Research Proposals

So, Research Proposals are the devil.

We have to write a 2000w. proposal for our dissertation. Based on this paper, they will assign us a supervisor. The thing is, the proposal assumes you've done some research on the subject already: how are you going to research the topic, what resources do you have/need, what's your schedule, how much money etc. I mean, most of us just decided on a subject at the very last minute.

BTW, mine is "Open Access and Creative Commons: Giving your Work Away for Free" . Working title only :)

So here I am, trying to write a proposal that will be acceptable (it's not graded but if it sucks, they don't let you do a Master's but you can still do a post-grad diploma - that's the course minus the dissertation/major project).

I'm not especially interested in Rights but as the proper Humanities scholar that I am, I'm more interested in the social aspects of this topic as well as how I can think of making it profitable to publishers (because I want a good grade on this project ;D ).

I'm kind of looking forward to writing my dissertation but I'd enjoy it more if I didn't have the mammoth NPD project at the same time, let alone the DMP blog to fiddle and update regularly (as my faithful readers will know, not my strong point) and a looooong essay for Children's. Oh, and work experience, which is getting progressively more boring and routine.

*sigh* I can't wait to finish the course and get a real job.

Oh and, I will try to post something other than me whining. I was thinking maybe a post on the history of Children's lit or something like that, distilled from my class notes. I just have to work up some motivation to do something course related. I need a holiday...

Edumacation is goode fer yuu

Note: On the subject of how often I plan on posting, I'm thinking three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) until September when all the fun and interesting stuff should start. I'll post daily then unless I don't.

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I figured I'd talk about the different choices I could have made and how I came to decide to go to Oxford Brookes. It's not the most fascinating subject ever (who am I kidding? I'm awesome!) but you can see how my life is ruled by my gut.

I hadn't originally planned to do a Master's degree right after finishing my Bachelor's (in English Studies if you must know). I wanted to take a couple of years off school to get some real world work experience. I also was tired to tears of essays, pocket-busting textbooks and having to get dressed and go out when I really don't feel like it.
I wanted to move to the UK so at least that much of my plan remains. And then I made the mistake of coming to visit my parents in Peru. The moment you're with your folks again in a very affordable country, all your plans will be invariably screwed up. Peru's just so damned comfortable!

Mom, after four months of me not living at home (I live in the halls of residence for my last term) didn't want to let me go and she's the one with the money. The only way I was going to get out of here was by applying to an university, that way she'd feel secure enough (she's the one who needs security?) to let me go all alone into the big bad world.

I figured I wanted to work in publishing anyway so I might as well do an M.A. in that. Plus, internships! I'd applied before for some but didn't get a response. Most likely due to me being in the wrong country and not asking for school credit. I can deal with that. Only fair that those who need credits get the jobs. And to be perfectly honest, I really do like school (all together now: GEEEEEEK!).

I read up on it online A LOT! I was obsessed and the things I read were NOT encouraging. I don't know if they were honest opinions or that whole "oh, education, I don't believe in it" crap I seem to run into regularly. Also, none of the people talking about said university degrees had one. I wanted an opinion from someone who knew what they were talking about. The best I found was from someone working in publishing who basically said "it can't hurt".

Bah! Unhelpful.

I'm a firm believer in education. When someone tells me "A diploma? Yeah, that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee" (which it won't, I only drink expensive luxury lattes), I have a hard time stopping my inner ninja from doing some serious kung-fu damage.
In my experience, it's usually losers without a job OR a diploma who say that or those who wanted one but couldn't get it and were fortunate or persistent enough to make it okay in life but are still bitter that they didn't get their diploma. Diploma-envy, wish Freud had written about that.

But the truth is, most employers do care at least a little that you've studied something. The official take is you don't really need one to get into publishing but unofficially they will tell you "we still notice". All employers do whether in publishing or anything else. Granted, you don't need a single, specific degree to work in publishing, just the ability to read and figure out what needs a little more kung-pow. I can already do that but since I already know what I want to do with my life, getting a degree specifically on publishing is not a "I need a job, train me" decision but a "I'm gonna do this anyway, I might as well know all I can about it beforehand" thing.