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?

Hellooo TinyDiamond

What does TMA stand for?

Hey oh magnificent Tiny One er Diamon, sorry.

TMA is a Tutor Marked Assignment. You also get CMAs which Computer Marked Assignments.

I think we have a tutor but the details aren't going to be up for a week or so yet. They recommend that you contact your tutor as soon as you know who it is, by e-mail or phone.

I've been to my e-mail place-thing, and looked on the forums, but last week there was nothing. It'll probably get up and running in a week or so too.

(I forgot to mention that I've done a couple of courses with the OU before; Discovering Science and a very short course on human genetics, which I didn't finish because I was quite ill.)

Hi there. I'm doing AA100, my first 60 point course after a couple of 10 pointers. I love writing the TMAs once I get started but am terrible at putting off starting until the last minute. I seem to need the fear factor!

Hi, KateF. When I did my degree (not OU) I thought the only time students' bathrooms were clean was when an essay was due. For some reason, students (I myself was one of hte worst) would do ANYTHING to avoid starting writing an essay. I would eventually get going the evening before it was due in, finishing at around 3 or 4am. We all seem to be the same; why do we do it? It's idiotic.

I, too, loved writing them once I'd started. The really stupid thing is how we put off doing something we actually enjoy!

Have now found the procrastinators thread in Student Parents-my spiritual home . Am loving doing arts subjects as first time round I did medicine. Now I'm having to think and decide how I feel about things rather than regurgitate lists - I can almost feel my brain expanding. Only problem is it's all so interesting I just don't know which course to do next!

Morning all. Do you think I count as a student parent, that would make me feel a great deal younger! DH is doing an MA this year as well coupled with his teaching, so I'm back in student digs! He's in our other study kitchen starting his work. Whilst I am perched on the sofa with the laptop in an appropriate setting to learn. Glad I'm doing maths, I am queen procrastinator when it comes to essays, maths is more like fun.

Right, pen, paper and Maths help open, wish me luck I'm going in!

OMG OMG OMG!

I just sorted out my finance application - my degree is funded because of low income. The lady I spoke to said I may also be eligible for around £25pw for childcare! Can't believe it. DD starts at school in september so then I can use it for DS and I will actually get a few hours a week to study on my own!

Must make sure I don't end up MNing instead though

Hi, I'm just starting dd303 cognitive psychology, need to complete that plus one other course to finally complete the psych degree I started 6 years ago.

Does anyone else have to go to residential school for a week? Am bit nervous about that!

I'm starting S250 - Science in Context this moth and am already doing U116 - Environment, journeys through a changing world since November... i'll be doubled up until June.

Aiming for a degree in Environemental Science and did my first module last year S104 - Exploring Science which was shock after letting my brain rot for 8 years since leaving school!

Hello :)

May I lurk until August/September so you can all scare me witless give me an idea of what to expect?

I'm starting Business Studies with Marketing (no idea of the course codes - clearly I'm on a back foot already! and I can't wait

I have a BN but that was a totaly different kettle of fish entirely and this is my first venture into the world of business-type stuff (although I now work in that field)

Good luck to everyone starting soon!

I have had a BRILLIANT day! I've spent about 4 hours covering one of the 'maths help' modules, and I can feel my brain starting to work. Some of the bits were stuff I haven't done in 20 years but after reading through the tutorial it has all started to make sense again. When I did the very easy short test at the end I got 100%! Last week I was feeling very low and useless as all my children are in school and I've lost my job, I've never been home alone before! I'm very pleased with that situation now, if I can have a day like this every week.

Hello NotFromConcentrate don't just lurk, this is the common room, come in and have a hob nob and cup of tea.

Welcome dolcegusto and SummerRain

Freudian

lostinwales.... i have the baby clingon still at home and feel like i'm going slightly deranged trying to study water systems and conservation or prion diseases being interrupted every 20 seconds with a full scale tantrum because he feels entitled to eat chocolate all day long >

I've just made cheese straws out of cheese, and er cheese. Oh yes, and more cheese. Forgot to put in anything else as I was in a hurry to get back to the Maths Help modules!

(They're very nice though, lacy and pretty as well as yum - I had to ration dh and tell him he could only have 3 (more - he'd already scoffed nearly half of them).)

The Maths Help stuff is fun isn't it? Brain cells beginning to wake up a bit. I have got to grips with Powers and Scientific Notation and am now wondering why I found it difficult before . Pride comes before a fall, Jux, just remember that! I'm in danger of becoming cocky!

Anyway, cheese um things anyone?

hello, i'm hanging around the student parent threads cos i'm working on an application for uni for this september, just wanted to say to dolcegusto i did a couple of ou pysychology courses a few years back. i was nervous about the summer school but it was great, a load of fun and really quite useful work-wise too. it was a while back but i think you had a choice of centres? i went to sussex/brighton and it was great, we had a bonfire on the beach one night, a real flash back to my previous student days :)

SummerRain, I did Discoering Science when dd was 6m but had to give up. Started again (and finished it) when she was about 4. It is a nightmare with a small one/several small ones around. Pack them all off to the Mill or Lace Factory or something and then you'll get all day to yourself, not to mention a few pennies from their labours. It's much easier.

Congrats LiW on that 100%. [Sings "We're going to be brilliant, we're going to be brilliant"]

Don't suppose there are any cheese things left are there? I have just got back from a LDP (local development plan) planning meeting, it was very interesting (if you like that sort of thing) but all I wanted to do was come home and do maths! Too late to start now as I have to get DS1 in 30 mins, bum, AND it's pouring with rain so my staggered pick up of DS's 1 and 2 is going to be a real pain.

Luckily LiW, I made more this afternoon. This time they were only cheese and cheese, but none the worse for that. Help yourself.

I have done no maths today as I was busy most of the day and have just got in after walking home in torrential rain, so I am soggy and cold and have to start cooking supper soon.

Good luck with more studying, everyone.

Jux... ds2 was 8m when i started S104 and it was a complete nightmare... all in the past though, I learned from the experiance and now i have a study with a lock on the door and my own laptop far away from the family PC

liw... I get that too, I'm on the PTA and the playschool committee and frequently spend meetings desperately wanting to get back and read more on genetic mutations and african conservation

I just hope all my courses are as interesting as the ones i've tackled so far!

I have chocolate brownies made with my very own duck eggs (not sure that makes any difference but I'm boasting anyway), will happily trade for cheese and cheese. I'm really looking forward to getting the DS's into school in the morning so I can do more maths. I'm sure I never enjoyed it this much when it was compulsory. Genetic mutations would rock my boat much more than the PTA too. I have just handed that (the PTA not mutations!) over to the next generation thank goodness, I bake the occasional cake now and murmur encouragement.

The more subjects people mention the more I want to study, stuff computers and IT I think I'll do an open BSc and and open BA then I can cover loads of interesting things. (Although in a mad moment today I decided I was enjoying maths so much I'd carry on with that

I'm at the opposite end, kids only just started school so years of hell ahead..... my cunning plan is to do it now and then once I have my degree and a life job I can sit back and say 'Oh hell no, I've done my time; it's someone else's turn now!'

I had planned on the open BSc but so many of the modules I wanted to do anyway fit into the Environmental Science degree it made more sense to do that.

What I found helped was going through the course lists and writing down all the ones that sounded interesting and which degrees they related to and seeing if there was a degree that linked to all or most of them.

I did one of the short science courses last year or the year before on Human Genetics. Fascinating and wonderful. You could do it over 2m or 4m (I did it over 4m as life always gets in the way - I am assuming I'm not going to get through this maths one either, as dh is, as I said earlier, not actually enormously supportive.)

Anyway, I had an idea I might do molecular science or something, but want to brush up on my maths just because...

LIW!!! Have you been to your Student Home site today? They've put stuff up!!!

No! OOOOh. Runs off to Student Home...............