O/T Open University
Discussion
Done ou - its good but there are a couple of points to bear in mind
Times for reports/essays etc to be marked are fairly stringent
Ensure you have free uninterrupted study time i.e. no distractions
Avoid doing 2 half courses as they tend to run at the same time
Seems daunting at first but becomes easier as you go on
Times for reports/essays etc to be marked are fairly stringent
Ensure you have free uninterrupted study time i.e. no distractions
Avoid doing 2 half courses as they tend to run at the same time
Seems daunting at first but becomes easier as you go on
I worked for the Open University Course Reservation and sales. Its a good way of getting Education but its quite expensive. Also the grades arent recognised in the States so if you ever think of using it over there then its a bad idea. My father and mmother both worked there, so I may be a bit biased but I did work there for two years too. What are you thinking of studying?
Just debating whether to apply but I don't know of anyone who has done a degree via OU. Has anyone here used it...? good/bad experience...?
Any info appreciated.
Claire
An ex boyfriend spent six years doing an Arts degree with them.
Seemed to be mostly pensioners finding out what they missed.
Academic content I can't really comment on, but the
Maths bit of the Arts course wasn't too tricky.
If you've got the time, why not have a go ?
You could always pack it in.
BTW, another mate tried it for a couple of years, and
couldn't cope with it. But then he was doing Electronics
and was breaking in a new wife at the same time.
I did post grad diploma, and then my Masters with them, and have several friends who have done degrees with them. You need to look at what named degree you want, and check their grading against other universities. For what I did, they are rated in the top 5%
Normal undergrad degrees are heavily subsidised and the tuition is no more expensive than anywhere else - you'll get details from www.open.ac.uk. My experience was that the OU are set up for people who work as well as study, and there was reasonable flexibility on submission dates if you had a real problem. Most importantly, I have had some of the rudest times ever on residential schools.
You'll need self discipline in order to get through, but that's true of any degree, particularly if you're doing it part time. If you want to talk about it, mail me offline
Normal undergrad degrees are heavily subsidised and the tuition is no more expensive than anywhere else - you'll get details from www.open.ac.uk. My experience was that the OU are set up for people who work as well as study, and there was reasonable flexibility on submission dates if you had a real problem. Most importantly, I have had some of the rudest times ever on residential schools.
You'll need self discipline in order to get through, but that's true of any degree, particularly if you're doing it part time. If you want to talk about it, mail me offline
I completed a BSc Honours a few years back, most of the courses I did were quite good but had quite a steep learning curve started off quite easy to lull you into a false sense of security and then wham, in at the deep end. By the end of each year I'd had enough of it but a few weeks after the exams I was missing it again, sad or what? If you're doing a full time job as well as a steady relationship it can be quite time consuming and requires some juggling.
What annoyed me most was doing courses through the summer when I wanted to be dossing around in the garden I was inside in front of a PC. Anyway whatever the quality you still get other ar$e$ telling you they went to proper universuty.
What annoyed me most was doing courses through the summer when I wanted to be dossing around in the garden I was inside in front of a PC. Anyway whatever the quality you still get other ar$e$ telling you they went to proper universuty.
anarchystorm said: I worked for the Open University Course Reservation and sales. Its a good way of getting Education but its quite expensive. Also the grades arent recognised in the States so if you ever think of using it over there then its a bad idea. My father and mmother both worked there, so I may be a bit biased but I did work there for two years too. What are you thinking of studying?
Really...why...? surely a degree is a degree...? unless its one you can buy off the internet thats worth bugger all..?
I was looking at History of Science, Technology and Medicine but thats only about 240 points and an Hons Degree is 360 so need to look at what other areas I can add to make up the points. At the momemnt (if I do do it) it looks like I am heading for an "open degree" whatever that is...! will it matter that it is an "Open Degree" and not a "named degree"..?
RudeGirl....I will give you a shout when I know what I am talking about. Still trying to get my head round what I am meant to be doing.
It does seem expensive though. And I have NO IDEA what I could use the Open Degree for.
*sigh*
nre like I said before a degree is a degree surely it should matter where it came from - as long as you have one...?
Claire
>> Edited by Gaffer on Monday 6th January 20:56
Claire,
I've been studying with the OU for the last 7 years, initially Arts courses and now the Law degree. The arts stuff was mainly done by way of a hobby, the law degree will hopefully be more vocational.
I'd agree with the comment about arts courses being heavily populated by the more "mature" student, but apart from the tutorials there's not all that much contact with other students unless you make a big effort to initiate it and keep it going. You need to be self-motivated and not mind studying on your own. Residential schools are a blast, though.
Tutors seem to vary in their strictness about submitting TMAs on time, but it's really in your best interests to keep up with the timetable as far as possible - speaking from experience, it gets much harder if you allow yourself to get behind.
Looking at the OU web site, History of Science (etc) is a study area rather than a single course, so are you planning to start with A103, or with one of the more specialised courses? A103 is a very general introductory course, from which you can go on to a wide range of specialisms; it's also good if you've been away from studying for a while as there is more guidance than with the Level 2 and 3 courses. I did the predecessor to A103, and another of your options, A220, so if you'd like to chat about these or the OU in general, drop me a line through my profile.
Just a thought - are you planning to start studying this year? The course materials are being sent out now for courses beginning in Feb, so if you want to get on a course in 2003, might be worth phoning the OU to check availability etc. A103 tends to be popular because everyone does it as they find their feet with the OU, the specialised courses are less heavily subscribed.
The "Open" degree is the general one from the OU, but if your choice of subjects is heavily oriented towards a certain area of study, you may well be able to request that your points go towards a named degree instead. Depends whether you are thinking of study for work or as a hobby - what are you hoping to use the degree for at the end of it? A103 and A220 would count towards a BA(Hons)History degree, for example.
In the UK, I get the impression that employers will look favourably at an OU degree - it's evidence of self-motivation and good time management skills. Oh, and I think CarZee is doing a social sciences course with the OU this year...?!
After 7 years, I'm still not fed up with the OU and can see myself doing more of their courses even after I've completed the degree - so I'd say yes, go for it.
Cheers,
Alex.
I've been studying with the OU for the last 7 years, initially Arts courses and now the Law degree. The arts stuff was mainly done by way of a hobby, the law degree will hopefully be more vocational.
I'd agree with the comment about arts courses being heavily populated by the more "mature" student, but apart from the tutorials there's not all that much contact with other students unless you make a big effort to initiate it and keep it going. You need to be self-motivated and not mind studying on your own. Residential schools are a blast, though.
Tutors seem to vary in their strictness about submitting TMAs on time, but it's really in your best interests to keep up with the timetable as far as possible - speaking from experience, it gets much harder if you allow yourself to get behind.
Looking at the OU web site, History of Science (etc) is a study area rather than a single course, so are you planning to start with A103, or with one of the more specialised courses? A103 is a very general introductory course, from which you can go on to a wide range of specialisms; it's also good if you've been away from studying for a while as there is more guidance than with the Level 2 and 3 courses. I did the predecessor to A103, and another of your options, A220, so if you'd like to chat about these or the OU in general, drop me a line through my profile.
Just a thought - are you planning to start studying this year? The course materials are being sent out now for courses beginning in Feb, so if you want to get on a course in 2003, might be worth phoning the OU to check availability etc. A103 tends to be popular because everyone does it as they find their feet with the OU, the specialised courses are less heavily subscribed.
The "Open" degree is the general one from the OU, but if your choice of subjects is heavily oriented towards a certain area of study, you may well be able to request that your points go towards a named degree instead. Depends whether you are thinking of study for work or as a hobby - what are you hoping to use the degree for at the end of it? A103 and A220 would count towards a BA(Hons)History degree, for example.
In the UK, I get the impression that employers will look favourably at an OU degree - it's evidence of self-motivation and good time management skills. Oh, and I think CarZee is doing a social sciences course with the OU this year...?!
After 7 years, I'm still not fed up with the OU and can see myself doing more of their courses even after I've completed the degree - so I'd say yes, go for it.
Cheers,
Alex.
well, ive been with the ou for the last 3 years and hope to graduate this year. id agree with all the above comments that it is a 'mature' university but it is also very cheap for what it is and ive also found a lot of people my age (23) are looking to the OU because it is so much cheaper and more flexible than standard uni. id say theres a good mix of sexes and ages but it depends what courses you do - the it course that i did had no women at all but the criminology one had me as the only bloke in the room. it has its good and bad points but ive found that the tutors are without exception excellent and always there to help. it is hard work tho - but then a uni should be and if its hard its also rewarding and makes teh final qualificaion that much more worthwile. would i do it again? yes!
paolo
paolo
Indeed I am.. First course starts a month tomorrow..
AlexR said: Oh, and I think CarZee is doing a social sciences course with the OU this year...?!
I'm inclined towards the law degree but I don't have to make a decision on that until later on.
DD100 An Introduction to the Social Sciences: Understanding Social Change
www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/courses/dd100/
60pts.. it's practically a codification & examination of of all the social issues I argue with people here about.. should be a breeze
Looking forward to getting on with it..
AlexR I have missed the entry for this year, but there are a few Level 1 areas still open (not An Introduction to the Humanities though...bugger) so I could get my Level 1 points this year.
As for which way I am going to go...not sure. I am very good with Ancient History up to, at a push, 1700's after that I am hopeless. Just have no interest in Modern History. So I may go towards the Science area. Very good a Sciences but crap at Maths (go figure) so don't know.
Its all very confusing.
CarZee can you let me know what its like when you start the course etc. I have to register by October for Level 2.
Any other input would be appreciated. Its a lot of time and money so I need to be sure.
TIA
Claire
>> Edited by Gaffer on Tuesday 7th January 12:08
As for which way I am going to go...not sure. I am very good with Ancient History up to, at a push, 1700's after that I am hopeless. Just have no interest in Modern History. So I may go towards the Science area. Very good a Sciences but crap at Maths (go figure) so don't know.
Its all very confusing.
CarZee can you let me know what its like when you start the course etc. I have to register by October for Level 2.
Any other input would be appreciated. Its a lot of time and money so I need to be sure.
TIA
Claire
>> Edited by Gaffer on Tuesday 7th January 12:08
Indeed I will.. I may do A103 as the other level 1 course. It's a hame you're not starting that this year.. To be honest, from what I've seen so far of DD100 it's going to be more an exercise in applying myself and getting into the mode of working and thinking required to progress, but I don't think it's likely to provide any intellectual difficulties. Other than dealing with positions and assertions with which I fundamentally disagree (I expect the given perspective on some race/religion/gender/crime issues will rankle...).
Gaffer said: CarZee can you let me know what its like when you start the course etc. I have to register by October for Level 2.
WRT History since 1700 if it's Britain you're interested in Schama's History of Britain Vol3 is good..
I may kick off on 1 or 2 Level 1 courses to get "into the swing of things" and register for the next starting date for A103 An Introduction to the Humanities. It will give me time to see if I like the course and also save up some money (must stop buying Tamiya R/C cars).
Claire
PS...why am I not surprised about you studying Law... "
CarZee" has a certain ring to it 
Claire
PS...why am I not surprised about you studying Law... "
CarZee" has a certain ring to it
Gaffer said: I may kick off on 1 or 2 Level 1 courses to get "into the swing of things" and register for the next starting date for A103 An Introduction to the Humanities. It will give me time to see if I like the course and also save up some money (must stop buying Tamiya R/C cars).
Claire
Would DD121 be of any interest?
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C02DD121_social_sciences
Starts in Oct 03 through to April 04, fees payable in instalments and it's a Level 1 30 pointer, on the basis that you'd then go on to DD122, which together are equivalent to CarZee's 60 point DD100. Sounds quite a nice easy introduction (no exam!!) and should be plenty of good issues to get your teeth into. After DD122 which would finish in Oct 2004 (sounds a lifetime away...), you'd then be able to get back into the normal OU Feb-Oct pattern.
The mix-n-match style of the OU is one of the really nice things about it - if you're not bothered about a specific named degree you could wander over a really wide range of subject areas in the course of getting your degree. A206 (The Enlightenment) would have been a nice one for you as it covers quite a lot of scientific / philosophical history as well as literature, music and art, but 2003 is its last year...maybe they'll replace it with something along similar lines, as it was a very popular choice. A354 is also good - not pure art history, it also covers Renaissance / late medieval society & culture. Wonderful course books and videos too.
CarZee - if you do decide to do the law courses, one thing I learnt (the hard way) from last year was that it's almost essential to revise as you go along, not at the end of the course. You only get 2-3 weeks after the last essay to revise, and W200 is so laden with case law that 2 weeks isn't enough to memorise it all. The EU section (half the course) is particularly tough - all those Directives and Regulations...ugh. I did pass, but the exam wasn't a nice experience.
Gaffer said: True....not sure what I want to go towards at the moment. I am a bit concerned about the OU degrees not being recognised in the US.
I have found a few short course level 1's I like the sound of that are 8-10 weeks each.
I need to sit down and figure out what I want/can study.
Claire
i would not worry about the qualifications not being recognised in the U.S as unless you are going to go into full time education there is not much you can do about it
When picking short courses be carefull and check the start/finish dates dont overlap (by much) or it will be very hectic
Pick subjects you ENJOY, especially at first or you might find yourself finding it a chore and give in
all the best, Carzee to. OU is worth the cost and effort
I finished my OU degree in 1993, after 6 years of working on it. It was great fun, and the highlights were the summer schools. As someone has already said, pick subjects that interest you otherwise it can be hard going.
I also had a great drive home from a Durham summer school back to London. Left about 3 am and had the A1 to myself. With 120 on the clock the CRX was a steady as a rock, and still had quite a bit left in her. That Mk2 CRX is the best car I have ever owned or driven.
I also had a great drive home from a Durham summer school back to London. Left about 3 am and had the A1 to myself. With 120 on the clock the CRX was a steady as a rock, and still had quite a bit left in her. That Mk2 CRX is the best car I have ever owned or driven.
Claire,
Bit late to this thread but what is your motivation for doing a degree? (forgive me if I am being intrusive).
The reason I ask is that if it is for interests sake then thats great, go for it. However, if it is to move your career in a particular direction then it might be worth researching what units (or whatever) are recognised in your career of choice. My point is that getting a degree isn't the only option, there are other things you can do in addition depending on where you want to go.
Sorry if the above sounds obvious but you would be suprised at the number of people who think a degree is a magic ticket.... (not saying you are one of them)
Rob.
Bit late to this thread but what is your motivation for doing a degree? (forgive me if I am being intrusive).
The reason I ask is that if it is for interests sake then thats great, go for it. However, if it is to move your career in a particular direction then it might be worth researching what units (or whatever) are recognised in your career of choice. My point is that getting a degree isn't the only option, there are other things you can do in addition depending on where you want to go.
Sorry if the above sounds obvious but you would be suprised at the number of people who think a degree is a magic ticket.... (not saying you are one of them)
Rob.
Bit late, too!
Am nearly there - started in about '87! Just signed up to do what will hopefully be last 60 points towards BSc.
OU - good points:
People
Variety of learning modes
Accessibility of tutors/other students
Pace of study
Variety of courses
Continuous assessment element (means that you virtually know you've passed the course by the time exam comes round)
OU - dubious points:
People!
Need to be self disciplined
Deadlines for CMAs and especially TMAs (assignments)
...and of course it takes time and money to reach your goal. Best of luck with your decision.
Am nearly there - started in about '87! Just signed up to do what will hopefully be last 60 points towards BSc.
OU - good points:
People
Variety of learning modes
Accessibility of tutors/other students
Pace of study
Variety of courses
Continuous assessment element (means that you virtually know you've passed the course by the time exam comes round)
OU - dubious points:
People!
Need to be self disciplined
Deadlines for CMAs and especially TMAs (assignments)
...and of course it takes time and money to reach your goal. Best of luck with your decision.
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