Is open university actually good?

[RaveToTheGrave1]

I write this as someone who has been studying with them for about a year, it's not easy for me to get to a bricks and mortar uni for various reasons so I chose to do OU.

Firstly I was put on the wrong course, they did change me after a few months and I got a little bit of a discount on the course I actually wanted, so I'm already paying a bit more than I would have, I did chase it up to see if anything could be done but it was a flat no.

Now I'm on the right course (religion) but we seem to be doing some many random modules that have absolutely nothing to do with what I actually want to study, there's religion coming up, but right at the end of the module, I'm starting the next ones in October to have a break over the summer.

For example, I want to be a chaplain, I want to study as many religions as possible, I have a sociology background and love learning things like this. My recent essay I only got 74, it was about poetry...it seems like they make you do all these other random little things that have absolutely nothing to do with your end goal, I was told I HAVE to study these arbitrary things before I get to any religion stuff, the latest essay I was told as I didn't use literary terms I wasn't marked as high, nowhere did the question state to use that, and as its poetry not religion like I wanted its not something I know much about!

Please tell me your experiences with OU, I've been regretting it after the first 3 months but as I'm shelling out for this I don't want to just quit halfway through, the aim is to get a BA in religion.

I'm on my first year of OU. Are you doing the arts and humanities course? I'm doing that and it is covering all the subjects under that umbrella as an introduction. I'm loving it (well, mostly - Plato was very boring, philosophy is not my thing!) I've skipped through the stuff I definitely won't do TMAs on, like music, but still speed read the chapters.

This course is more about getting you used to writing essays, citing references etc,before branching off into your chosen subject.

74% is great, well done! It's better than I've been doing.

Are you starting at Stage 1 study with the OU? If so, the idea is that Stage 1 is interdisciplinary, so each module covers a range of material from across the Arts and Humanities. The ethos is that interdisciplinary study introduces a wider range of skill sets, as well as allowing people to be introduced to subjects they might never have had the chance to study before, but might actually love. And much of Level 1 is also about developing general academic study skills rather than subject knowledge.

At Level 2 onwards you get to specialise in the discipline you've chosen.

The OU don't do a 'religion' BA.
They have a BA in Religion, Philosophy & Ethics.
I think it's quite clear from the degree title that's it's not only a religion degree.

You say you have a background in sociology? If you have a previous degree you can go straight into level 2 without the general level one courses which it sounds like you are doing now.

The OU courses and modules all have very detailed descriptions available to everyone. I do t know how you are so confused?

If you want to just study religion they have one level 2 module and one level 3 module solely on religion.

www.open.ac.uk/courses/arts/degrees/ba-religion-philosophy-ethics-r45

@RaveToTheGrave1 if you take a look at the Mature Study and Retraining board here you’ll find several threads on the OU:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

I seem to be doing that as apparently you have to do that before going into religion which I found a little weird, I skipped Plato too!

Ah okay thank you! I had an adviser ring me when I started and he said even though I've been to sixth form I had to start at this level

Yes that's the one I'm on, I was just very confused I was told I have to do the arts and humanties first

How much research did you do into the content of the course? As @maximalistmaximus says, it's very obvious from the course page what the modules cover. It's a BA in "Religion, Philosophy & Ethics" not just religion. There are only 2 modules dedicated to religion - one in Stage 2 and one in Stage 3.

I know that's the course name I was just incredibly confused why I had ended up redoing a lot of sociology, then we had poetry, jazz etc...

Yes, everyone starts at that level as it is the equivalent of first year undergraduate. The only way to skip it would be if you were transferring from another university partway through, or if you'd already done an undergraduate degree, in which place you could ask to skip Stage 1. The OU has a lot of students who didn't have the opportunity to study at 18 and who have been out of education for a long time, and so the idea of Stage 1 is to introduce the core skills that are needed to thrive in a Humanities degree of any type, as well as to give students the cultural capital of learning about different subject areas.

I think there's a lot to be said for learning about different disciplines in the first year of university-level study. Try to imagine this as a chance to expand your horizons and learn about what different disciplines involve, and the differences in methodology, and it will make you a more rounded thinker and learner later on in your degree. I'm an academic (have taught at a range of institutions of different types) and I think we specialise too early in England, meaning students often don't get a chance to find out what their real strengths and interests are because they've had to narrow down their options from the age of 16 and are then funnelled into a narrow degree programme. Studying more widely at this stage doesn't stop you graduating with the degree you've chosen, but it could open your eyes to an area you've never thought about before (music, classics, art history) and whether or not you study that any further, it is enriching on a personal level.

That's a really great way to look at it, thank you!
I did enjoy the music section though I didn't understand a lot of the terms etc, but learning more about black history through jazz has been great as its not something my own mixed family has ever really discussed! I'd previously done English language and literature so really had to drag up some previous knowledge I'd forgotten, I'm quite miffed I didn't think to use the more technical terms but I find a lot of the questions for essays can be quite vague

Also, if you want to be a chaplain, there's a lot of benefit to engaging with literature, art and music as part of your intellectual training, as they have always been hugely important ways for people to express or reflect upon their religious and spiritual beliefs.

When you say you want to study religion, do you think that the OU will tell what all the basic tenets of each religion are? It sounds to me like that’s what you are expecting. Forgive me if I’ve misinterpreted.

Yes you will do. Stage 1 of the OU is Level 4 - equivalent to the first year of a degree. Your sixth form studies will be at Level 3, the level below. So you need to do the first year as you won't have any credit at the right level to transfer. If you've already done a degree, you may be able to credit modules towards your OU degree (when I did mine, I was able to transfer 30 credits of free choice study specified on my course pathway from my previous degree to the OU) which will mean you won't have to do certain modules.

If your goal is to become a chaplain, would you not be better to study Theology at one of the specific theological colleges?
Have you contacted the church that you are interested in becoming ordained in to see what their advice is?