When you can procrastinate until tommorow. So far today, when my draft dissertation is due in two weeks and I have a deadline on Monday, I have sorted out my emergency tax, applied for a hardship loan, paid my library fines and attempted to wash my clothes, (this is more difficult at Uni when the stupid washing machines don't work, mine, at the moment seems to have stopped with 25 minutes left to go and isn't doing anything else. Oh and the door is still locked.).
The diss is coming along very slowly but unfortunately there just isn't time for that. I need it to be coming along in leaps and bounds. I even spent over 4 hours in the library today trying to force it and it just didn't happen. I have everything in my head that I want to write about, but it's just not coming out properly on the paper.
I'm sure blogging will help...
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Dissertation Looms...
The dreaded dissertation draft is due in 2 weeks, I've started spewing some random thoughts into a Word document and have somehow come up with a plan and some ramblings which has made about 600 words. That's without opening a book or Google Scholar. I'm impressed.
My dissertation supervisor has never been worried about me, he has said from the start that he thinks I'm more than capable and is impressed with the start I made to my research, he also thought my final study would be "funky". Now, I don't know about funky, but ever since he said he wasn't worried, I haven't really been either, I'm also quite good at blagging. Job interviews, tutorials, you name it, I've faked it, and made it.
I'm good at turning on the charm and asking the right questions in the right places which is ok for a part time job interview, but I'm a little frightened that I've managed to fool my tutor into thinking I know more than I do! He's confident, and that made me so confident that I've stopped working on it. Today was the first time in 2 weeks that I actually bothered to pick up my dissertation file off the floor and open the blank word document. Now I've got two weeks and a lot of plans (Juno previews in the Odeon this weekend you see, and I absolutely MUST accompany Julie to a family party, she couldn't possibly go alone!) I forsee lots of library days.... Any spare change for a manky coffee or two?
On other thoughts, I've been perusing a few more blogs than my usual favourites and have wasted quite a lot of my life, well not wasted because every one was honest and true and mostly well written, but how do I fit this rekindled passion for other people's ramblings in with all the Uni work, and knitting, and drinking, and SingStar, and Guitar Hero, and friends, and the boyfriend.... Suggestions welcome!
My dissertation supervisor has never been worried about me, he has said from the start that he thinks I'm more than capable and is impressed with the start I made to my research, he also thought my final study would be "funky". Now, I don't know about funky, but ever since he said he wasn't worried, I haven't really been either, I'm also quite good at blagging. Job interviews, tutorials, you name it, I've faked it, and made it.
I'm good at turning on the charm and asking the right questions in the right places which is ok for a part time job interview, but I'm a little frightened that I've managed to fool my tutor into thinking I know more than I do! He's confident, and that made me so confident that I've stopped working on it. Today was the first time in 2 weeks that I actually bothered to pick up my dissertation file off the floor and open the blank word document. Now I've got two weeks and a lot of plans (Juno previews in the Odeon this weekend you see, and I absolutely MUST accompany Julie to a family party, she couldn't possibly go alone!) I forsee lots of library days.... Any spare change for a manky coffee or two?
On other thoughts, I've been perusing a few more blogs than my usual favourites and have wasted quite a lot of my life, well not wasted because every one was honest and true and mostly well written, but how do I fit this rekindled passion for other people's ramblings in with all the Uni work, and knitting, and drinking, and SingStar, and Guitar Hero, and friends, and the boyfriend.... Suggestions welcome!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
You'd think so wouldn't you?
You'd think that a Journalism lecturer would be able to attach a Word Document in an email would't you?
Well I have just spent half an hour downloading about 17 attachments for my exam tomorrow and not one of them is saved as a Word document. Some of them are attempting to open in Japanese and others are just half of a document in a notepad file.
I'm already unhappy with the organisation on this course and this is just ridiculous! Surely the Media department's lecturers should know how to use the technology!
Or is it just me who expects it?
On another note, how sad is it that Heath Ledger has died? Only 27 too, well that is the age that all the cool tortured people die. I'd only have 2 years left if I was a tortured genius, turns out I'm just tortured.
Well I have just spent half an hour downloading about 17 attachments for my exam tomorrow and not one of them is saved as a Word document. Some of them are attempting to open in Japanese and others are just half of a document in a notepad file.
I'm already unhappy with the organisation on this course and this is just ridiculous! Surely the Media department's lecturers should know how to use the technology!
Or is it just me who expects it?
On another note, how sad is it that Heath Ledger has died? Only 27 too, well that is the age that all the cool tortured people die. I'd only have 2 years left if I was a tortured genius, turns out I'm just tortured.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Defending the media..
I have just sat through an hour and a half long lecture titled: "Why Have I Studied the Media?" For me, the media studies part of my degree is an occupational hazard of my journalism degree. However, I am interested in my subjects and would not have understood the academic side of journalism if it hadn't been for the media studies.
Anyway, the lecture had nothing to do with me, although I did ask one question and then the lecturer referred to it about three times and kept looking at me so I had to fake interest instead of the outrage I actually felt! The entire lecture was about how to defend yourself against those cynical employers who don't think that Media Studies is a 'real' degree. Now I'm not going to go and look up the definition, but a degree to me means something that will prepare you for a better grade of job with a serious academic and theoretical base and background. I am studying Journalism and Media Studies which means each subject has equal weighting. I have final practical journalism projects this year, a dissertation on political communication alongside other academic modules and NCTJ exams which will vocationally prepare me for work in a newspaper or magazine.
Sounds quite like a degree to me, I do understand the arguments about media studies and other so-called 'soft subjects' but what annoyed me the most was that I had to have a lecture so that I can defend myself against ignorant old men who want me to work for free. I think I'll apply to places that will actually appreciate the amount of work that I have put in over the last three years and give me a job because I'm the best person for it. I don't want to have to defend my degree. I've worked hard for it and you WILL appreciate that!
P.S. I know my grammar and spelling are really rubbish in this post and it does feel a little half arsed but I've got a Media Law exam in 2 days so need to go and revise!
Anyway, the lecture had nothing to do with me, although I did ask one question and then the lecturer referred to it about three times and kept looking at me so I had to fake interest instead of the outrage I actually felt! The entire lecture was about how to defend yourself against those cynical employers who don't think that Media Studies is a 'real' degree. Now I'm not going to go and look up the definition, but a degree to me means something that will prepare you for a better grade of job with a serious academic and theoretical base and background. I am studying Journalism and Media Studies which means each subject has equal weighting. I have final practical journalism projects this year, a dissertation on political communication alongside other academic modules and NCTJ exams which will vocationally prepare me for work in a newspaper or magazine.
Sounds quite like a degree to me, I do understand the arguments about media studies and other so-called 'soft subjects' but what annoyed me the most was that I had to have a lecture so that I can defend myself against ignorant old men who want me to work for free. I think I'll apply to places that will actually appreciate the amount of work that I have put in over the last three years and give me a job because I'm the best person for it. I don't want to have to defend my degree. I've worked hard for it and you WILL appreciate that!
P.S. I know my grammar and spelling are really rubbish in this post and it does feel a little half arsed but I've got a Media Law exam in 2 days so need to go and revise!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
"I can't believe a year went by so fast..."
Little quote from Rent there, I've been watching it a lot recently since I (and Julie) got the DVD for Christmas. But I actually can't believe how fast last year went and now it's 2008 and that's the same year that all my Uni work is due in...
I was going to list what I have to do there, but seriously, it's not worth stressing you out about! I do however, have a Media Law exam on Thursday which I completely forgot about over Christmas, the 24th January felt just so far away. But then I got back to Uni on the 12th, got drunk and woke up on the 15th, got drunk again and woke up today, it's awful soon! I've paid for the exam now so there is no backing out. I'm a little bit confident because I've done all the work before but still. The thought of an exam on Law is going to freak anyone out.
I've also got the dreaded dissertation to compete with. I've picked a topic which makes me sound clever, but really, at the moment it's a little over my head!!
Never mind, it's my birthday on Sunday and I got my first Birthday card today so that made me happy. But I'm also concerned that the celebrations will leave me in no fit state to revise! Uni celebrations usually leave me a little bit dead for some time....... Well there's no turning back now!
I was going to list what I have to do there, but seriously, it's not worth stressing you out about! I do however, have a Media Law exam on Thursday which I completely forgot about over Christmas, the 24th January felt just so far away. But then I got back to Uni on the 12th, got drunk and woke up on the 15th, got drunk again and woke up today, it's awful soon! I've paid for the exam now so there is no backing out. I'm a little bit confident because I've done all the work before but still. The thought of an exam on Law is going to freak anyone out.
I've also got the dreaded dissertation to compete with. I've picked a topic which makes me sound clever, but really, at the moment it's a little over my head!!
Never mind, it's my birthday on Sunday and I got my first Birthday card today so that made me happy. But I'm also concerned that the celebrations will leave me in no fit state to revise! Uni celebrations usually leave me a little bit dead for some time....... Well there's no turning back now!
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