It’s weird to plan and write a TMA after so many months! It’s been September when I last submitted a TMA! Then it was social psychology (DD307) and now it is for my new module, cognitive psychology (DD303). September…wow! That’s sooooo long ago and it feels strange after all that time to be back to where I have been so many times before: at the bottom of a mountain of work that needs doing before the first words can flow into a nice essay.
Just now, my desk is a mess, crowded with notes, papers, books, pens and paper and in between I sit a bit worried whether essay writing is still going to “just work ok” or whether I have forgotten all about it. Moreover, as I said so many times before, the first TMA in every course is particularly “tricky” as you never know what your tutor wants and is after. Each of them has their own style and preferences and those I need to find out 
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So far I am making satisfying progress. First of all, I’ve chosen an option. I am going for option two, which is about theories of recognition of 3D objects. Really interesting topic…honestly! Only face recognition fascinated me more. The option choice was quickly done, as the alternative was about “attention” – a topic at the beginning of DD303 that I experienced as a total nightmare! So that definitely WASN’T my option.
Anyway, what else have I done so far… I have created a word document for this particular TMA, inserted my name, TMA and course number and my OU personal identifier number. Isn’t that great? *lol 
But hey, that wasn’t all yet! 
I also added the TMA question and even better started the reference list at the far end of the TMA. I decided that even at this early stage there is nothing wrong in adding references of sources I know I’ll definitely use (e.g. of the relevant course chapter) as that’ll take some pressure off in the end when you cannot face the whole thing any more and just want to finish it *lol. I know that feeling, so I hope if the references aren’t left for last, it’ll be nicer in the end .
Today then I sat down to look more closely at the theories I’ll have to compare and contrast. I am done with the first of two major theories. Will try to finish the second this afternoon, so that by tomorrow I can compare and contrast the bigger picture and fill in evidence from third-party theorists. In my mind I have it all planned and laid out straight already, but bringing it onto paper is now the tricky step. While working out what “exactly” each theory comprises and where its strengths and weaknesses lie, I am writing an essay plan to ensure that in the end I write a structured essay that makes sense, flows well and brings a smile to my tutors face and a good make into my student record
Time will tell…wish me luck for the next days! I aim to have finished this TMA by Wednesday next week…but TMA writing doesn’t end there. I’ll go straight on to TMA1 for child development…this is the JOY of overlapping modules
From the length of this post I can deduce that you have not lost any essay writing skills
lol…you have a point there Lars
Hi Sonja, I’ve just found your blog and very informative it is. I’m currently studying ED209, SD226 & DSE141 and will start DSE212 in September, followed by DXR222 in the summer. I know I’ doing them out of sync. Needs must
It is my intention to start either DD303 to DD307 next January, I’m inclined to do DD307 next as I don’t really want to two residential schools in the same summer. Did you find any issues with doing DD307 before DD303?
Regards Mark
Hello Mark, thanks very much for your comment
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Don’t worry, I also did my modules out of sync and still getting there in the end
I think it’s probably a good idea NOT to do two residential schools in one year. If you overlap DD307 with DXR222 (which is what I did) you’ll still have two projects during the summer, as DD307 also has one, but you do it at home not at a residential school. So either way you’ll be busy with projects. But I wouldn’t have wanted to do both residentials one after the other. Better to do one at a time.
I’m not sure which way around one should do the level 3s. They are just so totally different that it probably doesn’t matter at all in the end. I find just now, that due to having done DD307 already, I might be more into the cirtical evaluation of evidence etc. than others already maybe, which is what DD307 is really teaching you! However, as I haven’t finished any TMA on DD303 yet nor got any mark I cannot tell whether this feeling of a “slight advantage” will pay off in a good mark in the end
Thanks Sonja,
your thoughts are really useful and have helped cement my decision, looks like DD307 first
I now have some competition as my daughter will now be taking DSE212 and DXR222 with me, talk about making me feel old, lol
Hey Mark,
hope you’ll both enjoy the courses! And especially the residential! I loved it *lol and just booked my place to go back to Brighton this summer to do DD303 residential 
I’, pleased if I could be of help. In the end everyone has to decide foroneself how much they can handle and what they want to do when. But I am happy with my choice of doing DD307 first. As I said, for me it worked to overlap iot with DSE212 and then DXR222 later
So you have a family competition starting…good luck