MA English Literature- OU!

StColumbofNavron · 05/08/2023 17:46

Thanks for flagging this, I’ve also toyed with this for years and it’s never been quite the right texts/themes for me, but this looks fantastic (I dream in Chekhov sometime I love his work - and frankly, him). I was thinking of going back for an MRes/MPhil but I might do this for now.

@FergusSingsTheBIues I went back to uni as a mature student and did my undergrad and a MA in a related discipline and honestly, those intro modules will stand you in good stead and if you are writing already I really think you will be fine. You should absolutely go for this.

scheherazade1 · 05/08/2023 17:50

I did an MA in Modern Literature as a mature student and can't get a job at all which is very depressing. Humanities degrees seem to be worth much less on the jobs market than they used to be.

StColumbofNavron · 05/08/2023 17:59

I think you have to push hard on the transferable skills with humanities, analysis, argument that sort of thing. I’m sure you are doing that.

I get the sense that OP wants to do this for fun though.

Yarnorama · 05/08/2023 18:29

There are people beginning postgrad study way later than 50s so do not let that worry you at all.

I returned to HE after a long gap to do an MSc with the OU and it was brilliant.

Original poster

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 19:27

Thanks for the encouragement

Im doing it purely for the love of it. My kids are often distracted with their own lives now and I have a lot of spare time in the evenings.

I think my reluctance is that I don’t really know what’s needed academically: although I’ve worked as an academic/biz writer for a while, I find it hard to gauge the depth required. I’m scared of failing - I am literally the only member of my family without a doctorate and my husband has three (!) and I think that impacts my confidence somewhat.

OP posts:

Yarnorama · 05/08/2023 19:35

3 doctorates? That is very unusual!

The OU is really very good at the foundational work required to support students returning to learning.

Original poster

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 19:36

Yes, he’s an academic.

unfortunately this is what puts me off in a way.

OP posts:

Original poster

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 19:37

I mean if I could do it with it telling anybody I’d probably just go for it. The syllabus looks amazing! I don’t normally lack confidence at all but I do with this.

OP posts:

Yarnorama · 05/08/2023 19:41

It does sound like you need to do this, finding a course that sparks excitement like this is the best reason for doing academic study imho.

If it helps, I found learning to drive harder than doing a PhD.

StColumbofNavron · 05/08/2023 19:54

I used to describe studying as a very expensive hobby (it wasn’t, I truly loved it and continue to) to justify staying on past BA to my family (non academic and didn’t really ‘get’ why I wanted to do an MA and a PhD - started but not completed).

In your case though, maybe it would help to look at it that way, because then whatever you achieve in terms of result will be a bonus whilst doing something you love.

EmmaPaella · 05/08/2023 19:54

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 17:38

I’ve been mooning about doing MA English Lit for like the last ten years 🙄 but the OU reading list didn’t seem very inspirational to me - they’ve just updated and ot
looks fab.

https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/modules/a893

Anybody any experience?

Im worried in case I’m too thick, old or
lazy and aware that I may be all three 😂

But I absolutely love English literature and have worked as a writer for a few years so definitely able to churn out some essays. I’m hoping my enthusiasm will make up for any shortcomings - but I’ve kind of built it up into some massively hard
undertaking and would really like to hear from anybody else who began a postgrad at 50: I have this debate every single summer.

I could have written your post word for word except I am 45. I have been thinking about it since I was about 25! I also noticed the book update. Tempted…

Im worried in case I’m too thick, old or
lazy and aware that I may be all three

Me too. It’s way too long since I had any semblance of academic confidence!

elepants · 05/08/2023 20:03

To give another point of view, I did my PhD in English literature in my early 20s. By 25 I was teaching on courses like this. I'm now in my 40s and entirely confident I would have produced a far richer and more interesting thesis at the age I am now. It's a cliche, but there's no shortcut to life experience. If the course speaks to you, and you have the time and motivation, go for it.

Original poster

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 20:13

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

I think I’ll go for it… maybe. It’s something I just need to do: I wanted to do English undergraduate but was kind of influenced into something more lucrative, ie law, which I hated and never used anyway. It’s a big regret really.

@StColumbofNavron will you update if you decide to apply?

@Yarnorama What’s your PhD in? Did you do that as a mature student and how did you find it ?

and one more question: how flexible is OU in terms of deadlines etc? I get the impression it’s very well structured but also had always believed that you pretty much went at your own pace. School holidays would be quite hard for me to stick to deadlines as we go away a lot. OR is it just flexible in terms of contact hours/ lecture availability? If anybody could answer that for me, I’d be really grateful!

OP posts:

Yarnorama · 05/08/2023 20:23

OU is flexible in so far as you structure your weeks as you choose, but deadlines are deadlines, with extensions available but I can't remember ever having one. I tended to do nothing for a few weeks then do an intense week to catch up, but it meant losing out on discussion in the forums as most people did stick to the timetabled weekly work. But because you have the whole module planned out you can see what's needed when and get stuff done early if deadlines fall when you won't have time. If you go in assuming you'll do everything late you will make things much harder than they need to be.

My PhD (I'm in between submission and viva at the moment, it's a very strange time!) is social science/qualitative research so quite different to your field.

StColumbofNavron · 05/08/2023 21:08

@FergusSingsTheBIues I will update. I’m going to look at it properly tomorrow.

swanling · 07/08/2023 19:19

On deadlines, this is a few years old but may address some of your worries / questions:

https://learn1.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/viewpost.php?post=214881

The Open University

Personal Blogs

https://learn1.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/viewpost.php?post=214881

Original poster

FergusSingsTheBIues · 07/08/2023 19:35

Thanks @swanling that’s really reassuring.

can anybody tell me if the graduate loan covers all fees? I assume you pay up front and then the loan comes through, right? I’d rather do this completely independently of my husband really…..Although he’s lovely an all. I haven’t been able to get a job for a couple of years and don’t want him to fund anything, he’s already really generous.

I’m asking because I just couldn’t get through on the phone today, and I emailed them last week. I don’t have a masters already so presumably I can claim full whack?

OP posts:

PrincessTigger · 07/08/2023 19:41

Do you get a lot of help with dissertation ideas in module 2? Module 1 sounds amazing but I’m worried I’d go blank in module 2 and not be able to come up with anything…

swanling · 07/08/2023 19:46

Postgrad loan you'd pay OU upfront and then the loan funding comes to you once the module has started and OU has confirmed you are "actively studying":

https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/postgraduate-loans-england

Eligibility conditions:

https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan/eligibility

There is another option for an OUSBA loan where they pay the fees and you repay them. But it's different terms to a postgrad loan so may not suit your circumstances:

https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/ousba-loan

The Open University

You could be Eligible for a Postgraduate Loan of up to £10,906. Take your studies further with a Masters Degree from The Open University.

https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/postgraduate-loans-england

Mmhmmn · 07/08/2023 20:38

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 17:38

I’ve been mooning about doing MA English Lit for like the last ten years 🙄 but the OU reading list didn’t seem very inspirational to me - they’ve just updated and ot
looks fab.

https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/modules/a893

Anybody any experience?

Im worried in case I’m too thick, old or
lazy and aware that I may be all three 😂

But I absolutely love English literature and have worked as a writer for a few years so definitely able to churn out some essays. I’m hoping my enthusiasm will make up for any shortcomings - but I’ve kind of built it up into some massively hard
undertaking and would really like to hear from anybody else who began a postgrad at 50: I have this debate every single summer.

Do it!!

Mmhmmn · 07/08/2023 20:39

FergusSingsTheBIues · 05/08/2023 19:27

Thanks for the encouragement

Im doing it purely for the love of it. My kids are often distracted with their own lives now and I have a lot of spare time in the evenings.

I think my reluctance is that I don’t really know what’s needed academically: although I’ve worked as an academic/biz writer for a while, I find it hard to gauge the depth required. I’m scared of failing - I am literally the only member of my family without a doctorate and my husband has three (!) and I think that impacts my confidence somewhat.

Your work will be all yours, nothing to do with your DH or anyone else except your tutor. You'll do great.

Mmhmmn · 07/08/2023 20:43

PrincessTigger · 07/08/2023 19:41

Do you get a lot of help with dissertation ideas in module 2? Module 1 sounds amazing but I’m worried I’d go blank in module 2 and not be able to come up with anything…

I just don't think you would though, especially once you've done module 1🙂 most likely your head will be buzzing with ideas and you'll have to choose between.

Mmhmmn · 07/08/2023 20:44

If you were stuck for ideas you could ring your tutor for a conflab which is usually v helpful.

Original poster

FergusSingsTheBIues · 08/08/2023 10:32

I registered last night!

Phoning with my endless questions this morning…….can’t believe I’m doing this!

OP posts:

Yarnorama · 08/08/2023 11:20

Oh that's fabulous to hear, well done!