25th July 2008, 11:18 AM
Rule 1 - don't panic. It's good you are starting to think about it already, but you have plenty of time. Your interests seem pretty widespread at the mo, over the next year you may well find that one period or theme will become your preferred one.
To the above, I would suggest that you talk to a number of lecturers and tutors about it, sound them out. No doubt your uni will offer a list of 'off the peg' titles at the start of your 3rd year- nothing wrong with grabbing one of those, it will quickly become 'your own'. If you talk to the staff beforehand, they may well have topics they want researched and can agree a title with you before it gets to be up for grabs.
Your personal tutor is just that, and probably will not be the one in charge of dissertations generally or to guide you through yours: your dissertation supervisor will be someone else again and will be the most important one, as Windbag says.
Size is relative and opinions vary: I chose an 'off the peg' title, but when I gave a presentation on it, one of the tutors marking complained that the topic was too big and I'd never do it! (It all turned out fine).
But make sure you enjoy it. It is actually great fun. Good luck.
To the above, I would suggest that you talk to a number of lecturers and tutors about it, sound them out. No doubt your uni will offer a list of 'off the peg' titles at the start of your 3rd year- nothing wrong with grabbing one of those, it will quickly become 'your own'. If you talk to the staff beforehand, they may well have topics they want researched and can agree a title with you before it gets to be up for grabs.
Your personal tutor is just that, and probably will not be the one in charge of dissertations generally or to guide you through yours: your dissertation supervisor will be someone else again and will be the most important one, as Windbag says.
Size is relative and opinions vary: I chose an 'off the peg' title, but when I gave a presentation on it, one of the tutors marking complained that the topic was too big and I'd never do it! (It all turned out fine).
But make sure you enjoy it. It is actually great fun. Good luck.