Open University

KILL_BILL

Has anyone recently completed an OU degree course or doing one at the moment and how did they get on with it.

I am considering doing a psychology degree with the OU mainily becuase i can study at home and it costs less than going to a uni close to me - by some £2000

I know obviusly the cons are no physical interaction with other students etc but i would like to know what other people studied etc and how they got on with their courses

kicktoria

Hi KillBill
I'm doing physics with the OU at the moment.
One misconception of OU studying is no physical interation with other students. Most of the longer courses (30-60 points) have tutorials where you can meet other students and your tutor. For a lot of degrees, you need to attend residential schools; mine are usually 7 nights at a university taking part in lectures, group tutorials and doing practical work. I'm off to Mallorca in September for my Observing the Universe resi school. 1 week of playing (ahem I mean "studying") with telescopes at the Mallorca observatory. :beer:. And then there are also forums to support students. I often meet up with friends I've made through the forums and tutorials - usually not to talk about the course, but mainly to have a winge and natter over a coffee.

The downsides are obvious - there is a lot of isolation (but not all the time) and sometimes if you are stuck on something, it can be daunting posting on the forums.

On the whole, I'd say it is well worth it. Employers appreciate OU students - they understand it takes a highly motivated, determined, resourceful person to complete a distance study course.

My tutors have been very supportive and helpful through out, giving words of encouragement when I wanted to quit, giving me 7 day extensions when my baby was poorly. A lot of mine have been OU students themselves, so they understand how life intervenes

The study materials are excellent. It's not just books - interactive computer marked assessments, DVDs clarifying complex ideas, audio MP3s to talk through sections of work, computer programs modelling hard to visualise concepts. The resources are unmatched in my opinion.

I'd go for it if I was you. I started with a couple of short courses and got the bug. Start with a short course. The ones that start with a Y course code, such as Y163 Starting with psychology, are designed to introduce distance studying and focus on study techniques with a lot of support.

HTH

kick x

El_Rey

Where do the exams for the OU take place?

scubaangel

Exams are usually held at OU 'centres' more often than not other universities with which the OU have an agreement to use their lecture theatres.

Oldernotwiser

If you have a look on the Student Board you'll find several long and informative threads where OU students discuss their experiences.

Are you planning on doing a Psychology degree for any particular purpose?

catchooky

Hi I'm in the middle of a BA/BsC in Criminology and Psychological studies and I can honestly say I've 'caught the bug!. I think it's fantastic as you can fit your studies around your life etc I say go for it!!!!! (Remember to check the boards here and the OU website for help with funding tho!!!)

KILL_BILL

catchooky wrote: »

Hi I'm in the middle of a BA/BsC in Criminology and Psychological studies and I can honestly say I've 'caught the bug!. I think it's fantastic as you can fit your studies around your life etc I say go for it!!!!! (Remember to check the boards here and the OU website for help with funding tho!!!)

OMFG

thats the one that i am seriously considering doing

With that i thought may go into criminal justice / parole

The fee are more reasonable and it appears that you can get fundinig for the course undergraduate even if you earn quite a bit

spoke to them today and they advised that the cost of the course includes all the dvds and coursebooks etc - so there would be very minimal extra costs that i would have to fund.

kicktoria

KILL_BILL wrote: »

spoke to them today and they advised that the cost of the course includes all the dvds and coursebooks etc - so there would be very minimal extra costs that i would have to fund.

You may even get a grant to buy a PC (£250) and help towards other costs (£250 last time I checked). They like you to use both grants towards a good PC in your first year, then you get £250 grant each year

KILL_BILL

kicktoria wrote: »

You may even get a grant to buy a PC (£250) and help towards other costs (£250 last time I checked). They like you to use both grants towards a good PC in your first year, then you get £250 grant each year

yes i saw that but what checks do they do to assertain whether you have a computer or not already

i have a pc but a laptop would be very usefull for when i am away from home etc

zfrl

Don't forget you can use Tesco vouchers.

I completed my degree in technology a couple of years ago. It took me about 10 years! Had to fit in lots of other stuff!

Oh & the best bit is definitely the summer schools!

kicktoria

KILL_BILL wrote: »

yes i saw that but what checks do they do to assertain whether you have a computer or not already

i have a pc but a laptop would be very usefull for when i am away from home etc

As far as I am aware, they don't do any. I already had a PC but it was oldish and I don't recall them asking me if I already had one. I assume they need to ensure that students have suitable equipment, and the best way is to buy a new computer at the beginning of their study. You can get a decent PC with 500 quid and if yo want an even better one, put some cash towards it. It is a rebate though (I think) so you have to buy it first.

I think if you can get courses paid for then you should be able to get the course and PC grant.