Hi all,
Well it has been a mixed week, I haven't managed to get all my aims done from last week but I feel as though I have done a decent job of the work I have done.
The reason I have not got all the tasks done is because on my time planning sheet I have under estimated the amount of time it will take to do individual tasks. This is something I will look to remedy next week. Though I have not yet implemented it, my plan is to record time taken to do tasks. Start and finish times and any time out, such as breaks, will be noted.
If I can start to get a better feel for time and what I can get done in it, then I think I will work a lot more efficiently.
I am disappointed that I have not yet achieved all last weeks aims, but on the other hand I have had a lot of other things going on. I have juggled my work and my personal life reasonably well I feel, and in a way I have got a bit of an insight on what things may be like if I become self employed. I am going to have to learn to separate 'home life' from 'work life'. Time management skills will have to be seriously improved upon.
Peak of the Week
My peak of the week this week is getting the cultural essay finished, well at least until feedback. I am finding it easier to write and express myself through written work. I hope I do manage to keep a good balance between personal opinion and analysis though. I do not want to over personalise.
Aims
1. To get CiSSy web plan done.
2. To do some CSS tutorials.
3. To plan my time better (again)
Though some of my aims haven't been achieved they still remain targets!
Thanks for reading, comments, as usual are welcome.
Mark
Friday, October 27, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Day 10 in the Big Brother House
Hi again,
After handing 'the Biz' project in I am now looking forward to getting stuck into the other assignments. I think I will enjoy doing the 'Culture Vulture' project because I have got an interesting research topic.
My choice was the Adidas brand and there are already a number of cultures that Adidas have influenced coming to the surface, such as their involvement with hip hop and the 'retro' fashion scene.
I feel a little more positive about the 'CiSSy' project this week, it has helped that we have had a brief tutorial on CSS. I did not get anywhere near finishing the tasks but there is a flicker of knowledge that I intend to expand on. I am going to do this by finishing the tutorial and also looking for different lessons too.
The CiSSy essay had to be handed in today and in general my feedback was okay, there are aspects that need changing such as repetition in the content and not enough detail in places.
In the past It has been said that I go to in depth with subjects, so it would seem I have gone too far the other way! I think that with the subject being quite a large one I have, in trying to keep within the word limit, over condensed my content.
In other places however I have over done it, I think a little restructure will put the essay right, or nearer to it at least.
The 'iME' project partly involves this blog. There are some issues with my previous entries such as, over personal / friendly comments. I will be aiming to make this blog more professional in the coming weeks by cutting out the throw away comments and concentrating on presenting myself in the best light.
Peak of the Week
I would say this week it has been quite an even keel for me, my peak would probably be getting the 'CiSSy' essay out of the way. Also something to look forward to after half term is the creative stuff, we are going in! and i can't wait
My aims for the week are here as usual, maybe a few more than normal though.
Aims
1. To get the 'iME' web plan completed
2. To get the 'CiSSy' web plan completed
3. To complete the CSS tutorial
4. To make a detailed learning plan
5. To do some reading, CSS books preferably, get a feel for the basics.
6. To organise my sketchbook, I am becoming cluttered
7. To re-write my essay on CSS
Well time to go, I have a busy week, thanks for reading and please feedback to me with any useful tips or comments.
Mark
After handing 'the Biz' project in I am now looking forward to getting stuck into the other assignments. I think I will enjoy doing the 'Culture Vulture' project because I have got an interesting research topic.
My choice was the Adidas brand and there are already a number of cultures that Adidas have influenced coming to the surface, such as their involvement with hip hop and the 'retro' fashion scene.
I feel a little more positive about the 'CiSSy' project this week, it has helped that we have had a brief tutorial on CSS. I did not get anywhere near finishing the tasks but there is a flicker of knowledge that I intend to expand on. I am going to do this by finishing the tutorial and also looking for different lessons too.
The CiSSy essay had to be handed in today and in general my feedback was okay, there are aspects that need changing such as repetition in the content and not enough detail in places.
In the past It has been said that I go to in depth with subjects, so it would seem I have gone too far the other way! I think that with the subject being quite a large one I have, in trying to keep within the word limit, over condensed my content.
In other places however I have over done it, I think a little restructure will put the essay right, or nearer to it at least.
The 'iME' project partly involves this blog. There are some issues with my previous entries such as, over personal / friendly comments. I will be aiming to make this blog more professional in the coming weeks by cutting out the throw away comments and concentrating on presenting myself in the best light.
Peak of the Week
I would say this week it has been quite an even keel for me, my peak would probably be getting the 'CiSSy' essay out of the way. Also something to look forward to after half term is the creative stuff, we are going in! and i can't wait
My aims for the week are here as usual, maybe a few more than normal though.
Aims
1. To get the 'iME' web plan completed
2. To get the 'CiSSy' web plan completed
3. To complete the CSS tutorial
4. To make a detailed learning plan
5. To do some reading, CSS books preferably, get a feel for the basics.
6. To organise my sketchbook, I am becoming cluttered
7. To re-write my essay on CSS
Well time to go, I have a busy week, thanks for reading and please feedback to me with any useful tips or comments.
Mark
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Deadline Day Dizzyness
Hi folks,
Well its been a week since my last entry, though it really doesn't feel like it.
And what a week, where do I start? Well its been hectic because of deadline day looming ominously over us.
I really had a panic because it didn't look like I would meet the deadline. I did however, but only just, it took several late nights, running into early mornings to get the job done.
Analysing what went wrong I have come to the conclusion that I still have not got a grip of my time management, this is starting to bug me now. It is not entirely down to that though, I have found myself sat in front of the computer for 4 days ,pretty much solid, and suffering mental blocks.
You know when your brain just says "NO"? But here's a tip! I took time out and went to the gym, did something completely different and hey presto! A clear mind again. It works, honest.
I have started to list my tasks again for the forthcoming week, I am going to try and stick to times, if the task is not done within that time then it gets left, I am then building in extra time to catch up on the things that didn't get done. This way at least I will get some part of all the sections of projects done.
This will benefit me I think because I seem to find starting a new task the most difficult bit of getting on with my work.
Peak of the Week!
Well here it is, my 1st official peak of the week. There was only really one winner this week and that was getting the project handed in, though being told in feedback, that my work was acceptable for marking comes in a close 2nd.
Aims
1. To get stuck into the CiSSy and iME projects, get back on track.
2. To organise my time better. (again)
3. To divide my time up more evenly, similar to above but relevant. No more doing all my work in big solid blocks, its too painful!
Thanks for reading and goodnight.
P.S Anymore suggestions for clearing the mind or relaxation techniques are very welcome. Keep it clean!
Well its been a week since my last entry, though it really doesn't feel like it.
And what a week, where do I start? Well its been hectic because of deadline day looming ominously over us.
I really had a panic because it didn't look like I would meet the deadline. I did however, but only just, it took several late nights, running into early mornings to get the job done.
Analysing what went wrong I have come to the conclusion that I still have not got a grip of my time management, this is starting to bug me now. It is not entirely down to that though, I have found myself sat in front of the computer for 4 days ,pretty much solid, and suffering mental blocks.
You know when your brain just says "NO"? But here's a tip! I took time out and went to the gym, did something completely different and hey presto! A clear mind again. It works, honest.
I have started to list my tasks again for the forthcoming week, I am going to try and stick to times, if the task is not done within that time then it gets left, I am then building in extra time to catch up on the things that didn't get done. This way at least I will get some part of all the sections of projects done.
This will benefit me I think because I seem to find starting a new task the most difficult bit of getting on with my work.
Peak of the Week!
Well here it is, my 1st official peak of the week. There was only really one winner this week and that was getting the project handed in, though being told in feedback, that my work was acceptable for marking comes in a close 2nd.
Aims
1. To get stuck into the CiSSy and iME projects, get back on track.
2. To organise my time better. (again)
3. To divide my time up more evenly, similar to above but relevant. No more doing all my work in big solid blocks, its too painful!
Thanks for reading and goodnight.
P.S Anymore suggestions for clearing the mind or relaxation techniques are very welcome. Keep it clean!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Ups and Downs
Ups and downs, peaks and troughs, whatever you call them, this week I have had them.
Its been a difficult week in some senses, I have found myself struggling to get to grips with 'The Biz' project and I feel I am behind with the 'CiSSy' and 'iME' projects also.
After my first one to one chat with John it was suggested that I have an inefficient / too in depth approach to my research, this is down to me trying to cover all points on the assignment sheets. I agree with what was said but again, as in previous blog, it is a matter of changing the way my mind works. A case of re-training if you like.
If I can get myself taking notes rater than recording whole passages of text I will hopefully save a lot of time. A valuable commodity!
I feel as though this is where I am getting behind, too much time spent digging for information that, probably I don't need. This has been the case when writing my essays, I have more information researched than I can fit into a 1000 word essay.
My peak this week, (theres an idea for a sub-title, My Peak of the Week!) came about as a result of my being behind, I felt I had to re-assess what needed to be done and when.
It took me half an hour to arrange my time on my time plan sheet, dividing tasks into hour blocks.
I was determined to stick to the plan, and for most of the day it worked. It was a nice feeling checking off a few tasks one after the other. It went a bit wayward towards the end of the afternoon but that was down to me underestimating how long things would take me.
Aims
So to my aims for next week:
1 I am going to try and scan research material rather than read the whole book!
2 Notes need to be more bullet point rather than 'bullet to my head please' when reading them.
3 Time plan, try to replicate what I achieved on Monday more often.
Next week my new feature 'Peak of the Week'
Thanks for reading and bye for now
Mark
Its been a difficult week in some senses, I have found myself struggling to get to grips with 'The Biz' project and I feel I am behind with the 'CiSSy' and 'iME' projects also.
After my first one to one chat with John it was suggested that I have an inefficient / too in depth approach to my research, this is down to me trying to cover all points on the assignment sheets. I agree with what was said but again, as in previous blog, it is a matter of changing the way my mind works. A case of re-training if you like.
If I can get myself taking notes rater than recording whole passages of text I will hopefully save a lot of time. A valuable commodity!
I feel as though this is where I am getting behind, too much time spent digging for information that, probably I don't need. This has been the case when writing my essays, I have more information researched than I can fit into a 1000 word essay.
My peak this week, (theres an idea for a sub-title, My Peak of the Week!) came about as a result of my being behind, I felt I had to re-assess what needed to be done and when.
It took me half an hour to arrange my time on my time plan sheet, dividing tasks into hour blocks.
I was determined to stick to the plan, and for most of the day it worked. It was a nice feeling checking off a few tasks one after the other. It went a bit wayward towards the end of the afternoon but that was down to me underestimating how long things would take me.
Aims
So to my aims for next week:
1 I am going to try and scan research material rather than read the whole book!
2 Notes need to be more bullet point rather than 'bullet to my head please' when reading them.
3 Time plan, try to replicate what I achieved on Monday more often.
Next week my new feature 'Peak of the Week'
Thanks for reading and bye for now
Mark
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
In Sickness and in Health
Hi to everyone,
And thanks to those who commented. Johns suggestion makes perfect sense, though I do feel like I am going through a period of re-training my brain, it seems to get stuck in gear sometimes, it can be a very stubborn brain! A bit like an old Citroen 2cv I used to have.
This week has been a trial to say the least, largely down to illness in the family. It has prevented me achieving my aims from my last post but....... I would like to put a positive spin on things, I am proud of how I still managed to get 2 essays done, even though my time plan went out of the window completely. I think I showed a good level of commitment and determination, a very late night was involved when I really needed sleep, ahh sleep hmmm, I digress!
I think the college week as gone quite well, I feel Asked the right questions for what I need to know, but I do think group discussions could be more active. Come on folks SPEAK UP!
There has been a lot of written work again this week, and I don't mind admitting that I can't wait for the practical stuff to start. Let the creative juices flow!
Aims
As for my aims this week, simple ones I think, they are:
1. To get my time planning back on track. I need organisation in my life!
2. To do as much research as possible this week, I would like to experience the sensation of being in front of my work, if that kind of thing really does happen.
3. To clear my head before starting work. This may sound a little bit daft, but I seem to experience a block before I start working. Like I can make no sense of things. It causes me to lose time and panic a little. Less panic next week hopefully!
Again thanks for reading and feedback is always welcome.
Mark.
And thanks to those who commented. Johns suggestion makes perfect sense, though I do feel like I am going through a period of re-training my brain, it seems to get stuck in gear sometimes, it can be a very stubborn brain! A bit like an old Citroen 2cv I used to have.
This week has been a trial to say the least, largely down to illness in the family. It has prevented me achieving my aims from my last post but....... I would like to put a positive spin on things, I am proud of how I still managed to get 2 essays done, even though my time plan went out of the window completely. I think I showed a good level of commitment and determination, a very late night was involved when I really needed sleep, ahh sleep hmmm, I digress!
I think the college week as gone quite well, I feel Asked the right questions for what I need to know, but I do think group discussions could be more active. Come on folks SPEAK UP!
There has been a lot of written work again this week, and I don't mind admitting that I can't wait for the practical stuff to start. Let the creative juices flow!
Aims
As for my aims this week, simple ones I think, they are:
1. To get my time planning back on track. I need organisation in my life!
2. To do as much research as possible this week, I would like to experience the sensation of being in front of my work, if that kind of thing really does happen.
3. To clear my head before starting work. This may sound a little bit daft, but I seem to experience a block before I start working. Like I can make no sense of things. It causes me to lose time and panic a little. Less panic next week hopefully!
Again thanks for reading and feedback is always welcome.
Mark.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
FREE BEER!
And now I have your attention viewers……
I am now in my 2nd week back at college and things are becoming slightly more settled. Projects are becoming clearer in regards to what is required, and that has made me feel generally happier.
I am seeing already that some serious juggling of time, and tasks is going to be required, but so far I have not quite got to grips with this.
I am now in my 2nd week back at college and things are becoming slightly more settled. Projects are becoming clearer in regards to what is required, and that has made me feel generally happier.
I am seeing already that some serious juggling of time, and tasks is going to be required, but so far I have not quite got to grips with this.
I think this is down to the fact that we have a lot of work to do, and I have not yet prioritised what needs doing 1st. I am continuing to fill in weekly planning, though I don't believe my planning is efficient enough yet.
I need to become more efficient as soon as possible, there is a lot to learn, and my impression is that the quicker that learning is done, the better the chances are of making a good job of the projects, particular the CiSSy project.
The Biz project as shed light on another weakness I have, that is my ability to get to deeply involved in one research subject. This is a drain on my time and I need to be investing time in a more evenly spread way.
Aims
My aims for this week are
1. To organise my work load efficiently, hopefully this will bear fruit in the form of more time left for other work.
2. To stop myself frittering time away on research, making my research cover what it needs to and not 'go in too deep'
I only have the 2 aims for this week but I think they are the big 2!
I would also be grateful for any feedback, so feel free to chip in with any suggestions or comments.
Thanks for reading
Mark
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Losing My Blog Virginity
My first week back at college and my first ever blog!
It was a nervous start to the week, the anticipation of coming back after 4 months off and the excitement was getting to me. I knew that the work was going to be more intense than the first year, and so it is proving even this early on.
The tempo feels as though it has been upped and at the moment I feel okay with it, though it is early days and I am sure there are stressful times to come.
I have started as I mean to go on, my time planner is filled in and I will be trying to stick to it, though no doubt the plan will change along the way.
I feel I must be far more strict with my self organisation this year to make a good job of my work. If I don't stick to mini deadlines and my time plan I know I will struggle.
I have started dating my sketchbook pages to help me record when I have done tasks and think this will be valuable to illustrate my new found time management skills.
In general, I feel this has been a good first week, exciting but slightly scary.
It was a nervous start to the week, the anticipation of coming back after 4 months off and the excitement was getting to me. I knew that the work was going to be more intense than the first year, and so it is proving even this early on.
The tempo feels as though it has been upped and at the moment I feel okay with it, though it is early days and I am sure there are stressful times to come.
I have started as I mean to go on, my time planner is filled in and I will be trying to stick to it, though no doubt the plan will change along the way.
I feel I must be far more strict with my self organisation this year to make a good job of my work. If I don't stick to mini deadlines and my time plan I know I will struggle.
I have started dating my sketchbook pages to help me record when I have done tasks and think this will be valuable to illustrate my new found time management skills.
In general, I feel this has been a good first week, exciting but slightly scary.
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