LSE Departmental Support

This is an email I received today from my LSE department tutor:

Dear Jessica,

I notice you are doing a 3rd year economics course. I should warn you that EH GC students often fail these courses as they are often very technical, so unless you have a very strong background in economics and mathematics I would advice you to do another course.

Please let me know how you are finding the course so far and what your background in the topic is.

Best wishes,
Gerben

Wow. That's super encouraging. I'm glad he emailed me before it was too late to change courses... wait. He didn't. To be fair, an Economic History student probably would fail Development Econ. But I am an Econ student that happens to be placed in the Econ History department. So... I'm hoping this little fact gives me some type of advantage over the typical EH GC student.

Jen's Visit

Here's a story. So I mentioned to my mom that I was going to a Polish Vodka Party on Thursday night (but that I'd take it easy). Based on past events of Christmas '05, she told me to be careful and to let her know I was okay afterward. Of course I forgot to email her so I get an email on Friday with a subject of "How was the Vodka party??" with no body text. Haha.

Turns out I didn't go to the vodka party. The only reason I was going was to maintain social ties to the rock climbing society people. Being a beginner (read: shitty rock climber), I can't really bond with people just based on rock climbing. So I look to other things... like vodka. Anyways, we just went to a pub, because the music at the Polish thing was ultra-eurotrashy and we weren't feeling it. Perhaps if I was armed with a glowstick or two and put on a Zoolander face, I could get into the vibe. Not this time.

I started off the week a little behind on work and was kind of rushing to catch up the whole time. I had my first day at Ellis Brigham on Wednesday and that was okay, not amazing. I hope it gets better, because I was bored out of my mind and wished they would train people more efficiently.

Work plus feeling like I was coming down with a cold meant I didn't go rock climbing. Jen, a close friend from Pres, was visiting this weekend AND of course, I'm going to Dublin on Tuesday, so I didn't really want to push my body. But here I am on a Sunday clearing my throat and breathing through a congested nose. It could be worse. I still feel up for traveling, but I just need to continue taking it easy.

I was really excited for Jen's visit, since we never see each other during the school year (and sometimes summer) when I'm at Georgetown. We saw the sites with Jared: Notting Hill again, Parliament and Big Ben, St. Bride's and St. Paul's, and then to a historic pub or two. Highlights include cupcakes at Notting Hill (see above) and finding a Banksy work (above as well) near the flea market part. Unexpected and cool. Alright. I'm off to do some work... eventually. Hope everyone is well.