Descent into self-doubt
Jan. 7th, 2003 10:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
triskellianTerm starts in a couple of weeks at the university where I work. In a sense, this is bad, because it means parking gets harder, and queues for lunch get longer, and other problems to do with more people being around campus. Of course, it's practically a condition of employment at a university to periodically say 'this place would be great if it weren't for all the students', even in a role with no student contact at all, like mine.
On the other hand, I seem to be studying a module this term. I was actually aware of this. In fact, I spent some time choosing the module, and applying for permission to study it. But it seemed so far in the future! It didn't quite register that it was something that was actually going to happen.
So now I'm about two weeks away from seeing if my brain still works. I wonder if it will? I haven't studied at this kind of level for six years. I'm told 'mature students'* tend to do well, and I expect to be more intelligent than most of my fellow students, but I'm out of practice. And I'm lazy. And I'm disorganised. And I'm very good at procrastinating. So I'm - perhaps unreasonably - scared.
And it's such a logistical nightmare. I'll have to make up the hours spent away from my job studying, which means no more being home by 4.15 if I feel like it. I'm no longer based on the main campus, so there's travel involved between my office and my course, and of course, there will be work to do at home. I'm already constantly complaining about the lack of hours available in my life, so why on earth am I filling yet more of them? Am I completely mad? And if it works, and I progress, as planned, onto doing an actual degree, it'll just get worse. And I will be committed to this job for the four-ish years it's likely to take. I have no intention of leaving the job - I enjoy it loads, and I've only been here for six months, but still. I'm irrationally irritated by being unable to do something I might not want to do anyway.
* 'Mature student'? Me? It doesn't seem very likely, does it? I don't feel any older than when I was an ordinary student. But I guess the seven years that separate me from normal first years are quite big and important years. They just don't feel like it.
On an entirely different note, I've just noticed it's snowing. On an already flooded and frozen city. Ah well, I rather like snow.
On the other hand, I seem to be studying a module this term. I was actually aware of this. In fact, I spent some time choosing the module, and applying for permission to study it. But it seemed so far in the future! It didn't quite register that it was something that was actually going to happen.
So now I'm about two weeks away from seeing if my brain still works. I wonder if it will? I haven't studied at this kind of level for six years. I'm told 'mature students'* tend to do well, and I expect to be more intelligent than most of my fellow students, but I'm out of practice. And I'm lazy. And I'm disorganised. And I'm very good at procrastinating. So I'm - perhaps unreasonably - scared.
And it's such a logistical nightmare. I'll have to make up the hours spent away from my job studying, which means no more being home by 4.15 if I feel like it. I'm no longer based on the main campus, so there's travel involved between my office and my course, and of course, there will be work to do at home. I'm already constantly complaining about the lack of hours available in my life, so why on earth am I filling yet more of them? Am I completely mad? And if it works, and I progress, as planned, onto doing an actual degree, it'll just get worse. And I will be committed to this job for the four-ish years it's likely to take. I have no intention of leaving the job - I enjoy it loads, and I've only been here for six months, but still. I'm irrationally irritated by being unable to do something I might not want to do anyway.
* 'Mature student'? Me? It doesn't seem very likely, does it? I don't feel any older than when I was an ordinary student. But I guess the seven years that separate me from normal first years are quite big and important years. They just don't feel like it.
On an entirely different note, I've just noticed it's snowing. On an already flooded and frozen city. Ah well, I rather like snow.
Re: A Course of course
How much did you stretch your course? I'm planning on doing two years' worth of full time course in four years. Although said like that, it sounds not stretched enough. But then again there is the thing that what students think 'full time' means is rather funny to people with full time jobs, so it might be OK. Or not. Oh dear. What have I let myself in for?
no subject
Date: 2003-01-08 04:02 am (UTC)My course would be 1 year if I took it full time, 3 years if I took 2 courses every semester (4 per year) or 5 years if I were really very lazy. I've been studying almost 6 years as I've been taking it 1 course every year. The OU puts the course application deadline right around final coursework submission and final exam dates, so I kept missing application deadlines, or feeling so overworked that I couldn't bring myself to sign up for the next course immediately. But, I shall finish this year. Even if I don't see daylight before April.
My suggestion would be to take 1 course only for the first term, and see how it goes. You might be surprised at how much better you are at organising study time now than you were. Also, whatever happens, really try to finish the course - the number of times I've come close to dropping a course due to panic is pretty much equal to the number of deadlines I've faced, but I've not even come close to failing anything yet! If you get a bad mark, you'll just be motivated to get a good mark next time. If you quit something, you'll be motivated not to try again.
Hmm. Perhaps I'm becoming old. Grey hairs? Check. Office job? Check. Feel need to impart anecdotal "Wisdom"? Check.
Crap. If you see me wearing a shawl, just club me down where I stand.