The "Baffling with Bull" approach.

(first published 27/11/2012)

If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull. 
W. C. Fields
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/wcfields108794.html#BKHViHkQxTEI2JOy.99

Outside the OU centre in Cardiff, for my first tutorial last month, I met one of my fellow students. We were both really nervous and I said something about my trying to look intelligent for the next two hours, her response was the above quote albeit a little more profane which surprised me but also made me giggle and lightened the mood.

It’s a quote that I’ve thought about a lot over the weeks and an approach that I thought I’d try when it came to part two of my first assignment, comparing a painting by Cezanne and one by Vecchio. Part one involved my comparing passages about the relationship between Cleopatra and Antony.

I found part one fairly easy but struggled with part two, Art really isn’t my thing but I figured that as it mainly relied on my opinion of the two pieces and there was no right or wrong answers, as long as I could back my opinion up with some technical terms I’d scrape a pass. Winging it I did the best I could and submitted it…

Three highly stressful weeks later I got my result back! (Yesterday) Not only had I passed but I’d got just one point below my personal target of 70% and to my shock a higher mark for Cezanne than Cleopatra! I had been no nervous and scared of failing that when I finally got my result I couldn’t help but cry with relief and happiness. I AM smart enough to be doing this and I DESERVE to be on this course!

My tutor gave me some great feedback on how to redo Cleopatra for assignment two and as for Cezanne, well what was seemingly bull to me, my tutor could see exactly where I was going with my writing. Wow! And there was me thinking I was writing total bullsugar!!

All in all I wrote a “very promising assignment”, my confidence is sky high at the moment and I even went back to karate training last night for the first time in about a month. I have day school at the weekend and I’m determined to make the most of it. I’ve got my mojo back and I don’t intend to lose it again! 

Now I’m off for a coffee and to have a good read of my tutor’s comments and assessment to see what I can do for this next assignment, gonna totally smash my target this time!

Moral: What might seem like total bull to you might seem great to another so give it a go!