Open University

Mr Ploppy · #1 10th October 2010, 21:29

I am just about to send in my application to the OU.
Anyone else study with them ?

Mr Ploppy · #2 10th October 2010, 22:00

Thanks

I'm applying for the Introducing the Social Sciences course. I'm a bit worried it will be very lefty liberal though

ßazza · #3 10th October 2010, 22:13

I am wanting to study with them due to various reasons and its quite likely I will begin the beginning next year. However I havnt yet.

José Raúl Capablanca · #4 11th October 2010, 00:58

Just signed up for a short course which starts in Feb, After which, I may go on and do the full degree.
What are you Studying?

Mr Ploppy · #5 11th October 2010, 01:15

Introducing the Social Sciences.

WelshKat · #6 11th October 2010, 13:25

I'm starting my first module next month. Quite looking forward to it. I've never studied with the OU before so I'm going to see how this module goes and then, if I like it, I plan to work towards a degree in Psychology.

Hope you enjoy your course.

itschris · #7 11th October 2010, 20:02

I've been studying with the OU on and off since '95, currently studying English Literature, got my exam on Wednesday

Isildur · #8 11th October 2010, 20:19

4 years down, 1 to go... thank goodness... been doing a Qualifying Law Degree.

piesJoy · #9 11th October 2010, 20:33

I've thought about it. To be honest, i dunno if i have the self discipline to pull it off. At the same time the thought of 'proper' college again is a bit of a nightmare.....

itschris · #10 11th October 2010, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Love My Cats

good luck, itschris

I've got my exam next monday. had a hellish year, so still not convinced I will make it, but I'm hopeful

Thanks!

I'll need it. I've managed to cope quite well with the assignments this year but I think the exam will be tough, there's too much to remember. Just hoping I can get a bare pass.

Good luck with your exam next Monday!

Medea · #11 11th October 2010, 21:38

I tried to study with them but had a very negative experience. I made it clear I had mental health problems and could not use the telephone, but my tutor became very insistant about me talking to him on the phone, so I threw in the towel. This was back in 2005 so it might be better now, but I'm not sure I'd trust them again. I spelt it out in my application form, so it should have been no surprise to them.

Gamgee · #12 11th October 2010, 21:41

All my favourite lecturers at my Uni were also OU tutors. Have a lot of respect for them and the OU in general.

Paladin · #13 12th October 2010, 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragnet

Introducing the Social Sciences.

I did that one. DD100 right?

I enjoyed it, it taught me the proper way to write an essay etc., wasn't too difficult and it was the stepping stone for me getting into a 'proper' university to study politics which I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise with just GCSE's.

The tutorials are optional, so you can do it all independently if you want to

just try not to leave your essays til the last minute like I did, I missed the deadline on a few occasions and my tutor was understanding about it but I know others are more strict and won't accept it if it's even a few hours overdue.

Paladin · #14 12th October 2010, 00:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medea

I tried to study with them but had a very negative experience. I made it clear I had mental health problems and could not use the telephone, but my tutor became very insistant about me talking to him on the phone, so I threw in the towel. This was back in 2005 so it might be better now, but I'm not sure I'd trust them again. I spelt it out in my application form, so it should have been no surprise to them.

Sorry to hear that. I had two tutors, neither minded me not speaking to them on the phone, we just communicated by email. I can't see why you would have to speak to them to be honest

Medea · #15 12th October 2010, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Love My Cats

I can honestly say Medea that I have had a very different experience this year when my health was suffering. When my other course started to fall apart and I couldn't go to tutorials, my Tutor asked me what would suit me best for talking to her (email, telephone, her meeting me at a cafe on my own, me bringing a friend [yeah like I have one of those

] with me to meet her). The choice was left up to me.

The course I've managed to keep up with had options for me too. I struggled to go back to tutorials as I was worried about people who knew me and what they might say to me, so I was able to attend a tutorial in a different town, where the tutor and class didn't know my situation, which was much easier for me (might not be the case for everyone). I was also offered phone tuition last week for the exam, which I took. I struggled with it, but was glad I did it. They seem far more creative than mainstream university. I went to a mainstream uni (albeit about 10 yrs ago) and they didn't offer the support and flexibility that OU seem to offer, though maybe that'll have changed nowadays.

Sounds like you've had a good experience. I think mine might have been down to a bad tutor as the main office, when I contacted them, said there was no problem communicating only via email. I was in a bad place at the time and couldn't fight for myself, so I just gave up. It was ashame as I really enjoyed writing my first essay.

I too went to normal uni (twice!) and found that difficult (in the end impossible) but the structure suited me better as no tutors ever wanted to talk to me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob's Ladder

Sorry to hear that. I had two tutors, neither minded me not speaking to them on the phone, we just communicated by email. I can't see why you would have to speak to them to be honest

He (my tutor) was very insistant that I needed to speak to him on the phone. I've moved area now so I'd get a different tutor if I did it now, but money is a bit tight right now so it's a few years off.

I did have dreams of going back to "normal" university, but the latest news about tuition fees means I wont be touching that with a barge pole, which is ashame.

gullveig · #16 6th January 2011, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob's Ladder

I did that one. DD100 right?

I enjoyed it, it taught me the proper way to write an essay etc., wasn't too difficult and it was the stepping stone for me getting into a 'proper' university to study politics which I probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise with just GCSE's.

The tutorials are optional, so you can do it all independently if you want to

just try not to leave your essays til the last minute like I did, I missed the deadline on a few occasions and my tutor was understanding about it but I know others are more strict and won't accept it if it's even a few hours overdue.

It has changed to DD101 now, I did it last year alongside "Death and Dying" as a change from the computing modules I've been doing. It certainly refreshed my essay skills I found the course a bit woolly in parts but it got me ready for my next courses.

I am now completing my last year with the OU and it has been a very positive experience, very different to my first experience with them in the early 90's. All my tutors have been very supportive and even more so once they were aware I had problems. In 5 years I have attended one tutorial and no one has complained, I have spoken to my tutors three times by phone(when they phoned me) and by email when required.

Admiral Fool · #17 20th January 2011, 11:14

I'm doing a degree in environmental science with them. It's good but you really have to plan and keep on top of the work. No-one to push you etc.

AW · #18 5th April 2011, 19:19

I haven't posted on here in years but I just wanted to say what a massive support, this thread (and another one that I can't seem to find) were to me a couple of months ago.

I started the OU back in Oct and avoided tutorials like the plague, always finding an excuse not to go (some of which were valid

) and always ended up crying on the day with frustration because I was so desperate to go and join in like everyone else but this stupid sa and fear kept holding me back. Stupidly I read articles online about what tutorials involve and they nearly put me off too!

But it was this thread, and another sauk one (which might have been specifically about tutorials) that really gave me the confidence to go and I'm so grateful to those people who posted, especially Cynic (because I remembered your name from when I used to post here ages ago) and it just made me think if everyone else with sa can do it and have the confidence and guts, then so can I, and I'm not sure I would have gone without reading the experiences of people in the exact same boat. I felt so alone with this problem and nobody else in my regular life understood and it was just such a comfort knowing other people had been faced with the same dilema.

So I just thought I'd better post this incase there's other people out there (like me) who are wanting to go but sa is holding them back. It was the best experience, and funnily enough once I was in there my sa didn't really play a part and I was able to join in like everyone else (granted I've been working massively hard on my sa these past couple of years). For me, working up the courage to go to that tutorial means more to me than the actual degree is ever going to and I guess only people with sa will understand that, it's the biggest achievement ever, especially when I look back on how my sa used to be when I could barely go to the shop by myself. That's why I'm so grateful to sauk for having those posts available so I didn't feel quite so alone with this problem. All that being said I have my next one this weekend and I'm just hoping I can be brave enough to go second time around! My anxiety is nowhere near gone and it's been really bad lately, really hit and miss so I guess we'll see

dannygirl · #19 6th April 2011, 00:15

I did the DD100 too. I'm about to start a course in computer programming.

dannygirl · #20 6th April 2011, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by NRG.89

Which one?

It's starting in october. Not all that soon really

. It's for beginners ...TU100.

dannygirl · #21 6th April 2011, 01:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by NRG.89

Oh, I see.

TU100 is a new double module that replaces 2 singles I've done

What did you think of it ? Is it hard

What course are you doing next ?

dannygirl · #22 6th April 2011, 01:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by NRG.89

Whether you find it hard or not i would imagine depends onprevious study/knowledge. But it wont be too hard because it's level 1 which is basically a lot of fluff with some good bits. The biggest focus of level 1 modules seems to be gettig you ready for studying the level 2 modules.

Tu100 merges m150 and t175, i've done m150 and actually doing last presentation of t175 atm. I've also completed mu123 and m253.

Atm I'm doing m255, m256, t175 and m257, so lots of work to do!
In june i finish m255 and m263 so it'll get easier until october when I start new modules.

Drop me a pm if you need help with anything ou-wise if you feel awkward asking them, i've got most things sussed.

You've done alot.

Yes I have done DD100 level 1. Shame I can't count it towards TU100 though.
A slight change in direction that one.

I was heading towards law and psychology but now I'm thinking of combining psychology with computing and ict.

I can manage alot of fluff with some good bits. Thats my life

Thanks very much, I will do that.