[DanaC]

I have two full year modules and two single semester modules (one in semester 1, then the next in Semester 2).

One of the two major modules is the Dissertation module, so that's just occasional guidance, the rest is you going off researching something. The other major module is:

Hist3620 - Harmony and Discord: Making of Gender in Early Industrial England

This semester's minor module is:

Hist3718 - The Second Hundred Years War: Britain versus France c.1715-1815.

Last week was week 2 of the semester and I presented a 15 minute talk (with accompanying handouts) on the question:

"How useful is the concept of 'Separate Spheres' in understanding constructions of gender?"

I have to submit a 1000 word text version of the talk by Monday.

I've also engaged in a scored VLE forum debate on Anglo-French relations during the long eighteenth century, which included an initial submission (1/2 the mark) of 350 words and contributions to other threads (1/2 the mark) in the same section. I chose to focus on a question relating to the pre-revolutionary era (1783-1793):

"Was this period of peace between Britain and France one of friendship or exhaustion?"

Which, gave me the perfect opportunity to use my all-time favourite Tom Paine quote *grins*:

"Wearied with war, and tired of human butchery, they sat down to rest and called it peace." (Rights of Man Pt 2, 1792).

How perfect is that? lol.

Alongside this I am doing some reading around issues that relate to my (hopeful) dissertation topic.

For the two taught modules and the dissertation together, I am probably averaging about 25 - 35 hours study/reading each week.

I was really a bit nervy about the second hundred years module, because of the heavy focus on military history. But I am loving it! It's really interesting and it is tying a bunch of stuff together for me...filling in some gaps.