At last! I have been allocated a tutor. I received an email about an hour ago informing me of their details, and that my tutorial schedule is now available. Off I pop to the website and I am very pleased with the locations. The Day Schools are half an hour’s drive away as I mentioned yesterday, but what’s even better is that the evening tutorials are within walking distance. I couldn’t have chosen a better place to hold them than at my local college (aside from my front room, but I really wouldn’t want all those people in my house at once- I don’t have enough coffee mugs for a start!) so I’m very happy right now. Anyway, just a quick post tonight. I got studying to do…
Archive for September, 2014
Well it’s just over a week to go until the official start date. I have still yet to be allocated a tutor, but I’m not worried about that yet. Tomorrow is my planned start day and I’ll be sticking to that. I would imagine I will get most, if not all, of the Week 1 activities done by the close of play on Sunday. As I mentioned, I’ve already read Chapter 1 just to pass the time on a lunch break the other day, and to be perfectly honest, it’s not all that much of a challenge at this stage (and it isn’t meant to be). If I find myself with time on my hands, I’ll bash out a first draft of the TMA, but that is currently scheduled in my head to be done next weekend.
My study environment is all completely set up now. I bought myself a nice new office chair for £30, spending a good 45 minutes last night assembling it (with help from the cat I might add). I’m getting used to the iMac (loving it!) too. It really is a brilliant machine and I look forward to having it for company over the course of my studies. It’s definitely a big goodbye to Windows!
Speaking of goodbyes, before I sign off from this post for the night, I just wanted to mention that, further to earlier posts, I have removed myself from all groups on Facebook etc. No offence to anyone reading this blog who is a member of one of these groups, but I just found myself more and more irritated by the perpetual neuroticism and endless stream of stupid questions. Personally, I don’t need the distraction from my studies. I’m sure these groups will be a valuable lifeline for some students, but for me, all I want to do is put my head through the nearest wall every time I log on. So, to all members of all the groups, it’s goodbye from me and I wish you well with your studies.
ADDITIONAL:
Just after posting this I received an email from the OU informing me of the details of the first Open Day which is scheduled for next Saturday. The location is Canterbury, which is where I expected it would be and as that is only a half an hour’s drive away from here, I’m pretty happy. Throughout the day there will be four sessions, three of which I think will be of use to me, so it should be a good day. I’m looking forward to it.
Still no sign of a tutor though.
Well, I had written out a nice long post, but I managed to delete it. How did I delete it? Because I am using my nice shiny new iMac that arrived today! Obviously I’m not used to the commands compared to Windows, so I managed to erase the lot just as I was about to post. Ooops! Hopefully I will have worked everything out by the time I write my first TMA so I don’t end up losing that too!
So… cliff notes on what I had written…
I had a productive day at work after a grumpy Monday morning start.
I read Chapter 1 of the course book and have formed a plan of how TMA will go down in my head, but it’s still too early to start yet.
My iMac was delivered when it shouldn’t have been (see picture)
I had sausages for tea and I’m a very happy boy tonight.
Right, I’ve been toying with posting this all weekend, but it’s driving me up the wall thinking about it, so something has to be said. The Facebook groups (amongst other places) are DRIVING ME INSANE! I realise that some people are feeling a little overwhelmed right now, with the prospect of the huge task ahead of them, and I’m taking that into account here, but I’m still getting pissed off with all the whining, the unnecessarily obtuse questions and the terrible grammar. The volume of all this is drowning out any useful information that is being posted.
I’m a member of a number of groups on Facebook and elsewhere, so I’m not going to single any one group out, but having already removed them all from my wall feed (as mentioned last week) I am now very close to removing myself as a member from all of them and just going it alone. I will, however, hang fire until a few weeks into the course in the hope of some improvement.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel superior to anyone in any group, and I have tried to be as diplomatic as possible in any response I have posted in these groups. I don’t want to upset the apple cart, especially when certain members are freaking out about things already. I’m just taking myself away and retreating here and sounding off in my own little space on the web.
That said, I don’t understand why people are panicking about a TMA that isn’t due in for another 33 days on a course that doesn’t start for another 13 days. We haven’t even started the course yet! An analogy if you will….
Imagine you don’t know how to drive. Someone buys you a course of driving lessons, and once the initial excitement wears off you have a panic attack because you’ve had a look at the Highway Code and you realise you don’t even yet know how to start a car, let alone pass a driving test. All before you’ve even met your driving instructor for the first time.
WE DON’T HAVE A TUTOR YET! Why the f**k are you getting your knickers in a twist about your first assignment?
Oh and then we get the stupid questions. We know they are stupid questions because the poster admits that they are. Everything we need to know is spoon-fed to us by the OU at this stage. It’s all on the module website, yet they still have to ask rather than take the time to look for themselves (or at least read older posts in the group where the question has probably already been answered).
Finally, I’m going to put my spelling/grammar police hat on. Rather than rushing ahead with reading all the course books and watching all the videos and getting a mile ahead of everything, it’s better to check that you have a grasp of the fundamentals first. Do you know the difference between “your” and “you’re”? What about “there”, “they’re” and “their”? Does WH Smith sell stationery or stationary?
You may know how to run the spell-checker on your computer, but that doesn’t always spot bad grammar. YOU WILL LOSE MARKS for crap spelling and grammar, so be warned.
Anyway, that’s my little rant over with for this evening. I feel a little bit better now!
It’s a little under three weeks until the module officially starts, which to me is still a little too far away to be having little more than a cursory look at the materials that I now have. Yes, it’s good to get ahead, but if you get too far ahead then you run the risk of losing the sense of urgency that comes with maintaining momentum later on in the course. Life gets in the way sometimes, and it’s all to easy to just think “oh I’m that far ahead, I can take a break to deal with this thing I have” until the next thing comes along and the next until you find the deadline is later on tonight and you still have 500 words to write on something you were reading about a month ago because you got ahead. I plan to keep a one week lead on the official schedule. If I lose that week, I’ll work harder to bring it back out to a week. If I started now, as I know some have(!) then I would have the first TMA ready to hand in round about 4th October. I know some have an eagerness to get going, but this is a marathon, not a sprint.
As I said, I have had a quick flick through the study materials, and have watched (passively) a couple of the videos, just to get a feel for how they are presented, but in no way have I made any notes yet. It’s not time. The materials themselves seem to be very good. There is a definite shift to an online way of working, which is perfect for me. I know some students in the unofficial Facebook group for the module are feeling underwhelmed by “only having two textbooks”. “Where’s the study planner? Where’s my DVD’s?” I see them post. Now, I can grasp the concept that some people need to have something tangible in their hands, to have sitting neatly on their well organised study space, but it really isn’t necessary any more. I really wouldn’t be surprised if by the time I reach my sixth module I don’t receive anything through the post at all; it all being available for download. Save the trees, I say. I’m not even buying a printer.
I’ve turned off the notifications to the Facebook group for now. To be honest, it’s all getting a little repetitive in there as of late, and the constant posts of “I’m in this area, who else is?” and “look! More pink stationery!” are taking up too much of my wall. All the excitement is lovely, and it’s nice that people are reaching out to other like-minded individuals, but now the group has over 250 members, it’s all getting a little too noisy. Hopefully by this time next month, things will have settled down and there will be some engaging and thought provoking conversations going on, but for now, I’m quite happy to just see the latest cat picture one of my work colleagues has posted.
Right now though, on one of the last quiet weekends left for the next four years, I am relaxing on the sofa with a mixture of Doctor Who, X Factor, and boxset binges of The West Wing whilst adjusting to life with my new glasses. It’s not such a bad life really!
I’m anticipating a fairly slow couple of weeks coming up as far as being a student goes, just while we meander through the rest of this month, so don’t fret if you don’t hear from me for a while. I am still here- it’s just not time to start. Yet.
11th September. The day the module website was due to open and we could all get a look-see at what the course has to offer. And there it was, when I got up this morning, ready for me to peruse through at my leisure. Except it only lasted for a few short hours. Complaints began to ping up on the unofficial Facebook group around mid-morning stating that they could no longer access the module site and that it will reopen again on 18th September. Huh? Word from OU headquarters came down citing a glitch that needs to be fixed before they can let us all loose on the site properly. So another seven days wait it is.
Fortunately, I did managed to have a look around, particularly at the TMA questions, before it went offline; so here are my first impressions. Bearing in mind I have seen the TMA questions for the previous incarnation of the module, the first thing I noticed was that TMA 01 has had its teeth removed (not that they were that sharp previously) and requires only 250 words. TMA 02 is much similar to the old TMA 01 both in the nature of the question and length of the assignment. Whilst I think some students will be relieved at this more gentle introduction to the module, I cannot help but feel as though there is a little more hand-holding than I would like.
Another thing that jumps right off the page (or screen) is that each TMA is divided into three parts: The main assignment, a self-reflective statement, and forum participation. I can tell you all now that the self-reflection part isn’t going to be something I will enjoy. Yes, it’s all very modern and it is the way learning is heading these days, and I’m sure it’s a valuable skill to develop. It doesn’t mean I have to like it! For example, I will be asked to write 50 words on what I found most challenging amount the TMA. Am I supposed to struggle with referencing? Perhaps I will find it hard grasping the definition of a term. I’m sorry, but what if I don’t find anything challenging about the TMA at all? To me, “challenging” is having to deal with other people. (Did I mention I have Asperger’s? I don’t think I did. I may write about that one day.) Absorbing information from media and presenting it in a clear and logical fashion within set constraints is something I find quite easy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to blow my own trumpet here. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and I think my weaknesses will show up in these reflective statements, rather than in the main part of the TMA’s.
The forum participation part also has me raising an eyebrow. I love forums. I find them a great resource for information and opinion and I enjoy their informalities. For a percentage of our TMA scores, we will be required to make a post on a topic, or respond to a post on a topic by another student. So far, so good. No problem. The thing is, I think timing will be critical with this. Originality is required, but what if someone has already posted the answer (or question) you wanted to post because they happen to be a few days ahead with the reading than you are? Would you be happy being the first person to post, only for someone to post something better than you later on, leaving you to wish you had waited to see what the tone was like? Maybe I’m just in a grumpy mood tonight for some reason, but I’m not convinced on the merits of using forums in such a formal, forced manner (we’ll be judged on spelling and grammar in these posts too- not that I have a problem with that, I’m a stickler for correct spelling and grammar, but it’s a forum for crying out loud!)
Looking ahead to the later TMA’s, it looks like there will be some great opportunities to really sink my teeth into the subject matter and be challenged with the material, but I really would prefer straightforward essays. Is 37 too young to be that old fashioned? Nevertheless, I will throw myself into all aspects of each TMA with gusto and aim for 100% every time and we shall see how I get on. Rest assured, dear follower, you haven’t heard the last from me on the subject of self reflection!
Asides:
A few extra things for the day. Firstly, a moment of remembrance to all those who lost their lives 13 years ago today.
I want an Apple Watch!
I posted off my Student Loan forms this morning, still bemoaning the cost of a stamp!
I mentioned I had an eyesight test last Saturday. I do indeed need glasses and I am due to collect them this Saturday at 4pm. Studiously geeky look coming right up!
Today, at long last, the study materials for DD102 arrived in the post! Hurrah! I had the foresight to set up the delivery address as my parent’s address (they’re old, they don’t go out much- ideal for deliveries) so a quick detour on my way home from work and I now have my books in hand. Differing from previous years, all there is in the package is two hefty text books. No cd’s or dvd’s or anything else; just the books and a covering letter. It’s 2014 so everything else is (or will be from tomorrow) available online, and that suits me just fine. The laptop I am using at the moment is over two years old and I have yet to use the optical drive. My imminently arriving iMac doesn’t even come with one. I remember the days when computers started shipping without 3.5″ disk drives and everyone bitching about that, now we’ve reached that point again. Physical media isn’t needed anymore. Broadband and a storage drive is all anyone needs in this modern age. To be honest, if the books are available in ebook format I imagine I’ll be reading them on my iPad a lot more than I will the actual books.
Also today, I received my letter from the Student Loans Company, which I have to sign and return to them (at the cost of 62p for a stamp). Again, it’s 2014, and I’d rather not have paper anything. I’d be more than happy to digitally sign a pdf document and email it back to them. It saves the environment, time and the ridiculous cost of a stamp.
One day I expect to load my very being onto the cloud. I’m sure I’d be very happy there!
Well, it’s 4th September, so that means there are exactly 30 days to go until the course officially starts. And to be honest, I’m getting a little bored of waiting now. Still to come this month are the arrival of my study materials (which were originally scheduled to be dispatched tomorrow but have been delayed until next Wednesday, grr!), the arrival of my iMac, which is scheduled for 15th September at the earliest, confirmation of my student finance, allocation of a tutor and the opening of the Module Website on 11th. So, all in all there is a lot coming up in the next few weeks, but I wish it would all happen a little sooner; I’m not the most patient of people!
In other personal news, it looks like I may need glasses! I have an eye test on Saturday morning. I hate playing with my eyes so contact lenses are 100% out of the equation, but a nice pair of glasses might compliment my geeky personality. It’s all money though, but at least I might stand a chance of reading the course materials- when they do finally get delivered!
EDIT: Just after I posted this, I went to check on my Student Finance application. I am now pleased to say that my application has been approved. Yay! Now I just have to wait for the forms to arrive for me to sign and return. I’m quite impressed at the turnaround. The SLC website said a minimum of six weeks, but it’s actually been two and a half. I admire their efficiency!
OU Student Life 