#archaeology masters
Pro-tip: Establish dominance over your masters dissertation by drawing all over it. Reference @Ghinkos on Instagram
Follow my archaeology Instagram to see my latest Cambodia related research and Masters experiences! @aal.archaeology
The good thing about Grad School in the UK is that if you’re feeling stressed, you can just book a cheap weekend trip to Paris. (Hello today I booked a flight for tomorrow morning for Paris. Regrets? Not yet. )
Hi Everyone,
So I feel as though now is a good time in the year/my life to give an update on how things are going. There’s been a lot of good and a lot of meh over the last few months, and I think it’s worth writing it all down. Here I’ll talk a bit about my Master’s Degree, my fieldwork in Cambodia, my mental state, my next year, and PhD plans.
Where I am in my Master’s Degree: MSc in Archaeological Information Systems, England
It’s currently term 3, the final term for my degree in England. Classes are finished and we are fully in dissertation mode. I finished all of my coursework with a first (Above a 70 average/ equivalent to an A in the US), with scores of 68, 69, 75, and 78. The general consensus of international students in this program is that the grading system seems to be unproductive and could be greatly improved. This is mostly due to the fact that the grade you receive for a module is entirely based on a single 3500-word essay, and all other coursework conducted throughout the term is not worth anything. There’s a lot more I can say about this if anyone is interested.
I will be writing my dissertation on an archaeological region in Cambodia called Sambor Prei Kuk. This research will involve a lidar analysis of the hydraulic network of the region. There has not been much remote sensing analysis conducted in this area yet, so there is a lot of potential for this research to expand. I’m personally not too worried about the word count for this dissertation (~20,000words/ ~80 pages), however, the climate for writing it has been generally stressful especially in its early stages.
Fieldwork in Cambodia
In late March/Early April I spent 3 weeks in Cambodia to co-direct a field survey of Sambor Prei Kuk. The first two weeks consisted of pretty tiring and hot days. We would wake up around 7am daily for breakfast and then head into the field around 8am. Around noon-2pm we would end the field day due to heat. Most days involved driving to the remote site locations via truck on bumpy roads, walking through forested areas being swarmed by red ants that bite, and being covered in sweat and grime. They also involved locating previously unrecorded temple sites, interacting with the local people and their culture, and creating some great networking relationships.
During this period I received word that I had been chosen to complete a 10-month long research Fulbright in Cambodia starting in September 2019. This was incredible news and helped to establish what I would be doing for the following year. This news, however, also brought with it realizations that I would not be able to go home for another year, would have to end a relationship with my current partner, and would have to start over again in terms of friendships and finding comfort in a country where I don’t speak the language.
PhD Programs
While writing my dissertation over the next couple months, I will also be contacting PhD advisors and applying to programs. I’ve decided that I will be returning to the US for my PhD. This will be another 7+ years of school after a year of research in Cambodia. I’ve already accepted the fact that I am willingly selling my soul to academia for the rest of my life. Fingers are crossed for my top 3 schools, which have so far been successful in establishing positive communication about the programs. If I don’t get into my top, I will likely take a year off to regroup and re-apply for the following year.
Mental State
Mentally, I feel like I consistently have a pretty heavy blanket of stress on me at all times.
In my personal life, it’s been difficult not seeing my family for so long in addition to not really knowing when I’ll be able to see them in the future. Dating has also been difficult because I know that I will never be in one place longer than a year at a time, so establishing healthy relationships has been a struggle. My friends here in England are incredible and I’m grateful for them every day, and their presence has eased a lot of the mental strain that is inherent with academia.
In my academic life, I feel like there is never an opportunity to take a break and breathe, and it doesn’t look like there will be a break any time soon. I recognize that I’m very privileged and lucky to be in this position, and I know that looking back on it years from now will be a positive experience.
I’ve recently been told that the more success you acquire, the more sacrifices you have to make. I’ve definitely been feeling the effect of this in the last few weeks.
Conclusion
On paper, my life is pretty great and opportunities for success are plentiful at the moment. I have the opportunity to study in England, do research in Cambodia, and get to continue research in a field that I love.
Mentally, however, I’m quite tired.
I hope you all are doing well <3
-Lyss
I’m interested in knowing what you guys are up to!!
As I enter the final term of my masters degree and begin writing my dissertation, I’m also starting to think about what my life will look like in the next couple years after graduation, and what/where I want to start planning and applying to for future experiences. Would love to hear about what you guys are up to, whether that’s in the realm of anthro/archaeology or something completely different!
Share with me your stress, accomplishments, uncertainties, and plans! Take this time to brag about what you’ve been doing, because we all deserve to feel good about our accomplishments!
Feel free to share, comment, or dm!
<3
What I’ve been up to lately:
I’m in the last term of classes for my MSc in Archaeological Information Systems, will start writing my dissertation very soon/have done a bit of research for it. Currently waiting on news from Fulbright about doing research in Cambodia for the 2019-2020 year on the site that I’m currently researching. Will be co-directing a project in Cambodia this Spring. Planning on doing a Phd, will depend on how the Fulbright turns out/ where that leads. Currently learning Japanese in hopes of living in Japan for a couple years in the future. Would love to make this relevant to what I’m doing in Digital Archaeology if I can.
Big plans & exciting things coming up!
