Tales of a Confused First Year PhD Student ... Part 1

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You are rushing through the labyrinth-like corridors of your department, trying to figure out where on earth that communal printer (you were told about during one of the numerous induction meetings organised by your department, the graduate school, the doctoral training centre, the university) is. Your class mates don't know. The staff members you run into on the corridors don't know. The friendly administrator in the Departmental Office doesn't know for sure - but believes to remember it was in room XYZ.

 

You somehow make it to room XYZ - after another 10, 15 minutes-it-must-have-been-at-least-half-an-hour looking for it (ban the architect who came up with the construction plans for this building from the profession and make him live in this mess of a building!!). No printer but two friendly PhD students who send you to the room next door.

No printer in the room next door either but yet another friendly PhD student who says there is no communal printer in the department anymore but suggests you just use the computer of his class mate who has not come to campus today. Of course, the computer does not let you log on and just when you're about to FORGET ABOUT THESE STUPID PRINTINGS, WHO NEEDS TO READ ABOUT SOCIAL SCIENCES PHILOSOPHY ANY WAY ... the friendly PhD student lets you use his computer.

 

Uff. Documents printed.

 

You leave clutching the documents to your chest and are so happy to have succeed you don't even (really) mind that the door you leave the building through leads to a backyard with the car park on the left and trees on the right but no exit to the street in sight...