Do you recall that my last OU essay was about the role that Davy and Marcet played in the publicising of the 'new' science known as chemistry, well I knew it was weaker than the previous ones I had written and had steeled myself to receive a mark around the 65/70% level. In fact I received 79%, which quite frankly I don't think it deserved but who am I to argue with the tutor?
That has been my least favourite block of the whole course and, even though it did not really deal directly with experiments, I still had to explain the difference between Davy and Marcet's methods in relation to certain chemical trials.
Anyway, I'm glad it is over and I have returned to something that is more me - namely Goethe's Faust, Goethe's poems set to music by Schubert and a large chunk of Byron's Childe Harold. This is the final marked assignment and we have twice as long for submission. The tutors don't really understand why it has been given a bigger word count or prep time because up until now there have been seven marked assignments and this is the first year they have messed around with the course structure.It is good having eight weeks to get it done however and the actual question is:
The Romantics were as preoccupied with the inner life as with the outer world revealed by the senses, and this shows in their works.
Discuss with reference to three Romantic works.
We can actually use any of the works we have covered over these last months, as long as they fit the criteria of Romantic and do not lapse too much over into the Enlightenment texts. It is also good preparation for the third question of the exam which will be based on 'defending a view about a major theme of the course by reference to three texts of your own choosing'.
I will be very sorry when the course finishes - and by that I mean on June 16th which is the day after the exam, or E+1 as I am calling it. At the moment I am at E-82 approx, which is probably too early to begin worrying about the exam (but try telling that to my worry particles).
After that yet another box of papers, books and course notes will be bundled into a cupboard and, as I won't be carrying on with studying until next year because of new work commitments, I'll just have to satisfy my quest for learning by reading one of the many academic books on Byron that I have bought over the last few months. If I do get to finally do a Phd (and I really hope I can - it is my ambition)- it will be Byron related, hence the gradual purchase of as many books as I can gather. It is such a shame that he did not have any relationship with his daughter Ada Lovelace, because I would have loved to have dealt with that for an academic paper.
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29 comments:
Well done, cleverclogs!
You just can't help yourself getting high marks now, can you? Grand!
Thanks for the link to Ada. I'm now much more informed - and sad to realise she died at 37 (after a life dominated by mum - Byron's reaction to Lady B had some foundation, then).
Congratulations, FF! Wonderful. And how lovely for you to have an essay on something that you really like to finish off the course with!
I quite agree that the science bit would have been a bit challenging/boring.
Good for you scoring so well.
I totally love the Romanic period. Yes Byron was more nuanced than people give him credit for.
I have a soft spot for Charles Lamb and Thomas Hood.
There was a super trashy novel many years ago called
A Single Summer with LB - oddly good on the summer at the Villa Diodate.
Have you read Richard Holmes' Shelley:The Pursuit'?
I was quite blown away many years ago when I read it.
Well done and good luck with the next paper.
Well done. I got 74 for Machiavelli and am now girding my loins to do the Hobbes essay. My deadline is 8/04. I am not liking Hobbes. I think he is my equivalent to your science bit: he was fixated by geometry and his theories were based on a mechanistic approach to human activity so there is a (tenuous) link. Anyway, he is a depressing git and I don't know how he got up in the mornings with views like his. Byron sounds much more fun.
Well done you. I must admit a lot of the rest of the post has gone way over my head. I honestly think I am WAY out of your academic league. I know zilch about the romantics. You're a clever lass FF.
Totally lost on me but didn't want to lurk. Give the bichons a snog from me;)
This is a subject that I don't know much about. Glad you are able to pursue your interests! Good luck with keeping it up.
Very well done my friend, of course I knew you would do well, now on to the next one and it sounds lovely and interesting.
Hayley is coming next month, funnily enough via "you know who", i'll tell her not to mention your name haha.
I think I am now in the mood for some Schubert and Byron.
Yes, I am on FB, funny story, my older sister has only just got her first laptop and is trying to catch up on EVERYTHING fb, msm, Twitter and possibly even blogging, she is like a women possessed and constantly texts, phones, msm and fb's me. I am seriously thinking of taking it away from her :-(. hugs, Kathy.
79% is stunning. Well done. I hadn't heard of Ada until today - Babbage gets all the plaudits.
Ada Lovelace? That name alone merits a phd! Wonderful.
You have been working hard, FF and have done very well. Now take a break or a breather or something my sweet. xxxx
Congrats, this is a great score!
79 is fab. I used to get so excited with anything over 70. I hope you get to do your Phd. I've put all that on hold for a while. I'd like an MA next if I go back. They keep sending me tempting details of courses. Maybe in a year or two. It always feels strange when a course finishes for the year. Then you get the box of new goodies to start sorting through. Keep up the good work x.
79%? That's the mark of genius! Well done that lady!
Very well done, FF! You are going to get top marks overall at this rate.
You really have an amour fou for Mr Byron, non - Fascinating stuff - it will be fabulous to do your PhD on their story.
As for me getting back to work - I think it will be within the next couple of weeks, sadly... I have enjoyed the liberty and time spent in contemplation, if not the pre-op, actual op and post-op wobbles!
Have a fine weekend, my learned friend! xx
Good for you! Oh, I have such admiration for your ambition -- a Ph.D. I'm calling it quits after this master's. With great relief too!
Dumdaddy - (beams)
Frankie - poor Ada. In Don Juan there are a few verses about Lady B's obsession with mathematics - and she did indeed pass it on to their daughter - anything rather than let Ada become a poet.
Ladyfi - I know and you think I would be making better progress than I currently am doing. Longer to prepare something isn't necessarily good for someone like me
Elizabeth - thanks for mentioning two more books I feel I have to buy - I've never heard of either. It is a wonderful period of history this - I'm loving it.
RTBC- thank you and thank you :)
CA - well done - to get 74% when your life is as full as it is - I don't know how you find the time to study. In theory (yeh, right) I study for three hours every afternoon - well I mean to and then stuff happens. My best time to read my course books is in bed at night - the dogs don't bother me, I don't need to do stuff - I can just read in complete silence - and I even remember it the next day.
HTDM - academic league - me? It still seems odd to me that I've become like this. I'm so much a late developer - I was the original party girl.
Henry - those bichons are sometimes the bane of my life. If Misty wants to sit somewhere that Poppy has already claimed she will begin to bark to get Poppy to run to the door and bark hysterically, thinking someone is there - Misty will then sneak in and take P's former place - then the squabbling starts. This is why daytime study is getting harder and harder.
bindu - thanks. I've vowed to myself to return to study as soon as possible - Mr FF knows this is something I need to do very badly (lots of possible jokes here about doing things very badly)
Mama - apart from doing 'The Trout' at school, I've not heard any Schubert before. He writes some lovely music - poor little short man. At last there is someone who was shorter than me.
BroTob - Mr FF took me to the Science Museum a few years back and showed me a display dedicated to her. He did computer science as a degree and she featured in his syllabus. But I'd never heard of her either
Jen - Most people doing the OU work at the same time (although this is a generalisation of course - I don't have facts or figures). My old boss offered to subsidise me through the company for which I worked - only he wanted me to do Business Management - yeh, like I wanted to do that!
Jelica, thank you
claire - yes, I'll have to do the MA first and then for the Phd you have to have your idea for the paper approved by a special OU board - it makes me excited just thinking about it - sad old me.I will be very sad when my course finished - oh well, I think Mr FF has lots of work lined up for me.
Steve -you are very kind but the mark of genius would be 95%+. I can dream...
AWONI - I think my final class for the degree will end up being a 2:1. To get a first I would have to have the last four course above 85% - and I will probably finish this one with about 80%. Enjoy your weekend as well, Fhina
ContemTroub - yes, but you'll have other things on your mind once you've settled down in the new house. That takes priority. Fingers crossed for you.
Here's something to help (or hinder) the PhD - a book/radio series by Sue Limb called 'The Wordsmiths at Gorsemere'. Yes, that's right - a satire of the romantic poets. But (and here's your PhD) the noble Lord 'Biro' himself gets to stay with William and Dorothy! It's a classic!
Well done!
I had no idea about Ada Lovelace. Fascinating.
Congratulations on another execellent mark! Hope that next essay will be your best.
Well done you!
Thank you for coming by.
Rosaria is an inspiration, isn't she?
Renee xoxoxo
A PhD! Of course. Why not? You are already talking like one, without the stuffy circumlocution. I came this close...when I was your age and babies wanted too much of my time. Do what you dream: only you can make you happy.
I enjoyed reading about Ada, how tragic that she died at 37. Would like to read more about Byron.
The Dotterel - hehehe, imagine - just imagine if I could get away with it. Oh well, the viva could be interesting; I could do it in funny voices and put a different hat on for whosever voice I was assuming.
Lane - Ada rocked
cheshire wife - well I ended the previous course with my best mark for the last essay. I'm really going to try my hardest for this last one.
justme - ta loads
Renee - yes indeed
lakeviewer - I think I'm a bit older than you think. Turned 51 3 weeks ago.
lu - he had it all - he was like the original rock star but without the music
Blu - sorry you ended up as lu there.
Well done, my dear! The question on Romantics that you'll be tackling next sounds rather broad and challenging! It will be interesting to know which three works you will be choosing for your essay.
ASD - hello lovely one. Well, I think it's going to be Childe Harold, Faust and probably Wordsworth's The Prelude- the Schubert music is lovely but I always think it is a bit affected to sit and dissect music; it's bad enough writing about poetry, and sometimes I do feel a mite precious when I re-read my essay - but to hear myself analysing quavers and beats would be just too much.
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