Is it worth studying with the Open University? How is their reputation?

kingslayer

Annisele wrote: »

I think BillJones is right. I've got quite a lot of experience of being a student (with traditional Russell group universities, the OU, some distance learning providers, and a couple of professional bodies that offered their own courses), and from an academic rigour perspective I'd put the OU in the middle of my own experiences - but quite a way below the traditional universities.

I felt the OU course I did had a lot of spoonfeeding, and the tutors had very low expectations of their students. One tutor in particular couldn't understand that I was doing the course because I was interested in the subject - she seemed astonished every single time she discovered that I knew something that wasn't in the course materials.

However, the OU graduates I've come across at work have, without exception, been pretty impressive. I'm not convinced the OU courses are that great (compared with a traditional university), but there seems to be a very high correlation between "people who complete OU degrees" and "highly motivated people that I'd very much like to have in my team".

I think that if you want to work in some specific fields, particularly in research, then the OU might not be the best way to go - but even for those fields it might be a good starting place. For other areas, an OU degree is just fine.

But for the OP - I don't think an OU degree is a good idea as a plan B. It's a *lot* of work, and if you're just doing it in case your primary goals don't work out then I don't fancy your chances of actually completing it.

To be honest, a degree would be a primary goal for me. I would certainly take it serious that's for definite. The other stuff I would do in my spare time and see how far I can get with it. The thing is, i enjoy studying and I love learning new things, and I also enjoy being the atmosphere of being amongst the other students. but I just have so many interests that I cannot study them all at a high/degree level. It seems that every interest I have, or almost every interest, i need some kind of higher education diploma for people to take me seriously.

for example:

Directing - Film school
Acting - Drama school
Drawing - Art school
Animation & games production - Attend a game design/production course at university.

For almost every other interest i have - a degree/university is required to reach the top. That's the problem, i have so many interests that it's impossible to learn them all to a significant level without having to go further and train at a specific school/university.

Unless i want to run my own business, it seems that a degree is essential to compete with other prospective employees.

I think another issue that I have, is my self confidence or lack thereof, as well my self belief. I've had hostility from family members before who don't put faith in me, even my own father. They will say "why do you wanna do that for?" and put me or my choices down. This has just caused me to go into a shell and believe i'm not good enough.

I know I have the ability, it's just in the past, especially these last few years that my mental state has taken a battering and I no longer feel motivated as i used to. On top of this i'm not getting younger and I fear being in this same position by the time i reach 30. I just want more out of life! I want to do so much and seeing people in their late teens/early 20's doing more in a year than i've done my whole life just brings me down.

BunnieJ

To be honest, a degree would be a primary goal for me. I would certainly take it serious that's for definite. The other stuff I would do in my spare time and see how far I can get with it. The thing is, i enjoy studying and I love learning new things, and I also enjoy being the atmosphere of being amongst the other students. but I just have so many interests that I cannot study them all at a high/degree level. It seems that every interest I have, or almost every interest, i need some kind of higher education diploma for people to take me seriously.

for example:

Directing - Film school
Acting - Drama school
Drawing - Art school
Animation & games production - Attend a game design/production course at university.

For almost every other interest i have - a degree/university is required to reach the top. That's the problem, i have so many interests that it's impossible to learn them all to a significant level without having to go further and train at a specific school/university.

Unless i want to run my own business, it seems that a degree is essential to compete with other prospective employees.

I think another issue that I have, is my self confidence or lack thereof, as well my self belief. I've had hostility from family members before who don't put faith in me, even my own father. They will say "why do you wanna do that for?" and put me or my choices down. This has just caused me to go into a shell and believe i'm not good enough.

I know I have the ability, it's just in the past, especially these last few years that my mental state has taken a battering and I no longer feel motivated as i used to. On top of this i'm not getting younger and I fear being in this same position by the time i reach 30. I just want more out of life! I want to do so much and seeing people in their late teens/early 20's doing more in a year than i've done my whole life just brings me down.

Hi OP,

I can totally sympathise with you! Everything you've said (apart from the subjects you're interested in) is almost exactly the same for me!

I went to uni at 18, after my A-Levels (which were really, really bad) so I ended up gaining a place through clearing. I spent the whole of my first year hating my degree, missing lectures, partying like a typical student etc and royally f***ked up my course! Now, 6 years on, I deeply regret my decisions and the fact that I dropped out after failing my first year. All except one of my housemates ended up dropping out of uni and getting jobs instead.

We're all now stuck in "dead-end" jobs with little career prospects and limited earnings. People will often tell you that you don't need a degree (then list a load of obscure examples of successful people - usually Dragons Den types and Lord Sugars) Unfortuately, all the experience and training in the world doesn't seem to get you anywhere in the job market today. Degrees are much less exclusive than they used to be, so more employers expect applicants to have a degree level of education. I've seen office admin/junior roles that I know I'm more than capable of doing only being offered to graduates. In my previous company an internship was advertised; the salary being just above minimum wage for non-graduates, but around £16k for people who had degrees. IT WAS THE SAME JOB! :mad:

Ignore your parents, do what's best for you. When I came back home I started looking into going back to study and my parents said it was a waste of time. It really knocked my confidence and I haven't gone back.

Sorry for the rant If you really think that gaining a degree is the best for your career then go for it (whether it's with the OU or otherwise) or you may regret your decisions when you're older! If you have the time and the funding, what's stopping you?

Prinzessilein

I took my first degree with the OU - and they get full marks from me!


They worked around my disabilities in a way I had never expected. In all honesty I would never have completed the degree without the fantastic support team they have!


I self-funded for the first module, after that every module and the requisite summer school (only needed for a couple of modules) were funded by the OU - their financial support services were very understanding about my circumstances.


As far as academic rigour goes....the degree I took was in Mathematics, after completing the degree I went on to do a Post-Graduate course at University - a couple of weeks into the course one tutor asked me if I was an OU student, when I said I was, he explained he could always tell a Maths graduate from the OU as they had a more solid understanding of Mathematics than most other students!


However, the degree does require real dedication. It is not an 'easy' option by any means. For every module I took I had to put in more than the 'suggested' hours study - especially in weeks when I had an assignment due.


I would always recommend the OU - if my health ever improves enough, I would certainly consider doing more studies with them.

whodathunkit

emsywoo123 wrote: »

The one course? Sweeping judgement.

But some people who are saying the opposite have no experience outside the OU to enable them to make comparisons.

Voyager2002

BillJones wrote: »

I don't agree. My degrees are from Oxford and Imperial, and comparing physics degrees from the OU, the questions and teaching was simply not going over things in similar detail.

What leads you to believe that OU is above Oxford, for example, in this respect?

Oxford is not the same as 'most' traditional universities, which was the wording I used.

Someone who does a Physics degree would presumably be spending about 65 per cent of their first year on Physics, and more than 90 per cent of the time in their second and third years on Physics. I doubt very much if such a study path is possible at the OU, so the level of detail would inevitably be lower.

szam_

kingslayer wrote: »

Animation & games production - Attend a game design/production course at university.

For almost every other interest i have - a degree/university is required to reach the top. That's the problem, i have so many interests that it's impossible to learn them all to a significant level without having to go further and train at a specific school/university.

Word of advice on this part. You will struggle to find a job in Game design and production, take it from someone who wanted to develop AI for games, I'd still like to, but I don't think I will ever make it that far. It's an incredibly fierce market with teens and people in their 20s who grew up playing games from an early age such as myself, all wanting to "live the dream" and will go after any job in a game studio, just so they can help make a game.

Some of the these people have been developing small bits and designing games from a young age (my half brother has been doing bits of coding since he was 10, I unfortunately never had these resources growing up), those are the people that tend to make it.

The only way you can really break through is to have a portfolio which shows potential, or something good. A small game, a small bit of AI, a well done cutscene etc etc.

If you do go for it, I wish you luck, however you must not be disappointed if you finish working in a company that works on business software or mobile apps etc.

Sorry if that sounds negative, it's just how that jobs market has been for the last 5-10 years now.

emsywoo123

whodathunkit wrote: »

But some people who are saying the opposite have no experience outside the OU to enable them to make comparisons.

How do you know? You don't.

jonnyd281

BillJones wrote: »

I don't agree. My degrees are from Oxford and Imperial, and comparing physics degrees from the OU, the questions and teaching was simply not going over things in similar detail.

What leads you to believe that OU is above Oxford, for example, in this respect?

Whichever university you study with you read for degree, and are not necessarily taught, so whatever your study material is (lectures or core books) you are supposed to then read around the topics. My first degree is from a bricks and mortar university, my masters is from the OU, if you read around your subjects you still get a quality degree.

whodathunkit

emsywoo123 wrote: »

How do you know? You don't.

People have been stating their experience when they posted - I assumed they were telling the truth.

whodathunkit

jonnyd281 wrote: »

Whichever university you study with you read for degree, and are not necessarily taught, so whatever your study material is (lectures or core books) you are supposed to then read around the topics. My first degree is from a bricks and mortar university, my masters is from the OU, if you read around your subjects you still get a quality degree.

Except, as a couple of people have mentioned, some OU tutors discourage students from reading outside the materials provided. This was certainly the case with one tutor who taught my ex husband who was totally dismissive of the idea.