Right, support group for the slow of brain returning to study/OU scaryness.

[lostinwales]

I know there are a few of us who are returning to education in the near future. I thought it would be nice for us to have a space to be terrified together, get a few ideas and lots of support. If there are some of you out there who have been here in the past and made it through your advice would be very welcome.

So, I start OU course MU123 (maths) in February with a hope of eventually completing an IT based degree in the next 5 or so years, anyone else?

Good, you are still alive and can write in a coherent manner, I will take that as something positive! I know of at least one other MN'er who is starting the same time as me, hopefully we can find a spot to moan together about coursework. What courses have you done? Have you got/are getting a degree, or are you just enjoying exercising your brain?

I think I'm going to have to proclaim you our inspiration and mascot as well as fount of all wisdom! I'll bump this again in the morning and link it to a couple of FB MN'ers who I know have finished their degrees and hopefully we'll have a home.

Hi!!! It's me, doing MU123 too. At last we can get our italicising and bolding, not to mention the smileys (I miss them more than anything else on FB!). I had to stop playing on FB to watch Zen, so I didn't get your msg until just now.

I'm just about to start a session on Maths Help - I've got to Power Notation and sussed out last night how to get my calculator to use higher powers than squares and cubes - took about an hour to find the tiny weeny little button, which was hidden in a cupboard in someone else's house iyswim!

Congrats Prolesworth. We poor beginners bow down in awe. [I am not worthy, I am not worthy]

Hey you can't start studying yet, that's cheating! I haven't even got my calculator. I think that will be today's plan, get calculator and pens and stuff like that, then go on maths help in the morning. DH has offered me his calculator from when he sat his A levels but as that was a considerable time ago (over 20 years ) I think I'll treat myself to a new one.

Am I going to need a file etc? I obviously can't sit here and do it all on the computer can I?

Be afraid, be very afraid.

You will become addicted.

But there are more expensive and less worthwhile addictions to have!

I will take addiction to learning over my recently conquered addiction to planting and harvesting crops that never really existed!

Jux what are you planning to do once we have sailed through our maths courses?

Once I have sailed through this course I have no idea.

You're going to do something in IT I think?

Missed your other post.

You will need a notebook and some graph paper, a calculator. Presumably pens, but I'm happy with my old bics and some scrubby bits of pencil that dd isn't using any more. Rulers and geometry stuff, I think but I'll have to check.

Got to go out now, but I'll be back.

Graph paper, how exciting! I'll have to have my own pencil case as DH is just as bad as the boys for 'borrowing' pens and stuff from me and taking them into school where I never see them again. In fact he's even 'borrowed' some of my kitchen equipment and laundry tubs. I went into his classroom the other day and recognised quite a lot of things I'd accused the DS's of moving!

I'm waiting for a delivery (replacement iPhone yipee) and I'm deaf in one ear so I'm sitting here messing about on the computer as I won't hear the door otherwise. Dh will be back at lunchtime so I'll leave him to wait and go and buy my 'back to school ' kit then.

Am back. This is what the Guide says you will need:

Relevant MU123 texts
Easy access to a computer + internet
A4 paper, occasionally graph paper
Pens, ruler, sharp pencil for graph work - ain't got no sharp ones!!
Handbook
Guide
Basic scientific calculator
DVD player if you haven't got one on your computer

They reckon the average student will need 8hrs a week study for this course.

I am trying to think of a reason why I really need to buy an iPad to do this cours.e I do, don't I?

I have basic geometry stuff because I like it, but it doesn't look like I'll need it; shame.

Oh no not an iPad, at least a macbook if not mac book pro. I'm trying to reason that I need an iMac if I'm going to do a computer course!

You do! You most definitely do

I only need an iPad because I have a massive computer/screen, but there's not room at the desk for paper, reference books etc as well. So I need a little iPad (on which I can read books too - only incidental you understand, honestly) which can easily be transferred between kitchen table, lap, sofa, bed etc.

Hello :)

I'm just about to start M248 (analysing data) which I'm not terribly excited about but it's compulsory in my degree 'mathematics in education'. Later this year I'm doing other courses 'developing algebraic thinking' and 'developing statistical thinking' for which I need to volunteer in a school. Exciting but scary!

I've previously done DD100 (introducing social science), and maths courses MST121, MS221 and M208. Also did virtually all of MST209 but unfortunately need to redo it next year :(

My exam was in October (2 marks off a distinction ) it's going to be hard getting back into it.

Yay, someone who is good at maths on the thread. . My maths course has just arrived with a complimentary set of stomach butterflies when I realised how much work it was! DH has had a look at it (he's a teacher) and declared it's the same as the old 'O' level style course. PANIC!

I will hopefully be starting TU100 (My Digital life) as a starter towards Computing and IT BSc, possibly with the opportunity to add Psychology as a second subject if I get the hang of this learning lark. I already have BSc (Hons) in Diagnostic Radiography, but that was when I was young and thought everything was easy! (and didn't have three DS's to distract me, only their father )

Please tell me they don't take the marks from this course toward the overall degree classification, eeeek!

Oh and I second your at two points off distinction.

What level is your maths course LIW? If it's openings or level 1, the grade doesn't count - all you need is to pass.

My exam was in October (2 marks off a distinction ) it's going to be hard getting back into it.

Ooh I was the same HAHNJ - got 99% on the course work but 83% on the exam (MS221) so missed the distinction. My family (except dh who has studied OU too) couldn't get why I was disappointed. Can't say it has left me motivated for this year either.

Have in the past done a Diploma in Criminology and a BA in Social Policy via OU. Am now doing a Maths degree. Did MST121 and MS221 last year. Am just starting M208.

Find Maths courses have a heavier workload but definitely easier TMA's. It is so hard to draw a line under essays and say that's my best I'll send it off.

To those just starting off my tip is to make use of the OU forums. And if you have a handbook that you are allowed to take into the exam don't forget it. I once forgot something in an exam but was still able to do half of it and scraped a pass, bloke next to me in Oct forgot his handbook and was virtually in tears throughout the exam!

Hello!! Agree with LIW that it's great to have people on this thread who have done maths [heaves a great sigh of relief]. Welcome both of you.

How utterly infuriating to be just a couple of marks off a distinction, very demoralising. Those guys will be the first with their backs against the wall when we're all over-qualified and take over the world mwah ha ha ha

BTW, MacBooks are laptops aren't they? I just want something quite little physically (but LARGE inside )

In truth I want an iPad, iPhone and a Kindle just because they're all so lovely. Once I understand numbers a bit better I'll do a physics course, invent a time machine and then I shall win the lottery.

I have an iPhone (thank you lovely delivery man), want a iPad, mac book pro for the lounge and iMac for the study, it's not much to ask is it? To call a mac book pro a laptop is underestimating it , 'tis a thing of beauty!

Thank you HaveaHappy, it's a level one so all I have to do is pass, phew.

Hello itsstillgood, wow you are turning into a serial studier! Good to know it's enjoyable enough for that. Exams!!!! I wasn't thinking about those yet, I'll be terrified.

Right I'm off to the kitchen table my zen like studying place to write my name in my new file in my best handwriting and play with my new scientific calculator.

Same - got 97% in coursework for M208 but feel like I have less to show for it because of the exam. I would have been happier getting a bit less in a way - the questions just didn't go my way and at the time and I figured I'd got about 70 - but to be SO close is very frustrating

Definitely agree about the forum, I didn't discover it until too late so I'll definitely use it this time. If I can tear myself away from MNing that is...

Can I join in? I am an OU student too. Currently studying DD101 and starting AA100 too in Feb... previously done E243 Inclusive Education.

Love studying this way although it is very difficult isn't it. Just keep trying to see the end.

jux I would recommend a kindle, I have one and my main justification is that all of the big heavy books I need for my courses can simply be saved to my computer and then emailled to kindle instantly and then I have them all wherever I go. It is a bit fiddly and not ideal for all the time use as the screen is quite small but I hate lugging round my big copies all the time.

I have aTMA due this week that er, isn't actually done yet. I'll get there though- always been a last minute wonder me