‘The concept of sustainable communities touches on far more areas than I thought it would’

David Campbell: Harold Wilson once said a week was a long time in politics. Well, a term is certainly a long time in a foundation degree in sustainable communities. We’ve covered so much already and I’m not even half way through the first year.

‘I’m beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel’

Lisa Butchart: For those of you who have been keeping track of my blogs, I suppose I should start by letting you know how I got on with my recent job application.

The dark art of project management

Richard Oliver: In the wonderfully weird American indy movie, Donnie Darko, a cool American high school teacher informs the film’s teenager hero that one phrase is objectively the most beautiful in the English language. No, it’s not ‘I love you’. It is ‘cellar door’.

Future visions

Carlo Verda: The future, as the lead singer of the Clash, Joe Strummer, once mused, is unwritten. These four simple words are a beautiful statement of the obvious which can be read in two ways. Firstly, what lies ahead cannot be foretold (if it’s not been written yet, how can it?). And secondly, tomorrow is there for the taking.

Breaking through the ‘us and them’ barrier

Lisa Butchart: In my last blog I confessed that my approach to assignments usually involved ‘leaving everything until the last minute’. Well, I am pleased to report that I did indeed break the habit of a lifetime in September. Working together as a group finally forced me to reconsider the merits of the cramming technique.

The first step

David Campbell: My introduction to the Academy’s foundation degree in sustainable communities has so far been gentle. This is something I am definitely not complaining about – especially considering I haven’t been in formal education for about a decade and this is my first degree course. Going back to school at 32 will take some getting used to I think.

Do we get the buildings we deserve?

Richard Oliver: The beginning of year two of my foundation degree in sustainable communities finds me in familiar territory.

Interesting times

Carlo Verda: There is an old Chinese proverb (though some believe it may also have been a curse) which says: “may you live in interesting times”.

‘If nothing else, I’ve realised why I’m here’

Carlo Verda: School’s out for summer. Well, it is in the sense there are no more classes to turn up for until October. There’ll be no end to studying, however. Far from it.

A balancing act

Richard Oliver: The summer term at Sheffield is over, so by my reckoning that’s one year down, two to go. Well, not quite. Although we had our last teaching session in July (with none pencilled in until October) there was no quick end in sight when it came to studying.