Why I'm not applying for postgrad programmes at Bristol

• Demographic information is obligatory.
  
• The "Gender" field requires choosing between the responses "male", "female", and "transgender".
  
• A title is obligatory, and no gender-neutral titles are provided as options.
  
• There is the strong suggestion that if you do not disclose disabilities in full at point of application, it will be impossible to put appropriate support in place at a later date.
  
• "Full disclosure" involves downloading a form from the "disability support service", filling it out, and returning it to... the disability support service.
  
• The application deadline for university (as opposed to NERC) studentships is January the 8th - three weeks earlier than most other studentship deadlines.
  
• None of the offered projects were sufficiently interesting to me for me to be willing to put up with that degree of bullshit.

I mean - it's a great department with brilliant people doing awesome stuff, but wow. Wow I am unimpressed by their application system.

(-- and no, I'm not going to phone them or write to them to complain. My project (40% of the year) is due in 10 days' time; I have a research proposal to write for Imperial; and every time I call someone out on this shit it takes me 90 minutes to calm down after composing the letter, and two days (minimum) of panic before I'm able to handle reading responses.)

12 things I did for the first time in 2012

1. Made dumplings and doughnuts.
   
2. Made a library!
   
3. Made ebooks.
   
4. Used & bought wheelchairs.
   
5. Took anti-depressants.
   
6. Performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
   
7. Participated in fanwork exchanges.
   
8. Wrote code for an active project, and had it go live.
   
9. Found myself in functional poly Things.
   
10. Liked marmalade.
    
11. Got published! (Only on conference posters, but still!)
    
12. Applied for postgraduate study.