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Any Open University students here?
- Thread starter denny
- Start date
) have all taken course with the Open University. I was pondering taking english to a degree level but only when i finish my current degee.
denny
New Member
I'd thoroughly recommend the OU to anyone who, for whatever reason, can't take courses at a more traditional college or uni. But, my one word of caution is that they severely underestimate the number of hours of study you have to put in to achieve good results.
I did courses for 3 consecutive years, but my last year was a 60-point course (a normal course is only 30 points). To me, the most valuable piece of advice they give to students is to form a self-help group with other students doing the same course. This really seemed like a waste of time during the first year, but by the third year, I would have given up long before the end if it hadn't been for the relationships I'd built up with the other students. Either that, or I'd have ended up at the funny farm!
I also wouldn't recommend to anyone that they try studying with the OU whilst doing a full-time job and raising a family (unless your family are prepared to wear gas masks due to the dust everywhere and live on microwave meals for the duration!).
Good luck if you decide to do it; it's a real experience, and a lesson in self-discipline and self-motivation, for sure.
I did courses for 3 consecutive years, but my last year was a 60-point course (a normal course is only 30 points). To me, the most valuable piece of advice they give to students is to form a self-help group with other students doing the same course. This really seemed like a waste of time during the first year, but by the third year, I would have given up long before the end if it hadn't been for the relationships I'd built up with the other students. Either that, or I'd have ended up at the funny farm!
I also wouldn't recommend to anyone that they try studying with the OU whilst doing a full-time job and raising a family (unless your family are prepared to wear gas masks due to the dust everywhere and live on microwave meals for the duration!).
Good luck if you decide to do it; it's a real experience, and a lesson in self-discipline and self-motivation, for sure.
Kenny Shovel
Active Member
I did a work related 60 point course with them in 1998. At that point they had a fairly well established 'Electronic Campus', which was basically a well organised message board with forums on each course and indeed each chapter of work within each course, moded by the tutors themselves. They had also started a limited experiment with electronic submission of course work. At the time it seemed pretty pioneering stuff, I remember thinking to myself that this side of the OU would look even more impressive in a few years time.
Anyone know how well they've progressed with this stuff now? I've long thought about going back and doing some more courses, further improvements in the electronic side might just give me the push I need.
btw denny, I didn't know the OU was available in places like America. How did you find working with them given the distance?
edit: a bit of googling revealed this timelime, and this answer
Anyone know how well they've progressed with this stuff now? I've long thought about going back and doing some more courses, further improvements in the electronic side might just give me the push I need.
btw denny, I didn't know the OU was available in places like America. How did you find working with them given the distance?
edit: a bit of googling revealed this timelime, and this answer
Sitaram
kickbox
Confucius say, "One link worth 1000 words"
http://www.open.ac.uk/
(and his drycleaner says "No linkee no pagee")
http://www.open.ac.uk/
(and his drycleaner says "No linkee no pagee")
SFG75
Well-Known Member
Personally, i'm looking into Capella and Walden for professional advancement. The online thing is fun to do. I've taken a few classes from a *landline* university over the net and it was very beneficial for me. Then again, I'm an intrinsic learner. It's nice not to drive seventy miles to get to a class after a long day at work.
denny
New Member
Kenny Shovel said:
Kenny, the OU is now available in America, but with a very limited syllabus (I think they have an independent website). I'm a Brit who now lives in the US, and I took my courses while I still lived in England. I did the 3-year French language diploma course, and they have since added a further level in this subject, but, sadly I can't do that from the States.
I understand that you can study with the OU from anywhere in Europe though, although I understand quite a bit of travelling can be involved when it comes to exam locations.
I don't know whether they have weekend workshops & day schools set up in Europe though; I would imagine it would be far more isolating without them.
denny
New Member
Sorry Kenny, I forgot to answer the other point you made. I'm not sure how they've progressed with electronic submission of TMAs/CMAs etc. I was also there from 1997-1999, and at that point they were also experimenting with on-line live discussions with the language groups. I actually took part in the pilot study, but they still had a lot of technical wrinkles to iron out then!
Talking of this has put me in the mood for some more studying - perhaps I'll have another look at their website to see how the US syllabus is progressing!
Talking of this has put me in the mood for some more studying - perhaps I'll have another look at their website to see how the US syllabus is progressing!
denny
New Member
Ms, in answer to your question: No, I have never found my OU qualifications beneficial to my career. The subject that I took was not related to my job in any way, shape or form. But, I knew that that would be the case when I started the course.
Having said that, I'd do exactly the same thing over again; It's well worth doing, for the learning experience alone.
Having said that, I'd do exactly the same thing over again; It's well worth doing, for the learning experience alone.
steffee
Active Member
I have done OU courses every year since 2001. Four of them were 60 points (Social Sciences, Philosophy, Social Care and Health and Disease) and a 30 point (Human Biology) and I am currently enrolled on another 60 point course, although I am not working towards its completion. I agree with whoever said up there that you need to severely underestimate the amount of time you need to spend on them, and then underestimate again. For example, if the course information says you need 12-16 hours per week devoted to studying, what it really means is you need 16 hours (or more) just to get a bare 40% pass. If you want a higher grade, a First even, you need to spend a minimum of 40 hours per week.
It is very hard to stay motivated, but like (if I recall correctly) SFG said, some people suit that type of studying. Because of the intense studying, I've only managed to pass three courses, having withdrawn from the others at, or around, the halfway point.
The support is second-to-none though, as are their excellent forums. From babycare to Muppetania and insomnia, there's a forum for it.
Also, I disagree with denny's experiences with regards to the career benefits. There are a lot of employers who appreciate an OU qualification, and the amount of dedication an OU student has demonstrated in getting it. Universities look favourably on OU qualifications as well. I appreciate that in practice this may not hold true, but there are other factors with "typical" OU students / graduates, such as work, family or caring commitments that could help explain potential drawbacks.
It is very hard to stay motivated, but like (if I recall correctly) SFG said, some people suit that type of studying. Because of the intense studying, I've only managed to pass three courses, having withdrawn from the others at, or around, the halfway point.
The support is second-to-none though, as are their excellent forums. From babycare to Muppetania and insomnia, there's a forum for it.
Also, I disagree with denny's experiences with regards to the career benefits. There are a lot of employers who appreciate an OU qualification, and the amount of dedication an OU student has demonstrated in getting it. Universities look favourably on OU qualifications as well. I appreciate that in practice this may not hold true, but there are other factors with "typical" OU students / graduates, such as work, family or caring commitments that could help explain potential drawbacks.
denny
New Member
It's great to see that there are so many OU students on here! Steffee, your remarks about the studying time required definitely resonated with me; perhaps I also should have mentioned the endless cups of coffee & cans of Red Bull required to complete those essays/assignments at 3 a.m. in the morning!
Was the human biology course interesting? I had intended taking that one myself, along with some psych courses, but because of my husband's job, we ended up moving to the States instead.
Was the human biology course interesting? I had intended taking that one myself, along with some psych courses, but because of my husband's job, we ended up moving to the States instead.
Kenny Shovel
Active Member
denny said:
...thanks for that denny...I always had the impression that the OU could be ideal for the internet era...but how do you get to see the TV programmes in America?, is there a channel that shows them over there?...I know we have the jokey image of the old b/w OU programmes about maths etc, but the ones for my course were brand new, high quality and entertaining as well as educational...the course wouldn't quite have been the same without them...
...have to agree with comments about the workload being more than you expected...
steffee
Active Member
Ah yes, the coffee and late nights! Although I still have those...
Yes, the human biology course was fascinating! It's a lot of work for a 30 point course though, and it misses out the brain. I had my eye on the new brain 30-pointer but it commenced after I had stopped taking courses. The only psychology one I signed up for was DSE212, and I have done nothing of it. Of course I have looked through the course materials and it seems fairly typical of first-year psychology at BSc level, though I guess it would have to be, being BPS recognised.
Health and Disease (U205) is a brilliant course for biology / psychology topics. It introduces you to a history of health since the 16th century, and statistics of worldwide health concerns, and to terms such as malingering; and there's a huge chunk on hysteria, and on AIDS and schizophrenia, which is just fascinating!
Anyway, sorry for the ramble, and good luck in your studies, denny!
Yes, the human biology course was fascinating! It's a lot of work for a 30 point course though, and it misses out the brain. I had my eye on the new brain 30-pointer but it commenced after I had stopped taking courses. The only psychology one I signed up for was DSE212, and I have done nothing of it. Of course I have looked through the course materials and it seems fairly typical of first-year psychology at BSc level, though I guess it would have to be, being BPS recognised.
Health and Disease (U205) is a brilliant course for biology / psychology topics. It introduces you to a history of health since the 16th century, and statistics of worldwide health concerns, and to terms such as malingering; and there's a huge chunk on hysteria, and on AIDS and schizophrenia, which is just fascinating!
Anyway, sorry for the ramble, and good luck in your studies, denny!
