Home study for adults

frames1_uk

Couldn't find a more suitable place to put this...

I really want to study psychology this year, not high level as I've no experience of the subject. In my town, the only courses are affiliated to the nearest college and they are only in IT, which I don't want to study.

I've looked everywhere I can for information on courses in my town, with no luck, appears there just aren't any.

So... I guess I am now looking for advice/recommendations for any home learning courses that people have actually done and would recommend, rather than just go in blind and have to pay a load of money.

If I was doing a standard college course, I would probably be entitled to some discount as I get working and child tax credits and have a low income, I would imagine there is no such discount or exemptions from any home study courses...

anyway...... any guidance/recommendations would be of exceptionally great help.

Ta

BillTrac

Have you looked on the OU site? They seem to cover quite a few different courses and you should find one to suit.

May even be possible to get financial help, although I can't be certain

Bill

tryingtoruletheworld

Hi there

I have had exactly the same problems over the last couple of years. I started A levels in one town, and they decided they wouldn't offer the second year, so I gave it up. Started again in another city, and exactly the same thing happened! :eek:

Apparently the government is offering a lot more money to colleges for students on vocational courses, so A levels and more academic things are just not as economically viable. It sounds to me slightly more like a business that an educational system to me! :mad:

Try calling learn direct, as the info on their website can be a little bit out of date. You can learn from home, through companies like ICS, and a lot of them have special offers on at the moment for the start of the school year. I know that ICS have £100 off their A level courses at the moment, because I have been looking at them too!

Good Luck! :beer:

Becles

The OU do Openings courses. They are a short course to give you a taster of what the OU materials are like and to get you used to the OU way of doing things. Here's the psychology one:
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01Y163

I've done an Openings course and it was basically a book to work through, and different tasks to do relating to the material I was reading. There were two TMA's (tutor marked assignments) and one ECA (end of course assessment) rather than an exam. You can do all three assignments at home and you can usually submit them electronically. Your tutor will mark the TMA's and write guidance notes for you, and also keep in touch by phone and email to check how you are doing. The ECA is marked by an external person.

If you do like it, you can do on and do a degree and your 10 points from the Openings course can count towards it.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/psychology/index.htm

You will probably get some or all of your course fees paid for you. Pop your details into the calculator and it will tell you how much help you can get:
http://www3.open.ac.uk/studyatou/apply/financial-support.shtml

I've really enjoyed my OU studies and would highly recommend it.

just_thrifty

I would also give a big thumbs up to the OU, have been studying with them since Feb at degree level, but as Becles says, you can start at various levels and build up to doing a degree if you wanted. There is financial help available if you're on a low income and you don't have to study full-time to qualify for help. Lots of back up from tutors and it's great being able to fit your studies in at times that suit your lifestyle.

jaxjax123

Also if you study with Ou you can use your Tesco Clubcard points. Which is a bonus!

leanonme

Hi there

I would try sheffield college - they do psychology gcse online.
http://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/index.cfm?ParentID=fdfdd53c-24ab-4ecd-b720-d727267a42e9

Hope it helps:)

Skintmama

I was very dissatisfied with a course I did with ICS, finding the reality did not match up with the promotional material. However, I really enjoyed the OU and cannot recommend them too highly, they have a well proven track record and recognised qualifications. At the moment it is possible to use Tesco Clubcard vouchers as payment with the OU. You could choose one of their Foundation courses and start building towards a degree!
Good Luck!

ETA: Oops sorry! I see most of my points have already been made by others.