Questions, comments?

[coalescent]

Time for a meme, I think:

Ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that could be obvious, but you have no idea about. Then, if you like, post this in your own lj and find out what people don't know about you.

Also: BBC headline writer imitates Peter F Hamilton.

Also: can anyone explain this to me?

Comments

What degree did you do?

[talvalin.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming some kind of humanities degree but I have no idea.

Re: What degree did you do?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Bzzt! Biochemistry, as part of my web page testifies. My A-levels were Chemistry, Biology and Geography; I did start English, but found I couldn't (or didn't want to) cope with four courses, and dropped it after a term, which means I haven't properly studied a humanities subject since GCSE time. So when I write about a book, I really am making it up as I go along. :)

Re: What degree did you do?

[talvalin.livejournal.com]

How come you got a job as an editor then? Oh. Science papers. D'oh. Colour me stupid. I was just reading your old LJ entries and making it up as I went along!

Our school was shit frankly. It wasn't considered possible to do English and Maths, or rather it wasn't considered normal (people chose science or humanities at A-Level, not mix 'n' match, according to our teachers) and so the lessons for both were scheduled at the same time. A friend complained, set his parents on the Head of 6th Form, and wound up studying maths in my Further Maths classes and then doing the rest of the course in his own time. He got straight A and then a first in English Lit from Oxford. Lovely chap, but scary on the academic side of things.

Re: What degree did you do?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

How come you got a job as an editor then? Oh. Science papers.

Yep. I decided about halfway through the final year of my degree that I didn't want to be a proper scientist after all - but at the same time, I didn't want to give up on science entirely. Medical writing was the answer I found.

I was just reading your old LJ entries and making it up as I went along!

I still can't believe you're doing that. I mean seriously, all of them?

It wasn't considered possible to do English and Maths

Mine was somewhat better than that - they did their best to accomodate everyone's first choices, although sometimes it was just impossible to schedule every possibility into the timetable. Looking back, I regret not finishing the English A-level. I don't think it would have been that much extra work...

He got straight A and then a first in English Lit from Oxford. Lovely chap, but scary on the academic side of things.

I know people like that. :)

Re: What degree did you do?

[talvalin.livejournal.com]

I still can't believe you're doing that. I mean seriously, all of them?

You wouldn't how little I'm doing right now. If I could use this time to read books, my backlog would be considerably smaller. So, instead, I'm reading LiveJournal a lot.

Also I'm curious. Ultimately, I know that I would learn a lot more about you by actually meeting you in the flesh and chatting, but for now this will have to do. :)