Smiling Clare - Part 52

TMA05 & CMA44 Results…

On 12th August 2013

Wow, can not believe the results I got for my latest assignments! Remembering how much of a struggle it was to study during the past few weeks courtesy of my neighbours and their music…

For TMA05 I somehow managed to get 98% which had me totally shocked as I didn’t think it was that good!

And for the CMA I got 93% being multiple choice I had hoped I’d done okay but still didn’t expect that!

Anyway I’m now ploughing on with the End-of-Module Assessment. As I want to get it done a little earlier than the deadline so I can get a head start on my next module – B203. That’s if all goes to plan!! So bye for now!

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Studying’s been hard but TMA05 and CMA44 are submitted

By Clare

On 31st July 2013

In My Open University Journey, Studying

So today I have submitted TMA05 and the CMA. Things have not been easy during the study of this block, in fact at times studying has been damn near impossible.

I have however really enjoyed this block, much more than I thought I would. It’s reignited my love and subsequent hate of coding!! I love the logic behind scripting languages, and find it really easy to understand and implement. Until I make a really stupid typing error and then I hate it – I always struggle so much to find that (normally tiny) mistake which is preventing it all from working!!

Luckily I had very few such troubles in the process of producing my video for the TMA. And managed to complete it quicker than I thought. Just as well considering how things have been – a nasty virus meant I had almost a week where I was unable to study, and then there’s been days of noise from my neighbours where it has been impossible to get the peace and quiet I need to study or rest.

However with help and support of so many friends I’ve persevered and got through it all, even managing to submit early again – something I thought was totally out of the question at one point!

Anyway I’m taking a very short break from study – a week at most – before moving on to the EMA. All whilst anxiously awaiting the results of the assignments just submitted!

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Coastal trip, tough time, things are looking up, and more…

By Clare

On 29th July 2013

In My Open University Journey, Wheelchair

Well it’s been longer than I intended but I have finally found the time and energy to update this!

I managed to get to the coast – we went to Clacton on Sea for the day and although I spent the entire time in the wheelchair it was soo good to get away from the house and stress even if it was just for the day! The sea air was amazing as well and I got lots of photos which I keep looking back through on the rough days I’ve had since. Amazingly had very little payback from the trip out but I was ultra careful during the trip and the days after.

I also had a wonderful time with my friend that week when she visited bearing gifts! SO very lucky to have her!! Hopefully we’ll be meeting again in the next couple of weeks.

Had a bit of a rough time these past few weeks though – been a bit of a rollercoaster with all the up’s and down’s!!

A week after making it out to the coast I got a nasty virus which I’m still fighting the tail end of now. That wiped me out for about a week, and a horrid time of it with my neighbours making a lot of noise really did not help matters. In fact one day I just wanted to sleep but they made that absolutely impossible.

Things picked up and I made good progress on study and started catching up on things too. Then things with the neighbours got worse again and things just went downhill rapidly until the end of last week. Now things are started to look up again, but I’m still catching up with emails etc.

New friends, support from fellow Spoonies and health improving ever so slightly – kicking this virus – has made me feel much more positive.

Today I’ve achieved something major – for my uni assignment (TMA05) I had to code a video made from still images with sound. Mid-last week I was panicking I hadn’t even started it, but with dedication, determination and probably spending a bit too much time on it at times, I have completed the video this afternoon!! Still got a question to do but the bulk of the work is now done. Fingers crossed it’ll get a good mark!

Anyway I think that’s all for now, I aim to update this again soon. As always feel free to comment or tweet me @SmilingClare

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Summer has arrived…

By Clare

On 8th July 2013

Well here in the UK summer has made an appearance, almost 30C and bright sunshine. Normally this kind of weather helps my symptoms but not this year. In fact it seems to have brought more out, pain levels are still amazingly high, it’s hard to sleep because of the humidity and itchy heat rash. However I am managing to enjoy the weather and get out in the garden most days, lying on a garden bench under the gazebo or on the swing seat in the shade. Hopefully going out to the coast one day this week as well, to get away from the troublesome atmosphere here at home. Also have a fantastic friend visiting so this week will be busy with that and juggling a bit of study when I can whilst hopefully getting enough rest!

It’s not been easy this past week with neighbours having music blaring either indoors, in the garden or both at times! It’s especially difficult when I’m having a bad ME day anyway – which most of last week was. I had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday which totally wiped me out. Luckily it did provide me with a bit of help in the form of new anti-histamines for my hay fever. However it was definitely hard work – the fluorescent lights were far too bright and sitting up for so long proved very difficult, I almost passed out when leaving the doctors office!! Spent the next few days lying on the sofa not able to do much.

I have started a new knitting project – a Congratulations banner/bunting. Amazingly I am already on the final letter! Although I find knitting larger projects like cardigans impossible it seems knitting smaller letters is quite easy because you don’t have the so much weight on the needles! I’m rather proud of what I’m managing to achieve. Not only that but I got my TMA and CMA results back last week (See my post on my other blog: http://lifewithmedoingadegree.blogspot.co.uk/ ) Which brightened an otherwise pretty rubbish week.

This weekend has been another tough one, heat is wrecking havoc with my blood pressure so I’m having to lie down quite a lot and increase my fluid intake. Also had a lot of stress from the situation at home, being stuck in either the house or garden when you have neighbours like I have makes a tough situation even tougher. I’ll be so glad to get out one day this week just to be able to relax.

One day we will get everything sorted and be able to relax properly in our own home, until that day I guess we’ve just got to make do with the small amount of time we have peace and put up with the rest of it. I fear when that day comes I am going to crash since I’ve spent the last 4 years living on edge waiting for the noise to start and not being able relax properly, on the rare occasion I start to relax the noise starts and I end up stressing again.

I will hopefully update this blog again in the coming weeks, with how the trip out to the coast went and how things are generally! But for now as always feel free to comment below or tweet me @SmilingClare

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