OU Students Past, Present and Future

Hopeless_Case · 9 July 2010 at 1:44PM

amiehall wrote: »

I've just enrolled for B190 starting this August which I've had my funding confirmed for. So so happy!! Apparently this is the last date I could have funding for this course for as I had a false start with higher education already.

I'm really looking forward to starting with the OU. My long long long term plan would be to get an MBA but I'm starting small at the moment. I'm planning to take my some accounting and management courses over the next year.

I'm doing B190 at the moment - I started in Feb but have gone for the 24 week option. We had a lot of problems in Feb with mistakes and corrections (we had a paper correction list for the book sent out with the materials, then another 26 pages on the course web page, plus 30 odd pages of mistakes on the CD, meaning we had to use a downloaded copy from the website, rather than the CD itself, but things seem to have settled down for this current intake - a new CD has been issued and there are nowhere near as many complaints on the forum so I assume it's all okay now

I've really enjoyed it but found it hard going - there is a lot of information to take in and it's quite compressed being a 12 week course. One piece of advice I'd definitely give you is to try and start early and allow yourself two weeks instead of one for Chapter 5, because there is an awful lot in it and that's how long most people seem to need for it!

Taking it over 24 weeks has made it much easier for me, although that wasn't my original intention.

I've found the course forum very supportive and helpful in both intakes.

Enjoy!

Hopeless_Case · 9 July 2010 at 2:02PM

Pinkphoenix wrote: »

Hi,

I've just registered for L120 next Feb! I know it might not be the best idea (full-time job, busting last bit of debt and want to save for a family) but I've wanted to do this for soooooooooooo long.

I was just wondering if anyone could help me? How long does it take from signing the initial forms to having your registration pack?

Also, how do people manage with full-time jobs? At the moment we don't have any chn, but I hope this will change in a couple of years and just wondered if this is course(I hope to get a degree!) will be feasible?

Thanks

Pink x

I did L120 last year, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I downloaded as much as I could (everything bar the videos!) from the DVD onto my MP3 player and listened to it whilst I was walking the dog, shopping, in the car, etc - the constant exposure really helped. I met up on skype once a week with a friend who was also doing the course, and we worked through the pink reading book together, which made it much easier and more fun, and gave us practice at reading/speaking too.
It also helps to read French and watch as many films, etc, as you can.

My friend had a long bus journey to work, so she used that time to read her course books every day - I used to sitting in the living room in the evening with my books on my knee! I find I get bored now just watching TV unless it's a really good programme, I'm so used to studying at the same time

I never made a serious study plan or worked out how long I spent each week, I just did what I could when I could (and used the odd day's leave when I was really pushed with a TMA!)

Also, the suggested study plan is just a guideline and you often need to do things in a different order to fit them all in, and that's fine - as long as you keep at it you get there in the end!

Hopeless_Case · 9 July 2010 at 2:19PM

irishou wrote: »

BA (Honours) Modern Language Studies OU
Hi,I'm in my late twenties and I'm seriously considering studying this degree with the Open university,i am wondering have any other members completed it or are currently studying this particular degree,if anyone can give me advice etc it would be greatly appreciated especially if you are also located in the republic of Ireland

I did its predecessor, BA (Hons) Language Studies, in English and Spanish, but I know a lot of people who are doing the Modern Languages one at the moment.
My advice would be to learn one language at a time and do all of the level 1, 2 and 3 courses in it, so it stays fresh and you consolidate your learning, rather than doing all of the level 1 courses together then all of the level 2, etc.

If you're a beginner in your chosen language(s), like I was, you need to do a lot more than just study the course to become fluent - the downfall of distance learning is lack of speaking opportunites - but the OU do have facilities for students to meet online and practice speaking in self-help groups, also you can register with language exchange websites to practise with native speakers.

Read, listen to and watch as much as you can in your target language, it really does help.

I'm not from the Republic of Ireland so can't help you there, but quite a few of the students on my course were. One problem some found as you get onto the higher level courses, with far fewer students, was having to travel large distances for face to face tutorials - on one course, I seem to remember a friend from Dublin telling me that his face to face tutorials were alternated between Belfast and Dublin

Some courses offer an entirely online option, but most of the newer courses are offering blended tution, a mixture of face to face and online

Theyda_2 · 14 July 2010 at 10:45AM

I was going for a Geoscience degree until they withdrew the named science degrees. I have no chance of getting it all in by 2014 because the residentials I need are being taken away next year and I the OU won't allow me to do the amount of points I would need to do in one year. Still trying to decide whether to take the BSC Natural Science that they're replacing it with or to cut my losses before I spend any more money.

I have loved doing the course I've done so far though, The Astonomy ones are great.

Gemmzie · 14 July 2010 at 4:06PM

Theyda, It's a pity the residential are going next year. I guess they are trying to save money

bearing · 14 July 2010 at 8:01PM

Have just enrolled on ME624 and ME627 for October start, have sent off my forms for financial assistance on ME627, but will have to pay for ME624 myself as it's only a 20 point course, it's only £325 so not too bad. I've transferred 240 points over from an existing degree in Electronics and I'm aiming to get a BSc Open Degree to allow me to apply for a PGCE course.

One thing, I'd heard about a PC Grant but couldn't find anything concrete about it on the OU site, does anybody have any ideas?

mummyroysof3 · 14 July 2010 at 8:20PM

hi, i am just looking into start studying with the open university hopefully to start in september. i rang up today and spoke to a really nice lady who explained to me all about the levels and credit points as i left school at 15 and never even went to college nevermind thought about going to uni. she advised i do an openings course but im unsure which one to choose at the moment, any one who has done i would really be gratefull if you could tell me what it was like. she also informed me i can get the course paid for as only my hubby is working, this seems to good to be true when i looked at some of the later courses cost is this right?

any advise would be great as i would really like to give this a go im just worried i wouldnt cope with doing it and looking after 3 children

charlotte

Gemmzie · 14 July 2010 at 8:27PM

bearing - I think it's a grant of £250 which you can get if you qualify for financial assistance and don't have the computer equipment that you need. You apply and then when accepted you buy the items and then they reimburse you.

Hi mummyroysof3 - what area are you interested in? Are you studying for pleasure or to gain degree or for a career?

mummyroysof3 · 14 July 2010 at 9:00PM

Gemmzie wrote: »

bearing - I think it's a grant of £250 which you can get if you qualify for financial assistance and don't have the computer equipment that you need. You apply and then when accepted you buy the items and then they reimburse you.

does anyone know where i can get further info on this please?

Hi mummyroysof3 - what area are you interested in? Are you studying for pleasure or to gain degree or for a career?

im unsure at the moment, i did want to work with children now im not sure and am in a confused state where i could do with someone telling me what to do, im interested in law or maybe accounting but not sure what jobs they could lead me to that would be suitable or where to find the info i want :rotfl:

Gemmzie · 14 July 2010 at 9:26PM

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

im unsure at the moment, i did want to work with children now im not sure and am in a confused state where i could do with someone telling me what to do, im interested in law or maybe accounting but not sure what jobs they could lead me to that would be suitable or where to find the info i want :rotfl:

You will need to pick a general area and then do an Openings course in that area.

Try this page... http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/events.aspx and you can find an OU event near you, go along and have a chat with some tutors, it might help.

OU Students Past, Present and Future

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