12 Mar 2012

How to write a TMA (or not)

So, I submitted my first TMA. The writing process went thusly:

I looked at the question a few times in the week of the last unit of the block.
I thought about it a lot, and pulled a lot of vexed faces about it.
I jotted a few ideas down when they came to me.
I woke up one morning with the essay introduction formed in my head, and the part of the text I was going to analyse.

I sorted the kids out, sat down and got writing.
I wrote the introduction. It was far too long.
I sat and looked at the introduction for some time.
I procrastinated trying to work out Harvard referencing. For what it's worth, Harvard referencing is annoying. It alters depending on which institution you're writing for. There must be a simpler way, but the Open Uni rules compel me to Harvard.
I started writing the body of my essay.
I wrote a conclusion. This was all over a couple of hours.
I checked the word count - 50% over the wordlimit. Oops.
I did some cutting, but as is the norm with an essay you JUST wrote, couldn't see anywhere I could possibly trim my precious words.
I sent it to my word-count-slave sister (she's a journalist) for some help and grammar checking. She returned it with some ideas.
I sat and edited it.
I edited it again.
And again.
And finally I was left with an essay that hit the word count.

I ignored it for two days.

I then re-read the essay question and um...realised I hadn't answered it in my essay.

So I rewrote huge swathes of it, to actually answer the question, and trimmed the conclusion a bit.

Then I took it out of Works and into Open Office. Open Office is free and I shouldn't expect so much of it, but my god! Everything is so damnably complicated. It took me ages to work out how to put a page number in the footer! I miss Word. I must locate a copy.

I fretted about it.

I fretted some more.

I submitted it.

And thusly did my first TMA essay come to be pass. Strange how unconcerned I used to be about submitting essays in school, doing them the night before, half asleep/drunk. And now, they fill my every waking MOMENT! I don't expect my marks til around my birthday on the 3rd. That'll be a lovely birthday present...sigh...

This week, I've also done my first iCMA. It was easy, even for a dyscalculic dunce like me. I don't get my score for that yet either.

On with Block 2!

1 comment:

  1. http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm

    I always use this site for harvard referencing (which we have to use for language.. and MHRA referencing for literature.. very confusing) and I haven't been pulled up on referencing yet so I'm assuming it's accurate information. Referencing is a pain in the arse but I like to know that its right, along with presentation, because then I know that any lost marks are due to content...

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