The Big Red Button

Eek - it's done!  Having worked my butt/socks off on lots of extra daytime study sessions, the assignment is finally finished, and before my own deadlines too!

It's been safely parcelled up and set to one side, with backup copies made just in case.  Then it will wait a day or two, get passed through one last final common-sense check, and then - the button will be hit, sending it on its merry way to await marking.

It's still all a bit surreal, can't quite put together in my head that it's over - the OU study journey is finished, although there will be a most pleasant journey towards the graduation ceremony still awaiting me after the results.

Overthinking and Dreaming in Code

Oh, you can tell the assignment is getting to me now - 3 nights in a row I have been dreaming of data analysis in Python.  Very frustrating, particularly as it never solves any of the problems and just wakes me up unrefreshed.

Today however in my studies, I was the victim of my own overthinking.  Spent 2 hours or more undertaking a chunk of data mining to predict some missing data from one of the EMA datasets.  Thought that I had 36 things to predict, so hey good practice with the data mining, right?

Err - not quite!  Turns out I had 4 things to predict, which I could find on a simple Google search within 5 seconds!  So this fact has also been written in to the final report as a warning to would-be users of data mining.

I have a couple more major tasks to do (statistical testing and possibly some data mining if I can bring myself to return to it yet again), and then a lot of pulling together and tidying up the final report and folder structure.

But feeling more positive now (thanks to some sacrificed time-off and weekend daytime study) that I will be finished in time for my own deadlines. (no choice about the module deadline as I will be on holiday by then and unable to submit it late).

And then - what next?  For me?  For my mojo?  For the blog?  It's always been about the OU journey from start to 'wherever' - now I am within a couple of weeks of 'wherever'.  Of course there's still that last walk down the aisle to Graduation too....roll on November ( - but not too quickly,  I want to enjoy that hard-earned time off...!)

It's still really odd not to have the next module waiting to be signed up for.  And unfortunately the OU courses are now out of my price range to do as a 'fun thing', so unless I decided to go down the Masters route (nah.... I'm done.....) then I will be 'done'.

Louder and Louder

... the ticking of that clock.  Ever and on.

Sat down today to put a proper start on some of the 'words' of my final EMA report, given that a lot of the choices I need to document are those I've already made by now.  If I can pull the majority of the background stuff together, then it should be a case of simply (hah!) slotting in the official findings of the analysis I've still got to do.

I have to admit, having a third or so of the words together is helping a little with the inner panic.  The fact that I shouldn't then have the whole 3000 words to write after I finish the analysis might help me to focus on the analysis in a more logical fashion.  My head's been fluttering about like some mad butterfly, one minute on one part of the analysis, then to another part entirely, never quite settling on any one flower.

I get the feeling I'm never going to feel entirely satisfied with the resulting report, as word counts have a tendency to do that to me anyway - I like to tell the whole tale and once I am restricted by a word count, that's not possible.  But hey, the way I have been feeling lately, I'll settle for having a logical and coherent report that answers the questions I need it to.

Apologies for such a fluttery flappy blog post, but I think that just completely describes my state of mind in these final few weeks of my OU studies.

Onwards toward the unknown!

Tick tock ...

Oh dear that countdown clock is ticking faster than I would prefer now.  On the one hand - yippee, the countdown heads towards freedom, from the world of study and deadlines and assignments etc.  On the other hand - it reminds me just how little time is left to complete the final EMA.  I remember being very happy that my final module had an EMA instead of a final exam.  Right now I think I would have preferred the short sharp shock of the exam.

Suffice to say, this final module has not exactly filled me with joy and delight.  There have been some satisfying moments along the way, but the very structure of the course has been difficult to balance with life.  Particularly a life which now has my working days being filled with learning.

The final assignment requires some data analysis, some use of data mining techniques and a formal report.  The data sets are based around the EU referendum, which I have to admit I was sick of the first time round.  And now I get to pull it all apart and try to make something interesting out of it.  Now anyone who knows me knows how little interest I have in politics, so they couldn't really have picked a worse subject to keep me interested.

Slowly but surely I am starting (I hope) to get a grasp on what I need to do.  But I will be very glad when the clock stops ticking and my OU study journey finally comes to a close.

And then - only one final part of the journey to take - the march of the graduand.  So excited to finally get to wear that gown and celebrate all the hard work!

A happy second....

Results are back for TMA02.  A damn good 81%.

I'm overjoyed with that result on two counts.  Number one - it's high enough to feel like it's a darn good result.  Number two - it's low enough that I'm just below a distinction.

(Does that sound odd celebrating the lack of a distinction?  Well - it means that I can simply do my best for the End of Module Assessment - without worrying is it good enough for a Distinction, good enough for a First?)

Not saying that I'd ever backpedal, cos that isn't my style at all - but I put SO much pressure on myself for TMA1 with the thoughts of a First in mind that I nearly lost my marbles along the way.
 
But now, as long as I do a damn good job and pass the EMA, I can go off to that graduation ceremony (in November now) with my head held high and celebrate a 2.1.

And I will be VERY VERY happy with that.  To have achieved my Honours degree, to that level, whilst working and bringing up my child - I will be a happy happy girl indeed.

2 (almost) down one to go!

OU progress has been slow and steady, definitely felt like I managed to understand more of what I was doing in the second TMA.

Putting the finishing touches to it over the next couple of days, but it should be submitted well within my own deadline this time, and give me a chance to pause and catch up a bit before cracking on with the EMA. (End of Module Assessment).

The EMA I can imagine is going to be a big job, but hoping to structure my time so that I can work through it in smaller bites.  Work plans and diaries and online planners at the ready folks....

Submitting this will mark 2/3 of the way through my final module.  I can't lie, I'm ready now to see what life on the other side looks like - it's been so long since I had a life without my studies that I've kinda forgotten what one looks like!  (The small glimpses in the summer hiatus don't really count cos I've always known the structure lay just beyond).

Right now I have no 'next course' to sign up for.  I have lots of things that I still want to learn (from a working and fun perspective), and I can't imagine that I would actually not be learning something at most points.  But not having a plan for it is Weird - with a capital 'W'.

The Sunshine after the Rain

Made some decent progress on the TMA tonight, with a lot of the pain I experienced in the first assignment helping to cement in the things I need to do (and get right) on this one.  Still almost a month to go, but - for the first time in this module - starting to feel as though that will be OK, that it is achievable in that timescale.

Had a positive buzz from last week out in the real world, updates as ever in Beyond the Basket.  I think that may have helped to fuel a decent study session today, so long may it continue!!