So it begins...

...My course materials have arrived!

Part of the package's contents include Teach Yourself Planets, which is part of a series, upon which the textbook is based. Skimming through the textbook reveals that it refers to TYP fairly frequently, which seems a cumbersome way of doing it at the very least. My impression was that the textbook would incorporate the relevant sections of TYP, which is what I liked about my previous course, which had everything in one handy textbook. The upshot of the arrangement for my current course appears to be that there is a rather higher density of information, which is a pleasant surprise.

The End-of-course assessments (ECAs) are located entirely on the Open University website, whereas my previous course featured a little booklet in the package with all the questions. Why the difference? Having a physical booklet makes an awful lot more sense, as it allows one to in times and at places where internet access may not be available. I found the ability to do this quite useful, as it allowed me to study when travelling or when I was not at home.

The textbook is lavishly illustrated, but the vast majority of the images related to the course are on a CD-ROM included in the package I recieved. At the moment I am not able to investigate its contents, but given that I'll probably end back on the New Deal fairly soon, I will be able to use their computer facilities to enhance my studies. Not what they had in mind in all likelyhood, but I have higher aspirations than working in some shitty retail job. Like with not having a physical copy of the ECA, this makes out-of-home study more difficult.

I'm looking forward to getting stuck in, but it's late and I am tired. Keep an eye out for updates!