The 3rd module started on Monday and I haven't got my password yet so that I can see the blackboard. I'll need to get on there today.
Got the feedback from the second module. I haven't studied it much but she says there are minor changes to be made. This is great news! Onwards and upwards.
Thursday 29 April 2010
Monday 26 April 2010
Done it!
It's been a struggle but the Research Methods draft is done. The deadline is today (thank god for the extension) and I finished it late Saturday night. The last few weeks have been very distracting with the house move and the eye problems and last weekend was no different.
I went to the eye hospital on Friday, was diagnosed with an ulcer and given drops to be taken every hour all day and night! With Saturday taken up by wedding tasting in Gloucestershire I wondering whether this draft was just not meant to be. I had 1000 words to write so it was still possible but with these restrictions it was going to be hard.
Nothing happened Friday night and I woke Saturday very tired. We drove to Gloucestershire and did the tasting but were done by mid-afternoon. So I sat down to work at 3:30. I pretty much worked continuously until 11:30 with a big break for dinner and smaller ones (particularly early on) for sport checking and listening. I had a couple of really intensive hours towards the end as the finish line was in sight. Like last time it gets easier knowing you are nearly there. I'm pretty pleased with what I've done and thanks to my first assignment mark, I'm confident it is good enough. However, this is a very different type of essay so I'll wait for the draft feedback. I just hope there isn't too much of a rewrite. My lesson learnt from the previous module is to try and do the rewrite as soon as you get the feedback. I left it ages last time and it played on my mind.
Anyway, the 3rd module officially starts today. I've got a very busy week at work but I'm looking forward to what is a purely online module.
It feel really good to have effectively finished the second module before I start the third.
I went to the eye hospital on Friday, was diagnosed with an ulcer and given drops to be taken every hour all day and night! With Saturday taken up by wedding tasting in Gloucestershire I wondering whether this draft was just not meant to be. I had 1000 words to write so it was still possible but with these restrictions it was going to be hard.
Nothing happened Friday night and I woke Saturday very tired. We drove to Gloucestershire and did the tasting but were done by mid-afternoon. So I sat down to work at 3:30. I pretty much worked continuously until 11:30 with a big break for dinner and smaller ones (particularly early on) for sport checking and listening. I had a couple of really intensive hours towards the end as the finish line was in sight. Like last time it gets easier knowing you are nearly there. I'm pretty pleased with what I've done and thanks to my first assignment mark, I'm confident it is good enough. However, this is a very different type of essay so I'll wait for the draft feedback. I just hope there isn't too much of a rewrite. My lesson learnt from the previous module is to try and do the rewrite as soon as you get the feedback. I left it ages last time and it played on my mind.
Anyway, the 3rd module officially starts today. I've got a very busy week at work but I'm looking forward to what is a purely online module.
It feel really good to have effectively finished the second module before I start the third.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Still 2/3's done...
I have moved house and, as a result, things are still 2/3 done. I underestimated what we were doing on Monday to prepare for the move. Technically, there was time to work but travelling is tiring and it didn't happen. Tuesday we moved. Long day.
I now have two weekend to finish. It was going to be one weekend but we've just been given an extension for the draft of a week! It's not Monday, 26th April. This is very useful. But I will still try and finish this weekend.
I now have two weekend to finish. It was going to be one weekend but we've just been given an extension for the draft of a week! It's not Monday, 26th April. This is very useful. But I will still try and finish this weekend.
Sunday 11 April 2010
2/3 done
I writing this on Sunday evening having had two days of writing. Basically, I'm 3200 in, about 2/3 done. Friday didn't happen. For some reason, I couldn't get started. I was due on Saturday to go out but I didn't and instead made a start finally on the writing. I managed to start at 9 and managed a couple of 3 hours stints with a bit more added on in the evening. I finished the day on about 2000 words. Today I started a bit later and was worried it wasn't going to happen. The morning wasn't as focused but once I got going I was ok. Although I only advanced 1200 words in total I actually wrote more than that as a lot of the stuff I copied and pasted to start things off last week was deleted. The system has been good. I've approached each section by reading what I numbered as that before thinking and writing. It's useful because it breaks things down for me and stops me being overwhelmed.
I am off on Monday and Tuesday for the house move. I should be able to do some more tomorrow as we are now actually moving but running some errands. I depends how long it takes. It would be great if I could do the last third and then have the week to tidy things up.
I am off on Monday and Tuesday for the house move. I should be able to do some more tomorrow as we are now actually moving but running some errands. I depends how long it takes. It would be great if I could do the last third and then have the week to tidy things up.
Thursday 8 April 2010
Ready to write
I'm hoping now I can write as efficiently as possible. Yesterday I spent many hours going through all the documents I've created recently of the best quotes and categorised them according to section of the essay they will refer to. The plan is that I can now refer quickly and easily to the right bits when I start each section. A side product was that it forced me to become familiar with what content I have and give me a better understanding of the information. Hopefully, this will help.
I won't be doing anything tonight as I'm out for someone's leaving drinks. However, tomorrow is a study day so this where I hope to really get going on things. I hope, hope, hope that it will flow smoothly when I start. But it's difficult to tell what will happen.
Saturday I am out all day and the plan is not to drink too much so that on Sunday I can work hard.
Wish me luck!
I won't be doing anything tonight as I'm out for someone's leaving drinks. However, tomorrow is a study day so this where I hope to really get going on things. I hope, hope, hope that it will flow smoothly when I start. But it's difficult to tell what will happen.
Saturday I am out all day and the plan is not to drink too much so that on Sunday I can work hard.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Update
This is an update for the easter weekend.
Looking at the plan I made things haven't been like clockwork. However, I am pretty happy with the progress.
On 2 and 3. I did my 500 words although this was mostly copying and pasting from my other blog which recorded the group project progress as it went on. Outside of this, I continued reading and noting and decided that I needed to finish reading and noting the articles, the new/blogs and the research books before I could properly start writing. On 3, I did this for the news/blogs. It took hours but it means that I've now got all the good bits in one place on one google doc (which I can now print out).
Sun 4th was a write off. Helen's parent's came round and pretty much stayed the whole day. I could have worked before they arrived but the grand prix was in the morning so that was that.
Mon 5th, this was a good day even though no words were added to the assignment. I finished reading and noted my articles and now have quotes from 10 relevant ones on google docs. The train strike being called off is a pain but at least it means I can now print off these documents.
Tues 6th, today I've started reading my last research book. I should be possible to finish this today (which is handy as the book is due back today) and this will leave me with 4 books noted. I have another one due back on Friday and I've not decided whether to read this and delay the writing of the assignment. I suspect not.
Anyway, I should be in a position tonight to start writing with only the following documents around me:
- a document for the news/blogs
- documents for the articles
- documents for the research books
- my set text (Bryman book)
- Project documents
This is as simply as I can as I can get it and certainly better than if I had the individual new/blogs/articles lying around everywhere.
With the train strike off, I am in the office Tues-Thurs which might be a good thing for my study. We will see.
Looking at the plan I made things haven't been like clockwork. However, I am pretty happy with the progress.
On 2 and 3. I did my 500 words although this was mostly copying and pasting from my other blog which recorded the group project progress as it went on. Outside of this, I continued reading and noting and decided that I needed to finish reading and noting the articles, the new/blogs and the research books before I could properly start writing. On 3, I did this for the news/blogs. It took hours but it means that I've now got all the good bits in one place on one google doc (which I can now print out).
Sun 4th was a write off. Helen's parent's came round and pretty much stayed the whole day. I could have worked before they arrived but the grand prix was in the morning so that was that.
Mon 5th, this was a good day even though no words were added to the assignment. I finished reading and noted my articles and now have quotes from 10 relevant ones on google docs. The train strike being called off is a pain but at least it means I can now print off these documents.
Tues 6th, today I've started reading my last research book. I should be possible to finish this today (which is handy as the book is due back today) and this will leave me with 4 books noted. I have another one due back on Friday and I've not decided whether to read this and delay the writing of the assignment. I suspect not.
Anyway, I should be in a position tonight to start writing with only the following documents around me:
- a document for the news/blogs
- documents for the articles
- documents for the research books
- my set text (Bryman book)
- Project documents
This is as simply as I can as I can get it and certainly better than if I had the individual new/blogs/articles lying around everywhere.
With the train strike off, I am in the office Tues-Thurs which might be a good thing for my study. We will see.