Friday, July 27, 2012

Where has the time gone - the end of week 4 already

Well hello there,
Oh my goodness I am so sorry that I have not been around - life in Smithville has been keeping me busy and out of mischief. You see my Mum arrived last Wednesday for a four week visit and I have been trying very hard to make sure she doesn't feel neglected hehe. I have been dividing my time between study, housework and spending time with her and my three (1big and 2 little) boys.
So here we are in week 4 of term two and I have been busy with my studies. Maths is certainly stretching the old thinking skills however I am enjoying it and I seem to be getting most of it. This week I have spent doing the first half of Algebra which believe it or not has actually been fun. Then I have spent a whole day just doing revision, which was also great to do. I went back over all of the PowerPoint videos that have made up the modules and I was really happy with how much has and had sunk in. I will continue to do this to reinforce what I learn. I got 95% for my first end of module test - silly me wrote one problem down with a 4 instead of 14 and I got my positives and negatives mixed up on another - both learning experiences though.

Then biology is also fun. I have not studied Biology before and I really enjoy what it all about. I purchased myself a couple of text books, one basic Biology and one (rather flash) Anatomy and Physiology book, not because I had to but because I wanted to. I am finding it all very fascinating. At the moment we are looking at tissue. Having already looked at Organisms, ecology and now the A and P of organisms. We have covered Organ systems, organs and then next week we are delving deeper into cells. All absolutely fascinating.

It really makes it so much easier to study when you are doing something that you enjoy. I am not finding any of this hard work or a chore because I am looking forward to it (at the moment) I do hope it stays that way and nothing changes. I must say that sometimes I am enjoying my studies so much that I forget that I have to my other Mum and Wife duties (opps). I am trying to make sure I still focus on them but once I get absorbed it is hard to put the books down and walk away. Last term I was having trouble with procrastination - but not this term. But I have to get a balance happening. 

  I have started my Biology essay that is due in week 8 and I am thinking how lucky I was to do Essay writing last term as I am just following my final assessment steps for EWU to write this essay. I have already Analysed my topic, done a cluster map, written a Thesis statement and written down my main ideas. It is not daunting at all (at this stage). I have chosen The biological concept of Homeostasis as my topic. I liked both choices but this one seemed a little more interesting to me.

So that has pretty much got me up to date with all of my study stuff. I have my eldest sons birthday on Monday, he is turning 14 - OMG already I wish he was still little!!!!!!! He is definitely experiencing teenagehood (is there such a word hehehe well if not I just made it up)and it is keeping us busy. We are trialling a little project for him and his Dad to undertake. They have brought a small second hand car to play with and do up. Frankie loves working on cars so it will be great for both of them - however poor Frankie is time poor already with working a stressful '24hr a day 8 days on at a time' job (paramedic) and renovating our old Queenslander house and now doing up a car.

Ashley is having a couple of friends over for  a movie night to celebrate his birthday - so I am really looking forward to that hehehehe last time he had friends over they insisted on watching a scary movie and I ended up having to sit with them as they all got soooo scared and there was so much screaming happening. I actually hate scary movies myself but sat through it commenting on how good the special effects were and talking about how the directors  may of made it look so real. I guess I was I party pooper but at least it stopped the screaming. And I had them all commenting on how it could of been made.

Ok well I had better go and shut the house up for the night as the temperature is dropping (hahaha now if that was the human body that the temperature was dropping in good old Homeostasis would kick in  and get the body to warm itself up again - I think I have become a study geek hehehe)
Ok well I will talk again soon
I will have to pop over to my other life -  being a card maker sometime over the weekend as I have not posted anything on my other blog for soooo long.
but until next time
take care
x joy

Monday, July 9, 2012

Term Two Week Two

Hello and a hearty, happy Monday to you (actually I think I must be only writing this for my benefit as I'm not sure anyone is still reading hehehe anyway I don't mind - I often ramble on to myself  so it is no different to that and besides I get the benefit of some positive thinking and reflecting ) - but if you are still reading pop me a comment and say hi so I can come by your blogs and say hi to you.

Anyway here I am week two, term two. I am all up to date and half way through the maths module for this week and my poor little old brain in doing crazy, whirly things cause there is soooooo much info, it isn't funny hehehehe
I am getting all of the concepts ok but I am sooooo worried that I won't remember them all. I will try and do lots of revision and see how I go.

And then we get to Biology hehehe I answered last weeks - How am I progressing questions and my lecturer got back to me today and said I was on the right track but I had to expand on my answers for practice on tests etc. hehehehe oh boy oh boy, If I hadn't done my last term, I would probably be thinking that this is all too much for me but I do know that this is to be expected and it will all settle down as I get further into the term hehehehe ( I hope anyway) otherwise you will be seeing a lot more of that little whirly brain fellow here.

Ok well it is freezing cold here today and I think I will go and have a nice hot shower and get into my nice comfy flannie jammies early. And then I have three hungry boys to feed.
Have a great whatever you may be doing.
talk soon
x joy 
Ps a special thinking of you to my lovely card blogging pal - Wilma who is very sick at the moment. I am thinking of you Wilma and hoping everything goes well for you x x x x x x x x x 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Term 2 Begins

Wow can you believe it term 2 already! Today is Wednesday and it has really been my first day of study. I have not been very well after my surgery so while trying to take it easy I have been trying to get back into study at the same time. Easier said than done as I am sooooo tired and sore but anyway enough of the whinging and feeling sorry for myself - I am doing Maths and Biology this term and oooohhhhhh boy have I hit the ground running hehehe (well my brain has anyway - my body is not up to running yet hehehe)

I have downloaded both of the course profiles and this weeks module for biology and have had a brief read of it (while sitting basking in the sun shine) and today I got into my first week of maths. Wow is it getting the brain ticking over - this week it is The study of Mathematics and goes over all of the basic stuff like whole, natural, rational, irrational, decimal, real and prime numbers then onto prime factors, highest common factors, lowest common multiples and fractions. Consequently I got a head ache today with all this extra work that my brain hasn't done in sooooo long hehehe. But believe it or not I am actually having fun hehehe only I bet my hubby doesn't think I am, as he got the sad face today when I got over whelmed with it all. Anyway I feel like I have accomplished something today and tomorrow I plan to finish off this module of Maths and get into Biology - so wish me luck.

We have some lovely friends in town at the moment who used to live here in Blackall so we are off out to dinner tonight. I don't think it will be a late one as I am not up to it, but it will be enjoyable.

Ok well have a great day
talk soon
x joy

ps I forgot to tell you that I got three High Distinctions for last terms courses - what a happy happy girl I am