[tell me, do you wash your hair in honeydew?]

On the way back from university today, it was horribly rainy and windy. My poor jeans got drenched - they were stuck to my legs by the time I got home. Luckily, though, since the wind was blowing at me, I could hold my umbrella in front of me and managed to avoid having my face splattered with rain. It didn't mean that I couldn't see where I was going and therefore nearly got run over by a cyclist on more than one occasion but, you know, you can't have everything.

Everyone seems to have deadlines for this week, but ... I don't. This is obviously a good thing in one way, but it also means I have more riding on the end of year exams. Of which I have 5. Damnit. I only had one last year. Five is a problem for me - I'm useless at prioritising my time to make sure I revise everything equally. Having said that, my first and last exams are seen exams, so I don't have to revise for them quite so avidly.

I do have an assessed presentation next week though. I hate presentations at the best of times, let alone assessed ones. It's really strange - when I'm answering questions or joining in with the discussions in class, I'm completely fine. In fact, in 3 out of my 4 courses, I'm easily one of the most talkative in the classes. Yet make me actually stand up in front of a class with a Powerpoint presentation and the criteria to talk for 10 minutes? I turn into a nervous wreck. I talk too fast, I skip around points, I fidget ... I generally fail at appearing confident. Maybe I should have gone on one of those mini courses the university does from time to time to teach people to be more confident in doing presentations. But I always think 'noo, I'll be fine'. And then I get there and I suddenly start shaking and perspiring and I'm completely NOT fine. 

I know, I'll get drunk first. Dutch courage, as it were. That'll work.

ETA: In reference to #2 in this post, in our seminar this morning, Robert Cook came in, sat down and announced, "Now, as you know, I've been retraining as a Russian historian ..." He's a funny man.