Personal

After I finished my first year tripos exams I made the mistake of predicting the amount of points I scored. I learnt a valuable lesson from this: Tripos is unpredictable, at least when using the basic mark estimates that worked so well at A-level.

I estimated that I would get a 2.i overall thanks to a high mark in one Computer Science paper and the Mathematics papers. Instead I scored much lower in these two (solid 2.ii grades) and got a higher mark in Physics than I was expecting.

Natural Science is a very intense course and you have to have your head screwed on straight from the start. The combination of a gap year, state schooling and concentrating on rowing and socialising were my main disadvantages in Tripos. Next year the focus should be on performing well. Instead of grasping for air all year I can start level pegging with every other student and work just as diligently.

The secret seems to be to consolidate Michaelmas work over Christmas and Lent work over the Easter holidays. This leaves time to study the Easter lecture courses in enough detail to answer their questions in the examinations. This year most people scored around zero on the Easter courses Probability and Regular Languages and Finite Automata.

Another secret is to do some work.

Life is “frenzied, caring, fast, anxious, fun”. A wealth of feelings rush over me every day as I look forward to climbing in Wales and exploring Thailand. Then straight back to England to embrace further employment and start a new term at Cambridge university. The summer has flown by.

My viewpoint on the world is in flux at the moment. I just finished my first Marian Keyes novel, Watermelon, and The Game by Neil Strauss. Two vastly differing books that both end on empowering and passionate notes nevertheless. After a solid Christian upbringing, becoming atheist (thanks to the internet and Dawkins) and learning different perspectives on human interaction (from Ayn Rand, Marquez and others). I want to expand further and see the world from another new perspective. Reading is incredibly powerful yet slightly frightening when you consider how much a single book can change your personality.

Today I finished my contract at Premier Media Group. Over the last few weeks I was assigned to update the Christianity Magazine web application with some new features; I am especially pleased with the improved homepage. The last few weeks have also included a trip to Dorset with Jane’s family which was relaxing and a long, wonderful week in Italy on the Amalfi coast. I want to write more about these and include some pictures but there’s simply no time at the moment.

Here’s a quick preview from the Italy trip:

The view of Vesuvius from Pompei is beautiful and chilling; it is difficult to imagine destruction on that scale

Must get to bed now. I will be back from Thailand on October 10 to respond to the inevitable build up of emails.

A magical dreamscape of pleasure and decadence, the Queens’ May Ball was one the best events of my life. It was a wonderful evening with friends, full of the fun and happiness of post-exam relaxation.

Phillip Winter, a rowing friend from Michaelmas came over to England, he bought me GBKs and we spent most of the day with Sam and Julian punting and drinking varieties of ciders. We arrived at the ball a little late and consumed varieties of alcohol in the line.

After getting into the ball smartly dressed waiters began to offer us Oysters and Champagne. Looking round Old Court, beautifully decorated, there were varieties of tents offering food, drink and music. Instead of staying we continued to look round the ball. The next portion of the evening was spent gambling in an exquisitely decorated casino. I won big!

Gambling, with cocktails

Jane and I

The hypnotist mutes his victim

Florence and the Machine played live to a packed Cambridge audience. Her music, attractive on Youtube, came to life with incredibly powerful vocals reverberating around the large marquee. I then danced with lovely Jane to a student jazz band and enjoyed varieties of cocktails with friends who came and went.

The evening ended with the survivor photo at 6:00 am and I spent a significant portion of the day in bed before saying goodbye to Phil.

Hundreds of people lined the edge of the Cam on the final day of bumps. Our score at this point was two bumps up and one row over and we were expecting a reasonably easy victory. After some reasonably poor rowing we caught Emmanuel II just after the Railway Bridge. It was amazing bumping on the final day: I experienced a feeling of absolute euphoria when we rowed past the cheering crowds wearing the twigs that signify victory.

Tough row over

Catching them!

Day 4 happiness

Bumps Dinner was also reasonably extravagant and everyone enjoyed themselves. I sat near my Director of Studies and Sam similarly to last term and we all had a good, slightly tipsy, conversation. The food was excellent and they took some great pictures.

This was the highlight of the Computer Science Tripos. Other subjects get a simple meal in Old Hall. We got a three stage evening of extravagance.

The night started in the Old Combination room and continued through formal hall until we finally had a reception in Old Hall. The hall had been separated into tables that were decorated with English Strawberries and other fruits interdispersed with chocolates and 20-year old varieties of port, wine, champagne and desert wine.

Trying to make rational conversation after enjoying some ofall the delights

Christian Steinruecken, the multi-talented probability supervisor, wowed with his piano skills while all the CompScis chatted or solved Rubik’s cubes (depending on their social skills). After Christian finished, my good friend Martin Maas (Mr second in Tripos) then showed his piano skills by playing some jazz (incredibly well for such a drunk person).

We continued into the bar and I met up with some of my other friends to finish off the evening.