15th April 2006, 10:47 AM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by deepdigger
And, with the high cost of a degree to undergraduates, why exactly should they be used as cheap labour for someone elses research, I'm not suggesting that they don't need digging experience but, if they have to fully fund themselves, how are they going to be persuaded to do voluntary work as well as the intense workload of a degree and keep down a job to pay for their course too?
Tory suggestions on the back of a postage stamp please!!
deep
I was once told that the course I am doing is the most expensive in the country. In addition to high living costs, not being alowed a job during term time as university policy forbids it, we need to do 5 weeks of compulsary digging in the summer which we have to fund ourselves.
And yes often enough most of the digs we would end up going on would be accompanying accademics from the uni to whatever summer dig they were running. I dont begrudge this bit too much as in the end it did give us opportunities to dig in a variety of countries and for a much lower price than a normal training dig. The dig I ended up on, although not being an example of great archaeology (Q.professor what about all those layers above the cemetery?... A.What about them?), was free apart from living costs and transport out to Georgia.
And to be honest I would like the uni to enforce more than 5 weeks of digging for a 3 year degree, but with the current cost situation it would be grossly unfair on most of the students. In the end it comes down to the few who can either afford it or who are seriously motivated enough to go out and find additional digs whenever they can.