missing the OU



My old stomping ground covered in the January snow.

 The OU can't be faulted for providing students with the kind of resources they need to complete their studies. This past week I've really been missing having access to these taken-for-granted neccessities. Whenever I need to print long documents (like any chapter in my thesis) I have to trek all the way to Bellville and squat with my colleagues in the GD department to print out my documents. When I need access to a book - well that's almost impossible to get hold of. The library at my institution is so under resourced I don't even bother to check if they have a copy of the book. At the moment I can't get access to the borrowing facilities at UCT because I haven't registered with my institution and then gone to UCT to activate my account. At least UCT generally has copies of some of the books I need - but then I have to lean very firmly on colleagues and friends who work at UCT. But all around this is a very convoluted process. I miss just walking to the OU sitting at my desk printing whatever I need, placing a hold on any book I need from the OU library then collecting it at my leisure and if the book isn't there I can simply request the book from the British Libary and when it's available the library sends me a notification and it is kept in a special place where I can collect it at my leisure. With all this missing of the OU the need to have access to these fundamental resources that are crucial to completing a PhD has been brought into sharp focus for me. Thank goodness I still have access to all the electronic resources provided by the OU. Yeah I miss my desk at the OU, especially at times like these.