Personal Blogs

I got the email link to the online survey from the vice chancellor.

Feedback for how the complete breakdown of the tutorial booking system at the start of this module affected my study and student experience...

The online guidance suggested that it would take 5-10 minutes to do the survey,

I took me one hour !

I think I may have be very keen to use the free text boxes on the survey to register my opinions about how crap the whole tutorial experience was at the start of this module.

Anyway my feedback is complete, the free text boxes in the survey full.

How long do you think it will take the office of the vice chancellor to feedback on our feedback?

Hopefully quicker than it took them to sort out being able to book a tutorial online.

I am rather confused how they think the new system of having tutorial centre's that you can book into is better or offers me more choice than the old system?

I live in Portsmouth, so I go to the tutorial in Southampton. The next nearest one to me would be central London (80 miles away and a nightmare to park) or Oxford ( 90 miles away and a fantastical bad ring road to navigate) or Exeter (200 miles away and hours of sitting on the A303 waiting to move).

So my choice is the  same as it was before, go to Southampton or do not go to a tutorial.

I would hope some of my fellow students were not having to make 200 miles ( 5 hour) round trips to just get to tutorial...... Hopefully.

well i got my tma 03 written.

I filled 105% of the word count so now I can go to the lecture on Saturday with a written version that I can update I the tutorial throws up anything I completely missed.

So now onto block 4, the us and uk political systems.

I am glad to have got through block 3 and ideology, hopefully block 4 will be less of a grind.

I was pleased to score 86 for my tma 02.

it was a really small word count and it was hard work to make the count.

I am struggling with tma 3. ideology in political practice.

I have completed the block but when it comes to writing the tma, it feels like I have a very fuzzy understanding and I am finding it hard to bring the words I need for the tma into focus.

To take a moment away from my personal level 1 versus level 2 panic's,

i have been published!

I am now the volunteer (unpaid) satirical infographic writer for the Star and Crescent, which is a local news organisation that looks at Portsmouth and the events and politics involved with running a 5 square mile island, with a population of 140,000 and the countries largest naval base all contained within it's island shoreline.

I am really proud to be published, even if my own contribution is somewhat odd and cynical.

This is the link in case you want to see my work.

http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/2016/11/14/3208council-millions-us-billionaire/

I am up to week 11 now, ideology, the first week of block 3.

This is all very hard work, level 2 is such a step up.

My TMA 01 will be marked this week, so I am looking forward tot he feedback.

It is okay to get ahead of the study planner, but getting too far ahead without feedback can be risky. At least it gives me time to go back and revise sections if I have got the wrong end of the stick with the course.

Hopefully my next block will have positive feedback from my tutor and I wont have to revisit too much of the course until the scheduled revision weeks at the end of the course.

So I found equality a little easier than freedom, but there are more definitions to equality.

I wrote my TMA 2 this morning, just got in under the word count....by one word!

I wrote 603 words for freedom..

I wrote 659 words for equality.

so with an intro and a few lines about citizenship I really came in close to the final word count.

Close, well one word inside.

Glad that is all out the way now, just 2 weeks of block 2 to go over and then onto block 3 and another TMA. At least I have TMA1 and 2 in the bag so that should make the Christmas rush around tma 2 and 3 a bit easier.

I may have mentioned this before,

but crikey!

level 2 is a massive step up from level 1, one week of study for the political concept of freedom.

That's is a lot of mind stretching study on a difficult concept. all crammed in a week!

I have not peeked forward to week 7 yet, I am afraid it might be as heavy next week.

Perhaps freedom and week 6 is one of the densest weeks and it might ease up in the depth of content for 2 weeks and allow my brain to catch up.

study has produced a bit of a roller coaster for me this week, I have real fears that I might not be able to learn and study at this level, but then I get all stubborn and think, of course I can do this.

So it was never going to be 'easy' but the harsh reality of level 2 and the weight of understanding for degree study is really starting to hit home, hopefully my next blog post might be a bit more upbeat and my depth of understanding might pick up...

so having got up to, and written my TMA 1 before the official start date, i took a look at block 2.

What a massive step up in concept and potential extra reading.

The first week of block 2 is the concept of 'freedom', it is a great deal to take in. i think i might need to go through each of the next 4 weeks ( all a political concept for each week) twice to make sure i get understanding of each one.

Very glad i got ahead, it will give me time to reinforce understanding.

I may have said this before.... Level 2 is a real step up from level 1.

Well Well,

That blog post I did on Saturday was very sweet of me, that's what you get for jumping based on the first 2 chapters of the book, having read further through I say, yikes!

Yes this is really a big step up from level 1 and only in the first block of the level 2 module. As I get further along it might well be very trickly indeed.

Just remember Michael, it is a managed journey, your being taught and you, hopefully, will learn.

Level 2 study is challenging!

18 months between blog posts..... no prizes for me then.

Now i have completed the YO32 Module and the DD103 module, both passes, my mind starts to turn (worry) about my next DD211 module, which is a level 2 module. 

Never been to level 2 before, i did notice the step up from YO to level 1 was a tangible jump in work load and required understanding.

will the same be true of moving between level 1 and level 2?