I've submitted my second assignment. If there's anything wrong with it, it's too late now, there's no going back!
I've also been very busy this week working through the chapters on the Dalai Lama and then Plato. While I was in the mood for studying, I thought I might as well get my third assignment written up.
I really enjoyed both chapters, although I started to falter a bit when I got to the political stuff about Tibet and China. I have always been interested in learning about all religions. I don't know whether this is because I am atheist, or whether I am atheist because of it? I can identify with many of the Buddhist ideas, as there is none of the 'we are right and you are wrong' that you get with some other religions.
I have to say though, that the Plato chapter stands head and shoulders above all the other chapters as my favourite. I don't know if this is because, like Plato and Socrates, I enjoy a good argument. I have decided I am definitely a Moral Rationalist - I like to know the reasons WHY people choose to do things; WHY they believe what they do; I like to challenge the reasons and make conclusions based purely on the evidence, not experience.
This often annoys people, as most people tend to be Moral Traditionalists - They do things because that's what they've always done; they believe things because their parents believed it... and their grandparents... and their great-grandparents...
Think of how many people you know who are like this - the bloke who comes in the pub at exactly quarter past twelve on a Sunday, has three pints, plays the fruit machine for ten minutes when he gets his second drink, then goes home at exactly ten to three because his wife will have the dinner ready... or the old lady who goes into town on the eleven o'clock bus every Tuesday, visits the same three market stalls, has fish with peas and a cup of tea for lunch, goes to the supermarket to buy the same seven items, then gets the quarter to one bus back home.
I am most definitely NOT a creature of habit. To illustrate this, I have worked extra hard this week so I can have the next couple of weeks completely study-free. I'll see you after the Easter break...
I've been a bit hit and miss with my writing over the past couple of weeks. Last weekend being Mother's Day followed by my Mum's birthday on Tuesday meant I wasn't really in the mood, although I did manage to do a few poems (link on the left).
I've also worked on an action plan for my jobseeking, however the biggest drain on my time has been my obsessive checking of the online TMA service, waiting for my assignment to be returned.
It was finally returned last night. I was very pleased with my result - a very respectable 82%. not quite a distinction but definitely good enough. I had some excellent comments from my tutor which actually made it harder to decide what to rework for my second assignment.
The doubt didn't last for too long though - I had my second assignment completed by midnight (I've always found it easier to work at night). I might leave it a week before going back to it, then if everything still looks fine I'll get it submitted.
Over the past week, I've learnt just one thing - I'm glad I decided I'm not going to do History for my degree.
All week, I've been trying to get through Chapter 5 on Stalin. I enjoy reading about him as a person, however I soon switched off as soon as the book started talking about dates and places. While I understand it is important to know when something happened, I just find that it bores me.
Needless to say, this was yet another chapter that I quickly skimmed over, before moving on to Chapter 6: The Diva. So far, I'm enjoying this chapter a lot more.
It hasn't been a completely wasted week though. I managed to write another chapter of my short story, as well as a couple of poems. Now i just wish my tutor would hurry up and mark my assignment so I can get on with rewriting it for TMA02.
For almost a week now I've not been able to write anything, unless you count the umpteen Facebook statuses and replies to other people's posts. I've also managed to revise my CV, but that was more of a chore than a pleasure. I haven't written any poems, stories, or even this blog!
It isn't just writing either - I've hardly done any reading. I've attempted to start reading several books, but got no further than half a dozen pages in each. I do have one of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels sat on the shelf, which I haven't read yet, so I'll have a go at that tonight and see how it goes.
I have managed to do a lot of 'not very much at all', as well as watching a lot of TV and films. I have managed to get out of the house a few times as well.
I really need to get back into the habit of reading and writing again, so that I can continue with my studies as I haven't managed anything since sending off my first assignment. OK then... here goes... Chapter 5: Stalin, here we come!
