User:Pm504
— Liberal nationalism |
Pm504 is the Wikipedia alias of Peter Menzel, a young male chemistry student at St Andrews University. He was born and brought up in England but does not consider himself to be English, as neither of his parents are English.
Early Life
I was born at the
. I initially lived in Dunstable before my dad built a bungalow in Whipsnade in 1990. During the summer of 1991 he demolished the bungalow and built a large detached house in its place, where we have lived ever since.Education
I initially went to St Mary's lower school in Dunstable for 4 years. I then moved to
Adulthood
Southampton University
Unfortunately I did not get the required grades for Oxford, so I went to Southampton University in September 2004 to study for an MChem. However, all did not go to plan. Particularly during the 2nd year, i became reclusive, neither going out nor going to lectures regularly. Consequently I failed my course. Deciding that University was not for me, I left after 2 years.
Employment
Since turning
Working night shift, however, took its toll on me so in
Finding Direction
I have always liked
Return to University
Choosing St Andrews
Initially, I was looking at studying something completely different to
Summer 2008
Over the winter of
During the
Keeper For The Day
Before the experience, I thought it would be one which I would enjoy, but not one that I would spend that much money on. Having taken part though, my mind has been changed. Yes it is expensive and should definitely be considered a luxury, but a luxury worth taking if you can afford to. The day involved hand-feeding
The highlight of the day, however, was seeing the
Anyway, the day also includes enrichment activities - we put fruit and nuts inside bottles, which were then hidden among scrunched-up newspaper in tied-up sacks, for the chimps - and mucking out the rhinos' house. It may not sound like the most fun part of the day, and indeed it is not, but it isn't as bad as it sounds and, more to the point, it is part and parcel of being a zookeeper.
The final thing I will say of the experience is that if you are thinking about doing it but are put off by the price, just remember that all of your money will go to ZSL. They are a charity, and are major players in international conservational research and teaching, as well as participating in breeding programs for numerous endangered species. They receive no money from the government so their only income is Whipsnade and London Zoos. So by doing Keeper For The Day, not only are you having a great day, you are also making an important contribution towards conservation worldwide, including the natural habitats of some of the species that you will work with.
Just to finish the digression, I should point out that I have received no incentive to write this - indeed I doubt very much whether anybody will ever read this to know about it - and neither am I paid more than the national minimum wage when I am at the zoo. My sole purpose for writing it was because I honestly mean it.
St Andrews, at last!
Back to my life story then. 2 weeks after that experience, I was on my way to St Andrews to start my 2nd MChem degree. And that is about where I am now. 4 weeks in and all is well so far. I entered directly into the 2nd year of a 5 year course for 2 reasons. Firstly, with my previous experience I felt I would be capable of doing so and secondly, no matter how nice St Andrews is, I will be a month short of my 26th birthday upon graduation. I don't feel that I can afford to graduate at that age with only a BSc. So 2nd year it is, and so far there had been nothing challenging. I can only have nightmares about how stunningly simple - and mind numbing - I would have found the 1st year. So I think I have made the right decision.
Interests
Outside of education, my main pastime is the Tayforth UOTC. I joined mainly to be able to take advantage of the opportunities available and because I felt a need to get fit. Fitness tests have certainly verified that belief! Other attractions include being paid (to have fun!), the social life (including the mess bar, with Stella at £1 a can!) and, of course, shooting, but then what man doesn't like guns? (Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just a man, not a psycho!)
Other interests include football (Man Utd - I am related to Denis Law - and poor old Luton Town, my local club), american football (Pittsburgh Steelers for no good reason!), F1 and golf, which I started playing solely because I knew I was coming to its home! My aim is to play on The Old Course by the time I graduate.
Music
I also love listening to music. I often listen to music for anything between 6 and 12 hours per day. Having said that, plenty of people would, and indeed do, argue that what I listen to is not music. But of course it is. My taste is almost entirely on the rock/metal spectrum, but within that spectrum I would say it covers a lot of ground. I listen to everything from radio-friendly rock by bands such as