Page 12 | what are you doing that no one knows about

bingowings36 · 2023-04-05T17:34:44+00:00

(light hearted thread ) As the title says what are you doing or up to that no one knows about . I got my passport i told no one i was getting one as im planing a nice holiday by my self but will say im working away when the time comes .😁

Ridingfree · 06/04/2023 12:30

I got promoted to CEO of my company and haven't told anyone yet, still taking it in myself!

Ppbbwwt · 06/04/2023 12:55

@Tarkan thank you for your detailed post. I'm interested in Eng Lit with Creative Writing too and you've been very helpful x

Sillymummy295 · 06/04/2023 13:15

Wow you guys are doing amazing, this thread is inspiring.

bringincrazyback · 06/04/2023 13:24

BiscuitLover3678 · 06/04/2023 10:49

I keep getting adverts for that and they are so annoying! But now I’m curious

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Royal Match? Yeah, it's a similar-ish principle to Candy Crush (which I was also hooked on back in the day 😁) but different aesthetic.

Hanab · 06/04/2023 15:25

Congrats!

Hanab · 06/04/2023 15:27

Oops
congrats to the poster who is now a ceo

Ridingfree · 06/04/2023 15:42

@Hanab Thankyou - it was a shock and a very welcome one! I'll tell family over Easter weekend and get some bubbly to celebrate. May be my last long weekend off in while!

Tarkan · 06/04/2023 16:13

I'm glad I've been able to help those considering the English Lit and Creative Writing with the OU.

I still haven't written this darn essay. It was technically due in at midday but there's a grace period until midnight so it'll be in without being late at least. Even if I waffle just as much as I waffle on MN.

ToThineOwnSelfBe · 06/04/2023 16:56

I auditioned for and a got a role in a play at a theatre in the next town over. The role is small but required acting, singing and dancing. I don't have any friends who live down there and none of them are theatre-goers anyway, so there's no reason anyone should know except as we get closer to when the show opens rehearsals are taking up a lot more of my time! Going to have to get creative with my excuses for why I'm not available to meet up with people as much over the next six weeks. My DH knows because it impacts our family schedule pretty significantly, but hasn't breathed a word.

I did theatre all through school and uni and then jobs and kids and life got in the way. But I love it as much now as I did then (maybe more) and now need to figure out how to balance family and work and this going forward. Never really had a hobby before! It's also really fun to have something just for me that I don't need to explain or justify to anyone else.

Bellavida99 · 06/04/2023 18:24

iwantawisteriathisyear · 06/04/2023 09:32

I'm doing that. I started doing 15 minutes a day but enjoy it so much I'm now doing a couple of hours a day. I now have a 90 day streak. I was useless at languages at school, but this way seems so much easier.

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Wow well done you’re showing some dedication. I’m only doing about 15 mins a day but keep moving up the leagues which makes me feel good and like you I’m on a 94 day streak now.

ShinySquirrel · 06/04/2023 18:40

Growing mushrooms under our bed. The idea of them freaks DH out and I couldn't think of anywhere else to put them until the pins (tiny mushrooms) appear, where he wouldn't accidentally stumble across them. He never goes in those bed drawers so I'm safe.

If he ever finds out he's been sleeping on top of them he may never speak to me again. 😂

Buttalapasta · 06/04/2023 19:38

@ShinySquirrel Love it!!

Laiste · 06/04/2023 19:51

Loosing weight.

Low cal and low cardio.

I know from experience that no one really notices till i get to the stone/stone and a half off point. It's usually DH who notices first, when he feels a long lost hip bone or two during a tumble in bed😃

LotsofVikings · 06/04/2023 20:35

For everyone learning a language on this thread, I recommend Pimsleur (it's a subscription service.) The material is as old as the hills but it's brilliant for getting your pronunciation spot-on and uses spaced recall (or something along those lines, can't remember the proper term) to teach you to respond automatically to conversational prompts so you're not casting around for the words.

I'd start from the beginning even if your level is quite good (it's dry stuff but so effective) because the pronunciation/conversation aspect is so helpful, especially if you're learning without a native speaker to practice with. Im learning Korean and really started making progress once I started Pimsleur.

amberisola · 06/04/2023 21:30

Tarkan · 06/04/2023 11:17

I would definitely recommend adding the creative writing but I'm a bit biased as that side of things is the reason for my degree. I've recently fallen into editing, originally to help out a friend who self-publishes but I love doing it and figured finishing off my degree would really help out as it's expanded recently into helping another friend with stage and screenwriting, she had the possibility to work with the BBC so I was basically learning on the job with helping her type and edit her script so when that's something they do in the advanced creative writing I thought that would help me out with expanding my work and I might even have the chance to write my own things with contacts I make there too.

The first creative writing course I did way back in 2011 and that's the course I've made the most friends through.

I chose A335 over A334 (both are level 3) as I just thought the range of set books sounded more appealing to me but according to other people on the course A334 wasn't anything like this and was much better. Because I have to do the advanced creative writing as my other level 3 course it meant I had the choice of the two when people just doing English Lit had to do both, I do think adding creative writing gives you more opportunity to be picky with the other courses you do at level 2 and 3 since you have one writing course you have to do at each level.

My other courses were level 1 AA100 (the arts past and present) in 2008 which I don't think they do any more, then level 2 creative writing (A215) in 2011.

I had a long break until I decided to finish off my degree before it "timed out" (the two courses gave me a Cert HE but I have until October 2024 to complete enough courses to turn it into a degree).

So in 2020 I did A112 Cultures then in 2021 A233 Telling Stories: the novel and beyond. I really loved both of these courses although I'm actually getting better TMA results in A335 (literature in transition: from 1800 to the present) than I did in A233. We got the option to write our own fairy tale for one TMA in A233 and that's something I'd love to go back and tidy up and explore more later on too.

I decided to keep the advanced creative writing to last just because I was already in the mindset of academic writing and typing out references etc which I know we didn't have to do so much for A215 and it means I finish off the degree with a course I've been really looking forward to.

The choice can be confusing but any time there is a choice just look at the different courses they recommend and see which one speaks to you the most. If you already know and enjoy some of the novels or at least the authors mentioned then that definitely helps.

Is it A111 then A112 you're doing for level 1 at least? I got to choose between them when I needed another level 1 course when I restarted and I really loved A112 and surprised myself when I did well in the art history side of things as I was looking forward to that part the least.

The only thing I found with creative writing is that you do get a lot of egos around. The forums have changed since I did it but back then we were allowed to share our work and our scores with others and we caused so much chaos I think that's why the OU doesn't allow that to happen now. But we had people saying stuff like "I've published 5 novels, and I only got 65 and I know my tutor is unbelievably wrong, how did you get distinction for this piece of drivel compared to me?" I had it myself when we were sharing what we had done for the EMA (just our ideas, not the actual written pieces) and I literally said "I've written a reworking of Shakespeare's As You Like It set in a medieval fantasy setting instead" then described my plot. Someone (mansplained) to me that my plot was exactly the same as Shakespeare's As You Like It. 🤦🏻‍♀️ A lot of people slated me for it and said there was no way I would pass. Whoever marked my paper thankfully thought differently and I got a mark I was very happy with. I actually got really high marks for the idea despite what my fellow students said.

I did learn to avoid those people though, most people are lovely on it and I'm hoping since we can't share our work the same way now it'll curb some of the egos. Fingers crossed anyway.

And apologies because this is incredibly long now so I'll stop there.

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Thank you so much for sharing all that, incredibly helpful to know. I’m taking notes! It’s reassuring to hear that you took a break and went back to it as well as I suspect I might end up doing this...

I am doing A111 now and starting A112 in October - really looking forward to that, and I surprised myself by doing well in (and actually really liking) the art history bits as well! But my highest TMA score so far was for a creative writing one, which made me think again about adding it. Apparently I have until level 2 to decide.

😂 at the big creative writing egos - that is actually one thing that put me off the idea of a creative writing degree when I first registered. I have a friend who did a creative writing MA (at a brick uni) and she had so many stories about mansplaining and tantrums. Hopefully you’re right and all that’s been curbed by the changes... I’ve just had a quick look at the level 2 & 3 creative writing modules and they do sound great, the stage and screenwriting part sounds really exciting!

Do we have a board/thread for OU students on mumsnet? I don’t want to clutter up this one, but love talking about it! 🤓

Hawkins003 · 06/04/2023 21:33

I'm British intelligence, and when needed I assist other agencies from eg the five eyes, and some times our counterparts across the pond.

Ishouldbeoutside · 06/04/2023 21:38

Hawkins003 · 06/04/2023 21:33

I'm British intelligence, and when needed I assist other agencies from eg the five eyes, and some times our counterparts across the pond.

I do hope this is true!

Hawkins003 · 06/04/2023 21:44

Ishouldbeoutside · 06/04/2023 21:38

I do hope this is true!

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It's nice to say it like this, because people would assume that I was not telling the truth even if I was, so therefore it's safe to say here.

Ishouldbeoutside · 06/04/2023 21:49

Can you tell us more? Without giving away state secrets, obv.

Tarkan · 06/04/2023 21:53

Do we have a board/thread for OU students on mumsnet? I don’t want to clutter up this one, but love talking about it! 🤓

I would love that too. There might be something in the education section. Let me know if you find one, I should really get working on my essay again. I've thankfully had an extension of a few days granted for it now but I'm going to use that time for extra reading for it hopefully.

BellePeppa · 06/04/2023 22:05

Lostatsea10 · 06/04/2023 08:34

Under investigation for bowel cancer. Only DH knows and I’ve brushed it off as probably IBS anyway. It’s only my mum I’d normally tell anyway, but don’t want to worry my mum because she’s amazing and has enough on her plate.

I’m 36 with 2 DS’- 1 is 5 and the other 18 months. The 5 year old has ASD and I’m so needed by everyone it’s suffocating sometimes but I have to be here for my family. They all need me more than I can put into words and DH (and therefore the children) will crumble without me- I know I’m the one that holds this whole thing together.

I don’t want to have the conversation out loud because the ‘what if’s’ scare me too much, but I’m terrified.

I want to wish you lots of luck! I’ve had bowel cancer (I was 37), was very ill with it, became an emaciated stick but here I am many years later and even had healthy children since. 💐

BramleyAppleHotCrossBun · 06/04/2023 22:22

Having a huge mental health crisis with occasional suicidal ideation. I will not go through with this, I don’t need Samaritans links etc. It’s very situational and will pass, hence I know I will be OK. But I’m hiding just how much I’m struggling with my life recently from absolutely everyone. Mostly because if I verbalise just how much I feel like I’m screaming and dying inside already, I’ll have to face it properly myself.

I’m not ready for that yet. I need to get to the end point of the shit situation I find myself in first.

Hamsterrace · 06/04/2023 22:23

@blinkbonny I'm doing a Codeacademy course to become a full stack developer. I've also done 2 Code First Girls courses, one on web development and I'm just finishing the introduction to Javascript.

Code First Girls is a brilliant company. They offer free intro courses and they even do a nano degree course where they match you up with an employer at the end.

Noodlepoodle89 · 06/04/2023 22:23

BellePeppa · 06/04/2023 22:05

I want to wish you lots of luck! I’ve had bowel cancer (I was 37), was very ill with it, became an emaciated stick but here I am many years later and even had healthy children since. 💐

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Sorry yo hear this. I've had a crappy year of investigations too. October /November Sent down 2 week pathway for suspected liver/bowel with lots of symptoms. Had CT neck to groin and nothing found.
Now been to my GP today with possible lump and pain in breast so here I go again.
I've lost 2.5 stone in less than 6 months which is not normal for me at all.
I hope everything is OK for you and you get the all clear. I know how stressful it is. I too, only told my mum (who actually told everyone else 🙄 without a asking me). This time I'm not saying anything unless I get some kind of diagnosis.

Once the kids leave home (if they ever do of course) I'm planning to run away to a hot country and retire there.
I lived abroad alot before I had kids and I miss it.

I'm only 42 though and my youngest is only 9 so I've got a long time to plan it. 🤭

Noodlepoodle89 · 06/04/2023 22:45

BramleyAppleHotCrossBun · 06/04/2023 22:22

Having a huge mental health crisis with occasional suicidal ideation. I will not go through with this, I don’t need Samaritans links etc. It’s very situational and will pass, hence I know I will be OK. But I’m hiding just how much I’m struggling with my life recently from absolutely everyone. Mostly because if I verbalise just how much I feel like I’m screaming and dying inside already, I’ll have to face it properly myself.

I’m not ready for that yet. I need to get to the end point of the shit situation I find myself in first.

Very hard to do it alone isn't it?! Tbh even if I wanted to tell people sometimes, there's nobody that close to me who would understand. I'm a bit of a loner nowadays with working f/T and SP to 3.
I'm not in a MH crisis like you right now (have been there in past) but struggling with anxiety a lot atm with panic attacks probably brought on by health issues mentioned above.

There might not be anyone close to us who understands but somewhere there is,someone going through the same and they'll come out the other end like you saying 'I made it'. You know you will. 💐