Jason's Daily Notes

9 November 2011


I’m at the library, working on a paper that will take days of reading. I have so much work to do, it’s unbelievable. Let’s just go down my current to-do list, shall we?

• Research dissertation topic – find professors that fit topic

• Research/work on Business in the Global Environment paper (contrasting trade post-crisis) (2 weeks)

• Work on strategy group presentation (Thursday!)

• Work on strategy hand-in exercise (next week)

• Work on Systems Thinking essay (3 weeks)

• Read case study (Burberry) for Marketing (Thursday)

• Work on presentation skills journal

• Research potential events for development society

• Meet with Azeem

• Meet with Louise (make up for birthday fail)

• Make appointment with career counsellor

• Follow-up with Duke regarding registration

• Catch up with Marketing (watch missed lecture)

• Research career options: Shell, Amex, Novo Nordisk, etc.

• Transfer loan money into main account

• Pay credit card

• Buy food

• Find time to skype

• Go out with IMEX classmates for dinner/drinks

• Go out with M&S classmates for dinner/drinks

• Respond to couchsurfing requests

• Meet with Flora / HB society re: receipts

• Inquire with student office about event reimbursement (DevSoc)

• Swing dancing with Jane (?)

Welcome to my life. Things have been busy since day 1 of term here, and now that I’m in week 6 (day 40 or something), I barely have time for myself. There’s no way I can sustain a blog at this rate, and my former habit of journaling/documenting my daily excursions has fallen by the wayside. I can barely remember the names of all the people I meet each day, though I’m trying my best.

It all sounds horrible and overwhelming, I know. But the fact is that it’s really fun. I’m feeling challenged and I’m becoming more focused than I have ever been. I don’t know how my classmates get by without feeling constantly stressed (I’m sure they do. They just don’t show it.), because they’re ahead of me in applying for jobs, and several already have their own companies that they’re running (impressive, eh?). I am just trying to get through this term with decent grades. I can figure out my career afterwards, although I’m feeling really attracted to doing something entrepreneurial and independent. And my classes are so interesting! I’m really enjoying learning about different marketing strategies, the behaviour of consumers, global competition in various industries, competitive strategies for companies, how to keep an audience’s attention, and what kind of feedback loops occur in everyday life! Did I mention that famous classical pianists and guitarists come every week for a free concert? And that there’s free vegetarian (Hare Krishna) food on campus everyday?

London has been good. Well I’m just saying that because I have been too busy to notice much of the city. I haven’t even had time to see the “Occupy London” protests over at St. Paul’s. However, I have noticed how frustrating it is to live here – queuing everyday for everything, waiting 3 weeks to get the internet set up, trying not to elbow somebody in the face (because it’s so crowded on the tube and bus that you have no choice but to be constantly in other people’s personal space), choosing between the worst kind of food options (either unhealthy, expensive, or tasteless), or simply trying to understand what the hell everyone is saying! At least the weather hasn’t been so bad (seriously – everyone else is bundled up for winter, but it’s only like 12-15 deg C / 52-60 deg F). What has been annoying is that my body hasn’t been as healthy as I’d like it to be – I’ve been sick (ill) several times already. And my bed is not comfortable – my back has been achy for weeks, though it might have been due to me carrying my laptop with me every day because we didn’t have internet at home yet! Ugh.

That’s all for now, I’m trying to finish reading at least two books before getting dinner and going home.