Open University

I am looking into taking a couple of courses (brush up courses in Art History and Latin because I am now a "mature student") through the Open University before applying for the graduate program I am interested in.  Has anyone taken any courses through the Open University?  If so, what were your experiences like? 

I would love any feedback!

I haven't.  But a good friend of mine did a Psychology degree through them and LOVED it.  She graduated and was working in her field within a few months.

I can put you in touch with her if you like  

I have been doing OU courses (not art history or Latin, though) as part of continuous professional development since February 2006 and I can say, for the most part (minus a couple of personality conflicts with two tutors in terms of teaching style), that I have really enjoyed it. You need to be organised to get on with things, but I really recommend attending tutorials, as I think I get a lot out of the face-to-face contact. I will be finishing this degree in October.

Keep in mind that if you do not meet the residency requirements, I think you'd have to pay higher fees.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/questions.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1GSQZC

If you have any extra needs, I find the OU is really supportive. A classmate of mine a couple of years ago was due to give birth around exam time and was able to do the exam at home!

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/questions.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1GSR1K

PM me if you'd like!

just a word of warning, though- when I looked into it about a year ago, I found out that the OU does fall into the same "home fees" camp as any other UK university- meaning if you're not eligible for home fees yet, you're supposed to pay a higher fee to the OU.

I'll dig around the site to find where I saw this, but as I recall, the fact that the OU is subject to home fees/international fees is pretty buried on their website and the signup process for individual modules doesn't mention it in any obvious way.  So I think it's extremely easy for someone to just sign up for an OU course and not have any clue that they're supposed to be paying international fees.  I'll look up the reference this afternoon.

just a word of warning, though- when I looked into it about a year ago, I found out that the OU does fall into the same "home fees" camp as any other UK university- meaning if you're not eligible for home fees yet, you're supposed to pay a higher fee to the OU.

I'll dig around the site to find where I saw this, but as I recall, the fact that the OU is subject to home fees/international fees is pretty buried on their website and the signup process for individual modules doesn't mention it in any obvious way.  So I think it's extremely easy for someone to just sign up for an OU course and not have any clue that they're supposed to be paying international fees.  I'll look up the reference this afternoon.

I think the information is here:

Keep in mind that if you do not meet the residency requirements, I think you'd have to pay higher fees.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/questions.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1GSQZC

If you have any extra needs, I find the OU is really supportive. A classmate of mine a couple of years ago was due to give birth around exam time and was able to do the exam at home!

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/questions.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1GSR1K

PM me if you'd like!

oh, cheers mapleleafgirl, obviously I fail at reading comprehension today!

oh, cheers mapleleafgirl, obviously I fail at reading comprehension today!

Oh, no worries! Just saves you time to hunt for the link is all!   

Hey Dar, aside from the OU fee issues, I think that overall I've heard good experiences with them and that they are, for the most part, well regarded by other universities. But, your mileage may vary with that. Snobbery abounds in all fields and it's possible you may encounter someone at your Master's programme who is less than thrilled with them. That said, for Latin and basic art history, I'd hope this would not be an issue.

PMing you as I've just remembered something...

You might also wish to search for any distance undergraduate or postgraduate courses in your subject area as an alternative:

http://www.ucas.ac.uk/

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Postgrad_study_main_menu/p!eFpclp
   

Thank you all for the advice!  I really do appreciate it!

I am not looking for the courses to give me credit towards a degree.  Just refresher courses so I don't feel so far behind when I start my graduate program.  I also need something to keep my mind busy on endless plane journeys for work.

I intend to take the art history course next year and in the meantime, I am taking a fun course on Egyptian wall paintings (because it was a set fee that was rather low, I need to save for the art history course).

Then maybe OU courses fit the bill perfectly - especially their Openings courses.

Have fun with it!

I'm currently doing a 60 point OU science course and it is very good. Well written and understandable, even the dreaded physics. I have a few issues around distance learning that I wish I'd have taken more into consideration, but all in all I can't fault the OU. 

I intend to carry on with courses at the OU, for fun, not degree seeking, but I don't think I'll do another 60 pointer any time soon! With working full time and the usual family things I find it's a bit too much. I've got my eye on a 30 point course that looks about right for next year.

Can I ask how OU works? Is it all studying on your own? I'm really interested in the structure. Thanks!

Can I ask how OU works? Is it all studying on your own? I'm really interested in the structure. Thanks!

The courses I've done are based on work on your own, with monthly tutorials and regular assessments.

The assessments are exam type papers but you do the work on your own with access to your books, and then submit the finished papers to your tutor. These can be quite evil! There are also little online quizes that don't count for much, points wise, but help you know if you need to cover something again, as you should be able to answer the questions quite easily.

When you get your course material the OU send through a timetable that shows how you should study, ie chapters 1 - 5 week one and so on. This thing is vital! It's best to keep ahead of the timetable for those times that life gets in the way, so that you have a little grace built in.

You have a tutor that is dedicated you and however many other students on the same course, and in theory this is who you see at the tutorials. My tutor is on the staff at the Cambridge location, which means that I can call her at any time during work hours. I haven't taken advantage of this, because I am at work and usually forget, but if I email her I generally get a response within a day or so. That's pretty good from what I understand, but it does mean that sometimes I have to go on studying with an imperfect idea of something, until she confirms that I've got it right or explains where I'm going wrong. A lot of tutors do OU work around their day jobs, so emailing or phoning during the evening is pretty normal. I think each tutor generally lets you know the best way to reach them, so far that's been my experience.

I do find the little questions that you would just ask during class are the most niggling irritating things about distance learning. Instead of quickly getting it and moving on I tend to feel a bit unsure until I get an answer, and I can't hold off studying for fear of falling behind. That unsure feeling can be very demoralising.

So far I really like it. Any school that can talk me through the dreaded physics in a way that I understand must be ok!

Thanks for the perfect explanation, caligurl!

It sounds tempting ... once my life gets settled (wedding, house, etc.), I might have a go at it. Dar's art history course sounds really fun!