If you are a student one of the best things that can ever happen to you is getting a free drink, and it's even better if you get paid to drink it. Imagine the sheer delight of my housemates and I when we heard that a market research team wanted a number of candidates for tasting four new sourz shots, and then get a tenner for doing it.

Attending the event did prove difficult - a 7.15pm arrival time was tricky considering Scott turned up to sort out the finalities of some print work just as I was getting ready to go out. I worked the changes as my lasagne slowly went cold on the counter in the kitchen, quickly ate it once the CD was burnt and then all jumped into Scott's car for the ride to the Ramada Jarvis where these mystery student-pleasing events were occurring.

We had to fill in a fair whack of paper work and sign alot of pieces of paper - thinking back I don't think I read the disclaimer, I was far to interested in the room at the end of the corridor to worry about things like that. In fact the wait was definitely worth it. The fruit sourz shots we had to try were really nice. Jono couldn't stop singing the praises even though we weren't meant to talk - sitting in our little white cubicles with a cup of water, three crackers on a paper plate and list of 'rules' and the tasting instructions taped to the wall in front of us.

I found the whole process totally surreal. There we all were sitting quietly along the outside edges of the room, facing away from each other, sipping (and I mean sipping) these shots then filling in a two page questionnaire on each, while a possie of fifty-something year old women whisked back and forth with the completed paperwork and little cups of the luminous liquids. How far away from the situation you would normally encounter this type of drink in was it? Jono was first and did ask whether should drink it the way he would in a club. The server said no, as he should leave a bit for the end questions about appearance. Schoolboy. Nothing was said about when you'd finished the questionnaire the server would whisk it away. I quickly drank the remainder of mine while she was gone picking up new paperwork for Jono.

In other news, I started the Internet and Interface Design module yesterday. I am pleased in the fact I'm finally going to have at least some qualification in my 'area', however this is total basics. I think the best thing I can learn is about usability and accessibility which I would like some formal education on. Seems straightforward enough. The other module I took the opening lecture for was Innovation and Enterprise. I was impressed. The lecturer seems to know what she is talking about and although I did get repeatedly picked on (I owned up to running my own business) I really think this module is 'me'. DDS and I agree the reason that the number of people subscribing to it has doubled on last years numbers is purely down to TV programmes. The fact she used Sir Alan Sugar as an example is only testament to The Apprentice as a year ago the only people who knew who he was were Spurs fans and they probably didn't know what he did.

Still working my way through my metaphorical in-tray, I hope to knock most of this on the head quickly. Coursework is going to bite me if I'm not careful. I've also got to repair my bike which I managed to screw up while trying to reinstall the front wheel.