Open University

[Finnegan]

Becoming increasingly depressed with my life at the moment. It started as a bit of a slump with work and is spiralling back in to some serious unhappiness.

Before I hit rock bottom and get stuck here forever (or lose myself to Jameson and prozac), I'm eager to chase a bit of self improvement and kick off in a direction that'll make me both happier and more employable. I'm stuck with a reasonable bank loan that I'll be paying off for the next three years so I can't afford to be a full time student or even to lower my hours or wage.

So I'm left looking at the open uni.

Has anyone studied with the open uni? If so, thoughts, experiences? Did you find it a good way to learn and why? Has anyone tried studying full time at the open uni whilst working and, if so, was it possible? What's the quickest anyone's finished a 360 credit OU degree, without or without having a job?

How employable do people perceive OU graduates to be? Is anyone an employer or interviewer who's experienced any particular prejudice for or against OU graduates?

Would it be a massive great waste of my time and money?

[Webbo]

I've enquired a few times but didn't fancy spending 7 years part time study doing it.

[davieG]

My daughter and son in law both did OU degrees at the same time whilst in full time employment. It was hard work took a few years, 5 if I remember including a few full time days but they've both progressed he's gone from a steady middling job to senior manager and my daughter after taking a full time i year teaching qualification has gone from a fairly routine office job to a qualified teacher.

 

Not sure that helps but pretty proud of them both for the sheer effort and staying power they showed.

[Finnegan]

How old were they when they started, Davie?

[Guest]

Several years ago I felt in a bit of a mental rut and decided to do another Masters with the OU from here in France whilst I continued teaching. The course concerned the use of the internet and mobile devices for distance teaching.

 

I felt it was a magnificent move. The OU is on the cutting edge of this type of teaching, I had world leading specialists giving me online tuition from all over the world, I worked with motivated and inspirational students and staff. I am an academic so I enjoy writing essays and there were a lot of these to do with a lot of reading. Probably 18-20 hours a week plus the extras that I wanted to do - reading deeper, looking at possibilities, communication activities.

 

All of the other students that I worked with either got decent jobs from it or moved into a more specialised role within the same organisations.

 

It was pretty expensive though and it took 3 years.

 

Overall a great experience. I hope you go for it.

[davieG]

About 26 I think

[MooseBreath]

Don't rule out distance learning from a 'normal' uni. A couple of chaps at my work have done full time distance learning degrees while working full time.

[Merging Cultures]

I did distance learning for my MSc while working. It's tough.

I think I'd do a diploma in the future but not another degree.

[Finnegan]

Don't rule out distance learning from a 'normal' uni. A couple of chaps at my work have done full time distance learning degrees while working full time.

Were they cheaper than "standard" courses from the same institutions? Also, how long did they take, if you know?

[MooseBreath]

Were they cheaper than "standard" courses from the same institutions? Also, how long did they take, if you know?

I think they were the same price, but I'm not 100% sure. I would have thought you could get student finance to cover the tuition fees anyway. Took three years, same schedule as the standard degree. I think you can do them part time too which would typically take five years.

[Babylon]

Been thinking of something similar myself, really started to dislike the career I'm in. The creative industry is ok to start with, but constantly trying to be 'innovative' is getting on my wick.

 

I'd rather like something that's a bit more paint by numbers now.

[Vlad the Fox]

I'm currently studying towards a degree with the open Uni and would thoroughly recommend it. If your going to apply for this year though I'd move quick as I think registration closes very soon.

Working full time the work does sometimes get intense but there is support if needed and you can always ask for an extension for assignments. Plus the course is presented in such a way that you can miss sections out if your really struggling for time. I've never encountered any snobbery from other students or anyone else for studying with the OU and for many potential employers it shows a great deal about your character to work towards a degree while also holding down a full time job and raising families ect.

[Samilktray]

Is the open uni a degree/course you study for on your own from home or whatever?

Been wanting to do something of that nature for nigh on 2 years now but never knew what kind of previous grades from school you need or how to go about such a thing.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Becoming increasingly depressed with my life at the moment. It started as a bit of a slump with work and is spiralling back in to some serious unhappiness.

Before I hit rock bottom and get stuck here forever (or lose myself to Jameson and prozac), I'm eager to chase a bit of self improvement and kick off in a direction that'll make me both happier and more employable. I'm stuck with a reasonable bank loan that I'll be paying off for the next three years so I can't afford to be a full time student or even to lower my hours or wage.

So I'm left looking at the open uni.

Has anyone studied with the open uni? If so, thoughts, experiences? Did you find it a good way to learn and why? Has anyone tried studying full time at the open uni whilst working and, if so, was it possible? What's the quickest anyone's finished a 360 credit OU degree, without or without having a job?

How employable do people perceive OU graduates to be? Is anyone an employer or interviewer who's experienced any particular prejudice for or against OU graduates?

Would it be a massive great waste of my time and money?

 

Tilley off here is either studying with or has studied with them whilst working full time mate, if you've got him on Facey give him a message.

[Vlad the Fox]

Is the open uni a degree/course you study for on your own from home or whatever?

Been wanting to do something of that nature for nigh on 2 years now but never knew what kind of previous grades from school you need or how to go about such a thing.

I've known people start a course with only a couple of gsce's. But I think you can also do something like a foundation course. Best to check out the website and give them a ring.

http://www.open.ac.uk

[lavrentis]

What course you gonna do finnegan?

[Guest]

Yeah I'm in a similar position, I do shift work so would be able to manage my time a bit better and actually do some of the things I'm interested in during work hours too. I'm interested in software design and programming languages so have been teaching myself a little and developing what little I knew already but I'd like to have a formal qualification in it at some point so that I can start to move away from my current career.

What I'm currently doing is keeping an eye on job vacancies I like the look of in order to see what employers want in terms of skills so I can get the right qualifications.

[lavrentis]

Yeah I'm in a similar position, I do shift work so would be able to manage my time a bit better and actually do some of the things I'm interested in during work hours too. I'm interested in software design and programming languages so have been teaching myself a little and developing what little I knew already but I'd like to have a formal qualification in it at some point so that I can start to move away from my current career.

What I'm currently doing is keeping an eye on job vacancies I like the look of in order to see what employers want in terms of skills so I can get the right qualifications.

What you interested in, mobile app development , web development other stuff ?

[Finnegan]

What course you gonna do finnegan?

The prospectus hasn't arrived yet and the last thing I want to do is rush in to that decision, it's exactly what I did at 19.

I've been thinking about studying psychology for a couple of years, it's something I already do a reasonable amount of reading on already and don't get bored, just something that naturally fascinates me. I imagine that will be the angle.

That said, if it's a feasible and successful way to study a modern language then I'd definitely consider that.

[lavrentis]

The prospectus hasn't arrived yet and the last thing I want to do is rush in to that decision, it's exactly what I did at 19.

I've been thinking about studying psychology for a couple of years, it's something I already do a reasonable amount of reading on already and don't get bored, just something that naturally fascinates me. I imagine that will be the angle.

That said, if it's a feasible and successful way to study a modern language then I'd definitely consider that.

 

think that is the key, if it interests you it's worth pursuing. 

[Guest]

What you interested in, mobile app development , web development other stuff ?

To some extent mobile app development but I come from a music/media background in my current and previous work so I'd like to use that experience whether that be developing audio processing tools/media delivery tools or news and sport production applications. A friend of mine developed a program in house here that basically automatically vision mixes the studio cameras from Aux sends in the desk with rules that govern the way it mixes them, so that sort of thing potentially.

Any advice as I know you've been studying in this area?

[Samilktray]

As far as I can tell the Open University don't do any courses based around Journalism, unless 1 of there English courses leads into journalism. Which is disappointing as that's what I've been wanting to have a crack at since I left school.

[RobHawk]

Were they cheaper than "standard" courses from the same institutions? Also, how long did they take, if you know?

Im doing a CMI Level Diploma in Leadership and Management at the moment as a distance learner. Its the same level as a degree and i've been doing it whilst working full time and being the treasurer of a charity. Its taken me longer than i thought it would just because i didn't realise how little free time i actually had. 

 

Its been really good though and only cost around a £1000 which is obviously alot cheaper than a full uni degree. For an extra £100 and 1 extra peice of work i can also get a extra qualification which allows me to be a chartered manager.  

 

I did this through a local college, Mainly because after dropping out of Uni i felt i needed something on my CV in order to help me take the next step up the work ladder. Dependeing on what you want to do its worth a look at colleges too as they are alot cheaper than Unis.

[Houdini Logic]

I started my postgraduate this year and it's an 'executive' style course.

 

I'm not motivated enough to work on my own and like you I need/want to work full time so I chose this style course because it's the best of both worlds.

 

Each year I have to complete 3 modules and the modules comprise of 4 weeks pre study (the uni send text books, material, tasks, etc) which I complete in my own time in the evenings and at the weekends, followed by 1 weeks intensive on campus at uni with other students and then I have 7 weeks to complete a dissertation, again in my own time in evenings and at the weekend.

 

The benefits are that I only have to take 3 weeks a year off work and I can choose when to complete my modules - so I could spread them out evenly or alternatively complete 3 within 6 months and relax for the rest of the year. As soon as I successfully complete 10 modules they give me an Msc.

 

This format seems to be becoming more popular and certainly worth a look (IMO).

[Houdini Logic]

Yeah I'm in a similar position, I do shift work so would be able to manage my time a bit better and actually do some of the things I'm interested in during work hours too. I'm interested in software design and programming languages so have been teaching myself a little and developing what little I knew already but I'd like to have a formal qualification in it at some point so that I can start to move away from my current career.

What I'm currently doing is keeping an eye on job vacancies I like the look of in order to see what employers want in terms of skills so I can get the right qualifications.

 

Experience is king in the development world and most good developers have been making software since they were a child.

 

Challenge yourself with a load of projects, work with lots of different technologies, read blogs, tutorials, etc.

You have to be 100% commited if it's the career you want to pursue because unfortunately the people who work in this line of business are so passionate about it that it's sometimes all that they do, day and night!

 

Get yourself up to speed, get a few projects under your belt and then try to get yourself a junior programmer position whilst maybe studying on the side.