14 March 2006

w7 of tb2

it is indeed w7 of tb2, that is, week 7 of the second term (who knows what the "b" stands for) and we are thus ready for an update. as of today, March 14, I finally have internet access from my office, I am able to print on-campus, and I have acquired an ID card as well as my first paycheck (260 quid, if you must know. very exciting.)

it was a bit of a struggle (as usual) to get the internet thing to happen. multiple steps included: getting my contract, finding out my employee number, generating an e-mail address, finding a PC so that I could then change my allocated password (for this can only be done on a PC), getting my picture taken at the records office for my ID (which I now have), having my blood pressure checked by the occupational health office (a very nice nun did this for me. turns out I'm relatively healthy) and then about 15 e-mails, calls, and on-line forms before I found the right person to log my computer's MAC address into the system such that I can use the ethernet network.

seven out of ten weeks done, and finally I have my computing needs in order.

it seems that certain things do not change once one crosses the atlantic. the role of IT in university environments appears to be top amongst those. I can't complain, though. I'm all sorted now, as they say.

2 comments:

fronesis said...

Actually, Rebecca's post makes the term system seem more intellible than it really is.

w7 of tb2, is Week 7 of Teaching Block 2.
However, we are not actually in week 7 of the term, we are in week 9 of the winter term.

After 4 weeks of 'easter vacation' we will be in week 9 of teaching block 2, but we will begin week 1 of the spring term. (there is no teaching block 3)

Mom and Dad said...

Wait, you guys are in the middle of 4 weeks of vacation? I'm feeling kind of screwed over here.