Open University at 20 years old?

I started at 20 and nothing terrible has happened to me yet.

I was thinking about doing a course at home with the Open University in Social Sciences.... I'm 20 years old.

Most people my age go to University, but, I don't drive, I don't have lots of money, I don't live near a university and I am not VERY academic; despite having above average intelligence. I like to live life in a freestyle way, doing what I want when I want; not being tied down by rules and regulations.

I feel that the Open University will be better for my lifestyle, but... My mum is against it, she just thinks its a stupid idea and its "something older people do who have kids and jobs and lives. You need to go to university, get out there and get a life!" (She has a very different view of life than me, and she's always depressed, whereas I'm not, so...)

I just don't know much about University. I am happy to move away- if I knew how and what to do etc. I'm also happy to stay at home and study.

The advice others have given is spot on!

I have been at a brick uni for the past year and am re-considering my options at the moment. Mainly because I got a letter with my owned debt and it scared the hell out of me. Being 11k of debt for the first year isn't what I had imagined. I had thought I could have got a job through the summer but it hasn't worked out. My ex studyies with the OU and being 19 she loves the freedom it gives her, but also having a full time job, it can be very stressful at times and managing her time has been very difficult especially that she doesn't have anywhere but her bedroom to study. (The libraries don't open late enough for her etc). She's been recommending to me to do a course to strengthen some of my weakness in maths. I'm still not sure what to do.

You can get funding for OU courses if you owe money to the SLC, as long as you are not behind with any repayments. So if you drop out early you need to check that you haven't had any grant overpayment, as they demand that back straight away. You also need to check that when you get a job, you tick the relevant box on your P46 to start paying off your student loan when you earn enough to do so.

I did K100 when I was 20 . . .I missed the interaction with people my own age. I found the monthly tutorials were boring as the majority of people on my course had their heads stuck up their own arses! Apart from that I managed to pass the course and I decided to go to a proper uni.

I know it's your own opinion but pot calling kettle black here...

How dare you say Open Univerisity isn't a 'proper uni'. If it wasn't for the Open University many people would not have the chance to even think about university education or have doors open through the hard work they have put in.

I am very thankful for having the chance I go to the open u....I didn't have much education behind me but I am now achieving a degree and I'm very proud of myself for it.

Proper uni as in to me I missed the interaction with students of my OWN age. Im not at all disregarding it isn't a proper uni - for goodness sake I was even thinking about doing the Criminology and Psychological studies with them, but I changed my mind.

I think you have misunderstood what I meant. Yes thank the lord for the OU as like you said plenty of people wouldn't have been able to further their education without the institution. But I was in no way saying it is not a proper uni, what I meant was a a university that has reg. interaction with students and not just home study! (if that makes sense!).

EDIT: And I stand by what I said about the people on my course AT THE TIME (2006-7) - they were extremely stuck up. I tried to make conversation on many occasions and I would have had more conversation with a tortoise! The impression I got was that I was not worthy of a place on the course and I was ''too young'' and knew absolutely nothing.

That's not a nice experience to have.

Most OU students on this forum use "brick" or "normal" rather than "proper" as a terminology. I thought it was perfectly clear that you meant normal uni and I can't believe someone gave you grief over it.

It was horrible - especially when the tutor would say ''Discuss . . . .with the person next to you'' and I would turn to the person next to me and I got absolutely no response whatsoever. When asked to feedback to the class, the person would just go off on one (their views). And I remember introducing myself to someone in the class and the woman turned her back to me and that was the final straw for me. For that reason - I decided to go to a ''normal'' university where I interact a lot more with others and people actually talk to me and I talk to them - in fact certain people on my course I get on with extremely well. Thanks for filling me on the OU terminology, this I did not know and assumed what I had written gave a perfectly good understanding.

Thank you - glad you understood what I meant. Don't understand what was so hard to understand what I had written in the first place! lol.

Roll your eyes, fine with me. But to me 'proper' means something of fitting standard and I took to mean you thought of the Ou as 'unproper' for university standards....can you understand where I am coming from? Maybe choose words carefully next time?

I started studying with the ou at 21 and yes it can be lonely and I respect your opinion for that.

Roll your eyes, fine with me. But to me 'proper' means something of fitting standard and I took to mean you thought of the Ou as 'unproper' for university standards....can you understand where I am coming from? Maybe choose words carefully next time?

I started studying with the ou at 21 and yes it can be lonely and I respect your opinion for that.

That sounds awful. No wonder you ran off to proper uni! I think some people people just get a bit defensive about their educational institution. I've seen people in other places critisise the establishments (constructively) and then get abuse from students going there, so eager to defend. I don't think it's that unusual really.

Edit:

There's no need to keep on at her about it. She knows what she said might not have been the best way of putting it and she said she didn't mean it the way you thought. It's completely unnecessary to keep on digging at her.