Anyone want some useful advice to help ensure success?

Hi everyone hope you're not working too hard and are taking time out to have some fun. I have and because of it I feel fantastic so don't get immersed in university work to the degree that it's all you're doing, taking time out, will help you work better when you  get back to assignments, dissertations or exam revision. So go watch a movie, take some friends out, grab a bite to eat and enjoy the night or bring the party to your place, or just have a lazy few hours or a lazy day. Just make sure you take some time out for yourself.


However sooner or later you're going to have to get back to university work, so here is some advice and hints that I hope help, the following advice will be especially helpful for dissertations but it could be useful more generally as well:

• anyone undertaking analysis of data obtained using quantitative research methods, in either an assignment, small research project or in your dissertation start as soon as you can, I have just spent two days sorting data and putting it into excel (heaven knows how long it would have taken using SPSS) .
•  Get a hold of a selection of two or three books that have an invaluable use generally. Whether it be for research methods, politics, sociology or something else.
• Here are two really useful books to get hold of, especially for qualitative research, but also in thinking about theory and concepts:

                            - Becker. H. (1998) Tricks of the Trade: how to think about your research while     you’re doing it London, Chicago Press

                             - Mills, C. W. (1959) The Sociological Imagination USA, Oxford University Press.

• Anyone intending to analyse interviews or something similar may benefit from using thematic analysis, it's a really useful research method when analysing data but you rarely hear much about it in research methods modules or books.

Also for anyone interested Bon Jovi shall be playing at Aston Villa on the 9th of  June 2013 and I think tickets are still available. Just check around for ticket prices, some are reasonable whilst other prices well lets just say they're okay if you have deep pockets.

Dissertation: Some Advice to ensure Success

Hi all, I hope those of you who have exams and assignments aren't working too hard and those with time to relax..... enjoy it while you can. I know I wish I could, but I'm knee deep in dissertation work, so here is some advice for any one planning to undertake a dissertation, hope it helps.

• First start reading as soon as possible, the earlier the better (I started before I even began the MA and I'm still reading).
• Even if  a dissertation  proposal is not required do one it shall be of immense value. Here are some general things to included: research question, analysis of existing literature (as detailed or brief as you want but could help alot when you come to do your literature review), the research methodology you are going to use and why, rationale of your research, and a timetable.
• Reading advice on doing a dissertation and its components could, some of you shall find it more helpful than others, it was hit and miss for me. Writing a Literature Review by Chris Hart has some valuable sections.
• Read up on Research methods and the different methodologies around as there will be some you will be more comfortable with than others. Me I cannot stand quantitative data analysis (SPSS is my personal hell) but qualitative research methods I like and get.
• Doing a skeleton draft of your dissertation chapters could really save you time and help ensure your chapters do not go unstructured or become a jumble of mismatched sections.
• Also keep in touch with others who are doing a dissertation and use each other to bounce ideas around and read work. 

Anyone Need Places to Look for Jobs?

Hi guys hope the break from uni is going well and you're not all spending all your time working. Anyhow I've just started looking for some jobs to fit around everything and thought I'd put up some places that some of you may be interested in:

• www.studentbeans.com/ - good place to look for jobs this site has a diverse range, there are also a lot of offers/discounts and such for students on food, clothing and such.

• www.unitemps.co.uk - register and you shall receive emails about temp work that is available at certain universities such as BCU, and any other jobs that are going from temp work in offices to stores. The work at the universities is usually at a really good rate, so if you do register on this site make sure that you once in a while check the jobs advertised directly on the website as you won't get emails for everything.

• http://targetjobs.co.uk/ - this site has an assortment of things you may be interested in from graduate  jobs, internships, work experience in a wide range of fields.

• http://www.milkround.com/ - this site has a ton of varying and diverse graduate jobs and internships. It also provides advice on applying for work and further study.

Just a note you will have to register on all these sites but it's well worth it even, if you're not looking for a job right know, think about when you finish your course or when you need work for the summer break.

Dissertation and Statistics: HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I hope everyone one is well and unlike me you're not drowning in statistics,  now whilst I now like Research Methods. I know that sounds weird, but compared to undergraduate its totally different and I don''t feel like shooting myself, which is a blessing since by dissertation means a lot of data analysing.

Anyhow I still have immense difficulty getting my head around SPSS, so here some books I think could help anyone who may be using SPSS anytime in the future :

• Social Research Methods. 4th Edition (2012) by Alan Bryman - this book has only a small section on SPSS but its worth a look.
• The Tiger That Isn't by : Seeing Through the World of Numbers. By Michael Blastland and Andrew - this book is meant to make statistics more accessible, haven't had a chance to look at it myself, but its been recommended to me a lot.

Also anyone of you who are planning to undertake a dissertation that involves fieldwork, make sure you start as soon as possible, because if you do any interviews or focus groups you're going to have to factor in the time it will take to transcribe everything (and believe me it takes ages). Plus if you are going to be needing a voice recorder or camera to record and film the focus groups and interviews for instance, you may find it beneficial to pre-book these items from Aston university.

Dissertation Field work: Research Methods Help

So second term is now in full swing, and I'm trying to ensure that I'm taking out time to have fun and relax - especially since the last few days I have been completely focused on sorting out my dissertation field work. Who knew there would be some many things to worry about when constructing interviews and questionnaires, with that in mind below are some research methods books which could help any of you about to undertake a research project, and whilst I am a social science student I think these books should be useful for all.

• Social Research Methods. 4th Edition (2012) by Alan Bryman - this book was an immense help when I was constructing my questionnaires and interviews, and is of value for both quantitative and qualitative research.
• Discovering Statistics (2000) by Andy Field.
• Social Research (2001) by Tim May -  I found this book, generally,  to be great source of help.
• Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics (2006) by Todd Landman.
• Qualitative Researching (2002) by Jennifer Mason.

Hopefully these resources shall help anyone worrying over research methods, but I have to say that comparing the research methods classes I had in undergraduate to the Research Methods module I have in my Master's course, the module I have now is completely different (Thank Goodness!)

And this difference is definitely for the better, as at the beginning and at the end of the classes I don't feel like my head is going to explode, but in fact understand what is being said and what I'm doing - well at least for the most part and where I don't Holly Snaith who teaches the module is a brilliant source of assistance.

PHD: Where To Look For Funding?

So I have begun to look at the various places I could apply to for scholarships/funding and have realised how competitive and difficult it shall be. Hence I can I say with certainty I shall be applying to more than a handful of places. In turn in order to help any of you who may plan to apply some time in the future, here are some places to look for what is quite elusive in postgraduate studying, especially in regards to a PHD: FUNDING!

 www.support4learning .com/money/funds_postgrad - this site has a number of links to websites where you can find out about the grants and scholarships available for UK/EU and international students.

www.esrc.ac.uk - The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The ESRC are connected to a number of universities across the UK.

 

 www.ahrc.ac.uk -The Arts & Humanities Research Council.

(According to information on Birmingham University's website 'The ESRC and the AHRC are the most important sources of funding for (social science) postgraduate students in the UK.' ).

www.chevening.com - The British Chevening Scholarships, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and administered by the British Council, are 'prestigious awards' which enable overseas students to study in the UK.Scholarships are offered in over 150 countries and enable talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and gain skills which will benefit their countries. The Chevening programme currently provides around 2,300 new scholarships each year for postgraduate studies or research that UK Institutions of Higher Education.

 

These are just a few of the possible places to look for funding that I have found, if anyone wants more information let me know and I shall put it up.

 

Just remember that deadlines for funding applications are usually well before the deadline for actually applying for the PHD.

PHD : So Much I Didn't Know !!!!

OK so I have begun my search for a Sociology PHD in a number of universities, now whilst the PHD is available and the programmes are fantastic in many of the universities I have looked at, the deadlines for scholarships in some universities have passed for entry to the programme in 2013. So if you want to commence a PHD immediately after your MA, take my advice and start applying early, so November or December as a lot of the university scholarship deadlines are in January and February.

However I still have a few universities where scholarship applications are not yet open or are still available (YAY!). But due to the fact this is a handful if I don't get in I shall be applying again in November or December for entry in 2014, to all the universities I was hoping to apply to now. Then again  this may be a blessing as it would give me a few months to work full time earn some savings and get some practical life experience.

You know what I have thought about it and I shall be applying for 2014, its the smartest thing to do, which means that from now till November I have the chance to fine tune my personal statements and proposals and research all universities (but here's fingers crossed for Aston, BCU or Birmingham).

There's so much to do that whilst it may seem like I have tons of time, in actuality I don't - so anyone who is considering a PHD the early you start preparing the better!