I’m having a bit of a situation.

Warning: this post is quite long-winded, heh.

It’s happened earlier than I never anticipated - 6 months into an upgraded 18 month contract.  My signal was good (much better upstairs though) but it would get tempermental; just one bar of signal.  This wasn’t such a big issue as I’m not constantly on my mobile and only use it at uni. or in my bedroom(s).

However, for the last two months my signal has been limiting or none existent: a text would take an age to send after numerous “unable to send text” messages; wouldn’t be able to call; calls constantly disconnecting, which becomes quite a big issue when you’re ordering by phone.  Note, this is at the old house where I currently stay, the signal in the new house is fine.

My only problem was getting better signal.  Numerous online searching came to nothing but a booster¹ so I called Three to try and resolve the issue, and as I guess they mentioned the possibility of the phone (my HTC) being the issue, to which I replied with Exhibit A: tested sim card on a Blackberry but to no avail.   After a couple of calls back and forth on their end, an engineer looked into it and as promised I received calls back.  In conclusion the signal at the old house was no going to improve…well, it would be but not until the near future.  I was then given a couple of options:

1. Continue with the then-current contract but at a discount – to be fair the deal was great but it would have been pointless if I wasn’t able to use my mobile.
2. Pass on the contract to a friend or relative – who doesn’t own a mobile these days?
3. Go with a reduced deal (less minutes, texts…) – again, would have rendered my phone useless so that wasn’t an option.

I didn’t think there was going to be a chance for me to even consider cancelling the contract, after all I was barely 6 months into it but I decided to enquire about it anyway.  Luckily, they agreed and the cancellation fee wouldn’t cost me a fortune – this includes a very generous discount.   I’ve been reading about people who have receive bad signal but their network providers wouldn’t let them out of the contract – I count myself lucky there.

Now, with my PAC code I have to find a new network and mobile – I would’ve kept the HTC but I have to return it.   Decisions, decisions…

1. I didn’t want to fork money on something, which only had a slim possibilty or solving the problem. [↩]

I have posted entries relating to my fantastic work experience at Charles Green, if you’re interested hop over to my portfolio news page.

A cliche I know but the final year of university is flying by – soon I’ll be in the real world of work – be it building up my online business or work within a company.  Right now I’m working on my final project, a kirigami-inspired jewellery collection.  At the moment I’m stuck in a rut; a place where I’m hating all my designs but I’m sure it’ll resolve quickly as I know what I want to do…but don’t have the right…ingredients.

Ideally, after university I want to be earning a great salary but the likelyhood of that happening to a will be recent graduate is slim.  One things is for sure though, when I eventually do get my own place my first luxury purchase will be a piano.  Although I wish for a Steinway and Sons piano that’s unlikely to happen – they’re really expensive but sound oh-so good.   I think a more “affordable” – and I use that term loosely – option would be a Yamaha…probably the digital type and preferably with pedals.  However, I’m not giving up that dream of owning a Steinway just yet.

Anyway, less than 3 months to go and I’m sure it couldn’t go slow enough but before even worrying about work I need to concentrate on getting the highest mark for the project, otherwise I leave myself very disappointed at the end of this course.  However, I get a weeks work experience, which I am very much looking forward to.

Come the end of the semester I will probably bore with a post of my 5 year experience at uni.  You have been warned!¹ :P

1. By the way, by bore I mean having to read the post, not uni. itself. [↩]

Yesterday I walked to uni. just going on about the usual routine.  Then I was stopped and told of the news that I had got 1st prize for my pendant.

I was shocked, I think the overjoyed part came later that morning when it had sunk in.  I still can’t believe…

The best thing about it is that I get to spend a weeks work experience at Charles Green – I can’t wait.  Many thanks to Mr Green, Charles Green and Sons Ltd, and particularly Pip who was a big help during the project.

Congratulations to my classmates Helen Dobson (Helen has written a better post on the ceremony as she actually…ahem…attended.), Sophie Waters and Amy Roberts who also won awards for their pieces.