OpenMusings

M359 continues, and continues to really test me. Got TMA01 in with 6 days to spare – the latest I’ve been with an assignment submission in nearly three years with the OU – and I was as glad to see it go as I was to see the S199 ECA go. That’s not really a good feeling when you realise there’s still three TMAs and an exam to come…

They don’t give you much time before TMA02, either – it’s due in a month, so there’s no time to take a breather before delving back into the course. Block 2 seems to be mostly relational theory, with the emphasis on converting back and forth between relational models and entiti-relationship diagrams – it’s very dry material, and very hard going, as the subject is just abstract enough that I find it hard to really concentrate enough on the details for them to sink in. Fun, fun, fun. I think my chances of a distinction on this one are remote – and that’ll have a huge knock-on effect on my hopes for a first-class degree classification. Aaargh.

On the bright side, Block 3 approaches, and that’s all SQL. I’m quite looking forward to that, on the assumption that SQL is at heart a “programming” language, and my scores on the Java courses have showed I have an aptitude there. Hopefully that’s not a misconception….

S199 results are out, and it’s another Pass for me – although I really wasn’t happy with this course. 5 Learning Outcomes assessed, 3 Achieved and 2 Just Achieved, which using my rough-and-ready percentage converter gives a not-great 65%. I’d be upset – for science short courses I’m used to scores in the 90s – but this time around I’m just so glad it’s done that I’m not going to complain.

Now, if only I could find the time to get going on S186…