Smiling Clare - Part 30

T320 Results…

On 9th July 2015

Around this time last year I was writing a blog post about how it felt to have only just scraped a pass on B203, but that considering the circumstances at the time I needed to remember just how amazing it was to have actually passed that module.

What a contrast a year makes. This year is a totally different story and I’m writing this still numb with shock and amazement. Not only did I pass T320 this year, I got a distinction!! Quite honestly I’m finding it hard to believe, so much so I had to get my Mum to read the results page to make sure I wasn’t seeing things!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the circumstances surrounding my End of Module Assessment were difficult to say the least. My health had taken quite a significant decline following the sudden loss of my Nan, so I was working on my EMA while coping with that and attending her funeral. It was a bit like deja vu; I went through similar during my revision period last year with the loss of my Grandad on the other side of my family, the only difference being I managed to cope better this time round.

I still can’t quite believe I got a distinction in this course, although that result makes me feel a little more confident on embarking on a project in the subject for my next module. I’m pretty confident I have done all my family proud too.

If you’re reading this and you haven’t got the result you hoped for, I quote from my blog post last year:

“To anyone struggling to come to terms with an exam result that was worse than expected, don’t worry about it. What’s done is done. If you failed and you’re offered a resit spend the time revising and know you can do it. Someone somewhere will always be rooting for you. And if you’ve passed but not received the grade you expected, wanted or dreamed of it’s not the end of the world. It may well feel like it but it’s not. Focus on the fact you passed. You can put those course books away and move on to your next module or the next stage of your life. You did it. You passed. That’s all that really matters.”

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FutureLearn; Developing Your Research Project Weeks 1 & 2

By Clare

On 6th July 2015

In Studying

I recently signed up for a couple of online courses on FutureLearn.com a site offering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as something to fill my time and keep my brain ticking over during my break between Open University modules. Two of these have now begun, one of which is Developing Your Research Project.

I signed up to this course in the hope it would help me in my next Open University module, TM470, which from what I can gather is an individual project where I have to choose the topic and research it, creating a final project to be assessed at the end of the module. Two weeks into this free course and I’m ever more hopeful it will help.

Week 1

The first week was mostly introductions; introducing yourself to other learners, videos introducing academic research and transferrable skills, that sort of thing. But I learned a lot from it. We were also asked what we thought we could gain from undertaking a research project; initially I didn’t think this would be an easy question to answer but thanks to the videos I’d watched that week especially the one about transferrable skills, I was able to come up with what I thought was a suitable answer:

“I think I will gain skills which will be transferable to a lot of aspects of my life, whether that be in a future career or finding a way to make a living from home if necessary”

Finally there was a very useful checklist provided as a Microsoft Word document or PDF (depending on your preference) which covers some of the basic questions that need to be answered when preparing any research project, this included Overall Deadline Date, How it will be assessed, What format the project will be presented in etc.

Week 2

This week was another very interesting week and I learned even more. So much was covered and it was done in a way that meant it was easy to absorb the information, so easy in fact that time flew by and I only realised just how much I had learned when reflecting back on the week!

The use of a learning/research log was discussed, and essentially that is what I’m hoping these blog posts will become. I never realised my blogging about my Open University modules was also a learning log, but having read about learning/research logs during this course I realise it actually is one. Perhaps not the most detailed since I note down a lot of things on paper, but it is a form of a learning log.

We looked at how to pick a topic for your research project, which included key questions to narrow down interests, academic strengths and personal gains from undertaking a project. We were asked to share our thoughts one these key questions in the comments below the article, which elicited some interesting responses. Mine was:

“I am interested in E-business Technologies particularly how implementation of which can improve existing business practices but I am also interested in how the use of e-business technologies makes it possible to build an e-business from scratch. I think one of my academic strengths is report writing which is likely to be useful in my project. I’m hoping undertaking the project will help me towards gaining a decent overall grade in my degree.”

The most important lesson I learned from the course this week is how to narrow down my focus for the project. Going from a broad subject and context down to a topic and draft hypothesis. Something I had always found difficult in the past. This led on to a peer review activity in which you submitted a draft research proposal to be reviewed by another learner or learners on the course. This was a very interesting and beneficial exercise which helped me not only develop my skills as a reviewer of someone else’s work but also gave me confidence that I was on the right track with my draft hypothesis.

Now I’m looking forward to the start of Week 3!

Current and future runs of this course are available here: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/research-project-3/details

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The Trouble with Freedom

By Clare

On 8th June 2015

In My Open University Journey

12pm June 1st 2015 – End of Module Assessment (EMA) DEADLINE

For me that marked the beginning of freedom from university studies for 7-8 months. I’ve been looking forward to it. Heck I’ve longed to have some study-free time. Yet now it’s here I feel lost.

You see for me doing my degree, studying a little each day, provides me with a lot of things; a sense of purpose and achievement, something to do and most importantly of all some structure to my day. I’ve developed a routine based around studying. I can’t manage much else. Physical tasks take too much out of me. Getting a job, even a part-time one, is not an option as travelling to it would leave me exhausted before I begun. Studying from home is doable, and at times even that is touch and go. Ideally I will eventually find a job I can do from home. But that still leaves me without something to structure my day around until my next university module begins in January 2016.

I know I need to rest. I want to get better, see my health and energy levels improve but moping around focusing on things I want to do but am unable to physically manage does me absolutely no good. So I’ve signed up to a few free online courses over the coming months. Something to keep my brain ticking over until my next module begins. Something that gives me something to focus on achieving during these months where I find myself with nothing to structure my day around.

Sure I have other things I want to do, heck I have a list.

Sort and tidy my bedroom (no mean feat believe me!)
Grow vegetables
Cook and freeze some meals I can reheat when I fancy them but can’t actually make them (OK so I may need a bit of help with this one!)
Finish painting the shelves I started doing last summer
Enjoy at least one barbecue with family
Rest
Bake a cake (or two…)
Generally enjoy life as much as possible

But I can’t say anything on that list really gives me something to structure my day around, they’re mostly one off events. There’s such a thing as too much free time. Especially when your so restricted on energy. At least when I’m studying I know what to spend my limited energy on, sure I do indulge in doing things for enjoyment but for the most part my energy is taken up by studying. To have to decide what I want to spend the energy I’d usually use studying on is actually quite difficult. Of course I can do things which are technically too much as I don’t have to worry about not being able to do things the next day. Although overdoing it will ultimately do me no good, sometimes the enjoyment outweighs the payback.

Anyway right now I’m nervously awaiting news of finance for my next university module, and of course the seemingly long wait for module results has also begun! I’ll try and update this blog as and when I can. My energy levels are currently low and symptoms are high but I’m doing my best to rest til they improve again!

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The End of T320 and Plans for Summer!

By Clare

On 8th June 2015

In My Open University Journey, Studying

Well I did it. I’m not sure how, but I got my End of Module Assessment submitted a week early. I can’t say I’m 100% happy with what I submitted, but it’s too late to change that now. I’m glad I got it in that early as the following week there was DIY happening in the house; when you have M.E. just coping with the noise and disruption DIY causes is exhausting in itself, let alone trying to finalise an assignment while it’s going on!

So yes, my EMA is in and it’s that time when I reflect on the module and declare my plans u til my next module begins.

T320 has been an interesting, engaging and challenging module. I can’t say I found it easy, even though it was the only module I was studying at the time. My health (or should that be lack thereof?) as well as other circumstances, including the sudden loss of my Nan, have made this module more of a challenge. But it’s a challenge I’ve risen too, and I hope I have done enough to achieve a result my Nan would be proud of.

The module itself, I thought was well written. I have learned heaps about eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and its uses, along with XML Schemas and Business Process Engineering Language (BPEL). The practical side of this module I loved and hated in equal measures; when something wouldn’t work and I couldn’t work out why I hated it with a vengeance but when I finally worked out the problem, fixed it and got it working there was an amazing sense of achievement and I loved it!

Like I said, this module hasn’t been without its challenges but overall it hasn’t been as difficult as I anticipated based on what I’d heard about it. Here’s hoping I can say the same thing at the end of my next module!

No sooner had the official deadline for my EMA passed, than I decided to look into some free courses to complete during my break. I’ve found a couple online which I’ve signed up for and registered interest in a few others. One in particular I’m hoping might help with my next module: TM470 The I.T. Project, which is my final compulsory I.T. module of my degree. It is an individual project, and the free online course I’ve signed up to later this month is all about developing a research project. I’m hoping it will help me prepare for TM470 which starts in Jan 2016 but if it doesn’t, at an hour of study for about four weeks I won’t have really lost anything.

On the subject of my next module I’m still nervously waiting for news on finance for it. I had to resend the forms after the university said they hadn’t received them, and now it’s just a waiting game. Whatever happens I will find a way to fund my next module and the one after that in order to gain my degree. But any financial support I can receive, makes things a little easier and less stressful.

Anyway, health wise I’m not doing too well right now. I’m remaining positive and still smiling but my energy reserves are low and symptoms are high. I probably shouldn’t have jumped in and signed up for these extra courses so soon, but then again there’s no real pressure to complete them, or get a particular result. Hopefully I’ll still be able to get enough rest for my health to improve while completing those courses. For now the wait for results has begun, I plan on doing a few blog posts during my break including some about the courses I hope to complete and of course one about my results when I receive them!

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