OU Students - any advice on A103 (Intro to Humanities) or DD100 (Intro to Soc Sciences)?

[spacedonkey]

I'm registering for some OU courses towards a Modern Languages degree. I want to do 90 points worth of courses in the first year, and I've signed up for the French one, but am wondering whether to choose the Intro to Humanities or Intro to Soc Sciences. I'm sure they're both interesting!

Has anyone done either of these courses? Did you enjoy them? Any advice or recommendations for me?

i have done the intro to social sciences, living in a changing society, i thoroughly enjoyed it and its a good stepping stone to the next course.

spacecadet, did you find the course helpful in developing study skills? what did you go on to do next?

yes i did, because it had been a while since i studied to it was a nice practice run, im a nurse so did it about 2 years ago when i was considering changing careers, however i then fell preg with dd, im expecting again but would really like to do a degree in pschology, i think i have my material still from my course.

I've just finished A103

What do you wnat to know?

Where do you live, if you're north west ish you could have my books and have a look at them

I am just interested to know your opinion of the course, how helpful you found it, how interesting you found it, and what you did or are planning to do next!

sorry, meant to add I'm in London but thank you anyway for offer of a look at your course materials

spacedonkey-i would say though that if you are considering doing languages, then your best bet is to do the humanities course as opposed to social sciences, you will find it helpful, its quite easy, you dont do many assignments and as i said, i found it helpful having not studied for a while to get my confidence back.

I have done DD100 - Really enjoyed it and it was not hard at all. It covers things such as:
Identity - who we see ourselves as
Globalisation. It throws in politics, the environment, history.
Risk and our judgemnet on risk assesment
It has bits of everything in - psychology, crime, geography, sociology and the guidence makes it so easy to study and manage yourselves as it is aimed at adults returning to learning.

Cant comment on the other course as I Havent done it iyswim!

I also should have added that it's not compulsory to do either of those courses - I could do two language courses to make up the level 1 requirement and leave those courses out entirely, but I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to do one of them to help with study skills (I haven't undertaken any formal study for quite a few years, and, even then, it was in a dry technical subject).

I have to go offline now (no internet connection at home at the moment ) but thank you all for your thoughts and I'll check again tomorrow for any further top tips from OUers - thanks!

The Humanities course is very varied and is very hard work - my tutor thought that after doing this we would have no problem going straight to a level 3!

Having said that, bits of it were fascinating, but also bits were deadly boring. As it's so varied, you will never find some one who enjoys all of it. I loved the History which was mainly based on the French Revolution, and also loved the Art, but hated studying architecture, history of science and literature, which surprised me as I planned to do literature at level 2 afterwards. No chance!!

There are 9 assignments and each one is so different from the previous one, so it's not until the end of the course that you get the chance to tie things up. For example, we had an assignment on the role of Gladiators in Roman Society, and another about the problems of defining the concept of religion!

As I had already done the Living Arts course, I had 10 points at level one, when I get my results for A103, I will hopefully have 70, so in October I start on two 10 point courses, one on Shakespeare and one on Da Vinci. Next February I start my first level two course hich will be History of Art (not literature!!)

It's a great course for giving you a taste of everything that the Humanities offers.

Spacecadet, just read your comment - amazed that you think that A103 is easy!!

I did dd100 last year and really loved it. It is very interesting and not difficult.I am now doing English Language, past, present and future and am considering Spanish next year, eventually heading on to a degree in modern languages. DD100 has a lot of relevance to my present course as it includes language and identity, context and changing society.As you have donethe intro course for social sciences I would recommend carrying on with a similar subject as 90 points worth of courses is a lot of work in one year.

Many of the students on my present course mention that DD100 is more relevant in terms of study skills than the humanities foundation course.

I think either will be OK with French though as the language courses seem to be pure language learning rather than discussions on socio-linguistic aspect of language.You can go onto the conference for this years French courses and ask there which course would be more relevant.

lillibet, i did intro to social sciences but did look at the humanities course, thought social science more relevant to me, however, the humanities one looks fascinating!

I did DD100 four years ago and loved it - it has a very sociological approach but includes psychology, law (from a psychological approach), geography, philosophy, and I thought it was fantastic. There was a module on young children which was interesting, and white-collar crime.

My mum did A103 a few years before I did my course, and she loved that, and actually changed her mind from wanting to study english lit. to art history because of the course. It includes art history, english and music (she failed the music bit) among others.

Also, study skills is covered in some depth with DD100 (not sure with A103) where you learn to read properly, take notes, condense notes, plan an essay, mindmap, analyse data and graphs etc. Theres a good study skills book especially for the OU but never read it so can't comment on it.

Message withdrawn

I did DD100 a few years ago before embarking upon my psychology degree with the OU.

I didn't need to do it as I have a degree already but heve never studies with chidren and I think that different educational institutions expect different styles of writing from you so I used it as my year to experiment and fit within what the OU would want from me.

I enjoyed the course, it was very wide ranging, I did find some of the economics dull and at times found it quite shallow, I was always wanting to read more and study at more depth.

But I have found myself returning to the issues raised in DD100 so for me it was an excellent foundation to my later studies and a good confidence builder.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts on this. I still don't know which one to do. I'm leaning towards the social sciences one, but they both sound excellent.

Pollylogos, I am aiming to do the same degree as you - which strand are you doing? The English Language courses at levels 2 and 3 sounds so brilliant I've decided I'll go for the English and French option, but maybe take Spanish as well just because I'd like to get another language under my belt, even if it isn't strictly necessary to get the degree.

I was wondering, does anyone think doing 90 points in one year is too much to cope with? I'm not working at the moment so I have plenty of time and really want something to get my teeth into.

"sound so brilliant" that should say. Doh

HI spacedonkey, I'm going to do english and spanish. I am actually trying to get my last but one TMA finished today - English language past,present & future. I originally planned to do 90 points next year a level 3 english course and Absolute beginners spanish.

I just don't know what to do though. I must start the spanish this year as i am starting from scratch and it will takes me years (4 I think to complete the spanish strand. Level 3 english will be hard though.

I don't work at the moment so theoretically have the time but i am desperate to get a job - apart from anything else the OU fees are expensive if you are outside of the UK as I am.

From what I can see the beginners spanish must be quite slow as its a one year course Nov- Octand only 30 points then I have to do another one before I can start the level 2 & 3. As I am in Greece and they are very hot on language learning I am thinking of just going to a language school here and getting up to a level 2 standard by the time i finish the english level 3. I would have about 15 months to do that I think.I'll keep you informed....

I am currently just over half way through DD122 which is the equivalent of three quarters of the way thro DD100 (when you include DD121 which I completed/passed first earlier this year). This is my first experience of university study and the first studying I have done since the 6th form at school 16 years ago so I wouldn't say I have found it 'easy' like the lucky folk below.. but that's probably mainly to do with having to teach myself how to study again and the hardest part ever.. trying to find time to study. As long as I have done the work, the TMAs have been the 'easy' part.. and my grades have been ok.

DD100 (or DD121/DD122) is very good as a foundation or top up course because it goes with/incoproprates so many aspects of many other subjects. I initially signed up for a soc. sciences degree but have changed my mind.. I can handle the DD100 stuff but not sure I would cope at level 2. Am going in an education-type direction in Jan.. doing Childhood (U212) which will suit me better I think. I am not really cut out for the maths element, ie the ecomonics content within social science related courses which is no surprise to me really.

DD100 incoprporates LOADS of content (IMO anyway) and moves quite fast.. it has left my head whirling a few times esp re identity and particularly globalisation (the block which left me wanting to read more.. but as always, the concept of 'further reading' just makes me go 'ha bloody ha! Who are they trying to kid? If I had time for that I wouldn't be on the OU route!') But I can see why Twinset descriped it as 'shallow' in that skips quite briefly over some very HUGE issues that seem worthy of more time spent on them.. of only there was more time!

Good course though.. glad I have done/am doing it.

SJ x

I have signed up for DD100 now, although I do hope there aren't too many mathematical demands on this course because I am useless at maths!

I've decided to buy the OU French "Warm Up" pack to get a bit of preparation in before the course starts in February - has anyone tried any of these? At £16 they seem very good value. My French is rusty. It's easy enough to revise the grammar, but my vocabulary is pretty poor I think.

Do keep me posted on how you go Pollylogos. I'm really looking forward to doing the English Language Past, Present and Future course.

Hello,
I missed this thread earlier, so I guess it's prob too late, but I have completed A103 and I am most of the way through DD100.
I'm in Croydon if you want to check out my books.
DD100 - I actually find this rather borign and poorly laid out, though I suppose it is better for developign study skills, as the course layout means you read a block and then go through a workbook. It seems to be easier than A103, my average so far is around 85% compared to 75% in Humanities. The only problem with the course for me personally is that it is BORING! I found the way it is written is rather uninspiring and dull.
A103 - fascianting course, so many different topics, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great for anyone who enjoys learning for the sake of it, as it dips into such a wide range of topics. I actually enjoyed all of them, even the ones I weren't looking forward to. The main drawbacks were, that it is slightly harder, it is pretty intense, covering so many vastly different topics. Plus I felt a bit frustrated that it didn't go into more depth on some issues.

Neither involves much maths, though DD100 does cover statistics, and I did have a TMA on that too.

I wouldn't worry too much abotu takign on 90 points as logn as you are committed. This is my second year doing 120 points.

Blimey, 120 points in one year? That makes me feel much better! Thanks kelly