Friday 30 July 2010

I can't get no-o, mo-ti-va-tion

Something has happened this week to really perk up my enthusiasm.  I, being quite a cheeky chancer at times, emailed a link to my blog off to the powers-that-bee who run the OU's Student Community website Platform in the hope that it would maybe work it's way into some miniscule small print in some deep dark corner of the site.  Next thing I know I get an email from the lovely Robyn asking if I'd be willing to let posts from the blog be lifted and used in the Student Blog section of the website.

Wow.
Stunned.  <--- me!

So the first section went live on the website yesterday and I'm absolutely thrilled.  However...  There is one small matter which concerns me and I feel requires clarification...

On Platform's homepage there's currently a little scrolling banner on which my photo pops up, and next to it is the header "My name's Carrie and I'm addicted to education".

Hmmm...  Well...  This is true and it's not.  It's true that I absolutely thrive on the thought of learning more and going as far as I can go and getting my dream job and all that, but I don't find it an easy journey.  I struggle with motivation constantly and have to force myself to get my books out and concentrate on my studies.  On weeknights I get home from work at 5:05pm, my better half gets home at about 7:00pm, this gives me almost 2 hours of completely free time during which I could cram some study in which would keep me perfectly up to date with my work and allow me to carry on with the rest of my free time entirely as I please.

But like the man from that annoying Nationwide advert says, it doesn't work like that.  I get distracted by everything; the internet, the dog, the tv, anything shiny that catches my eye, basically anything which isn't an OU book (although I have been known to get distracted by OLD course books for whatever reason...).  I find it so difficult to actually get the book out, put a highlighter in one hand, pencil in the other and actually read.  It's not because I don't WANT to study, I do, I absolutely do, I just find it so hard to get going.  Usually once I'm in the flow and as long as I'm understanding the material I'm fine, but getting going is a chore which I make efforts to avoid at my peril.

That's one of the reasons I started this blog actually; to try and motivate me and help me figure out where my weak spots are so I can act upon them.  Motivation seems to come from strange places though.  For some reason unbeknownst to sanity I watched Legally Blonde at the weekend (for those who know me, I ain't really a chick-flick kinda gaal, I'm more a horror, blood, guts, gore, psychological-thriller fan, or usually anything foreign too), and it really motivated me to finish my TMA, seeing the girl in the film trying to prove to everyone that she COULD do it, she COULD graduate from Harvard Law really gave me a boost and I blitzed the rest of my TMA with ease.  Whether I get a good score is another matter but it gave me the motivation to crack on and get it submitted.

Of course that's just a film (and the fact that I went straight on Play.com to order LB2 is insignificant *ahem*, still hasn't turned up, dammit), but there are things which happen in real life which motivate me too; Robyn being my booster button this time around.  The enthusiasm I got back from her was absolutely fantastic and to know that someone had read my blog with any degree of interest really perked me up and made me think "hell yeah, I can do this!"

So I dedicate this latest bout of renewed vigour to Robyn, heartfelt thanks m'dear x

5 comments:

  1. Ain't it just as well that the "Rendezvous With Rama" series of books were never turned into cinematographic delight, nee DVD!! You'd NEVER be away from the telly!!!

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  2. Yeah and I'd already worked out part of the cast too; Ed Harris would play Commander Norton, and the kid who played Mouse in The Matrix would play Jimmy Pak.
    *dreams of R with R on the big screen*

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  3. Wowsers Carrie! I've only just caught up with this blog post (RSS feed on the blink I think)so thank you for a) name checking me and b) calling me lovely *big smiles* So, just as I made your day the other week, you've made mine :0)
    I think what's great about your "addiction" to study is that, just like many other students, you have so much other stuff going on in your life yet STILL find the time to get those books out and write up those assignments, even if it is a last minute rush. I'm the same, I whinge and moan about how I hate studying, it's too hard and I don't have time, and then after a short break I'll find myself signing up for the next challenge. That said, my latest task is less academic in nature - I got a puppy and now I'm a physical wreck!
    Keep up the good work - the studying, the blogging and all those wonderful distractions inbetween :0) x

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  4. Great blog. My first step for each TMA is to go and buy another new notepad and some pens. That done I feel justified in having a coffee break, and maybe some lunch, and just a few minutes of loose women, and then it's almost time for work, so no point writing anything....

    Thanks for putting a link to my blog on your page, I've now returned the favour.

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  5. Wow thanks for that comment, and thanks for linking to me too!

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