Past Honours students' experiences
Ben Buckland (French Honours 2005)
I was initially quite scared by the idea of French Honours.
Despite the assurances of the department that I would be writing
un mémoire and not une thèse, 12000 words still
seemed rather a lot to be writing in a foreign language.
There
is no doubt that honours in any discipline is a tough year, but
it is also a year in which all the skills that a three year arts
degree seeks to develop are sharpened and refined.
Writing such
a long piece is a tremendous opportunity, not only to hone language
and research skills, but also to work closely with academics
in a field and on an argument that you find inspiring.
The honours
year has led me to research work in both the departments of French
and Political Science, and has prepared me for next year when
I will be studying in two languages for an MA in Brussels.
Tim Cummins (Italian Honours 2005)
Having enrolled in Italian simply for the purpose of "keeping up the language," I soon discovered that there was a whole lot more on offer. In my time at the department, I have learnt a lot about the history of Italy, studied its literature from Dante's Divine Comedy to the detective novels of Leonardo Sciascia, and have even conducted my own linguistic study of an Italian dialect. The fact that it is one of the smaller departments means that you get to know your classmates really well, and the tutors are often able to tailor the courses according to the students' interests. The staff also encourage you to take part in activities outside the classroom, and in my case helped me apply to study in Italy on a Melbourne Abroad scholarship, an experience which I count as a highlight of my time at university. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Italian language or culture to study with French, Italian & Spanish studies: the opportunities are there; it's up to you to decide how far you want to take them.
Frances Dunn (French Honours 2005)
When I was commencing my elective subjects in Second year French, one of the literature-related topics caught my eye and my imagination. I detected some interesting and unresolved inconsistencies and disagreements, despite the fact that the literature itself was over three hundred years old. Two years later, the Honours program presented itself as the perfect opportunity to revisit the subject and to discover whether there was a potential thesis topic buried in there somewhere. Though my precise topic took some time to crystallise, I was already fascinated by it.Whilst Honours is, for many students, the gateway to postgraduate study, my greatest motivation was a desire to improve my French language skills to a point where they will not get quite so ‘rusty’ whilst I pursue a career in Law in the more immediate future. An Honours qualification is a great asset to students aiming for careers with governmental departments or involving international relations. Students who have not been on exchange should not assume that this as a barrier to successful Honours study. The smaller and more relaxed learning environment meant that I learnt much from colleagues and from staff alike and I am confident of a vast improvement in my spoken and written skills over the year.Honours was my first taste of comprehensive research and is a pleasant glimpse of the world of academia. Unlike those three-day frenzied essays of previous years, the thesis is a thorough and intensely personal journey, and a challenging mix of careful goal-setting and leaps of faith. The year is testing, indulgent and immensely beneficial. The satisfaction of submitting the thesis at the end of the year is beyond words, no matter what the language!
Heidi H Robinson (Italian Honours 2005)
Although I knew Italian Honours was going to be a testing
year requiring focus and commitment, it was only
when I was fully immersed that I began to appreciate
what was involved. Compared to the undergraduate course,
I would say that the Italian Honours, owing to the
length and nature of the project, demands a much more
comprehensive approach to research, analysis, and planning.
The subject I investigated was very engaging and challenging;
I examined an intriguing piece of literature, and
one with which I was already familiar (from undergrad
study) from a translation perspective. Through taking
on this subject under a different framework, I was
able to both draw on previous knowledge, and to analyse
the piece from a different perspective.
Enjoying a challenge, I think Italian Honours is great
because it is highly achievable; however it is a
learning curve which can also send you on a path of
evolution, a kind of “rinascimento”; enhancing
your research skills, critical analysis and maturing
your approach to undertaking similar projects.
One big decision for me was to write the thesis in
Italian. Undoubtedly challenging, writing in Italian
allowed me to keep my grammar under scrutiny, (especially
those tricky subjective verbs), taught me a more objective
style of writing in Italian, and enhanced my ability
to express more complex concepts in Italian.
If you are like me and like musing on every imaginable
insight and discovery, a big learning curve for me
was learning to keep the “big picture” always
in perspective through prioritising, and including
only the most relevant information in the thesis.
My supervisor was an invaluable source of guidance
and wisdom; always very encouraging and assisting
me in sorting through stumbling blocks and challenging
my approach when needed.
I will always be extremely proud of completing Italian
Honours: it has furnished me with great research
skills, critical thinking and matured my approach to
engaging any project requiring such discipline and skills
in the future.