38 and going to Uni!

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Thanks everyone for the replies. 

Coffee Machine is nearby! 

In regards to space, at the moment I am WFH but the spaced is temporary. We are looking at re-doing the living room and the plan is to have a set space there. 

Time wise - the class sessions are recorded so if i cannot make a "live" one then that's fine, I can catch up. I currently work 4 days a week so the plan is to use the 5th day when everyone is out the house as my Uni day  

I've been told its Harvard referencing - Currently reading up on it! 

Didnt know about google scholar!! THANK YOU 

Keep_pedalling

kirtondm said:

Referencing will be the bane of your life - still don't undestand the diffrence between havard style and Cardiff-Havard style!

Anglia Ruskin University have a really useful page on using Harvard which covers just about every type of source you could think of. I found it really useful when doing my OU degree.

https://library.aru.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm

katiepoppycat

Post it notes for marking useful things in books and textbooks.  I also found these pages really handy for re learning word - as the article says, we've all been using word so long that we don't realise all the cool things it can do now, especially for academic stuff.

https://canvas.hull.ac.uk/courses/616/pages/assessing-your-own-practice

london21

kirtondm said:

Referencing will be the bane of your life - still don't undestand the diffrence between havard style and Cardiff-Havard style!

Google and YouTube videos are very helpful.
Also the university also usually have resources on this.

pollypenny

Negotiations about domestic routines and jobs will be crucial. We did that before I started my degree. 

becky_rtw

I went back at mid 30s to do a masters after over 15 years away. 

Zotero is amazing free software that collates all of your sources into folders and then when you write up essays adds the correct format to the notes and the bibliography (and you can chose Harvard or Cardiff-Harvard). 

Have fun

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Sorry for the delay in replies ....Xmas n that! 

Thank you so so much for all the info. I am sure it will help me so much in the future. 

M x

seven-day-weekend

I did a University course during the first lockdown (Certificate, not degree, and it was completely online learning).  I found I concentrated on my lectures better when I stuck my headphones on, stuck my phone in my pocket, and took myself off for a walk.  I did this in the very early mornings (early to late summer, so nice light mornings).  I am retired, so no employment to worry about.

When I did my degree, in the 1980s, (in my 30s)  I found I worked much better at Uni than at home, so always worked in the library.  This was on a career break.

What I am saying is, that you will find what works best for you and how you best learn.  You don't have to do it any one way.

I wish you well .

Pixie5740

I started a distance learning course in October.  My university has a lot of great online resources not just for the course but things like how to reference properly, how to write reports, study skills, IT skills.  I'm sure most universities do these days going by the links to Hull and Angela Ruskin online resources already shared here.  Make the most of them is my advice as even though you might already be used to doing something like note taking or report writing there's usually a handy tip or technique you might not have come across before.

Check the system requirements for your computer.  I have an old iMac that cannot run Big Sur and beyond, and I was holding out for the new MacBook to be launched (please don't judge me ) and thankfully before I pulled the trigger I checked the system requirements and some of the engineering software I will need won't run on iOS and since Apple took the decision not to support Bootcamp on M1 Macs it would have been a very expensive mistake.  You can run Windows 10 on Arm but it has limitations. 

 

TripleH

Plan a timetable for when you are studying and when you aren't.

Check in case you have events booked in the future you've forgotten about.

Remember that you can get into the trap of 'oh we're busy this week so I'll defer my studies until x. This can lead to a downward spiral and get you overwhelmed.

Having a planner showing when you're working and when you're studying and also when you're free (to minimise risk of burnout).

Above are from mine, my wife's and a friend's experiences studying whilst working.

Good luck and here's to a happier 2022 to all.