Friday, May 05, 2006
Dilemma
Beware, beware. This is a PhD-related comment. Sensitive people stay clear... We highly recommend to read this with non-PhD student supervision, should you wish to proceed. We decline any responsibility should any strokes occur while reading the following lines...
Choice. Such a tremendously infuriating word. Every since Shakespeare wrote his famous "To be or not to be", in which Hamlet wonders whether he'll go on with his life or just end it all with a bare bodkin - and btw, the picture was not taken during the monologue but just before Hamlet witnesses Ophelia's burrial, therefore in a graveyard. Did they really think they could convince us Hamlet walked around with a skull in his hands, just so he could deliver a speech about life and death with an adequate prop?? Anyways, since THE SPEECH, we've been plagued with choice. Yeah, no, see, before that people didn't choose cause they didn't exist. Those were pre-Shakespearean times and, well you know they all say evolution led to it but I'm choosing (there you go!!) not to believe that. It just doesn't make sense, how could "evolution" create a Shakespearean mind and then let it all go down the toilet? With the genes of the royal family...
Now the point is that I've been going high on theatre for about a decade now and I wrote a masters dissertation about theatre-related stuff. Don't get me going or I'll never stop so I won't get into the details. For your own dear sake. And I've played around with a bit of acting and directing and make-uping. So that's the one hand.
Aaaand this is the other hand. Ok looks like a tree but you get my point. I've also been interested in linguistics as far as I can remember, starting with a fascination for writing when I was a kid and then the desire to speak speak speak (which has now fused with the fascination for writing and has resulted in the endless stream of V rant you are being subjected to by reading this) and finally that to learn languages, study and understand them. And I happen to be pretty good at that kind of stuff. Well that's what the teachers tell me anyways, and I'm a good girl I am, so I always listen to what they say. Especially the praise bit.
So the dilemma bit of the equation is that I now need to choooooose between linguistics and theatre for a PhD topic. ARG. CHOICE!! And there are too many factors competing for my poor little brain to compute them. See I have to take into account which I'd like to study for 4 years more (how on earth should I know???), which I'm better at, which offers better chances for me to get a job later, which would enable me to work abroad etc etc. Indeed, indeed, Kenneth Branagh looks better than a little tree, yah know more glamourous (and he comes from the RSCCCCCC).. but he's not the one who'll get to give me a job later. Well, he would be, but again, in my miiiiind.
Now the real real problem is, in order to know what I want to do, I need to know who I am. Actually I need to know who I will be when I'll be working on the PhD... Aaand if you've read the description of this blog, I don't have a clue who I am!!!! Let alone who I will be... How can they ask a poor little 23 year-old with practically no life experience to define who she is / will be? How am I expected to choose a PhD subject???
Any ideas???
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pfffuuu, useless.
# posted by V @ 1:09 AM 
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The big dilema eh? WEll, your're going to hate me for this but actually, overall I dont think it matters which you choose cos its the "doing" not what you do that will define who you become. Job titles "linguist" or "theatre manager" when it doesnt really say much - you can be a happy linguist or bored silly with what you do, a sucessful theatre manager or wishful dreamer, an interesting person with wide ranging interests....
After all, Hamlets "to be or not to be" was typical Phd material - take long enough working it out and it will resolve itself - you'll "not be" at the end whatever you do and quibbling about it in the middle means missing the journey - after all why sit talk to a skull when you could be out of your skull listerning to music (or out skulling if that suits better)....
Told you it wouldnt help much. Lingusitic sounds like the better career move (more employable at the end), Theatre sounds more fun and probably following what you find most enjoyable is the best answer (although not necessarily the most comfortable). Or maybe I am just regretting being practical too often :-)))
Actually its not such daft advice. What you enjoy most is what you are most likely to complete and finishing is an important bit of a PhD - well at leat the bit other people recognise.
On the other hand (is that 3 hands yet?) why compromise? Why not do "Linguistical structure of shakespearian comedies with relation to modern day american english and the impact on the degree of comprehension by american tourists visiting stratford on Avon"
LOL
After all, Hamlets "to be or not to be" was typical Phd material - take long enough working it out and it will resolve itself - you'll "not be" at the end whatever you do and quibbling about it in the middle means missing the journey - after all why sit talk to a skull when you could be out of your skull listerning to music (or out skulling if that suits better)....
Told you it wouldnt help much. Lingusitic sounds like the better career move (more employable at the end), Theatre sounds more fun and probably following what you find most enjoyable is the best answer (although not necessarily the most comfortable). Or maybe I am just regretting being practical too often :-)))
Actually its not such daft advice. What you enjoy most is what you are most likely to complete and finishing is an important bit of a PhD - well at leat the bit other people recognise.
On the other hand (is that 3 hands yet?) why compromise? Why not do "Linguistical structure of shakespearian comedies with relation to modern day american english and the impact on the degree of comprehension by american tourists visiting stratford on Avon"
LOL
# posted by 
: 11:04 AM
: 11:04 AM
ah but see, that's too easy: the RSC even has to make the Capulets wear red and the montagues blue in order for the audience to understand they're not buddies. So the answer already is "they don't have a clue!!!" :p
Would be an interesting study actually, but would involve a lot of questionnaires directed towards American tourists in Stratford...
I did mix it all up for my master's dissertation, studying the way the body communicates from stage to audience (using the scary tools of proxemics and kinesics) at the RSC. the problem is if I go on in that direction, 1) no one will understand what the hell I'm on about unless they read the PhD and, let's face it, no one does.... 2) it's sooo out there that I wouldn't get a job after. You're better off studying nature in Brönte than anything too exotic if you want the tiresome old teachers to get you jobs afterwards...
oh and btw Régis, yeah math pays, when you know what you're doing!!! So i'll leave it to you and you can just transfer the money when you have too much, sounds cool? :p
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Would be an interesting study actually, but would involve a lot of questionnaires directed towards American tourists in Stratford...
I did mix it all up for my master's dissertation, studying the way the body communicates from stage to audience (using the scary tools of proxemics and kinesics) at the RSC. the problem is if I go on in that direction, 1) no one will understand what the hell I'm on about unless they read the PhD and, let's face it, no one does.... 2) it's sooo out there that I wouldn't get a job after. You're better off studying nature in Brönte than anything too exotic if you want the tiresome old teachers to get you jobs afterwards...
oh and btw Régis, yeah math pays, when you know what you're doing!!! So i'll leave it to you and you can just transfer the money when you have too much, sounds cool? :p
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