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Michael Gumbrell

What comes after BA(hons) P.P.E

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As i have mentioned before i wanted to go to Winchester next, as a part time student and do a Master of arts in Liberal arts. I have done that UCAS application and submitted it.

However Portsmouth University now offer part time online masters degree's.

So with my 20 years experience as a casino manager, i did quite a fair amount of money laundering training and due diligence checks on customers, so i also applied to Portsmouth University to do a 2 year, part time, online MSc in Economic Crime. The course looks very interesting.

How employable a 56 year old with a MSc in Economic Crime would be, i am not sure. But i can but try and find out. Portsmouth do not accept UCAS applications for courses, so i have applied direct to them.

So now i am sitting and waiting to see if Winchester or Portsmouth will give me an conditional offer, i do hope so.

In other news, Son #1 is in for a first at Portsmouth with his Politics and International relations degree , and he already has his conditional offer to continue at Portsmouth to a masters in International Relations.  So that is good news.


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Michael Gumbrell

A bit calmer now

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Well 3 TMA's in and i am a little calmer about DD309.

I am between 2:1 and 2:2 grade boundary, i was 2:1 last year, so if i keep this up, with a covid special circumstances form submitted, i should be okay for a 2:1. That is fine, i really do not have enough spare time to get the hours in for a first.

I have finished the taught materials, i have one tma left to do this week, about environmental micro economics, and then onto my final research project.

That is likely to be secondary data project on micro economic game theory in relation to environmental economics, just not sure of the exact question yet...but that is what tma 05 is for on this course.

My biggest down fall there will be to submit a detailed plan for my research project and if i am being honest,  i have never planned an essay in my 6 years with the OU. I just sit down with a blank page, the text book and the guidance notes and just start to write. I have not had to do much of a rewrite on any essay, and quite a few times, my first draft is the version i submitted. So doing a full plan will be harder work for me than normal.

I have had enough of it by now, i am in the 'lets get it written and be done with this' stage of study.

I am a little frustrated that the OU have just tried to plow through this second national lockdown, expecting us to just carry on regardless, without any changes or support to our module study. That is frustrating to say the least. I think they will have to be very careful with the final classifications offered to my cohort year, without pragmatism and careful consideration it might blow up in their faces.

I have slowed right down with this blog, i really do not have the time to commit to regular blogging any more, i am 1 of 2 remaining students who study Politics, Philosophy and Economics in this cohort, the rest have all left or changed degree classification, so i feel quite isolated in that situation.

Anyway this blog is up to 267,000 views, which is amazing. Thank you to everyone who has visited it. I will try to write a couple of more blog posts before i complete my degree and graduate, perhaps i might peak with 300,000 blog views, which would be amazing, i am after all just a random student who has no interest in media or social influencing. I have always had my blog set to public, which inhibits many of my fellow students from commenting, and yet it still might get to hopefully 300,000 views.

I shall leave that here for now, the word counter in this post is close to 500, and that is more words than i was required to write in some of my YO32 access module TMA'S!!!! 

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Michael Gumbrell

Still struggling with DD309

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DD309 is very hard, made harder by the spike in covid cases and the new lockdowns.

I am back on working 6 day weeks.

With hindsight, last module the corona virus and the national lock down hit in March, and we had the OU cancel end of module assessments as a result.

This module, the second covid spike and lockdown came in December, right in the middle of the taught modules and with TMA's coming at 5 week intervals, and yet the OU have done nothing about making alternative arrangements. 

My TMA scores have been pretty bad so far, and i have had to ask for extensions for the first 3 TMA's.

This is my final module, so my final classification will be damaged by the events of December 2020 and onwards, plus having to work 6 days a week again, leaving little free time to study.

Since the pandemic spanned and disrupted my final 2 level 3 modules, will any adjustments be made to my final classification to reflect that?

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Michael Gumbrell

DD309

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DD309 is really intense.

The ammount of information is huge.

The neo classical models are rather dull.

The evolutionary and behavioural models are far more interesting.

i really do gravitate towards game theory.

Industrial dynamics is also really interesting.

But it is really hard, with an oerwhelming ammount of potential extra reading if you have time for it.

It is very much harder than the level 3 politics module i did last year.

DD309 is very much the real deal, hard,intense and difficult.

In some ways it is a suitable final module, if i can get through it then i will feel that i have really achieved something.

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Michael Gumbrell

a quarter of a million views

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Wow, just wow.

i have so busy, i have not been on my blog for a couple of months.

Imagine my surprise and joy at loggin onto this blog and seeing 250,000 views.

A quarter of a million views, that is incrediable,

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

DD309 is really hard, and very dense, with a great deal of reading involved.

so i doubt i will have much spare time bewteen now and the finish of my degree in May 2021, to pop on here and blog.

I will try and blog as much as i can between now and my finish. I am 5 months out of gaining my politics,philosophy and economics degree, i just need to get to the finish line, sane and in one peice.

here is hoping....

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Michael Gumbrell

Staying with the OU

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My application to the probation service was declined.

Not that bothered, so i will be staying on with OU till the bitter end. I will also be applying for a masters of my choice.

My views passed 170,000, so thank you to everyone who takes the time to visit. It is much appreciated.

DD 309 is hard.... really hard, and i am only on week 2.

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Michael Gumbrell

165,000 views

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Thank you everyone, my blog views counter just turned 165,000, which is amazing.

It might reach 200,000 before i graduate.

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Michael Gumbrell

One step nearer leaving to OU

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I had confirmation today that i have been moved forward to the next stage of the Probation officer application..

The next step is to complete an assessment day.

One step nearer leaving the OU.

Williams GCSE results were fine, he was in college today accepting his place there, A level Maths, psychology and Business studies.

Oldest son goes back to uni for his final year in  3 weeks time.

Everything moves along another step... 

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Michael Gumbrell

A bit of self reflection...

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Just a quick bit of self reflection.

It has taken me 5 and a half years to get to this point, it is a long time, my motivation has peaked and very much dimmed as the years have passed.

If i am being honest, i am unsure if i will miss the OU after my final module or if i will be happy to close student home and never visit it again.

For the amount of time, money and effort sunk in, i do regret not doing a vocational degree, i have some doubts about how much i will be able to improve my career pathway with an academic degree, that is not the OU's fault, it is mostly based on my age (53).

I have got to the point where i just want to grind out  the last module and be finished. My feelings are mixed about how much of an achievement graduating will be.

When i started 5 and a half years ago there were about 16 people at the first lecture who all were on the P.P.E pathway in South Central England grouping, here i am 5 and a half years later and there are just 2 of us left, and because my remaining cohort took the Philosophy and Politics pathway, i am left on my own finishing on the Politics and Economics pathway. So the isolation you feel studying at home on your own gets compounded by a shrinking cohort as well.  

Politics, Philosophy and Economics, an interdisciplinary degree that focused on the complexity and interconnectedness of society, but i shall finish it on my own, whilst the people close to me have no interest in how hard it has been.

On the upside, this blog might get to 200,000 views by the time i close student home down for the last time and delete the OU app from my phone. That would be an achievement. 

I am quite lucky, because of my age, Student Finance Hades will not get their money back from me, they might get about 50% of it back by the time i retire, so i am making out like a bandit with that one.

So i can see the finish line to my OU study, i am just unsure if, when i cross the line, i should keep on running or stop and celebrate, i think i have lost sight of how much of an achievement completing a Honours degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics with the OU might be. Is it something to just shrug my shoulders about and think 'well that's nice' or is it something that will significantly change my life for the better? 

Got to finish first of course, i can see the finish line, but have not crossed it yet...


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Michael Gumbrell

Predicted grades

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Son #2 has a week to wait for his GCSE results.

Having seen the mess made in Scotland, the problems with the UK A level results, he is very stressed that his results will be downgraded.

I have explained that he has a place at college whatever happens, that the college will understand what is going on, that they will let him resit exams if he wants, but he is still very stressed.


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Michael Gumbrell

Results are in

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Got my result back... 75.1 so i lost 0.9 to the exam board adjustments for previous years performance.

So not too bad.

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Michael Gumbrell

Waiting for results

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I did the calculator for my truncated module, i should get 76%.

I get do the special circumstances for the last tma , i was already working 6 days weeks by that point.

So, depending on any extra weighting the exam board decide to add or deduct, i should be on for a 2:1 with one module left to do.

I would be happy with that, if i get a place with the probation service it will become a mute point anyway. 

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Michael Gumbrell

Blog views

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Wow, just passed 155,00 blog views, 

Thank you everyone, it is starting to become a very amazing concept that so many people visit my blog.

When i first started i had no idea where the blog would go and could of only ever have day dreamed that so many of you would visit it.

Thank you all.

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Michael Gumbrell

Covering bases

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I have registered for my final module, DD309 Economics. I have also put in my Student Finance Hades application.

I thought it was better to be registered and then can withdraw if the Probation service make me an offer.

This weeks OU jobs fair was good. I also have registered interest with Network Rail, Hampshire Police, BAE and the Civil Service graduate scheme's, so that is quite interesting.

Work is back to normal now, 48 hours a week, 4 on 4 off. I am expecting the email from HR to sort out the huge holiday entitlements we have all accrued.

They also have ended the emergency contract for us to cover ward staff in cases of high levels of sickness, i am delighted about that, i hated doing 12 hours shifts on the wards, not my thing at all, and now i will not need to do one again.

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Michael Gumbrell

Change of pathway

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I have not selected my final module yet.

I have applied to the probation service with my Diploma.

If i am accepted i will credit transfer into the probation service program, do a bridge module to a different degree pathway and they will pay for my masters.

I should know by the end of July if i am successful in getting into the probation service program, so i might have come to the end of my OU study without finishing my degree with them. I will have to wait and see, if the probation service say yes, then i will transfer across to that program straight away 

Work have also decided we can have 2 days off a week now, so i am only working 60 hours a week.

Happy days 

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Michael Gumbrell

Views

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Thank you everyone,

150,000 views, that is amazing.

Thank you to everyone who visits my blog.

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Michael Gumbrell

6 days and 81 working hours later...

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Day off for this week today.

Happy days.

There are many more cars on the road again, lots of civilian drivers who all seem to have forgotten how junctions and roundabouts work.

My garden is all up together and the veggie patch is growing well.

I swap to nights for the next week, at least it is past full moon, so a week of nights should be okay.

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Michael Gumbrell

Day off today

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It's my day off today, back at work tomorrow at 6am.

Even though the prime minister will announce lock down changes tomorrow, i have noticed more cars on the road in the last 3 days. I think people are deciding for themselves what is acceptable.

I have been grateful for the lack of traffic, it will be a shame to see much of it return.

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Michael Gumbrell

Day off today

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It is my day off today.

Happy days.

Did the garden, put the last lot of potatoes in the veggie patch.

I even got to watch an episode of Westworld.

Back to 6 nights shifts tomorrow.

I am really, really tired.

Got a silly email from HR today as well telling me off for not taking enough holiday so far this year, which is funny because they cancelled all leave going forward in March, when the outbreak arrived.

So once the lockdown is over, and the R infection rate is down to 0.1% i will have enough holiday to take 2 months off of work, which i will not be able to do because all the crews will be in the same boat, and we cannot have 2 months with no Ambulances.....

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Michael Gumbrell

Nature returns, due to lockdown

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Lots of pictures around of sheep and deer entering towns and villages because people are not out and about.

Yesterday i saw a buzzard sunning itself on the side of the M3 at 6.30 in the morning, my ambulance was the only thing on the road, it just looked at me, then spread it's 4 foot wing span and took off.

The streams where i live are all now crystal clear, watercress is growing.

I saw a picture of the hot walls in Portsmouth harbour on facebook. The water was bluey green and completely clear. I thought it was faked, but i went to that very spot for my break yesterday, and the water was just as in the photo, you would have thought it was water from the Caribbean...

So one month of lockdown has had a visible and improving effect on nature.

Makes me wonder how much of a change to our lifestyle would be good after the lockdown  to try and keep the improvement going.  

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Michael Gumbrell

Day off today!!!!

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It's my day off today, happy days.

I have tried not to sleep through all of it.

Back to work at 06:00am tomorrow, up at 04:30am.

A full 7 days of day shifts ahead for me....

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Michael Gumbrell

Bone tired

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Edited by Michael Gumbrell, Saturday, 18 Apr 2020, 01:28

A comment i heard recently about the pandemic lock down.

'Some people have no work to go too, some have all the work and can't go home.

I am the latter.

68 hours this week so far for me, i get to home for about 7 hours a day, shower,eat and sleep a little, then back to work again... by the end of the pandemic i think i with have to be surgically removed from my Ambulance.

And thank you to the couple who were on the M3 junction 7 footbridge last at 8pm, your home made sign and clapping were appreciated by my crew, as we went underneath you.

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Michael Gumbrell

140,000 views

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The counter clocked 140,000 views.

Thank you to everyone who has visited this blog.

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Michael Gumbrell

Feeling strange

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It is a strange feeling to have finished my module two months early.

It is a relief, i would never have been able to finish my EMA whilst working so many hours for the last month, and so many over the next two months, so from that respect i am happy.

But i also feel a bit lost now, having finished so early.

It is a difficult time for everyone, so just try and make the best of it.... and stay safe everyone.

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Michael Gumbrell

DD316 complete!!!

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Well i got my email...

EMA is cancelled. My result will be based on my TMA averaged weighted scores.

All my TMA's are in, so that means my average will be 75%, so a 2:1 pass.

And that's that.... DD316 completed, year 5 done, on for a 2:1 score.

One level 3 module left to do, with a September start, a choice between Philosophy or Economics.

A strange and aborted end to year 5, DD316. But with the Covid 19 situation and my working in the NHS, (as an example, i am working 60 hours over 5 nights next week, with 2 days off rota'd, but i might well end up doing 72 hours over 6 days), i would never have been able to complete the EMA, so for me it is a good outcome.

The Facebook groups are still melting down about it, but with such a diverse student body, the OU can only do the best they can, not everyone will agree with their decision. 

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