Being a programmer who has used the same development environment since 1990, I have always tried to ignore new developments as being more work than life permits. Hence, I entered this course expecting to have trouble. However, I grasped the basic of Python fairly quickly,read the book on Pandas and thought that I had that licked. Then I met the first iCMA asking me things about databases that I thought I knew but couldn't grasp the course teams view on things - but I got a great mark, much to my surprise. This went on until I hit TMA 01 where I stalled. I turned round to my wife and said - "I have to do this so I am just going to put the time in until it is done." That worked and I got 72%.
I then got to iCMA 45 where the combination of Python/Pandas/MongoDB in the form that they supplied us in the notebooks left me thinking that I couldn't go on. Then I worked out that I only had to get 30% so I cleared that hurdle.
I was OK with Q1 in TMA-2 but Q2 and Q3 seemed to be unobtainable in any decent form. Then I worked out that I only had to "average" 40% on the two TMAs so 8% in TMA 02 would do. Suddenly, this looked doable and off I went. I refer back to my statement earlier about Q2 "I have to do this...". I had to bail out of my third visualisation and started Q3 thinking"I can't do...". Somehow, I have clobbered together sufficient to make it look as though I have put the time in.
I was unhappy with my understanding of the bat data - given everyone else's comments but, inside, I think that I am right. I did ask my tutor for some help but she came back with: "Sorry I can't help with this but if you explain your assumptions in the TMA I'm sure this can be taken into account ". I had assumed that this was going to happen so I submitted the TMA without waiting. With this comment, I rewrote a bit of Q2 to expand on my assumptions and re-submitted.
So, you can see that I have been on a roller coaster but, given my low expectations of TMA 02 (8% needed to pass), I think that I can relax a bit as there is only the EMA to go. The statistics look a bit daunting but we have an explanation as to how to approach the last two iCMAs against the code in the solution notebooks so maybe I can crawl my way through.
I have written this long explanation of my journey through the course which has been mostly downs rather than ups. I think that I will pass - just - but then, at my age, that is all I need to keep going. Amazingly, I have learned some new things - NoSQL databases being the biggie. I have the time for this as I am retired but I have no memories of doing a 60 credit course whilst holding down a job in the City as a trader and coming home to a family of 1 wife and 4 children - but I did do it, twice. I even managed a level 3 course in telecomms - lots of calculus in that one!
So, last word - don't give up now - we are all too close to finishing!
TMA (Tutor Marked Assignment) 02 Finished - Somehow
Being a programmer who has used the same development environment since 1990, I have always tried to ignore new developments as being more work than life permits. Hence, I entered this course expecting to have trouble. However, I grasped the basic of Python fairly quickly,read the book on Pandas and thought that I had that licked. Then I met the first iCMA asking me things about databases that I thought I knew but couldn't grasp the course teams view on things - but I got a great mark, much to my surprise. This went on until I hit TMA 01 where I stalled. I turned round to my wife and said - "I have to do this so I am just going to put the time in until it is done." That worked and I got 72%.
I then got to iCMA 45 where the combination of Python/Pandas/MongoDB in the form that they supplied us in the notebooks left me thinking that I couldn't go on. Then I worked out that I only had to get 30% so I cleared that hurdle.
I was OK with Q1 in TMA-2 but Q2 and Q3 seemed to be unobtainable in any decent form. Then I worked out that I only had to "average" 40% on the two TMAs so 8% in TMA 02 would do. Suddenly, this looked doable and off I went. I refer back to my statement earlier about Q2 "I have to do this...". I had to bail out of my third visualisation and started Q3 thinking"I can't do...". Somehow, I have clobbered together sufficient to make it look as though I have put the time in.
I was unhappy with my understanding of the bat data - given everyone else's comments but, inside, I think that I am right. I did ask my tutor for some help but she came back with: "Sorry I can't help with this but if you explain your assumptions in the TMA I'm sure this can be taken into account ". I had assumed that this was going to happen so I submitted the TMA without waiting. With this comment, I rewrote a bit of Q2 to expand on my assumptions and re-submitted.
So, you can see that I have been on a roller coaster but, given my low expectations of TMA 02 (8% needed to pass), I think that I can relax a bit as there is only the EMA to go. The statistics look a bit daunting but we have an explanation as to how to approach the last two iCMAs against the code in the solution notebooks so maybe I can crawl my way through.
I have written this long explanation of my journey through the course which has been mostly downs rather than ups. I think that I will pass - just - but then, at my age, that is all I need to keep going. Amazingly, I have learned some new things - NoSQL databases being the biggie. I have the time for this as I am retired but I have no memories of doing a 60 credit course whilst holding down a job in the City as a trader and coming home to a family of 1 wife and 4 children - but I did do it, twice. I even managed a level 3 course in telecomms - lots of calculus in that one!
So, last word - don't give up now - we are all too close to finishing!