The Life of doing Access to IT

going really well!

2007-06-19T13:05:00.000+01:00

Well, theres two weeks left of college, and everyone is hard at work putting their portfolio's together. No real lessons as such now, and we are all concentrating on the portfolio's. Finally got "the teacher" to look through mine, and go over my points and credits and such, and it all looks good on me passing. I was worried for a while, but after I hand in my last few assignments I should be there.

The examiner is coming in on the 5th July to look at everyones work, which gives us plenty of time to get everything in a decent condition! I've helped the guys with their orginisation and printed out a check list, of a sorts, to help them out. When it comes to things like this I always seem to get myself sorted quite easily.

Overall Im impressed with my work, and feel great about the outcome! Just want to find out my results for the test in programming, which we should know by next tuesday!

The Portfolio!

2007-06-13T09:12:00.000+01:00

Right... I've started putting my portfolio together now. Only have this week, and two more weeks left of college and I think I'm doing pretty well considering everything that has happened. Will hopefully finish most of my assignments by the end of next week. I've decided not to worry about the Information systems assignments. They are causing too much stress and I dont understand anything about them. Everything else is pretty much up to date, still need to do the write-up for my second multimedia project, and have a networking assignment to finish. But I am confident in myself. As long as no more problems pop up like they have been doing.

6 weeks to go!

2007-05-14T09:32:00.000+01:00

~OK! so we have two weeks left at college before half term! we are then off for a whole week, and after we get back we only have four weeks left until we finish! I just hope that I can do all my assignments in time! as I want them finished before half term! I just dont see it happening! Its making me so stressed! I just dont need all this at the moment with everything else thats going on!

Still got three assignments to do for info systems and two for pc systems. along with my big programming assignment and the study skills assignment and the multimedia assignment. Im not actually worried about most of them, its just the three assignments that I need to do for info systems. I have missed quite a few lessons, with being ill, and problems outside of college that Im not about to get into. but anyway, the point is Im not going to have time to do them! I know its only three assignments, but one of them is worth six credits so its gonna make a dent in my final grade! hopefully all my other work will make up for it.

absence

2007-03-11T01:32:00.000Z

havent been at college for the last two weeks due to my grans death and funeral, so thought i should say something here!

It was all going ok, but with the time off, even being ahead of most, I havent had any time to catch up on the assignments that are due! have had a full house of family from all over the world, and no time what so ever! but should have some time to catch up now!

Back at college on monday and cant wait! ive missed too much!

Half term is over

2007-02-19T09:21:00.000Z

After a nice weeks break you would of thought I'd be ready for college again! But you would be wrong! I slightly worried about falling behind in Information Systems as I still havent done the last assignment that was due in the monday before half term. I really should seperate myself from the troubles at home, and get on with that assignment!

Everything else seems to be ok, A moderator will be coming round on the 6th so I need to bring in my protfolio and finish putting it all together!

almost half term!

2007-02-07T12:08:00.000Z

I know i havent posted in a while, but things have been very busy for me recently.

We have a test in programming this afternoon, and it seems like it will be quite fun! The director work we have been doing recently is great as well. I dont believe its almost half term! the time has gone so quickly for me.

I know i said i wouldnt, but ive fallen behind on my info sys assignment, what with the family matters and everything thats going on. But im sure i will catch up! Just need to focus a bit more on my work! Apart from that everything is going really smoothly, with is kinda scary!

Went to brookes yesterday with kim and stope to some lady about the funding and grants and stuff, she said that we dont apply for any of them until september, but i was speaking to my cousin, who is already at uni, and have read what UCAS says about it, and we should actually be applying the end of this month for the loan to pay our tutition fees. So will go into the LEA later on and speak to them and see if they have any applications in for them yet!

Portfolio time

2007-01-22T09:38:00.000Z

ok then... study skills with the business students this morning and we have been talking about how to put together our portfolio. all very boring considering i've done it before, but it was refreshing. The programming assignment is all up to date, just got some typing to do and im not going to try and fix the error before i speak to the teacher!

I think i should really look at the info systems assignment. Was given it last week and still havent even looked at it. I believe its due in in two weeks. I will find some time to do it, but with everything thats going on I just dont feel up to it!

Looking forward to the info sys lesson after this... think we may, possibly, be learning something that i dont know about.

Back from Christmas

2007-01-10T11:42:00.000Z

Christmas is over and everyone is back from their holidays! Cant really call mine a holiday as I worked throughout it! and didnt even get to go up to scotland to see the family for new years as my mom got really ill! I dont really mind.. the overtime at work is worth it!

The programming assignment has been a good challenge for me. Its about time i had something that i struggled on. Im not saying its overly hard, but i enjoyed using my brain for once. Hopefully it will happen more now that the first term is over. and im really looking forward to the rest of the course.

Got a level 3 from my test in information systems and also got my assignment back which is a level 3. waiting to see what i have from my last two assignments from the PC systems class. I think they are level 3 but who knows!

all going ok!

2006-12-11T11:18:00.000Z

everything is going ok! Have caught up on most of my assignments! and am getting a few assignments this week to do over christmas! just had a test in info systems which was ok! Wasnt saying it was easy cos some of it wasnt, but I think I did ok! Anyway!

Looking forward to the programming assignment that we will be getting tomorrow! Should be some fun! not sure what other assignments we will be getting, maybe one from info systems and we have the website design assignment to do!

HTML Rocks

2006-11-22T14:44:00.000Z

This assignment we have on designing a website is great! Its taking me a while to decide on what to do because i dont want to do a website on something ive already done, so ive decided to do one on chinese dragons and the culture behind it all!

Every thing else is going on well! Programming is fine and was told all my work was fine for it. pc systems is great now we are doing practical work, and im really enjoying that. Only 3 0r 4 weeks left and we break up for Christmas!

this week is going well!

2006-11-14T11:24:00.000Z

Everything is going well at college! not sure how the rest of the week will go with all the stuff going on! we will see! rogramming later on today! and getting another assignment today in computer applications! Cant wait! been learning html so i hope the assignment is based on that! If it is it will be great! I'll have it done in no time! Also been using dreamweaver. Its not bad!

finally caught up!

2006-11-12T19:30:00.000Z

I know im late with my assignments and everything but ive finally caught up on it all!

Ive handed in the PC systems assignment and will be handing in the information systems assignment tomorrow! Im glad IVe caught up because this isnt usualy like me! IM usually handing things in early! Still need to do the website review thing for tomorrow, but I can do that tonight! Everything else is going great! and we are doing a practical thi week in PC systems! Really looking forward to that!

1 week off!

2006-10-20T12:59:00.000+01:00

Well this isnt turning out very good! Ive had the last week off and have been laid up in bed with the flu! Went to the docs on sunday and the docs have put me on antibiotics and steroids. Feeling better now, but its half term so thats two weeks off college and I dont need this! At least Ive been given the Information systems assignment and I have an extra week to do the PC Systems one! I cant afford to have any time off college!

damn personal statements!

2006-10-11T10:14:00.000+01:00

ummm.... I hate my personal statement! im never any good at writing things like this! I know it needs to be done, but i could write it out a million times and it will still be shit!

The rest of course is going ok, they have their ofsted inspection soon. Im sure it will go ok! Got one week left to do the PC Systems assignment and I should finish it by then! Did programming assignment, and handed it it! Everyone else was stupid, cos he went through it last week and took us step by step and did it with us, its either they didnt save it, or have redone it! But I spent all of yesterday doing fuck all!

Other lessons are getting interesting. We are doing a podcast, which I hate, but at least its part of the course and what not. Im not going on camera, or having my voice recorded! No matter what they say! I got into IT so I can stay away from media! not get into it!

Another Monday!!

2006-10-09T09:45:00.000+01:00

Boredom of a students life. That is my life story! But honestly? Its not that bad, Im getting on ok with the course, but do find alot of it tedious and boring. alot of the stuff is good because its refreshing me, but Ive done it all before! I want to start learning something totally new! Its like in the PC Systems lessons we arn't actually learning anything, theres no class plan. We just sit and do the damn assignment! The whole idea of having assignments is that we do it at home, while we use the lesson time to do some class work. I know I've mentioned it before but I hate it ok! Will hopefully be getting an assignment from Information Systems today! Will be good to have some work to do over those long boring weekends!

Im not sure why Im even here. Apart from maybe one or two trivial things I havent learnt anything. I know I need to do this to get into uni, and to further my chances of getting a decent job, but at the moment, with the financial restraints on me, Im just lost! Well Im gonna stick at it! and see what comes out! After Christmas the lessons might pick up more, and In programming we have actually started learning about Pascal now, so that lesson is semi-interesting. Even if he still takes an hour explaining that 1 plus 1 is 2. Oh, and not forgetting the micra's, learning to drive, cooking, cookies, recipes, martians, carpenters, and the joys of using Windows Explorer (I fucking Hate it, with a passion! May windows explorer burn in MS Hell!).

Monday Morning Blues

2006-10-02T09:39:00.000+01:00

NO! not a reference to the song from Mississippi John Hurt but regarding to the traffic in Oxford! I actually left my house at 8am this morning, planning to get the 8:10am bus for the 20minute bus ride in to town... but low and behold! It didnt show! The bus finally arrived at almost 8:30am and only to go 5 metres around the corner to be stopped outside the school by some car that was double parked, blocking the road, and without the owner insight! 10 minutes later we are off again, stopping every bloody five minutes to pick people up or to drop them off or for the damn traffic! But no! Wait! thats not all of it! we go round the plain to end up in more traffic jams, caused by the stupid roadworks being done! We waited there for 15 minutes before the bus even moved! Im telling you now! It was like a nightmare!

I finally got to college at 9:20am, a whole 80minutes after leaving my house! Oh well.... sat in class now so all is ok!

Im actually learning things!

2006-09-30T21:32:00.000+01:00

Wednesday and Thursday both went really well. Had a review which was good. Both the programming lessons are starting to pick up as well! On Thursday All we did was work on the health and safety assignment which seemed odd to me. I was under the understanding that we would still be having teaching lessons, and using our time at home to do the assignment. Maybe half an hour during class to work on the assignment, but not the whole lesson! Seeming as Most of the stuff I need to finish at home, it was pointless. I measured the room, which took like 20 minutes, but apart from that I didnt do much. Today I spent most of the day doing the drawings for the assignment which was fun!

First Focus Finished

2006-09-26T09:31:00.000+01:00

This is the last week of the first focus, which is basically the entry part of the course. Its used to see if we can handle the course, and from what im hearing everyone is staying on! Great news!

Yesterday I handed in my sinoco database assignment. Im glad its finished, but it was quite easy. There were a few things I missed but I had plenty of time to change it and add what I missed out.

Got into college early this morning for some unknown reason. Everyone else is in their maths class. I was thinking of resitting it and going to the maths classes, just to bump up my 'C' grade. I really hate Peers school! Losing all my bloody exam work. Thats why my grade was so low, especially when i was predicted a grade 'A' throughout the whole year.

Today seems like it might be fun. Programming has really started now and we might actually get some work done! Expecting to start getting quite a few assignments now that first focus is almost over. At least that will give me something to do on those boring weekends.

Will let you know how the day went later on. But at home Im fed up, my computer has had it, literally. Its so damn slow and that means I have to do all my work downstairs and theres no room to work on that machine. Will hopefully be buying a new PC soon! cant wait! We will see though!

OMG! I wrote a program!

2006-09-21T15:36:00.000+01:00

Ok, so yesterday we actually wrote a program in programming! Not sure if he got my email from the forum or not, but he didnt mention it! so either he read it and bumped up the teaching progress or he was going to do it anyway!

Today I got my first real assignment in PC Systems. Its all on heath and saftey and it seems like a good assignment! Glad I've got something to do over the weekend! Instead of going crazy through boredom! but its not due in for four weeks, so IVe got time to make sure its all done properly!

Havent heard back from beth about the assignment I finished and emailed her. I hope she got it! I just take it that because I havent recieved a reply that it is all ok!

Josh met a girl!

2006-09-20T13:35:00.000+01:00

Had a fun lesson this morning. Doing tests on excel, or should i say, assignments. They are pretty easy, although the last one is slightly harder. I actually learnt something new today. And I mean something educational as well. All went well overall.

Then I had my 3 hour break. Went to the libary and got a book on pascal. Going to read up on it some more. Then I met the guys after they had finished math. Josh went over to chat to two random girls called Tash and Nella. Both very cute and they seemed like nice people, they are art students here... Anyway... Well done Josh! HaHa!

Just about to start programming which will be interesting. I posted on the Moodle forum about me almost falling to sleep yesterday and Ive found out that when you post, it sends an email to everyone. Oh dear. That means the teacher has got the email as well! Well now he knows how I feel about this class he might actually start teaching us something!

From Nissans, cookies and Martians to chefs and boiled eggs

2006-09-19T18:47:00.000+01:00

YES YES YES! It was another god-aweful lesson in programming! This time we were actually aloud to open Pascal! It was a miricle, not that we actually wrote anything, but we are getting there slowly! This time he was talking about chefs and how someone writes a recipe, sends it to someone else, they send it to the chef, and the chef cooks the food and then the waiter serves the food to the customer. And all this was to explain how a program (Pascal) is used to write a programme! Why couldnt he just stick with, we write english into Pascal, Pascal translates it to binary, the computer turns that into a programme, then it runs. So much easier!

Then he went off on a tangent and started trying to explain how a processor works and how a computer works. All because someone asked how does the computer change the code into a programme. He said he would answer it in only 30 seconds.... 10 minutes later and hes babbling on about how it compares to boiling an egg andhow if you ask someone to boil an egg and they know how to do it but if you ask a computer to do it and you need to tell it step by step! ie put out hand, pick up kettle, move to sink, turn tap on, fill kettle, turn tap off, put kettle down, turn kettle on....You get the picture!

Im sorry, but hes really driving me crazy! With this only being a one year course, and only having two lessons with him a week, and hes going this slow? Someone really needs to have words with him! OK, I understand that some people, like me, know absolutly fuck all about programming, but the way hes going about it is messed up! By the time he starts actually teaching me anything new, IM going to know it all ready from the help sites online.

Im going to get in trouble one day, today I was falling asleep! And I promise, if the lessons keep going this way, he is gonna drive me to sleep and if he catches me asleep... well...

Another lesson with him tomorrow, so I hope it goes better than this one! Also got my lovely 3 hour break! God knows what im gonna do! Go get a book on pascal and sit down and read it! haha! And he thinks hes the best programmer around? yet hes teaching us a language which hasnt been used since 1993? FOR FUCK SAKES!

SORRY!

UCAS next week!

2006-09-19T11:32:00.000+01:00

Just been told that someone is coming next week to speak to us about our UCAS applications. I still havent got a clue about what I actually study at uni. May choose to do the Computer studys course but I dont know. We will all see what happens! Programming after this lesson, which should be fun. hopefully we will be actually learning something, other than how to set up the desk top and what windows explorer does. I really want to start learning something. This is getting silly, for some reason I dont think this course is being done at my level. OK I dont have any degrees or GCSE's in IT or computing or anything, but I do know how to use a computer, and it seems like these lessons are made for dumb, illiterate people who dont know a thing about computers. ohh well, we will see how it goes!

First Assignment

2006-09-18T15:57:00.000+01:00

Study skills went okay today, and we were shown about our email system! Thats all cool, went very slow though. Had Information Systems afterwards and we recieved our first assignment on databases. It only took me around 45 minutes in total to finish it! ITS NOT HARD! ok, I know its not meant to be hard, but that was crazy. I've already emailed it back to Beth so if there is anything wrong with it at least I have the rest of the week to sort it out. Kim was having trouble with hers though, so I'm lending her my book on MS Access. Its only the basics but it should help her. Im going to work on my help website which may be able to offer more help! Ive already put up some stuff on the downloads page so that will help everyone!

Another lesson on cookies and small cars and learning to drive tomorrow in programming. It may be fun, just hope we get another assignment. I need something to keep me occupied over the weekend!

PC Systems

2006-09-14T11:43:00.000+01:00

Sat in class doing PC systems. He has made us do a health and saftey test in which we all need to get 100% to be able to do this lesson. Ive finished mine already, and passed first time, I glanced round the room and most of them have only just started. What the teacher doesnt realize is that I have studied health and saftey. Ok it was construction based, but the principles are the same and there was IT health and saftey involved. Well, it helped. Hopefully the lesson will progress. Cant wait to do the practical stuff. It seems fun! This is my only lesson today, and its tipping it down outside. As long as its not raining when i leave, it will be fine!

the joys of a Wednesday!

2006-09-13T17:06:00.000+01:00

Today went supprisingly well!

Had IT core skills today and was given my learning plan. But then I had a three hour break in which I have nothing to do! I had the same in my AVCE in construction, so I should of expected the boredomness!

I went to the job centre to sign off from job seekers allowance and got them to fill out a page for my ALG application. Also picked up the application for financial assistance so I can get my bus pass for free! But thats gonna take two weeks to process and what not! Not sure how long the ALG is going to take, but if its anything like EMA it may take a while! My friend, Lottie waited months for her EMA application to be returned to her!

Went to the Pen to pick up my NUS card during my break. That was good, but it wont entitle me to any discounts. I need to upgrade the card to something else which comes out on the 15th which is going to cost me £10. Not sure if its worth it yet? but I will get discount at game, so maybe I can buy a few games to make up for all this spending... Back on subject now...

Last lesson was programming... yet again... It actually went better than yesterday! Got my username and password for the computer, and looked at my email system and what not. Apart from that we didnt really do anything but Lionel said we will be getting into the programming next week so I cant wait!

More on the Pen.... When I picked up my NUS card, I then went back with... ummm... cant remember his name! but anyway, the cute, sexy gal who served me was still there. She saw how helpful I was and asked me to join the student union. Not sure if I should, or what else it would entail, so I said I'd think about it. If they get a licence for the bar, which they are trying to get, I'd apply for the bar job! That would be great, and with my experiance in that line of work, and with what Ive done with Scouts I think i migfht come in useful around the student union, so I might just consider joining! As long as it doesnt interupt with my course!

Have PC systems tomorrow which I take it is the actual building of machines! lol! cant wait! I been helping my dad build machines since before I can remember!

If builders built houses the way programmers wrote programmes

then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization

Harry Weinberger

P.S.

Got really bored so I put my timetabe online!

Click here to see it!

The insanity of a programmer!

2006-09-12T18:46:00.000+01:00

Second lesson today was programming.THE TEACHER IS CRAZY! According to him, hes the best programmer around and we are all Martians driving around in Nissan Micra's while eating cookies! Its like today, he tried explaning how to lay out our desktop, how to use windows explorer and the "classic" windows 98 layout that he uses... so hes in the stone ages? wedont really care! or at least, I dont!

We are also going to be learning Pascal. (like I said, the stone ages) I understand his reasoning behind teaching us a basic language like Pascal, but when its not used any more, and has been superceded but other languages, why not teach us them instead? OK pascal is easy to learn and it follows a logical order, but when it only teaches you the basics, why not go a lil faster (and his lessons do go really really slow) and teach us javascript or C++ or Php or SQL or something that will actually get us a job in programming?

Im ranting now, I know! ohh... and my teachers are reading this! Whoops!

Overall, the lessons have been boring, but educational, at the moment Im just getting to know the teachers and my class mates etc... Hopefully in a week or two, when the assignments start coming out, the lessons will get a lil more on track!

Reading my course handbook it tells us what the classes are going to cover, and in computer applictions we are going to be doing web authoring, development of the PC, impact of computers on society and the history of the internet along with email & conferencing and multimedia authoring. so it does involve so web site work... even if its not as much as I hoped it would be!

Sorry bout the pic of me to the right, I dont take pics of me! Im a photographer... had to prove we can upload pictures to the net in class! Oh, and its edited, resized, and embedded into the main coding as well... Not just a click on upload, select pic, click ok jobbie! Haha! Not that my teachers asked for that! oh well... It shows I can do it! and if they still dont believe me they can go to my website and look at all the pics I have uploaded onto there! hehe!

Core skills and anothe programming course tomorrow! Oh the joy! No, but honestly? should be a fun day, as always!

Oh... I also got my student ID today! and I didnt take my bandanna off for the pic! lucky me! hehe! I look like a geek with it off... oh... Im studying IT... I am a geek! LMFAO!

1st week!

2006-09-12T11:34:00.000+01:00

Welcome all! This is my first post!

I am doing a one year course at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College studying Access to IT. It seems like a great course! really hands on with the computers, and have had great fun with the group! The teachers seem like nice people!

there was a big mixup with the starting dates, as I was told my induction was on friday 8th and was told Im starting on the 29th but when I arrived for my induction... not that I'd call it that.... I was then told Im starting on the next monday!

So I had my first day yesterday which I did Study skills where we wrote a personal statement for our UCAS applications. after lunch we had Information Systems where we worked on databases using Microsoft Access which was boring, and I didnt learn anything new, but it was fun and hands on! I use access at home quite a bit, or at least I used to. I use it to keep a record of my music collection and another DB to store my contact details so its all good!

At the moment Im sat in class with Victoria in the Computer Applications lesson.... and guess what... this is what we been told to do! make a blog? oh joy! lol!

Programming is after lunch. so will be fun! not sure what we will be doing! will write later!