Open University

[arm3000gt]

Has anyone recently done an open university degree? I am currently on a part time level 3 BTEC engineering course. After being out of formal education for 16 years I am a little disappointed in the quality of the education available to young people. Luckily my work has paid for this course and I will hopefully get some benefit from it. The BTEC curriculum is changing this or next year so I'd rather not jump on to the next level as a guinea pig after this course finishes.

Anyway looking to the future I am considering an OU degree course. I struggle a little with self discipline if I'm honest but if there is a deadline I will meet it. I'm just not sure about the fact I won't ever sit in a classroom with someone explaining the subject. I am aware there are occasional night classes and summer schools etc. On the plus side most of my engineering course has been learn by google so won't be much different to an OU course in that respect.

I would probably go for a course that has a personal interest, rather than a subject that I think I should do. This would hopefully help with the discipline side of things. The OU course would be self funded so £2500 per 60 credit year, certainly not cheap.

I would like to know how people found juggling full time work, young child etc and the course. They recommend 16-20 per week for a 60 credit year. How did you find squeezing this in? Having done it is there anything you would do differently if you did it again?

 

 

 

Thanks

Andy

[washerboy]

I was lucky and did mine during work time with their permission.you need to set aside time to do it

[BrowningB525]

What are you looking at studying?

[arm3000gt]

I should probably study engineering but I'd like to study something like geology. If I were to study engineering work might consider allowing me some time to study. If I were to study geology there would be no chance.

[Me matt]

I should probably study engineering but I'd like to study something like geology. If I were to study engineering work might consider allowing me some time to study. If I were to study geology there would be no chance.

Geology 👍 fascinating subject.

[Mice!]

What kind of engineering? Wide topic, thinking you could possibly incorporate it into your job, given that your employer has payed for the course they probably do continuous improvement and maybe pay for the course, would certainly help make it easier financially and time wise.

[Lloyd90]

If your not properly committed to it I'd have a long hard think, especially when doing something like Engineering.

 

You might be a genius or you might be hard working but I wouldn't say Engineering is an easy topic, hence why it's so in demand and it's a well paid job.

 

If your not committed to it will you be coming out with a good degree? You could scrape through with a third or a 2:2 and be very happy with that or you might want (or need) a 2:1 or higher depending on what your planning to do with it?

 

If you do want to do it buckle down and commit to it properly. Lots of places might not care what classification you've got but some will and it always puts you in a good position good luck and hope it works out!

[arm3000gt]

Thanks for your comments.

I am currently doing mechanical engineering. Work is committed to continuous development and if I could manoeuvre myself into the right position I could almost certainly get them to commit to supporting further development in time. The logical next step would be HNC then HND in mech engineering. With the change in the courses coming I'm wary to be some of the first to go through it.

Do I want to take mech engineering further? Do I find it interesting yes, sensible for career progression yes, float my boat meh! I needed do do something to progress, the company was willing to fund it so I took the opportunity, silly not to.

 

I'll add I have absolutely no idea what I want to be when I 'grow up'.

Edited May 9, 2017 by arm3000gt

[kyska]

If your not properly committed to it I'd have a long hard think, especially when doing something like Engineering.

 

You might be a genius or you might be hard working but I wouldn't say Engineering is an easy topic, hence why it's so in demand and it's a well paid job.

 

If your not committed to it will you be coming out with a good degree? You could scrape through with a third or a 2:2 and be very happy with that or you might want (or need) a 2:1 or higher depending on what your planning to do with it?

 

If you do want to do it buckle down and commit to it properly. Lots of places might not care what classification you've got but some will and it always puts you in a good position good luck and hope it works out!

A degree is a degree, it gives a snapshot of capability.

 

A OU degree has relevance, I remember a Prof discussing PhD applicants, OU graduates were highly desired because of the mechanism of gaining the reward.

 

OP, OU degrees are hard as nails to get, I've topped up using the OU, it's intensive, and time consuming.

 

You have the choice of 'tasting', take a level 1 if you're new to learning, but choose a relevant subject and see how you get on, you can always 'bolt on' from there.

[arm3000gt]

A degree is a degree, it gives a snapshot of capability.

 

A OU degree has relevance, I remember a Prof discussing PhD applicants, OU graduates were highly desired because of the mechanism of gaining the reward.

 

OP, OU degrees are hard as nails to get, I've topped up using the OU, it's intensive, and time consuming.

 

You have the choice of 'tasting', take a level 1 if you're new to learning, but choose a relevant subject and see how you get on, you can always 'bolt on' from there.

How did you find juggling work and study? Is 18 hours a week realistic or do you need to commit more than in reality?

[7daysinaweek]

could be as little as 10 hours per week or as much as 25 hours a week if you could stomach that much, what is relevant here is the quality of your time spent learning. For example i used to be terrible at any time which was self directed study, could procrastinate forever and soon learned that we all learn in different ways to assimilate knowledge and skills in different ways and at differing times.Sometimes i could sit for hours and not really taking anything in, not focused and exasperated. What i had to do was find what worked for me. Studying late eve was the best time for me to assimilate knowledge, anything over a hour and a half of reading would not go in. Use different learning resources if possible to demonstrate theories and process relating to course topics, online journals, videos, books anything that is peer reviewed (comes from a trusted source) Your course will have a raft of online resources.Take regular breaks and don't over do it, return to subject matter on a daily basis and it will go in after a few days. Thing you could do is formulate yourself a learning plan for daily and weekly study timetable. The course will come with support resources for planning of your study.

 

Only you can answer yourself if you are truly up for it, yes it is achievable at 18 hours a week if you time is quality time well focused and planned. You have already proved to yourself that you can commit to study doing the btec, you would of had to commit time to accrue knowledge and skills, the process is not so different with a degree, just a higher level of study.

 

Go for it!

atb

7diaw

[Albert 888]

Could you do electrical as well as engineering I'm not 100% sure but they all used to cross over, just a couple different modules needed to gain the electrical , it's been a while since I was at college.

[Mice!]

I know what you mean about doing a different subject the only reason I said about the continuous process was thinking it would be easier if work contribute to cost and time, some of the lads I worked with at bae had degrees even though they were still on the machines as work encouraged them to keep studying both paying for the fees and allowing time for study.

 

Would your work not do this even if you did something non engineering based as your more likely to finish it and they get a happier more intelligent employee might be worth asking.

[rimfire4969]

My wife has about a month to go to finish her degree, the first year she worked full time, second year part time and as the work load increased with the degree she has left work to concentrate on her degree. Hers is not a OU degree but at the moment she is spending about 40 - 50 hours at least a week on it, two more things plus dissertation to go. Not that she will say it but at the moment she is inline for a first, fingers crossed the marking for her last few things will be up there as well.

[kyska]

How did you find juggling work and study? Is 18 hours a week realistic or do you need to commit more than in reality?

It's difficult, especially with a family and other out of work commitments, I was lucky as I was sponsored by work to do the courses I've done, and they have me freedom to study during work time.

 

I'm all honestly, if I did have that opportunity I wouldn't of been able to complete the course, I'm sure

[arm3000gt]

All good info thanks. Just to answer a few points.

I could add electronic engineering to my studies and I could probably get work to support it in a couple of years after the current course finishes.

 

Work has begun a shift towards only supporting further development that has a clear benefit to the company. Absolutely fair enough can't argue with that. Too many have milked it and now it's coming to an end. Budgets are being tightened across the board, so them funding a degree or course unrelated to my current job is almost certainly not getting approval. Same goes for the time off to study. The latest statement regarding this seemed to be along the lines 'take as much time off as you want to study but you won't be paid for it. You will also still need to meet your contracted hours'.

 

There is no chance of me dropping/reducing hours in the next 4 years due to existing financial commitments.

 

Good luck to your wife rimfire sure she will achieve what she wants especially with that amount of commitment, 50 hours a week is pretty heavy going.

 

7daysinaweek - The reason I need to do a course I am interested in is because of the pitfalls you describe. If I only have limited interest in the course I will do my utmost to avoid it. Put everything off to the last minute, find distractions, sit for hours not really taking anything in. I could lie to myself and pretend it could work through it because it is the course I should be doing. It will give me the best prospects etc. I am far too aware of my personal failings to even chance it. It will have to be a course I have a genuine interest it or I'll be set to fail before I begin.

 

I certainly have a fair bit to mull over.

[rimfire4969]

I am pleased to say that it's only gone up to 50 hours a week since Christmas and it will stay like that till June 8th. Before that minimum of about 20 hours a week.

[anser2]

It may be worth checking out your local university they may off er the course you need at night school. I used to teach part time degree units in Ecology and Ornithology. Its a slower way of getting your qualification , but the time needed for study is less. Some of the teaching was in the day time and some in night school. Each 20 credit course was based on 2 hours contact a week in class for 12 weeks and 5-8 days at the weekend and you would be expected to put in 4-5 hours a week at home for study. It will also give you the advantage of mixing with other students not only in your class , but also within the student community. You can get a good degree working with the OU , but its so much easier and enjoyable when you can bounce your ideas around with other students and share the work within a group. Good luck.

Edited May 10, 2017 by anser2

[arm3000gt]

It may be worth checking out your local university they may off er the course you need at night school. I used to teach part time degree units in Ecology and Ornithology. Its a slower way of getting your qualification , but the time needed for study is less. Some of the teaching was in the day time and some in night school. Each 20 credit course was based on 2 hours contact a week in class for 12 weeks and 5-8 days at the weekend and you would be expected to put in 4-5 hours a week at home for study. It will also give you the advantage of mixing with other students not only in your class , but also within the student community. You can get a good degree working with the OU , but its so much easier and enjoyable when you can bounce your ideas around with other students and share the work within a group. Good luck.

Good point. I'll check all the reasonably local ones again. Not bothered about length of time it takes and I prefer classroom teaching. It is often a fellow student who my have the missing piece of the puzzle that helps things make sense.

[kyska]

Good point. I'll check all the reasonably local ones again. Not bothered about length of time it takes and I prefer classroom teaching. It is often a fellow student who my have the missing piece of the puzzle that helps things make sense.

Regarding classroom teaching, don't knock the OU, they are superb, support is amazing, online classrooms, forums, meet ups.

 

If you've got the time and the accumen they'll support you.

[Smokersmith]

I did a post graduate course over 3 years when I had a young family.

 

The experience with the OU was great, and although hard ... I was glad I did it.

 

2 tips ....

 

- If you do something you love, it won't feel like work ..

- if you're up against it .... good enough is good!

 

I've seen many folks add in another 15 to 20 hours a week, for perhaps only another 5 to 10% ....

 

Whatever you choose, good luck !!

Edited May 11, 2017 by Smokersmith

[ferguson_tom]

A couple of friends have done the open university thing and found it worked very well for them, my wife is looking at doing her bachelors with it as she can take as long as she needs within reason and fit it around work and the children. She done the foundation degree through Bedfordshire university and ended up learning more at home studying on her own than she ever did listening to the lectures however it may be different with such a maths based subject as engineering.

 

From what you are saying i would follow the engineering route especially as you are with a company that might be willing to pay for it and be flexible with the hours, this will be worth a lot more than just doing a subject your interested in with no support from work. Also in 3 years time you will be 3 years further down your career path within an engineering environment and having a degree that isnt engineering based could be a waste of time unless you want a complete career change. I dont know anyone with experience and an engineering degree that isnt doing well for themselves as decent engineers are in short supply.

Edited May 11, 2017 by ferguson_tom

[arm3000gt]

Thanks for the replies. Most helpful and a wide range of perspectives. Food for thought.

I fancied retraining and complete career change two years ago (again). It just isn't financially viable anymore while still living in the south. House prices are so high mortgages are almost crippling and certainly limit life choices for those on modest incomes. So I pulled my finger out a bit at work, moved up and got on this course I'm doing.

[BrowningB525]

Thanks for the replies. Most helpful and a wide range of perspectives. Food for thought.

I fancied retraining and complete career change two years ago (again). It just isn't financially viable anymore while still living in the south. House prices are so high mortgages are almost crippling and certainly limit life choices for those on modest incomes. So I pulled my finger out a bit at work, moved up and got on this course I'm doing.

 

If you're going to study engineering make sure you do the MEng as opposed to BEng. Makes getting chartered much easier.

[ferguson_tom]

My view has always been I go to work to earn as much money as possible so we can do the things we enjoy at the evenings and weekends. Assuming you don't dislike your job I would always choose money over doing something you enjoy at work. Simple reason being that I don't know anyone with a "dream job" who wouldn't prefer to stay at home on a Monday morning.

 

Going to work is **** regardless so getting in with a decent firm is also more important than the actual job itself imo

Edited May 12, 2017 by ferguson_tom