Open University question, can I manage it?

[TreeHuggerMum1]

Hello, nervous new OU starter (hopefully).
I have signed up for a 2 year Certificate of Business Management course part time. I work 5 days and have 3 children. I really want to do this course with a view to a degree over time. However, I’m worried I won’t fit in everything. Mum / work / OU / house. Is the 16 hrs a week over 52 weeks of the year? I work term time only...
Any positive outcomes, any tips?

You'll do it, you may not manage to do everything all of the time but you'll do it. Exercise is the first thing to go for me, and the house tends to look awful the week any assessments need handing in but DD is fairly happy with uninterrupted minecraft time while I chuck random food stuffs to her during those weeks she even occasionally brings me a cup of tea whilst I'm studying now she's older, it's hard but it gets done.

My modules run October to May, but you can usually access the course materials several weeks in advance of the official start. I use this time to give myself a buffer and work a few weeks ahead of the planner. I always have course material downloaded on my phone so if I have a spare few minutes waiting for appointments, kids pick up etc I can do some reading. I've sat at kid's parties before making notes for two hours and looking very antisocial!

I work full time and have managed so far, it's just a case of making study a priority outside of work and being organised. Having a supportive family and friends is useful. There is a lot of support from the OU itself, the tutors are wonderful and there is a friendly Twitter community.

Good luck with your study, it'll be challenging but very rewarding.

Some of the optional modules are only 30 credits, so if you find the first 60 credit module a bit too much, you could take two years over the remaining 60 credits. Get ahead in September, plan around busier/less busy times - look carefully at the deadlines to make this work for you. If work is termtime only, you may do more in the holidays, depending on the ages of your kids. Think about when you're going to fit the study in, and get other members of the household on board with protecting those slots, eg get OH to take children out on Saturday mornings to give you a clear undisturbed slot then, plan to sign them up for a holiday club of some sort at half-term, have nights when you are not on getting-kids-to-bed duty. Work out when you can fit in bits (I have studied in the swimming pool cafe and soft play places, and later in the corner of band practice). Some people find the lunch-hour at work helpful, but if termtime-only means you work in a school, perhaps not! The babysitting circle was great too - it was always easier to settle down to an evening's study in someone else's house, and their kids were earlier to bed and less likely to disturb!

Yes you can do it! With enough motivation and managing your time you definitely can. I worked full time and did a full time degree in my final year now and I recommend it to anyone. My brother had 3 kids and did it for few years part time but struggled to motivate and so dropped out - so you do have to be motivated but the sense of achievement when you complete a module is amazing.

Forgot to add - they say I need to study for 32 hours a week but I don't do no where near that maybe 4-5. I'd spend an afternoon doing that weeks task and manage fine

I did this as a single Mum. It's hard to juggle with family and work, but if you look at each assignment and focus your studies around that, you can cut the workload down a bit. My children were at secondary school at the time, so we all studied together at weekends. I look back now and wonder how on earth I did it, but am very proud of my degree! Go for it!

I am also about to sign up to the OU - also a business related course. I am terrified. I have tried and given up twice in the past but that was due to cost and travel, as well being young and a bit of a dick, more than anything else (lots more compulsory residentials etc back then).