Has anyone undertaken an OU degree as a mature student?

[KittyMcKitty]

And if so how did you find it?

Clearly the stress of having dc in years 11 & 13 isn’t enough for me as I’m very seriously thinking of embarking in an OU degree (Art History and Visual Culture).

I’ve looked at the cost and would get a P/T student loan. I work part time and am also the secretary of a busy sports club. I think time wise I will be fine (will do 60 credits a year).

I will be doing it for purely selfish reasons- something for me which I feel I will enjoy and find enriching.

I’ve not told anyone irl (other then my eldest who thought it was a good idea) as I’m worried people will think I’m silly to want to do this at my age (early 50’s).

So tell me honestly am I daft or could this be the best thing ever?

Good luck! I graduated at fiftyish after 5 years studying and working FT with DC. Luckily that was before the costs went up, or I couldn’t have justified the expense.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, although if was of no benefit to my career whatsoever (linked subject field).

It's good to have a set study schedule if you can, but I tended to find hat life got in the way. I snatched time whenever I had it and then shut everyone out at assignment time.

I'm so glad you're doing it OP. Ive found I rarely regret things I choose to do. But majorly regret things I haven't done. I graduated from the OU in 2019 at 50. They are amazing. I have increased my value. Mainly my own feeling of self worth. It has changed me. I have become a better person in my eyes. I plan to do my postgrad teacher training next year. You never know where it may take you. It was hard. But doable. Fantastic support. I am slightly jealous of you 😉 Ignore the nay-sayers. It will fly by. When you start it sounds like forever but it isn't. You've obviously chosen a subject you enjoy. Like I did. I cried when I was writing my final assignment as I never wanted it to end! You only have one life. Now is to your time 🙂 There are great OU Facebook groups. Both module specific and general OU. Brill on-line community. Why wouldn't you? Xxx

I'm so glad you've gone for it OP! I have just registered for the first module I want to study as part of an OU Masters. It won't start until October but when I did my Bachelors, I chose a subject I enjoyed, without realising my disability would prevent me working in that field. I'm now going to do the Open masters course and can do a subject I really enjoy but that will hopefully help in my role. I can't wait - it'll be tough with working full time but I actually find I'm more productive in the evenings so hoping to use that to my advantage.

Definitely go for it - I am in the final year of my OU degree and have really enjoyed it. If you study part-time over six years it would amount to approx 18 hours per week from Oct through to June with two weeks study-free time at Christmas and Easter. There are a wide range of students who study for different reasons and are different ages but you will most certainly not feel out of place. As one of the posters above mention it is best to keep on top of your studies and try not to fall behind. The units are split week by week so it is easy to plan and you know in advance the months that you have essays or online assessments so you’ll have a good guide of how to allocate your time. You will not be thrown in the deep end and there are lots of videos on the OU website showing students how to use the OU materials, scheduler, online resources etc. I think you may have missed enrolment for the February start date and I think the next registration will be in October so perhaps between now and then you can access the free modules on the OU site to get a feel of the subjects on offer and a way to get back up to scratch of studying again.

Hi KittyMcKitty thank you for posting this question! I am also looking at doing an OU course, today is the last day to enrol for the one I want to study to start in Feb. As you have said in your posts here, I have always done everything for someone else or for career purposes and I would like to something for myself now..... It feels selfish to me to say that but I think it is because I am so used to putting my own wants behind the families etc.

The reviews here sound very encouraging! I don't think that any degrees are 'worthless' in the very least they make you knowledgable in an area. I am hoping having my own study challenge will give me new lease / something new to focus on and look forward to, another goal to achieve.

KittyMcKitty Did you apply?

@SoTiredNeedHoliday I did!!! I’m registered & signed up - got the official email this morning and access to module etc. Waiting for the books to arrive in the post.

Well done 🥂

KittyMcKitty thats great! I signed this afternoon too.

I am 39 and partway through my 2nd year (3rd year of part-time study) of my OU degree. I totally started mine for me. I study for a few hours a day for a few days. I have to juggle a bit around the kids and work but it's worth it. From October until May I'm busy and it's been a learning curve writing academically but I'm proud of. myself so far!! Go for it!

Thank you everyone for your kind words. It’s daunting but exciting. My plan is to do this module which will finish 10th September and then start the next in October (it only starts in October). Thereafter start a module in October. Do it’ll be a bit full on for a year and a half but then slow down as presumably the complexity increases.

@SoTiredNeedHoliday fantastic- well done you!! Which course?

@freakyfairy

If the OP works part-time, the likelihood is that she won’t even need to start paying the loan back.

Oh well then by all means the OP should take from the SLC if she had no intention of paying it back...Jesus Christ as if the U.K. hasn't got enough to pay for!! it's all take, take, take!

If she's in her 50s, then had she done a degree when leaving school, the fees would all have been paid for her by the government, and depending on parental income, she might also have had a student grant (not loan) as well. It was possible to graduate with no debt whatsoever, and all costs borne by the government.

I did an OU degree when DC were little and it took me 6 years. I managed to get by just going to the tutorials and completing my assignments. I did nothing in between and didn't try to keep up with the reading every week. I just studied backwards from the TMA question, skimming the materials for relevant info and did it that way. I used to carve out a weekend to do it and DH would be in charge of the DC so I could get on with it. I got a First so it was certainly possible to do it that way.