Open University - Anyone involved at the moment?

JoeF1 · 4 Jul 2012 at 09:13

Hey guys, just me again.

Just being told im unlikly to get another pay rise while im at my current job because of qualifications, or the lack off i am totally thinking about going and enrolling with Open University.

Im just looking for some friendly third party advise really. Like the costs etc, if theres any hidden costs. Is it worth doing? or just a money making scene. How flexible is it with your current job? i believe you need to spend around 16 hours a week minimum on this. Got this from searching the forums etc...

Just wondering if im not being too nosey, what courses you took, to get what job in the IT industry?

Joe.

Horse Pop · 4 Jul 2012 at 10:10

I tried this before going to closed university. Turns out it's really hard work getting home from work and working.

Maybe try one of their taster modules first and see if it's for you?

Posty · 4 Jul 2012 at 10:12

What is your current job? You may not need a whole degree which is very expensive these days.

Are you in IT at the moment? You need to look at getting certificates in the things you are are doing in your job if you haven't already

Dr Jack · 4 Jul 2012 at 10:33

I have degrees from both a campus university and the Open University; I think the quality of education you get through the OU is higher. However, it demands an awful lot of dedication, self-motivation and sacrifice from you. Are you willing to give up a huge chunk of your free time for it? Will you turn down chances to go out with your mates because you've got an assignment due? And so on.

Cost wise, I'm afraid it's all changed since I did it, you can now get a normal student loan to pay for it but this comes at the cost of paying £5k per full time equivalent year (i.e. a £15k loan for a BSc) but I don't know exactly how it's set up. There are no hidden costs, they're extremely generous in giving you the books you need and tell you in the course descriptions if there's any other things you need (usually a study guide that you don't actually need that much and is only £15 anyway).

freak2002 · 4 Jul 2012 at 10:57

I can absolutely say the OU is not a "money making scheme". In fact if you factor in the costs of fees, accomadation, food etc it most likely works out cheaper than a brick uni. No hidden costs (unlike my old uni - you MUST buy this book to pass) that I have hit so far, the books are free and lots of them!

Their results are regularly in the top 15 in the country I am told.

I am about 3 years into getting my degree, and although it is hard getting him from work and "working more" its really enjoyable and you can do it at your own pace. I did two modules at once last year and it was hard, but I coped. Trying to do two a year atm, one in Jan/Feb one in Oct.

I would suggest picking something you like and do a taster.

Reemul · 4 Jul 2012 at 11:12

My wife was a teaching assistant and decided she wated to be a teacher and did OU while working full(ish) time. It was hard work, lots of evening and weekend work with little spare time however she passed and has been a teacher for 10 years, is very well paid and it was all worth it.

For her it was life changing as she also had to redo maths on top and having passed it and the degree she became far more confident in herself and her abilities. For me personally there is no way I could have been that dedicated especially after being at work all day.

Deiwos · 4 Jul 2012 at 11:31

I work for the OU as an adviser for prospective/current students, although I'm based in Scotland where it's loads different to England now due to fees/loans etc.

OU study is really well recognised, particularly because of the commitment you need to do the study as it's all done in your own time. There's no hidden costs, you get everything in your course fees unless the module explicitly states you need additional things (very few modules do), just it is expensive now (£2500 per 60 credit module).

JoeF1 · 4 Jul 2012 at 12:37

Posty said:
What is your current job? You may not need a whole degree which is very expensive these days.

Are you in IT at the moment? You need to look at getting certificates in the things you are are doing in your job if you haven't already

I work for a Rope access/ scaffolding company mate. But i control all the computers and server. Any trouble and im called in. Either up North or down south.

Mr Jack said:
I have degrees from both a campus university and the Open University; I think the quality of education you get through the OU is higher. However, it demands an awful lot of dedication, self-motivation and sacrifice from you. Are you willing to give up a huge chunk of your free time for it? Will you turn down chances to go out with your mates because you've got an assignment due? And so on.

Cost wise, I'm afraid it's all changed since I did it, you can now get a normal student loan to pay for it but this comes at the cost of paying £5k per full time equivalent year (i.e. a £15k loan for a BSc) but I don't know exactly how it's set up. There are no hidden costs, they're extremely generous in giving you the books you need and tell you in the course descriptions if there's any other things you need (usually a study guide that you don't actually need that much and is only £15 anyway).

If im going to be paying back the cost, ill make sure i save time. I hardly go out anyway, with just moving into my own house and getting sorted, so its all good at the moment; timing wise.

Im thinking of paying for it monthly. With me and my GF in the same house, its just over £26,000.00 so i wont be able to claim help etc. So monthly for me works out the best.

freak2002 said:
I can absolutely say the OU is not a "money making scheme". In fact if you factor in the costs of fees, accomadation, food etc it most likely works out cheaper than a brick uni. No hidden costs (unlike my old uni - you MUST buy this book to pass) that I have hit so far, the books are free and lots of them!

Their results are regularly in the top 15 in the country I am told.

I am about 3 years into getting my degree, and although it is hard getting him from work and "working more" its really enjoyable and you can do it at your own pace. I did two modules at once last year and it was hard, but I coped. Trying to do two a year atm, one in Jan/Feb one in Oct.

I would suggest picking something you like and do a taster.

Do tasters cost? iv found a taster section but its basic stuff, nothing in the IT section.

JoeF1 · 4 Jul 2012 at 12:37

Deiwos said:
I work for the OU as an adviser for prospective/current students, although I'm based in Scotland where it's loads different to England now due to fees/loans etc.

OU study is really well recognised, particularly because of the commitment you need to do the study as it's all done in your own time. There's no hidden costs, you get everything in your course fees unless the module explicitly states you need additional things (very few modules do), just it is expensive now (£2500 per 60 credit module).

You may be very handy to talk too!

stoofa · 4 Jul 2012 at 12:46

Still going strong on my OU "BA: Business Studies" course.
I have now completed and passed 4 Level 1 modules and I'm currently 3/4 of the way through my first Level 2. That ends in October with an exam (goddamit, hoped I could avoid written exams) and I then start my second Level 2 at the end of October.
It's a lot of work, especially as I have a full-time job. Some parts don't interest me, others are really interesting.
I will get through this

Deiwos · 4 Jul 2012 at 12:59

JoeF1 said:
You may be very handy to talk too!

Sure thing, email in trust if you want to ask me anything that you'd rather not post on here.

Meanwhile, check http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/ out. The module TU100 is the main computing module you'd begin with if studying Computing/IT.

I just saw you're looking at paying monthly, bear in mind that you're talking about £2500 spread out over 9 months. I'd seriously look at student loans if that were the case. I don't know much about the money side of things but can point you towards people who do

JoeF1 · 4 Jul 2012 at 13:16

Deiwos said:
Sure thing, email in trust if you want to ask me anything that you'd rather not post on here.

Meanwhile, check http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/ out. The module TU100 is the main computing module you'd begin with if studying Computing/IT.

I just saw you're looking at paying monthly, bear in mind that you're talking about £2500 spread out over 9 months. I'd seriously look at student loans if that were the case. I don't know much about the money side of things but can point you towards people who do

Will do, thats for that mate.

Sorry i meant fee loan repayments. My bad. I got confused. Ill be going for the loan i think.

freak2002 · 4 Jul 2012 at 15:09

JoeF1 said:
Do tasters cost? iv found a taster section but its basic stuff, nothing in the IT section.

Yes, what I mean is that you can give a cheap one a go and see how you like it. You dont have to do a course specifically called "Taster" you could in theory jump right into a L3 course, but it would be HARD!

See if its for you, as others have said will you be ready to give up time to work on it. Assingments (mine anyway) are usually due in mid-week so generally that means missing nights out etc.

UncleRuckus · 4 Jul 2012 at 15:29

I am nearly 2/3 through TU100 which Deiwos mentioned, it is also my first module and I am aiming for a BSc (Honours) Computing and IT.

What I would say is that I was totally surprised how much dedication it takes. You do really have to dig deep sometimes especially when you are studying after you finish work.

There are hell of a lot of benefits to doing it on your own though!

You also gain a lot of personal development. For me that has been organisational skills and writing succinctly.

ChilledLJ · 4 Jul 2012 at 20:47

I am involved, i got in just before they jacked up fees but I don't think that matters since they give out interest free loans now instead if you earn less than £25k or something.

I have been impressed with the quality of the materials books and the online stuff.
I finished TU100 which has already been mentioned and there is a fair bit of reading involved in that I thought compared to others. maths courses are very good, Spanish I did was way too hard for me and I don't think languages lend themselves very well to distance learning even with the face to face stuff

InKursion · 4 Jul 2012 at 20:55

freak2002 said:
Their results are regularly in the top 15 in the country I am told.

What does this even mean? There are no nationally correlated 'results' for universities. Academically, the OU is not 'strong'. It's just about access to higher-education and allowing people to gain a degree through their own initiative. Their exams and papers (afaik) are marked by quite a broad range, so it's impossible to speak of its 'excellence'. It's a fairly sui generis type of institution, existing outside of the normal university system (and hierarchy). It definitely doesn't compare to a traditional university though, in terms of education delivered.

I'm confused by the person earlier in this thread who said "the quality of education is higher". How is that actually possible? I wouldn't trade my campus tutorials and library facilities for a study-at-home package.

'Harry · 4 Jul 2012 at 21:04

Are they deemed sub-par compared to the standard Uni degree?

InKursion · 4 Jul 2012 at 21:17

Considering the entry requirements and 'nature' of the degree, it's definitely unconventional and non-traditional. Not sure how to say it compares to traditional unis... obviously lacking the prestige and elite status that top universities convey on their students via association. I guess most people doing OU are doing it because they missed university properly the first time around, or because they want to get a degree part-time whilst working (i.e. to fulfill a lifelong ambition). So it's not really comparable: it's not as if someone from the OU is going to be competing with all the fresh-faced graduates applying for young person, 'first proper job'-type vacancies.

Dr Jack · 4 Jul 2012 at 21:46

'Harry said:
Are they deemed sub-par compared to the standard Uni degree?

Depends a bit; OU science degrees lack the practical elements that traditional degrees have, for example. However, in general, they're pretty highly respected. Not as much as, say, a degree from Oxford or UCL, of course but they'll be more highly rated than one from De Montford University, say. And you get the odd numpty who think they're "not a proper degree" out there, still.

Overall, they compare well with a degree from an upper mid-tier university.

Dr Jack · 4 Jul 2012 at 21:50

InKursion said:
I'm confused by the person earlier in this thread who said "the quality of education is higher". How is that actually possible? I wouldn't trade my campus tutorials and library facilities for a study-at-home package.

The OU does tutorials, although not as many, and on-line support. The Open University's on-line library delivers a vast array of eBooks and electronic access to journals. Meanwhile, learning from excellently written books, designed to teach you the subject matter, compares extremely well with lectures from people who speak English as a second language and really just want to get back to their research.

As I said, I've degrees from both a high tier redbrick - Warwick -and the Open University so I'm in a better position than most to compare.