I started with the OU in October, I’m studying psychology and really enjoying it so far!! You should do more of these study videos and I would definitely be interested in how you do your assignments! Great video, Holly!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed! 😊 I’m definitely interested in making an assignment video, so hopefully I can do that in the next few months! Good luck with the rest of your studies!
Great video👍 I would be interested to see a TMA prep video! I’m atm writing my second TMA! It be great, to see how other OU students prepare and write their essay 😊.
Thank you for your videos about the OU study, it is rare to find videos that really explain how the study and modules work. I am really undecided about whether to enrol or not in an history degree (part time) because I can't understand the real amount of workload (seems quite a lot tho) and if it would be compatible with a full time job, especially considering that English is not my first language (scared of assignment and essays:) . Thank you for this and good luck!
I’m glad I could help! 😁 I’d definitely recommend enrolling! The Level 1 and Level 2 modules were really manageable time-wise for me. It was only once I got to Level 3 that I had to spend a lot of time reading outside the course materials for assignments. However, by that point you've already been studying for a few years, so it wasn't too difficult to keep on top of the work! I know that a lot of people who study with the OU also have full-time jobs so it’s definitely possible to do that! Good luck with whatever you choose!
I really liked this video, I would love to see an asigment process one. This year I've started studying Architecture and the work load is crazy 😓, but to be honest I still really enjoy it 😁
I would love to see you do a video about how you approach your TMA's. I'm 1st year and finding leaving to the assigned weeks isn't working for me so would love to see other ways people make it work.
do you feel worth to paid study in this university? I m looking some courses in UK, and i didn't have any ideas which colleges have reliable for studying, because I'm lives outside UK and will be moved to UK this year.
I would say it is worth the money. University is quite expensive in the UK, but the Open University is definitely a lot cheaper than most. Also you get access to a huge online library and resources.
I'm looking into the open university and honestly thank you so much for making this video! I've been looking at other people's experiences to help me get a better understanding of the reality of studying. I like to learn new things but found that typical brick university wasn't for me at the time I was "straight out of college". I'm finally feeling ready to study but as a mature student think OU would be more fitting for me, my lifestyle, workstyle and personality.
I’m so glad you found this video helpful! I can’t recommend The Open University highly enough. I’ve graduated now but I absolutely loved my experience! Good luck with whatever you decide! 😁
Hi there, I'm a third year at the open University. I'm doing maths, which is a little different. We get text books, and less focus on online, but we still have an online community. I don't get TMA weeks. I will do the unit first, at level 2 its about 80-100 pages for 60 credits, and then work a draft of the TMA questions for that unit. Mainly setting out the maths. Then, when I've finished the book (4 units over 1 month), I go back over my notes for the TMA and flesh it out with words (you get marks good mathematical communication) and as a way of revising the book. This seems to be working for me. One thing I learnt was to try different study methods during year 1 and 2 (level 1), and by your third year you'll have an idea of what works for you. If something isn't working, change it. But above all, enjoy the journey! Six years is a long time, and it's "easier" to beat procrastination if you're enjoying what you are learning.
That’s so interesting! It seems like the maths modules are pretty different. I definitely agree that by my third year I’d got in a good rhythm and knew how to manage my time better!
I am studying at level 1, I also did an access module. You mentioned inbuilt note taking/highlighting? I tend to cut and paste relevant pieces of text to a word document. Is there a simpler way which I have missed? Great video by the way.
To be honest, I made this video over two years ago so I’m not entirely sure what I meant! I think I was referring to downloading the PDFs of the chapters/sources and then using the in-built highlighting tools which are available when I view a PDF. I have a MacBook and I open PDFs using Preview. On that there are options to add notes and highlight words and phrases. It might be different on other computer systems though. However, I did end up just copying and pasting quotes into a word document when I'd decided on my assignment topic - the highlighting was just for my initial read-through of a source/chapter.
I'm wondering if it's possible to study ahead? Like let's say you want to study part time, but one week you want to study 0 hours but you'd like to be ahead rather than fall behind and catch up. Is it possible to see your weeks ahead in your study planner?
Yes, you can see all the weeks of the study planner, so it’s your choice how much you do each week. I always started a few weeks early just in case something came up. It’s very much up to you, as long as you submit the assignments on time.
I'm gonna start OU next month, just curious, does one pay the tuition fees every month like 300 pounds a month or per term? And.. is it really difficult to get scholarships or financial aids if I'm not british?
I’m not really sure if I’m the person to ask, because I just apply for a student loan each year, so I’m not directly paying the tuition fees. I’d definitely recommend looking at the funding page on the Open University website: www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding , or contacting them directly! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but good luck with your studies! 😁
Hi@@jeonghalee1978 I am also an OU student, I am studying for free with them, as an immigrant, my status do not allow me to get funding through student finance or any other loan, so I recently made a video on how to study with the open university for free. Feel free to check it on my channel. Good luck.
Hi what degree did you take? It it more hard then a brick university? What are the word counts for the assignments? How many assignments do you do per week or month?
Hi, I did an Open degree which meant that I could pick from a range of modules. I ended up doing a science module, a creative writing module and four history modules. Firstly, I don’t think I would say it is harder than a brick university. I imagine that the work itself is pretty similar. The biggest difference is that the Open University is very self-driven. You have to completely organise your time yourself. No one is going to remind you that an assignment is due or to read a chapter. However, you can take a lot longer to do an Open University degree - rather than condensing it all into 3/4 years, many OU students do it part-time and spread it out over 6+ years. Another difference is that the grade boundaries are higher at the OU. To get a first you need 85% overall (assignments + exams). In brick universities I think you only need 70% for a first. (70% at the OU will get you a 2:1.) Word counts will vary considerably depending on what module you do. In my modules assignments were between 500-2000 words. End of module assessments can be longer (3000+ words). The frequency of assignments can also vary but I had about one a month per module. (So, if you do two modules at the same time, that is two assignments a month). I hope that helped! If you have any more questions, let me know! :)
As well as having an in-person library which any OU student can visit, the OU has a huge online library. This contains digitised copies of almost everything in their physical library plus access to loads of online materials like books, articles, reports etc. The library study volunteer role helps people in prison who are undertaking OU study but don’t have access to online resources. For those students, the OU has to print out everything they need for their course and send physical copies to them. To do their assignments, they might want access to more specialist books and sources so they send a request to the library. Library study volunteers take those requests and search the online library database for possible sources. So, for example, if someone was doing an assignment on the causes of WW1, a library study volunteer would try and find books, articles, and other sources that could help them, submit a request and then the OU would print those materials and send them to the person in prison. I hope that makes sense. If you type ‘Open University Library Study Volunteer’ in Google, lots of stuff comes up if you want to look more into it.
@@anovelcuriosity If you have time/energy to answer another question, is OU’s curriculum similar to regular university? I’ve been looking at the BA in English literature, but the modules are strange. At Stellenbosch (offline uni in South Africa) we had 4 philosophy modules a year, linguistics, applied English language studies (AELS), English literature (plus themed tuts like creative writing or love poetry, etc), ancient studies, and so on. We could choose what subjects we wanted to take. On the OU website it looks like they’ve lumped a bunch of subjects under “introduction to humanities” or something similar, and the book lists seem too short and incomplete.
I don’t know what it is like for every subject, but I believe the undergraduate degrees are split into three levels/stages, with each stage being a total of 120 credits. Each 120-credit stage is equivalent to one year at a standard university in the UK, but at the OU you can choose the pace of your study. So, for example, typical university students in the UK study for three/four years to get an undergraduate degree. At the OU, you can spread it over a lot more years, but in the end you are still doing as much work as an in-person uni. 120 credits is considered full-time study (approx. 40 hours per week), 60 credits is part-time (approx. 20 hours per week). Each 60-credit module is run over a full academic year, usually running from October to July (or February to November). I think there are also some modules which are 30 or 90 credits too. In my experience, the Stage 1 modules do tend to be more broad and mix a bunch of subjects together. Stage 2 and 3 are more tailored to your overall degree. I ended up doing an Open degree so I could pick from a range of modules. In my first year, I did two modules. One was an introductory science module which combined biology, chemistry and physics. My other one was an introductory arts and humanities module where I studied history, literature, religious studies, art etc. After that, my modules were a lot more specialised - I did a creative writing module, and then three history modules (Early modern Europe, Empire 1492-1975, and Europe 1914-1989). Although I haven’t attended an in-person uni, I imagine the work itself and the assignments are pretty similar to what you’d get in any other university in the UK. I just had a quick look at one of the Stage 2 modules for the BA in English Literature and there are 18 books on the set books list. If you wanted more information, it might be worth getting in touch with the OU! :)
Hi Lisa, I’ve actually finished my degree now and I know that a lot of people struggled with referencing at first, but don’t get too worried! The OU has a Harvard Referencing Guide, which I think is available on the Library website (if you can’t find it, you can always ask a Librarian or your tutor and I’m sure they could point you in the right direction). This walks you through pretty much every source you could encounter - books, journals, websites, images etc..., and you just need to substitute your source’s information (e.g. author surname, date published…) into their examples. My best advice if you are really struggling is just to ask your tutor or the library. There were a few times I got confused with referencing and my tutors were always really helpful. I hope this helped you a bit! Good luck with your studies! 😁
Hi, I studied two modules at the same time in my first two years (four modules in two years). This is considered ‘full-time’ study, which worked out at about 30-40 hours a week. In my experience, the higher the level or stage a module is, the more time you have to spend studying each week. I don’t think I could have studied two ‘Stage 3’ modules at the same time, but I could manage two ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’ modules within one year.
Thank you for this. I’m considering studying two modules in stage 1 and then one module at a time at a higher stage. Thanks again, really liked your video as found it to be really informative.
Good luck! 😁 You can study whenever you want. I tend to study between the usual 9 to 5-ish time each day, but you can access the website whenever you like! I know a lot of people study in the evenings.
@@Booren This is quite an old video, so I’ve actually graduated now! I did an Open degree, which meant I could pick from a range of subjects. I ended up doing modules in science, history and creative writing. I chose the OU because I didn’t think a traditional “brick” uni would suit me for personal reasons, but I also loved the flexibility that the OU provided. You can choose to study full-time or part-time, and you can even take breaks from study if you need to. It suited me perfectly and I would highly recommend the OU if you don’t mind missing out on the more social aspects of uni!
Hi, thank you for this. I am currently looking at options for an online History BA. Do you write with a pen because you prefer it that way or are assignments to be typed and submitted as a word document/pdf?
Hello! All of the history assignments are typed and submitted as a word document through their online system. I liked to handwrite my notes and planning, because it helped me to get all my thoughts and ideas out on paper, but I did the majority of my drafting and writing directly in word. I hope that answers your question and good luck with your search! 😁
Please, I heard about free online courses with diploma. Do you have any?? I want history or arquiology. I would like also to have one representation in my country (in Africa). Is it possible?
The Open University does offer some free short courses (although the full degrees do cost money). You can find them all here: www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue. I hope that helps!
I assume the exams differ depending on which subjects and modules you study. I did two history exams during my degree and they were essay-based. Both had similar questions to those I’d done in my assignments, such as analysing a source or discussing what caused a certain historical event. If you check on the OU website, you can see which courses have exams. For some modules you do an extended assignment instead.
@@anovelcuriosity thanks much Sorry I m not British we got a totally differenti system in my country I was curious in case I can ever attend this uni thanks!
There are some in-person and online tutorials, which are classes run by a tutor. However, in the modules I took they were all optional. I went to a few but I didn’t actually find them very helpful. The majority of your study is completely self-directed using the books and the online resources.
All the modules I did ran from Sept/Oct to Jun/July so I did have summer holidays. It does depend on which modules you pick though as I think some of them start in January or February instead.
I’m pretty sure there were a few other holiday weeks throughout the year. For example, there was a week or two off at Christmas. As the OU is very much about you managing your own time, you can do the study pretty much at your own pace as long as you submit assignments on time. You can see what you are expected to study each week in the study planner, and I always started a couple of weeks early just in case there were weeks when I couldn’t study. Also, I’m pretty sure you can request extensions for assignments due to personal circumstances as long as you let the tutors know in advance of the deadline.
@@anovelcuriosity okay. thanks for replying! another quesition heheh: is communication easy? cuz im afraid if something urgent happens, or i have a question, how will i reach out for support? is it pretty much self-study or can u ask someone questions? because so far (im not enrolled yet) im struggling to get any reply back, not in the live chat, not by requesting a callback... so im worried. also, does your module have exams? oh but you live in England, so it's easy to find a near exam centre right
In terms of communication, for every module you get a tutor who is your main contact. Contact times can vary dependent on your tutor. Some of my tutors responded pretty much straight away to my emails, some took a bit longer. There are other ways to contact the OU - phone, email, live chat - but I’m not sure how quickly they respond because I didn’t really need to contact them during my degree. Most of the study is self-directed. There are course books and online materials, as well as some in-person and online tutorials. The tutorials for my modules were optional but they are good if you have any questions about the study materials. You can also contact your tutor with any questions. Exam wise, it completely depends on the module. A few of my modules didn’t have any exams. They had end of module assessments instead, which were extended assignments that you submitted online. I had exams in two of my modules. For the first one (pre-Covid) I had to go to an exam centre which was about 1 hour away. For the second one (during Covid), my exam was entirely online. I don’t know if they have continued to do online exams, and I’m not sure what international students do, so I’d try and get in touch with the OU to ask them.
Usually there are some face-to-face tutorials and day schools that you can attend. Some people also host meet-ups as well, but it’s not something I’ve really looked into. I haven't really interacted with many other OU students, but if that is something you want to do, I'm sure there are ways to. Maybe have a look at the OU Student Union page.
Yes, an Open University degree is equivalent to a degree from any other university. You can apply on their website: www.open.ac.uk/courses/apply. I hope that helps!
I’m in the US, and I know the education system is different. Do you only take one course at a time with Open University? I went to a traditional university here, and we usually took about four courses each semester. It looks like you’re very organized with your studying.
Each of the modules for The Open University lasts about 8/9 months, and the amount of time it takes each week is dependent on how many credits it is. So, for example, the one I’m doing right now is 60 credits, which I think is about 16-18 hours a week. Most of the modules/courses are either 30 or 60 credits, and you can study up to 120 credits a year (I did this in my first two years), so you do around 1-4 modules a year. To get an undergraduate degree you have to do a total of 360 credits, which I’ll have done in 4 years (I did 120 credits in year 1 and year 2, and then 60 credits each in year 3 and year 4). I’m not sure what it’s like in traditional universities in the UK, but I hope that answered your question! 😁
One open University module Lasts one academic year. So part time study is often one module per year and full time is two modules per year. In brick University in England you often study modules per term (basically every 3 months). You can study 3 or four modules each term. There is three terms per academic year. However for both universities part time is 60 credits and full time is 120 credits. So in brick universities the modules are worth less credits, that's why you study more modules than at the open university. I studied at a brick university first but just didn't work out. I find the open uni alot more practical and wish I had just done it the first time round.
There was an increasing trend in the US and worldwide offering bachelor's online. Even the Ivy League universities. As an international, the only thing prevents me is international fees. Not that there are none in my country. And I think The OU remain most affordable for the internationals. Truly, the OU's founder was a great pioneer and has a great vision.
I finished my degree in July. I was doing an Open Degree which meant that I could choose from loads of different modules. I picked quite a few history modules, including Early Modern Europe, Empire and a War module, but I also did a Science module and a Creative Writing one too.
There definitely are stressful moments, but I don’t regret it at all! As well as all the information I’ve learned, I’ve also gained so many skills like communication and time management. I think the decision about whether to go to uni really is about what you want from it - career prospects? just learning? etc. If you're thinking about going to the Open University, I would highly recommend it. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. 😁
@@anovelcuriosity the amount of reading you have to do looks so intimidating and I want to do psychology at university and are there entry requirements. What’s the support like at OU?
The amount of reading varies depending on the module and the subject. I didn’t find the readings overwhelming so don’t worry! You can always just skip to the sections needed for the assignments if you get a little behind! Also, while I didn’t study psychology, I imagine it is the same as the history modules in that there are no entry requirements for the Stage 1/introductory modules. Personally, I found the OU quite supportive. You can contact your tutor if you have a problem. My tutors always responded quite quickly but that might vary. There is also a Student Support section and lots of other help (finance, application support etc.) if you need it. I hope that answered your questions! 😁
@@haashimasif1835 Personally, I’ve never experienced anyone looking down on my OU degree. In applications, as long as you can show the skills and knowledge you’ve gained from it, they shouldn’t discriminate against you for not going to a traditional ‘brick’ uni. Also, there is a campus but I’ve never been there. There are some optional in-person tutorials and day schools across the UK where you can meet other students and I did go to a few of them, but it really depends on how far you want to travel.
I’m not sure. They definitely accept international students, so I assume you wouldn’t have to travel to the UK for exams, but I would recommend contacting them directly to make sure. Here’s a link to the website if you need it: www.open.ac.uk. I hope that helps!
The free courses tend to be very short introductory courses, so they aren’t equivalent to a degree. Most are around 10-30 hours. The full degrees do cost money.
I started with the OU in October, I’m studying psychology and really enjoying it so far!! You should do more of these study videos and I would definitely be interested in how you do your assignments! Great video, Holly!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed! 😊 I’m definitely interested in making an assignment video, so hopefully I can do that in the next few months! Good luck with the rest of your studies!
A Novel Curiosity your welcome, Yayy!! Can’t wait! Thank you! 🥰
How did it go ?
Definitely interested in seeing how you prepare for TMA's! I started with the OU this year and I'm curious to learn how others organize themselves.
Ooo that’s good! Hopefully I can make that video in the next couple of months! Good luck with your studies! 😁
Yes me too thanks. I have my own method but would be good to see how someone else does it. Perhaps I could do a video one day then we could compare 🧐
@@GJHistoryOfWarAndConflict I'm hoping to get that video out in the next week or so! I'd love to see how other people do their TMAs!
It was nice to see your routine and I am glad you've been able to enjoy studying with the open university!
I’m glad you enjoyed the video!😊
Great video👍 I would be interested to see a TMA prep video! I’m atm writing my second TMA! It be great, to see how other OU students prepare and write their essay 😊.
I’m glad you enjoyed! I’m hoping to make an assignment video in the next couple of months, so look out for that! Good luck with your TMA! 😁
@@anovelcuriosity That’s great, Thank you! 😊
im starting english lit and creative writing in feb! thank you for the video :)
I’m glad you enjoyed! Good luck with your studies! 😁
Yes a video on completion of an assignment would be great 👍
I’ve already made a video on assignments! Here’s the link: ruclips.net/video/flowexIk88U/видео.html
🤭 thanks, it just popped up on my feed. I didn't think to check the date. Thanks for the quick reply though 👍
Thank you for making this video. Very helpful.
I’m glad it was helpful! 😊
Thank you for your videos about the OU study, it is rare to find videos that really explain how the study and modules work. I am really undecided about whether to enrol or not in an history degree (part time) because I can't understand the real amount of workload (seems quite a lot tho) and if it would be compatible with a full time job, especially considering that English is not my first language (scared of assignment and essays:) . Thank you for this and good luck!
I’m glad I could help! 😁 I’d definitely recommend enrolling! The Level 1 and Level 2 modules were really manageable time-wise for me. It was only once I got to Level 3 that I had to spend a lot of time reading outside the course materials for assignments. However, by that point you've already been studying for a few years, so it wasn't too difficult to keep on top of the work! I know that a lot of people who study with the OU also have full-time jobs so it’s definitely possible to do that! Good luck with whatever you choose!
@@anovelcuriosity Thank you so much! : )
Love these sorts of videos as a fellow OU student x
I’m glad you enjoyed! 😁
I really liked this video, I would love to see an asigment process one. This year I've started studying Architecture and the work load is crazy 😓, but to be honest I still really enjoy it 😁
I’m glad you enjoyed! Hopefully I can make an assignment video in the next couple of months! Good luck with your studies! 😁
@@anovelcuriosity thank you! I'm looking forward to see your video
Great to see a fellow student out here on the interwebs! :)
Hello! 👋 ☺️
I would love to see you do a video about how you approach your TMA's. I'm 1st year and finding leaving to the assigned weeks isn't working for me so would love to see other ways people make it work.
I’ve actually been filming a TMA video for a few weeks, so hopefully that should be coming out soon!
I am studying with the OU doing bachelor of laws! Doing stage 2 from October and full time!
Its incredible but the TMA’s are time consuming
Good luck with your studies! 😁
do you feel worth to paid study in this university? I m looking some courses in UK, and i didn't have any ideas which colleges have reliable for studying, because I'm lives outside UK and will be moved to UK this year.
I would say it is worth the money. University is quite expensive in the UK, but the Open University is definitely a lot cheaper than most. Also you get access to a huge online library and resources.
Ah i love watching other open university students videos! so nice to know you’re not the only one doing it 😂🤍
I’m glad you enjoyed! 😁
I'm looking into the open university and honestly thank you so much for making this video! I've been looking at other people's experiences to help me get a better understanding of the reality of studying. I like to learn new things but found that typical brick university wasn't for me at the time I was "straight out of college". I'm finally feeling ready to study but as a mature student think OU would be more fitting for me, my lifestyle, workstyle and personality.
I’m so glad you found this video helpful! I can’t recommend The Open University highly enough. I’ve graduated now but I absolutely loved my experience! Good luck with whatever you decide! 😁
Hi there, I'm a third year at the open University.
I'm doing maths, which is a little different. We get text books, and less focus on online, but we still have an online community.
I don't get TMA weeks.
I will do the unit first, at level 2 its about 80-100 pages for 60 credits, and then work a draft of the TMA questions for that unit. Mainly setting out the maths.
Then, when I've finished the book (4 units over 1 month), I go back over my notes for the TMA and flesh it out with words (you get marks good mathematical communication) and as a way of revising the book. This seems to be working for me.
One thing I learnt was to try different study methods during year 1 and 2 (level 1), and by your third year you'll have an idea of what works for you. If something isn't working, change it. But above all, enjoy the journey! Six years is a long time, and it's "easier" to beat procrastination if you're enjoying what you are learning.
That’s so interesting! It seems like the maths modules are pretty different. I definitely agree that by my third year I’d got in a good rhythm and knew how to manage my time better!
Perfect....you inspire me..going to do MA in English Literature...love Thomas Hardy etc
That’s amazing! Good luck with your studies! 😁
this was interesting and nice to see another side of you
I’m glad you enjoyed! I definitely want to branch out a little more with my videos!
Hello fellow Holly on booktubers 😀 I’m constantly looking at the idea of going to uni as a mature student, I hope one day it will come true 🤞
Hi! I loved my experience with the OU, so I can’t recommend them highly enough! 😊
I am studying at level 1, I also did an access module. You mentioned inbuilt note taking/highlighting? I tend to cut and paste relevant pieces of text to a word document. Is there a simpler way which I have missed? Great video by the way.
To be honest, I made this video over two years ago so I’m not entirely sure what I meant! I think I was referring to downloading the PDFs of the chapters/sources and then using the in-built highlighting tools which are available when I view a PDF. I have a MacBook and I open PDFs using Preview. On that there are options to add notes and highlight words and phrases. It might be different on other computer systems though. However, I did end up just copying and pasting quotes into a word document when I'd decided on my assignment topic - the highlighting was just for my initial read-through of a source/chapter.
listening.
I practice .
I am an student in Open University Japan.(URL Change)
I'm wondering if it's possible to study ahead? Like let's say you want to study part time, but one week you want to study 0 hours but you'd like to be ahead rather than fall behind and catch up. Is it possible to see your weeks ahead in your study planner?
Yes, you can see all the weeks of the study planner, so it’s your choice how much you do each week. I always started a few weeks early just in case something came up. It’s very much up to you, as long as you submit the assignments on time.
I'm gonna start OU next month, just curious, does one pay the tuition fees every month like 300 pounds a month or per term?
And.. is it really difficult to get scholarships or financial aids if I'm not british?
I’m not really sure if I’m the person to ask, because I just apply for a student loan each year, so I’m not directly paying the tuition fees. I’d definitely recommend looking at the funding page on the Open University website: www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding , or contacting them directly! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but good luck with your studies! 😁
@@anovelcuriosity thanks appreciate it !
Hi@@jeonghalee1978 I am also an OU student, I am studying for free with them, as an immigrant, my status do not allow me to get funding through student finance or any other loan, so I recently made a video on how to study with the open university for free. Feel free to check it on my channel. Good luck.
Hi what degree did you take? It it more hard then a brick university? What are the word counts for the assignments? How many assignments do you do per week or month?
Hi, I did an Open degree which meant that I could pick from a range of modules. I ended up doing a science module, a creative writing module and four history modules.
Firstly, I don’t think I would say it is harder than a brick university. I imagine that the work itself is pretty similar. The biggest difference is that the Open University is very self-driven. You have to completely organise your time yourself. No one is going to remind you that an assignment is due or to read a chapter. However, you can take a lot longer to do an Open University degree - rather than condensing it all into 3/4 years, many OU students do it part-time and spread it out over 6+ years. Another difference is that the grade boundaries are higher at the OU. To get a first you need 85% overall (assignments + exams). In brick universities I think you only need 70% for a first. (70% at the OU will get you a 2:1.)
Word counts will vary considerably depending on what module you do. In my modules assignments were between 500-2000 words. End of module assessments can be longer (3000+ words).
The frequency of assignments can also vary but I had about one a month per module. (So, if you do two modules at the same time, that is two assignments a month).
I hope that helped! If you have any more questions, let me know! :)
What’s a library study volunteer? 🤔 How does that work if OU is online?
As well as having an in-person library which any OU student can visit, the OU has a huge online library. This contains digitised copies of almost everything in their physical library plus access to loads of online materials like books, articles, reports etc. The library study volunteer role helps people in prison who are undertaking OU study but don’t have access to online resources. For those students, the OU has to print out everything they need for their course and send physical copies to them. To do their assignments, they might want access to more specialist books and sources so they send a request to the library. Library study volunteers take those requests and search the online library database for possible sources. So, for example, if someone was doing an assignment on the causes of WW1, a library study volunteer would try and find books, articles, and other sources that could help them, submit a request and then the OU would print those materials and send them to the person in prison. I hope that makes sense. If you type ‘Open University Library Study Volunteer’ in Google, lots of stuff comes up if you want to look more into it.
@@anovelcuriosity ah! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain. 🌻
@@anovelcuriosity If you have time/energy to answer another question, is OU’s curriculum similar to regular university?
I’ve been looking at the BA in English literature, but the modules are strange. At Stellenbosch (offline uni in South Africa) we had 4 philosophy modules a year, linguistics, applied English language studies (AELS), English literature (plus themed tuts like creative writing or love poetry, etc), ancient studies, and so on. We could choose what subjects we wanted to take. On the OU website it looks like they’ve lumped a bunch of subjects under “introduction to humanities” or something similar, and the book lists seem too short and incomplete.
I don’t know what it is like for every subject, but I believe the undergraduate degrees are split into three levels/stages, with each stage being a total of 120 credits. Each 120-credit stage is equivalent to one year at a standard university in the UK, but at the OU you can choose the pace of your study. So, for example, typical university students in the UK study for three/four years to get an undergraduate degree. At the OU, you can spread it over a lot more years, but in the end you are still doing as much work as an in-person uni. 120 credits is considered full-time study (approx. 40 hours per week), 60 credits is part-time (approx. 20 hours per week). Each 60-credit module is run over a full academic year, usually running from October to July (or February to November). I think there are also some modules which are 30 or 90 credits too.
In my experience, the Stage 1 modules do tend to be more broad and mix a bunch of subjects together. Stage 2 and 3 are more tailored to your overall degree. I ended up doing an Open degree so I could pick from a range of modules. In my first year, I did two modules. One was an introductory science module which combined biology, chemistry and physics. My other one was an introductory arts and humanities module where I studied history, literature, religious studies, art etc. After that, my modules were a lot more specialised - I did a creative writing module, and then three history modules (Early modern Europe, Empire 1492-1975, and Europe 1914-1989).
Although I haven’t attended an in-person uni, I imagine the work itself and the assignments are pretty similar to what you’d get in any other university in the UK. I just had a quick look at one of the Stage 2 modules for the BA in English Literature and there are 18 books on the set books list.
If you wanted more information, it might be worth getting in touch with the OU! :)
@@anovelcuriosity thank you so much for your reply! I’ll definitely send them an email. 🤍🤍
Hi Holly, I have just started my degree and I was wondering how you are getting on with the Harvard Referencing. I am very worried about this
Hi Lisa,
I’ve actually finished my degree now and I know that a lot of people struggled with referencing at first, but don’t get too worried! The OU has a Harvard Referencing Guide, which I think is available on the Library website (if you can’t find it, you can always ask a Librarian or your tutor and I’m sure they could point you in the right direction). This walks you through pretty much every source you could encounter - books, journals, websites, images etc..., and you just need to substitute your source’s information (e.g. author surname, date published…) into their examples. My best advice if you are really struggling is just to ask your tutor or the library. There were a few times I got confused with referencing and my tutors were always really helpful.
I hope this helped you a bit! Good luck with your studies! 😁
Hi, thank you for this informative video. I’m considering studying with the OU and wondered if at any point you studied two modules at the same time?
Hi, I studied two modules at the same time in my first two years (four modules in two years). This is considered ‘full-time’ study, which worked out at about 30-40 hours a week. In my experience, the higher the level or stage a module is, the more time you have to spend studying each week. I don’t think I could have studied two ‘Stage 3’ modules at the same time, but I could manage two ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’ modules within one year.
Thank you for this. I’m considering studying two modules in stage 1 and then one module at a time at a higher stage. Thanks again, really liked your video as found it to be really informative.
@@jaxb I'm glad I could help! 😊
I start my course on the 30th! Just wondering what time in the day should you do all your work and revision? xx
Good luck! 😁 You can study whenever you want. I tend to study between the usual 9 to 5-ish time each day, but you can access the website whenever you like! I know a lot of people study in the evenings.
What are you studying and why you choice OU ?
@@Booren This is quite an old video, so I’ve actually graduated now! I did an Open degree, which meant I could pick from a range of subjects. I ended up doing modules in science, history and creative writing. I chose the OU because I didn’t think a traditional “brick” uni would suit me for personal reasons, but I also loved the flexibility that the OU provided. You can choose to study full-time or part-time, and you can even take breaks from study if you need to. It suited me perfectly and I would highly recommend the OU if you don’t mind missing out on the more social aspects of uni!
Hi, thank you for this. I am currently looking at options for an online History BA. Do you write with a pen because you prefer it that way or are assignments to be typed and submitted as a word document/pdf?
Hello! All of the history assignments are typed and submitted as a word document through their online system. I liked to handwrite my notes and planning, because it helped me to get all my thoughts and ideas out on paper, but I did the majority of my drafting and writing directly in word. I hope that answers your question and good luck with your search! 😁
@@anovelcuriosity Thank you so much!
Please, I heard about free online courses with diploma. Do you have any?? I want history or arquiology. I would like also to have one representation in my country (in Africa). Is it possible?
The Open University does offer some free short courses (although the full degrees do cost money). You can find them all here: www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue. I hope that helps!
Thanks! PLS could u tell what do the exams to pass consis of?
I assume the exams differ depending on which subjects and modules you study. I did two history exams during my degree and they were essay-based. Both had similar questions to those I’d done in my assignments, such as analysing a source or discussing what caused a certain historical event. If you check on the OU website, you can see which courses have exams. For some modules you do an extended assignment instead.
@@anovelcuriosity thanks much Sorry I m not British we got a totally differenti system in my country I was curious in case I can ever attend this uni thanks!
@@Alice-ie9zv I'm glad I could help!
You never have any online class with a teacher ? like on zoom or teams ?
There are some in-person and online tutorials, which are classes run by a tutor. However, in the modules I took they were all optional. I went to a few but I didn’t actually find them very helpful. The majority of your study is completely self-directed using the books and the online resources.
I have a question. are there summer holidays in the ou?
All the modules I did ran from Sept/Oct to Jun/July so I did have summer holidays. It does depend on which modules you pick though as I think some of them start in January or February instead.
@@anovelcuriosity oh okay. and are there any other holidays ? do you know what heppens if you, say, miss a month of study cause of personal matters?
I’m pretty sure there were a few other holiday weeks throughout the year. For example, there was a week or two off at Christmas. As the OU is very much about you managing your own time, you can do the study pretty much at your own pace as long as you submit assignments on time. You can see what you are expected to study each week in the study planner, and I always started a couple of weeks early just in case there were weeks when I couldn’t study. Also, I’m pretty sure you can request extensions for assignments due to personal circumstances as long as you let the tutors know in advance of the deadline.
@@anovelcuriosity okay. thanks for replying! another quesition heheh: is communication easy? cuz im afraid if something urgent happens, or i have a question, how will i reach out for support? is it pretty much self-study or can u ask someone questions? because so far (im not enrolled yet) im struggling to get any reply back, not in the live chat, not by requesting a callback... so im worried.
also, does your module have exams? oh but you live in England, so it's easy to find a near exam centre right
In terms of communication, for every module you get a tutor who is your main contact. Contact times can vary dependent on your tutor. Some of my tutors responded pretty much straight away to my emails, some took a bit longer. There are other ways to contact the OU - phone, email, live chat - but I’m not sure how quickly they respond because I didn’t really need to contact them during my degree.
Most of the study is self-directed. There are course books and online materials, as well as some in-person and online tutorials. The tutorials for my modules were optional but they are good if you have any questions about the study materials. You can also contact your tutor with any questions.
Exam wise, it completely depends on the module. A few of my modules didn’t have any exams. They had end of module assessments instead, which were extended assignments that you submitted online. I had exams in two of my modules. For the first one (pre-Covid) I had to go to an exam centre which was about 1 hour away. For the second one (during Covid), my exam was entirely online. I don’t know if they have continued to do online exams, and I’m not sure what international students do, so I’d try and get in touch with the OU to ask them.
Is there a way to meet other students at the OU?
Usually there are some face-to-face tutorials and day schools that you can attend. Some people also host meet-ups as well, but it’s not something I’ve really looked into. I haven't really interacted with many other OU students, but if that is something you want to do, I'm sure there are ways to. Maybe have a look at the OU Student Union page.
Hi, I still confuse about Open University, is it real get a degree? and how to apply to undergaduate there? btw i'm from Indo. Hope you reply 🖤
Yes, an Open University degree is equivalent to a degree from any other university. You can apply on their website: www.open.ac.uk/courses/apply. I hope that helps!
I’m in the US, and I know the education system is different. Do you only take one course at a time with Open University? I went to a traditional university here, and we usually took about four courses each semester. It looks like you’re very organized with your studying.
Each of the modules for The Open University lasts about 8/9 months, and the amount of time it takes each week is dependent on how many credits it is. So, for example, the one I’m doing right now is 60 credits, which I think is about 16-18 hours a week. Most of the modules/courses are either 30 or 60 credits, and you can study up to 120 credits a year (I did this in my first two years), so you do around 1-4 modules a year. To get an undergraduate degree you have to do a total of 360 credits, which I’ll have done in 4 years (I did 120 credits in year 1 and year 2, and then 60 credits each in year 3 and year 4). I’m not sure what it’s like in traditional universities in the UK, but I hope that answered your question! 😁
One open University module
Lasts one academic year. So part time study is often one module per year and full time is two modules per year. In brick University in England you often study modules per term (basically every 3 months). You can study 3 or four modules each term. There is three terms per academic year. However for both universities part time is 60 credits and full time is 120 credits. So in brick universities the modules are worth less credits, that's why you study more modules than at the open university. I studied at a brick university first but just didn't work out. I find the open uni alot more practical and wish I had just done it the first time round.
There was an increasing trend in the US and worldwide offering bachelor's online. Even the Ivy League universities. As an international, the only thing prevents me is international fees. Not that there are none in my country. And I think The OU remain most affordable for the internationals.
Truly, the OU's founder was a great pioneer and has a great vision.
Are you doing history
I finished my degree in July. I was doing an Open Degree which meant that I could choose from loads of different modules. I picked quite a few history modules, including Early Modern Europe, Empire and a War module, but I also did a Science module and a Creative Writing one too.
University just looks really scary omg
There definitely are stressful moments, but I don’t regret it at all! As well as all the information I’ve learned, I’ve also gained so many skills like communication and time management. I think the decision about whether to go to uni really is about what you want from it - career prospects? just learning? etc. If you're thinking about going to the Open University, I would highly recommend it. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. 😁
@@anovelcuriosity the amount of reading you have to do looks so intimidating and I want to do psychology at university and are there entry requirements. What’s the support like at OU?
The amount of reading varies depending on the module and the subject. I didn’t find the readings overwhelming so don’t worry! You can always just skip to the sections needed for the assignments if you get a little behind!
Also, while I didn’t study psychology, I imagine it is the same as the history modules in that there are no entry requirements for the Stage 1/introductory modules.
Personally, I found the OU quite supportive. You can contact your tutor if you have a problem. My tutors always responded quite quickly but that might vary. There is also a Student Support section and lots of other help (finance, application support etc.) if you need it. I hope that answered your questions! 😁
@@anovelcuriosity do employers look down on OU degrees do you ever go to the uni?
@@haashimasif1835 Personally, I’ve never experienced anyone looking down on my OU degree. In applications, as long as you can show the skills and knowledge you’ve gained from it, they shouldn’t discriminate against you for not going to a traditional ‘brick’ uni. Also, there is a campus but I’ve never been there. There are some optional in-person tutorials and day schools across the UK where you can meet other students and I did go to a few of them, but it really depends on how far you want to travel.
Great content and subscribed! Would love to hear what you think of our grad school channel. Thank you.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed!
Do i have to travel to uk for examination?
I’m not sure. They definitely accept international students, so I assume you wouldn’t have to travel to the UK for exams, but I would recommend contacting them directly to make sure. Here’s a link to the website if you need it: www.open.ac.uk. I hope that helps!
What about the free online course? Are they real degree?
The free courses tend to be very short introductory courses, so they aren’t equivalent to a degree. Most are around 10-30 hours. The full degrees do cost money.
@@anovelcuriosity thank you very much. How much do i need to pay for module reservation. And I want to study fundamental accounting module code: B124
@@anovelcuriosity and is it only online course? Will i have group classes online?