Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all.
I went to traditional brick Uni in the autumn of 2018 after passing a pre-access course and after being diagnosed with ASD at the start of 2019, I dropped out of my degree. Since then, I’ve been battling with severe depression and have always received the common comment ‘Oh, uni isn’t for everyone.’ The issue is that uni was for me, however, I hated the environment and received no support regarding my health and ASD diagnosis.
I know that I’ve already been to uni, so wouldn’t be entitled to any student finance loans yet I’ve been feeling more drawn to OU just because a family member has done multiple degree courses with them and had a positive experience. The subjects I’m thinking of are either along the lines of business management or doing an open degree since I have lots of interests and have done so from a young age. I hate exams and being unemployed with a chronic health condition means no money is coming in.
I would like to hear from anyone with autism/chronic conditions that have studied with OU. Good or bad experiences, I’m interested in hearing all perspectives! Any advice about how to potentially find someone to sponsor my studies would be great as well
Hey,
I did some fantastic art history courses with the OU. I have recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Law and a masters in law at a law school. They had to switch to online teaching towards the end of my second year and they really could have learned a lot from the OU. The options the OU give to do a specific degree, or an open one depending on your interests is great. The courses i did were largely online with 1 x month in person classes. I enjoyed these as I felt like I was a real student but as they were relatively infrequent there was no obligation to get involved with extracurricular stuff.
They offer (or at least used to) installment options. Go for it.
There are also some great philanthropic groups that offer one off grants/sponsorship. I managed to get £1000 from one just by completing a fairly straightforward application form.
Thank you!