Full time job, full time Degree

Bengaboy

Bengaboy

Bengaboy

Soldato
Joined
1 Sep 2007
Posts
3,902
I have nearly completed my first year in the OU studying towards my Computing and IT BSc.

I am doing this full time over three years, whilst serving in the Royal Navy. If i pass this and get a decent mark, I will be mega chuffed with myself!

I know this will get harder over the next two years. The stress will also increase due to those two years actually going towards my final mark. For people who have studied similar or the same degree - do you think this is wise to carry on full time, or would you suggest going part time for the remainder?

So far, the OU have been very understanding when I have been deployed or on exercise to give me extensions, etc - I hope this continues!
 
I had to quit work during my final year as there just weren't enough hours in the day. Was in uni for am average of 6.5 hours every day but was then studying for that again afterwards.
 
I went to brick and mortar uni at 26, having a history of both self employment and regular jobs...

First (foundation) year was 3 days a week, plus two days at a job and one day freelancing. 6 days a week, Sunday for family and housework - I was tired but did brilliantly.

Second year - phased out one job, still worked one day a weekend but uni was five days so still out six days a week and knackering.

Third year - did more like 3 days a month but uni hammered me and it genuinely aged me. Grades slipped mildly - from 90% to 80 say.

Final year - worked one day a month and was generally better paced but still damn tired by the end! Came out with a first class degree but also genuinely worn out my nerves/stress tolerance. I was on anti-depressants to help me sleep and destress.

From what I've heard, OU is very demanding in terms of hours per module, and much stricter on grades. So I'd say doing it in 3 years is a big workload. Assuming it's paced the same as typical degrees, second year will be much harder then ease off a little for final year. But it also sounds like you're working hard and smashing it so far?
 
I'm doing engineering at the OU, my wife is doing psychology. The tutors are a mixed bag, I couldn't speak highly enough of mine whereas my wife's is as useful as a knitted condom and consistently leaves marking to the last second if she even manages it on time. Also takes a week or so to reply to emails and comes up with loads of rubbish excuses.

It's hard and it's only gonna get worse, but very satisfying to do.




And yes, I will pay off my student loan like a decent, honest citizen and not try and dodge it like a thieving scumbag, before anyone asks ;)
 
It will get harder as you start doing level 4/5 courses. Surely, you can take fewer modules and take longer to finish the degree. I would not hurry .take it easy and ensure you achieve high grades in the courses.
 
Not sure how anyone else coped but..

I'm doing a Web Development & User Experience design degree

Pre uni - 65 hours a week running my own shop very demanding work

1st year - Moved to one of my old stores as a Delivery driver working 30 hours per week - During this year my Dad was diagnosed, suffered from and died of cancer with me as the only son in the house (i moved in when i found out that he was diagnosed)
2nd year - Stepped back up to management to assist the store i was working at as i hired the store manager he lost two managers and needed help - was very demanding juggling uni and work, uni ended up suffering.
3rd (final) year - Entering third year in October, decided to step back down to a Driver, earns similar money plus the flexibility to choose working hours.. I will have to leave if it becomes too much.
 
I managed to keep up with a full time masters course whilst working full time it's not easy, you need to be really strict with any free time. I used to stay at work and do my uni stuff for a few hours to miss the traffic it is possible just hard work :)
 
Bengaboy said:
I know this will get harder over the next two years. The stress will also increase due to those two years actually going towards my final mark. For people who have studied similar or the same degree - do you think this is wise to carry on full time, or would you suggest going part time for the remainder?
Click to expand...

It will depend highly on whether you are prolific at the subject(s) or not. If you find yourself struggling and progress is slow it will only get worse. If you are like I was and you can work through a months work in an evening you will be fine. Revising and re-studying the whole course for the exams, particularly the level 3 exams is something I would start trying to plan time off for.

(I have a 2.1 in Computer and Information Technology with the OU 2005).
 
I can't offer any advice as I never went to uni. But well done tryong to improve yourself and good luck!

Minusorange said:
Switch to Quantum Physics and learn how to bend space & time in order to allow you have enough time to have a full time job and education whilst fitting in sleep
Click to expand...

...this too :)
 
Minusorange said:
Switch to Quantum Physics and learn how to bend space & time in order to allow you have enough time to have a full time job and education whilst fitting in sleep
Click to expand...

If he's doing quantum physics he could potentially do bother things at once until someone observed him.
 
Out of interest, what are the level structures for OU? Brick and mortar universities structure it as levels 4, 5 and 6 with level 3 as a foundation year equivalent to A levels. I think these are NC levels. Is OU not the same?
 
I completed my BA whilst working full time, but there was just no way I could get it done in 3yrs. I actually took 5 in total, although an illness messed up a lot of year 4.
Was a real proud moment when I got my 2:1 - good luck with everything.
 
Good luck to you sir. Going back to uni was one of the most challenging decisions I ever made. Especially in my late thirties as I was when I started. Along came my first baby and I was having to do 30 hours of OU study every week (overlapping modules at the time), working, and looking after my first born. Juggling was the name of the game. When I look back, I don't know how I managed six years of that, but I did. It's amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind towards it.
 
Bengaboy said:
I have nearly completed my first year in the OU studying towards my Computing and IT BSc.

I am doing this full time over three years, whilst serving in the Royal Navy. If i pass this and get a decent mark, I will be mega chuffed with myself!

I know this will get harder over the next two years. The stress will also increase due to those two years actually going towards my final mark. For people who have studied similar or the same degree - do you think this is wise to carry on full time, or would you suggest going part time for the remainder?

So far, the OU have been very understanding when I have been deployed or on exercise to give me extensions, etc - I hope this continues!
Click to expand...

I can only speak for myself having done a science degree full time 3 years. Not with open university.

2nd year you could maybe.... MAYBE get away with it.

3rd year? probably not. For me there were too many assignments and my disseration was an absolute soul destroyer....

Your choices would either be reducing your hours and living like a homeless person or spreading out your learning a little bit more. It may take you slightly longer but then you can probably keep working full time. But kudos to you mate, keep chipping away!
 
As part of my apprenticeship we were offered a degree, similar to OU but through Aston University. I work full time with 2-3 hours of commuting a day, with on-call and weekend work, a recipe for disaster.
The degree destroyed me and in the end I gave up entirely in the third year, ended up finishing with 240 credits, the company were very understanding though so all is OK.

From my own experience it's doable depending on the full time work you're doing, if you're working 9-5 with a small commute and no further commitments it's fine.
Anything else and it's soul destroying.

Good luck as it's a tough ask of anybody, but you can make it work.
 
I worked full time and studied full time with the OU for two years. It was very hard. I barely saw my friends, I had almost no free evenings or weekends. It was a significant factor in the end of my relationship with my then girlfriend.

It can be done, but it takes a lot of sacrifice. I don't think I'd do it again with hindsight.
 
Diddums said:
Absolutely. I'm in my first year still but happy to help where I can :)
Click to expand...

Sweet! Well, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of role are you hoping to get into when you finish?

I'm thinking of reading through a textbook before I take the plunge, could you link me any texts they recommend you buying/ reading for the course?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom