OU Students Past, Present and Future

bestpud

mum2one - thanks for that - I haven't quite got my head round how it works.

Do you work through the books 'workbook' style? Do you read a chapter and then have something that allows you to check you've 'got it'?

I haven't had any dyslexia support yet as only recently diagnosed - I would have received it from september if I'd stayed at my current uni iyswim?

I know what I struggle with and I now know why I struggle but I don't know strategies to overcome it.

Does anyone know of any good books on HE study with dyslexia I could read?

I do have a friend who will help me, as her brain seems to work in am equally chaotic
manner! I find her great to talk to as she knows where I'm coming from!

It's great to know you are all managing the courses though! :T

bestpud

Forgot to say the bingo tale made me laugh!

I do stuff like that all the time lol! I have a terrible habit of stopping mid sentence as I've forgotten what I was on about, or something I'd forgotten earlier will pop into my head so I'll start talking about that instead!

Some people look at me like I've seriously lost the plot but I don't often know I've done it until then!

I'm also great at doing things like 'losing' the car when I've parked it.

Pinkphoenix

Bit of a random question!

I've heard that you can get a NUS extra card whilst studying at OU. I looked on their website but I can't put in my course start date of Feb 2011. Will I be able to do this nearer the time or do I have to choose Sept 2010 instead?

bestpud

Pinkphoenix wrote: »

Bit of a random question!

I've heard that you can get a NUS extra card whilst studying at OU. I looked on their website but I can't put in my course start date of Feb 2011. Will I be able to do this nearer the time or do I have to choose Sept 2010 instead?

Do you have to put in your OU student number?

I ask as they insist you pick up the card from the SU of traditional
Unis so they can verify you are a current student.

They must have something similar for the OU and you may come across problems if you request one before your course starts...

Pinkphoenix

Well when I typed info in nus site they asked for my Personal identifier and the site says that you can't sign up for card until you are enrolled. I am def enrolled but course doesn't start till Feb which isn't an option on the site.

The site also said that for Open Uni the card is sent to your home address!

bestpud

Pinkphoenix wrote: »

Well when I typed info in nus site they asked for my Personal identifier and the site says that you can't sign up for card until you are enrolled. I am def enrolled but course doesn't start till Feb which isn't an option on the site.

The site also said that for Open Uni the card is sent to your home address!

In that case, if you're enrolled then you meet the criteria so I can't see why you can't start the card from now.

If they do somehow check, the worst they will do is say you need to wait until February so it's worth a shot imo.

I would anyway!

Let us know how you get on.

mum2one

bestpud wrote: »

mum2one - thanks for that - I haven't quite got my head round how it works. Once you've got your 1st assisgnment out of the way, your be fine, for me I found it hard actually thinking I've got to do this, hadn't studied for 10 years.

Do you work through the books 'workbook' style? Do you read a chapter and then have something that allows you to check you've 'got it'?
It depends on the course, when I did B201 (business), that was online based course, no real text books, so I use to print the work off and workthrough it that way. Yet B203, that was books 7 course books which you worked through, and it would set a activity, but the answer would be below, that had 5 text books, all included.

With all courses u have a course calender, generally with a level 1 course you are allocated a set section of work for each week, and assisgnment time they give you a week where they don't allocate any work to do.

I haven't had any dyslexia support yet as only recently diagnosed - I would have received it from september if I'd stayed at my current uni iyswim?
I'd give the disability side a ring 2mor, and see where you are in the system, I know when I've spoke to them before, there really helpful, and will do anything they can to help.
I know what I struggle with and I now know why I struggle but I don't know strategies to overcome it.
I know its not the same, but also I know that dyslexia takes different forms, sometimes printing out on different coloured paper may be a start. But don't forget the students best friend, the spell check button!
Just that my friends 2 boys have been recently (the youngest he's 7, about 6 mths ago) and they tested his older brother who is also mild dyslexia, they different versions, - they went via their GP, who forwarded them to the hospital, and they are undergoing tests to see what they need, the youngest he read better off a orange / pink spectrum paper.

Does anyone know of any good books on HE study with dyslexia I could read?
Without sounding cheeky, I wouldn't get a book at the mo, once its all been sorted then the whatever you need will be put into place and implemented

I do have a friend who will help me, as her brain seems to work in am equally chaotic
manner! I find her great to talk to as she knows where I'm coming from!
Thats brilliant that you've got support from a friend, and were here as well for you.
It's great to know you are all managing the courses though! :T

I've been really lucky and had good tutors, the one poor tutor I'm on my 3rd course with him, but they've all been brilliant esp when I'm having a stress attack, usually the silly things I ask about....

I've just signed up for another 2 courses, doing Openings - Manageing Change and another Understanding Management. I'm a gluten for punishment!!

Just a thought once you get your disabilty assesment done, a few things thought of-

Equipment - if you need any specialist equipment, maybe software, or any books printed in a different colour they can sort that out, and eg specialist software, whereas if you purchased it yourself, say it was £200, if the Open Uni say you need it, they get it for you.

Tutorials - (Apologies I'm an old fuss pot), but if you found taking notes difficult at tutorials, (again gets discussed at disability assesment), they can let you take a friend with you to the tutorials and the Open Uni pay them for assisting you.

If you haven't make sure you ask for a Disability assesment, as disability can take many different forms, myself I'm stuck on crutches, but if anyone saw me in the street they would see an overweight person on crutches - not knowing that I had 2 bad car accidents, and my back packed up when I was pregnant.

Your going great guns, as your looking at all avenues now, not when the course starts. Your do fine. xx

mum2one

Try and help if I can.

The NUS card is purchased from the NUS site, if anyone is on AOL, don't go through AOL, as it locks out, so use internet explorer function.

You need your OU personal identifier, you can upload your own photo that has a good clear picture of your face, or if you have webcam, you can use that.

The year runs from Sept to Aug

Even if you have your OU number, and aren't in a course in Sept, then you can't apply to your actually studying, so anyone who is enroled but their course starts Feb 2011, and you haven't got a course running before that, then you have to wait for course to start. You would still have to pay £10 even thou u don't get the full time limit

If anyone knows that there going to be studying for 3 years or more, then you can apply for a 3 yr NUS card, they send out automatically and you save some money.

Geneally if we were at a "normal uni or college", then the NUS card is sorted out at the location, but with Open Uni - all done on line, you just click the list for the universities and Open Uni is there.

I would definately recommend getting the card, I cover my £10 spend within a couple of months, usually earlier if dd has a growth spurt, nip off to Peacocks.

There is a big list of places that you can download from the NUS website, but in all honestly my 1st question is - do you do student discount.

Amazon - 5% discount
Theatre, cinema - most chains will give you the consession price.

Penny-Pincher!!

bestpud wrote: »

Also, has anyone had experience of the DSA process through the OU?

It would be a great help to have accessible course materials but what happens if your DSA application isn't processed before the course starts?

Hi Bestpud

I found the DSA process very easy and very positive through the OU.

I was assessed as needing a laptop, printer/scanner etc, digital recorder, internet access, funds for paper/ink etc, travel to the actual venue when needed, laptop holder, bedside table to place stuff on, desk, ergonomic chair which was especially fitted for me, external drive, support assistance when travelling attending a lecture, special voice reconigtion software and 5hrs computer training. They also supplied full warranties for 5 years.

Just remembered that they supplied all text books in compound form, so they were easier for me to hold and a book holder.

Medical evidence was letters from my GP and consultants.

HTH

PP
xx

bestpud

Thanks again guys!

DD is at a drama class today so I'm having a paperwork and bill paying day :cool: and will add a call to the disability advisor to my list of things to do.