I love the flexibility of being able to study at University level with distance learning. I am in my third year of an English Literature degree and I love being able to study alongside working full time. I also love that there are no entry requirements for my degree, so I’m not penalised for the fact that I didn’t do as well as I wanted to in school. I’m doing much better in University than I did in the school environment so my lack of GCSEs is not a reflection of my academic ability and I like that my University acknowledges that. I feel very well supported during my studies with loads of resources and additional help available if I need it. My only concerns are that my tutors are not always easy to get hold of. There is a 10 day service level for getting a response from a tutor and I feel this is too long. Especially studying via distance learning, I would like to be able to contact my tutor more easily. I also feel that the marking is somewhat unclear, I get feedback from my tutor when they’ve marked an assignment but there is no clear guidance available to students about the marking criteria so I wouldn’t know if I’m being marked fairly or not, I’m just reliant on what my tutor tells me. It’s not a concern for me as I am happy with my marks but just an observation. Overall, I am having a great Uni experience and would recommend the OU to anyone.

I studied with the Open University for three years, full time whilst holding down a full time job. Being 24 when my course started, being able to simultaneously work whilst studying was a non negotiable for me. The Open University is a gateway to allowing people to have it all rather than nothing and as society; particularly post covid, moves more towards remote and flexible working, I can only assume its appeal and popularity will grow.

Of course, there are some disadvantages with distance learning, not being able to build the same kind of rapport with students and teachers and that lack of one on one interaction may be difficult for some. You of course don’t get any of the social benefits that you do with attending a traditional university and the advantages of bouncing ideas with your peers is lost. I do think the Open University would benefit from creating study groups in person more, based on location and encouraging more of a social study for those that want it, although I understand the difficulties with creating something on that scale when the primary focus is online working.

For me, however, the positives far outway the negatives. I gained so much from being able to devise my own study schedule and make that fit around me. I could study in the comfort of my own home and I think it made me a much more disciplined learner as well as improving my time keeping and organisational skills. I wasn’t at the mercy of someone else’s schedule and having that flexibility to study as and when I wanted, allowed me to better my work, life (study!) balance. Of course, it was an added bonus not having to travel and being able to study in my pyjamas! Lastly, I didn’t have to waste time waiting to see a tutor and could just email across any queries and would usually have a prompt response. Would I recommend the Open University? 100%

Leaving school. University wasn’t something that popped into my mind. Now later on in life once I had figured some things out and what I wanted to do I decided to look into some courses. The Open university not only offered distance learning but allowed me to work around other commitments but studying part time. It offered a range of courses with growth support from the tutors and others that were doing the same course as me.
I’m really glad that this can be offered as not everyone is ready for university or has the stable income to do so at such a time. Open University offered the flexibility whilst still gaining a qualification you are passionate in.

The OU is a very flexible university that allows you to tailor your degree to suit your life circumstances. I feel very lucky to be able to do this, and to choose modules that best suit me from a variety of different subject areas. Because I am able to do that, I found that it enabled me to discover my interests far better than a brick uni degree would have done. I have found most of my modules excellently put together, and my tutors extremely helpful and supportive.

For me, working remotely suits me perfectly, but I can see that for some people it wouldn’t be ideal. Sometimes it’s also rather difficult to engage socially with fellow students, but especially in later years, communities of students are easier to find and engage with.

Overall, my experience with the OU has been massively positive.