The Countdown to Destruction (update)

As we approach the day of destruction (54 days left) I am sitting in the library and looking at the now empty Dalton. I can't help but think that although its time had come, Dalton will be greatly missed by students like me who had their first ever university experience in this soon-to-be-gone tower.

The Aston Apprentice Challenge

The Apprentice Challenge, organised by the Aston Entrepreneurs society put it all to the test last week when 13 teams competed to become the Aston Apprentice. And although the event ultimately suffered from very poor management and control, it showed great promise for future development.

The Challenge started on Wednesday when the first task was given at 8 AM in the guild. And the assignment - selling paintball tickets. Of course, there was a catch, the tickets could only be sold in groups of ten at a price equal to (or higher than) £5. With this offer circulating the Aston campus incessantly, me and my team found it incredibly difficult to find people who are not only interested but have not already got tickets to go paintballing. Nevertheless, after knocking on every door on campus (and I am talking room door, not flat door) my team managed to sell 30 tickets (or 3 packs).

The second challenge was greatly superior; with a budget of £15, the teams were given the task of purchasing 11 hard to get items, at the lowest possible price. This task put not only our negotiation skills on the table but also our feet when my team scanned every shop in Birmingham to find the cheapest bread, chicken feet and marshmallows. We had the amazing opportunity to walk into a mattress factory in search of foam and the university marketing department in search of an Aston University bracelet. By the end of the day we had all 11 items, including some great photos capturing the experience.

The last and probably most intricate task was branding our own beer. Luckily, I have had to do so much research on sales figures that finding out what is the most prospering beer (thus, the one to pick) was easy. Then we examined the psychology of the consumer as to how a beer should be named, what colour the label should be, etc. This is where having a good team comes in handy; with each one of us browsing away on our computers we got the work done in just about two hours. Finally, we made a sample bottle to present to the judges that definitely proved to be the funnest part of the challenge (especially, considering the rush one gets from sneaking in two bottles of beer in the main building).

So, just like that the Apprentice Challenge was over and done with. Congratulations to the winners! I am keen to see how the event develops next year. (areas to work on: clear guidelines, cheating control and marking scheme)

RAG Week 2 (in photos)

Unfortunately for me, I got really sick in the middle of RAG week 2 and I had to miss half of the events but, having said that, the ones I did got to were epic.

Starting with the Apocalypse Pub Crawl, the week proved to be unforgettable. In stead of writing endless lines describing the night here is the photo proof of its awesomeness:

So that was Monday, a night celebrating everything that is excessive, and probably my last uni pub crawl :(

Then came Wednesday and the Silent Disco, a truly remarkable experience, (Three DJs mixing songs on three channels that you listen to through headphones, epic!)

Strat-Man

Strat-Man has been the word on every final year student's mouth this week. (short for Strategic Management - a compulsory Business School Final Year module) With a Wednesday deadline, the library was buzzing with last minute group work and final report touches.

For those of you who do not know, every year the final year students at Aston have to write a strategic plan, on a public organisation, examining its strengths and weaknesses and suggesting a successful development path. The faculty usually chooses a company that is either in trouble, or on its way of success and has a continuous presence in the news. In 2007 the company to be examined was Amazon, in 2008 - BA, 2009 - RBS and this year - the BBC.

Thus, in the months culminating last Wednesday me and my group have been studying the BBC in and out, shows and channels, administration and management, accounts and market position. By last week we had managed to accumulate almost a hundred separate documents of different analysis. What we did not realise is how much work putting all those file together is. So, we spent four days, morning till evening, copying, pasting and editing our work to end up with one file that is withing the 7000 word limit (well, 7000 + 10% to be precise).

But finishing the reports is not the end of the adventure. There are stories passed on year after year, telling of the mythological queues that form in front of the Aston Copyshop when Strat-Man. With everyone in the business school submitting their report on the same day, the amount of printing and binding is overwhelming. Thus, me and my team sat on a stakeout in front of the Copyshop, 8 o'clock on Wednesday in waiting of the store's opening. Half an hour later we ended up with what you can see below - a 67 page, 3D graphics, customized cover, an A3 spread and 5 page references booklet that represents the most challenging piece of coursework I have had to write so far.
Lame or not, you can see the satisfied faces of my team above :P

Activities Overflow

This is week is shaping up to be an exceptional one here in Aston. The societies in uni have definitely made an effort to bring enough events to keep us busy all week.

First and foremost we have RAG week 2 kicking off today. Assuming you don't know what Aston RAG is, it is the Aston Student Guild's official charity society. RAG stands for 'Raise and Give', thus, the society organises and takes part in all types of collections and events to try and raise money for charity. Some of the events that the RAG society holds include a Hitchike to Dublin, project work in Uganda, Freshers Ball, Movember, Relay for Life, Christmas dinner, Ladies and Gentlemans Night, and many more, including the RAG weeks.

This RAG week is, essentially, a week of events the proceeds of which all go to charity. The current RAG week is kicking off today with the Apocalypse pub crawl. A mammoth of an even starting at the Arcadian (with buses ruining from the Guild all night) and finishing at Oceana. Then Tuesday, a B4 pub quiz; Wednesday - Silent Disco; Thursday - Comedy Night; and Friday - the closing night, a fancy dress party at Gatecrasher. (for more details check http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186613851372636&index=1)

In addition to RAG week we have the Cinema club projecting Wall-E on Tuesday. The Aston Triangle Cinema Club, as it is officially called, has been created in order to put on high quality and interesting films from around the world for the benefit of Aston staff, students and alumni. The series feature some films you have seen, some you haven’t and others you probably won't even have heard of with the emphasis on films which open our eyes to different cultures. Expect some more info on the Cinema Club soon, as it is definitely a society that needs to be noted.

Just to make this week even more interesting, the Aston entrepreneurs society presents the Apprentice Week, a 3-day event consisting of exciting tasks adapted from BBC's The Apprentice. From Wednesday 2nd until Friday 4th March, teams of 3-6 people will compete against each other in a variety of exciting Apprentice style challenges. The first challenge - Sales - designed to measure the team's salesmanship, or the society says, they're taking business back to basics; teams will compete against each other to make the highest amount of money possible. The second challenge - Negotiation - testing the one's purchasing skills as teams compete against each other to find, negotiate and purchase some very unusual items. The last challenge - Marketing - takes it up a notch as the teams will have to launch their own special beer brand; they will be responsible for creating a taste, type and brand of beer with the best one getting made and stocked in B4 bar!

So get ready, Aston, for a week to remember!

Valentines Day hits the Aston Campus

This week I am writing from the place to be, the podium of the Great Hall. It is incredible how you can just walk in when it is empty and just observe the details of this mammoth of a lecture theatre.

Anyway, I should not get distracted from the main purpose of this post and it is to share with you the experience that is Valentines Day on the Aston Uni campus. Whether you like Valentine’s , hate it, or just don't care it always ends up being pretty much a big deal.

For me, personally, the upside of Valentine’s is that whether you are single or in a relationship, you do always spend it with the people you care about; either bitter single friends, or the person you share a romantic relationship with. However, I do think that there is a downside to Valentine’s, and it is the commercialization of the holiday. The amount of cr*** that is being sold as gifts is overwhelming. It seems like any shop that is selling any product tries to squeeze the romance out of Valentine’s to make a profit. That is why I was amazed at the brilliant ideas that the Aston students came up with to not make money but rather give back to society.

There were several charitable activities going on on Valentine’s that were extraordinary. First, there was a group of students that would charge a wildly insignificant amount (and donate to a charity after) to sing a romantic (or other) song to your loved one. Just imagine hearing the door bell and as you open the door three people start singing "I Will Always Love You"; hilarious!

Then there was a flower delivery desk. Situated on the ground floor of the guild there was an improvised flower shop that would for the mere amount of 2.5 pounds deliver a rose with a card to you valentine's door. I didn't really have a valentine this year (Oh) but since the money goes for charity this is a great way to make a donation and at the same time make your friends feel special. So, I went to the desk and asked if I can send three roses (Sure!), to three different people (Huh?), that live on the same address (Huh?). My logic was simple, I get my improvised valentines in one room and sit them down to wait for their roses. This would save the deliverer's time and I would not have to coordinate three people to be home at a certain hour.

Well, my mates had a laugh and this just proves that whether you hate Valentine’s, love it, or just don't care, you can make a donation to someone in need and make someone happy with one simple walk to the guild ground floor.

Astonbury 2011 (update)

Everybody's talking about...

Uni vs. Long Distance

Every year thousands of young souls flee the parent nest and join the Aston uni community. They come from all corners of the world, hopeful and eager to start four (or three, depending on the course) character-shaping years of their life. Unfortunately, every person has emotional baggage; whether it's unresolved father/mother issues, self-esteem problems, [blank for adding own personal issues when reading this post], or, and this is the worse, a long distance relationship.

You must have heard it a million times but let me say it once again - long distance does not work - and I shall not use the boring arguments that other "wise" men use, instead let me tell you what you will miss out on whilst sitting in front of skype and waiting for your beloved to answer:

• new friends (from new cultures, speaking new languages, having interesting stories, etc., etc., etc., you get my point)
• sports - we do have a club for essentially every sport that exists (and if we don't, creating one is a piece of cake, and a piece of cake that you will have plenty of help with eating)
• social gatherings - there are enough social clubs in Aston to fill up every night of your stay
• nights out - come on, every day I get countless flyers and FB invites, and if I don't, my friends do and let me know (again, you get the idea)
• academic work - do you know how many chapters for my Financial Accounting Class (that I failed) I could have read for the time gullible young me spent sitting in front of skype and chatting with my soon-to-be-ex girlfriend.
• part-time work - duh! Developing your CV, Aston uni Job shop assisting you with doing that; do these things ring a bell?
• volunteering - I bet that all the people I could have helped volunteering would have been more grateful for the time spent with them than my, well, same soon-to-be-ex girlfriend
• basic human needs - do eating and sleeping ring a bell? (especially sleeping)
• travelling - there are so many opportunities for travel and I am talking cheap student travel; the kind of travel you will be jealous of when you graduate because it is biggest bargain ever!
• and there is so much more [blank to add own dream since it is most likely possible to complete within the four years in Aston]

When I look back at my uni life I see a pool of amazing memories, time well spent with new friends, satisfaction from well earned marks, and loads of new experiences. I am grateful my long distance relationship ended only three months into my first uni year when after loosing so much of could-have-been-spent-better time talking to my dumped-me-before-christmas ex-girlfiend. Long distance does not work, try experiencing Aston uni life instead!

ISA + iPhone = Webmail @ all times

I have regained faith in the excellence of our ISA helpdesk. I, usually, detest the long queues and endless FAQ reading, thus, most IT desks are not my favourite place in the world.

I have only been to the ISA desk four times

• to get my ID issued
• to add printing credit (back when we used to do it offline)
• to get my lost (and found) card cancelled
• to get a new card re-issued (after breaking the old one)

So, you can imagine that I know extremely little of the pool of services that the desk offers. And by extremely little I mean, I don't know and don't care! But as I was strolling along the corridors of MB fourth floor today I decided, today I actually do have time to ask a question that has been bothering me for ages. How does one add one's Aston Webmail Account to an iPhone Mail App?

So, I walked into the ISA and received instruction to simply google "Aston Mail iPhone". I thought, "Alright, is this guy taking the p***?!", said thank you and skeptically went to the adjacent lab. After following my "instructions" I ended up reading three lines instructing me to access the following link from my iPhone: http://webmail.aston.ac.uk/ios

I was asked to input my Aston username and password and voila I am looking at my Webmail as we speak! Apparently the ISA desk have designed some kind of a extremely simple to use software that does all the work for you. GR8 JOB!

January Exams 2011

The January exam session is over and the post-exams time is upon us. It is a period of late nights, beer and hanging out with your friends. Realistically, we still don’t really have any academic work to concentrate on so we have all the time of the world. Especially for the people whose exams were in the first half of the exam session, this period must have been long enough to completely wipe the stress and tireless studying off their memories. I haven’t been so lucky because I had a constant reminder of my how horrible mid January was.

After one of my exams, or as I call it the APPALLING one, we decided to complain of the ridiculous condition we had; 2 hours for what seemed like an endless set of problems. Not a single person in exam room managed to actually complete the exam and let me tell you I have some n**ds in my course. In fact, EAM is so competitive everyone can be called a n**d; it’s as if someone said, “let’s gather all the Aston n**ds in one course and see who will survive!”; a little social experiment, if I may. But, seriously, there are some smart people in my course. Thus, the surprise – not a single person finished the exam. So, we started the appealing process. First, there was the matter of getting everyone involved. Then, we submitted an academic appeal form with all our signatures and as of today are all done with the appeal. Nevertheless, it kept me one foot still in the exam session (as we say in Bulgaria). So, I had time to analyze the differences between previous exam periods and this one. To be honest I was surprised how many I found.

First, this year the time we had to complete each exam seemed so little. In previous years I was one of these people who submit their exam half an hour (or more) before the time is up. I was mostly wrong about my answers but at least I didn’t take long writing them down. But this year was hell. Putting aside the exam that I am appealing, all the rest were so tight time-wise, I would start writing immediately, not even think about the answer because I know it already and still I would not have enough time to, say, go back and check my work or maybe write something extra. No, I was like, question, answer, time’s up, home, sleep, library, exam, question, answer, time’s up, no pee-break, home, pee, library, exam, question, answer, home, sleep.

The second difference from previous years was the requirements for the exams. I was surprised how much material we need to absorb to manage to do well in the exam. Actually, scratch that, not well, just good. Unlike previous years, we had to quote, know extra information, or know everything so well you don’t have to think about the answer on the exam. For example, one of the exams we were expected to have read academic literature and successfully quote and comment on it to get a first (or a maybe first). On another, due to the ridiculous amount of open question we had to know all the material in a concise and efficient manner, so that we have time to write all we know down. On a third, we had to know by heart (the longest, ever, and I mean ever) mathematical formulas to apply to the problems in the exam. I still don’t know how I found time for all the information I needed for this exam. Hopefully, I do forget some by the next because there will seriously be no space left.

The third and very personal difference from previous exam sessions is probably something that only I find different. Since the beginning of this, final for me, year, I have felt so much more energized and devoted to uni than before. I think that the placement year off uni really put my goals into perspective. (Plus I would never forget what Ms. J.S. told me back in Intel – “only one of the people we have ever hired back as a graduate after a placement has ever had a first”) So, some sick ambition got a hold of me once I got to Birmingham and did not let me go until the last exam. At some point I actually got a bit worried because I could not sleep. All I could think about is whether I know everything for the next exam - what am I forgetting? What was that formula? What was the third peculiarity of this and that? What does the bottom small lettering of slide two from page three of lecture five say?; In addition the creeping fear - you are gonna fail, you are so gonna fail, fail, fail, fail, fail. Before the last exam, I could not sleep for three days!

Anyway, once the exam session was over things went back to normal; I went back to sleeping like normal people and the uni went back to its normal outlook. Now there are seats in the library, there are people in MB and the guild is open. As a last note to this longest of posts, let me share with you the brilliant statement of one of the freshers on the accounting exam: (before you start reading this imagine you are in the dead silent GEM and mean/bore looking vigilantes are walking around you) “f***, f***, I failed this, I failed this, f*** I failed this!”

The Top 10 (Uni) Things to Look Forward to in 2011 (continued)

01-Graduation

We all knew this would be number one. Come on, I have been waiting for this day my whole life. Becoming a uni graduate, now that is something else! I have my best friends and my whole (extended) family coming to visit. I can already smell the graduation party, it will be legendary. The best strategy would be follow the footsteps of the older and wiser. Ania spent a week celebrating her graduation. I will spend two weeks! Ha!

The Top 10 (Uni) Things to Look Forward to in 2011 (continued)

02-The Day of Destruction

I have already discussed the day of destruction but I will not stop. This is going to be the single coolest thing that I will see in 2011. Seriously, how often do you see two 20-floor buildings being blown up (and having nothing to do with terrorist, and war, and that kind of stuff). This is pure fun (and is totally harmless!)

In addition, apparently, the disruption to student life will be absolutely minimal. The first question that sprang to my mind when I heard this was – would we able to actually stand close and watch? Probably not (health and safety, and all), but still, prepare your cameras folk because this is going to be a memorable one! (I shall be watching from a safe distance with my phone ready to upload ASAP)

And did I mention the perk for everyone who are not graduating this year – new state of the art accommodations. I guess the students following our footsteps in a few years will miss out on the breezy Dalton and “ceiling-less” Lawrence rooms.

(Note to self: I should keep in touch with the freshers I met this year, they could be my link to checking the new dorms out.)

The Top 10 (Uni) Things to Look Forward to in 2011 (continued)

03-Aston Snow

I am a newbe when it comes to Aston Snow. Until recently all I knew was that it is some society in Aston and that they go skiing and stuff. Well, this year I decided to check them out in a bit more detail. I ended up signing up for the Val Thorens trip in April! (8^th -16^th April). Skiing in the French Alps with your mates and partying every night, if this is not EPIC, what is?

The Top 10 (Uni) Things to Look Forward to in 2011 (continued)

04-Astonbury

Astonbury is great (awesome, legendary, you name it)! How many times have I told you that Astonbury is great? I don’t know but it is one of the best facts (yes, facts) of uni life. The first time I went to this giant among festivals, I spent the bets day in the sun, partying with my mates, eating awesome burgers, listening to great bands and going on the rides; then an evening of brilliant music that ended at 6 o’clock in the morning. The second time, I had the best day in the rain ever (and my mate ate the record number -11- burgers in one evening), and I got to be at the front of the stage, and I got a free CD, and everyone got brutally soaking wet (yeeees!)!

The Top 10 (Uni) Things to Look Forward to in 2011

I have decided to start this calendar year with a look at the great events that 2011 holds for us, the Aston students. I have done “extensive research” to mark these in a Top 10 of "things to look forward to in 2011". Here is the beginning of the countdown (number 10 to 5):

10-Any type of academic work

Come on you had that coming; this is definitely the least thing to look forward to in 2011. Then again, think about it, there are so many people who are counting on this year’s grade to find a good job. Also, what purpose would you have if there was not a single assignment in uni? Still, looking forward is not the best verb in a sentence including the word academia.

09-The end of the galablog

With the end of the academic year, the end of the galablog will come. I know that trough the years you have grown to love losing your time reading my very annoyingly dull posts. Then again, would you not look back one day and think, god I wish the galablog was still on. Plus, did you think I would not leave with a blast (yes, the-end-of-the-galablog party!)

08-Easter Break

See, usually a break is a great idea but the Easter break, i don't know; it’s not warm enough to go to the beach, there is no snow to go skiing and stuff… it is just a boring holiday. Then again, it is a holiday and every holiday should be looked forward to (do make travel plans, it makes it better but more on travel plans later in this countdown)

07-Fresher’s Week 2011

I know this is not in the current academic year and, yes, I know I would have graduated by then but come on, I will still be in England and have mates in Aston, do you think I will miss Freshers week 2011. Yes, fake ID saying I am 18 and a fresher (this is a new personal low)

06-Celebrating the end of the May exam session

Now, this is going to be legendary, all the best parties are when you know that there is no reason to not party hard! And why would you not party hard when the year is over, you have no worries and the skies are blue again!

05-Celebrating the end of the January exam session

The January exam session is pure torture. I never sleep during this dreadful period. Mostly, due by the fact that I have not revised during the Christmas break (because I have a life). The end of the January exams is always so sweet and the party is so well deserved. Don’t get me wrong, the May and June parties celebrating a similar occasion are awesome but there is something about January that just makes celebration a must (probably it's the New Year, dunno.)

***the rest of the countdown in 4 days!***

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great party yesterday! My one was a blast!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Countdown to Destruction (warmup)

There are only 148 days left until the day of destruction. To celebrate this event, please see photos of Low-rise being destroyed below:

Winter Flu :(

Usually, there are two flu epidemia in Aston before the winter break. The first one is the Fresher's week epidemia that I have discussed before, or Freshers Flu. The second one, I am suffering from right now - Winter Flu. When I went to the nurse in the main building yesterday she basically told me that everyone has it and there is nothing I can do. And it is so true, in the past month one could barely hear the lecturers from all the coughing going and sneezing, and nose blowing going around in a chain reaction around the lecture theatre. So, the nurse advised me to just wait it out and take better care of myself. The recently submitted Econometrics coursework has not really given me much time to be sick, though. In addition, I have been suffering from mild medicine shortage.

First, one of my flatmates (currently suspecting all) stole my paracetamol-based-Bulgarian-hot-drink. I had innocently left it on the kitchen counter to not forget to take it first thing in the morning. I woke up to see the packet used and ruthlessly left on its previous place! The medicine shortage continued due to the fact that I was more or less locked 12 hrs a day in the computer rooms, thus constantly hitting uni-shop when closed. As my illness continues I can't help but think how does it smell in this computer room ATM?