Open University - is it worth it/what should I study?

[CheddarCheesy]

I didn't attend university after A-Levels for a variety of reasons. I'm now 25 and in a well-paying job; I have no regrets about not attending university, however I have always had a 'life goal' of achieving a degree.

I was very academic at school (12 GCSEs at grade A*/A), however my A-Levels were not as good as they should have been (ABC) as I just wasn't focused or committed enough.

I am now considering studying for a degree with the Open University; this would be mainly for my own personal development as I'm happy with the career I am in, although obviously it would be great to have a degree to add to my CV too!

I am a little stuck as to which degree to choose; English was by far my strongest subject at school so part of me thinks I should opt for English Literature as I know I would be good at it (this was my A at A-Level without much study!). On the other hand, I love the sound of a Criminology degree as it is a subject I am interested in and think I would enjoy studying.

I would love some people's opinions on studying with the Open University in general (is it worth doing? Do employers treat it as a 'proper' degree?) and whether you should choose the subject you would be better at or the one you would enjoy more?

I'm looking at registering to start in October, so am just trying to do some research before I commit. I don't want to put in loads of time and hard work over 6 years of part time study to find out that a Criminology degree from the Open University is not worth the paper it is written on, for example!

Hmmm. Criminology isn’t the most sought after degree wherever it’s from. My advice would be to do their Professional Certificate in Management and follow it up with aN MBA. Neither of those is a waste of time or money and would be great for work.

It’s expensive and time consuming. Neither of those degrees seems likely to be v helpful career/earnings wise.

The OU has a good reputation and track record of distance learning. As an employer, I think it shows you went extra mile to study and work at same time. If it's not something you need for career think about what you would enjoy, what's going to keep you motivated when you've got to get essays done. Many universities offer distance learning options now. I did my masters through Birmingham this way. It takes commitment but I'm glad I did it.

I wouldn’t do English either. Again it’s not go great employment stats but that may not matter to you as you have a job. I would spend my money on something to help at work though.

The thing is I recently did a level 3 sales and marketing diploma through work and I found it SO boring. I work in sales and I actually really love my job, but there is no way I could do a degree in business/sales/marketing etc; it just doesn't interest me enough to want to spend that much time learning about it outside of work.

I know I would be setting myself up to fail by embarking on a degree that doesn't interest me as I would struggle to motivate myself to do the work. I don't need a degree for my career so this would definitely be more of a personal development project.

I did an Open OU degree. I studied what interested me rather than one subject. Been promoted multiple times since completing it and always get asked about it. I was working and studying and that's the skill I have been promoted on. It shows commitment and ability to juggle.

I have more than doubled my salary since completion.

I did go to university in the traditional sense and then did the OU after

PM me if you want to chat in detail

To be honest I would just go with what you're interested in, too. I did a degree in sociology and it's completely unrelated to what I ended up doing (software support) , and I've never had a problem getting jobs (I'm in management now). I did my degree in a traditional university but I'm now thinking of doing a masters with OU.

I did my OU degree in Literature quite a few years ago. I had to complete an extra year to get a named degree, as these had only just become an option during what would have been my final year of Humanities with Literature. It helped me get on at work, despite being completely unrelated to my job. In fact my boss, who was normally a sour bastard, fought my case for our employer to finance my studies. His argument was simply that, in order to progress, only a 'degree' was stipulated, not anything specific. I remember it opened a real can of worms because usually only business type degrees were financed.

I loved the OU. It suited my complete inability to stick to anyone else's structure, because I was able to study when it suited me. I discovered that, when I was truly interested in something, suddenly I could be very disciplined. That has never been the case for anything in my life before or since. If I could go back and do it all again, I would in a heartbeat.

I don't know if my waffling helps you at all, but I say study what you love because you will have the drive to do well.

Look at Chartered Management Institute qualifications. You could be a chartered manager. If you have enough managerial experience, you could do a MBA after that. Some universities offer a MBA top-up course where you study only two modules to get the full MBA degree.

Don't do Criminology unless you are just doing it for fun. It's pointless. I've worked in basic admin jobs on minimum wage with at least five people with criminology degrees. Do the English if it's what you shine in.

The OU is highly respected in Higher Education and rightly so.
I did English Language and Literature with the OU (pre tuition fees) - in some ways it's harder than taking a degree at a regular uni - if you take one module a year it can take 6 yrs plus as you are distance learning there's a lot more assessment/ assignments throughout each module in addition to exams at the end. I got a first, went on to do a master's and am now doing a PhD. It was worth it and I enjoyed it but it certainly wasn't a cushy option.

I’m in my last year of an OU Open degree. I’ve picked modules from the health and social care syllabus and child/youth. I’ve had loads of job offers over the years in the sector and I haven’t even finished. Employers always seem impressed that I juggle this along with working and raising three kids. I’m thinking of going into teaching soon after. For me it’s already been more than worth it and I haven’t even finished.

It seems crazy not to do a degree that can help you in your career, if you don't have a huge passion for a subject you would love to study for its own sake. If your main goal is really self improvement, and you want to prove to yourself you can study and get your degree then choose a subject that will help you in your career.

If you’re interested in both English and Criminology, have you considered a law degree?

I'm almost halfway through an English literature degree with the OU.

Similar profile to you - decent academic history prior, happy in my current career and really doing it for self improvement.

It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far. The materials and tutor support have been great and I feel just as enthusiastic now as when I first started. Plus I've been introduced to some really interesting texts.

I did the OU degree in Literature. It was brilliant! I loved doing it and all the course materials, seminars etc were excellent. It is very expensive, but if you can afford it I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I'm in my third year of a law degree with the OU. It's brilliant. It's hard work . I work ft in Criminal investigation so found the first 2 years relatively easy.. I am too old to use it for employment but would love to help at the CAB etc when I retire.. Gives a great sense of achievement.

The OU has the most amazing resources for learning . They have been doing distance learning for 50 years- so real experts in this method of teaching.