Open University, any good?

[PacificOcean]

I am keen to get a degree and as I am at work full time, an Open University degree seems an ideal way of gaining one. Having never been to uni, excuse me if the following questions are a bit thick.

Is getting an degree from the OU the same as getting a degree from a traditional redbrick uni? Do employers view a degree from the OU as good as a regular degree. Indeed, are they were doing and are the OU any good?

Thanks.

 

[rednblack]

the open university is in the top 10% of british universities - some friends of mine that have studied with them went on to get good jobs

 

[PacificOcean]

On their site it says it takes six years to get a degree, can it be done any quicker? Six years seems like a very long time.

 

[butchersapron]

That's studying part time. You can do full time and complete it in the normal three years if you have the resources - time/money.

 

[kropotkin]

Could you feasibly go on the dole and do it full time?

 

[butchersapron]

You'll get half the course paid for if you're signing on ans studying full time, but you'll have to cough up for the rest - and unless you've got savings that's going to be hard. And then you'll have the dole onto you to work as well...it's do able but difficult.

 

[PacificOcean]

That's studying part time. You can do full time and complete it in the normal three years if you have the resources - time/money.

What's full time? Can I stay at work and do a full time degree? I am not too fussed about what it's going to cost (as it says you can pay by installments) it's the quality of the degree I am wondering about.

Or are there any other uni's in London where I could do an degree in the evenings?

 

[butchersapron]

Full time just means that you double the number of modules you do to 120 credits (or whatever they're called) from 60. And yes, you can stay at work- it's got nothing to do with them.

 

[zenie]

Or are there any other uni's in London where I could do an degree in the evenings?

It depends on what you want to do. I know you can get BA's part-time form University of Arts london if thats any help?

I always thought OU degrees weren't worth as much (in opinion terms) as you couldn't commit yourself to something for three years like a normal full time degree.

 

[Japey]

Other universities also offer distance learning degrees. I'm thinking about whether to study for an anthropology MA with Lampeter - although if Open University offered the course, I'd probably do it with them instead, due to their reputation.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

My mum has an OU degree, and i've always gone with the idea that someone who cares enough to go back to education, let alone doing it in thier free time as in OU. Would probably be more interested and driven than your average 18 year old school leaver.

If you want a degree go for it and good luck.

 

[fortyplus]

Or are there any other uni's in London where I could do an degree in the evenings?

Birkbeck

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/

 

[rednblack]

My mum has an OU degree, and i've always gone with the idea that someone who cares enough to go back to education, let alone doing it in thier free time as in OU. Would probably be more interested and driven than your average 18 year old school leaver.

If you want a degree go for it and good luck.

yep

 

[electric.avenue]

I am keen to get a degree and as I am at work full time, an Open University degree seems an ideal way of gaining one. Having never been to uni, excuse me if the following questions are a bit thick.

Is getting an degree from the OU the same as getting a degree from a traditional redbrick uni? Do employers view a degree from the OU as good as a regular degree. Indeed, are they were doing and are the OU any good?

Thanks.

I've studied a few courses with the OU just to pursue my own interests (I've already got a conventional degree). I've heard that OU degrees are even more highly regarded than traditional ones, as it shows you are really highly motivated, but opinion may vary on this.

OU course materials are really good - you can learn a lot from them. Better than the scrappy lecture notes we used to end up with at my conventional uni. You get books, videos, and tutorials in your nearby town. You can phone up your tutor, and also students ph each other up a lot. There is also an onlne community with boards for each course, plus community and interest ones (every conceivable interest is covered from academic to personal).

Each OU course runs from Feb to Oct (although there is now a move to change to the traditional academic year).This means that come the summer the work is really starting to kick in, and just as everyone is relaxing for the summer, you are chained to yr desk.

Each course is assessed by means of assignments and usually an exam. And take note: Your overall grade for the course is determined by your lowest grade, be it for the coursework or the exam. Most ppl do better at the coursework, so basically what this means is that it is the exam that determines your grade and nothing else. So the pressure to do well at the exam is enormous. Most OU students end up disappointed that their exam performance does not reflect their coursework performance.

If you are on the dole you should get a fee waiver and not have to pay for the course.

Also take note: at Levels 2 and 3 (equivalent to years 2,3 and 4 of conv uni) almost fifty per cent of the ppl doing these courses already have degrees. I know this sounds cynical, but it means that when it comes to assessment you are competing with ppl who have studied this area before, which I think makes it harder for newbies to do well.

 

[nightowl]

remember looking at ou two or three years back and the amount of study hours you'd have to put in while working at the same time seemed like pushing it a bit, unless you were willing to do a degree over quite a few years

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I've never done even close to the number of hours they say you have to do and I've done alright (4 postgrad modules completed.)

Maybe it's just because I'm brilliant ( ) but I think you can get by without doing as much as they say.

 

[beeboo]

My Dad is currently doing an OU course which covers some of the same ground as my degree, so I've been giving him some advice on coursework etc.

Frankly I'm amazed at how spoon-fed he is. He's given an essay question, followed by a page or two of advice on how to answer the question. Having got a few poor marks, my hhe has basically deduced that you just have to follow this advice to the letter in order to get a good grade. And he is positively discouraged from doing any wider reading outside the course materials, which are very succinct and 'easy reading'. I don't know if it's just his tutor, but he gets marked down for referring to anything outside of the course texts.

Comparing that to the days I'd spend in the Uni library reading journals to swot up for an essay, seems like a totally different ballgame. Admittedly that was probably too far in the other direction (everyone trying to quote from some really obscure article to prove how much they'd read).

But I thought the idea of a degree was to broaden your knowledge and think for yourself, which seems to be completely the opposite of what is being encouraged on this OU course.

 

[madzone]

It might be to do with referencing though, given the widespread students and sheer numbers. A bloke I was at uni with used to just chuck references in because he said they'd never check them. In other words he made them up. At least if the course is run with set texts they can easily check that people aren't just chucking in bogus references.

 

[MikeMcc]

It took me 8 years to get my BSc(Hons), I started off doing two 60 point courses but found that heavy going, so cut back to 60 points per year. Be warned though that two 30 point courses still involve alot of hard work. I wouldn't totally agree about the point about the lowest scores as (certainly at the time I did it) the two lowest scores in the assessments were disregarded and the course work formed the main part of the course score.

If you're going to follow this all the way through, you have to be very sure of yourself. It is hard work, especially after 4 years of it, when you still can't quite see the end of it.

Having carried out interviews and looked at CVs for technical jobs, I am inclined to look at OU graduates in a very favourable light (though that may be affected by my experience). It does demonstrate, IMO, a very determined character.

Good luck on whatever action you decide to take!

 

[madamv]

My Dad is currently doing an OU course which covers some of the same ground as my degree, so I've been giving him some advice on coursework etc.

Frankly I'm amazed at how spoon-fed he is. He's given an essay question, followed by a page or two of advice on how to answer the question. Having got a few poor marks, my hhe has basically deduced that you just have to follow this advice to the letter in order to get a good grade. And he is positively discouraged from doing any wider reading outside the course materials, which are very succinct and 'easy reading'. I don't know if it's just his tutor, but he gets marked down for referring to anything outside of the course texts.

Comparing that to the days I'd spend in the Uni library reading journals to swot up for an essay, seems like a totally different ballgame. Admittedly that was probably too far in the other direction (everyone trying to quote from some really obscure article to prove how much they'd read).

But I thought the idea of a degree was to broaden your knowledge and think for yourself, which seems to be completely the opposite of what is being encouraged on this OU course.

I found that. I started an OU course last year. Just when bubba was one year old. I wanted to exercise my brain. I couldnt keep up with the amount of hours I was expected to complete each week. I had a little support from the boards and my tutor, by email. But when I dropped out, or didnt hand an assignment in, nada. Noone called me to try to pursued me to stay or anything. I thought they were supposed to be a little more supportive than that.

But maybe that is just my experience and other courses would be fine.
I agree with others though, it is hard work and if you have no life after work, you would be able to do it. No U75 time either!!!!

Good luck x

 

[kea]

well i've just signed up for a foundation year in science at the OU
it could lead to a full degree but i've got no definite intentions at this stage, just gonna see how it goes and if i enjoy it. i reckon i should have the time, i usually get home from work and sit around feeling pointless for a few hours before going to bed on a weeknight, especially now i'm not drinking
it's a 60 point course and it starts in october (til june).
wish me luck everyone!!

 

[fractionMan]

Pah, I go away for a week and I miss the OU thread. I'm sure there was one a month ago...

Anyways, I've got meself an OU degree and I'd recommend the OU to almost everyone. You are a little spoon fed, but that's a good thing if you're working from home. It also means that you, your tutor and your fellow students are talking about the same things at the same times. It also means you can do it from home and you don't have to be trudging down the library.

It can be hard work, but not as much as they quote. I'd be more useful here, but others have said what I'd say. Oh, good luck kea!

 

[beeboo]

Pah, I go away for a week and I miss the OU thread. I'm sure there was one a month ago...

Anyways, I've got meself an OU degree and I'd recommend the OU to almost everyone. You are a little spoon fed, but that's a good thing if you're working from home. It also means that you, your tutor and your fellow students are talking about the same things at the same times. It also means you can do it from home and you don't have to be trudging down the library.

It can be hard work, but not as much as they quote. I'd be more useful here, but others have said what I'd say. Oh, good luck kea!

I think my Dad hates the spoon-feeding because he's retired and wants to spend his days reading dusty journals but gets told off if he does so!

 

[ViolentPanda]

I think my Dad hates the spoon-feeding because he's retired and wants to spend his days reading dusty journals but gets told off if he does so!

I reckon this depends on the subject, tbh.
I'm doing a bachelor's degree with the OU purely for pleasure (soc sci) and I've found that if I use citations from relevant non-course material that I've read then it actually enhances my grade.
So yes, you have to stay within the remit if the TMA advice insofar as the body of an essay is concerned, but that doesn't mean you can't apply relevant outside information to the essay to add detail and depth.

What degree is your dad doing?

 

[butterfly child]

I signed up with the OU to do a social work degree... got 96% in my first assignment...

My boss said "the OU tend to overmark" (jealous, because she wants to do a social work degree but obviously not enough to do anything about it!)

I found that doing it at home on my own meant too many distractions.. so now I'm going to do it "properly".

I think the OU is great though, and when I say "properly" I mean at a uni that has a physical presence!

 

[beeboo]

I reckon this depends on the subject, tbh.
I'm doing a bachelor's degree with the OU purely for pleasure (soc sci) and I've found that if I use citations from relevant non-course material that I've read then it actually enhances my grade.
So yes, you have to stay within the remit if the TMA advice insofar as the body of an essay is concerned, but that doesn't mean you can't apply relevant outside information to the essay to add detail and depth.

What degree is your dad doing?

Actually I think he is doing social sciences too! I did a geography degree so I can help him a bit.

I think it is possible that his tutor is viewing his non-course material stuff as going a bit off-topic - which it probably is as I think my dad is having problems sticking to the exact remit of the TMAs, and not really answering the question.

Given how much guidance you get on how to answer the question, I don't know quite how he is managing not to!

 

[AnnaKarpik]

well i've just signed up for a foundation year in science at the OU
it could lead to a full degree but i've got no definite intentions at this stage, just gonna see how it goes and if i enjoy it. i reckon i should have the time, i usually get home from work and sit around feeling pointless for a few hours before going to bed on a weeknight, especially now i'm not drinking
it's a 60 point course and it starts in october (til june).
wish me luck everyone!!

Ooh, me too! Well, not actually science - intro to social sciences - but I'm sure you see the similarities. All the best anyway!

I'm considering doing 2 60-point courses, one in a subject I know nothing about (soc sci) and one in German which I speak pretty well so I'm especially interested in how many actual hours study people have done to pass their modules. Changes at work since I signed up for this mean that I'm working longer hours and my surplus leisure time has shrunk significantly from about 2 hours daily to 2 half-hours daily which doesn't seem long enough to get any work done. I'm even considering working one shift less per week.

 

[lizzieloo]

They are brilliant employers, friend works for them she gets 36 days holiday a year with bank holidays and 3 days at christmas on top!

 

[ViolentPanda]

Actually I think he is doing social sciences too! I did a geography degree so I can help him a bit.

I think it is possible that his tutor is viewing his non-course material stuff as going a bit off-topic - which it probably is as I think my dad is having problems sticking to the exact remit of the TMAs, and not really answering the question.

Well, you do have to make your citations of non-course material stuff relevant to the assignment!

Given how much guidance you get on how to answer the question, I don't know quite how he is managing not to!

I've done it a few times (well twice over 6 years, anyway) myself, so it IS possible.

 

[beeboo]

Well, you do have to make your citations of non-course material stuff relevant to the assignment!

Thinking about it, my Dad has definitely been told there is 'no need' to go outside the course material. Which is fair enough I suppose as that is the whole idea of OU, that you don't need to have access to a vast library etc.

I think his tutor is perhaps trying to reign him in a bit because he does tend to wander off the topic, but it has dampened his enthusiasm a bit.

It does seem to be a good varied course - when I go round to my Dads I normally get absorbed reading one of his text books.