2nd year Entry

liney

I have been offered a place on my chosen course and I have also been offered a place for second year entry based on the previous OU qualifications I have and am currently studying.

If I take second year entry it will obviously mean I will gain my degree, and therefore go onto my PGCE, more quickly. I will also come out with less debt, but I have concerns.

I worry that I will not have the opportunity to settle in and learn the preferred style of writing, before my work is being put towards my final classification, so I might "waste marks" and end up with a lower classification than I am capable.

Has anyone else entered at year two, and what are the pro's and cons? My DH thinks i'll be kicking myself halfway through Year 1 if I turn this down. He thinks that the OU study I have completed will turn out to have been comparatively difficult because i'll have access to a tutor and far more "taught" lecture time, but i'm not so sure.

Alcmene

liney wrote: »

I have been offered a place on my chosen course and I have also been offered a place for second year entry based on the previous OU qualifications I have and am currently studying.

If I take second year entry it will obviously mean I will gain my degree, and therefore go onto my PGCE, more quickly. I will also come out with less debt, but I have concerns.

I worry that I will not have the opportunity to settle in and learn the preferred style of writing, before my work is being put towards my final classification, so I might "waste marks" and end up with a lower classification than I am capable.

Has anyone else entered at year two, and what are the pro's and cons? My DH thinks i'll be kicking myself halfway through Year 1 if I turn this down. He thinks that the OU study I have completed will turn out to have been comparatively difficult because i'll have access to a tutor and far more "taught" lecture time, but i'm not so sure.

What course and where please? This makes a big difference.

goggle

I went directly into Yr 2 & had no problems at all - came out with a 2:1

liney

English and History. Wolverhampton.

liney

goggle wrote: »

I went directly into Yr 2 & had no problems at all - came out with a 2:1

On what basis were you allowed to go straight to Year Two, goggle?

Alcmene

liney wrote: »

English and History. Wolverhampton.

Mmmm, this kind of arts course has a lot of self-study, which means you are unlikely to have a high number of contact hours. You can probably find out what the teaching timetable is for this year by contacting the University.

I think that only you can make this decision. If you can afford it though in terms of time and money, I would start from the beginning, this is for several reasons.

The course is designed as such that when they teach you topics in Year 2, tutors will often refer to things that you have studied in Year 1, and make assumptions that you know these.

As these types of courses are aimed around self-study and reflective type work, it would be in your benefit to know and be friendly with the other students, so that you can rely on each other.

However, the biggest challenge, I think, to doing well on any University course is to KNOW THE SYSTEM. Learn the system at your place of study, this can only hold you in good stead so that you know how best to get to where you want to go, whilst keeping within the guidelines. Any first year that does not contribute towards your final classification (directly I mean of course, because everything contributes indirectly as your classification can be put to the discretion of the examining course board) is useful as a means of learning the system, and also as a learning curve for you to establish how to be a good student.

liney

I have contacted the university about the timetable, but they are not available until August i'm told. Then of course this will depend on the modules I select.

There is an Open Day before I have to respond, so hopefully that will help me decide. Any futher input is most welcome

Oldernotwiser

I think that if you've studied successfully with the OU and have done relevant courses you should have no problem with going straight into the second year. Socially you may feel disadvantaged however as other students will already know each other.