Carrie on being a student
A letter to my 23-year-old self...
Dear Caz, Hi, how’s it going? So, you’re 23 eh. I remember those days, if only vaguely. In nine years’ time you’ll be me. I haven’t turned out to be quite the person you expected but don’t worry, I’m someone completely different and I’m remarkably happy about it. You’re about to take a big leap of faith in yourself and do something you always wanted to do but never got the chance – you’re about to go to university. How do you...
On doing a second degree...
7th February 2004 is when it all began. That was the date my very first module with the OU started. It was DD100 – An Introduction to the Social Sciences which was a 60 point level 1 course intended to break you back into education gently. I remember first starting it and being so apprehensive about doing the whole degree and wondering if I would actually make it right the way to the end. I swore blind to everyone that I would and in my head I put forward a very convincing argument but at...
Running and the OU
So by now you should all have a good idea about how impulsive I can be. I rarely spend time to fully think things over and usually just jump right in at the deep end before figuring out if I can swim or not. Well I’ve done it again. I was reading a blog last week about someone who took up running and about how much she enjoyed it and the ways it had changed her life. It sounded so positive and doable and motivational and before I knew it... I’d signed up for a half marathon. *sigh...
Planning for a summer of OU study
My lectures at Durham uni are finished now until October. Yep, that’s right, October. The reason is simple – the summer term is left for the full timers to write their dissertations so because I’m a part timer I’m not doing that until next year so the next six months for me are essentially free. Free from Durham study of course, but not from Open Uni study. In fact, barely a day or two after my last Durham essays of the year are submitted I have...
On being filmed for a documentary on lifelong learning...
People – “So Caz, what did you get up to today?” Me – “Oh you know, got up, went to work, went to uni, got filmed for a PRIME TIME DOCUMENTARY!!... No biggie.” On Wednesday the 7th March I got an email from a fella who introduced himself as working for a TV production company based in London who are making a documentary about the culture of Lifelong Learning and having seen my blog (this one) they would like me to take part. Now let’s face it, it’...
Inspired by a family member I've never even met..
This time last year I wrote a post for International Women’s Day about a woman who inspired me, and did it in a very self-centred and self-obsessed way – all about me. Well I was asked to do another one this year and decided to take a slightly different approach to it. I stand by my post last year, the 31-year-old version of me is still very much inspired by the 15-year-old version of me and the 24-year-old version of me and many others but there are plenty...
On realisations...
My new year epiphany is being put into practice very well now, I’m pleased to announce. On Saturday I holed up in the library after dropping Gordon off at work and spent the whole day working on my next assignment (with the exception of a couple of half hours on the computers digging up my family tree). It works really well and I’m so pleased I’m managing to stick to it when I can. Last weekend was the same, I spent Saturday in the library across the road from where Gordon...
My name is Carrie and I'm addicted to education...
Hello. My name is Carrie and I’m an addict. I haven’t been clean or sober since 2004 and I fear I may never be clean again. I fear this is it and that for the rest of my entire life I will always be an active addict. I had my suspicions that I was becoming addicted some 18 months ago when I first had ideas on studying for a Master’s degree. It crossed my mind that this was quite an additional commitment but reassured myself that it was for the greater good and would improve my...
Here's my 'meet and greet' post for Cybher blogging conference
If I have any regular readers out there in cyber space you’ll know by now that I’m pretty much always on the lookout for opportunities. By opportunities I mean either things to volunteer for, places to go and visit, exciting things to try and things/events to attend which sound interesting. It’s been mistakenly suggested that I somehow ‘find’ loads of interesting things to see and do when in fact I just copy off loads of other people. I see something interesting...
Why I get to 'Carrie' on being an OU student...
I always thought that when I finished my degree that would be it – my goal accomplished and I could move on. Well that changed when I decided to go a step further and work towards a Masters and ultimately try for a PhD. It’s the natural education progression isn’t it; undergrad to postgrad to research. It crossed my mind a few times that somewhere way in the future I might like to go back and perhaps do another degree, maybe turn my BSc Open into a named degree, but I always...
About Carrie Walton
I dropped out of school at 17, halfway through my A Levels and got a job. I’ve worked full time ever since, but when I reached 23 I enrolled with the OU and started on a journey towards the degree I’d never stopped wanting. In 2009 and aged 29 I realised I didn’t want my journey to end and formulated a new plan which includes a masters, a PhD, research and whatever else I might be able to cram into a journey now held under the umbrella term “lifelong learning and ongoing self-improvement”.
I finished my BSc (hons) Open in December 2011 by which time I'd already started on an MA in Social Science research at Durham University with a view to doing a doctorate in the not too distant future. The OU isn’t getting rid of me that easy though, I've already signed up for a BSc (hons) in Criminology and Psychological Studies and I plan to keep studying with them for as long as grey matter will allow me to, it’s all part of my never ending lifelong learning path.
Alongside studying, I work full time for a building contractor in the North East of England as a Liaison Manager. Working is a means of affording and appreciating the things I really enjoy; mountain biking, hiking, theatre, gigs, cinema, eating out, writing, the list could go on, I just like doing things. In whatever spare time I can muster after that, I volunteer for OUSA and am a school governor.
My name is Caz (or Carrie) and this is my journey from dogsbody to doctorate…
