Agony Unleashed PvP Uni Rocks

AU has apparently been conducting training classes for pilots of various levels for years.  For some reason they are not quite as well known as their (precedent? antecedent?) cousin EvE Univeristy.  There is a relationship between the two, but I was never able to crack the code on what it actually is.

After making the decision to head to lowsec, I had a chat with an EvEUni recruiter.  We came to the conclusion that my EvE-O experience (1+ years) made me an unsuitable candidate for their program, which is geared more toward new players.  He pointed me in the direction of AU.

They have a great site and the enrollment process is fairly painless.  However, classes fill up quickly, so you'll want to be online soon after enrollment opens.  A week before the class I was granted access to their wiki in order to study things like Rules of Engagement (ROE) and other conduct.  There are also great documents for ship fitting, as well as an EXTREMELY useful posting on how to properly setup your overview for PvP and your client for minimal lag.

Got to the starting station with my T1 Frigs...brought spares as instructed.  Fitted for EWAR.  A couple very informative hours of class time and practical exercises, and we were ready for a lowsec roam.  Alumni and AU Corp members fill the key positions in the fleet (FC, Recon, etc.)  The bulk of the class (50+) in T1 EWAR fit Frigs made the main body, broken into separate wings.

The roam went for several hours.  I'm not quite knowledgeable enough in blogging to give a proper battle report, but Wensley at Rifter Drifter did a great job.  I got in on a couple of KMs and a final blow but didn't actually contribute a ton of damage.  Took a couple of bomb hits, but again AU trains you on how to deal with those, so I survived the roam without the loss of a ship.

Got back to Stacmon and sat looking at four fitted frigs trying to decide if I want to take them back or leave them here and try to look for a fight.