2012!

I do like the end of the calendar year as its a chance to take stock. Was unable to think about it in great depth before as my girlfriend was up in Leeds over the New Year, who was often being sick ¬_¬ live and learn springs to mind!

This year will contain far more uncertainties than 2011, as this is the year that I graduate. I hand in my dissertation in September and then the ceremony itself it mid-December, so at the very least its a while off. This big uncertainty is what I will do afterwards, as the jobs situation is, and will remain, awful for quite some time. Thankfully my situation is a fair distance away from a lot of graduates, but not by much! Bottom line is I have no idea what my situation will be in 12 months time, there is a good chance I won't be able to find work. I'm pretty picky when it comes to jobs, and I make no apologies for that. There are whole swaths of jobs now that I won't even consider. I know some postgraduates who do not feel the same but I cannot relate. Being unemployed really isn't so bad! Always important to bear in mind that there is only so much you can do, you are not immune from broad economic trends. The remnants of the welfare state will at least not leave me completely out to dry. I just don't feel like I have the energy anymore to lie and bullshit my way through a whole load of graduate selection programs, they really do suck. After several years of intellectual honesty and exciting discovery its not a pleasant feeling to sink into the nasty world of job applications doublespeak and general awfulness. Anyway that’s a while off yet...

The real obstacle to overcome this year is my dissertation! If its a good one a distinction beckons, if not that I shall have to make do with a respectable merit. At this stage it could go either way! I am thinking of making some pretty big changes to my research based on feedback from the conference, I have a research proposal to submit in week 7 of this semester. The real work will be done over the summer, but by then I need to know precisely what it is I need to be doing! 

I am looking forward to my last remaining taught module on late Imperial European history. The precise title escapes me for the moment, and I has been hoping to pursue a military module but no doubt I will be able to read up on military issues regardless. The module coordinator is also my dissertation supervisor, so it should prove easy enough to do a couple of military essays. It will be a strange feeling finishing the module, as that effectively ends my taught education that began in primary school! After this point there is no more teaching that can be done, you are on your own. Although perhaps I will opt to do another taught MA in the future so maybe not!