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Christine Selby

Algebra is my friend

Sunday, 15 Nov 2020, 13:19
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Returned to my study space today after a couple of days off celebrating my youngest sons 3rd birthday. No studying - too much cake. Ooops! 

But hey it all good, just keeping my nose ahead of the weeks. 
Shock revelation today - ALGEBRA is not quite as bad as I feared. Although I fear it will become more complicated over next few months, but learning to enjoy it. 

This weeks aims are to stay ahead of the weeks and push hard as we have another birthday celebration next weekend with my eldest son turning 8. Where does the time go!

More cake and more party food. Cant say no to that. 

Working my way through these weeks seems to be going slow but the time seems to be going fast. Saturdays come round way too quick when I should begin the next weeks chapter. 

Managed a gym session Friday - OMG first time in a gym since February. Achy muscles as a result so no cycling/running. 

Good news though - Rugby is back in action this week again. Cant wait to get back to training again, just hoping we can keep going for longer this time. Please no more lockdowns. Getting fed up with it now. 

Feeling for my English friends going through theirs as it really does suck! 

Time for a lunch break I think... mustn't forget to eat while studying. I get so into my work, time flies and before I know it it will be getting dark. Guess that is what happens when you are so into your studies. Still early days!



Tags: algebra, engineering, celebrations, lockdown, active, study time, weekends, maths, good vibes
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Christine Selby

TMA01 Results are in!

Sunday, 1 Nov 2020, 11:29
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SHOCKED! 

TMA01 mark - 95

Cannot believe I managed to achieve this with all the doubts and panics. OK so that damned maths question let me down - that one I was pondering on and over thinking about way too much. 
But to get this mark... I will take it!
However, the down side - I may have set the bar too high!

Had a day off following the result - a well earned day off too. Stress levels were building too much leading up to the feedback.  
Nothing exciting really I could have done seeing as we are in LOCKDOWN! 
One more week to go then restrictions will lift again - in time for me to finish my Christmas shopping hopefully. Then that will be it - no need for shopping trips for the rest of the year. 

We have really missed not going away at all this year - would have had a few trips in the camper over summer and by now we would have been planning our trip away for Christmas winter wonderland, shopping and getting in the mood for it all. I can only hope we will have a near normal Christmas gathering. But first, we have a little problem - mine, my husband and our 2 boys all have birthdays before even thinking of Christmas. 

Trying not to think what else is on (or not on) in my life and continue studying the best I can. Learning more about myself each week and delving into the past to discover why I failed so miserably to get a decent education. Was it the teachers, the system, peer pressure or just me and my attitude towards it all. 
Time will tell as this course is going to push me way, way ,way out of my comfort zone and challenge me beyond anything I have ever faced before. 

Physical activities have once again this week been near non existent, with no rugby training and the fear that the season will be cancelled really put a dampener on things. The weather hasn't helped either. Even for the kids things may not start back up again after lockdown. Nice to see the end to the awful six nations that Wales had. Really need to sort it out - gutted that W.Gatland left - wishing we would have stayed forever. Felt a bit sad for A.W.Jones on his record breaking cap and no fans to celebrate with. But we are Welsh and we will return and make that comeback that we know we are capable of. 

Tags: christmas, results, feedback, tma01, lockdown, learning, me, feelings, pondering, missing, comfort zone, questioning, discovering, challenge, rugby, wales, six nations.
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Christine Selby

The struggle is real!

Monday, 26 Oct 2020, 22:35
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Edited by Christine Selby, Thursday, 29 Oct 2020, 20:48

It's LOCKDOWN here in Wales again. Roads quiet, nowhere to go. Perfect time to study - MATHS - Arghhhh! Why?

What on earth made me take a math heavy course. We are only just getting started. 

Stuff I should know, stuff I should have covered in school - GCSE stuff. why am I finding it so difficult to rack around in my brain for those little clues that helped me get through those my exams?

Even looking at GCSE/A level revision books is making me think - there was no way I knew how to do all this to sit an exam. 

Oh yeah - it was over 20 years ago and I have had 2 kids since then. Brain mushed!!

Evenings are getting harder to concentrate and I find I don't have enough time in a day to revise.

Something has to change - revamp of that study plan. 

Although, I do have a maths tutorial on Wednesday - hoping for some lightbulb moments there or it will be 1:1 tutor call for me. 

Despite somehow getting 86% in the iCMA so far - I was too heavily reliant on the books with me. 

TARGET: iCMA51 = minimum 90% with less use of the books. 
I have just over 2 weeks to get myself up to speed and I'm a week ahead of schedule. (Hope to get week 6 out of the way this week as well) then that will give me some good groundings before I return to work - if kids will ever leave me to get a few hours peace during the best time of the day to study. 

Tags: study, maths, target, lockdown, revision, work, kids, gcse, brain mushed, icma, weeks, only the beginning
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