OU degree with young baby?

[iheartshoes]

Has anyone here ever done two OU courses at the same time ? I'm due my first baby end of this week (!) and have almost finished my second 60 point OU course. I want to try and get my degree done as quickly as poss so I can go on to do my PGCE. So next year I was thinking of doing two 60 point courses at the same time to try and speed it up. Baby will be 6 months old when I started them in October. Would be doing one course at level 2 and one at level 3. Is this going to be possible with a 6 month old baby or would it be too much of a stretch ? Would love to hear from anyone who has done anything similar.

The most I did was 90 points at the same time, and that was staggered, I started the 30 points half way or so through the 60 points.
It also depends how you'll think you cope, for me when I had ds2 I actually reduced my workload to 30 points at a time.

I've done it. But I think with a 6 month old you'll be asking for trouble. Will you be working for part or all of this too? I am doing one level 2 and one 3 currently and it is JUST doable. I work 2 days a week but dd is now 19 months.
I was registered on 2 when she was 2 months old but I dropped one of them pretty darn quickly.
Unless your baby is a perfect sleeper I would not recommend this and there's no way of knowing what they will be like.

Are you trying to finish a particular qualification before it is withdrawn or something? What are you doing?

I wouldn't be working no, I'm doing the courses towards a BA in history. Have had a look into the courses in more detail and both seem to have a huge amount of background reading so I think for the time being ill just stick at doing the one 60 point level 2 course and see how I get on with that when baby is here and take it from there. Thanks for your advice. No real reason for the rush I'm just impatient to get my degree really!

I understand I am sort of the same doubling up now until the end. one was hard enough when dd was little though she wasn't a reliable sleeper until age 1 and we had all sorts of issues with allergies etc that caused a lot of stress. I'd do the one then you have the first 6 months with each other then when you start your course you'll be able to leave baby with daddy so you can get to your tutorials and by this point they will be having some solids so a few hours without a feed won't be too much of a problem.

Yeah that probably makes more sense. What courses are you doing tinydiamond is it something you need to do for a career or more for personal interest ? Baby is due on Sunday and I'm trying desperately to finish off a TMA before then, be interesting to see how I cope with the exam in June !!

I am currently doing dd206 and 308. 2/3 through a sociology degree. have to finish by 2015 as degree is being withdrawn. there's a new one to replace but I want the existing pathway. its for career change...will be doing post grad afterwards I hope

PS I'm in the middle of 2 tmas! had today to myself to do it. did I do it? nope

by the way do you know if you're breastfeeding a young baby you can do your exam at home they send an invigilator to your house so you can have feeding breaks

I didn't know that about bf!

I finished off a tma the week I came out of hospital! My husband was on paternity and it just needed to get done. I was pretty knackered after adrenaline wore off though. I carried on doing 60 points but was aiming for a first so didn't want to do two at once and bring grade down.

I didn't know that about bf either , could come in very handy if I'm still feeding in June, Ta very much ! Always thought the sociology degrees with the OU looked really interesting. I'm torn between being incredibly impatient for baby to arrive early and wanting him or her to be on time so I can finish this essay. Losing the will to live with this particular module slightly will be very glad when June is here. I don't suppose you know what the policy with re sitting OU exams is do you ? I'm planning to sit the exam in June and to be honest will be happy just to scrape a pass but if not do they let you re sit them ?

Although my degree was distance learning it wasn't OU. I started year 2 when DS was one and finished year 2 while pregnant, DD was born early so I took 2 weeks off then finished the last 6 weeks. She was 2 months old and DS 3 years old when I completed.

It was made possible by having a childminder across the road 3 mornings a week and an understanding DH. I EBF DD and still breasted DS

Found it kept me sane and meant I had my qualification for when I returned to work when DD was old enough

I THINK you can only resit if you get below 30 marks or something, not sure. it might be 40 which is the pass mark though? it will be on the site somewhere or in your exam guidance booklet

1. No, don't do it. 6 months is kind of the worst time really to start a double course. tbh I think even ONE course is pushing it. 120 credits is full time study. Can you study full time and care for a baby? No, not really, that's why we have maternity leave.

1. Just to say, most (all?) tutorials are online anyway now afaik.

1. What might help is if you said what your degree is in. I can tell you that I would not do this in chemistry because there is too much computer work that you just cannot do with the kids. But if its say, Eng Lit, where you might have a percentage of work as reading or maybe even could listen to some stuff it might, just might, be doable.

oh eta though. You don't usually have to register til less than a month before the start date and you can withdraw early in the course and transfer.

She's doing history. Arts, hums, soc sci tutorials are face to face. About once a month to 6 weeks

Hiya I'm thinking about taking 120 level 3 credits from October, DS will be 18 months.
I'm thinking about it for the same reasons as you - just dying to finish my degree as quickly as possible so I can start my PGCE.
I'v done a credit transfer and am starting with the OU in 2 weeks, im starting with 60 credits at level 2 to see how I get on.
I have a rubbish sleeping baby and DP is away in the Army so I'm on my own with DS most of the time.
I'm really worried about fitting it in but I plan to work my backside off. The company I was working for closed whilst on maternity leave so I think if I don't go back to study now I never will.
I don't know how hard it will be but if you put your mind to It and be prepared to be exhausted I'm sure it will be worth it!

I've done it, a level 2 and a level 3 concurrently while looking after a toddler. I do know that I would not have considered it with a younger child BUT looking back, I think it would have been doable, if I was really really organised, and wasn't a procrastinator. The problem is you really have to work AHEAD of schedule because invariably they WILL get D&V/chickenpox/start dropping a nap just when you have a deadline...

One thing to think about is trying to choose courses that have no exam, because it means that if you can get your TMAs and an EMA done you can focus on the material needed purely for those. Also cuts down on the revision/stress.