So, I am one assignment and an exam away from completing my latest module with the OU (Business Degree). However, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that I am not going to complete this one for the following reasons:

This assignment is mandatory, I have to submit it regardless but really haven’t got a clue what to write and I’ve been working on it for two weeks. There is no tutor support for this one as she is on holiday 🙄

Part of the assignment is a review of the module and this particular module has had so many theories/authors/concepts there are literally whole blocks of reading I have forgotten about completely or didn’t understand along the way.

Give the above there is no way I will be able to revise everything done in the last 9 months, I still have this assignment which is a week passed the submission deadline anyway and the exam is in less than 3 weeks.

This is a level 2 course, I have to do one compulsory level 3 and one Level 3 module of my choice. I’ve always struggled at level 2, how the hell will I ever complete a level 3?

I’m not even sure I want a degree. I’d already decided to take a break from it next year anyway so I think my heart dropped out of it at that point anyway. I’m still not sure what ‘career’ I want, the more time I spend thinking about ‘business’ environments the more I want to run away and become a horse whisperer or something, just something different so I don’t have to sit at a desk all day. I don’t know what to do. Can someone please offer some sensible advice or at the very least post a lolcat or something. Anything that will stop me crying for a bit would be good 😥

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNMq8XS4LhE[/video]

then don’t bother with the degree…. if you’ve struggled with it this far how do you expect to get on with it in the future?

you don’t want to be sat at a desk…. then find something you do want to do (not that easy, i know), but i see little point in putting lots of effort into something that you don’t want.

Decide on what you want to do with the next say 10 years or so of you life work wise then take the route that allows you to do that. If that requires you to finish your degree do it if not leave it unless it’s an interesting subject which you enjoy in it’s own right. (Not sure Business would qualify for that one, more of a doing type of thing that’s interesting than theory that’s interesting IMO, but different stroke for different fokes.)

Go and do something fun for the rest of the weekend, then give it another shot – you’re so close to finishing this module. You can do it! 😀

http://www.seasonworkers.com/skijobs/

Go and have some fun – Life’s too short.

Of course you want a degree or you wouldn’t have started it in the first place. Stop wasting your time on internet forums or riding your bike because, ‘it might clear your mind’.

Now get back to work. You’ll thank me in the long run.

Mum

there must be someone you can go to for support. that would be my first step. Generic student support rather than the specific tutor?

don’t waste what you have done already – if need be take a term or two out before returning to it.

Well, I’ve text my tutor to see what she thinks. 30% of the marks for this one are for online collaborative stuff which I’ve done so might be able to submit the crap I’ve already written and just scrap a pass. All the other work I’ve submitted has been good so I’ve got enough to not ‘fail’ as such, just it will be a mark that Fs up my overall degree mark potentially. I’ll wait and see what she says. There isn’t anyone generic working on a saturday at the OU which is a pain as its usually the only time I get free i.e. weekend, to ring them.

I’m going to have a nap I think, feel like poo 🙁 That video made me chuckle, he doesn’t look welsh though??!!

Finish it.

When your still unemployed a year later this small difficulty will seem trivial.

People often dont have a ‘career’, they have jobs that pay money for bikes and stuff. You need all the help you can get in getting a job, whatever it is. Unemployment will be getting worse over the next few years.

I have a job Trimix, I wont just walk out of that as you’re right, job market sucks at the moment.

and check you r spelling, too.

scrap a pass

*scrape

What’s the module? What is the assignment title?

As others have said. Take a proper break then go back to it. When I have had difficulty putting together a report/paper whatever, sitting there and staring at it struggling does not help. Take a step back and leave it alone.

When you come back to it you need a plan. I often start by just trying to jot down ideas. As you do this you notice blanks that you need to research and also get some structure to your thoughts. I prefer computers but I’ve seen people who prefer to get a room and lots of post it notes.

You’ve obviously come a long way and put in effort to get this far. I would never quit. Do you best, and submit something and sit the exam. You might fail but it is better to try and fail then give up.

OK here’s the news – you are not going to give in and you are certainly not going to fail.

1) You only need 40% in the assignment to pass. Take a look in the assignment booklet and see what a mark of > 40% entails. All you have to do is show that you have some idea of the course themes and you are even allowed to be under the word limit. You may feel that you have forgotten the themes or did not understand them but I assure you that you will know more than you think. Give the material a skim read and by mentioning key concepts and theorists, all of which you will be able to reference from your course materials and website, you will be able to write something, anything, just get it written even if it’s under the limit.

2) If your tutor is unavailable then contact Student Services by phone and tell them that you need to contact a tutor as your’s is not available. They will put you in touch with someone. Also, go online and seek support from the other students on the forum and from the study resources that are available there.

3) You do want a degree. That is why you started the course and that is why you have already done so well and put i so much effort. If you are finding the material too heavy or too boring, then complete your degree in modules that you enjoy. You may end up with an unnamed non specific degree but don’t let anyone tell you that this would be worthless. Most of the graduates that I know are working in graduate positions that bear no relation to their degree. It’s about showing that you can appply yourself and that you can absorb, use and translate information. Given 2 candidates with equal experience and one has a degree on top, I’ll employ the graduate every time.

4) Don’t think that because the level 2 course is tough that you’ll struggle with level 3. The hardest module of my course has been a level 2 and I found level 1 Social Science to be harder than level 3 History purely because I couldn’t engage with it so readily.

It’s a tough time of year for us all at the OU so you’re not alone. Go ride your bike, have a glass of wine or two this evening and then tomorrow, sit down and plan the essay that you will write over the next few evenings. Remember you only need 40%.

Here is my view:

You might as well finish it I reckon.

And don’t worry about not being into the work that much, working life is rarely like what you learn at Uni.

What you need to learn at Uni is exactly how much effort is required to pass, sounds like you are doing well in that.

I am sure you aren’t doing as badly as you think. Take the rest of the day off today, go out and have fun with some friends, hear about their problems for a few hours.

Then tomorrow nail yourself to your desk and write the fracker. Set yourself word targets, plan it properly with a good structure, decide what your conclusion is then write to that.

As far as exam prep goes, don’t bother with the stuff you haven’t studied, focus on the stuff you do know and revise that, play to your strengths. Again, set targets for how much study you have to do each day, don’t cheat, and get it done first.

(for example, I found myself facing a Russian Lit paper at Uni, and hadn’t bothered reading War and Peace. So got well up on Chekov and blagged the Tolstoy questions, still passed)

Good luck !

You can do it. I’d be phoning the OU asking to speak to another tutor, I did that a few times and they were helpful.

trailmonkeys advice is good too.

TS

Thanks chaps. Trailmonkey/hels that’s really helpful. Im going to have a nap them come back and have another think about it. Like you say even for this one if I just get 40% which I should manage it will be something.

CaptJon the module is business organisations and their environments. Part one question is about globalisation impacting on CSR in relation to a chosen case study (mines about over fishing in the north sea)
then part 2 is about two of the three course themes and talking about what we learned/blog work that we have done. Think I’ve chosen some concepts and will write a structure out a bit later, if nothing else just mentioning a few concepts should get a mark or two?

Try not to make it too boring – that was some good advice I got from a Uni Lecturer, they have to read the same thing hundreds of times from undergrads – keep the sentences short and throw in a few jokes !

You’ve got stuck and as a result it all feels shit. This happens with academic stuff. You’ve had some good advice up there, so take a step back, mentally regroup and then apply yourself. It doesn’t have to be brilliant, just good enough. On a practical note, and perhaps cause I’m feeling in a generous mood… 😉 all that globalisation/CSR malarky is part of my research background (includes a PhD and student supervision so I do have some clue … ) and I’m more than happy to offer a friendly ear if you want to chat through what it is that you are getting stuck on. I can send you a contact through your profile email if you’d like. 🙂

Thanks for the offer Art, I’ll probably just get brain freeze again and not know where to start though 😳

I’ve got all day tomorrow to tidy something up, just so frustrated with myself that i’m not going to get anything more productive done today so Ill see what I end up with by tomorrow night and submit it, wont be anywhere near the word count but at least it will be in then I can think about what to do about the exam.

Weirdly, I actually find globalisation really interesting, it’s just that sometimes the OU seem to have a very strange way of wording questions/guidance.

It’s not long to go, stick at it. It’ll be worth it for the CV and avoiding the icky hindsight feeling later down the line.

As you know by now; read the mark scheme and assessment brief. You need to be efficient with the remaining effort you can put in, don’t go off on a tangent.

I looked for a motivational image on Google, nothing seemed appropriate so I chose this:

GO GET ‘EM! 😈

I got really hacked off with my degree at the start of the final year but I got through it with a 2.2 and then promptly forgot most of what I learned and got working. A good friend of mine got similarly hacked off, went travelling worked in a bar on a beach for a while, never completed his degree and started working probably only a year after me. He’s happy now and isn’t in a dissimilar career nor earnings level. In my opinion, careers are what you do, be it working in the same area your whole life or having a career where you move around a lot. My dad has done both; a “proper job” until his late 40’s and for the last 15 or so years, a series of small jobs that he happily talks about as his second career.

I guess the point is there’s many ways to get to where you want to be, degrees aren’t the be-all and end-all of getting jobs or careers or whatever and there’s no real need to try to know what and who you want to be and do when you’re 20.

It isn’t weird to find globalisation interesting, it is the most important change that has happened in the economy, politics, culture, society etc for centuries! It shapes our everyday lives. But then i would say that as i teach it 😉

Sounds like in part one you need to highlight the myriad factors impacting on fishing in particular places, factors that have only become important as the world has become increasingly interconnected.

In part two, be critical of the concepts you’re going to write about – who says they are useful and why? who says they aren’t, and why? Illustrate with examples and demonstrate you’ve read widely.

What are the concepts?

Sounds like you’re not really interested in the course so perhaps have a rethink about what you want to do with your future ?

Is there not a course forum that you could ask for help on?

I’m currently nearing the end of MS221 Exploring Maths and feeling in a similar situation to yourself, but the course forum for this has always been quite helpful, plus it’s moderated by course tutors who will let you contact them directly if you’re own tutor is away and ask nicely.

Also do you have an “Assessment Calculator” section on your course website so that you can see what marks are needed to pass this module?

There is a UK advice line available on 0870 333 1 444 which might be worth trying.

WRT to worrying about being able to cope with level 3 courses, think back to when you made the jump between level 1 and level 2. I know that when I was doing level 1 courses I was thinking ‘OMG this is hard, however will cope with level 2?’ Now I look back and laugh at myself for thinking that level 1 was difficult, but I’m sure that I’ll have the same feeling going on to future courses.

I’ve emailed you at the address in your profile in case you want to get in touch with me directly 🙂

You should definitely finish your degree regardless of whether you think it will be useful to you or not in the future. If you’ve started and already put work in, then you may as well finish it.

You can always go and live as a wild person in the forest or take up dry stone walling or whatever afterwards anyway. Ditto for doing seasons in ski chalets etc- you can do that any time in your life.

CaptJon – the book they’ve given us to work on is Manfred Steger’s ‘Globalisation:A very short introduction’. I have to say it’s the worst, most uninteresting book I’ve ever read but I have now written a bit about the political, economic and cultural aspects of how it impacts on the wee fishes and the fishermen in cornwall and scotland 🙂 I’m now on to talking about why it’s a contested concept and that I am struggling with?! For CSR I am going to talk about Carrolls CSR pyramid and Crane & Mattens Sustainable development or something along those lines?

Fluffy, we are only allowed to post in our tutor group forum, the overall forum was shut down once we got going and I’ve no idea why, its the first course Ive done where it hasn’t been available and I have to say I really miss it. I’ve been on the Assessment Calculator and I need 40% OCAS to pass and already have 57% so I’m safe, I think. Just need to pass the exam :/ and you are very right about the jump actually, I’d forgotten I started on level 1 🙂 but this is my third Level 2 so you’d think I could cope by now!

copier-coller.

plagiarism 🙂 lol. Might happen, referencing is not my strong point but I’ve got by until now

So you have a job, and are doing more education, but it’s a bit hard…

WTFU and get on with it. 🙄

It’ll be worth it for the CV and avoiding the icky hindsight feeling later down the line.

I’d say that simply doing it for the CV is not a good enough reason.
If you have an alternative plan that can be explained to a future employer, then go for it. Just be sure that you’re running towards something and not away from something.
Otherwise there is some sound advice above.

Good luck.

It’s only plagiarism if you don’t quote your source. It appears you’ve been given stuuf to review. No doubt lots of other people have already reviewed it some of whom no doubt make more sense than the the stuff they are reviewing. A few will have published somewhere themselves so you can quote them. Just browse, start collecting stuff you like (with references) and structure it into some kind of argument/counter argument that you present, criticise and conclude by sitting on the fence.

You may end up with an unnamed non specific degree but don’t let anyone tell you that this would be worthless. Most of the graduates that I know are working in graduate positions that bear no relation to their degree.

+1

I work in IT and I can only think of one guy that I currently work with who actually has an IT specific degree.

Sounds good emma, although i know nothing about CSR. Remember to demonstrate you’ve done lots of reading, and putting stuff into your own words (plus references, of course) rather than relying on verbatim quotes demonstrates a greater understanding of what you’re citing.

I nearly quit my degree after failing a year. I’m so glad I didn’t. I would have felt like a quitter my whole life.

You sound stressed.

Just finish the assignment and cram like hell on 60% of your exam revision. 2 weeks is plenty.

Once you start, you will start typing like mad.

If it helps, I had a 2500 word essay, started 6 hours before…got a 1st on it. If I can do it, anyone can.

Get a goodnight’s rest Emma and get up at 8am, and get on with it as you can do this!

Go girl!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGtfpzT4Lqw[/video]

Go to your college and voice your concerns and demand the help required.

Well, I had a moment of clarity lateish last night and have written half of the second part but still have things to put in. If all else fails I’ll just fill the word count and hope that gets a few marks. Going to the iaws for a few hrs today so will clear my mind and will then just get on with when I get home. Wish me luck!

well done and good luck.

now, enough of your problems and back to my own revision 😉