As some of my friends know I’m currently studying with the Open University for my computing degree.

This year my exam results, along with a number of fellow students were delayed… Until 3 days before Christmas where they promptly announced with lots of students wondering exactly what happened. It appears many of us got distinction grade (85%+) coursework… and grade 3 quality exam results (60%+). Some people with very good coursework grades have failed entirely.

Either the course material was too easy and did not give us a good indication of progress or the exam was too harshly marked. Almost everyone seems to have suffered a major drop in grades between 19% and 37%. A fellow student has commented the average is normally 20%.

I’m rather at odds with the situation. I’m supposed to be learning. How are you to learn from an exam that is both essential to your result and entirely devoid of feedback? Where’s the lesson apart from don’t bother. Oh, and it’s Open as in available to many people, not open as in how it work.

I would advise anyone considering M360 – Developing Internet Applications to only take it if your grade won’t affect your diploma. It is otherwise quite an enjoyable course.

Miffed,

[)amien

So the ball went very well indeed. We are lots of food, met lots of people and drank my own body-weight in alcohol. At some point my friend Wazzy acquired the world’s fattest cigar while I attempted to redo my bow-tie without a mirror or fine motor skills.

Tonight was the party for the place I’m currently contracting and although the food was fine I ended up feeling very hot and dizzy in some pubs afterwards and had to head home rather abruptly to the annoyance of friends. I should really be in bed but I still feel icky.

[)amien

Hello and welcome to yet another person jumping onto the already overloaded blog-wagon.

My name is Damien Guard, I’m a freelance software developer living in Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

I’m hoping to post some programming tricks and tips, mostly for .NET, the latest from Guernsey and little bits of news about my life.

So that’s something for everybody¹

[)amien

^{1 Providing you are a programmer, living in Guernsey or one of my friends. Or very bored.}

Tonight I’ve been invited to a large ball for a large bank as part of the whole celebrating Christmas roller-coaster.

So, for the first time in my life, I have equipped myself with a dashing dinner jacket, new dress-shirt and a real bow-tie! Combine that with existing black trousers, shoes and a pair of cuff-links I got last Christmas from a client and presto the ensemble pops into existence.

Against the combined drawing talents of a small child and the writing ability of an illiterate foreigner that comprised the instructions supplied with my bow-tie I still managed to get the hang of it. One strategic trim later this afternoon and a quick trip to the dry-cleaners and I’ll be looking like a million Lire.

Who knows I might even post a photo.

[)amien