Things I've learnt in the course of school

• Calculator (Mac) - press command-3 to see programmer version, press command-1 to see normal version

Facilities

• Fourth floor (outside admin office) has a watercooler. Do not drink the tap water in the studio, something is seriously wrong with it.
• The canteen's fumes wafts up to the mechatronics lab :-(

Food options in and around RCA

• Canteen choice picks: crispy kale, quinoa, fried capers
• You can ask for two or three sides instead of the mains. That would be 85p x 2 instead of 4.95.
• Cafe's tea is just 50p. Get tea at the cafe instead of the canteen.
• Wasabi is just 10 minutes away if you take 9 or 10 to High Street Kensington Station. The nice blokes there never charge the eat-in price, just the take-away price. Cheapest meal there is the minichirashi for £1.99, add 5p for soy sauce to make a debbiesized meal for £2.04
• Near South Kensington Station: Weird Japanese place with mirrors and geometric walls. They're... okay I guess.
• Near South Kensington Station: Chinese Noodle shop - quite trashy, avoid.
• Coming out of the M&S exit door (closer to checkout) at Green Park Station - turn right and there is a door for the train station. Do not have to walk back to the front entrance to get to tube station.

Gradient Banding

Gradient banding occurs in digital gradients, where there is a visible line where one color ends and the next starts, like bands of color, instead of a smooth transition from one color to the next. Open the image in Photoshop and go under the Filter menu, under Noise, and choose Add Noise. When the Add Noise dialog appears, for Amount enter 2, for Distribution choose Gaussian, turn on the Monochromatic checkbox, and then click OK.

Studio Life

• Big headphones are useful not only for actual noise cancelling but for conveying the common understanding that one is working and does not want to be disturbed.
• if you put a lot of bubble wrap everywhere on your table you will discourage people from putting random stuff on your table!
• If you are late in sending work to someone, you could write to them in an email: "the image is attached below, but it may take a while to appear"

Workshop Life

• Get to know Ricky and be nice to all the technicians. Ask if they need a hot drink.
• Post room has trolleys if in a terrible pinch. Ask very nicely and return promptly and re-use will be possible.

Static

• Metal panel of door nearer to girls toilet frequently gives me a static shock. So does sink area. Even with rubber flooring? WHY? (Beware)

Logistics / Project Management

• Insist on having very clear definition of roles
• Importance of having a dedicated Project Manager cannot be overemphasised!!!!!!!!

Furniture

• Let this be a lesson, even if ye have decided to change to a standing desk, do not be so foolish as to throw out all your chairs.