OU with a newborn

[CinnamonPeach]

I'm applying to study psychology in October and baby is due December. Will it be easier to take care of baby when I'm studying from home? My DP has offered to help out, but will this be enough?

hi, im on my 4th year OU English this october.
im due twins anytime (my first children). i studied two modules alongside each other last year (so technically full time study) as well as balancing a full time job and home/social life.
it was hard, but doable and i passed both modules.
this year i am studying part time again instead. i considered full time again as on mat leave but decided it would be too much.
im used to the study expected and how it works, so i do think its doable, especially if you have support.
hopefully someone who has experienced this sees this thread, wpuld love to know their thoughts

Hi there. I am guessing that this is your first born? Nothing can prepare you for just how tiring a newborn baby is. It is exhausting. I finished an MSc with the ou last year. That in itself was gruelling. There is no way that I could have given it my best shot when I had a baby in the house to who I was getting up to every night. You owe it to yourself, the baby and your dh to put it off. I waited til my last born went to school. Trust me you will achieve far more by putting it off even just for one year.

I'm doing it in October ! Will be my second year and I'm thinking it'll be fine. My first year was alright, follow the planner, don't get behind and it's only a few hours a week, you can do it when baby naps/in the evenings when DH home. I'm going to aim for an hour a day and see how I get on. Later on in the course would be more difficult to manage.

I gave birth during one of my OU modules and sat the exam when dc2 was 6 weeks old. Got my best ever exam result because I just sat and revised while breast feeding. It is doable, but I just made sure I got as far ahead as I could so could have some breathing space if needed.

Honestly I think it depends. I was due to do a module with a baby arriving midway through. I had to defer. I was so exhausted and my baby was a bad sleeper. I had no time to study at all. However, had I been in this position with my first child, it would have been doable because I could have studied when he took his long naps or in the evenings because he was a good sleeper. This was with OU though which is essentially working from home anyway. Not sure if I'd have coped with attending all those lectures and tutorials with a baby to organise!

To be honest if it is your first baby I would consider putting it off just because you may end up incredibly stressed. Much easier going into an academic year with a 10 month old than having a new little unpredictable person turn up halfway through...

I'm currently doing a L3 psychology course, and we've had at least three brand new babies in our cohort! The level 1 ones are relatively easy to read a bit at a time, but I would as others have suggested get as much reading and TMA prep done when you can, so that if you hit a bump, you have given yourself breathing space.

Good luck with both!