And the winner is....

....M364 Fundamentals of Interaction Design

I have finally weeded through the varied options available, read and re-read the reviews till I am blue and purple in the face, and made the all-important decision of "What next?".

The reviews were all positive, although there seems to be a high emphasis on essay-writing and remembering facts, I think the psychological aspects of the course (why is a good design a good design, what makes users read a website in a certain way etc) sound interesting.  In addition, I think the reading based course might actually allow a little more combination with personal hygiene (yes I study in the bath...) and thus do my sanity good. Some reviews have even suggested that it's easier than some other Level 3 courses.  (But that may well depend on perspective so I won't take that as a certainty in my case)

I believe that I may then go to the Level 1 compulsory course after that to finish off the 'main' part of my degree, leaving just two more Level 3 ones for the Honours part, having also had a little while for more of the new Level 3 courses to rear their heads and give me choices aplenty.

Rebel without a cause

OK, the procrastination fairy was obviously just delayed in her arrival!  Along with the hot weather the post-assignment slump is trying to put me off my new-found enthusiasm, and is succeeding very well at the task.  It's hitting temperatures of 30-ish degrees out there, and so the computer room (which is normally an icebox for most of the year) has suddenly become a greenhouse, and me a tomato plant with insufficient water!

I've hit that point of chaos, where both the washing basket and the studies are getting the cold shoulder (OK hot shoulder this week!!), all I want to do is play on the PS3 or stitch patchwork or cross-stitch or knit (or generally find time for my many craft projects).

Trying to keep up with the studies in one way or another though, even if it's only by taking the course reading materials in the bath to cool down with.

Oh I can barely remember the good old days, when I could read a book or magazine in the bath, play games to my hearts content, and still have time left over for crafts.  Really looking forward to that break over winter, with no studies to do I might catch up on the washing and the crafts (whilst wishing the next course would hurry up and start, no doubt - such is the fickleness of the human mind).

Hoping I can shift this slump quickly, only 32 days to the next assignment.  Crikey!  And then it's down to revision for the exam in October.

Out with the old, in with the new..

Waiting for my lightbulb moment..

Somehow, my brain is stuck on the question of "What Next?" - feeling unsettled without particularly good reason at the moment.

I'm into the final 3rd of this course (M362), and whilst I am getting good (OK, great) results on the assignments, somehow I am feeling a massive lack of confidence towards the exam, due in October.

And I think that lack of confidence (how will I do in my first Level 3 exam?) is hindering the choice of next course.  Add that to the ever-changing goalposts that is the OU's syllabus, and my brain is battered.

(Hence the reasonably empty washing basket - I can cope with that without thought...).

A lot of courses are coming to an end in 2014 - so it will be my last chance to take a few of them.  We have M363, M364, M359, or M366, along with a couple of others that I like the sound of but that I should have preceded with appropriate Level 2 courses.  These are being replaced from October 2014, but we don't have sufficient details as to 'with what' to allow for the most accurate decision making in the next few months.

I've never felt as though I didn't know my next step in this OU journey, and I'm finding that lack of direction difficult at the minute.  And I don't think I can afford to wait to see if I pass this course first before signing up for the next one, as it would leave it too late for any financial assistance applications.

Will I have that lightbulb moment?  I sure hope so.