thinking of studying OU

[chipper]

Particle Physicist, working on the ATLAS detector.

im so fucking jealous in my eyes you have the best job in the world!

me i work in a factory job is shit pay is good not much more to say really. considering doing an OU course to get my degree in maths/ physics and then possibly go into teaching love everything about my life except my job i despise it!

 

[Jupitus]

considering doing an OU course to get my degree in maths/ physics and then possibly go into teaching love everything about my life except my job i despise it!

Go for it, Chipper!

 

[TdC]

im so fucking jealous in my eyes you have the best job in the world!

me i work in a factory job is shit pay is good not much more to say really. considering doing an OU course to get my degree in maths/ physics and then possibly go into teaching love everything about my life except my job i despise it!

Do it Chipper. I picked my studies back up later in life and got a degree beginning of this year. Best thing ever tbh, and I had a load of fun studying

 

[Raven]

im so fucking jealous in my eyes you have the best job in the world!

me i work in a factory job is shit pay is good not much more to say really. considering doing an OU course to get my degree in maths/ physics and then possibly go into teaching love everything about my life except my job i despise it!

Do it.

I am in year two of an OU degree and fit it around work easily. You can get a student loan to pay for it and despite what the kids say, its basically free money. It will come out of your salary at a stupidly low amount when you have finished and will most likely be written off before you pay it off anyway.

 

[Moriath]

Do it Chipper. I picked my studies back up later in life and got a degree beginning of this year. Best thing ever tbh, and I had a load of fun studying

Despite all the swearing and moaning About your lecturers

 

[chipper]

thanks for that guys its appreciated

 

[Raven]

thanks for that guys its appreciated

The maths and physics course starts in Feb so if you can get funding sorted before then you can start.

http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/qualifications/q77

Its a 6-8 year course, unless you have other qualifications you can use to get credit towards it so you would be in it for the long haul, you can do it quicker but if you do so your work load obviously increases. My history degree is 6 years.

It didn't take the student loan people long to get me sorted out, its worth noting that generally you only get a loan for the cost of the course, so any other things, you have to fund yourself...or at least I wasn't eligible for anything else.

 

[Yoni]

I began with OU in maths it was very easy so go DO IT!

I then did CIMA and it was a pita!

 

[chipper]

I've looked into all and its basically just the decision to do it i have 4 kids a demanding job, the missus works. i need to know I've got the time to do it which is why I've been doing the open courses on the OU site as a test bed. i don't want my kids to miss out because I'm too busy that's really important to me. sorry i sorta hijacked your thread jimmy!

 

[Gwadien]

I've looked into all and its basically just the decision to do it i have 4 kids a demanding job, the missus works. i need to know I've got the time to do it which is why I've been doing the open courses on the OU site as a test bed. i don't want my kids to miss out because I'm too busy that's really important to me. sorry i sorta hijacked your thread jimmy!

I think your kids would rather have a dad who spent a few years doing mature education and then doing something that he enjoyed rather than slaving for a wage in something he didn't enjoy and then bringing the stress home. ( I don't know you but I'd imagine you think you don't but you most likely do without knowing it)

This was a similar case with my dad, but in two separate accounts - he did a masters in engineering at 40 and then started his own business 2-3 years ago, the difference in his happiness has improved immensely both times and both times the reasons have been 'the kids'

Do it.

Besides if it does turn out to ruin your life then you can drop it, as Raven says you pay back very little - also now is the best time to do it in that regard the Government are due to change the system so that they actually get the loan money back.

 

[TdC]

Despite all the swearing and moaning About your lecturers

In retrospect some of the lecturers were actively working with me to bring my work to a higher quality. Towards the end I had the distinct impression that some of the others were just making me jump through hoops because I was very close to the paper and I wanted it. Ofc it's entirely possible that I misconstrued their meaning because I was running on 4hrs sleep a night, was extremely stressed with school/work stuff, and my work was actively trying to make me leave at the time, but hey ho I got the degree and all is well

 

[TdC]

I've looked into all and its basically just the decision to do it i have 4 kids a demanding job, the missus works. i need to know I've got the time to do it which is why I've been doing the open courses on the OU site as a test bed. i don't want my kids to miss out because I'm too busy that's really important to me. sorry i sorta hijacked your thread jimmy!

Make another thread then chumlar. I can copy over some posts if you want.

OYT: you don't have to spend massive amounts of time, but you do have to put some in ofc. I noticed my time fluctuated wildly with the programming stuff; during semesters 20, 30, 40 hours per week (on top of my job) when we had to learn something new, coming down to an hour or two a day once I had it down. Time balances itself out though with a modicum of careful planning, but it doesn't appear magically. I've been told that my degree, which is the lowest of the NL three-tier higher education levels, is actually quite time consuming. If I had any advice, I'd say pace yourself well. Don't work too long or too short. Bruce Lee said: long term consistency trumps short term intensity. Also take a care with choosing what you want during the education. I got carried away and worked my arse off to maintain a > 80% average grade to try for a cum laude, but that wrecked me on my finals and I didn't make it. That extra effort cost me a lot of time that I could have otherwise invested in myself, my friends or some other things like beer drinking. I know this now, so when I go for my masters I will pace myself carefully.

 

[chipper]

i know I have already garnered a lot of other posts in another thread which i have sorta hijacked unintentionally. so i will open this one for those posts and any others basically if anyone has any guidance on just how difficult they did or didn't find it I'd be very grateful. i have a BTEC ND in IT already so a degree is definitely the next step. but i havent studied for nearly 15 years and i know its gonna be a struggle to get those brain muscles working again im 35 im looking at 6 years on a degree and another year on a full time PGCE course for teaching basically is it worth going into teaching at that age?

 

[Gwadien]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0


So yeah.

I'm not sure if you're being clever and deviant here because you keep yourself in the loop of teaching - there's a huge shortage of Maths & Physics teachers, so they'll possibly suck your dick to get you to train to be a teacher.

There are a number of ways to get into teaching, once you've done your degree that is, you can do a scheme which they use to encourage older people to get into teaching where you train on the job and you earn 70% of a teachers normal wage (It's pretty much fuck all, but it's better than literally -fuck all-) I'd suggest you do some research before you even start your degree, go to UCAS and see if you have any local places you can talk to, they might give you super good options since you're looking at Maths & Physics.

There used to be a secondary school teacher on these forums, who played DAOC, but I don't think he comes here any more, and I forgot his alias.

If I were you (and obviously, this is from a very theoretic PoV, and the reality might make it impossible) see if you can financially afford to do it in 3 years to get it quicker - you get more money from the Government that way too, and you'll be a teacher quicker rather than dragging it on longer, I'm not sure if you get more or less if you do a sandwich course (6 years, not 3)

 

[soze]

I will be interested in the outcome of this. I have no Education past Secondary School and a lot of jobs that would be the next step up all require a degree. I need to find the right IT degree that is not programming and look into this next year.

 

[Gwadien]

I will be interested in the outcome of this. I have no Education past Secondary School and a lot of jobs that would be the next step up all require a degree. I need to find the right IT degree that is not programming and look into this next year.

Why not ask work if they'll help you out with it? I know its not the naughties anymore and businesses won't throw money at you anymore, since it's the employers market still, but if it's related to your job, they could?

 

[soze]

Why not ask work if they'll help you out with it? I know its not the naughties anymore and businesses won't throw money at you anymore, since it's the employers market still, but if it's related to your job, they could?

My work offer to pay for the whole thing if you can prove a business benefit in you getting the qualification. But it is classed as a loan which you pay off over 5 years. It is not really a loan it just means if you leave before the 5 years are up you owe them money.

 

[Gwadien]

My work offer to pay for the whole thing if you can prove a business benefit in you getting the qualification. But it is classed as a loan which you pay off over 5 years. It is not really a loan it just means if you leave before the 5 years are up you owe them money.

Hm, suppose it works if you -do- plan on staying.

Ask them what's the difference in their treatment of you if you decide to continue working AND to study at the same time? using conventional loans and stuff (assuming if you take their offer, they'll be nicer to you or something)

 

[soze]

Hm, suppose it works if you -do- plan on staying.

Ask them what's the difference in their treatment of you if you decide to continue working AND to study at the same time? using conventional loans and stuff (assuming if you take their offer, they'll be nicer to you or something)

Honestly I "think" if you let them pay you effectively freeze your salary until it is paid back then you get a nice pay rise. If you do it yourself you still get the yearly review. But there might be other benefits such as free time off when you need it. I will look into it next year after I move. I am not trying to pick this up before then

 

[chipper]

I will be interested in the outcome of this. I have no Education past Secondary School and a lot of jobs that would be the next step up all require a degree. I need to find the right IT degree that is not programming and look into this next year.

the OU offer what they call an access course its basically a pre degree course that eases you back into education if you have been out for a long time and have forgotten the basics more importantly tho it gives you a glimpse of how the study might go. its something i was toying with. but i think im gonna just go all in and hit the degree running

 

[Raven]

I honestly wouldn't bother with the introduction course, the first year is so easy it shouldn't be necessary.

 

[Gwadien]

the OU offer what they call an access course its basically a pre degree course that eases you back into education if you have been out for a long time and have forgotten the basics more importantly tho it gives you a glimpse of how the study might go. its something i was toying with. but i think im gonna just go all in and hit the degree running

First year on most courses don't count anyway.

Unless it's different for UO @Raven ?

My course is 3 years, first is 0% second is 30%, third is 35% and 35% dissertation (which is also done in the third year.)

Access/Foundation courses are an absolute waste of time unless they don't actually let you on the course without doing it first.

 

[chipper]

thanks for the heads up on that def wont bother with it

 

[Raven]

Mine counts for the final score. You basically have to do 360 points worth of courses, 6 x 60 points, each taking a year, that are related to whatever particular degree you are studying for. They also offer a handful of 30 point smaller courses so you can top it up as you go along, mostly in languages or basic teaching theory (I didn't look into them all that much)

Having said that, they gave me some downright odd choices for my second year, from engineering to finance to physics.

 

[Raven]

Also it is worth noting that the time they say you need to spend each week varies from course to course. I am supposed to do 20 to 30 a week but rarely do more than 10 unless an assignment is due in.

They have an app that is new this year which includes all your textbooks, its really handy for when you have a spare 10 minutes.

 

[Gwadien]

I'm supposed to do like 50 hours a week.

I do like 5 (minus lessons) at the best.



Probably explains why I'm doing so badly.

 

[DaGaffer]

Got to admit I hated being a part time student (when I was doing my ONC/HNC) which is why I went back to Uni full time. But obviously that's not an option. I have nothing but admiration for people who can stick out a part-time degree course, in my opinion its bloody hard work.

 

[TdC]

moved the posts from @Jimmy 's thread across. don't be all confused now folks

 

[Ormorof]

I was sitting in an entry level job 6 years ago taking phone calls from angry norwegians and danes and fiddling with excel, boring as hell

Started fresh at uni now im programming and doing product development at a fun company (and bonus i dont have to deal with norwegians or excel win)

 

[TdC]

Viva 9gag...although its depressing :-/