Open University - Keep On Learning.

Advantages: You are learning at home in your own time.
Disadvantages: You have to be motivated and keep focussed.

...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 are part of the course. I would recommend that you give this a really good read as there is a lot of information and advice in there too. After an Introduction you then see the colour coded list of courses, they are grouped together under a common theme and are Short Introductory Course IT and Computing Courses An introduction to finding, using and handling information and Computing Skills for Beginners. Business and Management Studies. Business Studies Management, Development and Leadership Accounting Childhood and Youth Studies...

Gill_J 11.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Open University - a clever choice

Advantages: distant learning, flexible, optional tutorials, fantastic support, financial help
Disadvantages: can be expensive if you earn more than £30,000

...Hello there, this is my third review at Ciao.co.uk, but to be honest, I feel it's the first because I sent my last one about 3 and a half years ago! Anyway, I decided to 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 and meet people. Sadly, everywhere I went didn't have night lessons. I tried at Birkbeck in London as well, which works only with evening courses, but at the time I was living in Winchester and my wages weren't big...

Kagomesama 12.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Open Uni v Traditional Uni's

Advantages: more flexible, more organised, cheaper
Disadvantages: lack of motivation for some students

...I have just finished a degree at Wolverhampton University where as my 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. Thousands of students leave home each year to go to university. The rest of this opinion is going to follow a scoring system. I am splitting it into categories and voting, which I think is the best. STRUCTURE OF DEGREE At a traditional university you have to start off with Level One modules and gain 360 credits over...

Grimsbygal 05.06.2002 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

The Open University - The Best Way To Study !

Advantages: Fit study in with other commitments.
Disadvantages: It can be difficult to motivate yourself to study alone.

...the 3 at a red birck university. And whilst it takes 6 years, its worth it because you can spend more time with your family and work 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 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Open to everyone...even you!

Advantages: Great easy way of learning and getting qualified
Disadvantages: No "university experiance"

...I originally started out my universiy life at Manchester but after a year i knew it really wasnt for me. I passed the year but didnt want to go back. I didnt however want my hard years work to go to waste. 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 total of 360 points. When you have done this you recieve a degree with honours! Each level (levels 1 - 3) represents a year at university. For example level 3 would be your third year at uni...

rob1001 01.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Open University A+!!

Advantages: study in your own time
Disadvantages: can only start in feb or oct

...I began studying with the Open University in Feb of this year, after taking some time out to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I originally sent off for the prospectus, which I found very helpful, packed full of different courses on more or less anything you could want to study! I used the internet site to sign up which was very easy, with a week my course materials had arrived and a letter from my local tutor welcoming me and explaining when and where tutorials were held. The idea of the university is to allow people the chance to gain qualifications without committing to years away at university and especially for me, the debt of student loans! I paid for my course outright (£475) with the assurance that if i didnt enjoy it my money woulkd be refunded (depending on how far along the course i was). There is also...

PrincessEmma1982 22.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Studying with the Open University

Advantages: Open to all. No age limits. No formal qualifications required. Flexible. Fun. Challenging.
Disadvantages: Requires dedication, commitment, persistence and discipline

...****************************************************** RESULT!!!!!! Passed the last exam and will become the proud owner of a Certificate proclaiming my BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences with Biology and Environmental Science in June 2003!! The only problem that I have now is... What do I do with all the spare time that has suddenly come my way!!! ****************************************************** INTRODUCTION I 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...

JHubbard 19.08.2002 (27.04.2003) · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Open University myths dispelled

Advantages: Great material and support
Disadvantages: Cost of OUBS courses

...Scary isn’t the word for it! The leap of faith you take when you apply for your first Open University course is one giant step! It may have been many years since you did any studying and even then, you may have left study with less than warm fuzzy happy thoughts. So, it was with trepidation and 2 twenty year old A levels that I signed up for B600, The Capable Manager. My employer was kind enough to pay the hefty course fee – Open University Business School courses all seem to much more expensive than others, so I felt obliged to do well and give it my best. B600 lasted a whole year, whereas most other courses are 6 months or even 3 months. Wrong idea No 1 – “I’ll get stuff though every week/month/so often…” No, a pilot style flight case turned up with all twelve course books, a nice...

babsbaby 01.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

Opened eyes

Advantages: Comparitively cheaper - awards available, flexibility
Disadvantages: Need good motivation and organisation

...I wanted to tell you about my experiences, opinions and the education choices I have made. Although I could still be regarded of traditional university age (the grand old age of 22) and I have good UCAS points, I have chosen to study for a 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, a mum and a student. This was not the main reason however, in fact I enrolled before I became pregnant, and this is a rare situation for an HE student...

gobbygirl 03.09.2002 · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes

A degree without a huge debt. OPEN UNIVERSITY

Advantages: You can study at your own pace in your own time. Can fit in with rest of your life.No large student debts
Disadvantages: Sometimes feeling of not being a student. Social life not as good as "regular" uni

...I know that some people think that the OPEN university is an easy option- if you think this then you are not suited to studying with them. Believe me, I should know- I have tried both regular university and the OPEN..and regular university is a breeze towards doing it with the Open. With regular university you have a lot of free time to do your assignments, and few lectures, and unlimited access to a massive number of textbooks in university libraries. If you don't get a good degree doing it this way, then you've wasted your time. And got yourself into a lot of debt socialising as well, probably. There are cheaper ways to socialise. I enrolled with the Open University because I hated the course that I was doing at Nottingham- a very well respected university(the course was geography).The lecturers were really more interested in...

ginger59 18.03.2003 (08.11.2003) · Read review
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Review of Open University Milton Keynes