Starting...

So today is the start of the new term on the MAPP programme!!

Welcome back to all returning students and welcome to all new practitioners to the MA community...


Whilst today's date marks the 'term start date' on our calendars it is important to recognise that starting something isn't usually as quick as a calendar date suggests.  

Starting out for the first time, or starting back to re-join something after a break can mean a re-balance of patterns, schedules, spaces and places...finding how study is integrated / (re) integrated into your work/life patterns.  We think it is important that you begin to find some kind of 'home' for your study, this might be clearing a physical space in your house to work in, finding a café that has a good vibe to you to be able to work there, checking out libraries or other spaces that may feel good to you.  Looking at your schedules...it may be that you are able to block out one day per week that you ring as your 'MA day', it may not...You may prefer to set aside an hour each morning / an hour each evening and decide that you;ll dedicate that to your studies.  You may see already that you have a particularly busy period next month and so no you will not be able to dedicate time to your studies then, but can free-up some time either side of that period.  Whatever the pattern, whatever works is individual to you, and important for you to recognise and commit to.  Adesola and I are pretty flexible with our work/life patterns too and so we can work with you in terms of appointments for one-to-one Skype calls, responding to emails etc, and this is where the blogs are a great way of communicating...you can blog whenever you feel like it...2am, 6am... and others will engage with this when they feel like it, quite possibly in a different time-zone altogether!

So take this week to observe your patterns, re-jig a little space where needed, feel comfortable in your study environment, locate yourself within the university systems (UniHub / My learning / handbooks) and be sure to comment on Adesola's blog to indicate which Skype conversation you would like to participate in this coming Sunday Oct 2.

http://adesolamapp.blogspot.co.uk



I'd like to leave you 'starting' with a note on beginning from Musician/philosopher Gary Peters;

'The beginning is not the start of the work but the choice of a way into that which has certainly already started'.




Look forward to connecting on Sunday...