First essay

Well folks, I've written my first essay. I suppose it would be daft to stop now. I'm not sure of the protocol, but I probably can't go into the details of what I've written. Especially not whilst I wait for it to be marked. Suffice it to say, the experience is a new and interesting one. There aren't a lot of marks in it, but at this early stage it's all about getting attuned to the process. I have no doubt that essays will become more involved and difficult in future, but the process will be the same, whether it is for a 750 word assignment, or 7,500 words. Either way, I intend to see it out and get the best I can out of the experience. For all you folks looking for lofty debate on this entry, sorry, but it's all about the processes here. When I start on to consumerism I imagine that will fan the flames and no mistake. Until then, remember. It's never too late.

Last orders on week 2

In my entry entitled Week 2, Take 2, I wrote that I had one more part of of the study for this week to complete. I have just done so, and it comes under the strand "Ordered Lives".

This is a name which I feel would cause the most to think about, since we probably consider ourselves, for the most part, to be free.

Here comes the but. I took very little notes on this strand, compared to others. This is not because there is any less to consider, or that I am becoming to cocky to think that I need as many notes.

To quote Kurt Russel's character in Big Trouble in Little China, "It's all in the reflexes".

Why is this so? Simply put, we learn order from an early age, and it is reinforced in everyday life, to the extent that we hardly even notice that it is happening, rather than the effect of it.

Whilst watching the associated DVD, I noticed more of what is taken to be out of order more obviously than than what was not. Even as I type this, I am reminded of using the Tube on my only visit to London. Everyone on the escalators were standing to one side, patiently waiting to step of at the end. When I pointed it out to my friend, he remarked that it is how people in London do it. He could confidently say that, having been there far more often than I, but could not explain why.

So, tomorrow, as you go about your business, try to spot what people or environmental objects are doing to keep order. Who knows, it may even cheer up your day. If 7 million people in one of the world's biggest cities can fall into line, then what else can be achieved through learned behaviour, and is it necessarily a good thing?

Week 2, take 2 (first posted on OU 18/2/11)

I am almost at the end of the 2nd week (proper) of studies, having reset the clock last week. If last week taught me about reflection, this week has found me trying to learn how to relax and not worry about it so much. I have realised that last week's studies were as much about finding a routine, method and managing time as the were about the subject.

This week's activities have stretched me more, and at times when, taking notes, then carrying out written exercises, I have found myself doubting my work. Then, after reading on following the work carried out, I have found that I have actually been on or very close to what is being asked of me.

So, looking back over the first two weeks of my studies, I have learned not just about making and repairing society, or about Material, Connecte or Ordered Lives. I have been learning how to study, how to work, and how to prepare for the long haul of attaining a qualification. The next week, through planning, revision of my notes and expressing myself will teach me how to write for an effective assesment.

More on that will follow in the next 2 weeks.

Week 1, take 3 ( first posted on OU personal blog, 9/2/11)

I have just completed week one of my studies again. I say again, because I did manage to jump the gun in some style. It wasn't necessarily a case of wading in with the size 9s, or even over-inflated self belief. I was waiting for delivery of a lap top (which is excellent and set up perfectly for my studies), and upon receipt, I was able to go straight to my module homepage. The layout, and the information contained therein helped me realise why I had trouble linking the different resources together. Now that I have been following the calendar, I feel very confident that I not only have I chosen the subject that suits me best, but that I will see it out and come out with a good qualification. As you can see, I still don't have an over-inflated sense of self belief!

It is fair to say that I am already learning from my experiences of doing week 1 for the third time. The lesson is in something which is encouraged by the OU. The important activity of reflection. If I had not stopped to do this, then I would have tied myself up in knots trying to marry up resources which may or may not have had a bearing on the assesments (TMAs).

Because of this, I will not find myself doing week 1 for a fourth time.