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Open university

GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
edited March 27 in Work & Study
Hello all,
Looking at going back to university but open university so I can still work around it and do things in my own time. 
I found my passion and want to be trained and more knowledgeable.

Has anyone had experience of open university?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • LiidiaLiidia Posts: 4 Expert
    Hi Hun, 
    I am currently doing open university and it is awesome! obviously it doesn't come without it's challenges such as having to be self motivated and some of the assessments but, i can tell you for a fact it was the best decision of my life so far.

    Feel free to message me anytime if you have any questions about it :) 

    Lid  :3
  • chubbydumplingchubbydumpling Posts: 487 Listening Ear
    Hey @GreenTea :3

    It's great that you're considering getting back into education - it sounds like this could be a brand new and exciting time in your life! What subject do you think you'd like a qualification in? 

    I started the Open University this past October, after two years at a "brick" university, and my experience so far has been wholly positive. Having experienced the traditional university environment and the OU, I can say that I definitely prefer the OU. The course content is really thorough, the support (both from tutors and the Student Support Team) is great and the schedule is super manageable. Flexibility sounds like a big advantage for you, if you're going to keep working around your course. 

    Please feel free to throw any questions my way if you want to know more. <3
  • GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Sorry thank you to the responses! 
    I just want a study work life balance to be right with the personal stuff on it too. Do you find yourself able to balance and manage your day to day life?
  • chubbydumplingchubbydumpling Posts: 487 Listening Ear
    Hey @GreenTea :3

    I think a lot of it is going to depend on your course load, do you know what you'll be studying yet? The Open University usually recommends that you take 60 credits per year (the equivalent of part-time study) but 120 credits per year is definitely also doable. I'm taking 120 credits this year, so I'm on track to finish my degree at the same rate any other full-time student would.  

    Since study is self-directed, organisation is key. It can be difficult sometimes to keep up with the weekly schedule of activities and reading but there's a lot of leeway with deadlines. The tutors are great when it comes to your individual circumstances, they are super understanding when things inevitably come up that throw off your pace a little bit. 

    Overall, my work/life balance is skewed towards work at the moment, but that's mostly down to my heavy course load and personal choice. :)  
  • GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    The issue I'm struggling with at the moment is because I've been to uni already and got a degree, student finance won't fund it and I can't afford to pay for it which is putting me off
  • chubbydumplingchubbydumpling Posts: 487 Listening Ear
    edited January 2020
    That's a tough one @GreenTea

    Speak with The Open University finance department if you haven't already. They were really helpful when I was transferring my credits from a brick uni. I think that there is the option to take out a loan through a third party organisation, supported by the OU, but I'm not 100%. 
  • GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Oh ok, thank you
  • GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Don't think I'm gonna bother with open university. As much as I want to, I feel like my own thoughts and opinions on myself are going to just hold me bAck
  • GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    I've been doing some open university courses online, the free ones. I don't know the structure of them, is this what the actual courses are like?
  • AzzimanAzziman Moderator, Community Champion Posts: 1,826 Extreme Poster
    The free ones are really simple and straightforward imo, the paid ones will have much better quality teaching. I wouldn't expect the same from both x
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  • GreenTeaGreenTea Posts: 12,938 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    I just feel like on the free ones where you type your answers or take notes then click submit..the response under it just full on makes me feel like I failed it because I didn't go into insane detail like their response does
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