Should I go to Open University istead?

I'm in a bit of a dilema!

I've just finish my A Levels and started university, but I've come to realise, that I dont' really think its the place for me - being away from home, unfamiliar with everything and just generally the way of life.

I know that I want to be a music teacher for definate - but its just how I get there. I have been thinking recently about not staying at uni and instead working as a teaching assistant at a middle school and doing an Open University degree - BA (Hons) Humanities with Music. As it will give me experience in schools as well as helping me become the music teacher I've always wanted to be.

I'm very organised with my work and to be honest, just want to be comfortable in my surroundings instead of having to worry about being in an unfamiliar place and also having to worry about keeping up with my course here, as I'm not very confident at all.

Has anyone done a degree at OU? Is this a good idea?

Thanks :smile:

Dominique

Reply 1

mickeyfit

8

Going to university isn't only about getting a degree - it's important to go and get out of your comfort zone and experience living by yourself, and building your communication and people skills. If you've only just started uni, I wouldn't make any rash decisions in the first semester - it takes time to settle in, and I would bet that once you start making friends you'll find that your just as comfortable there as you are at home.

As great as I think the OU is, I wouldn't substitute a genuine full time undergrad experience for it unless you really can't afford to study full time. Give your course some time, join some clubs or societies (a lot of uni's do volunteer programmes where you go to local schools and help out) and just enjoy being young!!!!

Reply 2

Joel4fun4u

14

mickeyfit

Going to university isn't only about getting a degree - it's important to go and get out of your comfort zone and experience living by yourself, and building your communication and people skills. If you've only just started uni, I wouldn't make any rash decisions in the first semester - it takes time to settle in, and I would bet that once you start making friends you'll find that your just as comfortable there as you are at home.

As great as I think the OU is, I wouldn't substitute a genuine full time undergrad experience for it unless you really can't afford to study full time. Give your course some time, join some clubs or societies (a lot of uni's do volunteer programmes where you go to local schools and help out) and just enjoy being young!!!!

This really is strong advice. I agree that being at University is as much about life experience as it is gaining a degree.

Give it until Christmas, then make your decision.

Reply 3

llys

17

Popadom29

I'm very organised with my work and to be honest, just want to be comfortable in my surroundings instead of having to worry about being in an unfamiliar place and also having to worry about keeping up with my course here, as I'm not very confident at all.

Have you had some teaching work experience?

I think at university you'll gain more self-confidence and (social) independence and people skills, which will come in useful later in your career (whether that is teaching or not).

You could also do what you are planning right now for a "gap year" - get a teaching assistant job (if you can..) and do two OU courses. If during that year you decide you'd rather go to uni, you can still go - if not, you can just continue.

Reply 4

Popadom29

OP

Yeah I've done quite a bit of work in schools recently (when I finished my A levels and before I went to uni) helping out. And I absolutly loved every minute of it.

I know (as everyone keeps telling me) that I'll probably settle in soon...but I just want to be happy in what I do and not have the stress of wondering if I'm going to make the right or wrong decision. Make sense?

The gap year idea sounds good :smile:

I think I'm going to wait until I hear back from the school I've asked as to whether they'll give me a job and then depending on what they say, I'll either stay here or look further into an OU course.

Would I be able to fit in 2 courses in a year?!

Reply 5

llys

17

Popadom29

Would I be able to fit in 2 courses in a year?!

I think so, depending on what you want to do and how much time you'll have alongside your job.

I think you could do a 30 point course starting in October, and another 30 point course starting in February. I'm not sure but I think that should fit without too much overlap.

Reply 6

Popadom29

OP

Ok thank you :smile:

Everythings just so confusing - I don't want to regret anything, I just want to be happy in what I do. And to be honest, as long I become the music teacher I've always wanted to be then thats all that matters?!? Is it??

Reply 7

mart2306

12

Popadom29

I'm in a bit of a dilema!

I've just finish my A Levels and started university, but I've come to realise, that I dont' really think its the place for me - being away from home, unfamiliar with everything and just generally the way of life.

I know that I want to be a music teacher for definate - but its just how I get there. I have been thinking recently about not staying at uni and instead working as a teaching assistant at a middle school and doing an Open University degree - BA (Hons) Humanities with Music. As it will give me experience in schools as well as helping me become the music teacher I've always wanted to be.

I'm very organised with my work and to be honest, just want to be comfortable in my surroundings instead of having to worry about being in an unfamiliar place and also having to worry about keeping up with my course here, as I'm not very confident at all.

Has anyone done a degree at OU? Is this a good idea?

Thanks :smile:

Dominique

I've done degree courses with the OU and I'm now a student at a university.
While I love the OU and had great fun doing the courses, I'd recommend a university to get a degree. Social interaction, lectures, seminars, the experience.
OU has tutorials - if you can get to them (one course had my nearest tutorial a 7 hour round trip away). Maybe 3 or 4 tutorials lasting from a couple of hours to half a day each. Plus books, websites, forums.
Not the same experience.

If I'd had to do the same courses at my university I'd likely have done better at them. And courses I struggled with using the OU would likely have been easier with more access to resources (like a university library) and more contact with others.

I'd recommend the OU as a cheaper alternitive to uni, I'd recommend them for those that don't have time to go to uni, I'd recommend them for doing various courses that look interesting.
You will get more out of the traditional style uni though.

Reply 8

Melz0r

16

Popadom29

Ok thank you :smile:

Everythings just so confusing - I don't want to regret anything, I just want to be happy in what I do. And to be honest, as long I become the music teacher I've always wanted to be then thats all that matters?!? Is it??

Yes, I think it is all that matters. What's the point of getting in debt to pay for a student experience you're not sure you really want? Some people see the 'student experience' as a rite of passage, but I don't think it's vastly important if it's not what you want. My Mum's just about to finish a 60-credit course and she's found it really challenging and enjoyable. Best of luck with whatever you do, but I'd say follow your heart.

Reply 9

mart2306

12

Popadom29

Yeah I've done quite a bit of work in schools recently (when I finished my A levels and before I went to uni) helping out. And I absolutly loved every minute of it.

I know (as everyone keeps telling me) that I'll probably settle in soon...but I just want to be happy in what I do and not have the stress of wondering if I'm going to make the right or wrong decision. Make sense?

The gap year idea sounds good :smile:

I think I'm going to wait until I hear back from the school I've asked as to whether they'll give me a job and then depending on what they say, I'll either stay here or look further into an OU course.

Would I be able to fit in 2 courses in a year?!

As i recall the OU wants people to finish degrees in 6 years as doing it part time.
Thats 60 points a year - some courses are 10 points, some 15, some 30 and some 60. Depending on the course, assessment can be by tutor marked assignments, open book exams you do yourself to be sent in by a certain date, or exams at an exam centre.
Oh, and the cost is a lot lower - can even get a degree for free!

Reply 10

Popadom29

OP

Yeah, one of the reasons I'm thinking of staying is because of the whole experience, being with people my age, having fun etc as I wouldn't have that if I left, obviously.

I'm not going to have time to get myself a part time job here by the looks of it and I don't want to stress myself out - I'm quite easy at doing that!!

Argh! This is so confusing :frown:

Reply 11

jessica-rabbit

Personally i think it depends totally on your circumstances. While i would LOVE to go to brick uni its just not possible as i'm 28, have to juggle 3 kids (not all mine!), a hubby and 2 jobs....i can say one thing though. If i could do it all again i probably would have gone to uni at 18. I was a fool for not doing so!

Follow your heart....only you know what you want.

xxx

Reply 12

Lunarsea

2

mart2306

As i recall the OU wants people to finish degrees in 6 years as doing it part time.
Thats 60 points a year - some courses are 10 points, some 15, some 30 and some 60. Depending on the course, assessment can be by tutor marked assignments, open book exams you do yourself to be sent in by a certain date, or exams at an exam centre.
Oh, and the cost is a lot lower - can even get a degree for free!

You are allowed to do up to 120 points a year which is the equivalent of full time study. I'm going to be doing 100 points a year and am hoping to get my degree completed in around 3 and 1/2 to 4 years. Other people have managed it in the three years but if you're wanting to work it may take you longer depending on how much you think you can manage.

OP, as other posters have said it may be best to leave it until near Christmas and see how you feel. You may settle in but there's also no point in staying at university and getting into debt if you aren't enjoying it. Also you may not get a place on a course starting in October as registration has technically closed but it may be worth chatting to the other OU students as others might know if there's a chance. http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=206

Hope this helps.

Reply 13

MGT_90

10

Don't rush into it: give it a good amount of time.

If you're still not happy, I'm not going to recommend spending time on campus if the prospect of it doesn't do anything for you. The OU is a highly respected institution in its own right, and will do you well so long as you're prepared for the life and teaching it offers as opposed to the more conventional "university experience."

Anyway, if you know you can budget, do your own washing, know how to cook, and don't enjoy the prospect of someone vomiting on your communal carpet, there's no real reason to go for "life experience."

Also, you might want to consider doing a full-time course somewhere else. It seems (correct me if I'm wrong) that you're just not all that happy with where you are, not that you're disillusioned by full-time study in general. Royal Academy of Music, perhaps? If you want teaching experience, you could find time to do that besides full-time study. There's plenty of opportunity for volunteer classroom assistants and the like.

Reply 14

SunburnedCactus

11

If you're heading for a music teaching career then you will definitely need to get as much supplementary practical experience as you can if you were to study it with the OU, as that is one area the brick uni would certainly have the edge in. Teaching at a school would be good, plus any lessons you could do people in your spare time (theory or an instrument) would give you that and a little extra cash too.

Reply 15

aimeelala

1

On a balance of things, I think they both have good and bad points.

Ultimately at the end of the day it has to be your decision and no one elses - you have to do what will make you happy! As everyone else is saying, give it a bit more time and then make a decision and don't rush into it.

Reply 16

LFC FAN

llys

Have you had some teaching work experience?

I think at university you'll gain more self-confidence and (social) independence and people skills, which will come in useful later in your career (whether that is teaching or not).

You could also do what you are planning right now for a "gap year" - get a teaching assistant job (if you can..) and do two OU courses. If during that year you decide you'd rather go to uni, you can still go - if not, you can just continue.

How many times have I heard that before.

In 20 years time, the employment market will be saturated with people saying the same things.

Be a little different. If you want to socialise, go to a gym or find a club, just something, which is what I'm doing. I got fed up with my age group, being drilled with the things mentioned above, and not going to uni being classed as a failure, you'll be stuck indoors with no friends blah blah blah, how will you cope in the real world.

Without money worries and so forth, you're free to explore the world, try absolutely anything, change the world, and then you can say that you found these things and did it all by yourself rather than have it made available to you via a campus type university.

Reply 17

SunburnedCactus

11

Bearing in mind of course that studying with the OU doesn't immediately abrogate money worries, without a loan a job is a necessity to be able to afford to socialise.

However I do agree otherwise, the social life and set of responsibilities a brick uni provides is still rather sanitised and much more guided than in the real world.

Reply 18

LFC FAN

SunburnedCactus

Bearing in mind of course that studying with the OU doesn't immediately abrogate money worries, without a loan a job is a necessity to be able to afford to socialise.

However I do agree otherwise, the social life and set of responsibilities a brick uni provides is still rather sanitised and much more guided than in the real world.

I have a part time job, so I'm OK, but I'm receiving a full grant for my things anyway from the OU.

It depends what you want. I suppose I put forward a strong view of my own to counteract a strong view of someone else.

I had a few bad experiences in 6th Form, whereby I had grown out of the normal way of thinking. I got my grades and all that, but the teachers knew I wasn't on the same wave length as everyone else. It was like being locked in a cage with people who's norms didn't suit your own, and going on about uni, drinking, clubbing, otherwise, just go to lectures, join a few clubs etc etc.
I had been to work at Goldman Sachs for a few days, worked at Network Rail amongst the administration staff, worked at an Accounting firm, and the people I met were just so open minded. They all had different experiences, and the diversity of it all meant there were no such things as snobbery and so forth. It was a joy, so I set myself free to persue the ideas that I have.

This type of thing touches a nerve with me, because I too once had these same norms. One event which I'd rather not disclose changed my whole perspective on things, so apologies if I do offend anyone.