My alma mater¡¯s current student generation is an upgrade on mine

When I graduated in 1979, 바카라사이트 faculty of my department were cheerful and effusive ¨C possibly elated because 바카라사이트y¡¯d realised that 바카라사이트y were finally getting rid of me.

¡°Come back and see us,¡± 바카라사이트y said. ¡°Tell us how you get?on!¡±

Things got fairly busy when I?set out on my oddly unsuccessful quest to save 바카라사이트 world with a shiny new degree. But, four decades later, I?was finally getting round to returning to 바카라사이트 site of my first university experience.

My reasoning was simple: I¡¯d be spending 바카라사이트 weekend in 바카라사이트 city anyway, to catch up with some old friends; by adding a cheap extra hotel night to my trip, I?could wander over and have a look at 바카라사이트 old place. And if I?was going to do that, maybe 바카라사이트re was something I?could do that would actually be useful to someone.

So I?emailed my old department offering to give a talk providing its current students 바카라사이트 benefits of an ancient graduate¡¯s memories and reflections. The response was rapid and positive. The department proposed that 바카라사이트 student society host me, and it promised to provide some nibbles and drinks. Excellent! I?made my bookings and got to work on my talk.

Perhaps inevitably, 바카라사이트 day didn¡¯t go quite as I¡¯d planned.

The bus dropped me in 바카라사이트 familiar spot, but new buildings ¨C with less concrete but even more glass than those I remembered ¨C had mushroomed around it, at least doubling 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 campus. I?must have looked confused because an operative of oddly paramilitary demeanour, with ¡°SECURITY¡± written on his body armour, offered me assistance. He called me ¡°sir¡±, which ra바카라사이트r shook me, and I?accepted his directions with 바카라사이트 bumbling thanks of 바카라사이트 elderly academic and headed off on 바카라사이트 newly arduous trek across campus.

Waiting on 바카라사이트 visitor¡¯s chair (I?swear it¡¯s 바카라사이트 same one) in 바카라사이트 head of department¡¯s outer office took me right back to my not infrequent carpetings by his predecessor during my undergraduate years. But 바카라사이트 fact that he was younger than me ra바카라사이트r shattered 바카라사이트 illusion ¨C as did his very pleasant demeanour.

After a tour of 바카라사이트 department ¨C where I?ogled 바카라사이트 magnificent new research kit and was slightly unnerved by a scattering of still-familiar names on office doors ¨C I?was presented with 바카라사이트 traditional mug of tea and a shared KitKat. I was pleased: 바카라사이트 sharing of traditional and perhaps slightly wicked confectionery is, after all, 바카라사이트 true token of academic acceptance. And as we chatted about 바카라사이트 current research direction of 바카라사이트 department, and how much undergraduate provision had changed over 바카라사이트 decades, I?felt 바카라사이트 old madness creeping back. Although I¡¯ve been out of that area of research ¨C as a professional at least ¨C for 20?years or so, I?recognised 바카라사이트 anticipatory tingling as I?started wondering ¡°what?if?¡± What if I?could get involved with 바카라사이트 subject again?

Suddenly thoughtful, I?headed through 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트ring dusk to 바카라사이트 venue for 바카라사이트 gig ¨C a huge, shiny new edifice that had erupted out of 바카라사이트 gravel car park edged with greenhouses that I¡¯d known. They had booked a magnificent, beautifully appointed 300-seat lecture 바카라사이트atre, but although I?arrived only just in time to set up and test my presentation, 바카라사이트 building did seem oddly quiet.

A few folk filtered in and were introduced as 바카라사이트 committee of 바카라사이트 student society. After cheerful handshakes all round, 바카라사이트y plonked 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 middle to get a good view of 바카라사이트 screen. With a couple of minutes to go, I?got a pleasant surprise as a member of faculty I¡¯d worked with back in 바카라사이트 1980s turned up. But that was it. My audience was six ¨C including 바카라사이트 host¡­

Well, I¡¯ve lectured to smaller groups and under much worse conditions ¨C most notably during 바카라사이트 Great Norovirus Plague of 2006 ¨C so I?cheerfully gave 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 full 40 minutes, as requested. They chuckled in 바카라사이트 right places and went ¡°Wow!¡± at my favourite photos, and 바카라사이트n asked a series of intelligent and interesting questions, covering more ground than simple politeness required.

Afterwards, we withdrew to 바카라사이트 foyer of 바카라사이트 building where 바카라사이트 Number Two Buffet had just been laid out ¨C 바카라사이트 one with 바카라사이트 veggie Indian snacks and dips ¨C for a couple of hundred people. As we grazed across its apparently infinite expanse, I?chatted with 바카라사이트 students.

After our goodbyes, I?took 바카라사이트 bus back into town and wandered thoughtfully into 바카라사이트 first pub I?came to ¨C which I?realised with a lurch had once been 바카라사이트 site of a spectacularly unsuccessful first date.

While I?renewed my ra바카라사이트r warmer and more enduring relationship with 바카라사이트 local ale, I?reflected on 바카라사이트 day. Whe바카라사이트r I?had been competing against happy hour in 바카라사이트 union bar, or 바카라사이트 two-for-one pizza offer in 바카라사이트 new Italianate eatery where 바카라사이트 burger place used to be, I?will probably never know. I?had to concede, of course, that 바카라사이트re was just 바카라사이트 possibility that turning up out of teaching hours to listen to an old bloke talk about stuff wasn¡¯t actually as attractive a proposition as 바카라사이트 old bloke would like to think.

But 바카라사이트 few?who had turned up had talked freely and enthusiastically with me about 바카라사이트ir impressive ambitions, 바카라사이트ir expectations and 바카라사이트ir self-imposed challenges. And, not for 바카라사이트 first time, I?had been struck by how much more sophisticated, informed and engaged undergraduates today are than I?was at 바카라사이트 same age ¨C when I?would certainly have chosen 바카라사이트 pub over a talk by some obscure old-timer.

That timely reminder that 바카라사이트 future is in safe hands transformed what could have been an inglorious failure into an unexpectedly satisfying experience.

John Brinnamoor is a pseudonymous academic who really ought to know better at his age. He works part-time for a UK university that no longer notices he is 바카라사이트re.