Back in the 'ford

It's Christmas, and so I can now enjoy the comforts of home back in Watford. No boiler in the corner of the room, no limit on internet use, and I don't have to bother with all that business of going to lectures. It is a bit colder than Southampton, but there isn't as much wind.

Downsides - I now have to search for presents for people who don't know what they want (I don't know what I want either), write two reports on lab sessions, and see if I can actually understand the mysterious art that is analogue electronics. All I have to help me is the internet, and some books that are written how the lecturer talks - tangled prose full of, "Let us suppose that..." and, "Alternatively...". I don't want alternatives to things I'm already not sure about, it's like being taught how to use imaginary numbers without knowing how to count.

Actually it's not quite that bad, but it does cause furrowed brows. There is no easy way to do it all, it's guesswork, experience, and knowing an awful lot of clever tricks which aren't particularly obvious.

[sigh, grumble etc.]