Hoofed the wing mirror off my MX5, wee ****.

Still, I shouldn’t moan about them too much…. as I am heading back to uni, aged 35!

Have been accepted on to the Heriot Watt Brewing and Distilling Post Graduate course, starting in September. And just found out I am getting all the fees paid for me on a scholarship too. This pleases me.

I’d had the acceptance for a while but it hadn’t really sunk in, mostly cos I didn’t know what the **** I was going to do for money as it is full time.

Getting this scholarship has helped massively as the fess are £5000.

So now I can buy a £5k e-bike for commuting????

Guess I’ll give some back story.
I’ve got an undergrad joint honours in philosophy and psychology and an msc in multimedia design, both from early 2000s. Been working for the last few years as a digital trainer/consultant for third sector organisations.

Have been a keen homebrewer for a while and always wanted to do this course, but didn’t know how to support myself while doing it. My wife earned a low wage, not enough for both of us.

However last year I got divorced and although working freelance couldn’t get any contracts for about 9 months which wiped my savings. Landed a salaried job managing some digital transformation stuff for a funder, but to be honest – I hate it. I don’t like being an employee and all the stuff that goes with it – having to be at a desk 9-5, do all the mandatory training and supervision meetings etc. Used to working for myself, from home and just billing for the work I do and going for bike rides when there was nothing happening.

Anyway, this job contract finishes in October and uni starts in September. And while the divorce settlement wiped out what savings I did build back up I kept the house entirely, which is mortgage free.
So now I can make money by airbnb-ing my spare room.
And I should be able to land some freelance web building/digital comms work for the guys I’m working for now which will be on my own terms and will pay significantly more than minimum wage – my only other option was really working in a pub which would be OK but kill my social life and take up loads of time.
I’m also setting up a website to sell my girlfriend’s used pants but… we’ll see if she’s sitting on a gold mine or not.

I also used to have a wee catering business doing gourmet hot dogs and working with lots of breweries etc which has given me some insight into the food and drink industry and kinda started me off on this path back in 2011

So, now I’m finally getting excited as I can see it coming together.

My long term plan is to do the course (which has a great reputation and links to the industry), work for someone (brewery or distillery) for a couple of years and then set up my own place.

I’ll admit I’m nervous, but the IT/charity stuff has run its course for me and this is something I’m sure will keep me motivated – I certainly was with the hot dogs thing.

Started sampling already?

Summary of that brain dump?

As-in, now when I drink it is professional research?

Need recommendations for £5k e-bike to ride while drunk

Well for inspiration follow my mate Craig

https://www.instagram.com/whiskycraig/

Explains what whisky can do for you 🙂

I used to have to walk through the brewing department to get to the department of computing & elec. eng. at HWU. It was bit of a struggle to get to lectures some days….

I don’t think you’re allowed to work in a pub unless you’re Australian.

Your “girlfriends” pants, sure…

Report them to Northy!

My long term plan is to do the course (which has a great reputation and links to the industry), work for someone (brewery or distillery) for a couple of years and then set up my own place.

Not wishing to piss on your chips but there seems to be roughly a million ‘craft’ beer companies on the go at the moment. And doing it properly must involve a pretty big cash investment.

Course sounds interesting though, the rest of the story I could take it or leave it 🙂

Good luck

Back to uni at 35, looking fit and wandering around the campus with a guitar you can really play. I predict your next thread wil be “what STD have I got?”

If you can invent me a beer that doesn’t give me a hangover or damage my liver, but gets me drunk, then you will be a billionaire this time next year.

I hate being an employee too, the only reason I stick at it is I can remote work a lot.

I didn’t even know we do a 100% scholarship for that course! Welcome aboard, join the mtb society, come work for me in student recruitment and I’ll pay you a whole £8.45 an hour and make you work like a mule.

Edukator – Reformed Troll

Back to uni at 35, looking fit and wandering around the campus with a guitar you can really play. I predict your next thread wil be “what STD have I got?”

It’s Heriot-Watt- 99% dudes, so that should narrow it down

^ MTB society eh? Interesting.

I have been in touch with the student’s union guys to see about a gig for my band in Fresher’s week. I cannot imagine attending as a Fresher though.

Well officially it’s a cycling soc but don’t let them lead you astray. Hope you’re fast, they lost Scotty Laughland a while back when he graduated…

Ooo. I was looking at a Post-grad Diploma in Civil Engineering, distance learning, from Herriot Watt, the other day. It looks like a good course.

I am slow. However I can ride for 10 hours in one go

When you get to the distilling part of the course, will your posts get shorter? 🙂

Just my attention span