The Mature Student

Freelancing - Spiraling Down To The Lowest Price

2012-02-07T13:26:00.000Z

I recently felt impelled to sign up to an online freelance website in the hope of gaining some real world experience and earning a modicum of cash along the way. The process has been most informative.

The whole “setting yourself up on a freelancing site” is pretty straightforward and, mainly, without incident. The concept is simple. You put your details on a website and then you either bid for work or hope that someone offers you work. Although I suspect that the likelihood of someone just offering you some work maybe a little farfetched considering the fierce competition out there.

What has struck me is that the world of a freelancing, whether it is for writing blogs or giving HR advice, has become dominated by globalisation and commoditisation.

Firstly, globalisation. Now I don’t have an issue with the idea of a global free market, a place where we are all able to compete for work. But the simple fact is that we’re all starting at different levels of expectation and need. Here’s an example. A

training company wants a virtual administrator to carry out such functions as student enrolment, typing letters and maintaining a student database. All pretty much bread and butter administration tasks. But instead of employing either a temp or a fulltime employee they’ve called for a freelance to fill the post. A fair number of people applied to fulfil this role on a freelance basis. The two shortlisted, one from Romania and another from the Philippines, both offered to do the work for £4 an hour, much less than the

minimum wage. I don’t doubt that the two selected applicants can do the job in question. I also don’t doubt that a

applicant would find it very difficult to survive on an income (before tax AND before roughly 10% is hived off by the freelancing site) of £4 per hour worked. That’s a gross salary of £120 for a 30 hour week.

Secondly, commoditisation. Commoditisation is “A commodity is a product that is completely undifferentiated. If a product becomes less differentiated, so that buyers care less about who they buy from, this change is called commoditisation. The key effect of commoditisation is that it reduces the pricing power of the producer: if products become more alike from a buyer's point of view they will tend to buy the cheapest.” People, especially those who once might have felt that they offered skills and experience that were unique and hard won, are now being savagely commoditised. Journalists, administrators, software developers, HR experts, image processors, video editors etc etc are all having to face the fact that they are now competing with people from across the globe. That their skill sets no longer offer them anything unique with which to sell themselves. This means that commoditisation is forcing down the fees that they can charge for any job that can be done via the net.

It hasn’t been too difficult to foresee this situation. Businesses have been taking advantage of it for sometime, hence the rise of off-shore outsourcing. The real question is “what’s going to happen to those who live and (hopefully) work in the west?” The answer is, I believe, that we’re going to have to accept a much lower standard of living. That our nations, and specifically the governments and economies, are going to have to readjust to a world where salaries are going to be a lot lower than they have been. That prices and taxation levels are going to have to drop and the prices of such sacred cows as property are not just going to fall a bit but come crashing down like out of control aircraft.

We appear to be destined to live through interesting times.

Job Search - The Results Are In?

2012-01-30T22:12:00.000Z

A recent Business of Journalism seminar inspired me to do a bit of digging into employment prospects for journalism graduates. The results are a tad alarming to say the least.

(Okay, this isn’t a scientific study or one where the researcher (i.e. me) has spent many hours dredging every data source known to man. But I think it’s indicative of the state of the jobs market when it comes to journalism students seeking employment.) 

The question I asked was “how many journalism jobs are there in various cities when compared to PR jobs?” 

(Graph of PR Jobs and Journalist Jobs on monster.co.uk 26/01/2012)

I used the monster.co.uk website and searched for “PR” and “Journalist” categories of work. This rather illuminating graph is what emerged. The Monster site showed a grand total of five “Journalist” jobs in ten of the UK’s major cities. The same cities returned a count of 777 PR related jobs. Also note the  geographic distribution. London outguns the rest of the UK on both types of work (4 Journalist jobs and 621 PR related jobs). Now Monster might not be the best place to look for journalism opportunities so I tried the Guardian. There the pickings were a little better.

Sourced from the Guardian 26/01/2012

The Guardian site showed a total of 74 journalism jobs. Hooray you might cry but that’s for the whole of the UK! I looked a little deeper into the various jobs on offer and found that less than 55% of the jobs were paid journalism roles. More than 12% were unpaid, nearly 18% were PR & Marketing related and over 10% were for the state sector in some guise (or NGO). Oh, and many of the journalism roles advertised seemed to be based out of Dubai rather than the UK.

This quick data trawl would indicate that if you’re thinking of working in journalism then you’ve got a mighty battle on your hands. For those of us who might be considering working in the PR/Marketing/Advertising fields the obvious conclusion is that London and the South East is the place to be.

Why not take a few moments out of your busy schedules and look for yourselves? It might help you map out your next move after graduation.

The Dirtiest Word: Competition

2012-01-22T21:19:00.000Z

This morning I found myself watching the BBC show called The Big Question. The usual debating crowd included a young strident lefty gentleman who was obviously less than enamoured with the idea of competition in our society. He gave me the impression that competition was a cancer inflicted on our society by the evil that is capitalism. A very idyllic, utopian and unrealistic view of the world.

Life is all about competition. From the day you're born to the day you die you'll be competing for something, even if it's just for the attention of a busy parent. Yet, at university, there seems to be a a distinct lack of competition. There are no published lists of who has earned what mark in either their degree or any particular unit. There's no publicised announcements concerning those who have done particularly well or badly. No league tables posted. Even the dissertations in the library aren't marked with any indication of the score they earned (which I find really annoying). It's as if competition is a dirty word yet the real world, the world beyond the walls of the University of Lincoln, is full of competition and I feel that the university hasn't prepared many of my peers for the cruel and cold place it really is.

I remember my first week at university. The so called Freshers week. We were treated to a number of lectures about our new university life. Amongst the exhortations about attending lectures and seminars there was the comment that we'd make friends for life at university (okay, this was directed at the normal students and not me and I knew that). But nothing was said about the simple fact that our peers were not just potential friends BUT certain competitors. Yes, everyone in that lecture hall would be competing with each other for employment once the course was over. I wonder how many others realised that or even think in those terms today?

In a matter of months our courses finish. I'd hope that most of my peers are already looking for their first post university career break. Those that have might have received a bit of a rude shock. Jobs, decent jobs, the kind of jobs that they might have hoped for, are as rare as hen's teeth. Those employers who are seeking bright eyed young graduates are able to be as picky as they like. They can ask for and accept only the very best. The cream of the crop. The dog's testicles of the graduate world. They are the buyers and they have the advantage. We're the ones who have to sell ourselves to them. Competing with each other to win the attention and the approval of those who might deign to offer employment to the likes of us. And that will be just the start...

The Brave New World of Job Hunting

2012-01-15T18:40:00.000Z

In a very short while all of us, in our final year of university, will be forced to face up to the fraught process called “job hunting”.

For the best part of three years we have all been languishing in the bosom of academia. Not concerned with the cruel and heartless world of commerce. Not worried about having to impress the boss each and every day. No, for most part my peers have been more interested in having a good time. But this time of lotus gathering is fast approaching its end and with it comes an entirely new set of priorities.

Firstly, there's the issue of appearance. Yes, how you look is going to have a major bearing on what you'll be doing a year from now. Unless you get “tricked” into signing on for another year of study to get an MA or MSC for which you'll pay handsomely but might find the return on investment rather dubious to say the least (I, personally, think that nobody should be allowed to go straight from a BA/BSc to an MA/MSc without a few years experience in the real world. It smacks of desperation on the part of academic institutions who seek to increase the numbers of bums on seats in these times of higher tuition fees). So, your appearance.

First things first, face furniture. During the last few years you may well have picked up a variety of exciting and unique piercings. If they are out of sight then they're no problem. If they're gracing the pock marked expanse of skin that you call your face then “Houston, we have a problem!” I'm not referring to earrings or even a discrete nose stud. I'm referring to eyebrow piercings, nose rings, lip chandeliers and the like. They don't make a very good impression unless you're applying for a job in a hippy commune or want to work in a piercing parlour. My advice is to take the metal stuff out of your face now and give the holes a chance to heal up. There's nothing as unnerving as interviewing someone who looks like an ambulatory pin cushion.

Tattoos, sometimes known as tramp stamps, are okay if you're looking for a role in a travelling circus or working as a “heavy” in a low budget British crime drama but not if you're looking for a career that'll pay you a real salary. I'm not talking about a discrete tattoo on an ankle or a buttock. I'm talking about tattoos that grace your face or your hands. They may make you look “unique” and “interesting” but they don't do it for corporates who want you to be representing them out there in the real world where appearances ARE important. If you have already besmirched your face with the tattooists needle then look into methods of camouflaging it or having it removed.

Men, and I use that term very loosely indeed, have you considered the advantages of shaving? Why not take this opportunity to learn the art of the daily shave? Banish the face fuzz to the waste bin of history and embrace the advantages of the clean shaven look. Also, have you considered getting a decent haircut? One that doesn't leave you looking like a refugee from a sheep shearing parlour?

Get a suit, a selection of plain shirts, a couple of ties and a good pair of black leather shoes. The equivalent for the ladies. When you walk in for an interview you want the interviewers to think of you as professional, smartly dressed and having made an effort. Turning up dressed as a tramp, smelling of last night's sick and sporting a black eye is not going to help your cause.

Right, interviews. First thing to remember is that you're there to sell yourself. Forget any politically right on ideas of “sticking it to the man” or thinking “everyone is equal and deserves equal treatment”. It's all a pile of moose droppings. What the interviewer wants is a warm body that can do the job, will turn up on time, knows how to behave in a working environment and won't be a right royal pain in the arse. You have to show you can fit in, match the culture of the employer and be ready to be exploited like a crack addicted whore working the streets around Kings Cross. That's what a job is, you exchange your soul for money. If you're lucky enough to get a job, especially in a field you want to work in, then I'd advise you to exhibit some deep gratitude because you'll be amongst the lucky few!

Oh, and before an interview it's a very good idea to do some research into the potential employer. Dig out the simple stuff that shows you have taken a real interest in their business. What do they do? Who are their customers? What threats and opportunities do they face? Showing a genuine interest won't do you any harm.

Feedback from employment interviews. Okay, welcome to reality. The UK, being a litigious country full of lawyers looking for work, is not the place to get real, useful and honest feedback. You cannot blame employers. Legal actions are expensive at the best of times (i.e. when you settle out of court). So if you don't get that job and you get a letter or email (or usually nothing at all but more on that later) don't expect to get anything other than a vanilla style no thank you. You might want to know why you didn't get that exciting job with the company car and top salary but they won't really tell you the truth.

Communications and the job hunt. I don't know why it is but many times during your job hunting quest you'll get no response at all to an application. Many agencies and companies now clearly state that if you don't hear from them by a certain date then you've been unsuccessful. Don't take it personally. In my opinion there are two reasons for this. One, the recruiters are too busy to be bothered with the simple task of sending out a “no thank you”. Two, the recruiters want you to feel like a soiled rag used for wiping down the urinals at a dodgy public toilet in the vicinity of Mayfair.

Looking for a job, normally, can be a difficult task. During the current economic crisis that difficult task can seem impossible. There will be plenty of people who'll just give up. That's their choice. My advice to you is to remember the advice of Sir Winston Churchill: “If you're going through hell, keep going!”

Whither University Education in 2012

2012-01-03T22:28:00.000Z

The academic world faces a year of great change. Rises in tuition fees are going to have, I suspect, a cooling effect on the number of people wanting to study for a degree. . It’s going to be a dog eat dog world out there and only the most attractive universities are going to survive this educational bun fight.

What can be done? According to my various courses on marketing and advertising it would appear that the universities are going to have to become more customer orientated rather than product orientated. I.E. The desires of the punters (students) are about to rise to paramount importance.

So how does a university make itself more attractive to today’s modern young person? Well, based on my limited observations, I’d like to offer a few suggestions.

Long weekends – I have noticed that many students enjoy having a good time. Partying, seeing boy/girl/goat friends. That kind of thing. Having to attend university on a Monday and/or a Friday can have a negative impact on these essential social activities. The solution? It’s obvious, don’t timetable any academic activities on a Monday or a Friday and make sure this salient fact is prominently displayed on all marketing materials.
Avoid mornings – I have noticed that 09:00 starts are as welcome as a dose of herpes. The punters, most of them, consider being required to rise any time before 11:00 as inhumane. I’d suggest that a forward looking, and client focused, university would do all in its power to ensure that no lecture or seminar be scheduled before the hallowed hour of 11:00. Possibly even later.
Books – They cost money, they’re bulky, unfashionable and they need to be read. All of which makes any university willing to abandon the prehistoric book concept more attractive to the paying punters. Instead, e-Books should be used or, to be even more current and cool, single webpages with an entire semester’s worth of reading compressed into an easily understood and absorbed couple of hundred words. Let’s face it, any really complicated idea or concept can usually be condensed into a single sentence or paragraph – well, enough for the needs of the punters.
Locations – Seminar rooms and lecture theatres can be, let’s be honest, unwelcoming and dreary places. They lack the comfort and facilities that a punter would expect. I suggest that universities remodel their rooms using bars, nightclubs and coffee shops as templates. Face it, if you have to turn up wouldn’t it be nicer to be able to enjoy the educational process while imbibing a delicious MochaFlocaBocaChino, pint of lager or cocktail? And think of the extra revenue streams for the university?
Time – Why should a standard undergraduate degree take three years to complete? It’s utter madness in this age of instant gratification. So why not compress the entire course into a single year of academic effort? Gives the graduates a head start over those attending old fashioned universities that insist on sitting around on your arse for three years. Instead, you’d only have to sit around for one year!
Assignments – You know what it’s like. An assignment is due, the clock is ticking and the pressure is building to underwear filling levels. Is that really how the punters want to spend their time at university? No, of course not. So how about a CRAP instead? CRAP standing for Continuous Regular Assignment Process. The punters will fill out an electronic form at the end of each week (Thursday) where they mark themselves and give a brief justification for that mark. Simple! No hassle. No endless documents to complete and no need for expensive tutors to waste their lives reading miles of drivel.
Exams – Exams can be stressful. Trapped for hours in a drafty sports hall, forced to sit at archaic desks and scribble until fingers bleed. This kind of thing can put punters off. What to do? Instead of exams I propose the Personal Assessment Procedures (PAP) instead. The punter is encouraged to provide a written self-assessment of their abilities (it worked so well for mortgages) and a mark. We can, of course, trust the punters to be honest and accurate. Plus it will save a fortune in staff time as well.
Promotions – You’ve seen them on TV and at the supermarket. BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) and the like. Why not apply it to university education as well? Buy one BA and get an MA course thrown in for free? Guaranteed minimum marks (say a 2:2 even if you do no work and spend the course in bed). Perhaps a loyalty points card, for each unit completed the punter gets points towards a night out?

Speaking seriously for one moment, I think that the next year or three could see a dramatic drop in the number of universities in the UK. If demand falls then closures will follow close behind.

The Importance of Being Cynical

2011-10-22T00:05:00.000+01:00

Some of my recent posts have attracted quite a bit of attention. Thank you to all of you who’ve read the posts and left comments. They are much appreciated.

Amongst the various feedbacks was the comment that I’m a cynic. That accusation, which I can assure you pierced my malevolent soul to its core, provoked a furious burst of cognitive activity in my cranium (which is, as some have so eloquently pointed out, rather lacking in the hair department. My most profound thanks for letting me know as I'd not noticed the follically challenged state of my scalp until those comments were made.)

So, is being a cynic a bad thing? Is a willingness to ask awkward questions or hold contrarian opinions detrimental to the greater good? Basically, is being an awkward cuss of any use to anyone? (I ask this because I get the teensiest smidgen of a vague feeling that some might answer that question with a resounding : “No!”)

I’d like to advance the revolutionary idea that our society needs the gadfly, the awkward cuss, the person who doesn’t care whether they are popular or not. Why?  Because they are often the only ones ready to challenge the power of orthodoxy. They are the shakers of the foundations of the status quo. Never willing to accept an answer just because it's the easy option to do so. Not accepting the words of those in power just because they hold a position of authority. (Good journalists, in my opinion, have to be cynics.)

The cynic listens to the words that spill from the mouths of our leaders; political, business or even spiritual, and doubts every syllable. The cynic distrusts the media as he, or she, knows that the media exists to make money not to tell the truth. (Dare I say it? Yes, I will.) The cynic listens to the academics of this world and wonders how much they can be trusted. How biased are their opinions? The cynic is the enemy of the religionists. Daring to publicly doubt the odd and, frankly, insane tenets of any and all religious belief systems. (I must admit to the hobby of religionist baiting – it's great fun – but for some incomprehensible reason they now avoid my front door.)

The cynic is the person who asked about MPs' expenses, demanded to know where Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction actually were and queried the odd correlation between child abuse cases and a certain religious organisation.

Enough. I feel I've proved my point.  

I'll end by saying that the cynic doubts everything, questions everything and doesn't hesitate to voice their opinions. If that upsets some people, or even the entire world population, then the true cynic doesn't care. For on the heart of the cynic is inscribed the word: “Why?”

---------------------------------------

Please Note: I felt it best, Gentle Readers, to reassure you that the comments that implied I was the victim of sexual abuse as a child are completely baseless. Whilst my childhood was far from perfect it never involved incestuous, or any other type, of sexual abuse. I assume the comments were meant to be pejorative in nature but I think it's more likely to be a case of imagination failure in the insult department. I'd suggest those responsible consult such works as the Blackadder scripts and the written works of Spike Milligan (sadly missed but never forgotten).

Sports Management? Who Needs It?

2011-10-11T15:44:00.000+01:00

Today I had a team meeting and I asked the usual question about what courses the team members were doing. To my surprise the answers I got back were all prefixed with the word SPORT. Sport management and sports marketing being the two prevalent courses.

It struck me as odd. Why should someone work for three years on a course that is predicated on just one industry? In this case it's sport but it could have been retail, catering or even dung collection. It smacks of putting all your eggs in one basket. A very small basket at that.

Is this really an issue?  

Well, to me it is. The world of work changes all the time. A degree that prepares you to work in a number of fields is going to be more valuable than a degree that prepares you just for one. Lets face it, the sports industry could go into a steep decline and leave you flat on your arse. Also, job hunting is currently a very difficult process. It's a buyer's market out there and the recruiters will be looking for any reason to reject your CV at the earliest stage. Applying for a job outside of the sports industry with a degree that puts sport at the heart of three years academic slog isn't going to be very easy. Nor, in my opinion, is it necessary.

Why should anyone want to do a degree in Sports Management? Wouldn't a management degree, perhaps with some sports modules, be far more attractive to a potential employer? It would be the equivalent of a journalism degree that prepares you only to write about David Beckham or currency trading. It's too specific and too narrow.

Those who are taking such degrees might argue that their course contents are much wider than the title of their degree implies. But that isn't going to help when it comes to selling themselves on the job market. Employers aren't going to ask themselves if Mr K, with his Sports Marketing degree, is going to be any use in a trainee position in a firm that specialises in marketing agricultural products. No, the employer will just turn to the next CV. The employer doesn't have to dig into the contents of your course nor bother themselves with how a sports orientated course could be made to adapt to a non-sport based business. I can assure you that they won't.  

Perhaps the perceived glamour of sport is behind such narrow degrees? I don't know. If anyone asked for my advice I'd recommend a degree course that could be flexibly applied in many fields because there's one universal factor in the business world and it's “Change.” It happens all the time and if you don't move with it then it will run you over like a steamroller. In a world that can change almost overnight a degree that even hints at you being inflexible and rigid will be as much use as a dose of syphilis.  

The Loneliness of the long distance Mature Student

2011-10-06T10:51:00.000+01:00

My first seminar this morning was a fantastic example of what life can be like at university for a mature student.

I arrived early, as usual, and settled myself down for the traditional long wait for anyone else to turn up. (Do not fear for me Gentle Reader, I didn’t waste the time as I feel constitutionally unwilling to piss my life away) An 09:00 start being a bit too much for most of the regular students. Poor little dears. I wonder what they’ll think of actually working a full day if/when they graduate and manage to get a job?

So by about ten minutes to the hour one other student had arrived. The rest of those who could be bothered trickled in over the course of about fifteen minutes. The fact that some were tardy is not exactly rare and hardly worthy of comment. But what is worth comment is what they did once they came into the room and espied the evil countenance of the being known as Mike the Terror of Student Kind.

Yes, I was sat down on one side of the room and was easily visible to the approaching students. One look at my frightening visage was enough to drive them away. Hiding their faces from my glowing red eyes, freshly polished horns and steaming anus. As each of the quivering creatures entered my realm they scuttled like fleeing crabs and took a seat as far from me as they could.

I found this most amusing and not at all surprising. Wasn’t it Alison Cheeseman, she of the exquisite Scottish accent and piercing wit, who christened me “The Lone Ranger” in my first year? (That was because I have this habit of sitting at the front in lectures and answering questions. I like doing that but it has earned me the response “Shut up you, I know you know the answer” a fair few times).

I am left wondering what would happen if I turned up late and tried to sit amongst the student throng? Perhaps they’d all get up and pointedly move to other seats? Maybe they’d pelt me with rotting fruit and the gizzards of freshly slaughtered first years? Or, just maybe, they’d throw themselves to the floor like craven dogs. Fearful of the Wrath of Mike the Mighty Mature Student.

Probably not.

3rd Year, First Day

2011-09-27T22:01:00.000+01:00

First proper day back at University. The first day of my Third Year and it's a biggie. This year is our last chance to shine, to work hard and earn that coveted First, or a 2:1 at the very least. Anything less and you've really screwed the pooch and wasted three years of your life.  

Well, that's my attitude.

Others appear to be totally unconcerned. Three of my fellow students turned up to my first lecture without pen, pencil or paper. I could see two of them, and another to my side, and they just sat there apparently uninterested in what was going on around them. Perhaps it's just too uncool to appear keen to learn? Maybe they all possess fantastic powers of recall and never write anything down? Or, more likely, they just couldn't give a toss.

The thing is that we are the lucky ones. We don't pay £9k a year. We pay around £3.6k while you, the taxpayer, pay about £6k a year on our behalf. Yes, your lovely hard earned cash goes towards paying for my education and that of the deadbeats. Now I like to think that you're getting your money's worth out of me but there are some who are just pissing every penny of your cash down the nearest drain. I don’t think that's fair, do you?

Students Beware!

2011-09-08T18:29:00.003+01:00

Well the new academic year beckons. I know that because my third year induction letter, yes a physical letter (are we living in some sort of time warp here?), landed on my door mat the other day with a particularly doom laden thud.

The letter sparked off a couple of thoughts. 

The first thought was whether I'd be dumped on by the University Admin department again. My first two years were characterised by a timetable apparently created by a baboon suffering a case of cerebral termites. Or by someone who thought it was fun to make a mature student commute into Lincoln five days a week, three of those days for just a single session. That's about three hours of travelling for, at times, 29 minutes of education. And no, I didn't like it either as it wasted both my precious time and my limited travel budget.

My second thought was that as the new academic year begins there is only one certainty. That the students flowing into the University of Lincoln, and all the other universities that litter the UK like bloated leeches, are seen as little more than cash cows.

Students as cash cows? Yes. You are a source of income for the universities and the businesses that cluster around them like parasites. The bars, the shops, cafeterias, takeaways and nightclubs all see you as walking cash machines. All of them desperate to split you away from your cash. Depending on your gullibility to line their pockets at your expense.

As long as you've got an inexhaustible supply of cash, and I envy you if you have, then this state of affairs shouldn't cause you any sleepless nights. For the rest of you, I've got some advice that’s worth heeding. 

1. If coffee is your thing then make your own up every morning and bring it into uni in a thermos flask. Enjoy your favourite coffee hit for pennies instead of pounds.

2. Avoid buying meals from cafeterias and takeaways. Reacquaint yourself with the good old lunch box. Bring in your own food. From my experience the food will not just be better tasting but also a fraction of the price.

3. Avoid the tech temptations. Yes, a new laptop looks the dog's cojones. Yes, it's nice to swan around with the latest smartphone or tablet computer but do you actually need it? Or if you do need that gadget can you get something cheaper? A top tip for tech temptations is to look at last year's offerings. They're usually just as good and a fraction of the price being charged for the latest gadget. You pay a premium for being a first adopter, or should that be gullible sucker?

4. Don't print anything unless you really have to. Paper and printing cost money so find alternatives. Why not PDF instead? There are plenty of free opensource applications that can be used to create PDFs straight from most applications. Store the information, don't print it! (Just remember to back up everything, as I expect you do all the time).

5. Don't let peer pressure influence you into doing anything, or buying anything, you don't need or want. Remember, it's not what you've got but what you can do with it that counts. This world is full of tackle tarts. People who are fixated on things instead of results. Follow their lead and you're guaranteed to waste your precious funds on pointless tat.

6. If possible, get a job. It might not pay you a fortune but it will bring in an income. It will also give you some experience of the world of work. A place that is totally alien to the academic world. You get something on your CV to prove that you can actually handle a job and you’ll learn the value of money. Money earned through your own efforts, sweat and tears. A lesson that is beyond price.

To survive student life with the smallest pile of debt possible you need to adopt a miserly attitude to money. Don't waste it. Don't say “keep the change” when buying a sausage roll from the local baker (and they do that up here in sleepy Epworth). No, hoard your cash instead. Guard against those who want to live off you. Sucking the very life out of you and the money out of your pockets.

GCSE Results - Not A Cause For Celebration

2011-09-01T18:09:00.000+01:00

Last week saw the release of the GCSE results with many scenes of young people jubilantly celebrating. Just a shade over 69% of them got a grade A – C. A hearty well-done to you all, I don’t think. 

Some might say: "Mike, why are you so down on all these immensely talented, intelligent young people? Aren’t you just being a crusty old curmudgeon? Lighten up and recognise the genius of Britain’s youth." 

To which I reply: “The GCSE is pretty much a defunct and educationally bankrupt measure of academic achievement. It is my considered opinion that the courses involved, the way they are marked and course content is not fit for purpose. The young people of this nation have been betrayed by years of educational inflation that has left them holding, in my opinion, a worthless piece of paper.”

There will be plenty of people out there who don’t want to hear this. The young people who’ve just received their exam results and their parents. Politicians, who always seem eager to climb onto the back of news stories about ever climbing educational achievements. Teachers, who won’t want to hear criticism of their profession and the damage it inflicts on the tender young minds consigned to its care. The exam authorities, who ferociously defend any accusation that today’s examinations are not as tough as they once were. My opponents are legion but their vast numbers do not change the fact that the GCSE is pretty much worthless.

Of course, gentle reader, you’re entitled to know how I arrived at this conclusion. Here’s why I think GCSEs are a pile of mouldering whale turd that lies at the bottom of the ocean.

1. Anecdotal evidence that I’ve gleaned from my first two years at university. Listening to my peers recount what they learnt at school and my realisation that they’d learnt very little. Holders of highly marked GCSEs in ICT knowing nothing about computers, the Internet or even basic technology. The ICT course appears to be based on how to use various software packages without any solid grounding in even the most basic concepts.

2.Comments from educational professionals. My favourite being: “Over the last ten years I’ve seen a steady, year on year, decay in the quality of students attending university.” If those young people reaching university are meant to be the best what state are the cast offs in? That scares me. 

3.My own research, directed towards my dissertation subject, has been most revealing. I downloaded a recent GCSE maths paper and thought it a joke. It begins with a page of formulas so the little kiddies don't have to remember them! Why the Hell not? We were required to do exactly that for our GCE "O" level exams. A question concerning basic arithmetic, not mathematics, even gave the hint that one litre equals one thousand millilitres. Can I assume that our educational system thinks that our children are unable to understand the metric system? 

4.My experiences as the father of a teenage son. My wife and I attended my son's annual parents' evening and were left shocked by what we heard. My wife, being keen on foreign languages, questioned our son's French teacher over his apparent lack of progress, especially his ignorance of verb conjugations. We were informed that as the pupils at my son's school don't learn about verbs and grammar in English then it's impossible to teach them about it in French! Now I attended a pretty bog standard secondary modern school in North London. I clearly remember being drilled in verb conjugation. I also remember being drilled in grammar in English as well. Old Mrs Wells, my English teacher and adversary (she of the CND viewpoint), would be spinning in her grave if she'd heard this. If we were able to learn it why not the children of today? They have the same potential and access to resources we couldn't have dreamed of. Homework is another issue. My son rarely gets homework and when he does it's pathetic. Not exactly stretching or challenging. The whole ethos of the state educational systems appears to be summed up as following: "Do just enough to pass the exam."

For me it's obvious that these young people have been betrayed. They are, potentially, just as good as any other generation of students. Who knows? They might be much better. But they have not been stretched academically. They have not been forced to push themselves beyond their “safe” limits. Our educational system has failed to drive them far beyond their own meagre boundaries and has left them educationally stunted. They are capable of so much but have not been encouraged, pushed or even forced to learn. They have also been duped. Tricked into thinking that their academic achievements are of value when, I'm sorry to say, they are not. 

I pity these young people and I pity this nation that looks to them to drive the economy forward into the 21st Century.

What Will 2012 Hold For Us?

2011-08-24T22:54:00.000+01:00

I stand upon the threshold of my third year at the centre of the academic universe (okay, the University of Lincoln) and contemplate the state of the world outside the brick and concrete walls of academia.

Why bother? I hear some of you ask. Well it’s quite simple really. The state of the economy of this fair nation (the UK) is going to have a direct bearing on our (and I really mean my) ability to find work after we finish our courses. From where I’m sitting the future doesn’t look at all rosy.

Why?

The UK government is mired in debt. Successive governments have maxed out the state credit card and we suddenly find ourselves with the national equivalent of a nasty looking pair of guys at the front door looking to take away anything remotely valuable. It’s like a scene out of The Full Monty, except I don’t think the whole nation standing up in its collective underwear is going to scare them away.
We, as a nation, have very limited means of making money. We don’t really make much, our services sector is heavily dependent on banking (which is not exactly doing that well), we have few natural resources to exploit and we’re pretty limited when it comes to tourism.
Our educational system is a nightmare. The value of many of the academic awards appears to be bogus. My own experiences of dealing with university students doesn’t engender in me any respect for “A” Levels or GCSEs. My son’s current education, at a state secondary school (sorry, academy with a focus on the performing arts), fills me with dread. Especially when I look at the syllabuses for various GCSE courses.
Our costs, both as a nation and as individuals, are rising like rockets. Electricity, gas, petrol and diesel have all reached a price point where they have become real weights around our collective necks. I now dread the arrival of power bills and I’m sure that I’m not alone. If the cost of energy is so high here then that puts our nation’s ability to compete in the global markets in peril. It also puts off potential investors in the UK. Remember, business isn’t about sentimentality it’s about making money.
The UK has become addicted to state interventions. Both in monetary terms and in social terms as well. If anything goes wrong then people seem to be obsessed with “what’s the government going to do about it?” Self-reliance seems to be as rare as rocking horse poo. That’s led us to a welfare state we cannot afford, hence the huge government borrowing, and a people who expect to be spoon fed from the cradle to the grave.

So what can we do? Unfortunately, not a lot. My considered opinion is that the UK is in the toilet and will remain there for some time. My advice is to start looking elsewhere. Beyond the rather stinky and turd laden shores of good old Blight. Look for those countries where they’re making money. China, Canada and Australia seem to be doing well at the moment. Africa could be the rising star of the 21st Century. Perhaps Eastern Europe? You need to look into the options available to you and start thinking of not just what you want to do when you leave university but where you want to do it. I’m certain of only one thing at this time. The UK is going to be in intensive care for a long time to come. Can you afford to wait around? 

I'm Back - First Year Students Beware...

2011-08-24T22:00:00.003+01:00

After a prolonged period away I can announce that I'm back and full of vitriol. So what to begin with? How about Mike's Advice for first year university students?

Here it is....

1. Turn up to lectures and keep mouth shut and eyes and ears open. If  your mates want to play around and make a nuisance of themselves then  dump them.

2. Turn up to seminars and do the set tasks. Why bother even being at  uni if you cannot be bothered to do the work? If you're only going for  the lifestyle and the socialising then you're wasting your time.

(I'm about to start my 3rd year at Lincoln and can tell you that many  students weren't exactly bothering to do either 1 or 2 for the first  two years.)

3. Don't fall for the bull crap that your first year's marks don't  count to your degree. They don't and they do. Why the paradox? Simples.  The tutors are looking out for those who work hard and show a real  interest in the subject. Spend the first year of your course tossing it  off and guess what kind of impression it makes on the people who count  (tutors/lecturers etc)? Come on, it doesn't take a genius to understand  that.

4. Marks? Aim for a First in everything. Aim to be top dog at every  subject. Why? Well in the words of one of my tutors:  "Anyone with less  than a 2:1 has wasted the last three years." Guess what? He was right.  You're going into a fantastically competitive world and you cannot have  too high a mark in any subject. If that means abandoning friends, being  focused and selfish with your own resources etc then you've just  realised what the REAL world is like. Once you graduate everyone around  you will be competing for the same kind of work. They're not your  friends and peers, they are your competitors and they won't shed a tear  for you when you end up serving Big Macs at the local Maccy D's.

5. Watch out for group work. While your Uni will tell you that there  are mechanisms to deal with the freeloaders that group work nearly  ALWAYS attracts those mechanisms aren't very effective. There are plenty  of students who will let you do all the work while they reap the  benefits of a good mark earned by you.

6. Watch out for the Mature Students (I'm one so be warned!). Why?  Well it's quite simple. We are often more motivated, better focused and  not obsessed with getting into everyone else's underwear. Yes, we are  boring. Yes, we are older and probably appear to be ancient when  compared to you. Yes, we care about our marks and how well we can  translate them into career enhancing opportunities. But we also make  damn good team managers for group work, usually have a better  understanding of the tutors/lecturers and can draw on life experiences  that you can only dream off. You can learn from the mature students.  Watch them. Even get acquainted if you like. But also remember that a  mature student, if they're remotely like me, will be looking to beat  you. To get higher marks and to succeed in the job market. That means  they won't tell you everything. They won't spoon feed you answers and  make your life easier.

7. I wrote some material for our student newspaper (The Linc - check  it out) and in one piece I compared the majority of my fellow students  to pig swill. I still stand by that statement. I also compared a very  few students to pearls. My advice to you is to be a pearl. A hard  working, dedicated, focused individual. If that's not your attitude then  I'd recommend you withdraw from university asap and save yourself a  whole pile of cash and a wasted three years of your life.

An Eye Opener

2010-09-17T20:18:00.000+01:00

During a conversation today I heard this comment "University is like a three year long 18-30 holiday. Drinking, sex and if you're lucky a bit of studying".

Initially, this shocked me but after a short period of reflection I was forced to agree. For many of my peer group it would appear that the social aspect of university life is of the highest importance. Studying is little more than an inconvenience.

This reminds me of the long lost past. When I was at secondary school and dinosaurs still roamed the length of the A10 Great Cambridge Road. We, the boys of my class at Kingsmead Secondary Modern, all lusted after one or more girls of our year. It was pretty much a struggle to remember what our own names were when we watched the girls run out in their cute pleated mini-skirted PE kits. Only frequent cold showers prevented many incidents of Spontaneous Human Combustion! School trips were opportunities to get “closer” to our female peers, usually with a uniform lack of success I might add! Much valuable learning time was lost to lust even in those dark days before the invention of sex and skin tight leggings!

So back to today and university where the hormones are raging, the booze flowing like Niagara Falls and drunken couplings so frequent that you could break you neck by slipping on the used condoms. Being a married chap, I feel quite able to stand above all this. But I must remember that my peer group haven't had the luxury of my own life experiences. They are, in most cases, 20 years younger than myself. Getting drunk, high and screwed is far more interesting than the complexities of media law or the Byzantine complexities of the EU parliament. Perhaps I need to step back just a bit and let them have their fun. Ignore the interminable tales of sexual conquests, super hot vindaloo consumption and group vomiting. They're young and should enjoy themselves.

Why should I be so uncharacteristically charitable? Because while the rest of the student body are wasting their time on immediate gratification of their basest desires I can get on, earn the best marks I can and (hopefully) steal a march on getting a well paid position upon (or before) graduation! I suspect that many of my peer group may still be drunk, high and diseased come graduation day, 2012.

2nd Year Cometh

2010-09-07T19:39:00.000+01:00

The over long summer break is nearly over and the new academic year beckons. In a few weeks time I will re-enrol for my second year as an undergraduate studying Advertising and Journalism. I look forward to it with great enthusiasm. There's so much more to learn. I also hope that those students from my first year who had little or no enthusiasm for the course will have left for pastures new.

But before that I will be attending university on the 21st of September. Why? Because I volunteered to be a Study Buddy. To assist the newcomers to university life. I just hope that the new students aren't only after advice concerning nightclubs, socialising and how to cook a pot noodle.

As is my habit, I have been thinking about what I need to say to the young people who'll be placed into my care. To that end I spent sometime considering the entries I made in my personal journal during my own first few weeks at university. The basic advice boils down to the following....

1. Attend every lecture. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open.

2. Attend every seminar. Do the pre-seminar work and be ready to answer questions and take part in any discussion.

3. Get organised. You have to take responsibility for your own learning and the management of your time.  

4. Read the unit handbooks thoroughly. Make sure you know what you need to do in the way of assignments and tests AND when they're due.

All very simple and straightforward but then so is common sense, which in my opinion is very rare commodity.

Some of the incidents of my first year came back to me during this exercise. There was the young woman who declared that "I hate writing", quite amusing considering that she was on the Journalism course. Another young lady asked me what we'd been doing in the Introduction to Advertising unit. Why? Because she'd neglected to attend a single lecture or seminar, for that unit, for about two months. The wonderful people who felt it quite acceptable to sit at the back of lectures and hold conversations on their mobile phones or with their friends. Sometimes the noise was almost enough to drown out the voice of the lecturer! I also remember the 09:00 lecture the morning after the Carnage event. In a lecture theatre capable of holding a couple of hundred people we had about 15 people including the lecturer.

I hope that this years intake of young blood truly values the investment they are making in their futures. That they have a real thirst to learn and the drive to make something of themselves.

The Mature Student's Survival Guide - Progress So Far

2010-07-23T18:07:00.000+01:00

Well I've been very lucky in getting a number of responses to my appeal for help in compiling what I'm calling "The Mature Student's Survival Guide". But I need to spread my net wider. I need to get comments and experiences from mature students who haven't attended the University of Lincoln. The danger is that my own experiences, and those of other Lincoln students, may not be repeated at other UK universities.

As part of my trawl for information I have been fortunate to meet some of the members of the MAPS group at the University of Lincoln. It's a group of mature and post-graduate students who meet at the Atrium on a Wednesday lunchtime. They were a delight to meet. Interesting people studying interesting subjects. One guy is working on robotics, another working on an MA (I hope that's right) thesis concerning an early 20th Century right-wing politician and another who's working on visual scanning systems for sorting potatoes. An eclectic mix to say the least. But they all seemed far more interesting to talk too than many of my own peer group.

First Year Results Day

2010-07-07T12:04:00.001+01:00

For the last few weeks I've been getting rather jittery about my university exam results and the results from some of my outstanding assignments. The exams were the first time in more than two decades that I had to take part in conventional handwritten examinations. Sitting in a large room, scribbling my heart out using pen and paper. It reminded me of my 'O' Level examinations that I took all those years ago back at Kingsmead Secondary Modern. Sweaty teenagers scribbling out answers in a large room full of silence and raging hormones.

I was more than nervous concerning the results. The uncertainty made the wait doubly nerve-racking. Most of the professional examinations I've taken have been computerised and the score provided in a matter of seconds. Here I was waiting for weeks. I'm surprised I had any nails left to bite.

So last night I cuddled up to my laptop and prayed to the God of Cottage Cheese (with pineapple chunks, of course) and waited for the 1st Year results to be posted. About midnight the information appeared on Blackboard and with some trepidation I clicked on the PDF link for my score.....

I was more than relieved to see that I had passed my 1st Year and was being allowed to proceed to the 2nd Year of the course. If I had failed it would have been a disaster. Especially as I make no secret of the fact that I think many of my fellow students couldn't care less about their studies. I pride myself on putting in as much effort as I can and aiming for the highest marks available. It doesn't make sense to me to put myself through university in the hope of a 2:2. I'm aiming for a First for every assignment and exam. Any time I don't get a First I feel that I've got to work harder and drive myself to improve. Hell, isn't that meant to be one of the core reasons to be at university in the first place?

So now I can prepare myself for the next year, polish my pens and dust off the dictionaries. Now I know what's expected from me I feel that I can "up" my game and go on to better things. Roll on September! I'm ready.

First Year Over

2010-06-10T00:29:00.001+01:00

Firstly, I'd like to announce that I'm going ahead with my plans to create a FAQ/e-Book about the experiences of mature students. Not the everyday mundane type of experiences, e.g. how to write essays or prepare for exams. No. I'm referring to the more complex situations that a mature student may well get caught up in. Such situations as having to work in a team composed of unmotivated and lazy individuals. How to deal with the feelings of isolation. Incidents of bullying or harassment. As a mature student you are very much the fish out of water. The academic work is easy compared with trying to strike up working relationships with other students who may well be 20 years younger than yourself.

So if you're interested in sharing your experiences please contact me via my email address, below. Confidentiality guaranteed to those who wish it.

Email:  mike@mike-hodges.com

Moving on. 

I'm looking to earn some money over the summer and, if I'm lucky, get some relevant experience into the bargain as well. So far my search for temporary employment has not been successful but you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find that prince.

In the North Lincolnshire area there does appear to be a dearth of temporary employment opportunities. Many of the employment agency websites have had few, if any, jobs of any kind. The government jobs website has been useful. Which I find surprising. The range of opportunities runs from a post in Doncaster that fits in with the marketing/advertising side of my course to gutting and jointing animals in a food processing factory. I'll take whatever I can get as long as I get paid for my work. That leads to the subject of internships.

Internships, as if you didn't know, are meant to be a great way for people to get that all important work experience to enhance career prospects and bank accounts. So far all the internships I've considered have either been unpaid or "expenses only". Great if you have a large pile of cash to hand to keep you going but not suitable for a family man who needs to pay the bills. As a consequence I've dropped the idea of an internship. I cannot afford to work for nothing and I am sure that I am not alone in that respect.

With the end of my exams, last week, I am now left waiting for the results of my efforts over the last academic year. We, as mere first years, will receive our results last. July the 7th to be precise. It makes sense when you realise that the marks we gain in our first year do not count towards our final mark.

The examinations that I took part in were very interesting for me. For a start it was the first time that I had taken a handwritten exam since leaving secondary school. That's more than 20 years ago. I was so concerned that I even spent time practising my handwriting. Yes, a schooly swot I am. Comes from a life long love of learning. But the most interesting aspect of the exams was the veritable exodus that took place. 

Each of the three exams had the same rules and processes. We were not allowed to leave during the first 30 minutes or the last 30 minutes. I was shocked that in each exam as soon as the first 30 minutes had expired there was a steady stream of people leaving the exam hall. That includes the three hour Media Law exam. There is no way anyone could have finished that exam in just 30 minutes. Yet I witnessed a flood of people leaving. Long ago, in the lost mists of time, I had the following beaten into. During an exam you work as hard as you can, you read the questions and instructions carefully and if you finish early you go over your work to fix any errors. What I saw left me dumbfounded. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Afterward, I spoke to some other students and got clued into what had really happened. Many of my peer group, so I was advised, had no intention of actually passing the exam at all. They merely wished to attend the exam, fill in all the appropriate paperwork, maybe attempt a couple of questions and then leave. All this so they can resit the exam in August. It turns out that if a student isn't present for the exam they're unable to take the resit. 

Unbelievable. Yet a conversation with an ex-student confirmed that this was very common in her day as well.

As I previously mentioned, I won't find out if I've passed the first year of my course until July 7th. I do know that I gave it my best shot. My personal viewpoint is that I'd rather go down fighting than just give up.

A Brave New World

2010-05-14T15:31:00.000+01:00

Becoming a student is all about preparing for the future. When you choose your course and university you should also consider what shape the world will be in three or five years time.  

It pays to look into a crystal ball and try and make some educated guesses about what the future might hold.

In the spirit of Mystic Meg these are my predictions for the future. 

1. China and India will continue their rise to global dominance, leaving the old Western nations to wane into economic obscurity. While English might remain a global business language it might make sense to become at least familiar with a Chinese language and an Indian language.

2. With the economic rise of China and India, and our desperate need as a country to compete with them, we must face up to the prospect of falling standards of living. I expect average salaries to fall over the next five to ten years and that money for “fun” discretionary use will evaporate. 

3. UK property prices will crash in value. UK property prices are still massively overvalued. Nothing will change until the disparity between average earnings and average house prices is eliminated. Combine that with my prediction that average salaries will fall and you have a recipe for declining property values over the long term. I do not expect UK property prices to return to the heady days of 2007 ever.

4. The UK economy has been underpinned by a huge number of jobs that are either directly or indirectly paid for by the state. These jobs have been paid for through government debt. The poor state of the UK government’s finances means that this cannot continue. The result will be a massive rise in unemployment. Jobs in the state sector, or dependent on the state sector, will be rare and subject to massive competitive forces. 

5. The UK government needs to pay off debt and reduce its costs. So look out for rising taxation and benefit cuts. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) will also suffer cuts. Regional Development Agencies, like Yorkshire Forward, will face staff cuts and even the threat of closure. 

6. Charities will rise in power. They will replace the old NGOs and use unpaid volunteers instead of well-paid, perhaps overpaid, staff. Charities will also take advantage of the internships system. Bringing in students for specific projects at little or no cost to the charities.

7. New scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs will be made mainly outside of the waning Western nations. This being due to a lack of enthusiasm when it comes to supporting, developing and investing in such developments.

8. Energy costs will continue to rise and curtail the average person’s ability to travel, whether for work or recreation. The age of the long distance commuter may well be coming to an end except for the highest paid workers.

9. The brain/talent drain will continue and gather momentum. The smartest and best qualified will find it easier to emigrate to countries with brighter futures. Those left behind will be abandoned to their fates. 

10. Finally, the Internet’s age of “Free” will come to an end. Content is costly to produce and someone is going to have to pay for it. The proposed paywall for The Times is only the start of what will eventually become the norm. If you want to be informed, entertained or educated you’re going to have to pay.

These are just my pet predictions. I don’t claim any clairvoyant powers and as such they are little more than educated guesses. But it is worth thinking about how these predictions could affect your future and your post graduation plans.

And To Continue

2010-04-28T22:20:00.001+01:00

This Blog was created as part of this years Journalism Skills unit (University of Lincoln BA(Hons) course). As such it is part of my marked work for the year.

BUT...

I am continuing with this Blog as I find that writing about my experiences as a mature student helps me to make sense of the academic environment that I now inhabit.

Today I had my last seminar of the year. Well worth attending as we received some excellent tips and advice for our last assignment. Only four people turned up but I'm now getting used to the idea that most of my peer group don't turn up to a lecture or  seminar unless they consider it absolutely necessary.

I have recently received an email from one of the academic staff in the Lincoln School of Journalism appealing for students returning for their second or third years to work as "study buddies". To mentor and advise the new intake of students next September. I must admit that I'm very tempted. I remember clearly what it was like during my first few weeks at university. If I hadn't been briefed by my wife, and others, concerning the attitude of the students towards a mature student then I might have taken some of their behaviour personally.

Perhaps what I need to do is create a FAQ/Briefing document for mature students? A crib sheet that can aid the mature student to navigate the Byzantine world of drunken parties, negative attitudes and half empty lecture theatres. Why do this? Well I know of at least one example of cyber bullying that has occurred at Lincoln. It was targeted at a mature student. Why? Because that person wanted to learn, to contribute in seminars and to squeeze the maximum value from their course. A small group of "younger" students didn't like that and so Internet based unpleasantness followed. As far as I know this situation has been remedied, the university authorities were involved and took action, but for it to occur in the first place is very concerning. 

If another mature student were targeted like this then it might make all the difference if they have someone to turn to or a crib sheet with tips on what to do. Being a mature student can be a lonely experience, especially for those who might expect a warmer welcome to academia.

The Easter Holiday

2010-04-05T12:48:00.000+01:00

It's the Easter Holiday and there are only a few months of the academic year left. It's time to review the year so far and think long and hard about what I've learnt and how I will put it to use.

From a purely personal point of view I have made a few friends and acquaintances from amongst the student body. I'm reminded of my first week at Lincoln. Frequently we were told that the friends we made at University would be with us for the rest of our lives, or words to that effect. From the perspective of a mature student this was obviously not going to be the case. It was apparent from the first day that I was about as popular as a pork chop at a bar mitzvah. I was lucky in that I had been prepared for this unwelcoming reception.

Another observation was that there was little in the way of a culture of learning amongst my peer group. Foolishly, I expected that my fellow students would be keen to learn and to explore the rich academic world on offer. The actual situation was that the majority of students acted as if they were being forced to learn. Coerced to attend lectures and seminars. Enthusiasm was very much in short supply.

The actual teaching has been, for the most part, excellent. My only complaint is that there needs to be a stricter approach to the students. If they don't turn up, don't do the expected pre-seminar work or contribute then they should be penalised for their lack of effort. Effort is the keyword here. I'd rather see people try and fail than not even try in the first place. The other comment I'd make about the teaching side of things is that sometimes the feedback could be more detailed. On a couple of occasions I haven't even been able to read the feedback comments due to illegible handwriting. Perhaps the university could drop the archaic hand written forms and go over to typed responses?

The facilities offered by the university have, so far, met my needs adequately. The Library does seem to be dominated by people fiddling (Facebook/Habbo etc) on computers rather than working, or dare I say it, seeking and reading books. The newsrooms in the MHT building are well stocked with PCs, telephone lines for our use and suitable printers. Suitable locations for team meetings abound. The refreshment facilities are acceptable. Not exactly designed to stimulate the taste buds of a gourmand but the food is edible and reasonably priced.

Car parking is a problem but, thanks to the Lincoln Big parking scheme, I'm able to park in Lincoln for the low price of £50 a month. It also offers me greater flexibility over when I can attend university.

So what have I learnt since September 2009?  

A better understanding of the principles of marketing. Useful in my own business activities going forward.
I have acquired an improved knowledge of the advertising world, its workings and structure. Everything from the power of semiotics to measures of advertising effectiveness. I also find myself now automatically breaking the elements of advertising down to analyse the techniques used.
Media Law and Public Administration have opened my eyes to how our nation is run and how it's reported to the masses. The threats to our basic freedoms and how important the media is in the eternal battle between the political classes on one side and the people on the other side.
On a more prosaic subject, statistics in the business world, I've had a thorough refresher course in statistics and data analysis.
The Journalism Skills unit, the actual nuts and bolts of journalism, has sharpened my writing skills and brought into sharper focus the actual processes involved in the production of the global news feed.

In my opinion this year has been a beneficial experience. Now I must continue to revise for my upcoming exams and prepare for my second year.

Spot The Student

2010-03-25T12:47:00.000Z

Some of my lectures and seminars have been so empty that it’s either down to an outbreak of plague or the students just feel that attending is a low priority option. One lecturer did suggest to me that this was all down to the impending Easter Holiday. That appears to be enough of an excuse for many of my peer group. But why?

This week isn’t all that unique where attendance at seminars and lectures is concerned. Many times I’ve walked into a room or lecture theatre and wondered where everyone is. Part of the answer may be the fact that the first year of our university education will NOT count towards our final mark. I overheard one student saying: “This year I’m taking the P***. Next year I’ll do some work.” If the first year of university is not deemed important enough to count towards the final degree mark then, perhaps, it shouldn’t exist at all. Instead, we might have a two year course. It would be cheaper, shorter and still contain the marked elements that contribute to our final mark.

It does seem to me that many of my fellow students don’t take their first year seriously. They may well have the right idea. What benefit does a student derive from working hard during the first year? Those students who rarely attend lectures and seminars appear to get away with it. Students who never take notes, complete seminar pre-work or attempt to contribute don’t seem to suffer for it. So the real question is why should I put myself out when they don’t?

Answering my own question is pretty straightforward. I’m at university to learn and to put that learning to commercial use. I’m motivated to get the most from my course and to put what I learn into practise. I want to squeeze the university to get the most value for my money. I could just sit back and do little or nothing, but then I wouldn’t be able to justify to myself the costs involved. Or the time I am dedicating to my course. 

It’s important that a serious student should not consider the opinions or attitudes of what appears to be a majority of ‘slackers’. Let them waste their time and money. Let them fritter away a golden opportunity. My advice would be to ignore the ‘slackers’ and keep on learning, working and improving yourself and your prospects. 

Why Did I Go To University?

2010-03-23T13:26:00.000Z

My reasons for attending university were a mixture of personal, financial and aspirational. One of those reasons was the hope that I’d encounter an eclectic group of people who would open my eyes to new opinions and attitudes. People who would aid me in broadening my intellectual horizons.

For the most part this has not been the case. The majority apparently being obsessed with celebrities, excessive drinking, nights out and “fun”. Not what I would call suitable subjects for intellectual discourse.

There are a few diamonds amongst the student body of the University of Lincoln. I won’t name them, as I would not want to cause them any upset at being selected for praise, but they are worth talking to.

One of these diamonds is a young man hailing from the same part of North London that I once called home. We do not agree on practically every subject imaginable. But he is capable of holding his own in a debate, of presenting his opinions clearly and concisely and demonstrates that he has acquired real knowledge. He also has the strength of character to argue his case in the face of my own vitriolic style of delivery.

Another diamond, or to put it more accurately a group of diamonds, is a small group of Dutch students. They stand out like pearls in a bucket of pig swill. Their opinions on our academic work, the British and everything else are uniquely their own. They say that travel broadens the mind but here I am able to broaden my mind just by talking to this small group. They have struck me as having a real interest in what they are doing and a desire to learn. The fact that they are Dutch puts an interesting spin on what they have to say for themselves. Most unlike many of the British students I encounter.

Perhaps I am being unfair to the majority of my peer group? Possibly the fact that I am a mature student puts them off from conversing with me? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s all down to the fact that they are the products of an educational system that seems to have failed so many. The potential of these young people is there it just hasn’t been realised.

Martin Bell Lecture

2010-03-21T21:40:00.001Z

Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to attend a short lecture given by Martin Bell. That’s the Martin Bell who once graced our screens on the evening news reporting from war zones like Bosnia and the same Martin Bell who defeated Neil Hamilton and became the first independent MP since 1951. 

Mr Bell’s speech was built around the death of news. The withdrawal of journalists from the real world. He was particularly scathing of what he termed “rooftop journalism”. Referring to the coverage of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Mr Bell said: “They (the journalists) don’t know what’s going on.”

Mr Bell spoke of his own experiences as a journalist working in war zones. His advice was that to truly understand the situation you needed to cover the conflict from amongst the people. Get amongst the action and meet with the key players of the conflict. And yes, that meant the “bad” guys as well as the “good” guys. Something that I feel current Western governments would disapprove of given their desire to control the media.

Obviously there’s a risk in this for the journalist and for those around them. But the alternative is a journalistic world where the news stories are drip fed to the journalists and those stories are decided on by the military and our governments. We might as well not have any journalists in war zones if all they do is cover just one side of the conflict, repeating the government line to the masses.

Perhaps the rise of citizen journalists, through the medium of Blogging, is the only answer to the current situation we find ourselves in. Real people, on the ground in a conflict zone, are the witnesses to real events. Although not trained, or backed by global news organs, they may be the nearest we can get to the old ideal of the war correspondent. 

Burning Your Tax Pounds With Glee

2010-02-26T18:02:00.002Z

My team (a subset of my seminar group) in the Introduction to Advertising unit will be making its first presentation on Monday. In fact I’m writing this while taking a break from preparing the presentation itself.  

On Thursday (25/02/10) we had a team meeting. It was very interesting for me, especially as it was the first team meeting at which I’d managed to get all the members together. Until recently the team had consisted of only three people, including myself. 

The meeting was held to discuss the plan of the presentation and the fact that I’d be sending out the presentation slides and scripts Saturday morning so the others could read it through and practice. Even ask questions if they wanted before the big day.

One issue from this meeting really left me wondering. Someone asked how long the presentation was meant to last. The answer is 20 minutes. I knew this but didn’t say so because I had become very suspicious of my team members. None of the other three could answer this question. Does this mean that none of them have even read the briefing for this task? I fear that might well be the case.

I am less than confident of this task. I have considered just making the presentation myself but I’m certain the tutors etc would not be keen on that. After all, it is meant to be a team assignment.

Another observation I would make is that there seems to be a definite lack of enthusiasm or eagerness in my seminar group as well as my assignment team for the Introduction to Advertising unit. I’ve noticed the following kinds of behaviours in the seminars.

Girly giggling (mainly from the boys).
Doodling instead of taking notes.
Fiddling with mobile phones, sending texts etc.
Fiddling with laptops.
Holding conversations whilst the tutor is trying to speak, very ignorant behaviour.
Total disinterest in answering questions.
Obvious complete lack of preparation for the seminar (no evidence of prior written notes or having completed set tasks).
Little willingness to take part in the seminar process or make a positive contribution.

The lectures are often punctuated with the lecturer inquiring what students are doing as they’re pretty obviously not paying any attention to what she’s saying. 

Does this truly represent value for money for the taxpayers? Remember that students only fund part of their fees. The government, using your hard earned cash, pays the rest. If what I am seeing is common throughout the UK then the taxpayer is getting a particularly raw deal. I fear that a great deal of money and resources are being wasted on what I can only describe as EDUCARE instead of education.

How long can this continue?

Peter Day - Inspiring a Jaded Mature Student

2010-02-25T23:33:00.001Z

I have to confess that the lack of commitment, passion or interest exhibited by many of my fellow students has left me feeling appalled. Sometimes I feel like grabbing them by the throat and shaking them until they rattle in a vain attempt to wake them up. Enthusiasm is just another word they cannot spell or understand. But today I had an experience that reminded me why I wanted to go to university.

I sneakily arranged to attend a lecture given by Peter Day, the Radio 4 presenter of “In Business”. It was arranged by the Public Relations course but, thanks to being tipped off by a helpful university staff member, I was able to attend.  

The lecture was ostensibly concerned with Public Relations. Peter Day approached the subject from a different viewpoint. The viewpoint of a journalist who is, if he’s not careful, deluged with Press Releases and Public Relations people who are desperate to push their clients products and services.

His lecture was amusing, entertaining and enlightening. He offered us a view of the world from his own unique perspective. I was inspired.

A Jaw Dropping Experience

2010-02-24T17:00:00.002Z

Earlier today I was approached by a student who is also on the Advertising and Journalism BA course. They asked me what we'd been doing in the lectures. I soon discovered that this young person had failed to attend any of the lectures and seminars for the Introduction to Advertising unit. My attempt to discover why they'd not been at the lectures and seminars failed to elicit a coherent response.  

I advised this person that they'd better see the lecturer pronto as we begin the assessment presentations on Monday. I also recommended that they find some meaningful reasons for their unexplained absences. The lecturer in question is already doing her utmost to induce the students to attend her lectures and is unlikely to be forgiving of someone who just hasn’t bothered to turn up. It hardly demonstrates a serious commitment to the course.

Frankly, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Surely such a lack of attendance should have attracted the attention of the university authorities? I was under the impression that failing to attend three lectures/seminars in a row would result in a warning letter being sent out (both to the student and the student’s parents). Maybe the university authorities are reticent to pull the plug on slacker students as it might hurt the university financially? 

This kind of behaviour doesn’t do anyone any favours. If it is prevalent amongst the student body then the damage that could be inflicted on the university’s reputation would also affect those studying with the university. But what would happen if the university authorities started a crackdown? How many of these ersatz students would just throw in the towel and leave? Would that be a bad thing in the long run? Especially if it led to a rise in the quality of the student body? 

The Carpet Inspectors

2010-02-24T15:21:00.002Z

As a mature student (42 years old) I remember that those who were lucky enough to go to university were seen as the crème de la crème. It was explained to us at a school lecture (Kingsmead Secondary Modern, Enfield, London or Middlesex if you’re a pedant). We were assembled for a talk about our academic and working futures. There it was explained that the top 20% of us would be good enough to take O Level exams. That the top 10% of us would be good enough to take A Level exams and that only the top 5% of us would go onto university or polytechnic. It was also stressed that marking for O and A Levels was very much based on the quality of the students taking those exams. So if our year was blessed with lots of smart people who got higher marks than normal then the bar would be raised for each of the passing grades. That meant that, for example, only the very best stood a chance of gaining an A grade. Perhaps this was a trifle unfair but it ensured quality levels were maintained.

I think it is a distinct pity that this is not the case today.

I have been attending the University of Lincoln since last September. Some of my fellow students have impressed me. “Some” should actually be translated into “very few”. Many of my fellow students don’t appear to want to be at university at all. They show little enthusiasm for their work and many think attending lectures and seminars is purely voluntary. Some of my lectures are attracting a paltry 50% attendance rate. When students do attend lectures and seminars it’s pretty obvious that it’s purely on sufferance.

In some lectures the vast majority seem more concerned with their own conversations than the efforts of the lecturer to teach. At times it sounds like a meeting of baboons rather than an undergraduate lecture. Remember that I’m not talking about 11 year olds here but supposedly intelligent undergraduates. The fact that many of these students “hide” at the back of the lecture theatres is also indicative of their desire to avoid the discomfort of learning.

Seminars, for those who don’t know, are sessions where the students can interact together and with their seminar tutor. It’s a chance to exchange ideas, put forth opinions and explore the subject together. A great learning opportunity. Except it often isn’t. What you actually get is “Carpet Inspectors”. Students who, when presented with a chance to answer a question or put forward an opinion, become experts in gazing downward at the carpet. We are also meant to prepare for our seminars. Reading set texts, doing a bit of research or even answering questions. The evidence to date is that many of my peers never do this. Probably it gets in the way of their so important social lives!

All this seems insane to me. Here they are at university. Getting into debt, investing their precious time and for what? The chance to get drunk, have sex and what else? Because, for many of my fellow students, learning isn’t on the curriculum. The fact they are being offered fantastic learning opportunities just passes them by without impinging on their little worlds.

Don’t think that the Lecturers and Tutors aren’t aware of the situation concerning attendance, attitude and commitment. Those who I have spoken to are as unimpressed with my peers as I am. I fear that this is all a result of Tony Blair’s dream of driving up the numbers of people who hold degrees. This foolish idea isn’t just driving up the numbers attending university. It’s also driving down the quality as well.

PS. I am, unfortunately, in a group project for my Advertising unit. My fellow team members don’t exactly impress me.  One of my fellow team members has managed to get some research to me and it’s only a whole week late. Fantastic (sic). I couldn’t wait and have already done the work myself.

PPS. I’m glad I’m not a parent of one of these “students”. I’d be livid to think that drinking, fun, sex etc are pushing education into fourth or fifth spot. What a waste of someone’s money!