Can anyone be bothered to start an April Procrastinators thread?

[gingergran]

I guess I am!!!

For my level 3 60 pointer I will have 5 x 2 hour tutorials plus 1 day school plus I went to the LRAC day as well which was 6 hours.

Sounds a lot but the timing of them is rubbish as they are either 2 days before the TMA or 2 days after the last one so unless you are really behind or ahead they make little sense.

level 2 60 points - 2 days schools/revision (4 hours) and 6 tutorials - two tutors take turns and do half each with two groups combined so we get double the amount the OU budget for - brilliant

generally, level 1 seem to get the most and level 3 the least

I'm only doing 30 point courses but I've had more tutorials than that. One course has done 4 tutorials (I think one is a day school and the others 3 hours iirc). The other had two day schools and 2 morning tutorials planned, though they altered the morning ones to online tutorials.

because, particularly from september, the new fees will mean fewer students in each geographical location, we were told that the OU will use more online tutorials and less face to face tutorials in the future - not sure if i like the idea or not

L2 60 points. 5 face to face tutorials, 2 day schools (one of which I think will be exam prep) and three online module wide tutorials. (First time the online ones have been offered, so they are so fair a bit hit or miss.)

Tutorial content seems to vary a lot though. I've seen others on the group FB pages mentioning TMA notes being handed out, and lots of detailed guidance from tutors, where mine seems to prefer picking a random subject and making you think more deeply about it.

Thankyou very much for all your replies.

Yes I'm doing living political ideas (DD306) and in many ways it's a great course, the topics are interesting and varied,the course dvds are good (not so sure about the dvd rom thingies) but I have had very little guidance from my tutor and just feel like I'm out on my own all the time. The course forums are divided into geographical area, so as there are hardly any of us here in my area this year and the forums are deathly quiet and not much use.

Don't let me put you off though, many of the other areas seem to be having a tutorial or day school every month or so. And of course after the kind of stink I'm gonna kick up when I've got my result, the thing will be much better next year.

Tutors make all the difference to your experience of the OU, particularly because of the lack of contact with other students, and it is a pity that you are not getting the contact you need or want. Having said that my experience of the OU so far has been really good and other than having one tutor who takes forever to mark TMAs, and then disappears when you ask them how long they will be, my tutors have been really good also. I would not be able to do this course at a red brick university because of all the others things in life, work, children, grandchildren etc so love the access to education the OU offers

Yes, I think the tutor and the forums can make a huge difference to a course. So far, I've had:
1 course with fab tutor and fab forums (my tutor was a mod on the forum and would go out of her way to help if she could)
1 course with mediocre tutor and forums (tutor takes a long time to respond, forums are mainly bickering)
1 course with good tutor and crap forums (lots of people saying they're confused by the same thing, can't understand what a question is asking, asking for clarification on how the question should read and mod replying with "Don't talk about it on here, ask your tutor, we're not here to answer your questions" despite some posts saying "my tutor hasn't replied after 2 weeks" type of thing.)

I wouldn't want anyone to go away with the impression that this is normal for the OU.

It's my 2nd course and last year I had a lovely tutor and regular tutorials.

FFS, has anyone else had an email asking you to confirm your residency in the UK with documentation???? Is this to do with the transitional arrangements? It asks me to provide copies of "the I.D page of your passport, visa documents and home office correspondence to cover the last three consecutive years of your residency within the UK"

My passport has been chewed by a small child and none of the other stuff applies

no - how weird!

Told you all I'd end up wandering off from the thread

All footage shot, voiceover received, music sourced, for the film due in on Tuesday.

Helped a friend out with her film in Birmingham today, and we're planning a get together in the library on Saturday for a good, long, work session.

However, I'm exhausted after all the filming and trains etc today. I really should do some paperwork tonight, but I'm too tired :(

Got a full 9-5 edit booked for tomorrow, where this film will be committed to DVD and tape, ready for hand in. Then blitz the paperwork and any extras on Saturday.

Hello everyone! I've just heard about this thread and as I'm a student, a parent and a big massive procrastinator, I wondered if you'd mind me joining please?

Printing my dissertation as we speak!

Woo hoo!!!

Yay, well done Oakmaiden! :)

I'm currently finishing a bit of paperwork, then will do some visual notebook stuff, which is a lot more fun (it's essentially cutting and sticking for grown ups) :)

Very Yay!!! I had it bound and handed it in today. Goodbye dissertation.

Only 2 more essay and 2 exams to prepare for... which to do next, I wonder...

Hmmph, stressy day.

Showed film to two of the technicians, who found things they felt needed changing to improve the film. Might have had a little cry, because I thought I was ready to get rid of one film and only have to worry about the other. Seems not. It's a simple fix but it means burning to tape and DVD on the morning of the deadline - eek! :(

I'd just like to say, at this time:

I hate paperwork
I hate production folders
I hate deadlines

That is all.

Hear hear.

Oooh, I just went through the list of stuff that's supposed to be in my production folder, with a nice friendly green highlighter to mark off things I've done.

I've done more than I thought, and should be done with the paperwork side of things by the end of the day.

Still had to turn down an invite to the pub though, and after the last few days, I could use a trip to the pub :(

fuzzpig, have you any notes for TMA03 - I am horribly behind as I have just finished the EMA for another course. Still at least it is now finished and no more overlapping

I missed the tutorial - I was sick that day and couldn't go to work either :( I did ask her to email me some resources which I can forward to to if I get any!

I haven't even looked at book 2 yet. I got an email about interrupted study but I can't afford it financially or time-ily (that's a new word...)

I'm off to start a new thread for May if that's ok!

new thread