I broke up for the summer yesterday and I have decided to review and evaluate my progress up till now to get an idea of what I am doing well, what I should be doing next and how I can improve. This should help me work out where I am in my project, where I need to be and what I need to do to get there so should be of benefit to me in the long run.
During term my main focus was completing all the tasks that were set to be completed by the end of term and therefore I have achieved the following:
- Title Verification
- PPR (up to a certain point)
- Long Term Plan (I have two Gantt charts)
- Short Term Plans (which I make roughly once a week)
- Bibliography (I have more than 10 sources)
- Literature Review (currently with 6 sources reviewed)
- Have an ongoing reflective blog
- Sent out a questionnaire
- Given a practice presentation
- Began researching and making notes
In completing these I have found that the following things have gone well, my organisation has been good which I think is because of how I have a Gantt chart showing me my progress which gives a sense of urgency to tasks as well as showing me where I am in my tasks and a Gantt chart which is colour coded to allow me to prioritise as well as short term plans which incorporate things not related to my EPQ which helps me structure all of my working life as well as my EPQ to keep me as organised as possible – so far I have not got behind which is definitely a good thing. I can therefore take from this the idea of the importance of planning thoroughly and well while I am completing this EPQ to ensure I get everything done on time, I can use this mind set later on to benefit me as well especially when I get around to planning my actual dissertation because all of this planning has proved to me how important it is that you should know what you should be doing and your aims before just going blindly in and if I do this for my actual dissertation it should be a lot easier to write. My techniques in planning have therefore greatly informed my future plans.
I believe my reflective blog is also going very well, I have got to grips completely with the website I am using (Weebly.com) and have done it, so far, regularly. What I think has gone particularly well with my blog is how I have separated my entries and categorised them as either in the actual Blog page – general points about my project such as this entry; a Planning page which is where any changes to my long term plan or new short term plans can be added; and a Research page which is a relatively new addition where I will post my analysis of primary sources and later maybe a final version of my bibliography. This organisation within my blog is good because it means I can find things easily, for instance I know exactly where my short term plans are if I want to remind myself of them. My blog has been useful to me as it has allowed me to reflect on my progress as I go and has reminded me that I need to stick to my plans, this is useful as it means I am constantly aware of what I am doing well and how I can improve – for instance this evaluation will greatly benefit me as it evaluates all of my progress so far and should show me where, and how, I need to continue and keep my EPQ organised and on track and so I should really try and keep my blog updated and keep evaluating my progress so I always know how I can improve.
Other areas which have been going well are the finding of sources as both in literature, internet and more physical ones such as artefacts are abundant as Alexander is such a well-known character. My questionnaire is also proving to be a useful way of gathering information on the idea of greatness, however I anticipate problems in the analysis of the answers I get because they will be so varied and some may not be a bit flippant (however this should be the minority) so defining greatness will still be difficult but maybe slightly less so than before with the ideas the questionnaires which have come back have given me. What I can take from this is that greatness is not at all an objective thing; there is no definite definition so how my question can be interpreted is entirely up to me and my own way of interpreting its subjectivity however the questionnaire can guide me in this and remains useful in this fashion. However the fact that there is probably room for an entire dissertation on the subject of what it is to be great suggests that my conclusion should certainly be interesting but also possibly difficult to write – this could be solved by demonstrating the argument within it though.
Everything else I have completed, and in some cases will continue to do so, and it has all gone well so far. For instance see my separate evaluation on my practice presentation.
However although things have been going quite smoothly I have had some difficulties along the way such as from the very start finalising my title as I had to go through many options before reaching my final one because I found that none of them (until now) gave me the depth of analysis into Alexander’s character which I wanted however this has been solved since, however even with my current title I face difficulties with it, which I have already mentioned, over the elusive nature of what it is to be great however I have partially solved this with my questionnaire and have come to the conclusion that this could be part of my dissertation – a discussion running through it perhaps (this is something I plan to run by a supervisor when I return to college just so I know I am on the right track) – and is therefore up to me.
Initially my organisation and keeping my priorities correct has also been an issue because I had lots of things I needed to do and no idea how to get around them all in time for summer! However my extensive planning, both long and short term has solved this problem and if I keep it up I doubt that this will become a problem again.
I also found starting my literature review very difficult as I didn’t really know what one was and was unsure how to go about it. I thought that the tutorial videos we watched on it may help me with this however I didn’t find them particularly useful as I don’t think they really told me what it was before telling me how to do it which is what I needed to know first. However with a bit of research on my own I have been able to get one started and my AS in Critical Thinking has really helped me with the analysis of these sources. What I think I am finding difficult now, and will probably continue in doing so, is the idea of linking and sources together and finding relationships between them. I think organising my literature review into questions has solved this somewhat and I am hoping that by the time I get a good chunk of my research done I should be better at spotting trends and patterns which I can incorporate into it and improve it although if this doesn’t happen I will have to find another way to do it which could be a potential problem in the future though if I research properly it shouldn’t happen.
So far I have evaluated what I have done in terms of what has gone well and what hasn’t, the next thing I have decided to think about is what I have learnt even in this short few weeks of starting my EPQ. In terms of starting off I have learnt to plan using Gantt charts and Eisenhower grids which have aided my organisation, prioritisation and indeed planning skills which have greatly benefited how I go about my EPQ as rather than rushing in blindly I have a plan which I can stick to and keep me on track. In relation to researching I have also learnt how to do Harvard Referencing in order to complete my bibliography, and later references in my dissertation, and linked to this I have also learnt how to insert footnotes in word – both of these skills are necessary for when I write my dissertation and also later on in life such as when I go into higher education and have to write things like this more regularly, similarly me learning how to write a literature review will also help me in this way. Finally I have also learnt the foundations of what I need to for my dissertation in terms of who was Alexander the Great and what he did as I have started my research into him which I am glad to say has proved fascinating and with an interesting wealth of sources to delve into.
Now I have broken up for summer I do anticipate some challenges in the near future, the most significant being the motivation to keep going when I’m on holiday! I think this may be a problem because while at college I am in the mind set for work and have closer deadlines to work with which kept me motivated, now I am on holiday this might be a bit more difficult. However I think my planning should help me with this as it shows me what I need to do, how far into it I am, and how far I need to go so I will always be aware of deadlines and because I am so interested in my topic it shouldn’t be too hard to keep researching it is just something which I should be aware of in case it does turn into a real problem.
More precise challenges which I am worried about are in terms of gathering the research, I want to get in touch with some academics (so far I have chosen three) but they are rather prestigious in their field and probably very busy so I am concerned about whether or not they will reply to me. I think to overcome this challenge I just need to give it a go which means drafting an email and then eventually sending a finalised version, I might also benefit from emailing some less prestigious experts – maybe some graduates rather than professors who may be more keen as they have just entered the professional world of history and are still deeply passionate and probably less busy.
Another challenge which I have been aware of for a while is finding the contemporary sources I would like to use in my dissertation as eye witness/written accounts may be difficult to find from that long ago and getting close to real artefacts might be difficult as well as knowing enough about such things to do a reliable analysis. I plan to overcome this by using sources other historians have spoken about and then analysing them myself, for instance the works of Plutarch and Arrian are well documented and in translation I should be able to get my own interpretation from them (my English Literature experience should help me here).
Now I have evaluated my progress and seen where I am going right and wrong I need to think about the future and what I need to do next. I need to have everything done and handed in on the 1st December at the latest, so over summer I want to get the majority of my research done up to the point that I can possibly begin to map out an initial plan for my dissertation as well as keeping my bibliography, literature review and PPR updated alongside. I also need to do a mid-project review by the time I get back but I’ll try to get some more research done before doing so. Then I will return to college run everything that I have done via my supervisor, check they are happy with my progress, ask any questions I have of them (such as the idea of greatness in my dissertation) and then finalise my research and plan, write and evaluate my dissertation and EPQ. Throughout all of this I plan to keep updating my blog so I have a constant evaluation of how I am doing and keep on track – basically I want to stick to my long term plan though I understand if I may have to be slightly flexible in this.
Hopefully by the 3rd of September and my return to college I have done all of this and am in a really good place for my EPQ to really begin to come to a successful close with these evaluations reflecting on my progress whilst doing so.
During term my main focus was completing all the tasks that were set to be completed by the end of term and therefore I have achieved the following:
- Title Verification
- PPR (up to a certain point)
- Long Term Plan (I have two Gantt charts)
- Short Term Plans (which I make roughly once a week)
- Bibliography (I have more than 10 sources)
- Literature Review (currently with 6 sources reviewed)
- Have an ongoing reflective blog
- Sent out a questionnaire
- Given a practice presentation
- Began researching and making notes
In completing these I have found that the following things have gone well, my organisation has been good which I think is because of how I have a Gantt chart showing me my progress which gives a sense of urgency to tasks as well as showing me where I am in my tasks and a Gantt chart which is colour coded to allow me to prioritise as well as short term plans which incorporate things not related to my EPQ which helps me structure all of my working life as well as my EPQ to keep me as organised as possible – so far I have not got behind which is definitely a good thing. I can therefore take from this the idea of the importance of planning thoroughly and well while I am completing this EPQ to ensure I get everything done on time, I can use this mind set later on to benefit me as well especially when I get around to planning my actual dissertation because all of this planning has proved to me how important it is that you should know what you should be doing and your aims before just going blindly in and if I do this for my actual dissertation it should be a lot easier to write. My techniques in planning have therefore greatly informed my future plans.
I believe my reflective blog is also going very well, I have got to grips completely with the website I am using (Weebly.com) and have done it, so far, regularly. What I think has gone particularly well with my blog is how I have separated my entries and categorised them as either in the actual Blog page – general points about my project such as this entry; a Planning page which is where any changes to my long term plan or new short term plans can be added; and a Research page which is a relatively new addition where I will post my analysis of primary sources and later maybe a final version of my bibliography. This organisation within my blog is good because it means I can find things easily, for instance I know exactly where my short term plans are if I want to remind myself of them. My blog has been useful to me as it has allowed me to reflect on my progress as I go and has reminded me that I need to stick to my plans, this is useful as it means I am constantly aware of what I am doing well and how I can improve – for instance this evaluation will greatly benefit me as it evaluates all of my progress so far and should show me where, and how, I need to continue and keep my EPQ organised and on track and so I should really try and keep my blog updated and keep evaluating my progress so I always know how I can improve.
Other areas which have been going well are the finding of sources as both in literature, internet and more physical ones such as artefacts are abundant as Alexander is such a well-known character. My questionnaire is also proving to be a useful way of gathering information on the idea of greatness, however I anticipate problems in the analysis of the answers I get because they will be so varied and some may not be a bit flippant (however this should be the minority) so defining greatness will still be difficult but maybe slightly less so than before with the ideas the questionnaires which have come back have given me. What I can take from this is that greatness is not at all an objective thing; there is no definite definition so how my question can be interpreted is entirely up to me and my own way of interpreting its subjectivity however the questionnaire can guide me in this and remains useful in this fashion. However the fact that there is probably room for an entire dissertation on the subject of what it is to be great suggests that my conclusion should certainly be interesting but also possibly difficult to write – this could be solved by demonstrating the argument within it though.
Everything else I have completed, and in some cases will continue to do so, and it has all gone well so far. For instance see my separate evaluation on my practice presentation.
However although things have been going quite smoothly I have had some difficulties along the way such as from the very start finalising my title as I had to go through many options before reaching my final one because I found that none of them (until now) gave me the depth of analysis into Alexander’s character which I wanted however this has been solved since, however even with my current title I face difficulties with it, which I have already mentioned, over the elusive nature of what it is to be great however I have partially solved this with my questionnaire and have come to the conclusion that this could be part of my dissertation – a discussion running through it perhaps (this is something I plan to run by a supervisor when I return to college just so I know I am on the right track) – and is therefore up to me.
Initially my organisation and keeping my priorities correct has also been an issue because I had lots of things I needed to do and no idea how to get around them all in time for summer! However my extensive planning, both long and short term has solved this problem and if I keep it up I doubt that this will become a problem again.
I also found starting my literature review very difficult as I didn’t really know what one was and was unsure how to go about it. I thought that the tutorial videos we watched on it may help me with this however I didn’t find them particularly useful as I don’t think they really told me what it was before telling me how to do it which is what I needed to know first. However with a bit of research on my own I have been able to get one started and my AS in Critical Thinking has really helped me with the analysis of these sources. What I think I am finding difficult now, and will probably continue in doing so, is the idea of linking and sources together and finding relationships between them. I think organising my literature review into questions has solved this somewhat and I am hoping that by the time I get a good chunk of my research done I should be better at spotting trends and patterns which I can incorporate into it and improve it although if this doesn’t happen I will have to find another way to do it which could be a potential problem in the future though if I research properly it shouldn’t happen.
So far I have evaluated what I have done in terms of what has gone well and what hasn’t, the next thing I have decided to think about is what I have learnt even in this short few weeks of starting my EPQ. In terms of starting off I have learnt to plan using Gantt charts and Eisenhower grids which have aided my organisation, prioritisation and indeed planning skills which have greatly benefited how I go about my EPQ as rather than rushing in blindly I have a plan which I can stick to and keep me on track. In relation to researching I have also learnt how to do Harvard Referencing in order to complete my bibliography, and later references in my dissertation, and linked to this I have also learnt how to insert footnotes in word – both of these skills are necessary for when I write my dissertation and also later on in life such as when I go into higher education and have to write things like this more regularly, similarly me learning how to write a literature review will also help me in this way. Finally I have also learnt the foundations of what I need to for my dissertation in terms of who was Alexander the Great and what he did as I have started my research into him which I am glad to say has proved fascinating and with an interesting wealth of sources to delve into.
Now I have broken up for summer I do anticipate some challenges in the near future, the most significant being the motivation to keep going when I’m on holiday! I think this may be a problem because while at college I am in the mind set for work and have closer deadlines to work with which kept me motivated, now I am on holiday this might be a bit more difficult. However I think my planning should help me with this as it shows me what I need to do, how far into it I am, and how far I need to go so I will always be aware of deadlines and because I am so interested in my topic it shouldn’t be too hard to keep researching it is just something which I should be aware of in case it does turn into a real problem.
More precise challenges which I am worried about are in terms of gathering the research, I want to get in touch with some academics (so far I have chosen three) but they are rather prestigious in their field and probably very busy so I am concerned about whether or not they will reply to me. I think to overcome this challenge I just need to give it a go which means drafting an email and then eventually sending a finalised version, I might also benefit from emailing some less prestigious experts – maybe some graduates rather than professors who may be more keen as they have just entered the professional world of history and are still deeply passionate and probably less busy.
Another challenge which I have been aware of for a while is finding the contemporary sources I would like to use in my dissertation as eye witness/written accounts may be difficult to find from that long ago and getting close to real artefacts might be difficult as well as knowing enough about such things to do a reliable analysis. I plan to overcome this by using sources other historians have spoken about and then analysing them myself, for instance the works of Plutarch and Arrian are well documented and in translation I should be able to get my own interpretation from them (my English Literature experience should help me here).
Now I have evaluated my progress and seen where I am going right and wrong I need to think about the future and what I need to do next. I need to have everything done and handed in on the 1st December at the latest, so over summer I want to get the majority of my research done up to the point that I can possibly begin to map out an initial plan for my dissertation as well as keeping my bibliography, literature review and PPR updated alongside. I also need to do a mid-project review by the time I get back but I’ll try to get some more research done before doing so. Then I will return to college run everything that I have done via my supervisor, check they are happy with my progress, ask any questions I have of them (such as the idea of greatness in my dissertation) and then finalise my research and plan, write and evaluate my dissertation and EPQ. Throughout all of this I plan to keep updating my blog so I have a constant evaluation of how I am doing and keep on track – basically I want to stick to my long term plan though I understand if I may have to be slightly flexible in this.
Hopefully by the 3rd of September and my return to college I have done all of this and am in a really good place for my EPQ to really begin to come to a successful close with these evaluations reflecting on my progress whilst doing so.