Anyone done OU's DD307 with a new baby?

[applecharlotte]

Hello,

I've just found out i'm pregnant with my first (yay!) and am working towards the psychology conversion course at the OU. Currently doing DD303 that finishes in Oct. I have one last module before I complete the course - DD307. It starts in Feb 2011, I will be due 11th Feb!

Has anyone managed to do this course with a new baby, or any level 3 60 pointer? I would love to get my qualification done by 2011 but have no idea how realistic it is...

Thanks in advance

No, but I started the course with a new baby, and it got harder as they got older to be honest. I loved DD307 btw.

Thanks for the reply, glad you enjoyed the course, I was saving it till last as a reward for getting through Cognitive which is totally not my bag!

So did you start and not complete?

Oh no - I finished. I meant I started the whole shebang with a new baby. So DSE212 I think. And finished when she was getting on for 4 with DD307. I have another child who was 3-ish when I started. The baby was easier to deal with really.

Hi applecharlotte,

Congratulations first of all!
I've been doing DSE212 with ds who was 9 mo when I started. I tried it the previous year when pg but was really ill throughout my pregnancy and had to interrupt study.

I work as well, which would bring my time commitments up to that of a 60-point course.
I would ask how much support you have around. My mum looks after ds for two days while I work and she has also given me a couple of extra hours here and there when I've had assignments due. I study in the evenings and when he naps. Had an agreement with DH that he could have him on Sat mornings so I would have that free but to be honest it's rarely happened - I get a couple of hours in if I'm lucky!

I think you could do it as long as you have support and are quite well-disciplined (i.e. not faffing on MN when you've got an exam in 10 days like me!)

How have you found the rest of the curse? How long have you been doing it for if you don't mind me asking.

Good luck with the pregnancy and your studies.

I am doing DSE212 with three under 5 and DD3 was newborn when I started.

You will be fine. Perhaps a bit more sleep deprived than other mothers, as you will have to study when baby sleeps, but you will battle through.

I found the OU to be very understanding about small children ans happy to give essay extensions etc if in crisis.

Box clever and use whatever leeway they give you and you will be grand.

Am starting DD307 next year and was hoping to do it alongside level 3 social psychology - do you think it's doable? Will have a couple of clear days to study.

307 is Scoial Psychology isn;t it? 303 is Cognitive?

I should say as a caveat to my comments that I was an utter slacker when I did my OU course. I did the TMAs and nothing else really until a month before the exam, and then I worked like a demon. So if you like an ordered approach to study, then I'm not the person to offer advice

Or do you yhink I should do the level threes next year?

Am also supposed to be revising for exam on 14th!

Sorry mixed up with child development course - that's a level two isn't it.

The social psychology looks really interesting so am tempted by that - cognitive looks like a slog.

Yes I am frantically revising chapters I haven't read with a text book that has pages glued together with - well I don't want to know what the kids have been doing to it.

Thanks for all the replies and congratulations. It's sounding good

Smallorange - do you mean you'll be doing DD303 and DD307 together. If you have two full days a week you'll be fine. Quite a few people seem to be doing them together and from what i've gathered its not the workload that is difficult but the different approaches/perspectives taken by each module.
I was dreading DD303, my background is very social psychology (hr, counselling skills course) and although the course is tough the marking seems to be very very generous. I'm getting better marks then i did in DSE212 which takes the edge off. Good luck.

Germom - I can see how available support can make or break studying with children. I will be on maternity leave for the full 9 months of the course and have a OH who i can come to some sort of arrangement with hopefully. Even if its, like you say, an afternoon at the weekend. I started in 2008/9, did DSE212 and doubled it up with ED209 & DXR222 at the same time.

This year doing DD303 on its own.

I was also thinking they usually send materials out before xmas, so I could perhaps use the month before baby comes to get a bit ahead. I have LOVED this course and would really really miss it if I deferred.

That's good to hear, applecharlotte.

I would also say that it's good to gave something that is 'yours' when you have a baby. Switching off from being mum and using your brain is really good gor you, I think.

But be prepared for your thinking to be fuzzier for a while, it takes time for hormones etc to settle down.

And congratulations

Thank you smallorange its really really helped hearing peoples views.

Now.. getting ahead of myself but have any of you gone on to do the Msc Psychological Research Methods with the OU afterwards?

Not yet. Am considering it, but am back teaching FT now and teaching psych as a second A level subject.