My Course - Final Day

Ah, Home, Sweet Home!

I'm back in Blackpool now with the memories of that final 3-hour exam behind me! It's a toughie and no mistake, but after sitting it I'm now feeling what can best be summed up by one of my classmates' phrases - I'm "stupidly optimistic"!

I have to remain that for 8-12 weeks before I get my results though!

I've never before spent a full week in London and seen so little of it - apart from last night where we had been told to relax, every night consisted of leaving the course, buying a sandwich, taking it back to the hotel and studying after checking work emails and occasionally updating this blog.

I've overdosed on AirCon - 10 minutes fresh air a day just doesn't add up to enough really! Has it been enjoyable? Well in what could seem a masochistic way, yes it has. Such an intensive course generates strong comradeship in any group and we've all swapped email addresses and went for a pint together after the exam.

The train was absolutely packed coming back - a Friday before a Bank Holiday I suppose it's only to be expected. Passed through a storm too at one point although both London and Blackpool seem to have reserved some sunshine for me!

Ah... long weekend... sleep... music... family... sleep... sleep... slee-e-e...... zzzzzzz

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My Course - 4th Day

Day Four, water ran out on 2nd night. Last night Carruthers left the tent saying he'd only be gone for a few minutes. He made a hell of a racket and eventually we went out to drag him back in...

Ok, fiction over, what follows is almost the truth of it! Phew this is not an easy course - even for someone like me who has been running Project Management workshops for 4 years! That means I've got 4 years of "other terminology and methodology" in my head of course, so have had to ditch that for the week.

This morning as I expected I passed the Foundation Exam with plenty of marks to spare. I was feeling very wary of the Practitioner Exam which is tomorrow but the tutor gave some excellent exam strategies and tips this afternoon so that I'm now ready for them to wheel on the question paper! (Well I am now - tomorrow morning may be a different thing!)

We were told not to do too much cramming tonight but to have a rest and relax. I've been out for the first time this week. Every day so far has been leave hotel, walk 5 minutes to course venue, leave at 5:30, walk back, study, rush out for meal (or have taken a sandwich back) and then more study until falling into bed. Heavy going!

Tonight I walked down to Trafalgar Square and was aghast to find it crowded with people sitting on grass!!! It is extremely warm and humid in London tonight, I walked down to the river and then past the Eye to the Golden Jubilee Bridge and back up to Bloomsbury by the back streets. I was a dripping mess by the time I got back to the hotel! (Cuts an attractive mind picture eh, ladies?)

Am back to my usual cool sophisticated self now though! Where's that exam? Let's get it over with, then let's hit the train for home!

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My Course - Second Day

Well I have to admit there's a bit of a culture shock for a 50 something year old to find he has 2-3 hours studying to do every night on top of a very full day's course. It's full too - I can't do it in 2 hours and it's been 3-3.5 for me the last two nights. That means I get up, go to the course, come out, study, go to eat very quickly, come back and study, go to bed.

The Prince2 Course is not for the faint hearted. Thursday has a Foundation Exam - signs are that I will walk that but I'm not going to get complacent about it!

Friday morning is a 3-hour open book exam but with a lot to do so knowing where everything is in the book is paramount. Last night's exercise showed that I would pass that - just, which for day 2 I suppose is about right and I need to apply myself to make sure the next day and a half (after Thursday's exam) is used to full effect.

Interesting to see the similarities and differences between the JISC infoNet approach and Prince2. I had to set my head to a different mindset for this week and forget what I already know so that I will give the correct references for everything!

Ding Ding - Round 3...

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