Advantages: Study when you want, what you want, where you want, how you want etc Disadvantages: Keeping the motivation can be tough, no physical lecturer there to engage you!
...to the review of the Open University but I thought it would be interesting to compare (and contrast) the two, based on my experiences (having studied three 60 point OU courses and enrolled for a further 90 points worth due to start) and impressions of the OU and 'proper' i.e. conventional university. This is as much for myself as for anyone who happens to stumble across this review however, as I need to decide between the two (Cov Uni v Open Uni, ... ...I first learned of the Open University back in 1994 as a 13-year-old stroppy teenager. My mum decided to get herself a degree to prove to everyone she wasn't thick (her words, nobody has ever thought her "thick") and so she sent off for the thick newspaper-style prospectus and hummed and hahed for a few weeks over which course to do. Of course she knew all the long which course she was going to sign up for: A103 An Introduction to the Humanities, ...
steffee 03.10.2005
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Advantages: you can study in your own time, at home Disadvantages: Fell isolated ( only at first)
I left school during my sixth year and had no intentions of going to Uni, at that point I hated education. I went straight into full time employment. After a few years had gone on my attidtudes changed and I realised that a degree would help me progress further, problem was by this stage I had got far to used to having money and had the full range of commitments and a mortgage so going back to school was not an option.
I was whinging about this ... ...have got sick of me! next day they came in with a coupon filled out for me to send off for a prospectus I thought hey what do I have to lose.
When it came through I felt a bit daunted, all these course at my fingertips. I have always loved biology so I plumped to do a bachelor of science in biology and duly registered of my first course. The registration was easy to fill out just some simple questions about your education level. There is a section ...
Salson 19.11.2005
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Advantages: Wide ranges of courses, grants readily available, no entry requirements Disadvantages: An "Invisible" tutor can let you get a bit slack
...my third course with the Open University, I've decided it's time I shared my experiences. This review is not going to focus on what the OU offers, because they have a perfectly good website (www.open.ac.uk) which details all this in much better detail than I could - and this would be a very long review if I talked about every aspect of the OU at length.
In a nutshell, the Open University provides those who are in full-time work, house-bound, didn't ... ...match to work towards an Open Degree which is basically a Bachelor of Arts or Science with or without honours depending on how many points you attain and whether they are more strongly weighted towards arts/science.
I first decided to study through the OU on a whim, having a job where I spend long periods of time waiting for phone calls. I attended uni for a while although never finished my course (I choose poorly) and wanted to try out a short ...
bamamo 18.11.2008
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Advantages: No qualifications needed for entry, excellent teaching and materials, cheaper than going to Uni Disadvantages: Not the same as going to Uni, not the same student interraction, can seem expensive
...put me in for an Open University course which was being funded by the school. Normally you have to be 18 plus to undertake courses by the OU, however they had set up something with my school to offer 4 students from years 10-13 with an opportunity to study with them.
The Open University is a distance learning organisation, which basically allows adults aged 18 + to study at home without attending a school/college/university, and without having any ... ...The Open University offer a range of courses in wide-ranging subjects, from short courses that may take up to 8 hours of study a week and then the longer part-time courses which can take up to 16-20 hours of study a week. Each course is worth a certain number of points, which can count towards a degree, and apart from the Access and Short courses, they range in levels from 1 - 3. Typically, you would start on a Level 1 course and work your way up ...
wildrose9104 03.06.2007
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Advantages: Flexibilty, excellent materials and value for money Disadvantages: You need to be prepared to put in regular work over a period of years
The Open University (OU) is the country’s largest provider of Higher Education courses but while it impacts directly or indirectly on many people for many more it remains a closed book. What does it have to offer at a time when there are so many opportunities for study?
I graduated from the OU (2.1 since you asked...) after eight years although, as you will see, I have not been studying for all of that period. My main areas of study were electronics ... ...distance learning. The courses are open to all, regardless of previous qualification. Their degrees are fully accepted by industry and professional bodies, although some professional associations may require that particular combinations of courses be undertaken. All study is modular, that is the student chooses which courses to study year by year. Although advice is given on recommended prerequisite knowledge for courses, it is up to students to ...
pauljm 27.03.2001 (06.03.2004)
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Advantages: Open to all. No age limits. No formal qualifications required. Flexible. Fun. Challenging. Disadvantages: Requires dedication, commitment, persistence and discipline
...have been studying with the Open University (OU) since 1995 and should complete my BSc in Natural Sciences (Hons) this year (assuming a successful exam result). I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience of the OU and thought that a synopsis of my experiences might be useful to anyone considering this route to Higher Education.
WHY THE OU?
As a teenager, I was predicted straight A’s in my A Levels (Physics, Maths and Chemistry) unfortunately, ... ...and the opposite sex and hence squandered my chances! My A Levels were nowhere near good enough to get a place on the courses that I wanted at a traditional university and so I left full-time education for the daily grind of the nine-to-five – my first real lesson in the results of lack of prioritisation!
Some years later, I began to wonder whether I had it in me to study at undergraduate level and I began to research my options. I found that ...
JHubbard 19.08.2002 (27.04.2003)
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Advantages: Learning from the comfort of your own home Disadvantages: Hard to get motivated
I've been an Open University student twice. Doing two completely different subjects. Both Open courses - which are like the Open Universities equivalent of foundation. Though I was told it was GCSE equivalent.
The first I did was Introduction to Maths, Science and Technology. Simple courses to get you back into the swing of learning. This course would be ideal if you are planning to do a Maths or Ecology degree. It might also be useful for science, ... ...(and are sent to the Open University rather than your tutor). When you received the results there is no grade, it just either says 'Achieved' or 'Not Achieved'
The first TMA focused on Maths, though not to worry, as it was all practical Maths, imperial to metric, averages etc, rather than rock hard algebra etc. So my maths phobia coped quite well. The second TMA covered conservation. The final ECA had a combination of both then a final question ...
thebluehippo 22.07.2006 (29.11.2006)
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Advantages: distant learning, flexible, optional tutorials, fantastic support, financial help Disadvantages: can be expensive if you earn more than £30,000
...write this review about the Open University because I'm deeply enjoying my time studying with them. I first heard of the Open University from my landlady during the summer of 2006. She said that since I was working full time, I would have benefited by the flexibility of the OU and taken advantage of their excellent distant learning service. At that time, I didn't think it was a good idea, I wanted a 'PROPER' university, where I could attend to lessons ... ...on the Internet and the Open University came back into view, this time through Google. Remembering what my landlady had said, I clicked at the link and had a read... surprisingly, I discovered that the Open University did have tutorials I could attend to, which were optional so even if I wasn't able to get there it wouldn't affect my studying career. I also found out that there were plenty of courses I could attend to, even taking place to the Southampton ...
Kagomesama 12.02.2008
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Advantages: Fit study in with other commitments. Disadvantages: It can be difficult to motivate yourself to study alone.
...or you can earn an Open Degree where you do the course you choose rather than getting a degree in a set subject. You could for example do a health course, childcare, languages, science and technology , how many red brick universitites can boast this flexibility ????
So, I reccomend OU to anyone interested in studying either for your career or just for fun, its such a wonderful experience, it really tests you and they are adding more and more subjects ... ...whilst you studing with the open university and you dont have to worry about finding student accomodation or how your going to find work that pays enough to support you through university but is the right amount of hours so that you have time for lectures and for studying.
So as you can proberly tell, I am enthusiastic about OU and would definitly reccomend it to others ! ...
kalliemaile 04.06.2008
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Advantages: more flexible, more organised, cheaper Disadvantages: lack of motivation for some students
...fiancé is currently undertaking an Open University degree. The following is based on my opinion after experience with both. For arguments sake I have called the universities, which you need to attend on a regular basis traditional universities, as this is the traditional way of learning. THE FACTS
Millions of people each year are entering university education. The Open University is Britain’s largest with more than 200,000 studying its courses. ... ...a similar structure with the Open University although you do not have to take ant Level One modules if you do not wish. They only suggest you do Level One if you are new to studying the subject or if you haven’t studied for a while. I think this is good as I felt Level One was two easy in my course and did not prepare me for the years to come. OPEN 1 TRADITIONAL 0
LENGTH OF DEGREE
Most people who go to a traditional University aim to complete their ...
Grimsbygal 05.06.2002
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Advantages: Great easy way of learning and getting qualified Disadvantages: No "university experiance"
...I was told about the open niversity by a friend and it sounded quite interesting.
At the open university you have the choice over many different couses in a range of subject. You can do it for fun if you like or to gain knowledge in a certain area but the main reason is to gain degree's or certificates of higher learning. Each course is worth an amount of points (typically 60). You need to get 120 points at each level of study which gives you a ... ...awhat is known as an open degree. This is most common degree at the open uni as it lets you pick couses from which ever subjects you like. Meaning you dont have to simply do a degree in geography or history. You could do a mix if you felt like it. In my case i had completed my first year at uni. This means I had 120 points at level one, so i dont have to do any couses with the open uni at level one. I decided for my first year to do just one 60 point ...
rob1001 01.08.2008
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Advantages: Comparitively cheaper - awards available, flexibility Disadvantages: Need good motivation and organisation
...Social Policy degree through the Open University. There are many reasons why I chose this path and I believe bona fide distance learning providers are a real alternative to students put off by the expense of higher education and the difficulties involved with putting off entry into the jobs market. I have a young child (and another on the way) and the added flexibility and lesser cost of OU study means that I can cope with being a full time employee, ... ...reason however, in fact I enrolled before I became pregnant, and this is a rare situation for an HE student to be in. Being able to work full time while studying means that when I graduate I will be several years ahead, in terms of work experience, than most students. Distance learning also shows prospective employers that the graduate has the motivation and stamina to cope with deadlines, busy schedules and prioritising without the need of supervision. ...
gobbygirl 03.09.2002
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Advantages: Not as lonesome as you might imagine... Disadvantages: Hours of study, exams, exams, exams...
...many people think of the Open University (OU) and in many ways they are right. Of course, to run a University takes infrastructure…tutors, administrators, course-writers and all that other gubbins, and some (but not all) of this is based in their Head Quarters in Milton Keynes. Like many OU students I have never been there.
Also, the vast array of teaching staff do not predominantly spend their time at HQ – no, they are all around the ... ...******************************************************
Step in the Open University.
The Open University was set up with exactly this type of people in mind, and offers a wide array of vocational, graduate and post-graduate courses on a part-time basis.
******************************************************
Kirsty takes the plunge.
I already have a degree – a hazy memory of drunken fun from Leeds University culminating in a rather average ...
Kirsty1 01.10.2002
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Advantages: Flexible learning leading to a decent qualification Disadvantages: Can be tough and isolated
...the first year of my Open University Music Diploma and really should be revising but as I am feeling so bunged up with a cold and my brain ceased to work hours ago so I have decided to finally write my review of the Open University.
I did ok at school, the only person I really let down was myself as my A level results reflected the fact that I spent 2 years drinking tea and playing cards perfectly. Consequently I did not make my required University ... ...and other commitments.
The Open University have a variety of certificates, diplomas and degrees on offer. I have completed a diploma in French and am now aiming to get one in Music. Every OU course has a points value ranging from 10 to 60 and you can count each course you do towards two of their qualifications. So it is my intention to end up with a degree and either 2 or 3 diplomas. To obtain a diploma you need to achieve 120 points in specified ...
MHam 16.10.2003 (27.10.2003)
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Advantages: You are learning at home in your own time. Disadvantages: You have to be motivated and keep focussed.
...and Degrees Prospectus of the Open University, now the one of interest to me initially was the Undergraduates Courses and on opening the A4 sizes thick booklet I found everything was really well laid out and easy to understand, I noticed that it had the Crystal Mark for clarity which is always a good sign.
Although the head office of the Open University is in Milton Keynes they use Universities country wide for examinations and tutorials if they ... ...the first time using the Open University but the 60 points that I will have gained will give me the opportunity to take this a step further and go for a degree if I want to and in my case I know I am going to learning a great deal about the inner working of the Health Service and what the different caring services get involved with, lots to learn but I have had a fair amount of experience with the NHS so with luck it should help.
I would say that ...
Gill_J 11.07.2004
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