I achieved a level of enlightenment on understanding what the module is about. I have been thinking about the assignment in more detail, specifically the very vague and generous rails and definition. The idea, at least in my mind, is to give our minds room to grow, and explore what happens when limits are removed.

This is absolutely not what I was expecting when researching different courses to take, in fact, given I was looking at other MPhil courses, seems very appropriate. It reminds me of other times in my life, where, whichever path I would have taken, the timeline would eventually converge.

Back in 1997, I applied for bachelor’s degrees at two universities, Nottingham Trent, and Bristol. These were both sandwich degrees, where the third year of study is spent in industry. I was accepted to both and chose Nottingham Trent.

During my interviews for my industrial placement, I was presented with the opportunity to move to Germany and work for a research institute. I lept at the chance. A few emails exchanged with a PhD student who was to be my mentor and some other students who were currently on placement, I packed my suitcase, took a flight and a train to a city in Germany I couldn’t pronounce, let alone spell. Spending the first night sleeping on a mattress in the attic of a student from Bristol University I thought nothing of it. Over the next year, I met 4 other Bristol university students, 3 of which were on the same course I would have chosen.

Convergence, or chance? The experiences I gained while living and working in Germany profoundly changed my perspective on experience, and how to become “good” at things. While reading the Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance (Anders Ericsson et al. 2018) I see some parallels between the guilds of the middle ages, with apprenticeships being equivalent to Secondary school, Tertiary College, and the first years of Degree level study, and then being sent out into the world during my sandwich year as a Journeyman.

When a journeyman had accumulated enough additional skill and saved enough money he, or occasionally she, would often return to his home town to inherit or purchase a shop with tools and apply to become a master of the guild. (Anders Ericsson et al. 2018)

I’m in a situation where I have gained enough skill, and wisdom, to try my hand at becoming a master. However, I will not be returning to my home town, nor will I be attempting to become a master of my guild.

References

  • ANDERS ERICSSON, K, Robert R. HOFFMAN and Aaron KOZBELT. 2018. Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance. 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://search-credoreference-com.ezproxy.falmouth.ac.uk/content/title/cupexpert?institutionId=4357&tab=contents [accessed 28 Sep 2020].