Doing courses in a peculiar order
November 27th, 2009 | 
Author: Thanks to the funding issues that the Open University are being hit with I find that I, among many others, am having to rejig my planned schedule of courses into something that can seem slightly crazy sometimes.
For instance, to pick up a physics degree I will need to do two summer schools between now and 2011. Those are Observing the universe (SXR208) and Physics by experiment (SXR207).
Of those SXR207 definitely requires you to do The physical world (S207) which means that I need to do it in October 2010. Unfortunately, it has some pre-requisites in the form of a certain amount of mathematical skills so I was originally planning on doing Using mathematics (MST121) starting this February to refresh my 30 year old maths skills from the degree. However, it seems sensible to do at least one of the related courses to SXR208 too which means that the February slot will be filled by one of them.
Fortunately, the OU realise that scientists don’t always want to do major maths courses so there’s Maths for science (S151). Whilst that should be way below my ability in maths it’s a 10 pointer so I could run with that from February to April or July or May to July or October (the 10 point courses can be done over 3 or 6 months). Normally they recommend that you only do that if you’re not going to be doing MST121 but it looks like an easy way to get that refresher that I might need for S207 and besides would add what should be a very easy 10 points towards the degree.
In the February slot I hope to do Astronomy (S282) which will provide half the background for SXR208. Ideally the other half would come from Planetary science and the search for life (S283) but I doing that at the same time as S207 doesn’t appear viable and so I can’t do it ’til November 2011 at the earliest which is after the final presentation of SXR208. Fortunately, the short courses come to the rescue yet again with Planets: an introduction (S196) which I should be able to do alongside S207.
So instead of my sensible sequence of MST121, S207+SXR207, S282, S283, SXR208 I’ve ended up with S282, S151, S207+SXR207, S196, SXR208, S283 and MST121. Slightly peculiar but at least it seems doable, unlike the sequences some other people have been forced into thanks to the funding issue.
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Hi “Foreign Perspectives”, I don’t know exactly how I landed here, but here is some advice:
Honestly, I don’t think you need all those courses for SXR208, which I think is a self-contained course where you will get as much information as you need. Have a look at the OUSA forum.
“Maths for Science” is very easy, if you’ve taken some maths before, don’t bother with it.
If you want some background for SXR208 in the form of a 10-pointer, go for S194, “Introducing Astronomy”.
And you can always buy the books for the courses you are interested in, without having to take them all (TMAs, exams, and everything). Try “University Book Search”.
May
Spain
S194, S151, S283 and S282 (starting February, but already finished reading of 1st book)
My problem is that although I know it says that SXR208 is self-contained and the course director says that too, I’m still a bit wary of that. However, that aside I’d be wanting to do S282 in due course anyway so that being the case, it seems to make sense to do that first. I gather that those doing it in that order feel that it’s helped SXR208, although I’ve also heard that those doing it in the reverse order found that SXR208 helped S282. Which I guess basically goes to show that they’re both related courses.
I suspect that you’re right about S151. What I’m going to do is to have a look at the books for it in the regional centre if I get a chance. However, I’m also going to see how it goes with S282. My thinking is that if the maths in S282 comes back to me then it should be fine for S207 too. Silly as it might sound, it looks like I could go straight to MST209 in terms of maths though I’m not sure that I’d risk quite so much a jump in that my maths, albeit at the equivalent of L2, is from a very long time ago.
I did S194 way, way back in 2001. Laughably, it’s what I sort-of think of as the first course in my physics degree. The years in between have been largely taken up by a “slight” diversion in the form of a modern languages degree which happened largely by accident.
Well, if you finally decide to take S282, welcome to it! You may be interested in having a look at our Facebook S282 group where a lot of people have already started commenting on the course.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=105990076177
You are also invited to visit this blog I’ve created to compile web videos related to the different chapters of both S-282 books:
http://gloria-mys282blog.blogspot.com/
S207 looks much more daunting from a mathematical point of view. I bought an used set of books for this course from University Book Search, and now I think it’s much too hard for me. S282’s level of maths is completely straightforward (basic algebra).
The order in which to take mathematics for Physics advised by the OU is: MST121, bridging material for MST209 (in the maths site), plus MST209. I got this from one of the tutors after much worrying about the subject.
Merry Xmas and good luck with your studies and blog,
May Gloria