DB123 EMA Away

Posted by on May 11, 2012 No comments

I submitted my EMA yesterday as I didn’t want to risk missing the deadline. Very happy with the assignment though structurally it could have used a little more work. This has been the first time that I’ve gone over the word count, though only by about 50 words, as I couldn’t strip anything else away from the essay. Hopefully it will give me a pass but I’m sure doubt will set in soon enough.

I now want to concentrate on reading the set books for AA100 The Arts Past and Present starting with Dr. Faustus. I’ve read a little bit about the book online and I’m looking forward to it. I also ordered a copy of The Faber Book of Beasts which I haven’t had a chance to look at yet but I’m guessing is a collection of short stories. Overall the reading list for this course looks to be an interesting one.

To keep myself busy I’ve been reading and following the writing prompts in Writing Through the Darkness which, as I mentioned in a previous post, is writing therapy for people with depression. I didn’t think I’d be able to write continuously for 10 minutes, without thinking about what I was going to write, but so far I have been surprising myself. Once you get started it’s actually hard to stop and I’ve overrun the 10 minutes on a couple of occasions. I do feel some benefit from the writing and think that it will help not only the depression but also with my essay writing.

DB123 EMA First Draft

Posted by on May 6, 2012 No comments

I’ve finally finished the first draft of the EMA in 1400 words. I’m not entirely happy with it though I have covered all four themes of Personal Finance and looked back through the module for concepts that are relevant as suggested in the guidance notes. I think I’ll be happy with a pass for this one as it has been a tough essay for me due to the amount of information I’ve had available and the word count where it is. I’ve had to leave a lot of information out and some areas I’ve only glossed over but I think I’ll pass. Now I just need to spend a few days revising the essay until it’s where I want it to be.

B120 EMA Deadline Passed

Posted by on April 25, 2012 No comments

Good luck to everyone that submitted.

B120 EMA Away

Posted by on April 22, 2012 No comments

Finally finished. I don’t know how I got through question 5 with my sanity intact but I did. I’m not happy with it but I feel it is worthy of a passing mark and that’s all I care about at the moment.

I’d be overjoyed but now I have to get to work on the EMA for DB123 which looks a little problematic, looking back over the whole module to write about student debt, I’m not sure I remember enough as my memory is so bad.

Update

Posted by on April 16, 2012 2 comments

So my first draft of the B120 EMA is all but done: I just have to state which is the most important driver of globalisation with relation to the case study. I’m now close to thinking about revising what I’ve written so that’s a step forward at least. I have also done the first few questions on the DB123 EMA, aside from one which I don’t understand but will hopefully be covered at the day school at the end of the month, and just have the essay question to do.

My reading list has grown out of control again, I started reading the Harry Potter books and was pleasantly surprised by the first one, add to that my decision to read the Jason Bourne books by Robert Ludlum which are so very different and better than the films and a few others including set books for AA100 and I have enough books to last me until the end of the year.

One that I am especially looking forward to is a book called “Writing Through The Darkness: easing your depression with pen and paper” by Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer. I do suffer depression and have various coping strategies but I have found that the TMAs for my current modules provided a focus that helped me to get through an especially bad depression earlier in the year, so I think there’s something in writing as therapy that makes it worth looking into.

B120 EMA

Posted by on April 1, 2012 No comments

I’m not going to lie, this EMA is causing problems for me. After struggling through and completing the SWOT analysis and churning out garbage that needs to be re-written for the Human Resources section I hit the questions on globalisation. This was only briefly covered in the course materials and the questions relate to only 2 sections of the text, so why is it so tough? The EMA is based on application of the course concepts as much, maybe more so, than any of the TMAs and with so little to go on, there isn’t even a concrete definition of globalisation in there, I feel a little out of my depth. Book 5 has been my least favourite part of B120.

I’ll struggle through as always and hopefully put something together that I can be proud of but I thought I’d post something to let those who are visiting this site and might be worrying about the EMA that you are not alone, I’m worried too, but I’m not going to let it get to me and neither should you. We’ll struggle through.

Where Am I Up To?

Posted by on March 15, 2012 No comments

I’ve now completed all of my TMAs for B120 and DB123 — which has one TMA to be marked but otherwise complete — and am treating myself to the rest of the week and weekend off. As such I thought this would be a good time to reflect on what I’ve accomplished over the past few months.

First of all, I’ve managed to get here, to the point where I have completed seven TMAs for the two modules combined, which I feel is a great achievement. It has been tough at times, I’ve been ill occasionally and had other times where I have had two assignments due at the same time, but I have struggled through. I have passed the OCAS part of both modules and now only have the EMAs to complete. There is still some reading to do for DB123 and a day school or two remaining but all my energy should be directed to the EMAs.

Overall I am still enjoying both modules, though the final book for B120 has been a struggle to get through, and have learned a lot from them. Even though I will be changing to a degree in English Language and Literature with my next module I have developed my essay writing and improved a lot. AA100 will give me more of a chance to hone my skills before taking on a level 2 module where I feel that I will be learning all over again. I still get my Certificate of Business Studies at the end of these modules so that will be something, though I doubt it will be a big thing, for my CV.

Now that I have registered for my final qualification I am covered by the transitional fee arrangements which is a load off my mind. I still support those campaigning to stop the cuts to the OUs funding and hope that anyone who reads this will sign the ePetition to have this debated by the government if they haven’t already. There are modules that I wanted to study that have no replacement in place due to cuts and I believe that one of the things that makes the OU great is the wide range of modules on offer and, indeed, the Open Degree which allows students to mix and match modules to create a personalised qualification.

I’m still in the process of finding work, I’ve had my CV passed around by a friend recently which has been a great help and I thank him for it, but nothing so far. I’m not yet being pressurised by the government to find work and hope to do so before they begin.

I also started reading Cell by Stephen King which reads like a zombie story but done in the best possible way: it’s not focused on the zombies. It’s more about the protagonist trying to find his way home to his estranged wife and son and the people he meets on the way than a gore soaked romp, which is a relief.

So that’s where I’m up to. Not a great deal going on in my life at the moment though it tends to revolve around work and since I’m not working, well…

B120 EMA Available

Posted by on March 7, 2012 No comments

I’ve just downloaded the EMA for B120 and I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t look nearly as frightening as I thought it would, although the section on globalisation does have me a little worried as I am only just covering that part of the text now. For the optional questions I think I’ll take a good look at the case study before I decide but I’m leaning towards the Human Resources question as that assignment yielded my highest mark on this module.

We were warned (informed?) that there would be a SWOT analysis on this assignment and the assessors didn’t disappoint. I only have experience of SWOT analysis from the first book and a day school as I didn’t do one for my first TMA so I’m a little nervous about that but I’m sure I’ll cope.

Overall I’m quite happy with what is required and though some parts may be challenging I’m pretty confident that I can pass this with a reasonable mark.

DB123 TMA 03 In Progress

Posted by on February 24, 2012 No comments

…but things aren’t looking good. So far the word count for my half-finished notes alone is dangerously close to the word count of the assignment itself. I can see myself having to cut a lot of information out of the final essay but given the topic — the risks associated with financial security in retirement and measures put in place to counter them — I don’t think I need to cover everything, at least I hope I don’t, and so will be able to just cover the most important points or at least just the ones with specific solutions implemented by the government. Time to revise my notes for once I think.

From the section of the text on pensions and the essay portion of the TMA I have learned two things. Firstly my current pension provisions are woefully short of the mark and I do need to do something about them. Secondly not to worry too much about retirement, as long as I get my act together as far as my pension goes.

Stop the Cuts in the OU

Posted by on February 24, 2012 No comments

Judging from the Google searches used to find this blog, most if not all of you are students with the OU. I therefore ask that if you have not signed the ePetition to stop the funding cuts to the OU to do so now. I believe that we need 100,000 people to sign before it can be taken seriously and it currently stands at a little over 47,500.

For those of you studying with the OU who are secure in the knowledge that the transitional arrangements will cover you until you finish your degree or other qualification, remember that others may not have been so fortunate as to find the OU before the deadline for these arrangements passes, if you need further encouragement know that once you finish your qualification that you will need to pay £2500 per 60 credit course if you want to study with the OU again. I know that there are several modules that I would like to have the option of studying after my degree and there are many others who feel the same. If funding cuts are allowed to continue, not only will these modules be prohibitively expensive but many will disappear as the university has to cut costs: several modules that I am interested in are due to end with no replacement in sight.

If you don’t study with the OU and have no intention of doing so then you should still sign as it represents one of the best avenues for re-training in the world and as such should be preserved. These cuts will close doors to a number of people who cannot afford expensive tuition fees and the student loans attached to them.