s Night is definitely one of the events you’d want to attend if you’re into this sort of thing, alongside the much touted Latin Party at the Angel.

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