Here goes....

Well - here we go. I am so excited!!  
My coursework arrived yesterday evening via my neighbour.  I left the parcel on my dining room table unopened (which suprised me) until I had done all my jobs.  I think I wanted to extend the anticipation of what was to come.  I also think this was part of my decision to allocate a proper schedule to my study.  Working full time and doing this course means that time is precious and needs managing carefully.   My plan is to do an hour a day during the week, (getting up an hour earlier because early mornings are my best time), and half a day at the weekends.  That way I can still enjoy my family and take time out to study without feeling guilty.  Evenings wouldn't work for me.
I have had to resist the urge to tell anyone who might be even slightly interested that I am doing a photography degree. Was anyone else like that?  I don't think this is a mid life crisis (I was 50 this year) but if it is hey ho,  at least there isn't a Harley on the drive or a toy boy tucked away somewhere.  Oh, and btw.... am LOVING having a student card. 
I was out with a friend from my local photo club the other evening taking shots for a club competition and all I kept thinking was, "I wonder if I will need any of these for my course?"  I am trying to build up a good stock of photos and need to look into how I manage the storage of them.  The referencing worries me.  How will I be able to find a particular image I want quickly?   Note to self: look into this.
The course materials are excellent. The student handbook is very useful and I was glad to have the study skills booklet in the pack.  It has been 15 years since I studied anything in depth and at that time I had a new baby and wasnt working full time.  Although, some would say that having a baby is a full time job!
I think most of my prep is done for the course. My Flickr account is set up and ready and of course this blog is.  I have a reconditioned computer that a friend gave me which is dedicated to my pictures and out of bounds to the rest of the family.  I have an old  box of index cards which I have been making notes on as they come to me and an old desk in the spare room to work on.  I would love to buy lots of fab lenses, backdrops, flashguns and all kinds of exciting things but the fact that I can't afford them is probably a good thing as I won't get distracted "playing" with them.  I will just have to concentrate on becoming a good photographer without all that which has to be a good thing.