English Lit course - anyone done one?

alyth

I'm looking to start studying, and want to do OU next year - however, I wondered whether anyone could recommend an English lit course that's run via open learning. I have information from Oxford College and OLCI but I wondered whether anyone knew of any other courses. I'm not particularly looking for a qualification at the end of the course, it's more to get my mind back into studying after many years, and I want to do English with the OU but would like to start something else quite soon! Thanks.

scorpio_princess

Hi,

I'm studying English Literature with the OU and would thoroughly recommend it! As for other distance learning, I don't have any experience of these, but apparently the Oxford Uni short courses are very good, and not badly priced either (about £150 for a 10 pointer). You can PM me if you'd like any more info on OU - i'd be happy to help

redmel1621

Hi alyth

I am coming to the end of my English lit degree with the OU and can also thoroughly recommend it.

Why don't you sign up with the OU on one of their short 10pt courses, there are a few English related ones and I think the next start date is May and they usually run for three months.....go on the website and have a look.

HTH
Mel x

alyth

thanks Mel, I'm planning on doing Intro to Shakespeare and the leonardo one this year, but I just wondered whether any of the other courses I had found were any good/relevant.

How have you found your degree course - well done on having nearly finished it.

oldMcDonald

I am also looking at a taking a degree in English Literature with the OU, starting this autumn. Those of you who have replied to the OP, can I ask if you have done the course without going to any tutorial dates? I am unable to go to any that would be scheduled and am concerned that it would be a very long and lonely process to get a degree this way. I am looking at starting with a Level One course : 'The Arts Past and Present', which looks interesting, if a little daunting.

Thanks

scorpio_princess

oldMcDonald wrote: »

I am also looking at a taking a degree in English Literature with the OU, starting this autumn. Those of you who have replied to the OP, can I ask if you have done the course without going to any tutorial dates? I am unable to go to any that would be scheduled and am concerned that it would be a very long and lonely process to get a degree this way. I am looking at starting with a Level One course : 'The Arts Past and Present', which looks interesting, if a little daunting.

Thanks

Hi there,

Just wanted to say well done for deciding to take the leap into the unknown - it is scary, but sooo worthwhile! So far I have done A103, which is the predecessor to the arts course you mentioned, and A210, the introduction to literature. Both are very good courses, and I learned a heck of a lot. The level 1 is a multidisciplinary course, which all undergrads are expected to do - it does mean you jump between disciplines a lot (sometimes at breakneck speed!) but it offers a sound basis on which to build more specialised courses. A210 covers everything from Romantic poetry, to 19th century novels, Shakespeare and modern drama plus a lot in between! I loved every minute of it.

As for the tutorial thing, I can't really comment as I was able to attend most of mine. However, the OU does have its own conferencing system, called first class, where you will meet loads of people on the same course. This I would say is an absolute must, because as you say, OU study can be quite isolating. Also, the tutors tend to be very good, and very understanding of the circumstances of students, and so should be willing to speak to you whenever you need to, either by phone or email.

I know of plenty of people who have got distinctions who have never attended a tutorial because of work or childcare commitments etc, so it doesn't necessarily mean you will be disadvantaged. The beauty of the OU is it's interactive nature - on top of the online conferences, you have a dedicated student home page where you will have access to many things - academic and social, plus don't forget the course materials don't just consist of books - you also have audio-visual materials too.

It's one of the best things I ever did, and most OU students will agree!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Voyager2002

I agree with #6. In case it wasn't clear, First Class is a computer package, and so the conferencing takes place in cyberspace. Your tutor is available to support you by email, instant messaging and even by telephone, so if you are willing to ask for help you will not miss out. However, tutorials are the place where you get to meet people doing the course who live near you, and there is no real substitute for this.

oldMcDonald

Thanks for your replies. It sounds like the support is there - I was concerned that if I was unable to get to the tutorials I would be pretty much on my own.

I am getting quite excited about doing this now.

Scorpio Princess - How many hours would you say you put into your studies, on average, each week? It really sounds like you are enjoying the course, and your enthusiasm for it has pretty much made my mind up about signing up!

scorpio_princess

oldMcDonald wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. It sounds like the support is there - I was concerned that if I was unable to get to the tutorials I would be pretty much on my own.

I am getting quite excited about doing this now.

Scorpio Princess - How many hours would you say you put into your studies, on average, each week? It really sounds like you are enjoying the course, and your enthusiasm for it has pretty much made my mind up about signing up!

Brilliant! I'm sure you won't regret it.

As for study time, it can vary quite a lot. Everyone studies at a different rate, but for me, I tended to do a couple of hours most weekday evenings, plus I reserve one day at the weekend - probably about 10 hours on average a week. I'd also take some books to work with me and try to read in my lunch break (that didn't always work though - I tend to eat lunch at my desk and therefore am prone to being disturbed!) BUT a word of caution - at TMA time the time needed can often increase dramatically! Most of my assignments have taken an average of 15 hours to research, plan, write, draft, fiddle with endlessly then send! But then I think i'm particularly slow - I'm not one of these people who can scan-read, so I take great pains to read everything over and over as well as annotate and scribble all over my books (the highlighter pen is my best friend!).

I remember it did take me a while to settle into my own way of doing things, but before you know it, it becomes second nature. I'm not starting my next course until September, and i'm soooo bored! You soon wonder what you used to do with your time before OU!

If you need to know anything else, just ask!

eira

Worth a try as a taster is the local Workers Ed Associations or a local University if you have one nearby-they often run courses just for a few weeks on a range of topics. Can't recommend the OU highly enough having studied there and four 'regular' universities.Some of the tutorial groups locally can be variable but the residentials and the course materials are superb.