Open Uni. Clever enough?

edzblue

Hi.

I am a 34 yr old male who really wants to do a PPE (Politics Philosophy & Economics) degree through the Open University.

My main worry is that I will struggle with the course and will be wasting my money. I'm not thick but left school at 16 with only 3 B-C grade GCSE's, the remainder being D's an E and an F (in Welsh) however following this I have worked as a Police Officer, Firefighter (current occupation) and qualified as an Electrician.

Also I was wondering what type of careers a PPE degree at the Open Uni could lead to?

Thanks

cazziebo

Might qualify you to run the country - looks like the most common qualification in the Cabinet and shadow Cabinet!

People I know with this degree work in public policy, media (journalism and broadcasting) PR and in some govt civil service positions.

However, the degree doesn't lead to these roles. It's a degree I'd recommend if you're really interested in the subject matter; don't look at it as a passport in to these jobs.

What it will do is give a prospective employer an insight into your self discipline, organisational skills and academic capability.

And yes, of course you're clever enough. The OU is great for people who haven't studied for a long time, or have never studied. The materials are good and the support is excellent. I did much better in my OU studies than I've achieved anywhere else, wholly because my motivation is much stronger than it was when I was at school and then Uni for the first time.

Go for it!

cmw1212

You may be better off doing one of the introductory modules as the OU suggestsbefore jumping into the BA- especially as you do not have A-levels or similar.
PPE is a good degree for higher level public sector jobs but also very useful for business.

Always_Harassed

You won't have any problems with the course. With the OU there are different levels of study. You should start with a level one course. I think you have missed the start date for this year. If you are using this degree to job change you might have to do a post graduate course to make it more specific. It is quite a wide area of study.

I think you should look into what you want to do before deciding what course to do. There are lots of careers sites on line and it might be a good idea to have a look there. Many of them are designed for school pupils but the info is relevant for everyone.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

I say go for it! If you choose modules that you are interested in and timetable a study schedule you will be fine. These days you don't feel so isolated either as you can join facebook groups for each course as well as the tutorials. I have done 3 courses and have signed up for one in feb and I love it!

Errata

I think a good many OU students start off thinking they're as thick as a brick and joyfully discover they're not.
A PPE degree would be useful in any branch of the emergency services as they work within the bounds of politics, economics and the philosophy that proper responses can only be attained if each individual reacts appropriately and knowledgeably in an emergency. HTH

JOHN1982

I'd echo everything the other posters here have said. The OU is a brilliant place to study and the courses, although sometimes taxing, are really enjoyable. I'm just about to start my level 3 courses and have a few friends who are study or have completed study with the OU and can't recommend it highly enough. I'm thick as mince by the way ... nothing above a 'C' at G.C.S.E; no A-Levels or Uni!

Always Harassed is right, you have missed the cut-off for this year's courses, and they are changing the registration dates for other courses too.

I don't know if you've noticed, but there are 3 short courses associated with your subject which can be found on this page;
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/social-sciences/index.htm

They will be a good taster as to what is to come and if you like them, it looks like your 'proper' modules will start at around the same time as they finish.

I would agree with the others here; have a look, get a good idea of what you'd like to accomplish and study, and then ring the OU advisors. They're brilliant and will help you out no end with your questions.

clemmatis

I've taught for the OU, I've also admitted mature students to other universities. I agree with the other posters here, go for it, but (you have the time) first check the courses out online, and also, then, talk to the OU about it all.
.

Guitar

I'm about to start my 3rd year of OU (If I can find the money), one thing you should be aware of is your final grade is almost entirely down to the end exam. Most courses have four assignments. The average of these assignments sets the highest mark you can get in the exam. So no matter how well you did in the assignments, how much work you've done over the year, if you don't do well in those final three hours you will feel like you've just wasted hundreds of pounds and hundreds of hours study.

JOHN1982

Guitar wrote: »

I'm about to start my 3rd year of OU (If I can find the money), one thing you should be aware of is your final grade is almost entirely down to the end exam. Most courses have four assignments. The average of these assignments sets the highest mark you can get in the exam. So no matter how well you did in the assignments, how much work you've done over the year, if you don't do well in those final three hours you will feel like you've just wasted hundreds of pounds and hundreds of hours study.

That may be true of some degrees, but in mine (ICT) I've only just done my first exam out of a total of 8 courses.

Also, if you've managed to get high marks in all your assignments, you should breeze the exam. You can still pass most courses with just 40% in the exam (I admit this will end up dropping your degree classification if you do that in all courses) and even then if you fail you may get a second shot at the exam.

If you panic in exam situations your tutor and the OU will give you plenty of advice and help with how to cope with it better.

vixarooni

I suppose it depends more on why you want to get a degree? Mine hasnt helped me out thus far, so i'd give it a thought before you commit!