ED209 website opens

After another quiet day at work I opened my studenthome today to find the ED209 website open which has created a few more questions that answers!!

1) Is the Media Kit going to be on there? If not then I really want my copy as I am going to answer the question on Piaget for TMA01 after ready the study notes for both questions.

2) Where is the assignment mark section? Will this appear when the course actually starts?

3) The student notes for the assignments actually look more thorough than the ones for DD101.

I think ED209 looks like a lot of reading, I think I will be investing in Erika Cox's notes quite soon.

DD101 TMA05 is coming together quite nicely. I have notes, a report structure, headings (I suspect these will change though), a table of figures and I might even include the correlation chart showing economic growth vs happiness. Deadline 22nd March but suspect I'll have it done by Saturday unless work suddenly gets busy.

Been looking at the notes for TMA06 and have chosen the question on migrants because I hated identities and that appears to be what option 2 is about.

Day off work tomorrow and maybe only a little OU stuff, will probably log on at some point because it's addictive.

Back from Lanzarote & TMA01 Results

I caught my mother hiding greens from my stepfather under macaroni cheese in an attempt to make him eat them!!! She won!!!!

Results are back in for TMA01 and although I haven't quite got the mark that I wanted, the feedback was good and I made some rather silly errors regarding definitions and explainations. Will make a through check through of TMA02 before submitting to make sure I'm not repeating.

Lanzarote was very nice, pretty chilled. All Inclusive actually has alcoholic drinks without alcohol.... very odd.

WIP (Work In Progress)

1) STILL not TMA01 results and with TMA02 sitting there practically finished and not returning from holiday till 18th November and a TMA02 deadline of 30th November I am a little bugged!!!

2) Have to work months notice now as boss has be overuled by his boss. Really not best pleased so will be researching 'Gross Misconduct' tomorrow to see which is the best method to get fired!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhh

The plan in Lanzarote is to get the drafts for both TMA03 and TMA04 done ready to be written up when I return. ED209 starts 5th February and website opens 29th January so really need to be ahead especially as the second mailing isn't till 14th or so of January and up till then I only have the website copies which I struggle a bit with because I can't underline!!!

Study Method devised so far:

1) Read TMA question a few times

2) Read the 3 chapters required and underline as I go

3) Read Learning Companion for 3 chapters and underline

4) Print (maybe listen) to Audio stuff and underline as go.

5) Do online activities to see if anything vital (print if so)

6)Go back to TMA and re-read including Student Notes

7) Go back over everything only taking paper notes on stuff relevent to TMA

8) Essay Plan/Mind Maps/Scribbles

9) TMA (many versions)

10) Hey presto - something to submit

11) Feel proud

12) Submit

13) Aquire acne whilst stressing for result & drink

Based on this I am going to have bad skin and an alcohol problem by 2014.

Notice

I've now handed notice and to be fair boss took it very well.... in fact maybe a little too well!!! He has offered me job back if things don't pan out but also got offer for another company that I went for interview with 3 months ago (better late than never I suppose). Still sticking with original offer and rather excited. Last day at current job is 10th November and off to Lanzarote on 11th for a week. New job should now start 23rd November.

It has now been 3 days since deadline for TMA01 and I don't have a result. Others have theirs I see on FB.... am jealous. Am hoping that weekend should give tutor time to give me my very hopeful 80+.

Still haven't made any headway with TMA03, am just going to hold fire till holiday and put something rather uninspiring together as I am really not loving this topic of identities.

Update

Thought I would just make a general update to remind myself where I am in all this.

Went to see Paranormal Activity 2 last night, took mum, very glad she doesn't scare easy really, she ain't no spring chicken no more. It was okay and makes you jump but not as good as the first one however.... it is wise to see th efirst one before this as they link in!!!

Dummy TMA - 100% whoop whoop...... will enjoy this as I'm pretty certain that it will be the only one in 4 years unless I have turned in to some sort of genius!!

TMA01 - Submitted today....... found another nerd on the forum who had submitted to stop himself going loopy amending it constantly, so felt it was wise to do the same. This was a hard question as there is actually never a mention of inequalities in the material so you have to decide for yourself what are and what aren't. This TMA was made harder by the fact that it was the first. Will post my rules of essays v.soon in case it helps anyone.

TMA02 - Still very much in draft form. Found this a fair bit easier than the first although have written far too much and want to include the world. Will never look at Tescos the same way again and in fact my even boycott the place in favour of Waitrose..... Consumer society is a hard world

TMA03 - In note form. Have read the 3 chapters, the audio stuff and played with the online activities. Decided that all the stuff for this is in Chapter 4 in the big book, the audio bit on identities and the Companion. Part 1 is pretty straight foward and doesn't really need a lot of reading, it is a lot more quantitative so as long as you can compare percentages then it isn't brain science as you don't need to explain, just discuss. Part 2 however is a different ball game. In the beginning I was a little lost to say the least, I have now cottoned on to it a little and know what it wants me to do but it is going to take a lot of note taking and reading.

TMA04 - I see the question and am looking forward to the study to be honest. It is Psychology based it appears

TMA01 Complete

I can no longer work on TMA01, I have now in my mind finished it and don't want to look at it again till my grade comes back. My references are in alaphabetical order, I've put may name, PI no, DD101 and TMA01 on it, pages are numbered, there is a word count and finally I am within it. I must now think to myself that it is only worth 5% of a course which doesn't actually count towards my final degree but somehow I still want to do well in it. Will hand it in on Monday 1st November I think, doubt it is any advantage to hand it in earlier.

Onto TMA02 which actually appears to be a little more straight forward especially as one of the online activities is pretty much the essay plan for it. I have done all the reading and know what I want to put in but am well above word count so will need trimming.

Started all the reading for TMA03, the first part of which shouldn't be too tough and may start on that fairly soon as it's quantitative but part 2 will require stuff from the redaing of chapter 4,5 & 6.

Booking to go away 11th-18th November to the Canaries for a little last minute sunshine OU stuff will be travelling with me I suspect.

Early TMA01

Just got back from Poker and came 7th out of 35 so pretty proud of that in a way.

Work is getting duller by the moment and although I sold 2 cars today, I really don't have the heart to be there.

Started TMA01 really early, there is however a downside..... it is never done until you submit so keep tinkering with it and it is sending me a little loopy. Firstly my family didn't like a paragraph so ditched the nonsensical part and created another which is too short really. I am now looking at the introduction thinking that the signposting isn't great. I really want TMA01 over and done with. I am starting the prep work for TMA03 (meaning chapters 4,5 & 6) on Sunday (about 8 weeks early) but feel wrong as I only want to run 2 TMAs together and TMA01 is still a lame work of art!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I am getting to the point at which I know vaguely what grade I'll end up with by comparing it to appendix 2 of LC2 but soooooooo want more from a flippin 5% TMA. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Tutorial 9/10

First tutorial at TVU Reading was pretty interesting, very glad I went. Although I have pretty much finished my TMA01, it has given me things to amend for a higher score which is great news.

I was expecting each tutor to have a hell of a lot of students however, there were 24 pupils in my tutorial which was 2 tutor groups combined, very suprised.

Am going to now watch the new episode of Criminal Minds then on to finsihing TMA01 then Chapter 2 & 3 in the big book. Need to push on now, especially as I have signed up for ED209 in Feb!!! Need to be a fair bit ahead.

OMG!!!

Another rather dull day at work has led to a vast amount of OU Forum reading. I would never have guessed that it would be so much fun.

There has been a lot of debating about the initials 'OMG' and whether they can be seen as offensive!! It has kinda spiraled out of control but makes for interesting reading on an otherwise dull day at work.

1st Tutorial is on Saturday and now have a 'buddy' who needs picking up and dropping off which is pretty cool.

Realised that I haven't actually done any DD101 work this week so must press on and finish TMA02 and a little reading. I will start on TMA03 workload next week I think, I don't actually mean TMA03, just the reading and stuff leading up to it.

Still in quandry over ED209, I might actually do the reading and TMA03 before deciding because I think we are gradually getting closer to an idea of work load that way.

School's Started

DD101 has now officially started and I'm all ready for my tutorial on 9th October in Reading. I am taking my draft TMA01 with me so that I can tear the content to shreds and hopefully make it better. Fingers crossed.

Update:

Criminal Minds - OMG, JJ can't leave.....

Dexter - Why does it take 2 days to upload it to the site but episode 1 was very dark so can't wait for 2.

90210 - still not sure I should be admitting to this but it's still great.

Today at work was very very dull and quiet so have actually managed a draft of TMA02, don't really like it much as I think I have spread myself too thin and not covered enough of the right stuff but I feel better that at least I have 1250 words of a backbone to improve on.

I am now not moving on and am just going to go back to TMA01 content till it's submitted. Although TMA01 is only worth 5% and DD101 doesn't count towards my degree at all!!! I still want to do well with it.

I can now actually register for DSE212 although think I might wait till at least March of next year to do it.

4.4

Okay, well the heading is all about the X5 4.4 that I have borrowed from work that I am now totally smitten with at 17mpg.

Now on to school work............

Website has openend and glad to see that I am not the only person who has a TMA01 already drafted!!! Think this is going to be very interesting. Doing the online activities at work today, they are okay but pretty much relate to what I already know...... maybe I remember more from my education days than realised!!!

First tutorial is on 9th October and need to submit TMA01 by 3rd November. Already trying to put together plan for TMA02. I am certain that the next 4 years won't be so chilled but enjoying being ahead!!

Nerd Alert!!!!

I think maybe I have a little too much time on my hands both at work and in my spare time because I have managed the following:

1) Watch DVD all the way through
2) Watch DVD all the way through again and made notes (done this by scene due to referencing my TMA)
3) Read and made notes on the Learning Companion 1
4) Lastly and most geekishly I have a draft for TMA01.

I officially never want to hear about City Road again after this.

My aim tonight is to do a 2nd draft of TMA01 which I will pretty much leave alone then until the course officially starts and all the questions have come out from other students so that I can do a final copy ready to submit on November 3rd.

Part of all this is that TMA01 is actually only worth 5% of the overall grade and is aimed at teaching you how to write assignments and I caved in and bought the TMA papers from last year of ebay and after seeing what that person wrote, I think almost anything goes as long as you do what it asks and give it a go!!!!

Arrived!!!!

DD101 stuff has arrived today. TMA01 title looks okay, hoping this isn't going to be too tough.

Course planner is colourful and pretty!!!!!!!!!

Gonna try to get TMA01 written up before course starts so that it is just fine tuning when it is time. Got loads of time on my hands. Maybe should have opted for another at same time but suppose only time will tell!!!!