Let the Studying Commence!

Here I go again! A new academic year is beginning and my Open University materials have now arrived. My course officially begins on the 1st October, but I’ll be making a head start on that, as I always like to work ahead in case anything crops up – an ill child can easily put me behind by a week. Every module includes an online study planner advising you where you should be each week and I’ve yet to fall behind on that and I do not want to start now!

As with last year, I plan to study on a Tuesday as Little Man is in nursery that day, so I get around 5-6 hours solid study time a week. That saw me through last year’s module, though I’m aware that I am taking a level 3 course this year so it may mean I need to spend more time on it each week. We will see. If need be I’ll put a couple of evenings aside a week, too.

So here are my study materials for this year. I love it when this parcel arrives…

a326-empire-materials

I’m studying A326: Empire 1492-1975, another history module after I passed A200 last year. I’m really looking forward to it as it spans time periods that I’m interested in and looks globally at various empires over time.

They’re pretty hefty study books as they carry two blocks per book. There also looks to be quite a bit of reading online, of both primary and secondary sources. There are no additional set books with this module, but I have picked up a couple of books on ‘Empire’ that I’m hoping to get through soon. I find they can be useful as extra references in TMAs (tutor marked assignments) so I’ll be sure to dip into them for a little extra research then. 

This module has 6 TMAs and then an EMA (end of module assessment) at the end instead of an exam. This is an essay of 3000 words that draws on learns across the whole module. I’ve got my first TMA question printed off, along with the EMA. I plan to refer to and make notes for the EMA at the end of each block – that’s the plan anyway. 

I have my new notebook from Pirongs and my new desk space, so I think I’m all set. Just need to engage my brain and I’ll be away! Wish me luck….

 

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6 thoughts on “Let the Studying Commence!”

  1. You must be so excited when all this arrives and you can get stuck in. I would love the study something when the boys are all in nursery/school…I always wish I’d done English Lit at Uni, it would be a dream to study it now. Good luck for this years course xx

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