Experiences of open university?

[WhatDoIDooDIoDtahW]

Can someone dumb it down for me? From applying for the student loans, how it’s paid. The experience as a whole.

I’m currently off on maternity leave. My current profession is a dental nurse, it was an apprenticeship about 6 years ago. I wanted a professional qualification but I needed to pay my mum board so it was the best of both worlds. But now I’m that bit older and we have our house and a baby I really want to step it up career wise.

Has anyone done open university? Was it ok? I’m scared to hand in my notice at work at the end of maternity and leave the security of a career and semi-ok wage.

We can afford for me to be off studying with a student loan. DP is a good Warner so we wouldn’t be hugely affected although I’d have to cut back on the personal buys!

I just need to read some experience to make my mind up.

I've studied with the OU quite a bit, over 12 years and from first year degree to masters.

Study wise I'd just go for it during your the first year and keep working part time, at least as it repeats a lot of GCSE stuff imo.

After that it depends if you plan to go FT studying or not.

Some courses have been hard, some very easy, but all very well taught and supported.

If you can I would go to a 'real' rather than an online university then I would. The support from the OU has not been great, they don't acknowledge when they get things wrong and the lecturers working for them don't feel well supported either. I am part way through a course and unlikely now to do the second part to complete the rest of my qualification as I don't really want to give the OU any more of my money and I just don't feel its worth it. The University sector as a whole has had to up its game because of the falling number of 18 year olds, OU knows it has a captive audience and hasn't made much effort to be innovative or supportive.

If you need a degree for work and you can't access it anywhere else, its worth it. If you can go somewhere else however, I would do that.

I’m pretty rural and travelling to my close test unit would be 45mind to get there everyday. Considering open university for the novelty of being at home with the baby while I study I suppose, it’s seems like the best option for my family life.

I’m going to look into it a lot more before I commit to anything .

Crikey I would disagree almost entirely with the pp! I work for the ou and provide great support for my students and the work and feedback given is very rigorous.

My experience has been the opposite of help1653’s but it will vary enormously according to the type of course you wish to study and what your end goal happens to be. I am studying final year modules (very part time now as I have a toddler and about to go on maternity leave from work with my second). I personally wouldn’t hand in notice and would see how you enjoy/manage the studying. As isthistoonosy says, the first year modules tend to be quite broad in scope and aim to bring everyone up to speed regardless of previous education.

I got much more support from OU than I did from a red brick. I would really vouch for the health and social care degree OP, BUT do consider the cost of the degree against potential future earnings.

I'm in my last year of an OU computing degree and I have felt well supported throughout - from tutors to support staff when deferring a course.

I've really enjoyed it and would recommend them highly

I worked full time while doing my OU degree, and had a baby (just!) by the end of it. I then did a MEd with two small children and worked full time. If you are prepared to allocate enough time, it is very much possible to complete your studies without giving up your job. I did my BSc over four years and the MEd took a little over three years as by then there was more flexibility over start dates. I studied from 1994-7 and 2006-8 and distance learning looked very different then!