Ridiculous UKBA

I asked my post grad Chinese colleague if she'd got her visa back. Yes!

BUT

it's only extended until the end of January.

Her viva is in February - so soon she'll have to apply to extend it again . They've taken months and months to renew it - what was the point? It's ridiculous.

If the people at UKBA are so overworked that they don't have the time to process it, why do they want more turn-over?

Between submission and viva

Our Chinese student who has recently submitted her thesis can't go home. The Home Office has her passport, has had it since April, and not returned it. Although student and the research office and all the Open University officials have contacted the Home Office, still she doesn't have her visa and passport back. She can't go home and get back into the UK for her viva without it, but neither can she work here because she hasn't got a work visa. It's such a shame because these free months are the time when she should be able to go home for a break. But if she can't get back in to take the viva, then she won't get her PhD after her years of hard work.

It's sad and frustrating.

Fun fiddling

• A Third Year Student here researches festivals.
• Festivals include musicians
• Musicians play violins.
• So TYS is learning the violin.

She came in with her violin and the other two students already in noticed it, so she played a little. Then three more of us arrived and listened, so she got a clap. No-one else was in to be bothered. Friday is quiet in the OU.

We have an open plan office so we can be sociable. But we have to be careful not to be too noisy too often because we'll distract each other from work. It's a good atmosphere.

Our student from Burma

Our Burmese student has had some bad news about a close relative, but he knows that other relatives are all right because one could phone him to let him know. However, they haven't heard anything about his wife's family.