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Student at the Open University
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Original post by Juno
One of my tutors is ill and has thus had to drop out of tutoring, so that explains why one of my TMAs isn't back yet. But that was only due on 12th, and the other has no excuse and I've been waiting longer!

Wondered what happened if a tutor has to drop out. Does another tutor take the whole tutor group or does the group get split up? Difficult if some online collaboration work is ongoing.
Student at the Open University
Open University
Milton Keynes
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[QUOTE=Nitebot;36815171]It can be difficult studying two modules at once. I did an L2 and L3 together some years back and ended up ditching the L3 course. Very annoyed as if I'd used my tutor more I might have got through it. The problem isn't necessarily the difficulty but the time pressure. You might have to submit two long winded TMA's within days of each other. Hard enough but what if you've had a bad week at work or at home or are feeling unwell in the run up to the submission dates? It can be a lot of pressure.

Try doing four at once :wink:
Reply 5262
Original post by Nitebot
Wondered what happened if a tutor has to drop out. Does another tutor take the whole tutor group or does the group get split up? Difficult if some online collaboration work is ongoing.


All I've had so far is an email, which is clearly sent to a lot of people but not necessarily the whole group, so I don't know if we were kept together or split up. The email does say " We have arranged for another tutor to take over your group for the next few months" but giving a whole group to another tutor will clearly be a lot of extra work! And it seems weird to keep tutors on stand by in case an extra is needed, because I can't imagine it happens often - and with tutorials you'd need the stand by tutor to be really flexible with travelling (although this course only offers tutorials in London, Manchester or Scotland and you get to go to any, so it wouldn't really matter which the tutor went to, but other courses aren't like that).

However, the email does just say "for the next few months" so maybe one poor tutor has had all of us dumped on him until the OU can make further arrangements. I imagine they might be able to contact past tutors and see if any are interested in restarting, or some tutors of other courses may not be busy atm as some tutors do tutor multiple courses.
They seem to only ever give tutors about five minutes' notice of whether they'll be tutoring anyway...
Right....working on my final TMA now before the EMAs and exam. Due in for 22nd but I'm going to hand it in tomorrow as I have to go to an awards ceremony in London on the 22nd (wasted half the day getting a tuxedo and some shoes). Anyways I'm aiming to pussh the boat out as far as possible to 100%. Looked at the briefing made a note of key comments from previous TMAs. 2500 words. Done the intro already which is 500 words so another 2000 to go. Tanked up on grilled cheese sandwiches and red bull. Let's do this!
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Right....working on my final TMA now before the EMAs and exam. Due in for 22nd but I'm going to hand it in tomorrow as I have to go to an awards ceremony in London on the 22nd (wasted half the day getting a tuxedo and some shoes). Anyways I'm aiming to pussh the boat out as far as possible to 100%. Looked at the briefing made a note of key comments from previous TMAs. 2500 words. Done the intro already which is 500 words so another 2000 to go. Tanked up on grilled cheese sandwiches and red bull. Let's do this!


The other thing I was going to say is, proofread the living daylights out of it - no point losing marks for spelling mistakes or dodgy grammar. OK, it wouldn't be many marks, but everything counts...
Original post by Persipan
The other thing I was going to say is, proofread the living daylights out of it - no point losing marks for spelling mistakes or dodgy grammar. OK, it wouldn't be many marks, but everything counts...


Speling and grammar I have a hawk eye for so I don't lose marks there (touch wood). Diagrams might be the key here a bit more annotation. I'm going to do this proprly read all the relevant sections and then sqqueeze as many concepts and theories ass possibles. If it were a mammal it'd bleed theories when cut.....sorry for the morbid image....I love mammals/animals wouldn't harm them I am a vegetarian after all but then again so was Hitler.......yikes.
Reply 5267
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Speling and grammar I have a hawk eye for so I don't lose marks there (touch wood). Diagrams might be the key here a bit more annotation. I'm going to do this proprly read all the relevant sections and then sqqueeze as many concepts and theories ass possibles. If it were a mammal it'd bleed theories when cut.....sorry for the morbid image....I love mammals/animals wouldn't harm them I am a vegetarian after all but then again so was Hitler.......yikes.


That went downhill quickly :biggrin:
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Speling and grammar I have a hawk eye for so I don't lose marks there (touch wood). Diagrams might be the key here a bit more annotation. I'm going to do this proprly read all the relevant sections and then sqqueeze as many concepts and theories ass possibles. If it were a mammal it'd bleed theories when cut.....sorry for the morbid image....I love mammals/animals wouldn't harm them I am a vegetarian after all but then again so was Hitler.......yikes.


You go work that propr speling!

Now get off the internet and concentrate... (And if someone would like to tell me to do the same, I wouldn't object. Next TMA isn't due in for another couple of weeks, but I'm dragging my heels a bit...)
Original post by Moggs
That went downhill quickly :biggrin:


It always baffled me as it did many historians and millions of sane people worldwide how Hitler could be a vegetarian on the basis he didn't want to harm living creatures yet he was happy to execute 6 million jewish people. Clearly he was a bit confused.

There's this far-right dude called Pat Condell who makes vids on Youtube about anti-multiculturalism, anti-islam etc yet he's a vegetarian after watching a baby deer get butchered. Shame he didn't feel that way about the human race. Some people.
Original post by Persipan
You go work that propr speling!

Now get off the internet and concentrate... (And if someone would like to tell me to do the same, I wouldn't object. Next TMA isn't due in for another couple of weeks, but I'm dragging my heels a bit...)


Yes I will do that. The end is almost in sight for me and that elusive silver graduation ring will be mine (not to mention the degree!).

http://commemorativejewellery.co.uk/productdetails-rings_eng.asp?ProductID=195&ProcessType=6&CategoryID=34&OrgID=1
Reply 5271
Woohoo! It's come back!
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Yes I will do that. The end is almost in sight for me and that elusive silver graduation ring will be mine (not to mention the degree!).

http://commemorativejewellery.co.uk/productdetails-rings_eng.asp?ProductID=195&ProcessType=6&CategoryID=34&OrgID=1


Jeez them gold ones are expensive!! £700 for a gold ring?:biggrin:
o.O my tutor just txt me saying I got 97% on MS221 TMA03 woop. Lol, it's not even due in until next month - naughty!
Original post by Bleak Lemming
o.O my tutor just txt me saying I got 97% on MS221 TMA03 woop. Lol, it's not even due in until next month - naughty!

Is the course too easy?!
Original post by Nitebot
Is the course too easy?!


No I'm dreading the exam! TMAs are easy cos you get as long as you want (before the deadline) to do them, and you have all the books etc!
Reply 5276
Original post by Bleak Lemming
o.O my tutor just txt me saying I got 97% on MS221 TMA03 woop. Lol, it's not even due in until next month - naughty!


Only done about 80% of it so far but not rushing.
Started TMA4 yesterday and pretty much finished it:smile: and it was actually fun after all that calculus (and a nice break from topology)

As for the exam, the S1 questions are designed to be answered pretty quickly if you know what you're doing and the questions don't vary that much from year to year. OTOH the handbook is a disaster and my back pages will probably all be stuff that's already in there somewhere, or a bespoke index or something.
Original post by sputum
Only done about 80% of it so far but not rushing.
Started TMA4 yesterday and pretty much finished it:smile: and it was actually fun after all that calculus (and a nice break from topology)

As for the exam, the S1 questions are designed to be answered pretty quickly if you know what you're doing and the questions don't vary that much from year to year. OTOH the handbook is a disaster and my back pages will probably all be stuff that's already in there somewhere, or a bespoke index or something.


At the moment I'll be terrible for the exam. I think that I will learn most of the stuff properly when I come to revise! I've got a tonne of past papers and the black badge press answer booklet. Haven't touched block D yet.
Reply 5278
I only looked at them to see how bad the integrations were (one easy IBP and an IBS where they give you the substitution:biggrin: goodbye C2)
Original post by bufferz
Jeez them gold ones are expensive!! £700 for a gold ring?:biggrin:


Tell me about it. It'd be like wearing a laptop on your finger.

Hence being Mr Cheapskate that I am I will be going for the silver ring and the silver cufflinks which are around £60 a set I think maybe £70-ish which although not cheap certainly a whole lot cheaper than £700.

Unless of course all of you, my wonderful OU TSR buddies are willing to chip into the GG Fund and purchase me the gold one as a graduation gift.....please? :wink:

OK I'll settle for a tapestry or scarf..........teddy bear?.......fine then don't expect anything from me on your birthday or wedding day!

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