Personal Blogs

It's a strange strange thing, this forum business.  I cannot get my head around them.  One minute they make me happy, the next sick with worry!  The difference between the business school forum (quite technical) and the Science/Health ish forum is amazing.

Anyway, it remains so busy in the second forum that it is very hard to keep an eye on everything.  Occasionally there are comments though that I really want to reply to, and so do.  At the moment there is quite an interesting chat going on, and there I was happily enjoying it, and then happened to look at a different thread, and realised there are still a lot of people who are unhappy on the forums.  I've been thinking about this for ages, and I think maybe it's just the natural way of things when there are so many people on the same forum.  People will form groups.  I shouldn't expect to be a part of every group, and shouldn't be upset if I realise another group isn't happy with a group that I may or may not be in.  If there are hundreds of students, negative comments are unlikely to all be aimed directly at me.  Right?!  I'm really disappointed to read these other threads though.  I think this course should be divided up in future into separate tutor groups, so issues can be raised, discussed, and sorted.  What strikes me about this set-up, is that students are all forming like minded groups - which is exactly what I would think this particular course should be avoiding. Tutor groups are so much easier to handle, and there is room for dicussion without it getting out of hand like it does on this forum.  I'm so stressed!!!  Ha, well actually, I'm not so stressed now I've written this.  Apparently there is a cost implication in dividing into smaller groups... I wonder what this would be, because given so many students are taking the course, I can't imagine it would be that extreme.  I'm pretty sure it would be worth it.  On the other hand, I've quite enjoyed having so many people in the same place all interested in the same thing.  You can't have it all.  There you go, I've turned it all round now, everything is ok.  It is what it is. 

I actually opened the course text for both current courses, and 'read' one page, just because I said I had to.  I don't particularly know what they were about.  I just couldn't relax until I had done it.  I had no intention of reading to purpose, just reading to fulfil the demand.  I will have to read them both again when I next open my books.  It took me roughly two minutes.  I spent the entire day being frustrated by the fact I knew I 'had' to do it.  I don't think I'll put demands like that on here again, I take them too literally.  I wonder if I wrote... 'get your assignment finished by...' NO!  Don't even think it!!!!

Tomorrow I will open my books again.  I've struck a deal with myself.  Even if just to read a page.  I will open them.  Actually, less of a deal, as there is no reward, more of a self-imposed command.  Both courses, at least one page.

 

So today I found the link that shows the most recent blogs, and read through.  It seems that the majority are course related, and none in the past week are courses that I have done, am doing, or intend to do, not that I suppose it matters.  Still, it seems that there are not that many new entries on a daily basis, so I think I will add the link to my list of web pages that I check ritualistically.

Although my intention was to read far more in this area, my mind kept leaning towards wondering about the word 'fora'... much googling and text book indexing later, I know a significant amount more about amoeboids than I think I needed to (and a little more Latin).

The other course I am studying, more for interest than anything, is SK124.  This is the course that has the crazy crazy forums (for the most part I refer to the multitude of posts rather than the content).

I start two more courses early next year, but I see little point in discussing them as of yet... This 'blogging' still remains an uncertain fixture in my future.

Well that's it, it has been sent off.  I was foolish to plan a trip leaving 2 days before the deadline.  Working to an imaginary deadline was extremely difficult for me, so I am extremely proud of my achievement!

It will be an interesting experience when I get my feedback as for the first time in many years, I have absolutely no idea what to expect.  The course is B322, and is my second course with the OU Business School.  This one is very different to the previous one though, and I found this first assignment to be quite difficult.

I believe I will be spending the next few days sleeping, serving only to put me behind in my studies once again.  It's a bit of a cycle that I seem to get stuck in every time, however good my intentions. 

It's interesting that I said I would have that feeling of relief at having sent the assignment.  I had forgotten, but that is not actually the case for me.  I do get that feeling, but it is always accompanied by this all-encompassing fear that I have attached the wrong file.  Even though I always clearly label the file, and open and close it a thousand times to be certain, I remain in a heightened state of anxiety until I receive feedback confirming that it was indeed the correct file.  It is a saving grace that I am currently too tired to feel the full impact of this emotion, which means I am able to sit still for long enough to write this post.  Incidentally, I still do not have a reason for beginning this 'blogging' experience.  It is a form of experimentation at the moment, and as I am still intrigued by the whole concept, it seems to be maintaining my interest for the time being.

When I have some more time on my hands I will find some other blogs to read, to see what everyone else likes to write about.  I'm sure that will be the ultimate time thief for me! 

 

Have never thought to use this in all the years that I've studied with the OU.  It seems to me that it serves no purpose, in that I don't know anyone here, so no one will read this other than me.  I guess I could use it to remind myself about randoms that I might forget, though post-it notes serve me pretty well for that.  I have an impending assignment that really deserves my attention, more than this new discovery.  At least I have tried something new today.  I might keep this up through December, just to see what comes of it, as I really really do not understand what it's all about.  Or maybe I should google it when the assignment has slowed my neuronal activity to a point that it seems to be an interesting idea.  This message is so full of uncertainty and confusion that I almost want to do my googling immediately, but, no, it must wait.  I have to write the assignment.  And so to it.

Oh, hang on, options lower down include visible to anyone in the world... well let's see what, if anything, happens...