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
Yep, I did an OU MA and a further PG Cert in the late 90s. As an expat on an entirely online course I paid pretty much full wack. i got quite a lot from it, but I sort of believe that my condition doesn't exactly make me one of the most rational people. Hence not taking it to PhD level. These days, I prefer self-ed and free courses. but I still harbour very positive thoughts about the OU, and might return one day; perhaps at BA level, as I have only an HND at that lower level. Yes, it has long been possible to leap from college diploma to university MA level; but I might one day plug that gap.
Thank you!