Before the storm

Induction days this week. Yesterday it was the general welcome to all new graduate students at the LSE - the Peacock Theatre with a capacity of around a thousand (possibly more) was used three times for the same presentation. Most tellingly was the moment when the Director, Howard Davies, asked all students who were foreign to put their hands up - most of the audience.

Which means I can now be classified as a minority.

Today it's the Government Department inductions - us new PhD students are being met in the afternoon by the academic responsible for us new arrivals. From the email sent around it looks like there aren't many of us - I counted just under 10. But maybe I'm wrong on this?

And then there's the infamous Freshers' Fair which is starting today. I'm going tohave a look around. It will be strange seeing it with new eyes and perspective after first experiencing it ten years ago. Then there were a couple of years where I organised a stall - what a relief not to have to do that anymore.

And that will probably be it until next week when the new term starts. I've already started using some of the reading lists from the public administration courses for my own area of study as it may prove useful for where I hope to take my enquiries. Which reminds me: according to a good book I picked up on 'How to do a PhD' every academic has a core 150 or so texts which he or she is familiar with. I must check with both my supervisor and this public administration chap what their's are - and whether the reading list I'm using is essentially that. You can see I'm already looking for short cuts!