The End of an Era

January 19th 2008 is one of the dates I think I will always remember - the day when I started my first job in the UK.

On the 18th January I went out with Kara and just as we were dancing she told me that the pub she worked in were looking for staff. On the next day, as a joke, I went to the pub and had an interview with on of the managers Simon. I clearly remember his questions and my lies:

Simon: Do you play sports?
Vlad: Oh yeah, me an my flatmates play football every week
(Yeah wight we did it twice through the whole year)
Simon: I see you have work experience behind a bar.
Vlad: Oh yes, you can see that I have worked quite long in 'No Name', the only thing I have not done is pour pints because we did not serve draft. You can call my ex-manager Jane Ramsheva for reference
(Manager, right, that was my ex-girlfriend)

Anyway, I got the job. I got home and three hours later they called me for a trial shift and induction. Just like that the roundabout started turning and after almost a year it stopped. Yesterday I served my last pint and do not intend to go back any time soon. But, still, I can't help but missing The Newt. I have this theory that there is 'A Newt Curse'. Every single employee that has left keeps coming back, either to work, or as a customer, but they can never stay apart for too long. Probably it is the staff, probably it is the atmosphere, but I know I will be coming back, not only to get a pint but to see my ex-colleagues and my ex-managers, to sit on the old chairs where I used to sit after shifts. For the time I worked in 'The Newt' I saw the management fully changed four timer. The only three people that are left from my starting team now are Simon, Kara and Sam. Yesterday I found out that Simon has give his one month notice and is going to Australia in December. Now that I look back the only things I remember are the fun times and the ridiculous situations. I bet you can get a feeling of the place too, even if you go 'as a joke', Student Nights are now Saturdays but I know who will not be serving you!

Now I can finally write on my CV:

The Newt (21/01/2008 - 24/10/2008)

My First Lectures at Aston University (Round II)

It has been too long since I have been postponing this post. You would ask why is that? The Answer is hidden in the very title of this post: 'Round II'. The second year is, so far, the toughest year in my academic life (not that my academic life is so long, but still). Here are the simple impressions of an average second year student, that's me.

1) Unbelievably for me, and everyone else in my lecture theatre, first day of uni started at 9 a.m. with my fist lecture, and by lecture I mean a full length, 54 slide, 98 minutes revision of Micro economic concepts. I could not believe my eyes, the lecturer not only had time to introduce himself and finish the lecture, but also finished 2 minutes earlier.

2) The second lecture got the theatre fully overcrowded; it was so hot that people started falling asleep (incl। myself); it was so full that you could hardly hear the lecturer. It has been sorted by now, but still.

3) The third lecture was very, very disturbing। I got told that I am to be taking part in a simulation of a car-production company; later in the week got chosen for the Financial Management position; in the following weeks understood that I am scr**d.

4) The fourth lecture was finally just an introduction to the module, no information to remember, just half an our of the most stressful numbers in your life. The second lecturer, basically told us that we are all doomed and will get low grades.

5) The fifth lecture was the Business policy and I can openly say, the worst subject this year। It is basically a lot of obvious assumptions, put in a textbook. When you add the US influence on the textbook, the whole subject becomes bloody evil.

6) I missed the sixth and final lecture because I got confused with time। Yet last week I managed to find out that I don't remember anything of my statistics classes and that I may possibly fail the test next week.


So these are my first impressions from this year. Now I assume you don't want to hear only about the academia but also about the life. That is why I am dedicating next week to the upcoming Halloween (Halloween is huge in Aston). I am not only going to tell you all about my Halloween Aston Party, but also take out the old box of photos from last year.

My Very First Lectures at Aston University

I can still vividly remember my very first week in Aston. I was so excited, hoping to perform good and show my best, ready for the adventure that was my first year. Or at least I thought so...

My very first lecture was - Introduction to Organisational Behaviour. Patrick, the lecturer, just mesmerized everyone in The Great Hall. I think from all my first year lecturers Patrick was the one that just always managed to pull out an actual show. People would sometimes applaud him after the lectures. So, to go back to my very first lecture. I stepped into the Great Hall expecting the worst. I had no idea what Organisational Behaviour is and I imagined the professors to be all serious and stern. Patrick started with introducing himself (as every lecturer) but it was not the usual introduction, it felt sincere, honest and really personal. As if we were out in a pub - me, my mates and Patrick and we were just telling each other crazy stories from when we were young (lets just say that). I left the lecture calm and relaxed, thinking that everything to follow was easy and fun. God, I was so gullible!

The Management came next, then the Economics, then the Accounting, the Marketing and they all just seemed so difficult and new. I had never ever discussed the subjects in school. I would comment on every lecture with my mates and we would all be like: 'That wasn't too bad...' or 'I liked it', or 'Piece of cake!'. Bloody hell, we were all so wrong. It turns out that you have to actually read after the lectures and prepare yourself for the next one, and write homework, and even do research. You can imagine that the longer it takes one to realize all that the harder it's going to be for him to cope with it. Well, we found that out in Week 3 when we had our first quiz in Financial Accounting. We all felt so unprepared and plain stupid. That is when we had to go back to the first lecture and catch up. We would have study groups which now seem like a total waste of time. We would call friends and previous teachers and even parents for help when all we needed to do was read and just absorb the material.

Still, there was one subject that I immensely liked from the very first lecture. That is - Quantitative Techniques. Oh, I still remember the first slide, it was on some material I had covered in school 5 years ago. I finally had a subject that I had an amazing advantage in. Yes, it was not very interesting, but I did not have to study at all. I never bought the Quantitative Techniques textbook and I still love the subject.

Just like that my first week was over, and then the next one... Today I feel like I just got into uni, not much wiser and not much smarter, just a boy on its way to real life. OK, well, maybe a bit smarter and just a very tiny bit wiser, and more prepared for what is to come.

The First Week of Uni

No matter which year you are, what degree you are having, or what plans you are trying to fulfil, the first week of the uni year is always a bit scary, a bit disturbing, very exciting and always fun. In the first year of uni your module leader may tell you that you are going to fail but you are going to laugh in his/her face. Later on you may think thing through, more rationally and seriously, but in the first week it is all about the fun.

The fun comes from the constant complaining about the lecturers, the unending small-talk about controversial** subjects, the hasty remarks abut everything new. In the first week of uni you will be laughing at you future misery and I bet that future you will be cursing those gullible moments of mere understatement.

In the week to come I will share with you my perceptions from last years lecturers during freshers week and what has changed this year...


**controversial (in tha first week of uni you will find yourself arguing with your mates about a certain module - they would think it's impassable, while you can already see the first on your diploma)

Freshers Flu

Hopefully, there are less flu cases between students this Freshers Week compared to last year. I can still remember my first freshers flu last year. Me and my eight flatmates were all sick and were ready to try anything, I mean ANYTHING (:P), to get better.

I was living on a box of pills my mother had given me. I think I was taking a total of ten a day. Now that I think about it, that surely cannot be good for you.

One of my flatmates, the infamous 'Party Animal' was trying to cure himself on herbal tea and vitamins.

'The Hippies' were so desperate they even agreed to try some of my pills. In the end they could not put themselves through it and left the pills for when they are on their deathbed.

'The Hard Worker' being a pharmacy student was living on paracetamol because it is the base of most of the flu pills.

Of course we all got better with time but, still, the experience was not a good one.

... Unfortunately I did not learn from my mistake and currently am one of the ill second year in a raw. The flu will pass and, surely, will not ruin last weeks amazing experiences. Yet, I felt obliged to give TIP 10 FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: Health is important! Try to stay healthy and enjoy the uni experience at its fullest.

Freshers Week 2008

Freshers Week 2008 has hit the university and does not want to let it go. It is unbelievable how a humans body can withstand the torture that is Freshers Week. There is a full schedule of activities starting early morning and finishing, well, early morning; absolutely no time for rest. I have already posted the events for the week and there is no point of repeating myself, instead let me share with you the highest and lowest points of the week.

The Freshers Pub Crawl has been the highest event this week, and definitely the most attended. I have to say that compared to last year, this year's pub crawl was quite unorganized; and yet, I had so much fun. This year fewer pubs were included: (and surprisingly - one restaurant)Einstein's - Sound Bar - MinZu - The Newt - The Yard of Ale - Scruffy's. Of course the big finish was at The Guild, which was at its fullest. The 1st October will be remembered for a long while. It was truly the best night of the Freshers Week so far.

There have been quite a lot of disappointmets. As a whole the Guild has lost some of its glamour this year. I was surprised to see the once constantly overflowing halls now empty with a sigh of disappointment in the air. I think this year's Indie Night was the biggest disappointment of all. The were more people in Einie's than in the main room. Another fact that has surprised me is that I have been able to get in after 11:30 buying a ticket at the door every night. Last year you had to pray to get inside after 11:00 with a ticket.

But putting negativity aside, I have been enjoying Freshers Week 2008 so far and I am going to keep a positive spirit and wait with anticipation for tonight's surprise. Tonight is set to be on of the best. Yet we are all expecting the closing party on Sunday, which is set to be amazing.