You cannot move forward without taking from what is already behind you.

Yet remixing is different from plagiarising.  Academics reference the work they’re using and explain how they reached the detail they’re presenting.

photo by Thomas Hawk

There is a common misconception amongst students that you shouldn’t reference too much, because it looks like you haven’t done any thinking yourself.  But the more you refer to, the broader your research has been. Your scope widens as you read more, leading to more citations.

A high number of references is a healthy sign.  Those references have to be relevant, mind!

As you bring all these works together, you are creating a brand new work.  Remix. Mashup. Collaborate. From all this comes your own unique work.  You rely on others to make your own mark.

Coursework is a continuation of other people’s work, full of quotations, and full of ideas.  Even a groundbreaking, brand new finding/viewpoint must interact with previous research.  And each interaction requires an explanation of where it came from.

Additionally, if you have an opinion and want to back it up, it’s acceptable to find similar arguments elsewhere.  I spoke to one student who said they kept having to change their conclusions because they were the same as someone else’s view.  But there’s no harm in holding a similar view.  It’s just as natural to agree with others as it is to disagree with them.  Agreements in academia are helpful, because it’s material to back up your arguments.  It would be more difficult to back something up if everyone else disagreed with you!

Look at enough journal articles and you’ll start to see exactly how much academics manage to reference throughout their writing.  They don’t leave references out through fear of looking unoriginal.  When they discuss what has gone before and refer to previous findings, they are still creating a brand new work.

Your essays aren’t always unique research projects or a demonstration of new findings.  You may simply be discussing the merits of a statement or exploring a particular concept.  In doing so, your job is to cover as much ground as possible through primary resources and secondary material.  Should you find opinions that go against what you want to argue, bring that up too.  Explain why you don’t agree and back up with even more references on top of your own findings.

Next time you see an academic paper where the bibliography takes up the same number of pages as the article itself, hopefully you’ll understand why this happens!

It’s bad to plagiarise.  It’s great to remix!

photo by bibicall

The course will not just look at the books, but explore the entire Harry Potter phenomenon.

Unfortunately, as soon as something popular or recent becomes an area of study, sensationalist headlines aren’t far behind.

For instance, the Daily Star ran the headline, “A HARRY POTTER DEGREE“.

A module isn’t a degree.  But some people will now think lazy students are going to spend three years doing nothing but reading J. K. Rowling’s books and perhaps writing the odd essay about what they’ve read.  If they can be bothered.  Bloody students…

The worldwide success and impact of Harry Potter gives it credibility to study further in an academic sense.  Serious attention will be given to the way Rowling’s books have changed the world and made a mark.  It would be sensible to study the texts, examine the historical perspectives, research the current and future impact, understand the way in which Harry Potter has changed the face of publishing and literature (if at all), and a whole host of other things.

Just look at Durham’s official module description for “Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion” and you’ll see an educational context given to the area of study.

It is entirely sensible for Education Studies students to be offered a module examining the influence of Harry Potter on education. Rowling’s novels are books for children that have sold millions of copies worldwide and gone way beyond the books themselves…if this isn’t a subject worth studying further, what is?

This isn’t the first time Potter has been frowned upon.  In 2008, one exam board included “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” on their syllabus.  As well as accusations of ‘dumbing down’, it was argued that recent works should not be included as they hadn’t stood the test of time.

Even if I believed this mattered, I would still argue that ‘standing the test of time’ doesn’t have much meaning.  There is no ruling to argue what should and shouldn’t stand the test of time.  The fact a book is placed on a syllabus means that it could remain there for many years.  In a decade, will Harry Potter have acceptably stood the test of time simply because it had spent a few years on a syllabus?  Forget the popularity and world-changing events surrounding the Potter brand, it’s still on an exam so it’s stood the test of time…

Back to the Daily Star article.  They print a comment from Nick Seaton, Chairman of the Campaign for Real Education.  Seaton is quoted as saying “It does not merit a course at one of the country’s top universities”.

What makes this module less worthy for study than another module? There are plenty of modules that look at literature from recent decades and they don’t even explore the impact on education and culture in the way this Harry Potter module will.  Does that mean all modern and postmodern literature modules should be scrapped?

Or perhaps the problem is because Harry Potter is not a science subject.

Science is, of course, on the cutting edge.  It regularly explores the ‘yet to be’.  Funnily, I don’t hear anyone complaining that the work is pointless because it hasn’t stood the test of time.

Okay, facetiousness to one side, let’s say we do look at STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) as the important areas for academic study.  The government certainly do.  Should popular culture or emerging literary concepts be dismissed as irrelevant areas of study?

For instance, a decade ago, complaints were raised when Staffordshire University offered a course on ‘David Beckham Studies’.  What is the point of awarding a degree in Beckhamology?

But there was no David Beckham degree.  In this instance, a ‘Football Culture’ module covering the history of football included a focus on David Beckham’s impact in recent years.  The degree itself was Culture, Media and Sport.  Put in context, I find no problem with this idea whatsoever.

However, misinformation and sensationalism results in ridicule, making a mockery of higher education.  No wonder the public are quick to dismiss students as lazy and complain that there are simply too many graduates entering the workforce based on no proper work at all.

But these are false trails.  Any proper argument about graduate numbers, dumbing down, and so on, are left to one side as soon as conversation turns to ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees and pointless areas of study.

In 2008, The Times talked of academic speeches covering the study of David Beckham.  Among them was Momin Rahman’s “Beckham: How ‘Queer’ serves ‘Heterotopia’ in the dialectics of celebrity”.

So what was Rahman actually talking about?  He asks, “What purpose does masculinity serve in contemporary society?  What does it mean to be a man?  Beckham has become a symbol of this whole issue.”

Rahman was looking at culture.  David Beckham was a valid route in.  The study of Beckham has gone beyond Beckham and asks some searching questions.

There are no easy answers to those questions.  Unsurprisingly, this is where academia comes in.

Academics have long explored topics that are foreign to many.  Shouldn’t this be a good thing?  If the work all made perfect sense and was obvious to all, it wouldn’t be research.  No new ground is covered when there’s nothing left to discover.

Why can we not use Harry Potter and David Beckham to find that new ground?  As soon as a higher level of study is brought to a topic with great public awareness and engagement, it’s like the world can’t make sense any more.  Is it really so difficult for a subject to be popular AND academic?

Press offices at universities must find the process of announcing new modules quite daunting.  On one hand, your uni is introducing something:

• brand new;
• exciting;
• popular;
• yet to be covered elsewhere.

On the other hand, the subject could be seen as:

• a publicity gimmick;
• a shameless way to encourage higher student sign-up;
• an exercise in dumbing down;
• a subject with no true academic relevance.

The study of something that has made a significant difference to many people must be a good thing.  The Harry Potter set is worthwhile of study because it is not simply a series of books.  David Beckham is worthwhile of study because he is not simply a footballer.

I don’t follow football, neither do I care what impact David Beckham has had on wider culture.  But I do know his impact has been massive and I do know that enough people care.  That, in my view, is more than enough to allow a focus on Beckham within a module on Football Culture, within a course on Culture, Media and Sport.

I would question a whole degree on David Beckham or Harry Potter in the same way I would question a whole degree on Jane Austen novels or atomic structure and bonding.  To get that in-depth on an isolated area is postgraduate territory and beyond.

But nobody is offering a degree on Harry Potter books.  Or Jane Austen novels.  Sensationalist headlines and entertaining news features don’t do higher education any favours when the detail isn’t accurately portrayed or explained.

original photo by sashamd

A couple of days before another test, the worry became too much and he asked his Dad for help.  His Dad, being a schoolteacher (and his Dad!), was a pretty good person to talk to.

Dad said, “You don’t need to worry about tests if you always try your best.  There’s more to life than getting full marks.”

The father went on to say that an interest in learning is far more important than focusing on a test result.  If you can honestly tell yourself that you worked with a view toward learning and discovery, the results should follow.  Get 0% or 100%, the mark doesn’t matter if you work hard in the process.  The results will come naturally.

My friend continued his preparation for the test.  This time, the learning was more fun.  He felt less stress and more connection with the learning materials.

On the day of the next test, he turned up at school with a totally different perspective.  There was a sense of peace. Terror didn’t pin him down.  Despite feeling nervous, he was confident.

And (surprise, surprise) he passed without difficulty and with high marks.  This success came about from one small change of focus.  Instead of concentrating on the end result, the focus was on the learning experience as a whole.

My friend has taken his Dad’s advice with him ever since and loved his time at university, while getting solid grades along the way.  He teaches other children now and I hope he’s able to pass on what he discovered to his pupils.

Unfortunately, schools are under so much pressure that many teachers are used to talking at their pupils rather than engaging in active conversation.  This doesn’t allow students to “perform at their optimum”.  At a time when pupils should be encouraged the way my friend was, they’re in real danger of being let down.

An Institute of Education (IoE) study on learning recently found that the advice my friend was given is effective in helping students achieve much better grades than those who are focused on results:

“In one study, some teachers were told to help pupils learn while others were told to concentrate on ensuring that their pupils performed well. The students under pressure to perform well obtained lower grades than those who were encouraged to learn.

“Another study showed that when teachers focused on their students’ learning, the students became more analytical than when the teachers concentrated on their pupils’ exam results.

“A further study, of 4,203 students, showed classroom behaviour improved when teachers focused on learning rather than grades.”
[Guardian]

At university, you are far more responsible for your own learning.  Luckily, that means you don’t have quite the same pressures with teachers focusing on your grades in the same way.  However, you need to make decisions over what you’re going to focus on.

So what will it be?  Focus on the result, or focus on the learning?  A focus on the learning allows the end result to develop favourably, whereas a focus on the result clouds the process.

Chris Watkins, the author of the IoE report says, “passing tests is not the goal of education, but a by-product of effective learning”.

Perhaps it’s time to give learning a fresh approach.  Involve yourself in the research.  Get interested in the material on offer and actively seek out more information.

Learning is key.  The focus on a First or 2:1 shouldn’t be necessary when you’re in it for the learning.

Many young people are finding it difficult to find a place at uni, despite outstanding grades.  Rejections may come down solely to a flawed personal statement, or some minor issue that’s become a major block.  In all this uncertainty, it’s clear that the current system of allocating places at university is not supporting all those who would benefit from higher education.

photo by id-iom

Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group of universities, was first to speak on the Channel 4 debate.  She said huge increase in applications forces the question of whether the economy needs this many graduates and, if so, how can we afford them?  Due to world competition, Piatt argued that quality should be maintained.  Why short change students by spreading a limited pot of money too thinly?

Piatt went on to say that the current system does not support greater numbers of students.  Rather than have everybody pay the same amount of money, Piatt said there should be variation, especially as some people earn much more than others.

Strangely, this last point reminded me of an argument for graduate tax, which the Russell Group opposes.  They would rather see the cap on fees raised, if not abolished altogether.

It’s no surprise that the Russell Group want higher fees. They would be able to charge much more, yet maintain a full quota of students.  If any set of universities can stay strong based on their history and prestige, it is this set.

photo by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino

Professor Leslie Davies, vice chair of the Association of Colleges (AoC), said that HE currently caters for different purposes, needs and lifestyles. However, there needs to be further diversification to meet learner’s needs.  For instance, not all students want to move away from home for three years now.  A big shift is happening with better informed students looking more closely at career prospects.

Davies explained that employers are looking for a wide range of qualifications and skills from the workforce, with many companies recognising A-levels as a way in, as well as Diplomas and vocational routes.  A “one size fits all” approach is no longer helpful, so young people require better advice and guidance to suit their personal situation.

NUS President, Aaron Porter, warned of greater costs for the government unless more places were created for students.  The burden on jobseeker’s allowance with many people out of work could be huge, he argued, with the number of jobs drying up and fierce competition for apprenticeships.

In terms of debt, Porter disagreed with Piatt that degree costs should be variable based on course studied.  Some people choose to study law & economics and want to be a teacher.  Why should they be saddled with more debt if they go on to that totally different vocation?

Porter said that both individuals and the state will lose out if the state continues to set an artificial cap on places.  Students should be able to attend university if they wish and demonstrate the ability and grades.  Compared with OECD countries, the UK is slipping down the tables fast.  More people are entering higher education in other countries compared with here, which could severely limit the UK workforce.

photo by garlandcannon

How did the students see all this?  Also in the studio was a mix of young people either going to university this year or who had missed out on a place at uni despite good grades.

A selection of comments:

• Students are a burden, but they are also the next workforce who need the right skills and training;
• University may not be the only choice, but why stop people who DO want to attend and who have made the grade?
• Looks like re-stratification. Fine if you can afford Cambridge, otherwise forced to do something else like get a diploma from a ‘random college’;
• Graduate tax is a good idea. However, differential rates do pose a difficulty and it’s not easy to argue the best solution;
• If you want to go to uni and have your mind set on it, you should have that right.  University is not the only way to kickstart a career.
• Social perception needs changing before we can better engage public on benefits of HE.  Students are still seen as a lazy bunch who do precious little, but it’s a misconception;
• Student debt is a growing issue for those looking at future options.  More potential students being turned off now there’s a greater chance of debt skyrocketing further.

The debate made clear that everyone agreed on certain points:

1. University isn’t the only valid option available to further career prospects;
2. Better advice and guidance is required to help people make better choices;
3. Current numbers of students are not sustainable unless some form of change is introduced.

The third point is where much of the agreement breaks down.  The debate rests on where change should be made.  Should diversity naturally lower the number of people filing in to universities?  Should fees be raised and students/graduates shoulder the burden?  Should the artificial cap on places be lifted and funding be sourced from other savings?

I feel the first two points are crucial in assisting the change required in the third point.  Luckily, there is so much agreement on those two points.

Student numbers and funding provision are still the big issues for the government.  In the process, individual choices and the widening of opportunity falls deeper to the background.  What if the way forward was actually moving further away from view?  This is even more pertinent after Nick Clegg’s recent speech on social mobility:

“This is a complex and contested area of both research and policy. And action to improve social mobility will take many years to take effect. In policy terms, it is like turning the wheel on an oil tanker.

“Promoting social mobility is a long-term business. And it is precisely for that reason that it is vital to establish now, at the beginning of our time in office, that promoting social mobility is at the top of our social agenda.”

Social mobility involves more than money and affordability.  This is just the same for universities. Funding may be the problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s also the solution.

With A-level results announced today (good luck everyone!) and a scramble for places at university, not every candidate will find a place in this academic year.

Ross has put together this great guide on what you can do if you don’t get that place at university this year.  Over to Ross:

It is likely that there will be a large number of well qualified school and college students who just miss out on a place at University.  With fewer clearing places available, many may consider taking a year out and applying for 2011 entry.  Here are my top five tips for school and college students who miss out on a place at University.

photo by ariel.chico

1.     Stay focused. It is not the end of the world; this year is one of the most competitive to get a place at University.  Sit down and consider all of your options carefully taking advice from tutors and/or parents.
Useful links:  www.connexions-direct.com and  www.inspiringfutures.org.uk

2. Mind the GAP (year). Taking a GAP year volunteering or travelling can be rewarding however ensure you make the most of the year. Universities will not be impressed by you taking a year to brush up on your video gaming skills. Ask your chosen University if they will offer you a place for 2011 entry.
Useful links:  www.vinspired.com, www.vso.org.uk/volunteer and www.gap-year.com

3. Get some experience. Universities and employers both value the benefits of applicants having an understanding of the workplace. Getting a job or an internship for a year may have additional benefits including the opportunity later to combine studying with employment.
Useful links: www.yini.org.uk, www.gapwork.com and www.student-jobs.co.uk

4. Keep learning. If you are unable to get a place due to your grades you may wish to re-sit some of your exams. There are also number of alternative routes into University including Foundation Degrees and Access Courses.  You can also earn whilst you learn through an Apprenticeship.
Useful links:  www.findfoundationdegree.co.uk, www.accesstohe.ac.uk and www.apprenticeships.org.uk

5. Be proactive. If you are determined to go to University you must ensure you get the correct advice. It may well be even more competitive next year to get a place. Be open-minded and look at a wider range of subjects. Contact your chosen University and find out what you need to do to get offered a place in 2011. Speak to your career advisor and/or tutor.
Useful links:  www.connexions-direct.com and www.ucas.com

Ross Renton is head of UK recruitment and access at the University of Hertfordshire. You can find Ross on Twitter: @Ross_Renton.

We’re treated to rolling news coverage, constant friend updates, text messages, and feedback wherever we are. These treats are relatively new. Turn the clock back a few years and we weren’t focused on ‘instant’. The way we interact with the world has changed rapidly.

photo by nathij

How do you react in this ‘instant’ culture? The danger is that people panic and want to be a part of what’s unfolding. Go away for an hour and the fun is over. So you jump in without thinking much about what you’re doing.

In most situations, no harm will be done. But it only takes one mistake for everything to crash down around you.

Before you react to a situation, whatever it may be, remember these points:

1. Take a step back – Remove yourself from the heat of the situation, even if it’s just for a few seconds.

2. Consider the feelings of others – Is your reaction funny or offensive? Are you jumping in before you have all the information? Do you know why other people did what they did or are you rushing in blind?

3. Consider your own feelings – Is it worth flying off the handle? Are there more important things in life? Do you really feel that strongly about the circumstances or will the emotion die down quickly?

4. Will people understand your reaction? – By hastily blurting out, you risk misinterpretation. Far from helping matters, your speedy actions could make things worse.

5. Reacting on your own? Then speak only for yourself – It’s easy to get carried away as if you’re acting for a whole group of like-minded people. Speak on your behalf, not anyone else’s behalf. And don’t blame others if you make a mistake. Take responsibility for your reaction.

6. Reacting in a group? Then don’t stand out – You shouldn’t get too personal, otherwise a group reaction can quickly become your own over-excitement.
On the other hand, peer pressure and collective actions can make you do things you wouldn’t have done on your own. Don’t get swept up in the excitement and go further than you feel comfortable.

7. Research as much as you can – You may have 50 seconds, 50 minutes, 50 days… Even if you need to react in a split second, always keep a focus on knowing as much as you can about a situation. For instance, on Twitter I spend a few extra moments checking a fact or going to a person’s profile for clarification before I send a tweet. Your time is valuable, but it’s better to spend one minute checking stuff in advance than it is to spend one hour trying to make amends.

8. Do you even need to react? - Ask yourself if a reaction is worthwhile. A lot of the time you’ll probably realise you don’t have to do anything. And if you do choose to react, you will have a greater self-belief in what you are doing, just from briefly assessing your position. This is much better than if you had barged in without so much as a breath.

What do you do when faced with ‘instant’ reaction?

Those two words are so easy to say.  The words manage to hide so many meanings behind them.  What does “I can’t” really mean?

1. “I’m Scared” – Moving out of your comfort zone is hard. So hard that you don’t want to do it. That’s fear talking.
2. “I Haven’t Focused On the Right Thing” – You try, but you reach a dead end. Another direction will provide another result. When you’re in a maze and find that path blocked, you need to head back. You don’t give up with an “I can’t” because you need to find the exit.  Find another way. Seek out new paths.
3. “I Haven’t Considered Things Properly” – Before you can take solid action, you need the right information and the right tools at your disposal. Crack on with the research.
4. “It Doesn’t Fit With My Lifestyle” – You probably *can* do something, but not under the current circumstances. Do you change what you’re doing, or do you choose to let go?
5. “I’m Not In Control” – Take hold of responsibility if you can. Otherwise, accept that external issues are getting in the way. Your personal limitations needn’t be a factor. You either can do it or you don’t have access to that path. That’s very different to “I can’t”.
6. “I Won’t” – Too much bother? That’s your choice. Here lies a big difference between “can’t” and “won’t”.  Time to motivate yourself so it’s worth the bother.
7. “I Don’t Like Change” – Similar to being scared, change brings down the defenses and lets the comfort zone take over. The unknown stops you from making convincing moves, but you do have the ability to forge forward.  Once you do, you just need to maintain the momentum.
8. “There’s Not Enough Support” – You can’t work alone and expect to achieve everything with no external help. Sometimes all you need to do is ask. Support is available for most things. However, you have to seek it out. It’s rare for support to offer itself!
9. “I’m Busy” – Are you willing to make the time by changing your priorities? Whatever is most important to you is deserving of more time. Most people have a choice and can find the time. Watch less TV, be less available, get up earlier, drop your least interesting society, work on fewer personal projects, etc., etc.
10. “I Don’t Have a Plan” – Ambitions and long-term projects need some sort of plan. They don’t need to be overly detailed, they don’t have to be strict or time-limited, they don’t require insane amounts of complicated strategy on your part. What they do require, however, is an idea of why you want it and how you intend to move toward that goal. It’s fine to say “I want to walk away with a First class degree”, but you must recognise the work you have to put in to achieve that. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

Photo credit: Haleyface (some rights reserved)

BBC – The unstoppable rise of work experience

An increasing number of graduates are taking on internships. What’s going on?

Nick Petrie – Student media should work together

Online networks are so powerful when people come together. Student media could prove so much stronger if they emulate this collaboration.

Exquisite Life – Coalition politics, graduate taxes and the Browne review

What could come out of the Browne review and how will the coalition government deal with it?  William Cullerne Bown takes a detailed look.

BBC – Teaching philosophy with Spider-Man

Think that complex moral and ethical debates are stuffy and boring?  Think again. Academics have found that comics can tap surprisingly well into these discussions.

From Times Higher Education – Teaching graduates how to think will help them get jobs

“The point-scoring-let’s-assess-everything mentality seems to have turned off the genes for seeing the bigger picture. On graduating, the average student is rather like Kaspar Hauser on his first day on the streets: still needing to be taught how to think.

“What graduates really need is a broad grasp of ideas and concepts, with the ability to articulate them, either in writing or verbally, in a clear, logical, unambiguous way.”

From National Association of Scholars – Wanted: A college degree and the ability to lift 50 pounds

“Limiting job candidates to those who have completed college degrees erects an entry barrier for ‘less-educated’ individuals with quality work and life experiences, in addition to reinforcing the idea that everyone has to seek a college degree to have a successful career. In turn, this message (along with government and media influences) contributes to pushing millions of people who do not have the desire or ability—or need—for true higher learning through the college system. These pressures create a host of unintended consequences such as excessively lowered classroom standards in order to ‘maintain a respectful graduation rate’ or students overconsuming education in lieu of work experience – the latter of which is more likely to increase employability.”

Learning Styles Don’t Exist

Hat tip to @amcunningham for that video.

photo by micn2sugars

With so many new graduates each year, employers are spoilt for choice on who to give a job. If a company wants to recruit graduates, it’ll have no difficulty. If a company wants to recruit graduates with specific skills, the choice may be more difficult.

It’s like with A-levels. Universities find it increasingly difficult to work out which students to give offers to, because so many A-level students are receiving good grades. More unis are asking for at least one A* grade to help identify students of the highest calibre. But what happens when this grade fails to identify anything useful? And is this still a reasonable and effective method of finding the most able students?

There was a time when simply ‘being a graduate’ was enough to help you stand out from the crowd. Securing employment wasn’t as tough, because there were fewer graduates in the same position. Regardless of actual ability, having a degree was a notch above many.

Yet today, with so many graduates in the mix, employers look for more than a grade. Even a First at a prestigious university isn’t enough to grab whatever you desire.

Where does that leave you upon graduation? Should universities be responsible for ensuring a certain level of competence or employability before allowing you to graduate?

I’m not convinced it should be obligatory.  As a place of learning, university isn’t solely about business and career.  And it’s not possible to attain a particular level or type of ‘employability’.

For instance, Boden & Nedeva highlight differences between Anglia Ruskin and Oxford:

“It is likely that local interpretations of notions of what makes graduates employable would be different for the University of Oxford and Anglia Ruskin University. The University of Oxford website does not contain an employability statement but, despite this, Oxford graduates are widely regarded as highly employable. Moreover, education at Oxford has not been changed in accordance with the employability agenda: broad-based knowledge and cultural capital are still the currencies that students accumulate.”
[Employing discourse: universities and graduate 'employability']

Despite this, I believe students should be assured the following, whatever institution they attend:

• Guaranteed availability of assistance and preparation for life after graduation if a student should request it;
• Continued support from careers services, including a more detailed and personal service in some cases;
• Clear information & explanation on improving employability and transition into work;
• Before going in to HE, give students awareness that a degree is not an automatic passport to a job or career;
• Give those pre-HE students guidance on the alternatives to university, along with general pros and cons to each.

I’m uncertain who would be responsible for supplying the resources for the last two points…universities, schools, government department, outsourced…?  But it is necessary.  Harriet Dunbar-Goddet at 1994 Group makes a simple, yet entirely valid point:

“Information is not enough, prospective students also need advice and guidance on how to make use of it.”

Any number of tools can be offered to students, but it counts for nothing if there is little awareness and an inability to make proper use of those tools.

In response to Harriet’s point, I said that it’s like being given all the separate components to build a car and then being expected to build it yourself with no fuss. You’d recognise some of the parts, but they would mean nothing in isolation.  There is similarity in this:

“As Tomlinson (2007) points out, students nowadays no longer anticipate a clear link between their merit in education and its reward in the labour market.”
[Less time to study, less well prepared for work, yet satisfied with higher education]

A selection of courses at some universities allow a year in relevant industry. This helps many graduates stand out both on their CV and in terms of actual experience, which is often lacking upon graduation.  Bullock et al, say:

“Our study confirms other findings that an extended work placement enhances the likelihood of a good degree and preferred employment. Although the sandwich model preferred in this university is not perfect, the perception shared by students, academics and employers is that benefits outweigh drawbacks.”
['Work placement experience: should I stay or should I go?']

Even if work placements and generous employability support are provided by universities, is it enough?  A recent paper by Hinchliffe & Jolly examines broader knowledge, identity and well-being as possible keys to greater employability. They look at a more holistic approach whereby students focus not solely on employability, but on the bigger picture:

“Our studies suggest that universities and government would be better employed promoting student employability indirectly through the promotion of graduate identity and well-being (through the provision of opportunities for functioning) rather than directly through employability skills.”
[Graduate identity and employability]

Given the issues discussed above, it’s no wonder that a degree doesn’t automatically result in magical employment.

Boden & Nedeva are concerned that matters go beyond employability. Is higher education in danger of giving too narrow a focus to learning when it should be giving a wider perspective?

“Universities should be the critical friends to civil society, enlightening, informing and engaging, as part of their service. The growth within universities of pedagogical approaches based around the ‘delivery’ of ‘teaching materials’ in a narrow set of ‘skills and competencies’ bodes ill for the execution of this wider public intellectual role. This, we argue, is perhaps the most alarming of implications.” [Source]

And the take home point?

When you identify any goal, career or otherwise, strike out using your own initiative and find who and what can help you around your own actions.

Whatever your university has to offer, take responsibility for your future. Look beyond the grades and beyond the reputation of the institution.  Look to yourself and what you have to offer.  It’s often a lot more that you think.

“I don’t believe in writers block particularly. I think you can feel you’re getting writer’s block and then you call it writer’s block and you’re in trouble. So I refuse to call it writer’s block. I call it ‘time for tea’ instead.”
[Graham Coxon, via morjames]

You’d be forgiven for thinking that “writer’s block” is some sort of disease, given the amount of coverage and advice it gets.

photo by amypalko

Faced with a 2,000 word essay, your words need to be important, hard-hitting, scholarly, impressive…

You want those words to be right, so you don’t write any old stuff.  You ponder the possibilities and dismiss most ideas as non-starters.  After hours of doing this, you’re no closer to completing the essay.

Thinking too much about the right words can stop you in your tracks.  You’re allowed to write whatever you want while nobody is looking.  The nonsense you start producing now won’t be the final essay you hand in for marking.

So write nonsense.  Talk rubbish.  Get words down on the page and see where it takes you.

James Dunn recently mentioned writer’s block “coming in waves, as inspiration wavers, usually through little mental stimulation or nothing of note occurring”.  James isn’t alone.  It’s hard to be inspired all the time.

Thursday Bram makes this point, saying that she can pump out 500 words in 30 minutes with no problem, but that doesn’t mean an eight-hour day of writing should produce 8,000 words.  She has managed this feat and even written a 12,000 word e-book in a day:

“But every time I’ve made a push at writing so many words, I’m absolutely useless for two or even three days afterward. There are certainly elements of exhaustion: writing that much leaves me feeling physically wrung out and like I just hiked up a mountain. I may not have run a marathon, but I’ve definitely exerted myself.

“The other reason that I need so much recovery time is that I feel like I’ve burned up whatever it is that lets me put together sentences in a generally pleasing fashion. My writing simply sucks after one of my all-day writing sessions.” [Thursday Bram]

Some people find it a struggle to even begin, let alone pumping out 500 words in 30 minutes.  It’s not burn-up, because the match hasn’t even been lit.

As writer’s block is psychological, there is no solution to fit all shapes and sizes.  Blocks can manifest themselves in many ways, such as:

• General tiredness
• Personal problems
• Burn out
• Lacking inspiration
• Seeking perfection ‘out of the box’
• Pressure to produce something ‘better than last time’
• Uncertain what is required
• Not enough research to provide much discussion
• Distractions
• Lacking belief in your own ability and/or comparing yourself to others

Just look at famous writers and artists.  Nobody is immune from writer’s block, no matter how talented they may be at their craft.

If you’re truly stuck, try writing random words.  Write a shopping list and then write about writing the shopping list.  Write about why you can’t write.  Type out a paragraph from a book and look at the words on the screen.  The screen isn’t blank any more…is that less intimidating?  Increase the font size on screen and let the text take up more space.  Use handwriting instead of the keyboard, and vice versa.  Try something…anything different.

If you really don’t want to suffer from writer’s block, don’t accept the break exists.  On the flipside, do accept that you need a break sometimes.  I don’t want to hear that you’ve gone bonkers…