open university

Undervalued

TonyMMM wrote: »

When I used to do a lot of selection/interviewing I (and many others) would always regard an OU degree very highly - much better than most other qualifications actually.

We felt it was a good indicator of a high level of self motivation and self discipline that was often apparent in many other graduates.

Likewise.

I would echo all of the positive comments in this thread about the OU but don't underestimate the amount of work and commitment needed.

kayandy_2

I fully understand there will be alot of work involved and how time consuming it is. I have done previous studies such as apprenticeships and know more is involved in this. The course I'm looking at I have read alot about and am extremely interested in the subject as I said I just wanted reviews about studying with them. I also understand that you can get finance to help with the costs but completely lost at that part. Thank you so much for all your advice

engineer_amy

Another option to possibly consider - do you have a university close to you that offers part time study in your chosen subject?
This is how I did my degree, I went to evening classes 2 nights per week. Uni was 4 miles from my workplace, so was able to nip down straight after work, grab a bite to eat, then get stuck into the class. You get the benefit of seeing the lecturer on a regular basis, interacting with fellow students and you generally have to have a certain amount of work completed in your own time before the following week's class, so you wont fall behind. I found this option quite inexpensive also, there were 18 modules at an average price of £250 per module so I got my entire degree for less than £5k.

juno

You can have a look at OpenLearn and take free courses with them. You can't then count them towards your degree, but it's a good way to get an idea of what it's like. You can also view samples of course materials, so if there's something you're interested in you can see actual work you will be doing.

I'm just coming to the end of my BSc (hons) Social Sciences, so if that's an area you're interested in I'd be happy to answer questions.

They also offer access modules which will count towards your degree and are a way of finding out if it's right for you. They're especially suited if you haven't studied for a while, as they will teach you study skills alongside the material. Sometimes these can even be free (if you earn less than £25,000 and a few other bits) so you might not even need to commit to a loan.

winalot

I wouldn't recommend the OU at all! I found studying with them dreadful both in course quality and support. They changed my course requirements mid-way through my degree meaning I had to study full time (3 level 3 courses concurrently) with them while working and commuting. Their marking is also a level higher than brick uni's so you need 85% to get a grade 1 at OU while 70% at brick uni and so on.

The post about part time study at a local brick uni sounds great, I wish I had known this was possible. Hope whatever you choose to do works out well for you.

KT1985

winalot wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend the OU at all! I found studying with them dreadful both in course quality and support. They changed my course requirements mid-way through my degree meaning I had to study full time (3 level 3 courses concurrently) with them while working and commuting. Their marking is also a level higher than brick uni's so you need 85% to get a grade 1 at OU while 70% at brick uni and so on.

The post about part time study at a local brick uni sounds great, I wish I had known this was possible. Hope whatever you choose to do works out well for you.

The mark scheme thing is misleading- The OU scale is different, but it is just as easy/difficult to get a distinction (pass 1) as it is at a brick uni.

I guess what you mean is that you needed to study 2 30 credit level 3s and a 60 credit level 3? You would have had some warning that you were going to run out of time, I doubt they changed the requirements over night.

I have had the complete opposite experience- my degree has been fantastic, materials and quality of tutoring are excellent. I am on my second to last module, and hope to graduate next summer with a 2:1.

As distance learning goes, it is highly regarded. If going physically to uni part-time is more your style and you have the ability to be tied to attendance then that might suit you better. In my case, I wouldn't be 5/6ths of a way through my degree now if OU wasn't an option- I have 2 small children and the OU has allowed me to work around them. On the quality issue, I did 1 year of a brick uni course- teaching and materials were worse than non-existent.

I-W

I studied at degree at the OU and would highly recommend it. As others have said OU degrees are well regarded.

The only warning is the level of self study, I hadn't done anything similar before and you really do need to be dedicated and give up a lot of social life time. There is a lot of support through the OU via tutor and online forums, however it is only there to guide you and only works if you engage with it, unlike a full time degree you have to teach yourself everything, and there is no point having tutorials or going on the forum if you haven't first done all the reading/research and are asking specific questions. I would recommend only doing one module at a time, although this is a very long term commitment and will take about 6 year, you have to be ready for that (if you want to gain the full degree).

backdoorwarrior

is there a local university which offers part time degrees, perhaps?

Mav6215

I'm a little over halfway into an OU degree having started in 2011. The course work is laid out very well and the website easy to navigate. The tutors have all been excellent and very supportive. I had a difficult period earlier this year and the support both from my tutor and the OU was second to none.

All my course work has been delivered in book form but has also been available online in pdf and epub formats which I downloaded to the PC, phone and tablet so I can read whenever I have the time/inclination.

There are forums dedicated to your module where there is excellent support, too.

Good luck whichever route you choose.