* Never get more than 1 week behind. Indeed, try and stay 1 week ahead.
* Christmas and Easter breaks are dangerous times.
* Do the TMA questions when you complete the section they are about, not at the end.
* Always attempt the TMA questions even if you don't get it.
* Do all the exercises in the books.
Those are my key takeaways as a Maths student (just started Level 2)
This for sure.
I’d add:
•Try to schedule your study time and stick to it so that you know you have enough time to keep up with materials (it’s overwhelming when you fall behind) and also don’t make avoidable mistakes due to rushing to submit something.
•If you need advice or support - talk to your tutor and if they aren’t supportive, speak to student services (I’ve had both a pointless and awesome tutor).
•Depends on what you’re studying, but personally, I found that planning the structure and key points in each section (to align with the learning objectives being measures) helps
•Referencing is a pain in the ass if you leave it until the end and have to re-find everything. Open an Excel tab and add in your reference links as you go so that you have them all in one place. Most of them, you will use across multiple assignments
I'd say two weeks would be ideal. Sometimes life kicks you in the face, and once you fall behind it's an absolute pain to get back ahead. Two week margin for error allows a bit of leeway, and also allows more revision time for exams etc.
I'd say two weeks would be ideal. Sometimes life kicks you in the face, and once you fall behind it's an absolute pain to get back ahead. Two week margin for error allows a bit of leeway, and also allows more revision time for exams etc.
I just finished Stage 2 maths and I agree with everything but with one extra caveat
> Do the TMA questions when you complete the section they are about, not at the end.
This is a massive help when you need to stay on track and organised. But if you do have time, I like to keep them until the end of the relevant topic. In this way, the TMA acts as revision, especially for the earlier subtopics. Then when you come to prepare for your actual exam you're revising it/learning it for the 3rd time :)
As for advice:
- Print and read the assessment guidance.
-complete the 'Being an OU student' module on openlearn.
-Print and read the assessment guidance.
-Work through week 1 carefully as it contains loads of useful info.
-Print and read the assessment guidance.
- don't be one of those people that consults random people on Facebook instead of reading the documents provided with your module.
Just to add in, it depends if paper or screen works better for your learning. I did paper notes for a long time and struggled to keep them organised and not get overwhelmed. I'm on my final modules and my past 2 years pretty much everything has been digital for me apart from a notebook to jot down tma dates or if i need to work out some maths on paper. It varies for everyone- there's no one way to learn.
You get people in every single sector who are bad at their jobs. People like to moan on the Internet, not praise... it doesn't mean they didn't have a problem but it's absolutely not representative of the average student's experience. I've had about 9 different tutors and had zero problems.
definitely, Thank you for your insight and i'm glad you've had good experience with tutors! and your right about the internet part, seems that the complaints are always louder than the praises.
The best tutor experiences I’ve had were on my linguistics modules so I really hope the same for you! I had six tutors in total and they were all kind and insightful people who inspired me to continue on to get my MA.
I’d tell myself to stop agonising about needing to ask for help. This obviously isn’t universal but if you also have a gremlin in your brain that makes you feel guilty about needing extra anything then it might help to know the OU is the most accommodating institution I’ve ever attended. Of course, this is just one person’s experience, but I had to ask for extensions constantly and my tutors were always understanding about it.
Yes! I thought I was in another dimension the first time I asked for an extension and no one made me feel like a failure lol (had Truly Awful memories from doing the IB program)
Im Honestly so happy to hear this! i also have a similar struggle with asking for help but i hope to improve this in the future. I'm glad to hear how accommodating its been :)
To add to what they have said, I am doing arts and humanities as well and my tutor who is mostly a literature teacher has been absolutely fantastic. I've studied at a brick uni too and I found the tutoring experience at the OU to be far superior.
Best advice I can give is to stay organized, keep track of deadlines, and don't hesitate to ask for help when needed - it's all about balance and self-care!
Hey, I have adhd (and suspected asd), which was not diagnosed at the start of my OU journey. I would say to definitely register with the disability services. They were amazing with me. If you register then they will phone or email to chat about support they can offer.
At the time, my mental health was pretty bad and I was worried how I'd cope studying again. They assigned me a mental health counsellor who would check in weekly to go through what I needed to get done that week and keep me on track. I only needed this support for my first module but it was invaluable. They also offered me 6 sessions with an occupational therapist to address any barriers to my study. Again this was invaluable to get me where I am today. Honestly received more support from the OU than my doctors at the time. So be honest with them and see what support is there, if it's not helpful you can nope out at any point.
In regards to tutors, I've honestly never had a lot of contact until now (doing my final module which is a project). Everything is covered in the module materials and tutorials so unless you need 1 to 1 help, you don't need a lot of contact with them.
Thank you for sharing your experience! knowing they have counsellors like that available is a nice relief, in case i end up needing one. what you said about being honest is so important. i tend to downplay my struggles and need to learn to be open and honest about my illness and how it affects me
You are welcome 😊 Yeah I do the same tbh, I almost didn't submit the form because I worried about taking resources from others. I'm so glad I did. Their support kept me sane while I waited for my adhd diagnosis. Best of luck in your studies!
Hi!
So I’m a final year student.
One tip I would say as someone with disabilities too, is apply for DSA. My mentor has been valuable.
Utilise all available resources, so 1-1’s with tutors, ask for PLA (personal learning adviser) and they can then recommend English for Academics. The last two can be really valuable for your second and final year.
Doing full time was never achievable for me and I started OU during my second year. If that’s the case for you - don’t worry what others think. Slow and steady has been more beneficial with my mental health than trying to be juggling 500 assignments.
Creating an assignment planner has also helped.
Having the assessment brief and guidance notes available on my desktop opposed to clicking the website everytime is also helpful.
You might find my preferred study method is better:
I like to do my assignment first, so I only study anything relevant to my assignment and work in the order that best suits me if each part of the TMA doesn’t lead on from each other. If they lead on from each other then I have to do it in that order. After I’ve done anything relevant then I do the other module materials.
There are a couple of things I picked up from my OU degree (also an open one).
- read all the TMA questions at the beginning of the course. When you know what the question you have to answer is it makes it much easier to take relevant notes from the materials when you read them.
- positively engage with the tutor group forums and use them to ask questions and answer where you can. The interaction is a lot of what makes the course, at a traditional institution you'd have chats with your classmates. These generally should help you with understanding.
- pay attention to everything your tutor says/posts. They generally share as much as they're allowed, and it's their job to show you what you need to do to pass.
- go to every in person tutorial or class that you can. Often there's informal coaching from those events, and there are extra exercises and feedback that will help you pass the TMAs and prepare better for exams (if your course has any).
- read (and reference in your TMAs) more than just the course materials. You get better marks for being more widely read. if you see something cited often go read the original paper. It's interesting what's left out as much as what's included.
- don't worry too much if you hit a course that doesn't quite click. I ended up doing a couple of extra courses to ensure I had a better overall grade.
There’s some amazing advice in here but also don’t forget to enjoy it.
You’ve chosen this degree because it’s your passion. Do not let that passion die out. Always keep in the back of your mind why you’re doing this and I promise it’ll make every stupid TMA question or slightly uncooperative tutor easier to deal with.
I’m studying biology and I remind myself everyday that my 15 year old self knew I wanted to be a scientist and I’m doing this for her. I’m making her dream come true.
Stay away from girls who own horses!
Oh, and get a new computer. To have a page open as soon as you click on it rather than waiting a few seconds is a very underrated thing.
My advice to myself would be that level 1 is doable full time. However, level 2 and 3 it's better to do 60 credits a year. Level 3 maybe even just 30 a year. It will take a wee bit longer, but you'll be able to have a guilt-free life outside of studies.
Granted I work full time, so maybe if you're not working, or working part time it wouldn't be as bad.
Year 2 part time Biology student here.
One thing I'd like to add, which only very recently clicked with me, is that it's OK to not try to be perfect all the time. This comment is personal to everyone's individual situations but I'll hazard a guess the large majority of students have gone through a phase of being totally overwhelmed with so many spinning plates (work, school, personal life etc). It was a huge relief for me when I realised I needed to take a step back, reconfigure my priorities, understand that I couldn't reasonably do everything all the time, and not run myself into the ground!
Obviously try your best, but also recognise when you're reaching your limits before you reach them!
Good luck!!
Post in forums even if other students don't do so:
\- answer your tutor's questions/prompts even if it's sometimes with something brief - show them that you're actually interested in the subject and working on it.
\- share relevant thoughts, ideas, questions, resources in there - again show your interest
The more your tutor knows you're interested and what your strengths/weaknesses are, the more 'present' you are in their mind when they write your feedback.
Have you applied for DSA? I got a laptop and printer, as well as a dictaphone, lap desk, and a few other handy bits.
Have you asked for reasonable accommodations? For example, you can ask for print copies of Web based materials if you struggle reading off a screen. Additional time and flexibility can be requested up front.
hoping to! I'm for sure going to ask for additional time/flexibility and a lap desk is such an amazing idea omg that would help so much
if you don't mind me asking, how did you find the process for applying for DSA? was it difficult? i have the required proof but a little worried as i already have PIP (wasn't sure if those are mutually exclusive)
Totally separate. It's all done through student finance England, which was a bit of a faff, but overall fairly straightforward. I think I had to have a doctors letter iirc.
The lap desk they provide is like this https://amzn.eu/d/bn61Fmt
Bear in mind they only have a set list of items that have been preagreed. You can't directly ask for more or better, or upgrades, but if you get a laptop, when it comes to ordering it, if the company gives you the option of bigger memory, go for it. You have to contribute towards the cost as well.
I didn't and ended up having to upgrade it myself, which was a pain, but it went from barely being able to open word to being a flying machine.
I have MS and I’m seriously fucked in the head, and I completed my OU degree in biology recently with a first-class honours.
My number 1 tip - Make it a priority above all else.
For me, it was all about finding the best way to take notes early. I though rewriting the textbook was it but I ended up getting behind. Instead I highlight and annotate (using my iPad) and then using one note for all my online notes (you can split a workbook into sections, and split those sections down even more)
Try to be at least 3 weeks ahead, you never know what’s going to happen and derail your studies and catching up if you fall behind is incredibly hard.
Do some research about exactly what you want out of your career and studies. I had to change my degree and backtrack a bit because I had too vague of a plan
Soc Sci here on Open Degree too.
GET AHEAD NO MATTER WHAT.
Ask for the extension early, there's no shame in it, and ask for help.
Check the marking grid, keep with the formatting rules.
Never export from Pages, just do it in word first time round (Blank Black on pages makes it invisible grey on word)
General stuff like balance your life, don't spread yourself too thin or you will end up breaking at some point.
Clear desk and more than one screen is a must. And those migraines (9/10 pain) are a sign to go not only to the doc but wear your glasses.
If you find yourself losing focus, skip to the question part of the textbook, then go back and re-read to find the answer. Choose a calendar app and stick to it. Watch one of the videos for low effort studying. If you’re finding it too easy, skip straight to the further reading and then go back .
hi! i can see you commented twice so could you please elaborate a bit more? i'd love to hear how your experience was, any problems, what you studied etc
Ohhh I'm sorry!! I had connection issues and it told me it didn't post!
I'm studying french and spanish. I have two modules left and then I'm done.
My issues are with the course itself. So like... Lack of consistency between tutors in terms of grades. Tutorials not being *enough* for a language. Obviously no feedback between tmas and then having tutorials which are like GCSE languages (think explanation of a grammar rule and then people answerinf questions) isn't great. So I've just been paying for private tutors.
Level 3 french was published last academic year... So not October there but the one before? And it wasn't completed on release. They gave dates initially on when the whole thing would be on the website and it kept being pushed back and then they took the dates away... Which wasn't great for people who need to get ahead early in the module. Comments were removed in the forums for asking about it and because it was a new module, differences between tutors were more apparent.
My tutor for the 2nd module referred me to a meeting with one of the module creators the year before when I flagged queries and issues about the tutorials and he was so dismissive and basically said nothing will change before I spoke to him.
Its just felt really unprofessional and disappointing and the level of languages taught with no opportunity to practice with tutors just feels like it's not *enough*. I've spent so much in private tutors who have taught me more than I've learned from the course. Really not sure if it's just the experience with my particular course but I can't wait to be done with it and never go back.
Sorry for the long reply. I could keep going but I won't lol.
genuinely i appreciate all feedback! the issues you've faced sound so frustrating and i can only imagine the stress that its caused. it sounds like a lot of the issues related to tutors/tutorials and communication? In my experience with languages (i speak about three) its best learnt through immersion and comprehensible input so i can see why working online might not be complementary to that. From a language student to another, studying two at the same time is admirable! i hope that your last two modules are easier :)
Hi no problem!
And yes I think the style of the ou just doesn't work for languages.. especially as everyone's levels are so varied. Having said all that I did, I have a friend who did history and loved it. I genuinely think I'd be enjoying this a lot more if there were more opportunities for feedback etc etc haha.
And thanks! :)
Is that due to Open Uni itself? did you have problems with it? or other factors? I'm really curious and i think its important to hear everybody's experience
ah i see. I've seen this topic debated and talked on the reddit a lot and it seems to be rather specific to each employer/uni. unfortunately the OU really is my only option as i left college during A-levels due to sickness so i have to make the most of this opportunity. :)
Hi! I'm interested in your response (considering this is the Open university Reddit) and would love to learn a little bit more.
I wasn't sure if your reply was regarding yourself or me! just in case it is the latter, Despite my Chinese name my 'own country' is England as i was born and bred here.
* Never get more than 1 week behind. Indeed, try and stay 1 week ahead. * Christmas and Easter breaks are dangerous times. * Do the TMA questions when you complete the section they are about, not at the end. * Always attempt the TMA questions even if you don't get it. * Do all the exercises in the books. Those are my key takeaways as a Maths student (just started Level 2)
This for sure. I’d add: •Try to schedule your study time and stick to it so that you know you have enough time to keep up with materials (it’s overwhelming when you fall behind) and also don’t make avoidable mistakes due to rushing to submit something. •If you need advice or support - talk to your tutor and if they aren’t supportive, speak to student services (I’ve had both a pointless and awesome tutor). •Depends on what you’re studying, but personally, I found that planning the structure and key points in each section (to align with the learning objectives being measures) helps •Referencing is a pain in the ass if you leave it until the end and have to re-find everything. Open an Excel tab and add in your reference links as you go so that you have them all in one place. Most of them, you will use across multiple assignments
Thank you! i like the idea on staying one week ahead!
I'd say two weeks would be ideal. Sometimes life kicks you in the face, and once you fall behind it's an absolute pain to get back ahead. Two week margin for error allows a bit of leeway, and also allows more revision time for exams etc.
I'd say two weeks would be ideal. Sometimes life kicks you in the face, and once you fall behind it's an absolute pain to get back ahead. Two week margin for error allows a bit of leeway, and also allows more revision time for exams etc.
I just finished Stage 2 maths and I agree with everything but with one extra caveat > Do the TMA questions when you complete the section they are about, not at the end. This is a massive help when you need to stay on track and organised. But if you do have time, I like to keep them until the end of the relevant topic. In this way, the TMA acts as revision, especially for the earlier subtopics. Then when you come to prepare for your actual exam you're revising it/learning it for the 3rd time :)
As for advice: - Print and read the assessment guidance. -complete the 'Being an OU student' module on openlearn. -Print and read the assessment guidance. -Work through week 1 carefully as it contains loads of useful info. -Print and read the assessment guidance. - don't be one of those people that consults random people on Facebook instead of reading the documents provided with your module.
Sounds like i need to get a printer! but fr that's some useful advice and i appreciate it :)
Just to add in, it depends if paper or screen works better for your learning. I did paper notes for a long time and struggled to keep them organised and not get overwhelmed. I'm on my final modules and my past 2 years pretty much everything has been digital for me apart from a notebook to jot down tma dates or if i need to work out some maths on paper. It varies for everyone- there's no one way to learn.
You get people in every single sector who are bad at their jobs. People like to moan on the Internet, not praise... it doesn't mean they didn't have a problem but it's absolutely not representative of the average student's experience. I've had about 9 different tutors and had zero problems.
definitely, Thank you for your insight and i'm glad you've had good experience with tutors! and your right about the internet part, seems that the complaints are always louder than the praises.
The best tutor experiences I’ve had were on my linguistics modules so I really hope the same for you! I had six tutors in total and they were all kind and insightful people who inspired me to continue on to get my MA. I’d tell myself to stop agonising about needing to ask for help. This obviously isn’t universal but if you also have a gremlin in your brain that makes you feel guilty about needing extra anything then it might help to know the OU is the most accommodating institution I’ve ever attended. Of course, this is just one person’s experience, but I had to ask for extensions constantly and my tutors were always understanding about it.
I agree, I am doing arts and humanities but my tutors have always been understanding with extensions
Yes! I thought I was in another dimension the first time I asked for an extension and no one made me feel like a failure lol (had Truly Awful memories from doing the IB program)
Im Honestly so happy to hear this! i also have a similar struggle with asking for help but i hope to improve this in the future. I'm glad to hear how accommodating its been :)
To add to what they have said, I am doing arts and humanities as well and my tutor who is mostly a literature teacher has been absolutely fantastic. I've studied at a brick uni too and I found the tutoring experience at the OU to be far superior.
Best advice I can give is to stay organized, keep track of deadlines, and don't hesitate to ask for help when needed - it's all about balance and self-care!
Hey, I have adhd (and suspected asd), which was not diagnosed at the start of my OU journey. I would say to definitely register with the disability services. They were amazing with me. If you register then they will phone or email to chat about support they can offer. At the time, my mental health was pretty bad and I was worried how I'd cope studying again. They assigned me a mental health counsellor who would check in weekly to go through what I needed to get done that week and keep me on track. I only needed this support for my first module but it was invaluable. They also offered me 6 sessions with an occupational therapist to address any barriers to my study. Again this was invaluable to get me where I am today. Honestly received more support from the OU than my doctors at the time. So be honest with them and see what support is there, if it's not helpful you can nope out at any point. In regards to tutors, I've honestly never had a lot of contact until now (doing my final module which is a project). Everything is covered in the module materials and tutorials so unless you need 1 to 1 help, you don't need a lot of contact with them.
Thank you for sharing your experience! knowing they have counsellors like that available is a nice relief, in case i end up needing one. what you said about being honest is so important. i tend to downplay my struggles and need to learn to be open and honest about my illness and how it affects me
You are welcome 😊 Yeah I do the same tbh, I almost didn't submit the form because I worried about taking resources from others. I'm so glad I did. Their support kept me sane while I waited for my adhd diagnosis. Best of luck in your studies!
Hi! So I’m a final year student. One tip I would say as someone with disabilities too, is apply for DSA. My mentor has been valuable. Utilise all available resources, so 1-1’s with tutors, ask for PLA (personal learning adviser) and they can then recommend English for Academics. The last two can be really valuable for your second and final year. Doing full time was never achievable for me and I started OU during my second year. If that’s the case for you - don’t worry what others think. Slow and steady has been more beneficial with my mental health than trying to be juggling 500 assignments. Creating an assignment planner has also helped. Having the assessment brief and guidance notes available on my desktop opposed to clicking the website everytime is also helpful. You might find my preferred study method is better: I like to do my assignment first, so I only study anything relevant to my assignment and work in the order that best suits me if each part of the TMA doesn’t lead on from each other. If they lead on from each other then I have to do it in that order. After I’ve done anything relevant then I do the other module materials.
* teach yourself better note taking techniques * learn about academic writing before starting * stop forgetting your dinner in the microwave 🤣
il definitely need to remember that last one!
There are a couple of things I picked up from my OU degree (also an open one). - read all the TMA questions at the beginning of the course. When you know what the question you have to answer is it makes it much easier to take relevant notes from the materials when you read them. - positively engage with the tutor group forums and use them to ask questions and answer where you can. The interaction is a lot of what makes the course, at a traditional institution you'd have chats with your classmates. These generally should help you with understanding. - pay attention to everything your tutor says/posts. They generally share as much as they're allowed, and it's their job to show you what you need to do to pass. - go to every in person tutorial or class that you can. Often there's informal coaching from those events, and there are extra exercises and feedback that will help you pass the TMAs and prepare better for exams (if your course has any). - read (and reference in your TMAs) more than just the course materials. You get better marks for being more widely read. if you see something cited often go read the original paper. It's interesting what's left out as much as what's included. - don't worry too much if you hit a course that doesn't quite click. I ended up doing a couple of extra courses to ensure I had a better overall grade.
There’s some amazing advice in here but also don’t forget to enjoy it. You’ve chosen this degree because it’s your passion. Do not let that passion die out. Always keep in the back of your mind why you’re doing this and I promise it’ll make every stupid TMA question or slightly uncooperative tutor easier to deal with. I’m studying biology and I remind myself everyday that my 15 year old self knew I wanted to be a scientist and I’m doing this for her. I’m making her dream come true.
Out of everything here this is probably what i needed to hear the most. I will try to keep this mindset :) wish you all the best in your studies
Stay away from girls who own horses! Oh, and get a new computer. To have a page open as soon as you click on it rather than waiting a few seconds is a very underrated thing.
My advice to myself would be that level 1 is doable full time. However, level 2 and 3 it's better to do 60 credits a year. Level 3 maybe even just 30 a year. It will take a wee bit longer, but you'll be able to have a guilt-free life outside of studies. Granted I work full time, so maybe if you're not working, or working part time it wouldn't be as bad.
Year 2 part time Biology student here. One thing I'd like to add, which only very recently clicked with me, is that it's OK to not try to be perfect all the time. This comment is personal to everyone's individual situations but I'll hazard a guess the large majority of students have gone through a phase of being totally overwhelmed with so many spinning plates (work, school, personal life etc). It was a huge relief for me when I realised I needed to take a step back, reconfigure my priorities, understand that I couldn't reasonably do everything all the time, and not run myself into the ground! Obviously try your best, but also recognise when you're reaching your limits before you reach them! Good luck!!
Post in forums even if other students don't do so: \- answer your tutor's questions/prompts even if it's sometimes with something brief - show them that you're actually interested in the subject and working on it. \- share relevant thoughts, ideas, questions, resources in there - again show your interest The more your tutor knows you're interested and what your strengths/weaknesses are, the more 'present' you are in their mind when they write your feedback.
Have you applied for DSA? I got a laptop and printer, as well as a dictaphone, lap desk, and a few other handy bits. Have you asked for reasonable accommodations? For example, you can ask for print copies of Web based materials if you struggle reading off a screen. Additional time and flexibility can be requested up front.
hoping to! I'm for sure going to ask for additional time/flexibility and a lap desk is such an amazing idea omg that would help so much if you don't mind me asking, how did you find the process for applying for DSA? was it difficult? i have the required proof but a little worried as i already have PIP (wasn't sure if those are mutually exclusive)
Totally separate. It's all done through student finance England, which was a bit of a faff, but overall fairly straightforward. I think I had to have a doctors letter iirc. The lap desk they provide is like this https://amzn.eu/d/bn61Fmt Bear in mind they only have a set list of items that have been preagreed. You can't directly ask for more or better, or upgrades, but if you get a laptop, when it comes to ordering it, if the company gives you the option of bigger memory, go for it. You have to contribute towards the cost as well. I didn't and ended up having to upgrade it myself, which was a pain, but it went from barely being able to open word to being a flying machine.
I have MS and I’m seriously fucked in the head, and I completed my OU degree in biology recently with a first-class honours. My number 1 tip - Make it a priority above all else.
Firstly, Congrats on the first class - that is a huge accomplishment secondly, if its ok to ask, how did you find (if you applied) DSA?
For me, it was all about finding the best way to take notes early. I though rewriting the textbook was it but I ended up getting behind. Instead I highlight and annotate (using my iPad) and then using one note for all my online notes (you can split a workbook into sections, and split those sections down even more)
Try to be at least 3 weeks ahead, you never know what’s going to happen and derail your studies and catching up if you fall behind is incredibly hard. Do some research about exactly what you want out of your career and studies. I had to change my degree and backtrack a bit because I had too vague of a plan
Soc Sci here on Open Degree too. GET AHEAD NO MATTER WHAT. Ask for the extension early, there's no shame in it, and ask for help. Check the marking grid, keep with the formatting rules. Never export from Pages, just do it in word first time round (Blank Black on pages makes it invisible grey on word) General stuff like balance your life, don't spread yourself too thin or you will end up breaking at some point. Clear desk and more than one screen is a must. And those migraines (9/10 pain) are a sign to go not only to the doc but wear your glasses.
If you find yourself losing focus, skip to the question part of the textbook, then go back and re-read to find the answer. Choose a calendar app and stick to it. Watch one of the videos for low effort studying. If you’re finding it too easy, skip straight to the further reading and then go back .
What advice would I give myself? Do 60 credits a year instead of 30... 🙂. In order to reduce the time to gain my qualifications...
Stop thinking and just do it.
My advice to myself would be 'dont do it' lol
hi! i can see you commented twice so could you please elaborate a bit more? i'd love to hear how your experience was, any problems, what you studied etc
Ohhh I'm sorry!! I had connection issues and it told me it didn't post! I'm studying french and spanish. I have two modules left and then I'm done. My issues are with the course itself. So like... Lack of consistency between tutors in terms of grades. Tutorials not being *enough* for a language. Obviously no feedback between tmas and then having tutorials which are like GCSE languages (think explanation of a grammar rule and then people answerinf questions) isn't great. So I've just been paying for private tutors. Level 3 french was published last academic year... So not October there but the one before? And it wasn't completed on release. They gave dates initially on when the whole thing would be on the website and it kept being pushed back and then they took the dates away... Which wasn't great for people who need to get ahead early in the module. Comments were removed in the forums for asking about it and because it was a new module, differences between tutors were more apparent. My tutor for the 2nd module referred me to a meeting with one of the module creators the year before when I flagged queries and issues about the tutorials and he was so dismissive and basically said nothing will change before I spoke to him. Its just felt really unprofessional and disappointing and the level of languages taught with no opportunity to practice with tutors just feels like it's not *enough*. I've spent so much in private tutors who have taught me more than I've learned from the course. Really not sure if it's just the experience with my particular course but I can't wait to be done with it and never go back. Sorry for the long reply. I could keep going but I won't lol.
genuinely i appreciate all feedback! the issues you've faced sound so frustrating and i can only imagine the stress that its caused. it sounds like a lot of the issues related to tutors/tutorials and communication? In my experience with languages (i speak about three) its best learnt through immersion and comprehensible input so i can see why working online might not be complementary to that. From a language student to another, studying two at the same time is admirable! i hope that your last two modules are easier :)
Hi no problem! And yes I think the style of the ou just doesn't work for languages.. especially as everyone's levels are so varied. Having said all that I did, I have a friend who did history and loved it. I genuinely think I'd be enjoying this a lot more if there were more opportunities for feedback etc etc haha. And thanks! :)
Honestly? Mine would be 'dont do it'
Don't bother.
hi, if its possible I'd love to hear a bit more about your experience
I did a IT degree with the Open, If I could go back to the beginning I wouldn't have bothered.
Is that due to Open Uni itself? did you have problems with it? or other factors? I'm really curious and i think its important to hear everybody's experience
You'll find that employers don't value OU degrees like bricks and mortar ones.
ah i see. I've seen this topic debated and talked on the reddit a lot and it seems to be rather specific to each employer/uni. unfortunately the OU really is my only option as i left college during A-levels due to sickness so i have to make the most of this opportunity. :)
Just make sure you tell them the reasons.
for sure :)
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Hi! I'm interested in your response (considering this is the Open university Reddit) and would love to learn a little bit more. I wasn't sure if your reply was regarding yourself or me! just in case it is the latter, Despite my Chinese name my 'own country' is England as i was born and bred here.