A dragon slayed

I have written a large part of the literature review, which was the most dreaded part of the dissertation. I read several other reviews and copied the style, so I hope S will think its OK. I'm still waiting for copies of some of the papers I requested the library to get for me, so its not complete. But I feel so much better about it.
The weather is warmer so I can't wear my warmest clothes any more. All last year's lighter things look old and dated. I can feel a spree coming on!!

Change of tack

My timetable said that I would carry out the analysis in Jan/Feb and then go on to the literature review in March. Well, its March and I haven't finished the analysis. But I've already arranged to visit the campus to spend time in the library and have a session with S soon.

So.. I've started preparation for the literature review, which I have been dreading all along. Somehow I have to find all the 'relevant' (not sure what that means exactly) academic books and papers out there, summarise them and link them into my own work. I have bought a book about how to do it. I have had kindly guidance from S and from my little sister the librarian. I have found a good on-line lecture on dissertations with a good section on the purpose of the review. And I'm still terrified.

Also .... Does this mean I'm really behind with my work? Will I finish on time? I also have several holidays before submission date. I have a retirement to live.

Handed in

5,000 words about an advertising postcard from Boundary Mill handed in. I've tried really hard with the literature review this time so I think its better but probably not good enough. My confidence in putting together an essay is very low but I know I can write a good report and I know my analysis is good. But I worry that by trying to do the literature review, which I am weak at, I might have lowered my mark. I intend to send some of my work to the learning advisor for comment.

Only 6 weeks to go til I get the result.

I was just shouted at by an electrician I just cancelled. Basically, he turned up but didn't do the job because it was more complicated than he'd worked out at his first visit. He said he couldn't do the burglar alarm side of it at all. After we'd cleared out half the bedroom cupboards and shrouded the bed in plastic for nothing. We arranged for him to come back at a later date but meantime we got somebody else in who's done a good job on electrics and alarm. But I'm 'Bang out of order'. Ooops!

Otello

Last night we went to see Verdi's Otello at the Lowry, Salford. Othello is the Shakespeare play I know best, so I really looked forward to this and I wasn't disappointed. Great voices from everyone in the Opera North cast, in spite of an announcement that some of them had colds. I'm not sure if it was this particular production or the opera itself, but it seemed to lack the subtlety of Othello. He seemed to believe the lies about Desdemona all at once instead of showing growing doubts and gradual physical and mental deterioration. But it was a really great evening.

I am relieved that there does not seem to be any problem with my linguistic analysis and that the issues are connected with engaging with the literature and presenting the argument in that context. Its the linguistic analysis I enjoy and I would be devastated if it wasn't up to standard. I find the literature review side of it much more boring. But I know I have to do it.

And the latest material will be made available a week late (maybe). Out of sight out of mind. An MA through distance learning is like trying to get it with hands tied behind back,

Spoiler alert - Skyfall

We are traumatised this week because over two nights we watched the last episode of Silent Witness where Leo died and the Skyfall when M died. But both brilliant!!

Still working on short exercise analysing conversation but no-one has posted an answer yet and its due in on Monday. I'll be the first, as usual. We got some feedback on our last exercise - there seem to be a lot of things none of us understand, which makes me feel better and less inferior. And my book on 'How to do a literature review' arrived. This is an issue which continues to give me a lot of worry.

And I am sleeping well for a change. We changed our 6-year old Tempur mattress for a new one. The old mattress was making me so hot, they should come with a health warning. The new one is natural fibres, which is so comfortable and does not seem to have affected my asthma yet, at least.

Android

Today I unpacked my first smart phone. How do I use it? Why did I buy it? What is it for? I am completely baffled. And I worked in IT for 30 years.

I hope I can copy my contacts onto it. But I fear I will have to re-key them. And get input errors.

Yesterday I bought my shoes and bag for the wedding. I found a pair of heels I can wear without worrying all the time about falling over. And they have crystal bling on the front. I feel like they are my first grown-up shoes. Maybe they are - for years I have worn flats or very low heels.

And I got my mark for the corpus linguistics assignment comparing the speeches of Miliband and Cameron. Same mark as last time, so I'm not getting worse. But I 'failed to engage with the literature'. They say this every time and I keep saying I don't know how to and they never properly answer the question and I still don't know how to do it. Its probably obvious to all the A level teachers. But not to this IT nerd. Who doesn't know how to use a smartphone.