Well, that’s a wrap. 6 months of work reduced to a two-digit number.

Overall TM112 was one of my favourite first-year units. I am halfway through MU123 and TM129 and neither are hitting the same notes as TM112 did. I enjoyed Python, although the introduction is more about an introduction to basic programming and algorithms, the Python programming is very very basic.

We also covered some very interesting topics, I found the section on cryptography & cyber security absolutely fascinating, and I really enjoyed the parts that touched on ethics and the law. It also covers cloud technologies and mobile technology which were well pitched and informative.

I surprised myself with an overall score of 98%

In the last few months, I have also chosen my next topics which are:

TM250 – Object-oriented Java programming (October 2024 start)
TM256 – Cyber security (February 2025 start)

I mulled this decision over for a week, posting on Reddit, and discussing with family. I toyed with taking CCNA part 1, since I enjoyed the networking theory, subnetting and setting up the Cisco routers and switches in TM129 Block 1 – but realistically I only want the knowledge for a potential future in cyber security and I could always do separately later down the line.

In the end, I chose the programming units and the units that I thought I might find enjoyable. I avoided TM254 since the reviews and my cousin’s husband’s experience didn’t endear me to the unit. I really wanted to take the Web Technologies unit, but it has just been rewritten and from reading other blogs on the web, I have learnt that taking a unit in its first year is a bit of a gamble since the kinks haven’t been ironed out.

This works out well as the Cyber Security unit starts in February. Until recently, most year 2/3 modules start in October, meaning I would need to start 2 modules in October. I have found running MU123 alongside TM129 really tricky, and I will be avoiding where possible its a HUGE amount of work. I am currently working full time as an office manager and I spend the majority of the weekend working on my degree while juggling family life with four children. It’s tough. I am looking forward to October and just having one unit, although they do overlap between Feb/June, I think I will be able to get ahead and have most of TM250 finished before I start Cyber Security in February.

In fact this also led to me choosing my units for the following year too. I have steered myself towards the computer science route meaning which nicely leads onto:

TM269 Algorithms, data structures and computability (October 2025 start)
TM252 Web technologies (February 2026 start)

Meanwhile I am over the halfway mark for both MU123 and TM129 – its almost assessment time and this weekend is either Geometry for MU123 or assessment writing for TM129. I am leaning towards geometry, but only because I am not sure I have the brainpower for the assessment. I work in education and the last few weeks have been exhausting, I am hoping geometry needs less brainpower!

Hannah