Get an Education - The Bear and Badger

regmcfly

I actually think CfE in Scotland is great and the current GIRFEC stuff is serving kids well. Assume you're in England, Spock.

beano

hylian_elf wrote:

beano wrote:

I wish I'd done a masters. Just for the experience rather than thinking it's needed.

What kind of experience is that? My degree was a 4 year course that gave a masters qualification at the end. That final year was a royal cunt. Mathematical modelling for portfolio optimisation my fucking arse. I ended up with a 2:2. Maybe if I did a batchelors I would've managed a 2:1. At least I didn't have to pay to do a 'masters'. As a result of the 2:2, I couldn't apply for a lot of jobs cos the bastards only accepted 2:1 or above.

I just mean between graduating and PhD. I didn't have the mentality when I started my PhD and would've liked to have maybe done a masters so that I would've solidified my research methods.

Going forward I think it's less essential, a mate started a four year PhD course and the first year is essentially teaching them research methods as well as specifics related to their field of study.

@petey, OU if you really want a degree though I wouldn't bother doing so if I were you. I only got into this as recruiters were cutting me off the minute they found out I had no degree. Additionally it's essential to get on JET, at some point.

All been a bit weird starting a PhD, I had a job straight out of uni paying more than dbl what I get at uni but I'd applied for the PhD at the same time as the job. When the uni were like "we want you back" it was a really difficult choice but growing up I never thought I'd have a degree let alone be on track for a post-doctorate position. If I can get a role as an indie in a uni or corporate I'll be made up.

Spock

I am indeed in England reg...where we covet your Scottish education culture/system and view it like the last level of journey. *sigh*

beano

Aaroncupboard wrote:

Both secondary and primary have their own sets of challenges. I don't think I could manage their behaviour as well as I would like too. Currently watching Educating Yorkshire and it is terrifying.

I coudn't deal with either- happy with the undergrad crowd though.

Bollockoff

I've been desperate for higher education for years since all I have is high street sales experience and pretty good GCSEs but catastrophic A levels. I just lack any kind of direction, passion and money which is immensely frustrating and is no doubt eventually going to lead to disastrous mental breakdowns.

Elmlea

I've started the research before I submit my first draft synopsis for my PhD proposal. It's already really hard; identifying the precise niche for your research versus everything else that's ongoing, and then selling it as a good match for you is challenging to say the least.

I have about 6 weeks to finish it. Any of our resident PhD types care to offer some advice?

Spock

Bollockoff wrote:

I've been desperate for higher education for years since all I have is high street sales experience and pretty good GCSEs but catastrophic A levels. I just lack any kind of direction, passion and money which is immensely frustrating and is no doubt eventually going to lead to disastrous mental breakdowns.

Never too late bollockoff! I had pretty good gcses but finished college without an a level to my name (there was a pub practically next door to the college, it was the nineties so being under aged meant fuck all to some). I then burned out for about 2-3 year before swallowing my pride and threw myself at the local uni who put me on an 'access course' I got in and that were that.

JonB

I'm nearly done getting an education. Had to do all the postgrad stuff part-time for financial reasons (and even then it's been a bit of a struggle) but am nearly there now. Two years for an MA and so far four on a PhD, with hopefully just one more to go. And then maybe I can get a job...

JonB

Elmlea wrote:

I have about 6 weeks to finish it. Any of our resident PhD types care to offer some advice?

Not a lot of general advice - a lot of it will depend on your subject area, and the place you're applying to. Do they have any specific guidelines?

But... I would say aim for about 2,000 words (plus a bibliography if relevant) and make sure you discuss the state of research in the field, what's original about your approach, and the suitability of your research to the length of the course (it's really important that it looks like something you can finish in the time frame).

Carbon_Altered

Yossarian wrote:

Futurelearn is going live next week. Free MMO courses in association with the OU. Sign up by Monday for early access. https://www.futurelearn.com

I did a course with edX, which is basically the US equivalent of this. So now I have a qualification from MIT to add to the old CV.

Mod74

I've been proofreading my father in laws PhD.*

I now know 4000% more about racism in youth work than I ever, ever wanted to. Good luck to anyone doing a PhD because F the amount of effort that goes into it.

*that should be pretty amusing to anyone who regularly cringes at the grammar in my posts.

JonB

Mod74 wrote:

Good luck to anyone doing a PhD because F the amount of effort that goes into it.

Huge number of hours and some insane boredom at times, but also one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling things I've ever done.

Yossarian

Mod74 wrote:

*that should be pretty amusing to anyone who regularly cringes at the grammar in my posts.

That wasn't the part that gave me a wry smile.

Dark Soldier

First week of my help into employment course. The group (there's 14 of us) is sound its a good laugh, but the stuff we're doing is severely basic. Learnt a thing or two but seeing others struggle with basic English/Math is a bit lol. They could be dyslexic, but still lol.

Mod74

Dark Soldier

Kinda, but its not job centre so I'm automatically better than a lot of people.

Elmlea

JonB wrote:

Elmlea wrote:

I have about 6 weeks to finish it. Any of our resident PhD types care to offer some advice?

Not a lot of general advice - a lot of it will depend on your subject area, and the place you're applying to. Do they have any specific guidelines? But... I would say aim for about 2,000 words (plus a bibliography if relevant) and make sure you discuss the state of research in the field, what's original about your approach, and the suitability of your research to the length of the course (it's really important that it looks like something you can finish in the time frame).

Thanks; it's an awkward one, because it's through a fellowship offered by work, so I need to impress them before I'm allowed to approach an institution or a specific supervisor. If they like what I say, then they'll assist in "matchmaking with an appropriate supervisor" etc. Seems odd, because I need to refine it enough to get past the Director of Defence Studies, then finding an institution I want might need more refining.

Thanks for the tips though. It's too easy to just start labouring into what would be the first chapter, rather than looking at things like the general state of research in that field and perhaps most importantly to me, now it'll fit into a potentially variable timeline.

I have up to 6 years to complete it, if I'm awarded it. How on earth can you even imagine it'll stil be relevant?

Yossarian

Imagine what warfare will be like in 2020. I'm thinking robots versus clone armies.

beano

http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/
This provides some good perspective. As I am sure other will attest to.

tigersgogrrr

beano wrote:

Aaroncupboard wrote:

Both secondary and primary have their own sets of challenges. I don't think I could manage their behaviour as well as I would like too. Currently watching Educating Yorkshire and it is terrifying.

I coudn't deal with either- happy with the undergrad crowd though.

I was back and forward between the two. I'd enjoy working with teenagers, I think, but I didn't want to teach a single subject.

I'd always intended on Secondary as an eventual destination but after working with the young 'uns in SoKo, my mind was made up.

Aaroncupboard

The single subject aspect was another big reason. I enjoy teaching everything (apart from music), however I can see the appeal of knowing just one subject in depth. I just prefer the variety.

tigersgogrrr

Yeah. I'm not looking forward to teaching music at all.

Aaroncupboard

Luckily I have PPA when they are scheduled to do Music, so I don't have to teach it! Same with OCT but I don't mind that as much.

regmcfly

I do like being a subject specialist (or.. used to be) as kids seem to think that you're some sort of God at your subject.

MR HOLLIS HAVE YOU HEARD OF CHINA MIEVILLE.

Aye son. Aye.

tigersgogrrr

I wish I could talk to my kids about Mieville instead of bloomin' Morpurgo.

Oh well.

regmcfly

tigerswiftly wrote:

I wish I could talk to my kids about Mieville instead of bloomin' Morpurgo. Oh well.

WAR DOG

Tempy

That's gonna fuck kids up, it should be Michael Morpurgo.

tigersgogrrr

So today was great.

My training school has recently formed a partnership with a school in Beijing and a group of Chinese teachers visited today to give a lecture on how they teach Maths there so we could come together, look at the different methods we use, and try to improve practice at both schools.

I'm really interested in international co-operation in education and looking at other countries' methods to try and improve standards here, so this was a fantastic experience for me. Loved it.

beano

I'm off to a conference, got Kevin Warwick knocking about and some folks involved with LiFi, including Harrald Haas I hope, latter would be nice as I met him back in July; both have Ted Talks which are the previous embedded links. Notably Warwick is in a list of seven scientists ever that are in an Institute of Physics roster of folks to illustrate the ethical impact of their work, along with Isaac Newton- most in this list aren't with us.

Anyway, I'm a bit daunted that I'll rock up and have all my understanding and novelty rubbished. However, there's only one other person there in my field and we're not in the same presentation track, so I get to do a mostly anecdotal (wrong word- academic to non) presentation about the background that'll take up at least half of the my time including i) what's already out there fixing my fields problems, then ii) why it doesn't cut the mustard and then maybe 10mins to reveal my solution and my hypothesis

At best hope I might actually realise there's a load of value in the approach I am taking especially (as will do) if the other presenter comes to my talk. Weirdly the bloke in-charge of the whole conference is in our field so it's kind of ego massaging that I'm there at all, and on top of that I've had a two grand fee wavered to write for a journal piece on the whole thing.

I don't know, should I hunt down the other presenter in my field if I should mention the journal publication as he may not have had the invite. He also spelt a word (that defines the field we are in) wrong in his title! If anyone want's to offer advice on how I should approach this, it's welcome.

Guys, really- someone has made a terrible mistake and I shouldn't be in this situation!!!!

tl;dr- watch them ted talks of Warwick's and Haas'.

I'm burnt out.

beano

Can't even be arsed to play GTAO.

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