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Louise Cromie

DE100 Week 4

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So that went in fast!  Not helped by being stuck in bed for two weeks with a nasty cold (not covid!!).

However been a very successful weekend.  Managed to turn 45 (hey! That's an achievement for someone who was literally dying in resus and intensive care 3 years ago!) AND also managed to complete and submit TMA01 ahead of schedule.

I'm an finding out so many things on this course.  Firstly, I think i much prefer subjects with a definite answer... like maths or even chemistry!  These subjects that are open to interpretation seem to get a lot of people very... emotional!  And boy is that shown on the forum boards!  

Also heard that my DSA application has been endorsed and I am just awaiting assessment now.  

Looking forward to the next part of the course.  

Stay safe all!

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Louise Cromie

DE100 Week one!

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Well I have completed everything for week one and even had a sneaky peek at next weeks work and have to say had a giggle at the Army Alpha and Beta testing as I remember doing very similar tests when I was joining the RAF (they determined what trades you could go into and the only two I wasn't suitable for was Fire Section and RAF Regiment - But that was because of my gender! Incidentally the first two RAF Regiment female officers are now operational! well done ladies!)

Found getting stuck into the text book quite hard, but once I started I found it not too bad.  I have some written notes but one thing I noted from SDK100 is that on days when my manual dexterity is poor my writing isn't very clear so I am trying to use OneNote to keep notes and for the activities so I can at least go back and reference my work if I need to.

Hoping my DSA assessment is sorted soon as I am really struggling with my chair and desk setup.  Although I am taking regular breaks and pacing I am noticing pain flare-ups whenever I have been studying.  The joy os chronic pain!

The first of out online lectures start this week and its about adobe connect.  Although we used it in SDK100 I am still going to attend as there may be additional functionality they wish to use during this course.

Dreading trying to get studying done next week when the schools are off but i will just need to factor in the time.  Not to mention I am getting my flu vaccine next week and it usually knocks me for six!

One big plus is my Dummy TMA has been submitted so hopefully my Tutor will be happy with it.

Well its now 03:35 and I've been at this since midnight so time to top up the pain killers and try for sleep as I have volunteering tomorrow morning with the pain team.

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Louise Cromie

Tutorials booked!

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Well I have booked on all my tutorials now and added them to my diary which is now populated with a colour coded system to help me keep track of chapters and assignments!

The first couple of weeks are at least from the same book, but thereafter its two books and it switches focus every week.  I'm glad i put the work in now to get it all set up as it was lengthy but it has also given me a chance to see how much the flow of this module differs from SDK100.  If I hadn't spent the time getting to grips with it then I think that I would have really struggled.

Joy of joys however, I managed to wreck the headphone jack on my headphones!  Must remember to order a new pair from amazon tomorrow after I've done some more work to get the study organised.  Not much has been accomplished this week at all as I've a stinker of a cold, and with my autoimmune conditions I'm now ever so  slightly run down.

Busy personal week this week but i do wan to fit in some time to go over Chapter One on the course work.  I have completed my Dummy TMA so I am all ready to submit that.

So the countdown is on.   Five more days and DE100 officially starts. 

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Louise Cromie

Confidence Sideswiped

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Edited by Louise Cromie, Monday, 28 Sep 2020, 01:28
There are loads of students on the DE100 forum, loads in Scotland and the groups are massive.  Having just come from a course where we couldn’t meet face to face, those of us with the same tutor used WhatsApp as a way to connect, motivate each other, and generally get bit of the student experience.

Moving on to DE100, there is a MASSIVE WhatsApp group already, and when we all got our tutors today folks started breaking off to form a group for their tutor group.  So I did too, and shared it on the forum so maybe those of us with the same tutor could connect in the same way we had on SDK100.  I didn’t bargain on my tutor not being happy with this and deleting my post and emailing me advising we have to speak to them if we have a problem not each other. 

No questions as to what the group was for (motivating each other, discussing student life etc) just a ‘I don’t want it so don’t do it’ feel to it.  I’m pretty isolated.  I don’t get out.  I’m pretty much at home as long a covid is a threat.  Now thanks to this email from my tutor I feel even more isolated and really not looking forward to this course now.  Enthusiasm has been replaced with this horrible feeling of not being allowed to socialise with my fellow students. I’ve emailed her to apologise but just feel so downhearted and teary.

What’s the actual point.... 😢

ETA: So my tutor has reached out and has suggested other ways to connect with students (most of which i had already done, but still they came back to me.)  I'm going to try to give it a go.  Lets face it, there are worse things happening in the world right now.

Thank you for the lovely comments. I would always go to my tutor for support with subject matter (and encourage fellow students to as well).
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Louise Cromie

Shiny Happy People...

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Edited by Louise Cromie, Friday, 18 Sep 2020, 07:33

Well... That was fast!  It just feels like yesterday when I decided to study SDK100 and now I'm bursting with new knowledge, friendships and a realisation that maybe I can ACTUALLY do this... thought the EMA results might tell a different story!

So I have decided I am going to *try* thoughtful to keep a blog throughout my DE100 journey.  I'm going to mostly focus on the course but might throw in the odd home life bit like I'm currently re-watching 'The Handmaids Tale' (loved the book years ago and the sequel was ok too.  I think they managed a great job on the TV series!) and my current pain levels are at the crying in shower stage to hide it from everyone.  I've had so many flare-ups since lockdown but that's to be expected.

What have I learned from SDK100... hmm. Having a dedicated study space makes a HUGE difference.  I'm still working on getting everything just so but i will keep plodding away.  If I manage to continue at the rate I am going my study should be completely finished just as my degree is tongueout .  One lovely thing about my Study is that I'm going to try to create space for an art studio area for the eldest of my twins so we can work alongside each other.  I do see the choice in background music being an issue though (I was listening to R.E.M. the other day and they were not impressed surprise ) but we do both have a eye kept on us by my little plant which has been christened 'Weego' which I have now had for 4 weeks and haven't killed yet! 

I am finding I am doing a lot of study through the night when the painsomnia monster strikes, but I always did my best work at night years ago when I studied computer science.  (though i really need a decent chair.  The computer chair I have is not good at all)

At the moment I am just trying to get to grips with the differences in both modules, from the way we work though the subject material to finding the best way to take notes.  It was easy on SDK100.  There were 8 different health and science topics, and though they did have aspects that crossed over, each topic built on the last so I kept my notes as per topic.  This time however the textbooks are very interwoven.  Do I use a notebook for each text book, use one notebook and just make sure everything is clear... not sure yet.  Watch this space!

At least now I have my diary and planner sorted, my desk space sorted, I've even completed my Dummy TMA!  I am thrilled that some of the SDK100 students from the one face to face tutorial (back before the Covid-19 pandemic hit) are also doing this course and it would be wonderful if some of us were in the same tutor group but I'm also looking forward to making new friends.

I think that is it for just now.  Time for more painkillers and bed methinks. 

Blessed be the fruit loops! 

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