Will I stick with it?

Well the end of January is upon us already! I now have my exam dates and am attempting to be organized for perhaps the first time in my life!! I am usually the person who leaves it all until the end of May and panic thinking they are only 2 weeks away. I am determined to not do this again this year!! I have started working on another chapter of my A219 module about the Roman Republic and have used this as a good excuse to get the felt tip pens out and begin making some colourful revision posters as I go along… I wonder how long this will last!! I must admit I am starting to go into stress and panic mode now in regards to my Latin exam… I know I have until June but there is so much to memorise that I am starting to think I may have bitten off a rather large challenge!! The best I can do is memorise as much as possible so that I have a big enough repertoire of vocabulary that I may just manage it. I have also taken to visiting the local library and burrowing some of the additional reads recommended in my OU course book with the hope that things may stick more if I read around the topic, not to mention that the library is free as opposed to buying books I may never read again!!

I have done well and been organised for a week now… how much longer will I stick to it??

Catch up

Well the festive season is over and it is now time to tackle more assignment deadlines! I have assignments due within a week of each other for both my modules and then a computer marked assignment the week after that, so no gentle start to the new year! I now know my exam dates too so my mind is starting to wander on to revision timetables and ideas. The next few months will be busy busy as I start to attempt to get organised and learn enough for the exams as well as stay on top of the work  assignments. I hope you found time to relax over Christmas and that this new year fulfills your expectations!

Keep your eyes peeled I shall no doubt be back soon!

Well it is almost Christmas… how this year has flown past. I have just finished studying a section of my A219 Exploring the Classical World module on the Parthenon in Athens. I looked at the brief history behind it and then moved on to the architectural side of things where I had to compare different types of temple design. This acted as background for the layout of the Parthenon and I moved on to the detailed sculptures that decorated it. The Parthenon Frieze was the main focus of the in depth study. Bits of this can be seen in the British Museum in London. I think it is quite incredible how in the 440′s/430′s BC they managed to complete such a large and detailed structure in just 15 years. I am hoping that today I can make a start on the next section which is Thucydides’ Funeral Speech for Pericles. I am also in the process of Latin translations and grammar for my A297 Reading Latin module so its all very busy busy busy at the moment. I am lucky though that my next assignments are not due until middle to end of January so hopefully they can be at least planned and started over Christmas.

It is very dark and wet and windy here today which makes me glad that I study from home as I will not need to leave the house and be battered by the stormy weather!!!

Well no snow has yet to fall in Devon… A snow day this week would fit in rather nicely. I have been ever so busy with assignment deadlines as well as the 101 other things going on outside of my studies. I am now finding some time to begin the game of catch up as I have managed to fall a bit behind with both my blogging and my work! Yesterday I began work on block 2 part 2 of my A219 module. This section analyses the Parthenon Frieze and sculptures so the majority of work is based around photos and images. So far I have started on the background and context of the Parthenon but will move on to the Frieze itself later today. I also have to try and fit in a Latin translation this week, which is the beauty of doing two modules at once. I have also been very busy getting involved with the reopening of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter which opens on December 15th. As you can imagine things have been a little manic but I am now getting organized this week.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week, Christmas will soon be upon us!

the long silence…

I just thought I would do a quick post to apologize for my lack of addition to my blog recently. I have been stressing over assignment deadlines (which are always stressful times!!) and have had quite a hectic couple of weeks. Hopefully I will be back to blogging more often soon but for now I shall be quietly whizzing around. My assignments are done and sent so hopefully after the hubbub has died down this weekend I should be able to give you all some more love and attention! Enjoy your weekend and watch this space…

Is the Open University right for you?

The Open University may not be the right path for everyone. I am going to briefly outline what the OU aim to do and hopefully give you some idea of what its all about. The main aim for the OU is in the name. The Open University. They aim to be open to everyone who wants to study at higher education. As stated on their website:

“The OU’s mission is to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.”

Whether you are retired and looking for something to occupy your brain and time, or a parent working full time but want to expand your knowledge, or a young student like myself who is looking for another way to achieve their life goals, the OU has the support networks in place that you need to manage your time and juggle your studies around your life. I consider myself lucky in that many students I have met through the OU are juggling full time work, families and their studies, where as I do not have many outside commitments. The Open University is aware that as a distance learner, you have other commitments in your life that can impact your study time.

Another important factor to consider is that when studying with the OU, you are a distance learner. Most of your learning is done at home with books, DVDs, CDs and the internet. This can make studying hard if motivation is something you find challenging. However you have a tutor, online forums and the OU learner support team so you are definitely not alone. These are all in place to help you as a learner to have the support you need and make your studies right for you. Tutorials are optional, if you cant make it then tutors are usually flexible in sending on any notes. The online forums are another optional tool for students to get together to discuss ideas, or to ask questions and have the support of others in similar situations to you. The learner support team are at the end of the phone to talk you through any problems you may encounter or as general encouragement if you want someone to talk to.

This is a very brief explanation of some elements of the OU. I hope you have found it useful but if you would like some more information, their website is below.

http://www8.open.ac.uk/about/main/the-ou-explained

Welcome!

Hi,

I would like to welcome you to my first ever blog. I hope you will find what I have to say interesting and that you enjoy reading it. As you will learn from my About page, I am in my second year of study with the Open University. I am hoping to follow up this post with a few more telling you what it is like to be a young student with the Open University, as well as give you some thoughts on my first two modules that I completed in June this year. Then I will hopefully be into the swing of things and be able to tell you more about what I am studying now, how I am finding it and no doubt stress over upcoming assignment deadlines!

I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

Best wishes,

Aimi