Please come and talk to me about your Open University experience.

[MakeYourOwnFuckingTea]

I've 90% decided to go for it. I read a post on fb and the woman sounds like she's in a similar position to me (left school early, no qualifications, always worked but in dead end jobs for nmw etc). I'm 41 and married with 4 kids. I feel its time to do something for me that will benefit us all in the long run. No idea what I'd like to do but am leaning towards health and social care or something in that area.
Does anyone have any experience of Open University? I'm leaving it too late aren't I?

Phone the OU, they will give you information about finance and loans.

I'm about the start my second year of a Bsc in Environmental Science and it's the best thing I have ever done. Seriously. I work full time so do around 3 hours 3 nights in the week and get up early on a Saturday and do 5 hours on the morning then I get the rest of the weekend off! It's busier around the time you submit assignments but manageable.

I have gotten way more opportunities at work, and respect from colleagues even though it'll be years till I graduate, people seem to really look positively on it because it shows commitment and ambition. It's given me back so much confidence that I had lost previously working for a massive bully.

Go for it! Regarding funding you will definitely get it, it's not means tested and every UK citizen is eligible for it (if you haven't done a degree before)

If you've not studied since you left school you will probably be better starting with an Access course - this will break you gently back into study and help you with working out how to manage your time as well as (re)learning study skills.

I have just completed my degree with the OU. To answer your questions funding is normally through student finance (student loan) if you have not studied at degree level before. This is paid back direct from your earnings once you earn a certain amount. The workload varies depending on the level of the course, but starting with a level one course would be 16 to 20 hours a week (depending on subject and personal ability).

You do really need access to a laptop or computer as most of the courses are moving towards being much more online learning than in the past. Do check as there is sometimes a grant to help with purchasing one.

Student discount you can get like a normal student - this is definitely worth doing! It's certainly not an easy way to study as you need to be very motivated but it is flexible and fits around your life. Make sure you attend any online or face to face tutorials as these are helpful!

Thanks for the link to the free courses, @floweringorchid. Looks like there is some interesting stuff on there.

Watching with interest.

I'm starting a social science degree in October. Feeling a bit nervous but there's lots of support

Op go for it !

I was looking at the health and social care or maybe social science. However I'm awful at maths. So pleased that people are sharing their experiences and others applying too.

Marking my place as I'm signed up for engineering to start in October and I'm worrying a bit now!

Just about to start my second Level one module in October. Switched from an Open Degree to International Studies as Social science seems to be my thing. I haven't studied since school and I am 37, level one modules will ease you in if you don't want to do an access course. I have 3 young dc's and expecting a 4th. I am rubbish at maths, spoke to my tutor who gave me some help and support when needed, got me through 1st module with maths bits. Plenty of Open learn or future learn courses to try and level one modules usually have a February start too.

My maths tutor has been the best tutor I’ve had in the 6 modules I’ve done. She was v approachable and made things understandable

I'm seriously considering OU but I am struggling so much to choose a course! This is basically the story of my life and why I am now trying once again in my mid thirties

My head says to go along the environmental science/technology route as with the way the world is heading it will be the major focus in a few years and it will hopefully lead to a good career.
My heart says forensic psychology but that may have been too much criminal minds when I was younger
My ultimate heart says classics with a focus on Ancient Greece but then can I justify studying something that is unlikely to lead me into a career....

Urghh.

What degree would you do for a career in social work? I'm thinking of retraining. I've no previous qualifications either.

I'm about to start my 5th year and while it's been a struggle at times with kids and working full time, I love it.

Make sure you take advantage of the free Amazon Prime too!

Signed up for the free six months Rioja!

I started OU as I was (and still am) a FT carer so this was something for me IYKWIM. It was really enjoyable and the time flew in. My advice would be to cho ose a degree that will lead you onto a career or at least a pathway. Doing health and social care for example will allow you to apply for NHS graduate schemes. I did Humanities which whilst interesting isn't focussed enough to get a specific job and my second degree was criminology which again is broad. If I had my time again I probably would have done Psychology. Do be aware that the Forensic Psychology may not be BPS accredited which means that you cannot use it to go down a psychology field as you need to be a BPS member.
Definitely join the Facebook page of your module, I found that more useful than the tutorials or OU forums.

Just checked and the Forensic Psych is eligible for graduate basis chart er for BPS.

onelostsoul I struggled to choose between psychology and sciences but then discovered that many psychology masters courses would accept any degree with a good grade, so I choose engineering with the view that if it doesn't work for me I can always do a psychology conversion masters afterwards!

Does anybody know if the free cpurses would hold any weight with an employer. Obviously they're not degrees but as a back up or "proof" of skills you already have

This is really interesting thank you! I'm 29 -and a single mum of 2 and was looking at doing a teaching assistant course at college but open university would fit in way better perhaps! Off to check out the free ones

I've signed up to a BA in English Literature starting in February.

Sign up was really easy. Have also applied for a tuition fee loan which I have found straight forward so far.

I have A levels and professional exams (albeit in an area as far as possible from the humanities as you can get!) but never studied for a degree before.

Having read as much as I can online, it looks like the first module is designed to ease you in and refresh your study skills - the consensus I've found on sites like TSR is that although the overall course is the same level of 'difficulty' as a degree from an onsite uni, it does start off a little below this level as they are mindful that many students won't have studied in a while.

Very much excited to get started - although a little nervous of the time commitment!

@ClashCityRocker that's what I'm doing - the segment on children's lot is amazing. Worth joining the Facebook groups for bashing ideas about.

@riojaHaze Thank you, I will take a look at the Facebook groups.

How are you finding it so far?

I am starting teacher training on Wednesday and I could only do that because I passed my OU Computing & IT degree last year

I've just submitted my assignment for my final Bsc module this morning, and have a place to begin my MSc with them next month :)

Very highly recommended by me. And as a former person responsible for recruitment, I'd add that a lot of the time OU degrees are looked on more favourably by employers as they show a higher level of self-direction re work ethic - cause of the various other things that OU students are generally juggling, in comparison with regular uni