Is the Open University considered a 'good' university?

[docket]

This is probably a slightly silly question. I am seriously considering starting a psychology degree in the autumn with a view to a complete career change.

Logistically it would be easier, and less expensive for me to study with the OU but I am not sure how employers view the OU vs other unis or indeed whether that matters at all.

Does anyone have a viewpoint?

Many thanks

docket

I've always understood the OU is considered as a good uni, and that employers respect the fact that with a OU degree, it takes a lot of motivation to juggle work/family and study.

Are you tinking of a career in psychology? OU degrees are accredited with the BPS, so allow access to the further training that's required.

I'm hopefully getting my first year of uni turned to into credit transfer and get onto the second year of an open degree programme through the OU. As far as I'm aware, people have quite a lot of respect for people who have done OU, it's hard work and you have to be incredibly disciplined.

Yes TFM. Thanks for your replies, you've said what I wanted to hear!

I've heard that the OU is well-respected by employers, however if you're unsure, you could contact a uni near you (presuming there is one!) to see what they offer in terms of part-time study.

I'm doing a part-time MFL degree at a local uni, I chose that uni mainly due to its very good reputation.

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I'm an academic psychologist, the OU is very good in my particular field of psychology. I know people who teach on that course. The bits I know it's good on are qualitative methods, social psychology, feminist psychology, discursive psychology. But generally yes I'd say the OU psychology course is a good one.

The FallenMadonna has said just what I was going to say about the BPS.

I think the OU is a good choice, especially if your prospective employer is aware of the motivation and dedication it requires to do part-time study at the same time as other commitments e.g. work or kids. If they are not appreciative of the amount of time and tenacity you need to stick at this kind of degree, then they probably aren't very good employers in other ways either.

I have to declare an interest though - I used to be an OU tutor.

Thanks very much everyone!

Hurrah! I am doing the social psychology course this year and I love it. I feel like it's what I wanted to study psychology for. Cognitive, not so much...

Oooh TFM, is that the level 3 one? I'm about to sign up for 'exploring psychology'. How many hours do you think you spend a week studying?

I am terrified that I'm going to be so out of the habit of studying that I'll be clueless...

Um- I spend far fewer than I'm supposed to - and then do a mad panic month of revision at the end. Has worked so far...

I enjoyed Exploring Psychology very much. It was my fist OU course too.

As a rule of thumb, each 'point' allocated to the course is roughly ten hours studying. So a 60 point course is about 600 hours, spread over about 9 months, which works out at about 16 hours a week.

In my experience (I've been an OU student too) this is quite a good estimate. Some sections of the course might take less time, especially if you're more familiar with the material. But there are always sections that are harder which take longer .

Of course, being a mum and a student, I have often had to cut corners. So you can study the courses in less time than I say above, but it's not necessarily something I'd recommend.

When does your Exploring Psychology course start? If you have time to do a 'short course' (a 10 pointer) beforehand it might help you to get back into studying without completely jumping in at the deep end.

I used to teach S103, 'Discovering Science', which is a required course for most named science degrees, and I could often tell the people who had started off with a short course, as it meant they weren't so shocked by the amount of work when the course got going. And sadly there is quite a high drop-out rate as the courses get tougher.

Sorry if this sounds negative. I still think the OU is a great university and a great way to study, but it's worth knowing what you're letting yourself in for.

I found it pretty easy to get back into studying. If you're starting at level 2 I'm assumng you already have a degree, in which case it's surprising how quickly it comes back. I found learning to write proper essays the hardest thing (was a scientist in my previous incarnation) but apart from that it was pretty straightforward. The level 2 courses aren't that demanding really. Level 3 is harder (as you'd expect).

I didn't do sixteen hours, except when a TMA was due in. Or when revising of course.

But obviously that is very bad advice and you should do what the tutor says

Oh I didn't notice you said your course starts in the autumn. I would definitely recommend trying a short course before then. You can choose a 10 pointer in a subject you're interested in, and do it over 5 months if you like. Then it's only 5 hours a week which is quite manageable, and a nice way to ease yourself in.

Unfortunately Starting with Psychology (Y163) doesn't start until September. So it's not really suitable as it would overlap with your longer course, but you might be interested in Y156 (Understanding Children)? This starts in June so you would probably be able to finish it before starting your next course.

Or you could look out for someone selling on their Exploring Psychology or Starting with Psychology textbooks so you can get going earlier on and give yourself a head start.

mummypig, that's a good idea. I don't think I will be able to do a short course before then but I will look for some books so I can get a headstart.

University Book Search is a good site for getting old OU texts. I am surprised how much some people ask for them, considering the OU sends them out for free. Alternatively you could put a request on Freecycle, or your local library might have copies of them (near us I know Croydon library has OU texts). Also, you can call one of the student support numbers to check when the first course texts are sent out. Sometimes it's quite a while before the course starts and it's possible to get a fair bit of studying under your belt before the official start date. Personally, though, I find it can be harder to get motivated without the target of an assignment due in a month's time!

btw if I am being honest I would agree with TheFallenMadonna that I rarely did the full 16h studying per week. BUT I did have the advantage of being a tutor and so knowing the ins and outs of the system. And it really does depend on how recently you studied and what subject. My courses were never too far from my original degree so there was a fair amount I could skim over, giving me time to concentrate on any new bits.