OU Students Past, Present and Future

bearing

Thanks Gemmzie...

juno

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:

Whatever Openings course you do will teach you valuable study skills, so it doesn't really matter what area you go for. If you learn you definitely don't want to do a subject that can also be as useful as if you learn you do want to do something.

penguin83

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

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

Hi Charlotte, I did the Y166 - Openings course for Law when I started. Found it really helpful to learn the basics and get back into writing essays. I am now studying for the full LLB. I have 2 kids and work full time so it is doable. x x x x

Vaila

hi, has anyone done the two german level 1 courses as im thinking of doing a certificate in either german or an open one, never studied language though and am unsure of the tutor phone calls, oral tests etc

....

SuziQ

I have just signed up today to do the Introduction to health and social care. I have been wanting to do it for years and thought-now or never, as I turned 50 this year. I am a trained nurse midwife and health visitor but haven't worked in the NHS for 5 years, so without doing a back to practice course, the qualifications feel pretty useless to me. I am really nervous now I have decided though, as it's 5 years since I did my last qualification. I just hope the grey matter is still functioning! I am off to read this thread from the start now-I wish I had found it before taking the plunge!

olly300

arran_m wrote: »

hi, has anyone done the two german level 1 courses as im thinking of doing a certificate in either german or an open one, never studied language though and am unsure of the tutor phone calls, oral tests etc

....

What languages have you studied at GCSE level or below, or speak?

As one thing with the German course is that lots of people have problems with the grammar. If you have studied a language that is very grammatical or know your declensions well then this won't be a problem.

Unfortunately the way the course material is set out if you don't know these before you start it makes it very difficult to learn. I have an advantage over a lot of people as I did Latin at school so grammar isn't such a problem.

Other issues with OU language courses is that some people are complete beginners and others have studied the language to some level before even it it was 20 years ago.

If you are complete beginner its very easy to get dispirited due to either people being greatly a head of you posting on the forums or due to people speaking more fluently than you in the tutorials. This leads to lots of people not attending the tutorials out of fear.

Plus while the OU claim that the books they provide plus a dictionary are enough to get you to pass the course in reality unless you are fluent you will need to use other resources.

They also tell you to buy a success with languages book which is a waste of money as the course material gives you learning strategies, or people will freely give you them on the forums.

Finally with the language courses most people find it easier to study very little and often so if you have a bus or train ride to work then use it as an opportunity to study.

bbford

SuziQ wrote: »

I have just signed up today to do the Introduction to health and social care. I have been wanting to do it for years and thought-now or never, as I turned 50 this year. I am a trained nurse midwife and health visitor but haven't worked in the NHS for 5 years, so without doing a back to practice course, the qualifications feel pretty useless to me. I am really nervous now I have decided though, as it's 5 years since I did my last qualification. I just hope the grey matter is still functioning! I am off to read this thread from the start now-I wish I had found it before taking the plunge!

hi
I am an RN also, and looking to undertake the degree, torn between registering with York Uni or OU.
How much is fees with OU, do you get to meet other people on the course?
What are the study materials like please?

Vaila

olly300 wrote: »

What languages have you studied at GCSE level or below, or speak?

As one thing with the German course is that lots of people have problems with the grammar. If you have studied a language that is very grammatical or know your declensions well then this won't be a problem.

Unfortunately the way the course material is set out if you don't know these before you start it makes it very difficult to learn. I have an advantage over a lot of people as I did Latin at school so grammar isn't such a problem.

Other issues with OU language courses is that some people are complete beginners and others have studied the language to some level before even it it was 20 years ago.

If you are complete beginner its very easy to get dispirited due to either people being greatly a head of you posting on the forums or due to people speaking more fluently than you in the tutorials. This leads to lots of people not attending the tutorials out of fear.

Plus while the OU claim that the books they provide plus a dictionary are enough to get you to pass the course in reality unless you are fluent you will need to use other resources.

They also tell you to buy a success with languages book which is a waste of money as the course material gives you learning strategies, or people will freely give you them on the forums.

Finally with the language courses most people find it easier to study very little and often so if you have a bus or train ride to work then use it as an opportunity to study.

thaks, ive studied french and a little german at standard grade level, but found german relatively easy to pick up and thus continued learning a bit more at home. however i guess i would be a beginner realy, also im getting a bit put off with the idea of phone call tutorials etc and attending classes as i am used to working by myself regarding ou courses. but thankyou for your reply it was very informative

mum2one

bbford wrote: »

hi
I am an RN also, and looking to undertake the degree, torn between registering with York Uni or OU.
How much is fees with OU, do you get to meet other people on the course?
What are the study materials like please?

Hi
I don't know about the careing and nurseing side, but thought might be able to help re other thoughts

Meeting people - most courses have a tutorials or day schools - which are up to you whether you attend, on average the courses I've done its been between 25 and 50% of the students go, last time at a tutorial, the lecturer in the next classroom he only 1 student turn up!
On the positive side there is a tutor group forum, bit like chatting on here, so to an extentyou get to know people through that. I got chatting to another student when I did my law course in 2006, we swopped numbers and stayed in contact, yet I could walk past her in the street and wouldn't know her.

Most study materials are either online resourses which you can print off if you find that its easier to print and read, highlight, write notes etc, (like me) or theres others that prefer to read offf a computer screen.

The fees do vary from course to course, an avergae level 1 in the careing side would be £600 to £750 for a 60 point course.
There is a section that you can see if your entitled to financial support, they have a base figure then add in hubby and and children and that increases the base figure.
If you weren't entitled to financial support, there is an OUSBA account, which is run by the Open Uni - budgeting account, and they dicide the payments across the length of the course- the interest is 6% pa. The good thing is you don't pay for the course till it starts.

From memory the Leval 1 _ Health and ???? Course (friend did it), that was 6 assisgnments and a 3hr exam. That earnt you a certificate in the course.

The other positive I found with the open uni although its quiet, but its not fixed to an extent, so if you did that weeks allocated work, you can go on to the next weeks work. I find it better as you can work as and when you can, rather tha being somewhere say Tues evenings 5pm - 9pm, then still have the homework

Open Uni - accepts your a mature student and that you have a life, a family.

Good luck with it all xx

olly300

arran_m wrote: »

thaks, ive studied french and a little german at standard grade level, but found german relatively easy to pick up and thus continued learning a bit more at home. however i guess i would be a beginner realy, also im getting a bit put off with the idea of phone call tutorials etc and attending classes as i am used to working by myself regarding ou courses. but thankyou for your reply it was very informative

If you have done some German already then you have ahead start. The main issue with the OU language courses is that they cramp a lot of knowledge into a short timespan. This means if you personal, work or other problems then you find yourself having to catch up.

The tutorials are actually done on-line using software.

They do have about 3/4 face-to-face tutorials as well through out the year.

Unfortunately the way the software works it means that if you are allocated to sessions so if you can't attend you have to ask permission to attend another group for every tutorial. The only way you can get reallocated permanently to another group is by putting in a formal complaint.

They are not suppose to put tutorial sessions on Friday evening, Saturday afternoons or Sundays but some courses do.