Open University degrees

[Jonnybmac]

MU123 was quite easy as it is GCSE level I found. If you put the time in to learn it before you move forward it pays in the long run. I never even knew my times table or any fractions or algebra before MU123. I used an app to continuous practice my maths till it became embedded.

MST124 is the harder maths module I found and was more difficult to follow too.

You shouldn't really need additional books, your tutors and students will help push you in the right direction and often things get taught differently to how the OU do it so you sometimes can get confused and overloaded.

 

[alexakasloth]

Yea unfortunately, it is only if you don't already have a degree. I think you can still use your SLCs though?

Well good luck to you - MU123 is quite hard, but for the first year you only have to pass 40% and doesn't contribute to your final score.

Thanks I'll take a look into that and hopefully use this years (last years went on Powerboating ).

And thank you, best of luck with your course as well.

 

[Kreeeee]

Even though I have a traditional degree, when hiring new employees I value any qualifications earned during someone's free time more than those earned while studying full time. This is despite them being easier than the higher rated universities' traditional undergraduate/masters courses.

I find people who earned an OU degree while working/looking after kids make for much more resourceful, dedicated and driven employees.

 

[theone8181]

Even though I have a traditional degree, when hiring new employees I value any qualifications earned during someone's free time more than those earned while studying full time. This is despite them being easier than the higher rated universities' traditional undergraduate/masters courses.

I find people who earned an OU degree while working/looking after kids make for much more resourceful, dedicated and driven employees.

I suspect a lot of employers feel the same. On a side note i mentioned funding to one of the directors at my workplace, and he asked if it was an apprenticeship degree. These seem quite new as i've not heard of them, but as they are still pretty new theres not a massive amount of choice but could be a good alternative. Also is it quite easy to apply for a student loan (as a mature student)?

 

[alexakasloth]

I suspect a lot of employers feel the same. On a side note i mentioned funding to one of the directors at my workplace, and he asked if it was an apprenticeship degree. These seem quite new as i've not heard of them, but as they are still pretty new theres not a massive amount of choice but could be a good alternative. Also is it quite easy to apply for a student loan (as a mature student)?

I found it very easy, showed up on the Open Uni webpage as completed a couple of weeks after application. It was all completed online as well iirc.

 

[theone8181]

I found it very easy, showed up on the Open Uni webpage as completed a couple of weeks after application. It was all completed online as well iirc.

Cool, do you need to be enroled on a course first (although i know that it doesnt need to be starting paying back for a year)

 

[alexakasloth]

Cool, do you need to be enroled on a course first (although i know that it doesnt need to be starting paying back for a year)

I think you do, it would be best to speak to them, the info for part time tuition fee loans through SLC are here: http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding/loan-england-finance

It's after 4 years that you start paying it back.

 

[dowie]

On a side note i mentioned funding to one of the directors at my workplace, and he asked if it was an apprenticeship degree. These seem quite new as i've not heard of them, but as they are still pretty new theres not a massive amount of choice but could be a good alternative.

He's sounds a bit confused, if it was an apprenticeship degree you'd be quitting your job and working at another employer who was both paying you full time and funding your part time degree AFAIK.

I remember seeing them when some other poster on here was considering them - they do seem like a good option for people who want a job in a particular area, not necessarily too specialised immediately and they avoid the issue of graduating with lots of debt. I think they're probably a much better option than going to a mid to low ranked university and getting a degree in say information systems etc... I think Exeter offers them for example and they're a decent research university. These degree do do seem to be rather vocational/applied - not particularly rigorous academically etc..

I think if you did want to get an undergrad degree with a view to pursuing post graduate study etc.. then the likes of the OU, Birkbeck and the University of London International Program would be better options.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

He's sounds a bit confused, if it was an apprenticeship degree you'd be quitting your job and working at another employer who was both paying you full time and funding your part time degree AFAIK.

You can send existing employees on them as it's a way of using up your companies apprenticeship levy (in face alto of degree apprenticeship providers require you to already be employed in a similar field). Can be done part time as well. You are correct in that they are vocational based, so very similar to the Foundation Degree (vocational) + Honours top up (academic) degree route.

An example https://www.blackpool.ac.uk/course/in00004 (I helped write and re-validate some B&FC computing degrees).

Apprenticeship degrees are also one of the candidates for the 2 year fast track degree, but that's still being discussed.

 

[dowie]

You can send existing employees on them as it's a way of using up your companies apprenticeship levy (in face alto of degree apprenticeship providers require you to already be employed in a similar field).

Yeah fair point I guess you could try and get your employer to support it... but that last bit was part of my point, that the apprenticeship degree involves an employer paying/employing you and the fees being funded too (via the levy you mention) i.e. that it isn't just something that you just unilaterally choose to do part time (as you could do with an OU degree or similar) while at some employer not involved with it.

They certainly seem to be a useful route for some people who are aiming for a particular subset of IT jobs especially given the cost of tuition fees these days.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Yeah, I see what you mean. I think tbh I'd prefer to do a degree without any involvement from an employer. What if the relationship sours half way through your degree?

 

[ricid]

Even though I have a traditional degree, when hiring new employees I value any qualifications earned during someone's free time more than those earned while studying full time. This is despite them being easier than the higher rated universities' traditional undergraduate/masters courses.

As someone with an OU degree this chimes with the feedback I've received. I even got two jobs while still studying where my unfinished degree was factored in.
I did a maths degree and used to use the Cambridge uni past papers as practice. The Cambridge papers were more challenging but to be fair that particular degree is renowned for being pretty intense even amongst more traditional institutions.
Depending on the degree there's an element of choice in how hard you make it as well, module choice makes a big difference.

 

[Kreeeee]

Depending on the degree there's an element of choice in how hard you make it as well, module choice makes a big difference.

That's no different to any other degree. I only graduated top of my class because I played the game and chose the easier units for the very few open modules that we had.

 

[ricid]

The only downside with the OU really is time. It typically takes 6-8 years to do an OU degree, during which you've got to remain motivated, willing to dedicate evenings/weekends to study as needed.

Yup, while I don't regret doing it as it's left my career and life in general in a much better place, it absolutely destroyed my social life while I was studying. Basically had no free time for nearly 5 years and lost some friendships along the way as a result. This was as a fairly unencumbered 20 something as well, people who do it with kids must be superhuman. I think you have to be genuinely interested in whatever you're studying or you don't really stand a chance.

 

[bakes0310]

Yup, while I don't regret doing it as it's left my career and life in general in a much better place, it absolutely destroyed my social life while I was studying. Basically had no free time for nearly 5 years and lost some friendships along the way as a result. This was as a fairly unencumbered 20 something as well, people who do it with kids must be superhuman. I think you have to be genuinely interested in whatever you're studying or you don't really stand a chance.

Wow really, may I ask why they takes 5-6 years is it cause it's part time, how many hours a week we're you doing?

 

[ricid]

Not sure exactly but it was most evenings & weekends. I was working full time, and had a bit of a commute as well which didn't help.
I finished it in about 4 1/2 years which given a full time degree takes 3 was, in retrospect, a bit silly. I felt a bit like I was already a decade behind everyone else so probably pushed a bit harder than I should have done.

 

[dowie]

Wow really, may I ask why they takes 5-6 years is it cause it's part time, how many hours a week we're you doing?

That’s going to vary massively, remember there are no entry requirements and people can start at different levels too. For example some posters have mentioned a maths module that is basically GCSE level... you could skip that and move onto something else instead. There is one that seems to be A-level standard - that could be revision for some and completely new for others. If people are starting from scratch almost then they might well take far longer, others might find the first couple of modules to overlap with what they already know and can just breeze ahead.

 

[Energize]

Wow really, may I ask why they takes 5-6 years is it cause it's part time, how many hours a week we're you doing?

Normally you study 120 credits a year full time, 4x 30 credit modules.

At the open uni you can study as few modules a year as you want, typically people at the OU study half time, 2x 30 credit modules a year so it takes 6 years. But it can be 3-12 years depending on how many modules you want to study in a year.

I did 9 modules at a brick and mortar uni and then 3 at the open uni, one module a year and it took up very little time honestly, bearing in mind though that I already worked in the computing field so a lot of the material was just revising what I already knew.

 

[theone8181]

Im all enrolled now, i've only started with a 30 credit one as it has a part A then a part B for a further 30. Then i'll move onto physics.

 

[alexakasloth]

Im all enrolled now, i've only started with a 30 credit one as it has a part A then a part B for a further 30. Then i'll move onto physics.

Best of luck, I've really been enjoying it the last couples of months!