To ask you for advice re open uni?

[NomsQualityStreets]

Posting for traffic as got no replies in my previous one.

I'm currently a SAHM, will be for another couple of years until our youngest qualifies for free nursery hours or we can afford to send him.

I have no formal qualifications but would potentially like to carve myself out a little career in the future and I've been looking into open university but I'm not 100% confident.

Does it really count the same as going to university?
Are the courses really doable "in your own time from home"?
Do employers see them as valuable/consider them?

Or would I be wasting my time?

I'm a manager and I recruit staff when needed. When looking at applications I always hold open university qualifications in high stead. Most people have done them while working, or while looking after children at home and that to me shows a lot of dedication to furthering their education and qualifications.

Hi Noms

I’m currently in my final year out of 6 of an Open Universirty degree and I can’t recommend it enough. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been hard work as I’ve worked full time alongside studying it, but it is doable!

I took two modules a year (60 credits) and you need 360 credits to qualify for the degree.

If you have any questions just ask, I’ve been through all of the stresses that come with a study yourself degree

Also, whenever I’ve interviewed for a job, be always been asked about my degree choice as it’s not the ‘conventional’ route and they always seem interested and it proves I can manage my time efficiently

I have an honours degree through OU.

Does it really count the same as going to university? yes because it IS a university exactly the same as Edinburgh, Canterbury, Oxford, Cambridge etc are universities. Infact many top universities are now offering distance learning and part time courses so the difference between traditional brick unis and the OU is really rather small.

Are the courses really doable "in your own time from home"? depends how much time in a week you get as ‘own time’. If you’re taking on a degree, they recommend you’ll need around 20-30 hours a week to be able to study comfortably. However, you learn quite quickly how to manage your time effectively so this is fairly flexible.

Do employers see them as valuable/consider them? I’ve always found that employers hold my degree in high regard. I’ve also had employers tell me that they’d take a OU graduate over a graduate from a different university. The reason is because it shows a unique work ethic that brings out other desirable skills in a candidate.

The best thing to do in your case is to give the OU a call and get a prospectus and really have a chat with them. It’s not easy. People tend to think it’s just something you do on the side of normal life but that is rarely the case. You’ll be putting in the same, if not more work into your degree as a standard student (and with none of the perks like the social life!). It can be isolating and lonely and you only ever get out what you put in. In a lot of ways it will take over your life.

However, I wouldn’t change the way I did my degree for anything. I loved it and miss it I got myself out there and made some brilliant friends, I was taught by top lecturers and I was constantly inspired and supported. The sense of achievement at the end was mind blowing because I’d managed it all whilst having kids and working full time and dealing with a busy life. I still can’t get my head around how I did that!

It's definitely a proper degree from a well-respected university. You would not be wasting your time. As to whether they are doable at home, you need to look into the requirements for things like residential weeks, field trips and so on, which will vary between subjects. You also need to know that you can be a self-starting learner and disciplined to keep at it.