Considering OU...any words of wisdom?

strawberry_fields_4

Morning all,

I've just signed up to MSE but have been a lurker for ages.

I'm considering doing a course with the OU but haven't studied in years. Due to other commitments, I'm not able to go back to full-time education so need to study part-time. The OU seems the ideal choice but I have a couple of hesitations.

Whilst I don't have any difficulty with learning, I have never been well organised and am worried that I may not be cut-out for self-study due to a lack of self-starting and motivation. Do the OU help with this and give advice/support?

Also, I'm not sure if I want to tell my family and friends about it in case I don't manage to complete, as in the past I have started things and not finished. Is it quite normal for people to keep quiet about doing an OU course for this reason?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Strawberry Fields

lisa_75

Any higher education course takes a lot of self discipline. I found I was far less disciplined with the OU as I had no one checking up on me (friends, tutors) like I do at a traditional uni. If I don't hand my essay in I know I will have my tutor on the phone, who personally knows me, and my mates having a go at me too. There was nothing at all like that with the OU, that’s why I ended up quitting as it was “faceless".

If you are going to do it you would be better off telling people as you will have the added pressure of them knowing to spur you on.

Tustastic

I'm not very disciplined but I did manage to complete two OU modules before giving up. This form of study might not be for you if it is about doing the long-haul degree. But if you have a shorter course in mind, it might work for you. Good luck with whatever you decide.:)

can_it_be_different

Hi there,

Well I did a business studies honours degree through the Open University but what I will say is that you need a lot of self motivation. But I would suggest that if you do try it then let people know that you are doing it and they can be aware of why you may not be able to go out or chat to them due to study commitments. Remember it is better to 'try and fail than fail to try'

I do not know how much support is available but you do get a tutor and there are possibly study groups depending on what course you are doing. Unfortunately for me I live in a very remote area and never actually met anyone or my tutor on the courses I was doing for the whole 5 years.

I just tended to set aside a couple of hours every night that I new were study time and just stuck to it. I may not be being much help because I am quite self-motivated and did not have too many issues as regards to that.

But OU study does look very good on your CV - it shows that you are well motivated and can work off your own initiative.

Hope that helps a bit

aurora_borealis_2

I did a degree in three years with the OU.
I'm not an organised person, but also hate being told what to do so it suited me.
Incidentally, I did a taught Masters at a redbrick uni after the degree and found it academically much easier

MoneyTowers

I did an honours degree in 4 years with the OU. I'm not the most organised person in the world either, but I made it through FirstClass (their conferencing system) is excellent, and I'd really recommend you install the software and use it - the support from the other students really helped me at times (as well as being excellent TMA avoidance )

The OU do give good materials to help you keep organised - you get study calendars which help plan your workload, particularly if you are doing more than one course.

If you ever get stuck/demotivated etc, you can always talk to other people in your tutor group, your tutor themselves, or your regional centre. There's always someone somewhere

I'd also recommend taking one of their first level courses first before taking any of the higher level stuff, particularly as you haven't done any study for a while (all level 1 tend to have a three digit number starting with a 1, eg MU120 or T171). The OU isn't for everyone, but I found it fantastic, and it really helped me advance my career.

Good luck

Mrs_pbradley936

Well I love the OU and it is a great plus to me not to have to turn up to a class at a given time. I have completed lots of courses over the years but purely for personal development rather than career prospects. If you start off with a level 1 course there is plenty of support and if you want to join groups and social events you can but if you do not have time then you need not. I first stared with them years ago when I was listening in to a tour guide in Rome, it turned out that it was an OU trip and someone gave me a leaflet.

saintstreaky

Most of the introductory courses are designed to help you build up study skills - including time management It's not easy though (nor meant to be), and I'd suggest that the support of your family & friends would be very important.

If in doubt, why not try one of the short (10 credit) courses, if there's one relevant to your area of interest? What are you interested in?

Good luck if you decide to try it. There's plenty of OU students, current and ex-, around here to offer support.

cazziebo

I'm with you, pb! I love the OU too. Finished a masters degree this year and miss it so much I'm going to do another degree next year (maybe an MSc). When I started I'd been out of education for around 20 years.

It was great for me as a working single parent as I could study while commuting/kids in bed etc. |The format was brilliant for me as I could drop out when money was tight/busy at work and then just slip right back in again. I've also made some great ( I hope life long) friends through tutorials and the residentials more than made up for missing holidays. Friend of mine did the same course as me full time at a traditional university (MBA) and I think I got a lot more support than he did. (He did complete it in one year as opposed to 4!)

I'm not very organised either, and was never very academic, but picked up quite a few distinctions along the way. Trad uni was never an option for me as I need the salary so can't compare but it really suited me.

Good luck whatever you do!

Cazzie
xx

pboae

I used to be a tutor for the OU on a first year course. A couple of my students particularly asked me for additional support to make sure they kept up with their work. I made a point of chivvying them along when work was due and asking for regular updates on their progress. I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't been asked, as it is not OU 'style' but it was no problem for those who wanted the extra attention.

I also found that the students who attended tutorials generally did better than those who didn't (though not always). I think that was more to do with the additional structure and support rather than from learning anything particularly useful in tutorials.

Smashing

aurora_borealis wrote:

I did a degree in three years with the OU.
I'm not an organised person, but also hate being told what to do so it suited me.
Incidentally, I did a taught Masters at a redbrick uni after the degree and found it academically much easier

Can I ask what uni you did your masters at and what subject it was? Did you find that they looked favourably upon an OU degree?

A fulltime OU degree is no mean feat for someone who doesn't considered themselves particularily organised! :T