Tuesday 31 January 2017

Making sense of it all

Some days the lightbulb comes on briefly, the last couple of days at work have been a bit like that - I've not posted over on Beyond the Basket about it yet cos the clarity for me this week was kind of a combination of OU and work, so I felt like it sat better over here.

At work I have been writing database queries for the MongoDB document database that underlies our project, and my current OU study Unit is also concentrated around document databases, and MongoDB in particular.

One of those lightbulb moments where you're not entirely sure which part of your life influenced which, but felt like I was getting it a bit more on both sides because I was getting to practice it from both angles.  (hope that makes sense on screen, it did inside my head?)

It's SO nice on those rare occasions when the knowledge overlaps, makes me feel like the OU struggles after the long commute are all worthwhile, and not just for the end qualification.

So I thought I would share it with the world and myself, and celebrate the wins during this time of mid-course-blues.

Sunday 29 January 2017

Mid - course blues

Hmph.

I know I have posted similar in the middle of most of my modules, but I am just feeling frustrated and, while not quite 'bored' entirely, just left wanting in excitement about this module.

I need to keep up the progress and am doing so at what I feel is a reasonable pace, but I have reached that mid-point in the course where things just go a little stale and I need an injection of enthusiasm.  I dunno how else to make it happen, but am hoping that it will magically appear from somewhere, in the same way the Procrastination Fairy does.

I think that data and statistics are just not really my thing, despite having done that kind of work in the past, I think it was always the creation of spreadsheets and databases that gave me enthusiasm rather than the statistical significance of anything.

Off to walk to the shops now and see if I can buy some get-up-and-go!!

Friday 20 January 2017

Wow - the final countdowns....

Currently wading my way through the beginnings of TMA2, which up to now doesn't feel quite as awful as TMA1 (although I have started on it much earlier just in case).

But it has just come to my attention that there is now a final lifespan to the rest of this module (the timing of which came to mind when planning other family activities which will take place afterwards).  I realised when planning the fun stuff that the countdown we're working on for that also signifies the countdown to the end of my OU journey (well the studying part anyway).  I won't talk about the what or the how long here as this is a public forum but suffice to say that it's later this year....

The countdown begins....


Somehow the 'real' end always seemed like something so far in the future that it wasn't tangible, but now it has numbers attached to it.  Numbers that are real and tangible and reducing.  Wow - just ...wow!

I still can't quite imagine the structure of life without the studies, when that summer 'lull' ends where is the 'back to school' feeling going to come from?  Or will I hit couch potato mode for about 6 months first?  What am I going to read when I can't decide what to read? (some morning commutes it's just easier to decide to study than work out what Kindle book to start next...)

Those questions seemed so far in the future till 5 minutes ago....

Wow - graduation in October!  But that's for thinking on another day, after my head gets around this latest realisation!

Monday 2 January 2017

Welcome in the New Year - resolutions of a sort for 2017


  • Stay focused on what I've done not what's still left to do
  • Make plans and stick to them
  • Start assignments/EMA earlier than I would have done
  • Include daytime study in the plan
  • Enjoy the new challenges in both OU and the day-job!
More in depth over the next couple of days, but I felt the need to get something up there for my first post of 2017 at least!