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Student at the Open University
Open University
Milton Keynes

Computing & IT and a second subject?

Hi I was wondering if anyone else was studying Q67 (Computing & IT and a second subject) and how they are finding/how they found studying a joint degree. Specifically the Computing & IT and Mathematics degree if possible.

I can't decide between Q67 or Q62

Thanks in advance :smile:
Well I'm going into Q62, but I'm still giving Q67 a lot of thought, too, though I'm considering the Q67 Business route. The Q67 Maths route is interesting, though, as it offers two sub-routes on the second subject. You can go Pure Maths, or Applied Maths. (Business lets you choose a course on management or operations in the second stage, but it doesn't affect your third stage.)

If you haven't already done so, I recommend requesting the Computing & IT prospectus, which contains both Q62 and Q67. (You don't actually have to request it. They've just hidden it online. It's here: https://css2.open.ac.uk/outis/docs/publications/CIC17U.pdf) Look through the modules and see which one you'd like to be spending your time on learning.

I'd also maybe suggest taking a look at how the Open University teaches maths. Their MathsChoices site includes a Taster Pack so you can see some of their materials. I looked at it for some maths I'm already past, and to be honest it was written in an incomprehensible way for me. http://mathschoices.open.ac.uk/mst124/taster-pack

If I were to go down the Maths route, I'd actually spend all of my time on Khan Academy for learning the maths, where it's taught in a clear, concise, and understandable way. THEN I'd go back to the course material. But you might check out their module extract and click with it.

If you study Q67, your choices for a final project in T470 will be restricted to just the one 30 credit module from your Stage Three Computing & IT options.

Finally, remember that you don't have to only learn these things at university. Anything you miss by going down one degree can now be picked up online fairly easily. You might also want to check out Khan Academy (or something else, if you can find anything better for yourself) to see if it can teach you the maths you want to learn.
Student at the Open University
Open University
Milton Keynes
Reply 2
Original post by JollyCynic
Well I'm going into Q62, but I'm still giving Q67 a lot of thought, too, though I'm considering the Q67 Business route. The Q67 Maths route is interesting, though, as it offers two sub-routes on the second subject. You can go Pure Maths, or Applied Maths. (Business lets you choose a course on management or operations in the second stage, but it doesn't affect your third stage.)

If you haven't already done so, I recommend requesting the Computing & IT prospectus, which contains both Q62 and Q67. (You don't actually have to request it. They've just hidden it online. It's here: https://css2.open.ac.uk/outis/docs/publications/CIC17U.pdf) Look through the modules and see which one you'd like to be spending your time on learning.

I'd also maybe suggest taking a look at how the Open University teaches maths. Their MathsChoices site includes a Taster Pack so you can see some of their materials. I looked at it for some maths I'm already past, and to be honest it was written in an incomprehensible way for me. http://mathschoices.open.ac.uk/mst124/taster-pack

If I were to go down the Maths route, I'd actually spend all of my time on Khan Academy for learning the maths, where it's taught in a clear, concise, and understandable way. THEN I'd go back to the course material. But you might check out their module extract and click with it.

If you study Q67, your choices for a final project in T470 will be restricted to just the one 30 credit module from your Stage Three Computing & IT options.

Finally, remember that you don't have to only learn these things at university. Anything you miss by going down one degree can now be picked up online fairly easily. You might also want to check out Khan Academy (or something else, if you can find anything better for yourself) to see if it can teach you the maths you want to learn.


Thank you very much for the quick and detailed reply :smile:. I have looked at so many OU prospectuses that I think I overwhelmed myself lol. I can see what you mean about the OU’s style of teaching maths, it’s definitely not the way I’m used to. I was considering the applied maths route because I thought it would be more useful. The business route caught my eye too, but unfortunately it’s not a route I can take.

Can I ask what is making you lean towards Q62 over Q67?

You’ve given me a lot to think about :smile:
Original post by Bexter715
Can I ask what is making you lean towards Q62 over Q67?


Two things, really.

First, I worked for a start-up company once. One of the investors fell out, the company went into administration, and the Network Manager quit. We expected the Senior Engineer to slide into his spot, but he quit about two weeks later. The only two network engineers left were me, and the guy we'd hired three weeks before. This left me as the sole experienced network engineer for a company with only two products: Cloud services, and off-site remote helpdesk support. I worked 70 hour weeks for the next year, probably developed a drinking problem, and in the end got ripped off for about £8000 when the company that bought us also went into administration. To sum up: I don't really want to be the guy in charge again. (It really filled out my C.V., though. Valuable experience.)

Second, there are a lot of really great modules on offer for Q62, particularly in the second stage. It's hard enough narrowing them down with 120 credits. To narrow it further to just 60 feels like I'd miss out. I would enjoy the business operations module, I think, but not as much as web development.
Reply 4
Original post by JollyCynic
Two things, really.

First, I worked for a start-up company once. One of the investors fell out, the company went into administration, and the Network Manager quit. We expected the Senior Engineer to slide into his spot, but he quit about two weeks later. The only two network engineers left were me, and the guy we'd hired three weeks before. This left me as the sole experienced network engineer for a company with only two products: Cloud services, and off-site remote helpdesk support. I worked 70 hour weeks for the next year, probably developed a drinking problem, and in the end got ripped off for about £8000 when the company that bought us also went into administration. To sum up: I don't really want to be the guy in charge again. (It really filled out my C.V., though. Valuable experience.)

Second, there are a lot of really great modules on offer for Q62, particularly in the second stage. It's hard enough narrowing them down with 120 credits. To narrow it further to just 60 feels like I'd miss out. I would enjoy the business operations module, I think, but not as much as web development.


Thanks for answering :smile:. Sorry you had such a hard time at your job though. That must have been rough.

The second year modules do look hard to choose from. If I was doing 120 credits I was going to do all the modules to cover 'computer science’, 'software development’ and 'web development’ (since a few modules overlap). The only thing stopping me from doing the full Computing degree is the lack of programming languages and that some of the third year modules don’t appear as interesting to me.

Well they do say to study what you like or in your case what you like more :smile:. It actually is quite helpful to hear from someone else so thank you

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