O.U.G.S and me

Dear Diary,

I joined OUGS (The Open University Geological Society) before Christmas as that is the direction I will be taking my BSc Earth Sciences course when I get the option. I've loved geology since I was a child, I used to collect a series called Treasures of the Earth, that came with fact files and little samples of gems and minerals in their own display boxes. I'd love to say I still have it, but I have no memory of what happened to it.

Not my copy, alas.

The OUGS run field trips both home and abroad which I thought would be useful in gaining experience from as my course is run online and I'm not yet sure if I'll be able to afford the week on site fieldwork section. For those who can't get to it you can do the fieldwork online, but nothing really sets you up better than actual hands on experience in my opinion.

I'd love to able to say I'd be going on all the field trips abroad as they've been to a few amazing places, Colorado Plateau, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, the Azores, Skye, Newfoundland, Southern Spain, Brittany, the United Arab Emirates, the Alps, Norway and Canada to name a few.

But a) I can't afford to and b) my passport is in the wrong name and I can't afford to update that. I might not even be able to go to all the home based field trips as I can't drive and (you guessed it, can't afford to learn either)

If you get the opportunity to learn to drive take it with both hands and don't let go people.

However, something I can get to is the OUG branch annual general meeting and talks as they're being held in my nearest city, while I've only been a member since December I'll likely have little to do with the general meeting itself just listen and smile politely.

But they also have talks put on for members, one being given by the curator of Palaeontology entitled "Archaeopteryx: The Bird-Like Dinosaur" and the other being given by the senior curator of Mineralogy & Petrology entitled "Manganese Mineralisation in North Wales".

Not a real dino

The latter talk is in preparation for a field trip I can't make to North Wales in May, but I can still go and listen and learn something new even if I can't make the trip itself. And afterwards there's the opportunity to go round the museum in which the meeting is being held. So all round win win for me.

There is also a day trip in April I'm hoping to be able to make, to study coastal geology, not that far from where I live, but far enough we still need a car to get there, I've sent an email asking if my husband can drive me there (but sit the trip itself out, he's no interest in geology) if the answer is yes it'll be my first field trip ever and it's quite an exciting thought.

The sun shined

Dear Diary,

For the first time in a week I actually got dressed and left the house. Between struggling with my depression again and the rain we've been having lately I've had little to no reason to go out. But when today dawned cold but sunny I had to grab the chance to get myself some outdoor time. 

The Water Cycle.

Dear Diary,

I'm still covering water in Topic 1, Part 1 - What is Water of my S111 module from the Open University, who knew there was so much to think about when it comes to something everyone takes for granted. 

Very Simply Water

Dear Diary,

Although my course doesn't start until the 27th January I've already jumped into the parts of the module that has opened to us already as I said in S111 Questions in Science. I completed the very through introduction and moved onto Topic 1, Part 1 What is Water, but not before I did the poll they set us asking;

S111 Questions in Science

Dear Diary,

My module website for S111 Questions in Science opened recently, although the actual course doesn't start till the 27th, they like us to read the introduction and make sure we're prepared I think which is why we get early access to some of the course before the official start date.

There we're given links to go through the OU induction (if not already done) and to fill in a questionnaire to see if you're ready to study S111. I'd already done both of those so only gave them a cursory go over before turning my attention to the Introduction to S111 which I've been waiting on tender hooks for since I signed up for the course back in November.

Me, Myself and Low Self Esteem

Dear Diary,

I have low self esteem.

There I said it, I don't suppose it's that much of a shock to anyone who's read other parts of my blog but it's also not something you just come out and say point blank like that. Most people with self esteem issues hide them, hide them behind the good old 'fake it till you make it', or just plaster on a smile and pretend all is good with the world.

Question Everything

Dear Diary,

So you call yourself a science blog, where's the science?

Well hang on a minute there diary, I've already told you I start studying my BSc this year, I start at the end of the month in fact, so I'm not posting science things till then because I could be wrong. Science is the direction I want this blog to go, but also it's about me.. Bear with me, the science will come, till then why don't you get to know me?

Winter makes me S.A.D

Dear Diary,

I was reminded today that we are past the winter solstice now and that days will be slowly getting lighter again. All I can say to that is, "thank goodness", I'm not made for the winter weather we get here in Britain these days, when I was younger it was cold and we had snow but blue skies and sunshine, these days it's just grey and wet and dismal and those combined with depression lead to a season of extra suffering when my S.A.D comes out to play.

Mature Student vs BSc (Hons)

Dear Diary,

I might as well share what I'm studying seen as I've called this thing the diary of a mature student (that's me by the way, I'm mature now, like cheese) It's been fifteen years since I was in college last, and I've been working that entire time, I finally decided to take the course I would have gone for at 18 if I had been allowed to go to university. (long sob story for another time)