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Project Work, Page 10

#3 – End of year 1

#3 - End of year 1 So my first year is officially over. I’ve finished all my exams, and now I have nothing academic to do until September or October. It’s a weird feeling, having nothing to do, though I’ve not really got nothing to do. I have to look for a job, I have to pack my life into boxes to move into my new house, and I have to sort out transferring bills and everything into my name for when that happens. But for now, I can just reminisce about my first year. I loved it. Continue reading →

One Year Down….

Well, that's it! It's the end of my first year at Southampton University and boy has time flown by. I can't believe that this time last year I was still revising hard for the last of my A-level exams and yet now Part I is all over. My final exam was last Tuesday and overall I was very pleased with how they went. Continue reading →

Programming Modules

So I make it about time for another overdue entry... I'm now approaching the end of semester 2, which is the end of the first year - how crazy is that!! The second semester has been much more Computer Science based, even though I'm a Software Engineer I'm on the Comp Sci course for the first few years. I've especially enjoyed the Advanced Programming module (COMP1003) on Java and the courseworks have really progressed my Java skills. Continue reading →

Computer Systems Engineering Lab Partner

“Oh yes,” says my lab partner, taking his hand slowly off the dials of our laser-powered-communications-testy-ma-thing. “I am the MASTER of fine adjustments!” It had sort of got to that point. You can only spend so long meticulously observing “laser safety” before the insanity starts to creep in. It didn't help that we were all made to swear oaths of blood (alright, maybe just sign forms) promising the following: 1. I will not undertake any laser work without a supervisor. 2. Continue reading →

T1, C# and the EVAs

T1, C# and the EVAs There may be more acronyms than you can shake a stick at in that title, but it’ll all come clear… It’s been a very busy three weeks since I arrived back from Easter, largely due to many courseworks and deadlines! This past week we had the infamous T1 lab, where we were challenged to produce a Tune Generator capable of playing a basic ‘melody’ (read ‘hideous square wave beeps’). Continue reading →

Deadlines are quite fantastic things…

Deadlines are really quite fantastic thing, for simple dates, they have an almost otherworldly power over the actions of humans. Truly in the world of times, deadlines are the kings, emperors, shahs and rajahs. A group of normally calm rational people could be going about their lives as they generally do, when suddenly a deadline raises its head and anarchy breaks loose. Suddenly these rational people start panicking, a lot. Normally diurnal people become nocturnal or even both. Continue reading →

InterFace 2009

InterFace 2009 One of the things that has been keeping me busy recently is being on the organising committee of a conference: InterFace 2009. My friend Leif (who I met on a training course way back at the start of my PhD) is doing a PhD in ECS department, but with a co-supervisor in Archaeology, due to the nature of his topic. Continue reading →

Writing My Own C# Game

I'm typing this on my netbook, surrounded by piles of a teenage boy's laundry. Next to me, someone is fighting off a combination of head-grabbing aliens and gas-mask wearing policemen (courtesy of Microsoft's Xbox360) while, somewhere in the distance, a King Charles spaniel snuffles around looking for a free meal. I must be home for Easter. There's always something a little weird about arriving back at the parents' house after being away all term. Continue reading →

There are Lies, Damn-Lies and Statistics, Or Maybe Not

Some people say there are lies, damn-lies and statistics. My computer systems lecturer disagrees. He says there are lies, damn-lies, statistics and benchmarks. After nearly a week spent slowly disappearing under a mountain of chips, wire and code, I've thought up a new one: There are lies, damn-lies, statistics, benchmarks and things-you-wrote-in-your-design-project-plan. The following explanation has been carefully stripped of any direct references to electronic engineering. Continue reading →