Looking at an alternative to being told I'm too green/ inexperienced/ young/ arty/ not arty enough/ efficient (and no, that last one was not a joke entry), I went for a chat with the lecturers about Postgraduate study.

The first meeting was about a Geography based degree in Environment, which includes aspects of environmental decision making and legislation. Useful for a career, but doesn't half seem dry.

The second was a research course in materials. To be more precise, storage of hydrogen for fuel cells. At first I thought I was going to have far too little knowledge and experience in this area, but the lecturer at the head of the research still took me on a tour of the department. By the end, I was gripped. I wanted to be there, behind the spectroscope or whatever fantastic piece of complicated machinery you felt like picking. I wanted to make a new compound and try it out; fire electrons at it, pass gases through it and look at it under a microscope.

The only thought is where I would go after such a year. The options are further study, phd level and eventually have a load of impressive letters after my name and hopefully a couple of useful discoveries, or research for an engineering company. But what if I don't like it that much? Isn't all that time, money and energy going to be wasted?