I ventured to university yesterday to do some research and collect my essays, dreading the results. When I was finally handed them back, the worst had happened - I was awarded High Distinctions (the highest mark one can get in Australia) for both.
Of course, the mark is something I'm proud of - it adds to my current HD average which pleases me greatly as it is the product of hard work. However, the constant achievement means that Drs Tony Moore and John Arnold of the National Center for Australia Studies have offered me the chance to complete a year long dissertation as my final subject instead of coursework.
My dissertation is called "The Media Ecology of Rock Journalism in Australia" and will explore several issues regarding rock n' roll journalism such as the influence of advertising on independence and the rise of the internet and amateur/citizen journalism on the scene as a whole. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to established bands and writers as well as do some work experience/fieldwork at magazines and labels. I lamented at the time that I'd be poor forever, extending my studies for another semester. But then I figured when would I ever get another chance to research something I truly loved that I could even turn into a PhD some day? The choice won't be as hard as I think.