[2009]
UNIVERSITY
As with many graduates, my time at university finally shaped the rest of my life. From the immediate results of my time there, however, this may not be immediately obvious to the casual reader. Thus, my academic progress – in physics -was disappointing, and I barely scraped a third class honours. On the other hand, it has to be remembered that Imperial was then, and still is now, the top university and its standards reflected this. But this was the price paid for my social development, which was spectacular; and, in turn, paid the highest dividends three decades later.
0150 Picalgar Squircas – this was not because, on my arrival as a fresher at Imperial, life was at first given over to student high jinks.
The problem was that, surprisingly in view of my previous achievements and the fact that I now have a PhD, I subsequently never quite got down to my academic studies as I should have done. In part the problem was the abstruse, abstratct nature of material with which I was faced. Thus:
0186 Imperial College -- Physics First Year – I was presented with theoretical physics with some
maths.
0152 Physics Second Year – this then escalated to very theoretical physics including quantum
mechanics
0148 Physics Third Year – unable to face ever more esoteric material, I then
widened my studies to include electrical engineering alongside the physics. This
led to one of my few scientific 'almost breakthroughs', albeit one frustrated by
my lowly position
9310 A Scientific Mystery Story – where I nearly got a
Nobel prize, as described in this later story
Despite my growing alienation from science, though, even my vac jobs – first in the UK and then in Germany - still reflected my position as a physics student.
0074 Strowger Works & Norman Killey
0128 Physikalische Technische Bundesanstalt
0112 Hamburg Docks
Although I did still pursue a few of my existing interests, including:
0176 Imperial College Rifle Club
The major influence on my life came, instead, from the political activities in which I found myself enmeshed:
0133 Jon Power (0133T*) – and it was my roommate, Jon, who led me into this trap via his own political activities, which in turn led to my own involvement in:
0180 International Relations Club – and lunches with the great and good
0147 Anti-Apartheid – and throwing South Africa out of the Commonwealth
But, of course, another influence inevitably was my wife to be, Pat, who joined the staff at Imperial.
0119 Pat at Imperial College
(0119T*)
0132 Imperial College Library
(0132T*)
0124 Sex and Single Man
* Text only versions
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