Why is it that at the start of, and when I say start I am referring to within the first 2 months of beginning an educational course, that students need to start planning what they are going to do come the end of it?
Firstly, what ever happened to enjoying the learning process? How can students be expected to focus on their current studies if already they are being forced to thinking about what they’re going to do afterwards? Planning and applying for suture jobs/courses takes time, attention and energy away from current studies; including exams! Surely, the present should be the focus for students if they are to succeed in their chosen course.
This is not necessarily the fault of the educational institutions, however if the deadlines for applications were not so early this would make life easier. For instance, in 2011 I graduated with a BA (Hons) in English Language and Linguistics, in October 2012 I begin a MSc in the Neuroscience of Language, however if I wish to do a PhD at the same University I have to have a research proposal along with many other sheets of paper by the second week of December! And yes that is December 2012. For one, I’ve just started this course, give me a chance to get my teeth stuck into it first, and two, said proposal would be due in exactly 10 weeks since commencing the course, in this time there are multiple exams and assignments to be completed in what time between going to lectures, brushing my teeth, writing, revising and possibly finding some food would the proverbial “they” like me to think, write and edit a research proposal?
Corsetedreams 