Today was excellent. I saw a broad swathe of Oxford that was unknown before, and did so in good company. Prior to that, I actually got a surprisingly large amount of statistics revision done: quite necessary now that I know I am going into the exam with 66.2%. My assignment grades ranged from 55% to 78%, though not in accordance with how much I thought I understood the material. While it’s my lowest mark ever in a university course, it is one of the higher ones among a class that is intelligent and hardworking in every case. The poor overall performance is an indictment of the course: not the students. It takes considerable restraint to keep from constantly spouting off about how disappointing this one course has been: it did much to sour a term that was otherwise excellent. Anyhow, I will try not to think about statistics except insofar as it involves hammering the meaning of a chi-squared test into my head.
The path along Oxford canal is enormously more interesting than is suggested by its starting point at the Hythe Street Bridge. Walking along it, you pass all manner of weirs and cross a number of interesting bridges: all while passing a flotilla of long canal boats. Eventually, you reach an enormous meadow, both larger and flatter than the Christ Church Meadows, where – if you’re as lucky as I am – a whole pack of horses will wander over to you in search of food. As a place for wandering, I recommend it.
- Wednesday, at 1:00pm, there will be a group study session for the quantitative methods exam. It’s happening in the room beside the cafeteria in the Manor Road building, where the Christmas party took place. I encourage people to bring notes, textbooks, questions, etc.
- I am hoping to locate one of the two stats recommended textbooks tomorrow. As far as I can tell, the Bodeleian has one of each off site somewhere, and the two copies of the Wonnacott text in the SSL are both out until after the exam. Any suggestions?
That would be Port Meadow you went to I think. You can also access it through Jericho. It gets flooded in the winter and can be very muddy but is a very pleasant place to be in the summer. If you continue along it down the side of the river there are two pubs – the perch and the Trout which are worth visiting, particularly the latter
Good luck with it all … statistics sends a shiver down my English lit spine. I enjoyed wandering through your blog and loved some of the photographs.
Kate,
We found The Perch while searching for The Trout. For various reasons, another expedition is clearly justified.
a wandering woman writes about her world,
I am glad you like the photographs.
Here’s a list of reasons not to buy diamonds that seems in keeping with your general consumer activism advocacy.
The white balance on that photo is off. If you’re having too much trouble revising, as well as writing entries and finding photos for each day, you can just draw on your stock of photos from other places…
I have been tempted to do so in the past. After all, there are only so many photos of a gloomy January Oxford that people want to see.
As for the colour balance error, I will use the defence that it was my third pub of the night. Apologies.