h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mine's something vaguely about the early formation of the inquisition...and yours?

connected to the development of the Liberal Democrat party in UK politics. Not exactly sure *what* about the Liberal Democrat party but something, of that much I'm certain.

However, yours sounds much more impressive, due not only to it being much longer ago but also I see that you're a PhD student, while I'm still only in the final year of a BA.

Yes, but research, at whatever level, can really mess with you. And the UK school system is so much more difficult than the American system!

If you don't mind me asking, what school are you at?

University of Sunderland.

I didn't release the british system was more difficult, you know. Just goes to show that you learn something new every day.

Well, we tend to be less interested in having undergrads write dissertations. In fact, the trend is to keep undergrads *from* writing dissertations, since we'd have to grade them!

I don't even have to write a master's thesis...all I do is take my comprehensive exams, and then file a single piece of paper, and viola, I have a masters. It's really a shame...I will come out of here with less knowledge of my field than students with a BA from a uni in England.

But I'm a hell of a lot more fun when I teach.

Not all courses require a dissertation over here- I know my sister didn't have to do one, but for my BA Joint Honours in American Studies and Politics they insist I write one for one of the two subjects, so I've plumped for the ol' politics.

American Studies

Oh, that really does me in! *wipes a tear from her eye*

I suppose it's no different, really, than British Studies, which I'm sure you find equally funny. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Well, that and I find little of interest in American history, which is why I'm a medievalist. Although I do like the colonial period in America, perhaps because it, like the middle ages, is a period of interesting religious issues.

So, what's your specialty?

Well, American Studies does include looking at the art, culture, society and politics in addition to the history. Very varied really.

My speciality is really Political theory, allied with a great intersest in the Liberal Democrat party (hence probable dissertation title), while I find American politics endlessly fascinating as well.