Jo Di Saster

8/2/2019 Jo Di Saster

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Jo di Saster or If a thing can go wrong

Four months ago, realizing that work was becoming somewhat precarious and that

few managers can expect a job for life, Jo decided to sign up for a Masters degree.

After all, having a qualification should make you more employable. However, as itwas a long time since Jo studied, s/he was afraid of failure and so s/he kept these

study plans a secret from partner, Chris, and colleagues.

Since then, work has become more frantic Jo regularly works 12-hour days and

brings work home a cause of friction. When a letter about OU Induction arrived, Jo

read it briefly but was too busy to go. Yesterday a large box arrived from the OU. Jo

is horrified at the volume of the box and other OU mail and, being totally stressed out

at work, puts everything in the garage unopened, planning to look at it all when life is

less fraught.

Two weeks later Jo receives a letter (not on OU stationery, therefore not consigned to

the garage) from someone declaring themselves to be a tutor, saying they hope to

see Jo at the tutorial on Saturday and that Jo will soon be on FirstClass. Jo hasnt a

clue what FirstClass is and has promised to take Chris to an exhibition on Saturday.

Question 1

Should Jo:

(a) Continue to ignore the OU until the situation gets better?

(b) Talk to Chris?

(c) Contact the tutor for advice?

(d) Write to the OU, withdrawing from the course and asking for a refund?

That night, after sharing a bottle of wine, Jo, who is really worried about it all, tells

Chris about the situation. Chris doesnt see how Jo, who is almost never home

anyway, is going to cope, but knows how bad things are at work and, on the whole,

thinks a qualification is a good idea. They get the box and assorted envelopes out of

the garage, horrified at how much there is. Jo rings the tutor who explains how the

course works. Chris says the exhibition runs for a while, so Jo goes to the tutorial. It is

quite interesting meeting the other students, even though, not having done more than

glance at the course materials, Jo finds it hard to join in for much of the tutorial they

are supposed to work in small groups. In fact, the tutor doesnt seem to teach much at

all. Finally, the tutor suggests they split into self-help groups so they can go on

talking outside of scheduled tutorials.

Question 2

Should Jo:

(a) Complain to the Regional Manager that the tutor is no good not a proper

lecturer at all?


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(b) Decide that, given the pressures at present, the last thing needed is to waste time

on self-help?

(c) Contact the tutor to say how unhelpful the experience was?

(d) Go home and study?(e) Contact local students about self-help?

On getting home, Jo complains bitterly to Chris about the tutor. Chris suggests that it

would be more sensible to complain to the tutor so Jo rings. The tutor seems fairly

calm about this and convinces Jo that study of the books is essential. Jo agrees to

spend the week working through the first one and to ring the tutor the following

weekend, and to install FirstClass and visit the tutors and the main course

conference. Being a fairly determined soul, Jo studies until midnight each night but

has nowhere near completed the first unit by Saturday. There is so much to learn and,

even if you skip all the activities, it takes ages. Why do you need to learn all these

names and dates anyway? Chris is getting fairly uptight as well.

Question 3

Should Jo:

(a) Read the Effective Study chapter in The MBA Handbook?

(b) Ring the tutor before Saturday to say how poorly s/he is getting on?

(c) Not ring the tutor on Saturday because s/he hasnt finished the book?

(d) Look at the TMA to work out which bits of the book are important?

Jo doesnt ring the tutor but argues with Chris instead. One outcome is agreement that

study is limited to 8 hours per week and corners are cut if necessary to achieve this. Jo

starts skim-reading materials instead of trying to learn them, using the course

calendar to pace this. Suddenly, Jo realizes a TMA is due in three days, finds out what

is required and feels sick. The TMA is supposed to be 2000 words long and the

question doesnt really make sense.

Question 4

Should Jo:

(a) Submit something in order to meet the deadline?

(b) Try to write something decent, even though it means getting behind schedule?

(c) Decide to miss this assignment? After all, providing grades on subsequent

assignments are reasonable, Jo will pass on continuous assessment.

(d) Contact the tutor to clarify what is required and ask for an extension to the

deadline?

Jo doesnt like the idea of doing badly and so decides to work hard on a good grade,

even if it means submitting late. Going back over the study sessions with the TMA in


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mind, things start to fall into place and the course starts to become rather exciting. Jo

is rather upset when the tutor rings to ask where the TMA is and says rather abruptly

that it is nearly ready. The tutor explains that late submissions are supposed to be

agreed before the deadline but agrees this once to accept it, providing it is marked by

Saturday. Jo manages this deadline, feeling very proud as the envelope slides into thepost-box. Imagine the horror when the TMA is returned with a grade of 35 not even

a pass.

Question 5

Should Jo:

(a) Throw the TMA in the bin in disgust?

(b) Read the tutors comments to find out why it failed?

(c) Give up on the whole course?

(d) Contact the tutor?

Jo does nothing but, after a few days, the tutor rings and suggests they either meet or

talk through the TMA and how the next one might be done better on the phone. Jo

agrees and, before meeting the tutor, reads through the TMA and the tutors

comments and begins to see how perhaps the report hadnt quite answered the

question. Furthermore, making assertions is not the same as arguing logically from

evidence and/or theory. It was a pleasant surprise to find that some aspects of the

answer had been quite good parts that didnt attract many marks.After the meeting Jo is much clearer about what is required and about how to

approach the materials. However the skim-reading isnt going to work. It is going to

take at least 12 hours per week to catch up and do the next TMA on schedule.

Question 6

Should Jo:

(a) Plan how to find the time and discuss it with Chris?

(b) Look at the next TMA immediately and plan study around this?

(c) Make contact with the self-help group?

(d) Talk to the boss about a possible reduction in workload?

Jo talks to Chris and contacts three other students who have formed a self-help group.

Discussing plans for the second TMA with others in the group is surprisingly

enlightening. Jo sees even more clearly how to approach both study and the

assignment, and consequently does much better on the next TMA which is a great

relief. For a while all goes really well but, a week before the final TMA cut-off,

disaster strikes. On the same day, Jo is made redundant and Chris has to go intohospital for emergency surgery. Although the TMA is half-written, it will be

impossible to finish it on time.


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Question 7

Should Jo:

(a) Hand in an incomplete TMA but on time?

(b) Hand it in late?

(c) Contact the regional centre for advice?

(d) Contact the tutor?

(e) Forget the course supporting Chris is more important?

Jo contacts the tutor. They talk through the possibilities and agree that the best plan is

to submit the TMA as it is. Jo needs only a few more marks to pass on continuous

assessment overall. This means that Jo can both visit Chris in hospital and do some

revision. The tutor also reminds Jo to notify the OU of the reason for a low grade on

the final TMA, using a PT39 form. If Chriss surgery is less than straightforward, and

Jos revision or exam performance is affected, an E39 form will also be needed.

(However, Chris recovers well and Jo goes into the exam feeling reasonably confident

)

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Jo Di Saster