OU - Exploring Psychology DSE 212 let's chat and worry over assignments!

[muppetgirl]

I?ll start off with an introduction.

I?m Muppet and I?m 32 and have 2 children ( 4.6 and 10 months) I used to be a teacher, early years trained but taught in yr3/4/5. I loved teaching but when I worked in a difficult school I knew I?d found my vocation so would really love to become an Educational Psychologist.

I started this course in Feb. 07 and completed 2 assignments but became pregnant with ds 2 and developed a serious case of baby brain so stopped with a view to re enrolling when I could.

Very excited to start!

Hi all, no baby announcement to make as yet .
Submitted TMA03 on Sunday night, just had to get shot of the damn thing, I'd spent far too long thinking about it, and I'm not convinced I EVER got my head round it. Not keen on the cognitive/perception stuff.
The stuff coming up in the next few weeks is much more my kind of thing. The assignments suddenly seem really close together - we've another one due on the 18th March. EEK.
Will check in with my results and any other news

I'm full of admiration for you Cocodrillo for being able to keep on top of things at this time! I'm keen to have another but am not sure how I would manage... Look forward to hearing your news.

I realised that I never revealed my TMA02 mark so here goes - I got a B+, slight drop from last time, with a better methods mark and worse essay mark. Am not holding out hope for TMA03 but at least it's done with. Hope to hear back soon, I hate the waiting.

Cocodrillo - any news ? I cannot imagine being so pregnant and studying, and then doing it with a newborn. I bet you are one of those 'busy people' that are always asked to help because you are seen as so capable!

I have less interesting news of my TMA03 score. Despite feeling it was a crock of sh*te, I got an A-. I am obviously pleased, as before the mark, I was expecting to feel like it had all been wasted effort. I hope that others are pleasantly surprised too

Still behind with the reading though , and what I have done hasn't stuck at ALL.

Green Eggs

Very well done!

You don't sound very happy though.

I was beginning to lose my motivation, but feel like I'm getting my mojo back a bit now. Have you read any of Chapter 7. It's quite interesting/

Anyone else got their TMA back? No sign of mine, but that's not unusual.

Hi everyone.

I got mine back last night, I got an A- as well. Similarly shocked as I also felt it was total crock and found the whole thing really trying. Have read chapter 7 and skimmed chapter 8, both of which are significantly more interesting than that horrible stats stuff. Haven't yet looked at TMA04 although it seems to be looming on the calendar!

Well done Docket! Hope you get yours back soon iheart...
I am enjoying the current stuff more than the first few chapters, but I do worry, and so the pressure of being able to retain stuff for the exam is weighing on me. Don't mean to sound too glum

Got my TMA back - a little lower than my other two, but still a B, so I feel ok about it.

I am constantly worrying about the exam too - sometimes so much I feel like jacking it in, even though my marks have been pretty good so far. Silly isn't it? I keep telling myself to keep going with the TMAs, try to keep getting B grades, then I can afford to srape by in the exam. Not sure I'm being totally convincing though.

Wonder if there are any topics on stress!

ANyone decided which option they're going to do for TMA04?

Well done ihh.

A friend who did DSE212 a couple of years back told me that she totally freaked about the exam but that when it came down to it it wasn't half as bad as expected. For a start, certain topics that turn up in TMAs won't be in exam questions so she reckons that it involves swotting up on a select few topics rather than the whole course. (I will speak to her for further details!). Anyhow, this made me feel a bit better about it all.

There are pre-exam stress workshops too I believe. Try not to worry! That's what I'm telling myself anyway...

Hi ladies
The assignment book and specimen exam paper list which topics are going to have essay questions, and also list the 45 terms that might come up in the short answers section, which is very helpful. I still feel worried about it though. I used to be good at xams, but I don't feel like I have had enough re-inforcement for the info to stay in my head, so while I can write a good essay, I have nothing to write it about lol!
Have looked on the OU forum this eve - someone has set up a poll to report TMA grades, so you can see how you've done compared to others. Obviously likely to be skewed towards those happier to report their good grades though
Glad you feel ok with your resuly ihb - TMA03 was a pita!
Lastly, where (and how)is Cocodrillo???? And Muppetgirl, who staretd this thread?

And leda too, where are you?

Maybe Cocodrillo has had her baby (about which I am both insanely jealous, and totally relieved it's not me ).

Listened to the audio about how to write a good essay last night. So am trying hard to plan plan plan. Have read Chapter 7, so am going to just answer option A for TMA04, then if I get time read chapter 8. Talk about lowering your standards!

I'm not sure which question I'm going to do. Just read them both and am know feeling panicked!!

greeneggs, I am being a complete idiot obviously but I can't seem to access the OU forums at all. I know I did once but have no recollection how I did it. Can I be a total pest and ask you how?

ta!

fool, i've found it, ignore me!

Hello ladies I'm back, and with a new DS to show for it. Really really delighted with him . Had a CS last Friday, so feeling a bit battered and sore, but otherwise fine.

Believe me I'm no superwoman-type, I'm not at all sure how I'm going to manage with the 3 DCs and the rest of the course!

I was thinking about asking to "substitute" TMA 04, but the way I've interpreted the Substitution Rule in the assignment book implies that you're better off submitting something, however crappy, rather than nothing at all?

I'd done this week's reading last week, and I really enjoyed the chapter - it felt like a bit of light relief after all the stats and cognitive psychology stuff.

I've not had a mark for TMA 03 yet - assumed I would have by now - but will report back when I do.

It sounds like everyone's doing pretty well on the course so far .

Cocodrillo

Congratulations! Hope you are getting some rest and relaxation, and time to enjoy your new little one. You might not be superwoman, but I (and I'm sure the others) are still in awe of you .

I think you're right to try to submit something for TMA04, however basic, because the substitution rule uses an average of all your TMAs, so if one of them is a zero, your average will be worse than if one is a low mark.

Good luck, and hope you get TMA03 back soon.

Many congratulations Cocodrillo!! Me thinks you are being too modest and are indeed a superwoman!

I've started making some notes for TMA04, it's proving much harder than I had anticipated. I hate it when that happens...

How's everyone else getting on?

Docket

The TMAs are ALWAYS harder than i think they're going to be. Argh.

I had every intention of doing this TMA quickly and early, so that I can do some big-time catching up on notes and reading, but already things have gone pear-shaped - i.e. I'm stuck!

that I'm not really enjoying this course.

Looks like my CS wound has a slight infection, so off to the GP this afternoon .

Which TMA option are you going for? I think I'm tackling memory, as the other option, which looked the most appealing at first, seems more difficult to me.

ihh, you're right. i just thought that this would be 'better' because it isn't infernal statistics but actually it's just difficult in a different way. so much information to process and i have no idea how i am going to structure things let alone make an argument.

i am doing the memory question.

hope you get things sorted at the doc cocodrillo

I am doing option A, but only because I haven't read the memory chapter yet, and wanted to get started.

Planning the structure of the essay is the hardest part I think. I usually end up writing numerous hideous drafts until things eventually fall into place. Complete opposite of what they advise us to do!

Cocodrillo, how are you feeling?

I am finding this TMA absolutely horrific! I am all over the shop. Aaaah.

Docket. I know, I am the same. I am trying so hard to just write something, anything, and just get it over with, but am falling into all my old traps of trying too hard and getting paralysed with fear about it being rubbish. I've even started a thread about it, in desperation.

I am so tempted to give the whole thing up!

ihh, don't give up! You are doing really well on the course, don't beat yourself up too much.

I have managed to commit something to paper (albeit utter b*llocks) and feel slightly better. I'll just have to revise and revise (and hope and hope).

One teeny tiny blessing is that at least there isn't a part 2 to this assignment. Otherwise I really would be on the roof shouting 'I'm dooooomed'!

I am with you on this ladies - this assignment is hard! I am finding it tricky to separate the issues as they are so intertwined. I am also fretting in advance about TMA05 as I know it is going to be a big one like TMA03, but the work will need to be done when it is school hols, and I am also busy every weekend until the deadline. Not sure how I can fit it in, so want to get cracking on it soon. Can't though, because I am still tying myself up in knots about Attibution bloody theories - aargghh!

So, how is everyone doing? I am nearly there with TMA04, but again, I think it is rubbish! I keep going round in circles. Some paragraphs are too descriptive with no evaluation and some are evaluative with little reference to the text - arghh! However, I am at the word count now, so am at that point where I just want to tidy it up and have done!

TMA05 looks like it might be a bit of a pita, but not as bad as TMA03. It is going to be tough getting it done with the children being on school hols though

Hope everyone is coping ok

GreenEggs - well done for getting to this point.

I have come to a big decision this week - after a lot of soul searching I have decided to withdraw from the course. We have a lot of stressful stuff going on, and it just got to the point where the OU stuff was adding to that stress so much that something had to give. (We are having major building work done, have had a serious fallout with our neighbour over the work, the neighbour is vulnerable and has mental health problems, making it very difficult to address and rectify the issues, plus DH is going through a possible job move abroad, to a country where we don't speak the language).

This wasn't helped by not being able to see how I could physically fit in the rest of the work, given how slow and hopeless I've become about the TMAs, and the fact that i haven't been enjoying any of the content of the course since the evolutionary psych chapter. All in all, it has created a kind of negative downward spiral with the whole thing, which, even when I'd completed TMAs and got good marks, I couldn't shake.

Sorry if this is a bit of a downer of a message. Felt like I should own up to you all.

I really hope you all manage to keep going and achieve what you want to. Good luck. I'll be thinking of you, and will check back to see how things are going.
IHH