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.
I had my first tutorial of the new year yesterday.
I enjoyed it greatly.
but the venue was poor, last year my tutorials were at the university of Portsmouth, great building and excellent facilities.
This year they are at the Richard Taunton 6th form college in Southampton. Which is in poor repair and painted in prison colours. Tony Blair and the PFI scheme certainly never made it as far as that college...
Any way, had good feedback and a good score form my first TMA, and I have uploaded my second TMA for marking next month.
So all is well,
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 feel a theme is developing.
Level 2 is hard.
I started block 1 and though, wow this is hard. I had calmed down by the end of the block.
Then I started Block 2 and wow that was hard, I again felt calmer by the time I had worked through the block, but the TMA from this block will not be marked for another 6 weeks...
Just started block 3, and wow is it all hard again. So I need to keeping working through the block and hopefully some clarity will arrive by the end of the Block.
This is very, very hard.
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.
Week 9 is another dense week.
Sovereignty is a lot of work. Probably made my biggest set of chapter notes this week.
I am glad I have made notes each week, the idea of going into an exam without the revision of chapter notes would be very scary!
So that's Block 1 and Block 2 complete. all the TMA's are written for both Blocks.
So I am happy with that situation, but still very wary of level 1 to level 2 transition, it is a big jump and a lot of work to keep up with it. hopefully I have kept up, until I get my tmas back and marked I will not know for sure.
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 am much calmer about week 7 and the concept of equality.
I am also starting to see how pieces of the puzzle fit together and will start to input in ideology.
so much calmer this week, would not go as far as to say I am enjoying it, but not so many worry lines on my face this week-which is good because I do not have much face space left for many more worry lines...
I also have been watching the inside parliament programme on bbc 2. Very interesting and interesting to see how people like Jacob Reeces-Moog, the member for the eighteenth century, seem to avoid the moral complexities of political life by just focusing on the constitutional aspects and procedural aspects of parliament's activity.
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 I now have a tutor. with 2 days to spare.
I have spoken to him already about the step from level 1 to level 2.
His feedback was very reassuring, apparently it is a big step up, perhaps bigger from the step from level 2 to level 3. But it is a managed transition, so hopefully all will go well.
I am told the new system to book tutorials is now open and working, just heading off to book them now.
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.
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
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!
Third blog, third year of study, good things come in threes?
i have my books and the module is open so i have started to work my way through the study planner.
i would admit to having positive time management issues, i can never have enough time banked up in advance. so i hope to get and stay three weeks ahead of the study planer.
I have peeked at the first tma question and it seems very manageable, so hopefully i can start off this year of study in a good positive fashion.
So DD211 is off to a good start for me and lets hope it continues in that vein.
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?
Just finished the first of my three true or false statements on my TMA 01.
it took one and a half hours to write 169 words and the referances!
Guess that since i have not studied or attempted anything like this for 33 years, i was always going to be a bit slow.
Lets hope i speed up as the course gets going.
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