Is English “weird”? Many of us might feel this is true when we’re trying to explain the complex spelling rules of the language, or the meanings of idioms such as “it’s raining cats and dogs” to someone who is learning English. Teaching or learning any language is, however, never an easy task. But what is a “weird” […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Linguists found the weirdest languages – and English is one of them
Britain already disengaging from Europe as UK government pulls funding from unique European research institute
You may not have heard of it, but students from across Europe have been studying at The European University Institute (EUI) since 1976. Situated in the Tuscan hills overlooking Florence, the idyllic setting plays home to a unique institution dedicated to training PhD students and enhancing Europe’s research capacity in economics, history, law, and social sciences. Although […] … learn more→
Bold requests
What was your last “bold request”? We are PhD students in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada who began our MA theses together in 2015. Both first-in-our-family graduate students, and lovers of learning, we were motivated to make the most of our experiences as graduate students. One way that we’ve attempted this is through “bold requests”. Here, we […] … learn more→
Idle thoughts while reading? it may be a light bulb moment
Does your mind wander while you’re reading? All the books to read for that pesky literature review and you just can’t focus … Sometimes the havering mind is “the worries”. Worries about how much reading there is and how hard some of it is. This is a moment when you need to soothe and reassure […] … learn more→
The next great leap forward? Combining robots with the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is a popular vision of objects with internet connections sending information back and forth to make our lives easier and more comfortable. It’s emerging in our homes, through everything from voice-controlled speakers to smart temperature sensors. To improve our fitness, smart watches and Fitbits are telling online apps how much we’re moving around. And across entire cities, interconnected […] … learn more→
It’s still worth it for overseas students to study in Australia, but universities could be doing more
For years, it has been predicted the increasing number of students flowing into the graduate jobs market would result in falling salaries, underemployment, and students taking on second and third degrees to get an edge in the competitive jobs marketplace. But what of students who spend upwards of A$200,000 on obtaining a degree in Australia, […] … learn more→
Student loan default problem worse than thought (No kidding!)
Student loan debt is around $1.5 trillion. Theoretically, the size of a loan isn’t nearly as important as the ability to pay back the loan. Alas, most of this loan debt was for fake education; when I first started this blog I covered in detail how fraudulent much of the education in higher education is, […] … learn more→
‘Fortnite’ teaches the wrong lessons
In recognition of the fact that “Fortnite” has quickly become one of the most popular video games in the world – one played by more than 125 million players – I decided to play the game myself in an attempt to understand its widespread appeal. As a parent and as a political theorist who focuses on education and its […] … learn more→
A PhD… plus four kids?!
People tend to look at you weird if you have four kids. And people tend to look at you weird when they find out you’re doing a PhD. So you can imagine that I have had a generous share of strange looks over the last few years. Common reactions would include: ‘Are you crazy??’ ‘You […] … learn more→
Is your PhD stuck on Mars? Apply the Martian Method
‘Hello!’ to anyone who’s stuck in their PhD. I feel for you. As I write, I’m half-way through my PhD program, and I’ve been stuck too. I’m out the other side now, but it’s made me think: a PhD and Mars have a lot in common. Remember the movie, ‘The Martian’? Matt Damon plays astronaut, […] … learn more→
