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Michael Gumbrell

Mind- blown

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So I have completed week 1's work, the study planner for week 1 is done.

Happy days, I think!

So I have looked at the ship of Theseus and john Locke's ideas about personal identity.

So Locke separate's the self, from the physical existence of a 'me', thats not relevant, to the idea that I am my self.

It is the continuity of memory and the persistence of self-consciousness that make me a self.

Okay I can get with that, no problem, week one done. Feel smug, happy its done, I can do this, no worries.

Then....................

I clicked the link to an article from the additional reading list:

Mind blown------ they were words, but I could not follow them,

temporal identity, empirical duality of purpose, four dimension definition of spatial existence.

There are even formula's !!!!

if a is to b as x is to y, across a continuum of t1 to t2, then t1a is the same as t2b if X(t1a) is spatially separate to Y(t2b).

MIND BLOWN !

This years blog posts might turn into a whinging set of 'I do not understand' entries.

Or I might get an handle on it all, after all my self now (OMFG1) might be temporally identical to my self in 9 months time (OMFG2). So (OMFG1)=(OMFG2) if I add the empirical factor of time (t). OMFG1 x (t) = (omfg2) / T.

This might be a very long nine months......

 

Permalink 3 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Monday, 2 Oct 2017, 18:12)
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Michael Gumbrell

TMA 5

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Just trying to get my head around TMA 5. Globalisation and political practice is hard.

Fukuyama has much to ssy about the end of history on thst subject.

I am just sweating the end of this block and tma 5.

Oh look, another level 2 is hard post from me. Well it has been a couple of weeks since i mentioned it.

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Michael Gumbrell

last block

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Here I am, still waiting for the TMA 4 mark, and 2 weeks in to the 4 week module 5.

All down hill from here, block 5 is the last learning block of the module, block 6 is set aside for revision for the final exam.

So I am getting closer to wrapping up the taught blocks, then to consolidate and do the Exam.

DD211 was alright I suppose, level 2 is hard and this module was okay.

I thought this last block, with its theme of international relations was going to be more interesting, but it seems to be quite dull.

I thought I really hated block 3, ideology, however looking back I am starting to feel the love for it a lot more, it might even turn out to be my favourite block of this module. I never thought I would be saying that 2 months ago.

you live and learn, that's the whole point of this really.

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Michael Gumbrell

TMA 4

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having revised and resubmitted my TMA 4 a couple of times now, I am starting to feel the love for it a bit more.

hopefully it will get a good mark, looking at the guidance notes and the tutorial notes I hope my TMA has hit the mark, literally!

But it was very much a frustrating block and writing experience, I was hacked off by ideology and TMA 3 but this module and TMA trumped that.

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Michael Gumbrell

Tutorial

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I am very glad to have waited before trying to write any of my TMA 4, until after the tutorial.

The tutorial was very good, and made me realise I was barking up the wrong tree with my essay plan.

I had taken the compare and contrast element to literally, in fact the tutorial matched the student notes and explained more clearly the structure of answer required for a successful answer.

I did notice though that as with my previous level 1 and level 2 worries, level 2 is much harder now and the academic language needed is more dense and specific.

So my TMA 4 will need to discuss the merits of codified and uncodified constitution and symmetrical versus asymmetrical bicameral representatives. Fused and separated executive, and the hard one, but important to define, majoritarian is different to plurality.

I just need to get on a write it now!

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Michael Gumbrell

TMA 3

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I recieved my mark for TMA 3- 80%.

So i have averaged 83% across the first 3 tma's which are 45% of the total OCAS.

so i am a couple of percentage points below the 40% minimum OCAS. But i still have two 25% TMA's to go.Which is great.

That takes all the pressure off the last 2 TMA's. Now i am looking to keep my mark up rather than stress about needing a certain score to pass. 

Happy days.

Although level 2 is still hard.

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Michael Gumbrell

TMA 4

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So I have written my introduction to TMA 04.

I have a plan for my unpacking paragraph in my head (250 words)

then a gap of 1600 words awaits me....

I have completed my part 2- 10% of the final mark and I have set my reference list ready to insert the correct references into the main body of text.

And there it all sits, daring me to write it, which on this TMA is quite daunting.

It is hard to compare and contrast the political systems of the uk and us.

Contrasts abound, I think I can provide 800 words of contrast very easily, the us system was founded as a reaction to the uk system so inevitably it is very different.

Its the 800 words of similarities that I am finding hard to draw together.

So if I use 4 blocks to compare and contrast my selected points then I have to write two paragraphs of 400 of similarities, which I am unsure of. The trouble is if a scrimp on these paragraphs then my essay will be very unbalanced. I do like a good structure and balance to my essays, I often think it is a failure to submit one that has an obvious imbalance of structure to it.

Depending on my TMA 3 mark, the pressure on the tma 4 might not be as great, however substitution is not an option I want to consider, I would rather be able to have the full compliment of 5 essays with a good average mark than sub a score in.

Based on my feedback to tma 2 I changed the style of writing in my tma 03 slightly, so I really do need to know the tma 3 mark to be able to gauge the correct style for tma 4.

as I may have said before, Level 2 is hard...

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Michael Gumbrell

where did essay structure go?

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So I am up to and would admit to already have written my TMA 01 for DD211.

it is a very interesting transition. The whole of DD103 was evaluate, compare and contrast, strength and weakness' essays. I liked that, I like structure to written work. I got 72 % on DD103, so I felt I was okay at it.

Now with DD201 these structures are gone. TMA 1 of DD211 asks for me to take a postion, to argue logically and give an opinion. This is very diferant to DD103 and the need to stay neutral in TMA's and just give both sides of a statement in a netural fashion.

I wonder if it is part of the step up from level 1 to level 2?

If you have not guessed from my other blog posts, I do like to over think everything.

Well I have written my first TMA for DD211, it is a while before I can even submit it and the marking will be very interesting. Did I get on the right path, or am I barking at the wrong tree?


Mike

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