Well life at university has well and truly begun. I've been sending out email updates to certain people, if you want to be added to the email list just let me know. I've copied and pasted the first two below:

Update 1:

Well now I've been here a few days I thought it was time to update everyone, thought I'd send them out occasionally!
 
Sunday - Was the arrival day! Damien and Lucy came round to collect mum and I, and loaded all of the stuff up into the car, well as much as we could, some just wouldn't fit, so they'll have to be brought down at a later date but nothing too desperate. We made our way up to Bath in stunning weather and good time and arrived at about 12 o'clock so went into the town to explore for a little bit. Bath really is stunning. We had lunch in a gorgeous cafe in a courtyard which sums Bath up quite well really I think. After that it was off to the uni to collect my key and settle in. Nerves had well and truly settled in at this point. Found the flat okay, it's a really nice room with a massive bathroom. My flatmates are all really nice, there are 7 of us in total, 4 girls and 3 boys. 2 of which are also doing biochemistry which is really good. We then went on a food shop before the family left to go home and I mingled with the rest of the housemates. That evening I met a friend of mine from Bath already who showed me around a bit which was good fun and a nice night.
 
I still feel a bit like a rabbit caught in headlights, and dazzled a bit, although it's great fun. Although I've only been here for two nights it feels like I've been here for a week or more! Scary really.
 
Monday - I had my gym "induction" at 9 o'clock, which after not much sleep was umm... interesting shall we say. The instructor didn't really say much so was a bit of a waste of time. After that I got back and found surprisingly the rest of my house mates already up, so we had breakfast and then went into Morrisons to get some foodshopping which was good fun, although Bathwick hill is a nightmare!! Having got back we went to get our library cards which means waiting for half an hour to sit at a computer with a webcam and have your photo taken. That evening we did a group meal which was really cool, like a mini-family, everyone is really envious as to how all our flat get on so well and closely which is fantastic. From there we went to parade bar which is a smart little bar on campus and met some mates of ours which was great fun, we ended up playing "I have never" - talk about embarrassing! But yeah we won't go there, some things will definitely be staying at university haha. Emma and I then came back about half 12 and chatted for about an hour before eventually rolling into bed.
 
Today - Well woke up about half 9, and somehow still seem tired haha. We had a massive flat breakfast again which was good getting to know each other better. Emma and I then decided to go for a run which was lovely, the campus is so green and has so many different sports fields to run round so had a good time, plus the actual campus is flat so wasn't too hard going. By the time we got back it was about 12 so we mingled with the rest of the flat for a while before heading out to collect our library cards, my photos is hideous, but in comparison to the others so are theirs! At 2 o'clock we had a talk from the vice chancellor who it turns out to be an incredibly boring person, who after her half hour talk went "that concludes my brief introduction" - introduction, yes - brief, it was not! That was followed by the weirdest and scariest thing I have ever seen. A man from New Zealand doing scary impersonations and such like to demonstrate how best to make the most of student life - petrifying!
 
This afternoon half of us just sat down in one of our corridors and chatted, very very funny! This evening is the launch party so we're all off to that which should be great fun and really looking forward to it. Tomorrow is a full day of biochemistry inductions, fun fun!
 
Letters, pictures, postcards and parcels are most most welcome!! If you want my address just ask!
 
Update 2:

Hey,
 
Well I really think it's about time for a second update. Things have been just as mad although I am now getting more sleep, and think *touch wood* that I've caught up, well at least to a manageable level at any rate!
 
Freshers' Week was fantastic and ended with a toga night that was really great fun, the Mystery Jets were the band and can't say we were bowled over by them but was still a great night. As well as that there were the freshers' fair which is really where all the local companies pile on free stuff that I really need to sift through at some point and probably get rid of 99% of it. Then there were the societies and sports fair where being me I signed up to probably more things/definitely more things than I can go to. Amnesty, BioSoc, Ringing, Climbing, Snowsports, Nightline, Rag Team etc etc.
 
As not all my stuff would fit in my brother's car when they dropped me down mum came up on the Saturday and as I answered the door there was Scamp (my dog) at her feet which was a nice surprise. So spent the day with them in Bath having a look around and getting supplies. Was good to see them both, although mum's initial line as I answered the door as "you look awful" was just charming!
 
Uni life then kicked off properly last Monday with lectures and practicals. The lectures last week weren't proper lectures but ones that were designed to inspire us, which they did, they were fantastic and really really interesting! As well as that last week I had 12 hours worth of practical which again was good fun bar the 3 hour session on how to use a microscope. The experiments we did were all very interesting ranging from how to set up a petri dish to how much faecal material gets through toilet paper (the answer being you SERIOUSLY don't ever want to know!!!). I now have a very fetching labcoat and sexy specs! Oh yeah!!
 
I went ringing at Bathwick on Wednesday. I was a bit apprehensive before I went as I had been told a lot that this was the best ringing in Bath and that they were expecting a lot from me (no pressure!) so I arrived and we started ringing up which then all went to pot, so my nerves quickly faded. The ringing wasn't outstanding and all within my capabilities which was good. At the end a woman came up to me and was like "sorry I never caught your name" so I said "Alex", "Alex who?", "Alex Pool"... to which she replied "Ohhh you're Alex Pool!!" talk about a tad disconcerting!
 
The night after was the Snowsports social, which because I'm a skiier I had to go as something beginning with S, so I found a very cheap sheriff's outfit which consisted of fake leather chaps, a cowskin style waistcoat and a red hankerchief round my neck, boy did I feel an idiot but was a great night out again in a nice pub in town which we took over the top floor of. I'm also going on the uni ski trip just before Christmas which with 300 students decending on Val D'Isere should be fantastic!!
 
I had an Amnesty meeting in London on Saturday so went up the night before, had an amazing meal with Damien and Lucy before staying the night at one of my best friend's in Guildford. Was a bit surreal to be back, it all felt very natural to be in Guildford, felt a bit odd coming back to Bath afterwards really. But wouldn't change catching up with them for anything so can't complain. The meeting itself was awful, couldn't get out of there quick enough.
 
Sunday was a chilled day, just watched a few DVDs and things like that really, was nice just to chill.
 
Today was mad! Proper lectures started today! I had 4 of them which here is a lot for one day. The first one was a chemistry one which was fine as it just recapped stuff we all knew anyways, the lecturer is a bit odd, he started off by saying "I know I look miserable and like I have a black cloud looming over me but I want you all to know I'm happy inside, also I know I don't look very enthusiastic or come across is but I am" I mean what type of introduction to yourself is that?? The second and last lecture of the day were the same module, topic and lecturer on proteins, he was ridiculous, I think he forgot he was teaching first years not third years, it's physically impossible to write down a slide worth of notes, what he's talking about and a chalk board all at the same time - I'm a man I can't multitask!! The third lecture was on biodiversity - something all biochemists loath! But all in all the day was good honest. This evening I went climbing in Bristol with the climbers which was great. 9 of us went so not too many. Had about 2 and a half hours climbing time there which was great fun and a challenge, going again on Wednesday, can't wait.
 
Another 4 lectures again tomorrow fun fun!

Alex