u/Weird-Section-5396

Moved to Cambridge this year and have been commuting to New Street 2-3 days per week.

Looking at Advance Singles from Cambridge to Birmingham New Street, I’m seeing tickets double in price (£15 to £30 one way) from the 16th November onwards.

Does CrossCountry usually get more expensive heading towards December, or could the cheapest Advance tickets still be waiting to be released? The fairly abrupt cutoff seems odd. Has anyone noticed this before?

I’m considering setting up a new Toastmasters club in Ely. There a couple of active clubs in Cambridge but I wanted to gauge whether there’s appetite for a club more locally.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, Toastmasters is essentially a friendly, structured way to practise public speaking, presentations and communication skills. You don’t need to be an experienced speaker. The whole point is to improve through regular practice in a supportive group. My own communication skills have benefited immensely from attending these meetings.

At this stage I’m just trying to see whether there are enough people around who are interested. If we got a small group together, we could start running some informal meetings every fortnight.

I’ve been a member of clubs in the UK and USA and would be keen to start one here — provided there is sufficient interest! 😃

Is anyone here interested in something like this? Please comment or drop me a message if you’d potentially come along.

Hi all,

I’m looking for Greek lessons and recently came across The Greek Online School. Has anyone here used them for either group or private lessons? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and whether you’d recommend them.

I’ve been self-learning for a while but haven’t progressed much beyond a basic level, so I’d really like to commit to regular lessons with a tutor and start making more consistent progress.

Thanks!

I’m a UK-based life sciences PhD/postdoc moving out of academia, and I’m currently considering two different opportunities:

Life sciences consulting / competitive intelligence
Or
Research analyst at a not-for-profit organisation

My background is in biomedical research, with a PhD and 3 years of postdoctoral experience. I’ve enjoyed analysing evidence, getting up to speed on unfamiliar topics, working through complex problems and communicating results clearly.

Life sciences consulting appeals because of the exposure to industry and commercial decision-making, potentially faster progression and higher long-term earning potential. But curious how fast paced the environment is. I’d likely start as an analyst and look to progress along the consultancy track.

Research at not-for-profit appeals for slightly different reasons. The work involves tackling questions for governments and other organisations, using quantitative/qualitative research to inform real-world policy and decisions. I’d have greater flexibility to work from home, but would earn less, and likely progress slower.

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has worked in either environment, particularly people who moved into them after a PhD.

How would you compare them in terms of:
- Day-to-day intellectual interest
- Variety of work
- Career progression and salary trajectory
- Work-life balance (planning to start a family)
- Transferable skills and exit opportunities after ~3–5 years
- Ability to move between policy, consulting, pharma/biotech or other industry roles later
- How each career is viewed in the wider job market

For someone who enjoys research and analysis but ultimately wants good career optionality, progression and the ability to influence real-world decisions, which route would you favour and why?

Hi everyone,

I have a 2021 Kia e-Niro and I’m trying to update the infotainment/navigation software.

I downloaded the update using Kia’s Navigation Updater, copied it onto a USB drive, and inserted it into the car as instructed.

The car recognises the USB, but the Update button in the settings menu remains greyed out, so I can’t start the installation.

Has anyone experienced this or found another way to update the system? I ensured the USB format was ExFAT.

The main reason I’m trying to update it is to connect the car to the Kia Connect app. The app asks me to scan a QR code, but the QR-code option apparently doesn’t appear on the older software version.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Long shot:

Anyone recently applied to rent a property at the new The Chapters development? We have but communication has come to a sudden halt and we can’t get through to anyone in the office. It’s so frustrating. Don’t know where we stand and when the move in date will be.