Open University Course

Thank You!

 

Sorry, missed this thread when you first started it.

Here's my thoughts.

Firstly, a degree is not a prerequisite to a decent job, and it is my honest opinion that a 'conventional' degree counts for very little (and that's from sitting on both sides of the recruitment/management desk so to speak). But, by 'conventional' degree, I mean the ones that today's youth are brainwashed into thinking they need, just so that the massive corporations that are the universities can maintain their steady supply of people to milk for their £9k per year. I have no degree, yet I never have trouble changing jobs, and I always end up in the job I want (senior software developer/analyst roles). That's because I can show that I've worked hard to develop the skills and experience to do that job, not because I have a piece of paper to prove I own the equivalent of a small mortgage having attended a few lectures and learned what I need to know to pass a written test.

But, an OU degree is a different. Especially if you do it a bit later in life, as you have chosen to do. That proves something very, very different, and vastly more valuable. Just by starting it now, in your mid/late 20s rather than at 18 having been pressured into it, it shows that YOU want it for YOU. That shows motivation and determination, which counts for a huge amount.

Also, because its OU, meaning you do it in your own time, and usually not in the very focused environment of the classroom/lab, it shows commitment. If you complete it, that alone will count for a huge amount, as it tells prospective employers that you are focus, determined, committed and highly motivated.

Throw a family including young kids into the mix, with all the time and mental energy that they draw, and suddenly, completing an OU degree shows something outstanding about you. Suddenly it doesn't even matter too much what the degree subject is. That almost becomes secondary to the fact that you did it, and showed all the commitment, motivation, determination etc that that requires.

In short, good luck And go for it.

 

Hi
In Manchester, the OU offered tutorials in local colleges, exams took place at the local Uni - I didn't know about the tutorials before I started also. I think the OU must rent classrooms strategically.
Also tutorials were not compulsary, we could get on with the module and submit to the tutor or contact him/her if we were struggling! However if you can make the tutorials it is good, both to meet the others on the course and it does enrich the learning experience!
Good luck!

 

Thanks C. Looking forward to it alot. Just reading up on everything I can on OpenLearn, gosh darned maths!

 

Just a month to go now. Don't know what to expect really, I'm excited though.