It's working for me but unfortunately not for everyone

All the efforts done during TMA02 served to keep the level achieved during TMA01. Today I received my results and I was very happy to see I achieved a 91% this time.

I have now taken 2 weeks off to dedicate myself entirely to the programming part, (hopefully) being so able to manage all the demands on this TMA03 without needing to do the same prolonged effort I did for TMA02 where every day was a challenge trying to find as much time as possible to dedicate to the project.

I have already the 10% needed from TMAs to pass the module in case EMA result would be a clean 40% (40 x 75% = 30%), in fact I have already achieved a 13.7% of the total grade so now my TMA03 result will serve to put my gradings up assuming my EMA will be a 40% or more.

It's being a lot of work but I'm really enjoying this programming part as I'm learning CodeIgniter as part of the process and the feedback from my tutor is being extremely valuable for me to see my own mistakes and (hopefully) fix them.

It would be a sort of an irony if I finally have my only level 3 Distinction with this module but I would also be glad if that's the case as it will be a recognition to all my efforts on this module up to today. I will also be glad with a 40% if that's the case as the important bit for me is to achieve my BSc this December (almost only 4.5 months now for this to finish!!)

Based strictly on my own experience I would not recommend to anyone doing TM470 beside other modules at the same time as I think it's really hard to keep a good level on TM470 in such cases due to the extreme demand that this module is meaning (at least this year and at least for me) and also could affect your final results of the other modules.

At the same time I'm happy for my results I'm also sad to see the amount of people that have demonstrated that are very hardworking individuals during years and are now suffering a lot with this module according to the forum posts.

Some people is now considering to leave the module and re-take it next year, even when I know this happens every year as I know some of those pupils for having coincided with them in previous modules it makes me feel sad that knowing how hard they have worked to reach this point they are now feeling they don't have enough strength, time, etc. to cope with this module demands.

My support and encouragement to all of them in a situation like this. I honestly wish things go better for them in next TMA if they decide to stay.

Just 5 months now...and counting

In 5 months my route towards my BSc will have finished, hopefully everything will end up positively for me and I will be in the disposition to apply for my Masters some months later (after receiving my final grades).

TM470 is meaning a lot of work for me, a lot; everyday working on it up to 00:00 or 01:00 in the morning and the weekends being mainly "project weekends". When I uploaded the TMA02 three days ago, my body reacted like when someone reaches the goal in athleticism, I felt relief and suddenly I was exhausted. All the cumulative effort made itself so notorious that I needed to go to sleep.

My second TMA was 96 pages in total. Following advice from my tutor I'm heading through the EMA on every TMA.  Hopefully the transition between TMA03 and EMA will be easier this way.

Repeating myself

M363 Last year was TMA01:88%, TMA02:87%, TMA03: 80%
M362 This year:       TMA01:88%, TMA02:87%

In both modules the same tutor was assigned to me as well (I'm very pleased that's the case as my tutor feedback when marking is high level quality).

Can you see the pattern? LOL.

87%, Not bad for exactly 12 days of work - for the Units and TMA all inclusive - but a bit annoyed that I always make the same mistakes (repeating myself again).

My weakest point is not the programming bit, that part is always graded as excellent, it is to explain things in assessments, it's not that I do not know them well, it's that I always assume some parts are so evident that do not really need an explanation and other times I just do not explain part of something because other thing or perspective was asked but as my tutor perfectly explained in his feedback if I mention something I should give enough reasons for backing it up.

Everytime this happens to me I see myself crashing against a wall in TM470 next year ;-).

Let's be positive and see if I break the loop for good with my TMA03 and achieve higher than the 80% I did in M363 TMA03 last year, I'm not renouncing to have an 80%, at the contrary I wish I will have at least an 80% in my TMA03 this year as that will be the minimum to keep the Distinction opportunity for the exam (as it also was last year of course, even with different percentages in the grading distribution, I ended up having the same situation this year again with exactly the same TMA percentages). Déjà Vu to the maximum expression :-).

All in all, considering that only 27 days of study were dedicated for the first two TMAs I cannot be happier with the results, I'm just a bit frustrated for not having more time to dedicate to this module I think. I'm really enjoying it.

If everything goes according to plan I would be uploading the TMA circa 3 months in advance this time. It was a month and 20 days advance for TMA02 but I would like to have those 3 months to dedicate seriously to review everything and prepare the exam very well. I do not want to make a bad TMA though, so I will upload it only when I'm happy with my work on it, even if I need to wait until the cut-off date...priorities are clear, let's hope everything goes fine and I have a good result.

Currently I'm already highlighting the Units for my TMA03, first unit already done, second unit in process. 3 days working on TMA03 for now.

Let's go!

Alea iacta est

The dice are cast.

My M362 TMA02 has been already marked two days ago but I will need to wait exactly a month (26th June) to know my resultant grade on that. In this case every TMA will decide if I can continue to dream with a Distinction at level 3 or not and therefore if I can keep dreaming on a First degree or not. So the dice will need to be cast again just if this time I was a winner.

In a certain way it would be a relief if the distinction option disappears for M362 as it would mean I just need to focus on having a 2:1 degree and that is almost already done. In fact, if I achieve a distinction in M263 this June - I have now that option as yesterday my results were published and I achieved a 91% in the TMA04 - I mathematically will have a 2:1 degree just passing M362 and TM470 (just a Grade 4 is needed in such a case). On the other hand it would be a great disappointment to have done so many efforts and renounce to so many things and finally end up with something I could have reached doing half the effort. "Pathetic" would be a great term to define that situation.

TMAing during holidays

I'm almost finishing M362 TMA02, only some theory question counting for 10% of the TMA remains and I'm now again on track with my study plans... this is a good point.

To do this I have been working very hard to end M263 TMA04 exactly the day before (21st April) I took my holidays to come to Gran Canaria to visit my family.

I'm here since 22nd April, coming back tomorrow and during my stay here what have I done?
 Did I go to the lovely beaches? Did I visit 100 friends and partied all day?

Nop, I highligthed the first Unit of this TMA in the airplane while coming and have been working very hard on my M362 TMA02 since then, so I can now study for my M263 exam in my return, 39 days free of interruptions to dedicate to M263 exam preparation!!.

Wow!! It does sound fantastic, doesn't it? I hope you can feel the irony in my writen words. Welcome to my OU life :-)

Even better, I have just enough time now to end the remaining bits before fliying tomorrow, I will arrive at UK at 4:05am on Sunday morning and start studying for the exam from 5th or 6th May onwards. Coming back to work on 7th.

For sure you just hate me for how fortunate I am (and feel right now) after such great lovely holidays in a paradise that one can see through the window of the "office".

I know all of you are green of envy reading this, LOL!

At least I have enjoyed time with my family while they were around and just one TMA remains for this year. These are also good points.

"Let's see the bottle half filled" and carry on... or I will cut my veins :-).