Jed Laundry

The Dos and Don'ts of international skype meetings. Do:

• Sign in to skype before the assigned meeting time.
• Un-mute your laptop.
• Switch off all background music before answering the call.
• Have a laser pen or two handy for the inevitable laser war.
• Sit in a swivelly chair if possible. If you have a diligent perch swiveller at the other end you can totally spin in two countries at the same time.
• Eat something before hand. You don't get any of the pizza or BK that is so callously flaunted infront of the camera.
• Tell your flatmates in advance. You'll get weird comments in the morning otherwise about the 4-5 guys you were talking to in your room last night.
• Keep your laptop set to the host's time. It's not really 5am if the little time in the corner of your screen says 11pm.
• Be prepared to look like a zombie the morning after. It's ok though, you'll totally blend in with the other CPSC students. Don't
• Wear dark eye-liner. The nature of webcams and uni-residence lighting can lead to scared Industry Mentors (not to mention endless emo comments).
• Be upset when you're left facing the wall for a good 10 mins.
• Leave your volume on full after the meeting has finished. Full volume Vista start-up sounds are very very obvious in a large echoey lecture theatre half way through your morning lecture.
• Sit your laptop on a soft fan clogging surface for the duration. Not only is this a fire hazard it is also laptop abuse of the highest degree. Sorry Gigi.
• Turn the volume up to full, stick in head phones then not say anything for a while. Others with think you are asleep and very kindly make a lot of noise to wake you up.
• Be tempted to pull faces. Remember that there is a 'Prnt Scrn' button on the computer at the other end too. Right. Back to rendering.