Has anyone done a degree with Open University?

I'm currently really struggling with work because of all the responsibilities and overstimulation and debating going back to education so I can have some more control over my schedule and also open up some more career opportunities. I thought OU could be good because it's online so there's less social stress. Specifically interested in doing a Psychology degree with Open University (full-time) because this has been my special interest for years now.

Has anyone done a degree with OU? Would you recommend full-time? Did you find that they were supportive and understanding of autistic people?

Parents Reply Children
  • I remember my A levels and asking for help from my teacher with a previous year's exam question.  His answer, "That's an unusual type of question it's unlikely to come up this year.".   Translation: he hadn't a clue how to answer it.  In reality it was a bog standard question that tested understanding of the basics and a very similar question came up in the actual A level exam.

  • I agree with you about the diffrence between school and uni teachers, most of my teacher's wern't interested in teaching us anything, school was more like a warehouse for adolescent girls.

  • The big difference between school and a top class university is that at university the lecturer often is an expert who sets his own syllabus and marks his own exams.  At school, half the teachers are ignorant of half the syllabus.

  • Being taught by people who really knew their subject was one of the things I found most rewarding at uni. We had 30% from course work and 70% from exams and a distertation in the final year.

  • Education varies from institution to institution.  In the better UK universities you are actually taught by leading experts in their field and you have to pass rigourous exams.  Some of the former polytechnics are experimenting with course work only because taking exams could be detrimental to students mental health!

    When I was at the Open university they were 50 :50 exams and course work.  But, one had to pass both components.  You could get 100% in the coursework but still fail the course because you still had to pass the exam.

  • ah yeah in that case i can still do it for free in a more fulfilling way by using duolingo to learn a language.

    by learning a language theres a diffculty wall that makes you have to learn and fell like your learning, so you get something real out of it.... with alot of college courses theres no learning just signing papers then at the end you get a degree for signing your name to confirm you listened or read something.... i was actually discussing this with a indian at work, she said indias education is better because they make you learn stuff and you feel like you learning and at the end you can do stuff, she took education here and got some masters degree or something and she doesnt know what she learned from it as it was mostly as i said just signing your papers to a form and listening to someone lecture or speak.... she is going to move back to india soon because she says she doesnt want to raise kids here because they will grow up stupid with this type of education lol

  • Ouch!  I admit that I am fortunate in still being able to work part-time at the age of seventy, and thus afford to put a bit of jam on my meagre crust ...  I have never been one for going away on holiday, but I do enjoy occasional conferences, lectures and exhibitions that suit my autistic temperament, and sometimes that includes a restaurant meal afterwards. My point was that, whatever we have in the way of disposable income we can make choices as to our "entertainment".  The last time I went to a pub was before Christmas with some clients, and being mean I booked it as company expenses. It certainly felt like work ...

    My academic study was partly professional, but also partly for pleasure. My point was that study does not need to be related to one's career, it can be rewarding for its own sake. I am about to start studying for my Radio Amateur's licence, just for interest.

  • Buying a round down the pub every week.

    Well known Autistic pursuit... 

    We are after all, well known for our copius disposable income, and vast swathes of friends.

    This forum just exudes that energy doesn't it?