All change!

Drugs and the Brain is now finished and (I think!) I somehow managed to end up with >90%! I await certificate! I dumped two courses last week. The nutrition course wanted too much work - all sorts of food diaries and mind maps, as well as quizzes etc. I took me 3 hours on day 1 to figure out the food diary website and find an American equivalent to a Cadbury's Mini Roll! The other course was the 'Science - superhero' one, which I think would have bored me silly as it was concerned with how we see science from the outside in - ie for people who have never really studied science at all. So now I am enrolled on the 'The Modern World: Global History since 1760' and 'Introduction to Philosophy'. Husband is most amused about the history, because he knows it's the subject I've spent a lifetime avoiding! But I am enjoying it!

That's it :(

Today was the last day possible to register for an OU course which would keep my Transitional Arrangement payments alive. I've lapsed. So I will no longer be studying with the OU. This was a decision I didn't take lightly. But WHY would I need a third bachelor's degree, so why would I pay to take courses I didn't need? Gone are the old days of dabbling around with courses when you felt like it - the pressure with TA fees was too constricting, and I didn't like it. Fees for students are now ridiculous, especially now, with the OU as they have decided that courses will now be online only. WHAT NO WONDERFUL OU BOOKS? Forget it! Also, there's a load of kerfluffle on applying for OUSBA loans. It's all become far too 'business' orientated and, quite frankly, it doesn't taste all that good. I shall miss the OU a great deal, but it is time to move on.

So, what have I been doing and what do I intend to spend my time doing in the future? Well, I'm studying free courses with Coursera. OK, no books (apart from those you choose to buy) - but who minds that if the course is free? And, so far, the courses have been brilliant. I didn't complete the Fantasy course (forget why!), but intend to retake it another time. But I did complete the Greek and Roman Mytholody course, presented by Penn University - and it was amazingly good, with a wonderful tutor, Peter Struck, and fabulous video lectures. I never thought I would read the Odyssey! I got a certificate - and I received 97.5% and a distinction!!

I'm currently finishing off CalTech's 'Drugs and the Brain', which is REALLY HARD - all that neuroscience! But it is interesting, and I am managing to get half decent scores with the quizzes, so I might yet get a certificate! I will update this blog when I start the next course.

Apart from the Coursera courses, I have been planning a holiday to Crete (and, hopefully, Santorini) and also have written another novel (NaNo again!).



I wrote a fairly unsensible kind of sci fi thingie, called 'The Blips', which I might change to simply 'Blips' when I get it published for real - lol! I did get a few copies of the first draft printed and sent to friends and relatives, and have received little feedback (apart from that one friend said she loved it!), but will carry on editing regardless.

Oh, and I am dabbling with mapping Mars!

All for now. HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all.

Fantasy!

Having returned some weeks ago from Florida (hot, humid, thunderstorms, mozzies ... all as expected!) I was feeling a bit bored. I've registered for the OU's Human Biology course from October (cheap fees on TA) and have already bought and read the first book (LOTS of big words!) and, although I've been reading a whole load of Peter James books (love them!) and spending time planning for my friend's visit from Canada - I still felt a bit 'empty'. There's plenty of housework and cooking and stuff - but that's just as boring as doing nothing, imho - so, I bit a shiny bullet and enrolled on a free course offered by Coursera, from the University of Michigan: Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind, Our Modern World. I'm doing a blog for this course, so that I can get all the details of timings sorted. Goodness only knows how I'm going to fit in all that reading!

Struggling

How come I can build my own PC, but have extreme problems replacing the Ctrl key on the laptop? The cat jumped up and dislodged and destroyed the key - and I ordered a replacement (from Lithuania!), but I struggled for an hour to get the damned thing on!

Winter!

HATE, HATE, HATE it! And everything seems to have gone wrong! We had a flood in the bathroom, so had to buy new flooring. I then left the tap on (senility) and re-flooded the new floor and drips came through the ceiling onto my laptop! Then some thugs threw a stone at our window late at night and broke it - so more money for new window. All this IS of course, covered by home insurance - but home insurance is worthless when there's a £100 excess! I can happily report that my laptop is 'better' if not totally cured (ie the water marks on screen are hardly visible now). The car now won't start - glow plugs or something! And I've had tennis elbow for the last 3 weeks and have been feeling very miserable. At least there are daffodils coming into bud.
So, because our overdraft was already looking dismal before all this extra spending, I've had to withdraw from AA100. I'm hoping to keep the Transitional fees arrangement thingie active by doing the science shorty S176: Living without oil: chemistry for a sustainable future - the book arrived today and I'm going to snuggle up with it this afternoon. I also need to thoroughly edit my novel (!!) - it's had favourable feedback from friends and family, so perhaps there's some life in it - but it does (IMO) need a LOT of work! I've also been following one of the free Open Yale courses - this one on American Literature since 1945. Great stuff! I've read half the books, but am now taking a break to get on with other stuff. I've got a blog on here.
Despite our financial shortcomings, the trip to Florida in June is going ahead, although I've changed some of the accommodation to try to save some money. We fly to Tampa, stay overnight - 3 nights in Kissimmee in a house rental (with pool), intending to visit Kennedy Space Center and St Augustine from there (NO DISNEY!) - 2 nights on the Florida Keys - 2 nights Miami - and 5 nights in a house rental (with pool!) in Bradenton near Anna Maria Island and St Petersburg. Looking forward to it - though not looking forward to the heat and humidity!
Our Canadian friend is coming to stay in September! REALLY looking forward to seeing her again and showing her the sights of Devon and Cornwall!

Archaeology

I passed SA188. I'd actually forgotten about it!

RIP Gary Speed

Deeply shocked by this news - and deeply saddened that there was seemingly nothing that anybody could do to alleviate his pain.

Declared a winner!

Have printed out my certificate and had copies of my novel printed ready for distribution! :)

NaNoWriMo ...

I've signed up to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to write a 50000 word novel in 30 days ... haha! So there is a new blog - click HERE:



Oh and I finished SA188, the archaeology course - it didn't inspire me to want to continue with the subject. And I've changed the BSc Environmental Studies to BSc Natural Sciences, which will save me having to do U216, which I really didn't want to do ...

Shingles!

I've been feeling lousy over the last couple of weeks. Thought I had a bad reaction to hair colourant - but turns out it was shingles! So tired ...

This one's for Hilma!

Finally, the OU phoned me with my honours classification and I now have a BA (Hons) First-Class! I'm dedicating it to Hilma Miles, who sadly died in the Himalayas a few years back. She was aiming for a first, because she said she deserved it (!!) - but, she never got to finish - so, Hilma - this one's for you!

Still waiting for honours!

I (finally) got the result of EA300 and was delighted and surprised to get 88% for the ECA - so I got my grade 2 (it would've been a distinction on any other course - but EA300 are a bit mean - one student got 99% for her ECA and still *only* a grade 2). Still waiting for confirmation of the classification though, because the (only!) lady who works them out is on holiday!

I've decided to cancel A330, with some regret. Have signed up for a short course in Archaeology (SA188), starting 1 September - and a 30-pointer Analytical science course (S224) which starts in February. That should keep me busy!

Living in hope ...

... of some sunshine! They promised some today - but it's dark and drizzly. We've hardly seen the sun since we got back from Greece, over 2 weeks ago. So miserable has it been (and I've felt) that I'm already deep into booking a trip for next year! We've booked a villa for a week in Naples, Florida - and plan to fly to Miami and take in the Keys for the first week. Of course, it rains in Florida in June! I just need to get my money's worth out of my white shorts!

And there is another hope ... hope that I get a grade 2 for EA300. Results are just over 2 weeks away ... I need a grade 2 for a First Class honours (I think!) I got an average of 80% for the coursework (80, 72, 71, 89, 91, 79) - so I just need >70% for the ECA - but I have my doubts that the essay (on Gaiman's 'Graveyard Book') is good enough. But it doesn't matter too much. Meantime, I thought I'd register for A330 - Myth in the Greek and Roman Worlds. I bought all the set books (plus some more) - and I expected 'history'. I'm not a big fan of history, but I'd sworn never to touch literature again. And guess what the course is mainly about? I'm about to unregister, as I can't justify spending £700 on a course I'll no doubt hate.
*EDIT* Except that I want to do something! So I signed the DD. What's more, the OU today announced THUNDEROUSLY huge increased fees for new students. The end of studying is nigh.

Love/hate relationship

I'm hating the essay-writing of EA300. I don't mind writing essays, but my writing of these is shallow. I'm scared that I haven't written them as they should be written - but I also acknowledge that it doesn't matter one jot! The most important thing is that I'm enjoying the learning.

Tomorrow is the cut-off date for TMA01, which was the essay I wrote some weeks ago on Little Red Riding Hood and which I've almost forgotten. It won't be long now until I'll have to face the marks! I hope our tutor will be a quick marker - although she isn't very visible at the moment.

I've *more-or-less* done TMA02 as well, even though it's not due for another month. It's a bit lonely getting ahead as I do - you miss out on all the 'fun' of racing to the deadline. But I can't do it any other way. My TMA02 essay is on Little Women and Treasure Island - on 'social control'. I couldn't give a fig about the social control aspect, to be honest, but I've become totally fascinated by Miss Alcott. I think I've neglected the actual book and written my essay mainly on her - which is a mistake and a half which I'll probably regret (it doesn't matter a jot). RL Stevenson I find interesting, though much less fascinating - and I fear that he and his book have less than 50% of my essay!

Anyway, in preparation for block 3, which is on poetry and Peter Pan, I'll probably make myself watch 'Finding Neverland' again, which will be a right drag having to watch JD for a whole couple of hours! :) My neighbour has met him (JD) as she's an extra in the new PotC film. She says he's 'bloody gorgeous', even though he chains smokes (tut).

It's not been a bad day for me. Decent weather, decent company, a bit of studying, a bit of tidying, iced buns. But my thoughts, today, are with my dear friend in Canada, who will be having not the best of days at all.

Plugging away

The weirdness metamorphism is almost complete, I fear. I've become emotionally involved with Little Women and felt sad today when I discovered RL Stephenson died at the age of only 44.

I've done TMA01 (more-or-less) and the course hasn't started yet! It's a 2000-word essay on Little Red Riding Hood ...

I'm actually enjoying it - it's really interesting. And I now have a tutor, although am unlikely to attend any tutorials - one of them is in Taunton!

A change is as good ...

Feeling awfully down right now, so I thought I'd change the design of my blog - but I don't like it! And, in the process of changing it, I've lost half the STUFF I had on here! But it sure is the right colour!

Almost completely wierd

Much to my amazement, I got a distinction for A363. And I now have a Bachelor of Arts degree! Just about to start EA300 - Childrens' Literature - to try to get the honours bit. Then I'll be truly wierd. I'm going to try hard to do well, but don't hold out too much hope. I'm going to also try to keep this blog more up-to-date.

Other things: We are surviving the Gay Cowboy government and have recently returned from a 3-week trip to the USA - photos are up on Flickr somewhere. I have to go for an ultra-sound scan on my gallbladder in a couple weeks time - and am waiting for an appointment for an endoscope examination - can't wait. But Ruby is thriving and more beautiful with every passing day!

Thought for Today

Times Online

No further comment.

Nearly done

On the home straight now with A363, thank goodness. I truly think that creative writing can't be taught. My last effort, 'Hot Tub' went down well with my tutor - so I'm hoping that my ECA will also be ok. It's a totally different type of story to my usual though - a bit of a historical romp into the life of a Navajo.

I don't know what to do next. Maybe, I should continue and add the Hons to the BA, which I should get after this course (fingers crossed) - but I've little enthusiasm for continuing on the 'dark side'. I'd like to do the MSc in Earth Science, but the money aspect frightens me.

Meantime, I'm doing the NaPoWriMo thingie - a poem a day for April. Considering I've avoided poetry completely with A363, this is a challenge! No, not really a challenge, as I'm not taking it seriously and might not even complete it! The rubbish is on here. Laugh if you want. I do!

Waiting ....

Ruby's been poorly this week. Two visits to the vet - high temperature - 2 antiobiotic injections - 1 anti-emetic injection. But now she's better! :)