TMA02 Results

Been away from this blog a while due to my lack of interest in TMA03 and new job starting however need to get back on the horse as one might say as deadline is January 11th!!!

Got TMA02 results back and am happy with these ones, biggest error was my lack of secondary referencing which I understand now.

TMA03 is now driving my loopy, I just want to get it over and done with so that I can get on to the more interesting topic of Social Disorder and writing TMA04 on accounts of Social Disorder. Have written about 1500 words of notes ready to convert to a TMA!! I don't think this one will achieve a high mark so just need to get it done and submitted. Not long to go now before I can archive LC1/2 and The main text book all ready for the next pack to arrive early January.

New job going well, still very early days

TMA02 Submitted 9 days Early

Have decided just to let TMA02 go. I like what I have written even though I know it won't be perfect, it means that I can now forget about it till I wait for results.

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.

Offer Letter

Offer letter not on doorstep today so hopefully tomorrow. I am really not looking forward to handing in notice on Wednesday, had team meeting with boss this morning.... he is looking forward to new guy starting on Wednesday so that we are a team of 4 again, this is going to hurt like hell.

Off to Alton Towers tomorrow for adreneline week so only a few rides open but cheap and hopefully fairly quiet. Already dreading Oblivion which even after Orlando still hurts me in a way that nothing else can.

Currently waiting for mother to finish burning the flan in the oven then on to Dexter which aired last night.

On the OU front I have done nothing really today except check the forum, the only thing I found was a note from tutor regarding November 6th tutorial and what to expect. I can't go so hoping all info will appear on forum after. To be honest, I've already finished TMA02 so not too worried.

For TMA03 I have been looking through the appendix of Learning Companion 2 to see what is required. It appears that I only have to show an awareness of identity, discourse etc.... therefore i will do what I can without stressing my brain too much.

New Job & TMA02

Went for 2nd interview yesterday with new car firm and found out a few hours later that I got it........... More money, better company car, better prospects and a potentially super cool boss. Whoop whoop. Hopefully December 1st start.

Downside is that I won't be able to have as much time to study at work although suspect this is normal for most OU students so can't really complain.

I have completed all 1250 words for TMA02, now I just have to put it all together, reference the end and reflect...... Simples (maybe)

Been looking for a flash USB stick since Sunday, just want a cheap one that will also act as a keyring, will have shopped the world before I eventually purchase I think.

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.

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.

3 Theorists

Yesterday at work I mentioned (I hope) that I had a draft TMA02............ well after reading the 'student notes' in Assignment book today in detail, I maybe feel that I went off on a little tangent. I have gone in to paragraph detail about the 3 theorists which by all accounts is overboard.

I am a little concerned about going in to too much detail on here due to 'OU regulations' but I will at least say that mum found my draft intelligent........... bless her for at least seeming interested.

Tonight we have Dexter Season 5 Episode 2 (see.... I can reference!!! ;-))

Still confused over starting ED209 in Feb. A lot of people are saying that the work load is tough going, however I am well ahead in DD101 and not struggling as of yet (this may all change). I have till 14/11 to decide so will keep you updated.

Lots of wine and dying for Dexter (pardon the pun)

Over and out!!!

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.

Turiorials

Just found out that my tutorials are in Reading when I was hoping that they were in Slough, but hey ho, the upside it that there aren't as many as I was expecting. This sounds like a total negative but it is in fact the opposite.............. you see, I work weekends and wanted to go to all tutorials rather than a select few so now it means I can probably get to all. What is the difference between......... joint tutorial, tutorial and day school????

The reading for TMA02 is actually pretty interesting!!!!