ErUpNorth

It's nearly a month since I last blogged but I haven't been inspired to write anything, or if I have it's been during the night and I've forgotten the topic when I've woken up in the morning. I have started my new OU course and I know it is going to be a challenge for me because I am going to have to write essays, argue points and reference material, all new to me. Having said that, that is the whole point of doing the course, not just to learn about the environment and the changing world we live in, but to hone my communication skills. I started the course as soon as the books arrived knowing that I was going to be busy at work for the first two weeks of October; although last weekend when I could have been working on it I was sitting reading The Kite Runner. I really do need to avoid novels whilst doing OU courses, well page turning ones at least, but I suppose I do need something to chill out with. My student diary say's my first summative assignment

M y son thinks I'm a sad person for using Twitter, hates that I pick up my phone and randomly giggle at it. I don't care what he thinks; I don't see the point of having hundreds of 'so called' friends on Facebook, people that you don't even know. My other-half hates the fact that I already know breaking news before he does. He told me something the other day and I acted like I'd only just heard it, but he crowed so much about beating Twitter that in the end I had to say, "Actually you didn't". I was happy to let him have his moment of glory but he just wouldn't let it go. I love the randomness of the conversations you get into on Twitter, usually with complete strangers. Although when you've been tweeting with someone for months are they still complete strangers? Sometimes I'll get a tweet to say, "Your quiet today, are you OK?"; and that's nice, that someone out there misses you. I follow celebs and oc

I was reminded the other day about my early days in an office. I took shorthand and typing at school but wasn't brilliant at it. I persuaded mum to let me leave school at the Easter break, I had taken my CSEs and was not going on to take GCSEs. I left school with no job but was eventually offered a trainee secretarial position at International Combustion. The scheme meant we spent 10 weeks in a different office learning the ropes, in some offices it was 20 weeks. We were given time out to do shorthand, typing and audio typing lessons in their in-house training school. As the examinations were Pitman only I went to college in the evenings and took RSA shorthand and typing, using the EMFEC board of examinations as a stepping stone up. I also took O'level English Language for which I gained a B. I learnt to type on a manual typewriter and was told if I didn't make it as a secretary then my over use of Tippex would assure me a job as a painter and decorator! I

I was over the moon to pass my OU maths course especially with a 72% overall mark. I now have an Open University Certificate in Mathematics and when this is conferred I will be entitled to use letters after my name, CertMaths(Open). Whether I do use them is a different matter as it feels a bit ostentatious but I have earned the right. Maths does not come easy to me and I spent a lot of hours sweating over these courses, the second course especially. I'm looking forward to my next course, U116 Environment: journeys through a changing world, which starts at the beginning of October. The course is an introduction to environmental studies and the issues arising from environmental change. It shows how people are seeking positive solutions to environmental challenges all around the world. If this course goes well and I enjoy it I will probably explore the possibility of continuing with this theme through my degree programme.

My other half races radio controlled cars, having decided not to continue with the series he was racing in I persuaded him to spend his budget on a mini-break for us. I had always wanted to go to Chester Zoo so we booked into the Premier Inn in the centre of Chester. On Monday we set off for my parent's home in Derby travelling via Roundhay Park in Leeds. Roundhay Park is huge and our map reading skills of the park map were not good. We had a lovely lunch when we arrived, just a soup and buns, and then we set off for Tropical World. This is where Google maps on the Blackberry came in very handy as we went completely the wrong way. As I said this park is huge and an excellent place for children to run wild and entry to Tropical World is reasonable. After spending the night at my parents we set off for Chester on Tuesday morning stopping at Hack Green Nuclear Bunker , we thoroughly enjoyed this "secret bunker"; it was really interesting and some of the equipment

We went bat hunting last night! We arrived at the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre at 8 o'clock and Allan Watson, who is the University's Health and Safety Service Director, gave us a slide show and talk about bats. It was an excellent talk and I learned that I probably do have bats roosting somewhere on my house, although I don't know what species. They do not hang in the lofts as portrayed but like to find little nooks and crannies to hide in. Boxed eaves are excellent and they will all cram in together. Their droppings are like mouse droppings but when you rub them between your fingers they just disintegrate because of their diet of insects. I have found droppings on my bedroom window and windowsill which is what confirms my suspicion that they are roosting somewhere above. The house is also south facing which is what they like so that they can conserve energy by using the warmth from the sun. Just after 9 o'clock, having had a quick lesson on how to us

Not sure how much you will hear from me or what I will have to say so I will start with my blog from the OU website: Studying with the OU is quite addictive, I feel sort of lost whilst I wait for the results from MST121 Using mathematics and the start of my new course U116 Environment: journeys through a changing world. I am trying to prepare for the new course by reading articles about climate change, not sure how relevant it will all be though. I did also plan to keep working on my maths, that hasn't happened yet. Next year I think I will enrol on a course that starts in May, have looked at SK183 Understanding human nutrition, which you can study at your own pace, eight to ten weeks, or up to five months. I had planned to study U316 The Environmental Web eventually, which looks like it could be a good follow on to U116, but it says they only plan to run it until February 2012. Which means, if it is available when I finish U116 I may have to do a level 3 course before a level 2