It was late January 1997, and lectures had just got started again after we had endured the hell that was the six exams the the end of the first semester. Things were getting back to normal. Everyone had been nervous, exam papers poured over and answers dissected afterward in an attempt to feel better and convince ourselves we had done ok. I knew that the results counted towards what I would get in 4 years time, and was dreading a bad set of marks as it would make the rest of the course an uphill struggle. As was the way, it took until mid February until results were published, but unofficial ones were available a week or so after the exam period. They were always the same.

After picking up my results I walked back through the quiet building, the sound of my army boots striking the slightly loose parquet flooring and echoing along the corridors. It was a clear day and from the 4th floor I could see the sun gleaming of the ski-slope visible beyond the gas holders, and the edge of the Peak District hazy in the distance. Stepping into the cafe to where I had agreed to my friends, Iain was just getting up to collect his results. I didn’t know him well, we hadn’t been in any labs together and our two circles hadn’t really interacted with each other in the four months of lectures.1

Iain was a big guy, the same height as my 6ft, but with the build of a nightclub bouncer. His conversation was loud, confident and delivered in an expletive-laden east London accent. He was very much the antithesis of myself. I made some pleasantry towards him, and was about to go and join my friends and slip back into comfortable anonymity.

Iain: ‘So how did you do? Did you pass hydrostatics?2
Me: ‘I did ok, I passed them all’. [An answer I hoped would do. I could feel my heart rate increasing]
Iain: ‘What did you get?’
Me: ‘Well… erm… I got a 133 for materials, and erm…[I didn't want to say it here, not in the full cafe, in front of so many people I knew. I lowered my tone and spoke quickly] …five sixteens.’ [Great, now everyone knows I'm a geek].
Iain: F**kin Hell!! He turned back to his group and told them.
I gritted my teeth, bracing myself for the spod-related put-downs that were surely to flow. [Another few years of being hassled for being clever. Fan-bloody-tastic].
Iain reached out his hand, I took it in disbelief. ‘Nice one’ he smiled.

1It takes me a long time to make friends, in the first four months I was close to just a few people on my course. As is the normal way, the majority stayed in the same pre-formed groups - those from the same halls, same clubs etc..
2The exam we feared most.
3Results were graded 1-16. 14-16 being a first, 12-14 a two-one etc..

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