If I get 80% in the report I am sorted. I can average 40% in my exams and I get my degree.

However if I get 60% in the report I need to average 50% in my exams to get my degree.

I expect to get 60% in my Bio-Physics exam, and I expect that I will get 60% in Hydrodynamics.  However Space and Atmo are completely different things.  I could cock them up immensely.  Then I have 5 days off then my final exam.  And if Icannot aquire 2:1 level knowledge to pass an exam in 5 days I would never have gotten this far at Imperial.

But what if I cocked up Bio and just don't realise it.  And what if the others don't go my way.  Requiring only 40% in the exams would make me feel a lot better.  So I would quite like my report marks back.

It has been marked, and handed over to the guy in charge of Projects, but I have no idea what it is yet.  Or when I will get the marks.

And that too could really swing either way.

I don't think I have done as well as this:

80 – 90 %

Very high quality work that clearly demonstrates independent contributions andoriginality at research level in addition to an authoritative account of the work under taken with almost no gaps in the understanding of the topic. A comprehensivediscussion of background material and discussion of relevant literature is included. Thework is of a quality that, with some effort, is publishable as part of an article in a peer-reviewed journal.

40 – 50 %

Adequate with relevant material in some places. Uncertain large gaps and large deficiencies in

the discussion and understanding in various parts of the project. Adequate discussion of

background material and relevant literature is included.

70 – 80 %

Very good work demonstrating an authoritative account with relevant material throughout

and with independent contributions by the student. There are only minor gaps in the

understanding of the project work. A very good discussion of background material and relevant

literature is included. Some of the work is of a quality that it could contribute to aspects of a

publishable article in a peer-reviewed journal.

60 – 70 %

Good work with relevant material and authoritative in most places, including some independent

contributions by the student . Only few gaps and few deficiencies in the discussion and

understanding in minor parts of the project. A good discussion of background material and

relevant literature is included.

50 – 60 %

Satisfactory with relevant material in most places and possibly authoritative in some places.

Some gaps and some deficiencies in the discussion and understanding in some parts of the

project. Some background material and discussion of relevant literature is included.

So, really I do not know.  I just want my mark damn it, so I can know if I can relax during the exams.

Project is going well, sort of.  It is going a lot slower than I had expected, and we are going to struggle to get any real 'physics' in the project.  There is plenty to write a report on, or will be.  I would just rather not write a report about lots of tests on how well our code works, would like to do part that and then say 1/3 to 1/2 on an 'experiment'.

Hopefully we are nearing the point where we can do that soon, a few small little things, but should hopefully have some physical situations by the end of the week.

Anyway, on to other stuff.  I have just finished Starship Troopers, will write about that soon I expect.  It was good, although a bit disappointing towards the end, could have done with the last 1/3 being twice as long.

I have started watching The Wire, so far so good.  I asked the internet for a new quality show to watch similar to The West Wing or The Soprano's, and this was the internet's suggestion.  As much as I like shows like How I Met Your Mother, House, American Dad etc. etc.  there is something to be said for another class of show, something with that bit extra to push it through the quality barrier.  There are not many shows that can do it.

So far I have found:

• West Wing
• Sopranos
• Mad Men

And that is about it really.  Possibly the first seasons of Heroes and Prison Break, but they have been let down by their continued existence. I also remember watching something called Absolute Power years and years ago, Stephen Fry was in it.

And this leads me to try and quantify this 'quality' I have mentioned.  I can't really.  However I do remember trying to watch The West Wing when I was younger (14ish I think) and I remember finding it difficult.  They spoke to fast, there were too many people and plot points to keep track of.  I had to really pay attention to understand anything at all.  The same was true for Absolute Power.  So this perhaps goes some-way to describing what I mean by an extra quality.  Something that is more complex than usual.  That is not designed for everyone to watch, this is not dumbed down to an EastEnders-style Level that most things seem to be.  Something with a complex story, a complex plot, a complex set of real characters in realistic situations.  A show where you want to see the next episode straight after the one you have watched, rather than it just being an hour of mindless entertainment.

Anyway, code is done now.  Everything works eventually.  Well, sort of.  Almost everything works.  And the things that don't are not too important right now and will work soon.