Open University anyone done it?

bakes0310

bakes0310

bakes0310

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As title really, im just pondering whether anyone has done any of there courses. Im sort of thinking about doing it, but im not 100% sure on the actual courses. Do employers look at them to be proper qualifications as someone who has done it through university if you know what i mean. For example two people go for the same interview they got the same qualifications. But one went to university and the other stayed at home and done it all through the open university. Would the open university person be in the same chance as the other person?
 
Depending on the course, I'd treat OU at least as well as a brick university. Most likely better as there a lot of transferable skills you learn, such as independence, dedication etc.
 
bakes0310 said:
As title really, im just pondering whether anyone has done any of there courses. Im sort of thinking about doing it, but im not 100% sure on the actual courses. Do employers look at them to be proper qualifications as someone who has done it through university if you know what i mean. For example two people go for the same interview they got the same qualifications. But one went to university and the other stayed at home and done it all through the open university. Would the open university person be in the same chance as the other person?
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If the two people had identical personalities, degree, degree class, real world and work experience, motivation, aptitude, then I would take the one who went to the better uni be it the Open one or Physical.

However as the above is a highly unlikely scenario, I would take the better candidate. Usually, the Open University attracts more mature people and by the very nature of how you achieve your degree and results it shows a lot of dedication, especially if the graduate was working whilst studying.

It also depends which university courses are Accredited by the professional institutions for membership/chartership as some aren’t. If the Open University course is accredited and the candidate is better…job done.
 
Wife did her psychology degree through the OU, cant praise them high enough tbh. It’s an incredibly good set up these days with stuff on the net. Employers in her experience have absolutely nothing but good things to say about them also, considering how hard it is to get into she’s now working in Nottingham NHS Trust's forensic team as an assistant psychologist and doing her masters as well through Nottingham Uni and the NHS. Again no issues with her degree in getting on the course.
 
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Thanks for some great post. From what you lot are saying about the OU it does make a lot of sense, and if i was an employer i would be pretty impressed if they done a course while working fulltime.
This is something i really have to think about doing, im sure its got to take a lot of commitment and time.
[brutal truth]
Personally if i dont do this, and get the job i want and carry on how im going. I would without a doubt be working in a warehouse for the rest of my working life. The money is poor the work boring but i have great workmates and theres no stress.
[brutal truth end/]:p

I do have a lot of freetime which i waste on well here:p aswell as gaming all day. Going to the gym (not a waste of time) and out motorbiking. Ive got no commitments, theres no reason that i cant do the courses.
The problem is im pretty dumb, i got no GCSE due to being the class clown. I went to college for 3 years and passed them all barely. Except the last year where i matured a little and got a merit.
Im 25 now and i hope ive changed now, that i can study and do very well in the course.
 
Ive been umming and ahhing about getting a degree and the OU seems to be the only realistic avenue to do it. Too hard to support myself through a traditional uni unfortunately :(

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
I looked at the OU for my masters but chose the Uni of Hertfordshire distance learning course instead. Cheaper too and I literally never have to go near the place.

Go on the postgrad.com site and take a look around.
 
I'm currently working on OU courses.
I'm hoping to eventually gain a BA (Honours) Business Studies (B70).

I work full-time so I'm fitting my study around work.
However as work are sponsoring me (we pay 50%-50% of all courses and then on successful completion of the course they refund me back the 50% I paid) I can spend some or my working week working on modules too.

So far I've completed 1 lvl 1 and 1 lvl 2 module and I'm drawing to the end of 2 more lvl 1 modules.
Signed up to do my final lvl 1 and my first lvl 3 modules - starting in November.

Not the easiest thing in the world to do, but I'm quite enjoying going back to study after so long away and I'm certainly learning new things.
 
I’m doing my Part one through Oxford Brookes, its kind of distance learning but not quite. We have to appoint our own tutor and mentor throughout the course (4 years). Then I have to do a further 2 years masters.

The one piece of advice I would give is be committed. You might think that because its away from an actual university and with no lectures that it will be easy. It really isn’t at all. You need to have real discipline to work at it when its at home, you need to create the time structure for yourself and set aside time to do work.

Sarah worked seriously hard for her degree (as I am for my part 1) and it’s a real shock how much work there is to do. The OU though has a really good support framework in place which Oxford Brookes doesn’t (they place the support role on your tutor / mentor and act as assessors).

Having started it and doing it I truly have the utmost respect for the people who see it through as I have as I am sure most do considered jacking it in. The people around me though would never let me do that.
 
bakes0310 said:
The problem is im pretty dumb, i got no GCSE due to being the class clown.
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The OU has courses that cater to most levels, include the complete novice.

E.g., Making sense of the arts (Y180), Science starts here (S154), Starting with maths (Y162), Starting with psychology (Y183) etc.
 
Interesting to see people think that OU will develop you better. Such a huge focus in engineering is people skills, team working and leadership. Which you wouldn't as easily get trough OU, as well lack of accreditation.

Depends entirely on the subject I suppose.
 
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Thunderbolt said:
Interesting to see people think that OU will develop you better. Such a huge focus in engineering is people skills, team working and leadership. Which you wouldn't as easily get trough OU, as well lack of accreditation.

Depends entirely on the subject I suppose.
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I'm about to start a degree in computing and IT; there are going to be a few modules which have group assignments. Really with a telephone, skype, email, video conferencing and software like google docs its not going to be so bad.
 
Thunderbolt said:
Interesting to see people think that OU will develop you better. Such a huge focus in engineering is people skills, team working and leadership. Which you wouldn't as easily get trough OU, as well lack of accreditation.

Depends entirely on the subject I suppose.
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There going to be accredited soon.
 
I graduated with BSc in Life Sciences from the Open University last year. I thought they were great - but I found it impossible to get a PhD place doing what I want to do on the back of it due to the relative lack of practical experience and so I'm off to do a Masters at a brick uni.

So, I expect, how it will be viewed depends on what it is that you want to do.
 
Im starting S104 (Exploring Science) in October and really looking forward to it. Its the first step to getting a degree in Natural Sciences.

I had similar questions before I signed up, however I have only heard good things about the OU so I would definitely say go for it.

Now I just hope that I can complete my studies and hold down my 40 hours per week job at the same time. :)
 
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