4 years ago...
In an all boy's private school, heading towards GCSEs and breezing through them, in the prime of health, and 6 months into what would end up being a 2 1/2 year relationship. Hair was cut short, and I was clean shaven due to school rules. Had just had what would be my last haircut for 3 years.

Now, Oxford (via a state college after not staying on at the private school post GCSE), heading towards the first set of exams that actually count, and absolutely shitting myself, on 2 separate long term medications, panicking at every twinge of pain (which could be either the arthritis getting worse, some form of internal bleeding, another clot, or the first signs of liver problems from the methotrexate), and chronically single since the end of the aforementioned relationship. Hair is just below shoulder length, beard is trimmed short when I need to look smart, but left to grow in between (lost the combs for my clippers except for one that's shorter than I like).

Happier now? Probably, despite the illness, in a much nicer place, made some good friends in the intervening years (only 2 or 3 of which are from the private school, and 2 of those I only really got to know when they went to the same college as me), and planning a summer of travel and geekery.
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Mon 14 Jun 2010, 11:58, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Oxford? Fair play mate!
wish I had been clever enough for such hallowed ground. Reading uni was the best I could manage.

Good luck with the exams.
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:02, Reply)

I didn't even make Reading
Turned down, but got into Liverpool, and am rather grateful for it too, had a great time!
( Labia Majora You keep on talking but it makes no sense at all, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:03, Reply)

Narrow escape. I imagine Liverpool would be a better student experience

( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:05, Reply)

Reading is quite good actually
in terms of the student bits.
(PsychoChomp, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:42, Reply)

Thanks
I'm good for 2 of the 4 (Quantum, thermo), but need to work my ass off (aside from the current lunch break) for the other two (astro, electromagnetism/optics).
Unfortunately astro is the first one (tomorrow), but luckily it's only half a module (the other half being the practicals, which were continually assessed over the year, and went pretty well overall).
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:07, Reply)

That all sounds horrific
I totally expect to have nightmares tonight about exams that I haven't revised for :D

I'm 33, and I still have the occasional nightmare about GCSEs & A-Levels (but strangely never about uni or professional exams).
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:20, Reply)

"toob"

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:20, Reply)

That's oddly accurate
Though the beard has never got that long yet.

edit: also, de-ris on toob?
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:27, Reply)

He always said Toob instead of tube
if that makes sense...
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:31, Reply)

Ah
I don't actually recognise the pic (aside from the vague resemblance to the weird bloke in the mirror), hence the confusion
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Mon 14 Jun 2010, 12:33, Reply)

Oh, it's a character from the fast show...
Please tell me you aren't too young to have missed th fast show?
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Mon 14 Jun 2010, 13:12, Reply)

I'm old enough to have seen it
But don't remember it well (though that's more due to crappy memory than age)
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Mon 14 Jun 2010, 13:14, Reply)