to try again or not?

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

I am currently pregnant but am looking to the future (next spring) to try and decide what path to take.

After having DD1 I began a part time access course. Three months in my relationship with her father ended and being a newly single parent and having the aftermath to sort out I had to leave.

Then last september I began a full time Btec and was doing great, really loved it. But early this year I found myself with no car (no fault of mine) and was forced to give it up as college was 20miles away with no bus service.

I am so angry and feel like a failure for now having two failed attempts. My DP suggested I do an OU degree and he will support us all through it. The cost also isnt an issue as we got some compensation and he says it would be a good outcome after the shitty year we have had.

But with two small children would it be realistic? The subjects I would like to do are either Law or Psychology. Does anyone have any experience of these courses and the workload.

Should I go down this route or just try to get a job when baby is old enough? (I have good experience in Management but no qualifications except GCSEs)

If you have got this far thanks for reading x

Hi, I did DSE212 (I think it was called) the psychology course many years ago and I found it very interesting, as well as the essay type work there is statistical research projects analysing data from results. You use a computer programme and write a report on your findings, it seems hard at first but easy enough once you get the hang of it.

I also did the week residential course which is part of the degree and was a research project. I didn't continue with the degree as my children were very young at the time and I was quite stressed out! The work load was fine as I remember, it just gets a bit mad around tma time.

I am now doing a law degree LLB with the OU, this is my 3rd year of 6 and I will finish this one! The work load is actually OK, a lot of reading but that's the same with any course you do some of its more interesting than others, I'm doing criminal law at the moment which is really interesting. You can get away with just doing the reading required for the tma's, it's a bit of nightmare to revise for the exam at the end if you do that but I did that last year and passed well.
My children were a bit older this time round when I started DDs were 8 and 9 years, though DS was 2 yrs, I sort of thought if I wait until he's older time is just passing and I will be no further on. I started with the level 1, and as he's got older he went to nursery and school, things are much easier, he's now at school full time and I have time to study.
Yes it was hard in the beginning but it was so worth it, and as you have a supportive DP it will be OK for you, as it's important you have someone to help with the kids and housework when you need to study.

Good luck I hope it works out for you. x

Thanks for replying, really helpful info there.

I have read that the materials they provide you with are quite limited and you cannot use other research, have you found this?

Also the 10 hours per credit thing, would you say thats accurate?

The material they provide contain everything you need in order to do the tma's and for the exam so you shouldn't technically need other materials. I do however use other material in order to understand concepts and principles better and I do research on the net, but I don't include anything in the tma's that isn't in the manuals provided by the OU as you then have to start referencing etc.
The manuals are fairly comprehensive though sometimes the way something is explained isn't that clear hence I have to research it in order to understand it but once I understand it properly what is written in the manual becomes clear - if that makes sense!!
Also there are some tma's that do require you to do extra research, it will depend.
But this may just be for law, I didn't do any other research when I did the psychology.

I'm not sure what you mean about the 10 hours per credit...

Yes that makes sense, I would probably be the same.

On the website it says that each credit requires 10 hours of study so if you are doing a 60 credit module it would require 600 hours.

Maybe a better way to put it would be, roughly how many hours a week do you study?

Now all I have to decide is psychology or law :)

Well...some weeks I don't pick up a book, then it's a bit of a rush to cram it in to get the tma done - I get it done but I'm trying to be a bit more organised . Roughly you could do an hour a night/day and you would be more or less on top of things it depends how in depth you want your studying to be. There are activities you can do to consolidate what you have read, but I don't really do those.
I suppose what you put in would equal what you get out, but I'm not at it for 3 hours a day and I do OK, tbh it is hard to say how much study you would need to do as everyone reads and learns at a different rate. But 600 is a fair guide if you divide it across the 8 months the course lasts for and take into account some days/weeks you do nothing and others you're at it for 10 hours a day!!

I suppose in choosing between law and psychology it depends on what you want to do once you've graduated and how much more study you will need to do in order to be what you want to be. That's the reason I chose law over psychology even though it would have taken only 3 more years to get the psychology degree as opposed to 6 for law.

Let me know which one you choose!! x

Thank you so much. Thats really good to hear. I know it will be hard work but I was imagining 6 hours a day!! And with a toddler and a baby thats just not realistic.

I am a fast reader and quite smart (not in a cocky way do i say that...I just have to remind myself I am capable) so I think it will be manageable!! And having my DP behind me is such a reassurance because he pulls his weight and is keen for me to do it.

Psychology would require some further training but then I have to do this extra course thing if I do law because I am from N. Ireland and to practice here is different than England/Wales.

I do have nearly a year to decide though!

Thanks again :)

Why not start with a level one course such as dse141 - discovering psychology I think. It is a much gentler entry into undergrad work and you will b give a lot more support than a level 2 course. Think it is only 30 credits also so less tie commitment. You could start with that one and see how you get on. Not sure about the fees situation though as I am on transitionl fees

When i was on the website I think I saw that course was one of the modules in the psychology degree...so if I did that and wanted to keep going would it count or do I have to choose the degree as a whole?

Im not worried too much about the level of work itself, if I take the time Im sure I will get the hang of it quickly. My main concern is the juggling of a toddler, a baby and a household etc. As you say, trying a smaller course/module would show me if I can make it work!

I'm in Northern Ireland too For the law thing, I'll have to do an extra exam in Evidence to be able to carry on and qualify as a solicitor/barrister. The OU LLB is accepted at Queens.
I'm not too sure about the psychology but I would assume you have to go on and study at a university here for your Masters/doctorate.

I suppose it just depends on what you are most interested in, as you will not only be studying it for years but working in that field hopefully too

Im leaning towards law really. Im just concerned at the competition for Queens and whether it would matter that I dont have A levels. Though I suppose if I have a degree that proves my intelligence!

I have always loved psychology but more the theory aspect as opposed to statistics and research. But not sure what career to end up in.

Whereas I can see myself being a solicitor/barrister quite easily!

I'm worried too at the competition to get into Queens let alone get a training contract! Nowadays they may want A levels as well as a first or 2:1, I dont have A levels either. I'm thinking of going down the paralegal route rather than a solicitor. I'd ideally love to be a barrister but I think that's even harder.
The law degree opens a lot of doors in other professions other than legal (don't ask me which ones I can't remember despite having looked into it extensively!!!), and tbh I'm at home anyway with the children, I might as well use this time to study as its better to start looking for a job with a degree than without!

I think for psychology, the theory aspect goes hand in hand with the research/statistics (though someone else who knows better may prove me wrong) if you have a theory I assume you would have to test that theory out and the only way to do that might be through research. You then have to analyse the findings of that research to determine whether the theory is right!

Yeah, your right about the psychology. Thats my problem. I just hate statistics :o

I had thought of maybe working with rehabilitating prisoners. I suppose if you have a good law degree added to life experience the doors are easier to open in any field!

Always thought law was beyond me until a girl I went to school with did it. She had the same exam results as me and I was in some higher tiers than her. So Im not sure why I had that view.

Is it interesting on the whole? Have you had any residential schools?

If law is not beyond me, it is definitely not beyond you! In people's heads it can seem a really hard thing to do which I suppose it can be, but if you have an ability to understand what you read and apply it (that's most important) then you will be fine.

If you start with the level 1 course W100, it introduces you to the law and also how you should approach legal essays and problem questions you will get the gist of what is expected of you for levels 2 and 3.

I find it very interesting as I quite like the law, though there are some bits that are quite boring to read ie constitutional law, and there are other bits which seem way too difficult to grasp, like EU law, but actually once you read more about it it's not that bad. But criminal law makes up for all the boring bits.

There are no residential schools on the law degree, though there was/is a week long residential for the psychology which I went to.