Work

A Week Of Top Tips

/ Amy Hobbs

Over half way through first term already! Time is definitely not slowing down for anyone and essay deadlines are already looming.

An update on me for this week:

My two regular modules are progressing nicely; we are already onto our second thinker in Continental Philosophy- Foucault and his ideas on disciplinary and regulatory power, how they appear to organisations and institutions and how this affects who we are. Darwinism is also moving swiftly, we are now looking at Evolutionary Psychology – the theory that the traits we have as humans are products of evolution that can be traced back all the way to the Stone Age. We will also be looking at the moral controversies and scientific criticisms that this theory faces. The essay deadlines for these modules are slowly creeping up, so my essay plans are taking shape. It may seem very early for me to start planning two essays that are due five weeks from now, but it is definitely necessary (especially in philosophy)! Secondary readings are just as important as primary readings, not just for your grade, but for your understanding of the subject. There are so many great resources out there, and Lancaster is lucky to have so many of them on the library system. Talking to lecturers is also a must during essay time! It may seem daunting at first, but (in my experience) the philosophy lecturers are all friendly, encouraging and very helpful. In fact, they insist that you talk to them as much as you need! Speaking of which; I am also meeting with my dissertation supervisor next week to discuss my plan and how I can begin writing the actual thing! It’s all becoming very real.

Three Things I’ve Taken From This Week:

  • Make a schedule. This does depend on how you work in a lot of cases, but trust me, it’s very likely that you will need one! It’s always good to be able to see what you need to get done, right in front of you, instead of having it playing on your mind all week. I’m really appreciating the weekly schedules I’ve been making so far, and there’s no better feeling than being able to check something off your list- one step closer to free time!
  • Ask questions. This applies particularly to seminars. Lecturers- believe it or not- do notice who engages and who doesn’t, and making an effort to take part in discussions really helps with learning the material. Often, one comment can spark a conversation or debate that will be useful for understanding the material when it comes to essay writing and revision period. You can’t lose.
  • Don’t be afraid to be ‘wrong’. This is one that I am guilty of. There is nothing worse than having a gut feeling about an answer to a question, staying quiet out of self-doubt, then someone else saying the same thing and being right. Take the risk! Even if it turns out the answer wasn’t quite what the lecturer wanted, you won’t be ridiculed for it. Instead, they will offer you some constructive criticism and tell you how to get to the correct answer next time, so you won’t make the same mistake again in your essays where it counts.

I did my presentation of the primary reading in Popular Music and Philosophy this week and lived to tell the tale! I talked about ‘The Value Problem in Cultural Studies‘ by Simon Frith. I highly recommend it, it’s a really interesting read and has actually taught me how to argue more effectively when it comes to different stances on art! I feel that the presentation itself went really well, and it seemed to be well-received by everyone. Presentations at university level really aren’t as scary as you might think. One of the many plus sides of being at university is being around people that are passionate about the same things as you, so everyone is respectful and engaged in what you have to say. (It also helps that everyone is a bit older too!) My presentation in Feminist Philosophy is coming up next week on Luce Irigaray and the relationship between women and nature. These presentations really require you to read the texts in depth and think critically about them- what philosophy is all about! I’m definitely getting some great material out of them for my essays.

Three quick tips for presentations:

  1. Don’t include things that you don’t understand! It seems self explanatory, but you’d be surprised how many people include quotes and ideas that they think are useful but don’t understand- this makes them stumble over their words and get nervous. If you don’t understand something, go and learn about it from other sources, or pose it as a question! That way, you can get input from the lecturer and your course-mates, and spark a discussion at the same time.
  2. Prepare what you want to say. Whether this means writing out a script or simply having buzz-words, knowing what you want to get across is key. Preparing this way will help you articulate your points more effectively, be able to formulate relevant, cohesive arguments, and make it easier for everyone else to follow. Don’t ‘wing it’- it definitely takes the pressure off!
  3. Take it slow. This is a tip that I have had to remind myself again and again. If you’re a nervous talker like me, presentations become a race to get to the end, but because you’re going so fast, you hit bumps and end up stumbling along the way. If you find yourself rushing and tripping over your words, just take a breath and collect your thoughts, even shuffle through your notes if you need to. Nobody will be pressuring you to keep up your speed. The more you practice, the easier this will get and eventually you’ll find your stride.

On a less work-related note: alongside reading for my dissertation and presentation preparation, my housemates and I are planning on having a ‘pizza and movie night’ this weekend! It’s all about balance and allowing for taking some time for yourself. Appreciate the friends you make at university, you’re all going through similar situations and you’ll need each other so you can take your minds off work every once in a while. So, that should be a nice break from university work- even if it is just for an evening!

It’s (almost) Christmas!

/ Amy Hobbs

It’s finally here! The coveted end of term!

This has definitely been one of the most intense, hectic semesters I’ve ever had during my time here- but by far one of the most fulfilling!

On the 1st of December I went down to London to take part in an assessment centre for a graduate-job that I applied for. It was a nerve-wracking and emotionally draining day, but the whole experience was fantastic overall! Both the assessors and the other applicants were so friendly, and the activities that we had to do throughout the day (while challenging) were surprisingly enjoyable! I think the reason that I was a little nervous was because I was really passionate about getting a place on the programme. But that passion must have showed, because I got an offer!! The work didn’t stop there though; I’ve had to do a lot of subsequent work and assessments to secure my place. So, balancing all of that along with my uni essays has been challenging to say the least.

That didn’t stop the flow of university work though, so I’ve definitely had to prioritise and get myself organised over these past 10 weeks (my experiences and helpful advice can be found previous posts!). I had two essay deadlines for the end of this term, which I count myself lucky for, as some of my friends have had as many as four! Nevertheless, they have still been a lot of work.

For Continental Philosophy, I wrote about Friedrich Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals and his account of the origins of morality as we know it, suffering and blame, and the creation of guilt. I spent a lot of time reading the Genealogy and using other sources to try to formulate my own interpretation of Nietzsche’s work whilst remaining close to what he wanted to argue. It took a lot of work as anyone who has read Nietzsche will know some of his work can be a little ‘out there’ at times! Despite this, I still found him really engaging and, as exaggerated as some of his rhetoric can be, I found myself considering his account and seeing and making links between his history of morality and my own experience and thoughts on morality in modern day. This is one of my favourite things in philosophy; the fact that the material you study can end up in you really questioning your views about the world, and even end up changing them!

In Darwinism and Philosophy I chose to write about whether thinking about evolution can help us to understand human psychology. This is a big topic with some quite technical language so it required a lot of concentration on my part. However, this has been, by far, one of my favourite essays that I have had to write in the whole time I’ve been here! I find the theory around the topic fascinating! I would definitely recommend reading into the topic if you have a combined interest in philosophy and psychology. I focused on Evolutionary Psychology, sociobiology and the criticisms of each (one of which is called ‘The Flintstones Fallacy’- who said philosophy can’t be fun?!). I initially thought I was going to argue that thinking about evolution could further our understanding of human psychology, but after going through my sources critically, I ended up arguing the opposite stance! That’s something else I like about philosophy; you think you know what your opinions are on something and that you’ll stick by them, but reading such engaging literature and talking to people with all kinds of different opinions really influences you to be open to changing your mind. Of course, I’m in my third year so I’ve had the past two years to get used to the course, but no matter what year you are in, please try to stick with the course! I find it quite humorous actually, back in first year I was struggling to make the 1500 word count, but now in third year I’m going way over my 3000 word count and having to cut my essays down! My point is; the course may seem difficult at times, but there will come a point where everything falls into place, and there are always people you can talk to if you’re really struggling to get some support.

As for my social life; it has been quite lacking of late! I think that is understandable though. This weekend my housemates and I are making up for it my doing a ‘Secret Santa’, watching Christmas films together, and going for the traditional end-of-term-celebratory drinks in the pub! It’s going to be great to spend time with everyone without deadlines being on everyone’s mind!

The Christmas break is going to be different for me, as I have two 5000 word essay due in for the first day back in January. So, I’m actually remaining in Lancaster for an extra week after term officially ends to work on those. One is for Feminist Philosophy in which I will be discussing and evaluating Simone de Beauvoir’s account of women’s oppression. The second is in Popular Music and Philosophy: I want to write about value judgements and authenticity in music alongside how music forms our identity. I’m not too sure where I want to take my argument yet, so I’m going in for an essay consultation tomorrow! I also have to write an abstract for my dissertation in which I will be doing a critical reading of Thomas Kuhn’s; ‘The Structure of Scientific Revolutions’, drawing moral parallels to his arguments, and assessing what this means for moral progress.

Even though there is work to be done, I’m still going to make sure I have at least a small break and visit home and spend Christmas and New Years with my family and friends! It’s going to be great to get into the festive spirit, not think about uni for a few days, and eat lots of food and not have to buy it for myself for a little while. Sometimes you just need some good old home comforts!

 

About Me

/ Amy Hobbs

My name is Amy and I’m a third year Philosophy (BA hons) student here at Lancaster. Hopefully these blog posts will allow you to get a feel of what life is like for typical student at the university. I will be keeping you up to date with how my course is progressing this year and with what I’ve generally been getting up to as a student.

It may only be week 4 of this term, but the work is already on a steady increase. That’s what comes with attending a ‘Top 10’ university I suppose! As I am a Single Honours student, my days are filled with philosophy modules. This term I am taking; Continental Philosophy, Darwinism and Philosophy, Philosophy and Popular Music, and Feminist Philosophy. Two of these are standard modules and two are special subjects; which I’ll explain later!

Right now in Continental Philosophy we are studying Nietzsche and his ideas about morality; where it came from and why what is ‘moral’ changes so much, the use of punishment, and the emergence of guilt and the conscience. His work is very different to the usual analytical-style readings that I have gotten used to over the past couple of years, and while it can be difficult to understand at times, I’m enjoying the challenge and it is quite a refreshing change. His work is going to be the subject of my essay at the end of this term.

As for Darwinism, we are currently understanding the theory of evolution and looking at some key thinkers surrounding the topic. For example; Dawkins and the ‘Selfish Gene’. Along with genetics we are questioning how important environmental factors are in evolution, as well as questioning whether the claim that the traits that we possess now ‘must be a product of evolution’, and so ‘must have a meaning for being there’. Right now we are just laying the groundwork for further philosophical discussion in the coming weeks- more of that to follow!

As for the special subjects, these are basically 2 hour seminars, once a week, and they are student-led. This means that, while there is a lecturer present to help and guide the discussion, it is basically down to us to start up conversation and encourage debate. Generally, the way this is done is by allocating each student (or group of students) one of the weekly readings of their choice. Then we have to create our own presentation and a handout of what we have read in which we; summarise and explain the reading, extract the key features of the arguments from the author, and identify questions that will lead to further discussion among the group. Don’t worry though, these are not assessed- but they really help with communication skills, and we can use the material that we come up with in our essays due next term, which is great!

Philosophy and Popular Music is the first of the  special subjects that I am taking, and by far the most different module to everything that I have studied during my time here. As of now, we are looking at the evaluation and aesthetic values of popular music with questions such as; ‘Is popular music standardised?’ ‘What implications does standardisation have on the value of popular music?’ In my second special subject; Feminist Philosophy, we are currently focusing on the work of Beauvoir in relation to the origins and solution to the oppression of women. For example; the idea that women are The Other, and the influence of biology in gender politics. Each of these have a 5000 word essay due for the first day back after Christmas.

Alongside all of this, I have been working on readings in preparation for my dissertation, but I have also managed to keep up with activities outside of studying. This past weekend I attended a 4 hour self-defence class with Just Play- a group that organises sporting events and taster sessions for anyone with (usually) any ability! It was a great session that I got to experience with one of my close friends, the session leaders were really supportive, and we both actually learned a lot! It was also Halloween this past weekend, so the community spirit within the university was at an all time high- definitely one of the most fun holidays to celebrate here in Lancaster!

Keeping up with work over the holidays: Becky and Katie

/ Katie Work

Hello!

When it comes to going home Christmas, work tends to be the last thing you want to think about. You’re excited for Christmas, to see your friends from home, and to enjoy all the luxuries of home comforts. However, it is sometimes the case that you have deadlines for the beginning of next term and so you just have to spend some of your holiday working.

However, this is not the end of the world. With some good planning, you can get the work done without it taking over your whole break. We think that the best plan is to get as much done early in the holidays so that you can enjoy the rest of the break. This requires a lot of motivation and, as both of us have learned, may take some practice to master as it can be very tempting to leave the work til the end of the holidays. The key is making a good plan so that you do a little each day. This way, it never feels like it’s taking over your whole day, but you’ll also find that you’ll have got the majority of it finished pretty soon. If you can, try and get up early(ish) and get a couple hours done in the morning and then that can be it for the day!

It is most likely the case that you will have essays due in for January. If you want to be really prepared, you can start these essays before you even break up for the holiday. If you do this, we recommend just working on the plan, having a consultation with your tutor and getting some books out of the library. That way, you’ll have a headstart on your essay so you won’t have as much to tackle through the holiday. This is worthwhile especially if you have a job or other responsibilities back home that may be time consuming.

It may sound like a bit too much to say plan well and get ahead, but we think that it is most important to do this just so that you can actually have a proper break! You’ll have had a busy term and need a rest, which is why you’ll be so happy to have got the bulk of your work done early so you can really enjoy Christmas.

We hope you keep this in mind and that it helps to give you a proper rest during the holidays!

Becky and Katie x