New to OU

Hi

I'm about to start an OU course (T171) for the first time in February 02
and I'm really looking forward to it. Is there anyone else out there
about to start the same course/start studying with the OU for the first
time? Has anyone got any advice for me as a new student?

I have studied on correspondence courses in the past but felt pretty
lonely as there has never been the opportunity to contact any fellow
students. Unlike the OU, courses have not started on a specific date so
even if you did manage to contact a fellow student you could not
guarantee they were studying the same module as you.

Regards

Sarah

Reply 1

Unregistered

"Sarah Freeserve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[q1]> Hi[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> I'm about to start an OU course (T171) for the first time in[/q1]
[q1]> February 02[/q1]
and
[q1]> I'm really looking forward to it. Is there anyone else out there about[/q1]
[q1]> to start the same course/start studying with the OU for the first[/q1]
[q1]> time? Has anyone got any advice for me as a new student?[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> I have studied on correspondence courses in the past but felt pretty[/q1]
lonely
[q1]> as there has never been the opportunity to contact any fellow[/q1]
[q1]> students. Unlike the OU, courses have not started on a specific date[/q1]
[q1]> so even if you did manage to contact a fellow student you could not[/q1]
[q1]> guarantee they were studying the same module as you.[/q1]

once you get into the world of the First Class conferencing system you
will never feel lonely again<s>

diane

Reply 2

Unregistered

Hi Sarah

I've just completed my second OU degree and would offer the following,
which are comments rather than advice:

The OU is the most benevolent institution I have ever been a part of,
and Harold Wilson will one day be valued as the PM who presided over its
founding. (Do you know the old joke? Wilson left us the OU, and Major
left us the national lottery!)

If you get into difficulties of any type, which is almost certain at
some stage given the length of involvement, discuss your situation
openly with every OU official you meet. They seem to be able to deal
with individual circumstances with a tailored, rather than off-the-peg,
solution, and the *potential* level of pastoral care is on a par with
Oxbridge, but this is with the one proviso that they *need to know you
have a problem* !

My tactic was to do the reading for a course in the year before I took
it, so the TMAs could dashed off with minimal reference to the course
material, as by the time it was necessary to write the TMAs, the new
information/skills had been somehow integrated with the rest of my
mind-set. This requires access to one of the centres where all the unist
are available, which in itself is offers a wonderful way of planning
which future courses to take - far better than the minmal guides in the
brochures.

My final comment is to paraphrase Woody Allen, who said "70% of success
is showing up." My version is "70% of success is not giving up, and the
other 30% is agreeing in the first place!" One has to become the
academic equivalent of a Victorian fairground boxer - possible to knock
down, but always the winner because they always got back up!

Good luck with your courses :-)

Nick Sheldon

Sarah Freeserve wrote in message ...
[q1]>Hi[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>I'm about to start an OU course (T171) for the first time in[/q1]
[q1]>February 02[/q1]
and
[q1]>I'm really looking forward to it. Is there anyone else out there about[/q1]
[q1]>to start the same course/start studying with the OU for the first time?[/q1]
[q1]>Has anyone got any advice for me as a new student?[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>I have studied on correspondence courses in the past but felt pretty[/q1]
[q1]>lonely as there has never been the opportunity to contact any fellow[/q1]
[q1]>students. Unlike the OU, courses have not started on a specific date so[/q1]
[q1]>even if you did manage to contact a fellow student you could not[/q1]
[q1]>guarantee they were studying the same module as you.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>Regards[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>Sarah[/q1]

Reply 3

Unregistered

Sarah, Trust me, you've chosen the right course! My experience in 2000
was excellent, your Early Bird conference will be up and running soon
and you'll have a hell of a time! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Jo

Reply 4

Unregistered

Hi! I am new to the OU too, well I will be once my registration is
complete, I am doing DD100 Social Sciences, anyone else doing it
or doing it?

Mary [email protected] "Sarah Freeserve"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[q1]> Hi[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> I'm about to start an OU course (T171) for the first time in[/q1]
[q1]> February 02[/q1]
and
[q1]> I'm really looking forward to it. Is there anyone else out there about[/q1]
[q1]> to start the same course/start studying with the OU for the first[/q1]
[q1]> time? Has anyone got any advice for me as a new student?[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> I have studied on correspondence courses in the past but felt pretty[/q1]
lonely
[q1]> as there has never been the opportunity to contact any fellow[/q1]
[q1]> students. Unlike the OU, courses have not started on a specific date[/q1]
[q1]> so even if you did manage to contact a fellow student you could not[/q1]
[q1]> guarantee they were studying the same module as you.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Regards[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Sarah[/q1]

Reply 5

Unregistered

Hello, I graduated last year and seeing you were asking for some advice
I thought I might take the liberty of suggesting some,so here goes,in no
particular order.
1.Try not to get behind with the course.Unfortunately the course
marches on as you try to catch up and I have seen people end up in a
bit of a mess.
2.Start the course a week early (any earlier than this and you get a bit
out of synch with tutorials TV programmes etc.)If you give yourself a
week in hand,if anything drastic occurs you have some time in hand.
3.Try to attend as many tutorials as you can.Even if you consider them
a complete waste of time and your tutor is crap there may just be
some nugget of information that may make life easier.This is
important at higher levels where you may only get three tutorials for
the whole year.
4.Don't wait till the end of the course to start revision.Re-read the
units constantly during the course if you have a bit of spare time and
start 'proper' revision about August time.
5.Spend some time on past exam papers (available from OUSA)
6.Don't be afraid to make notes,highlight etc.in your units.They are
workbooks not pristine works of art.If you have lots of added pages of
notes when you come to revision you can't find them.
7.There are many opportunities for studying if you are inventive.For
instance,listen to course audiocassetes on your drive in to work,study
in your lunch hour,take a unit on holiday and get up an hour earlier.
8.If you have a summer school,treat with scepticism people who say it is
a *wonderful* experience.Yes you will enjoy it and have a good time
but it is very pressured.The OU Summer Schools work on the principle
that if enough mud is thrown at you some may stick.There are always
people there whose sole aim in life seems to be to make other students
feel inadequate.It is not a holiday!!!!!!!!
9.Finally,go to your graduation ceremony.It is a wonderful day,and it
will come.

Hope these tips help and the best of luck.You will not regret it.

Ian.

"Sarah Freeserve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[q1]> Hi[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> I'm about to start an OU course (T171) for the first time in[/q1]
[q1]> February 02[/q1]
and
[q1]> I'm really looking forward to it. Is there anyone else out there about[/q1]
[q1]> to start the same course/start studying with the OU for the first[/q1]
[q1]> time? Has anyone got any advice for me as a new student?[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> I have studied on correspondence courses in the past but felt pretty[/q1]
lonely
[q1]> as there has never been the opportunity to contact any fellow[/q1]
[q1]> students. Unlike the OU, courses have not started on a specific date[/q1]
[q1]> so even if you did manage to contact a fellow student you could not[/q1]
[q1]> guarantee they were studying the same module as you.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Regards[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Sarah[/q1]

Reply 6

Unregistered

Hi Sarah

I too am new to T171. I am looking forward to it as it sounds a
good course.

I've no experience of this type of thing as I got my degree (not
computing) elsewhere - dare I mention "elsewhere"!

If the materials turn up by February I hope to join in the conferences.

Gordon

Reply 7

Unregistered

Dear Sarah,

[q1]> The OU is the most benevolent institution I have ever been a part of,[/q1]
[q1]> and Harold Wilson will one day be valued as the PM who presided over[/q1]
[q1]> its founding. (Do you know the old joke? Wilson left us the OU, and[/q1]
[q1]> Major left us the national lottery!)[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> If you get into difficulties of any type, which is almost certain at[/q1]
[q1]> some stage given the length of involvement, discuss your situation[/q1]
[q1]> openly with every OU official you meet.[/q1]

Pace Mr Sheldon, it doesn't do to discuss your difficulties with "every
OU official you meet". One or two of them can turn out to be the worst
kind of bastard you could ever hope to meet, so watch your back.

Go here to read a cautionary tale: http://www.ou-challenge.com

Best of luck with your studies.

David Kiely

Reply 8

Unregistered

On 9 Jan 2002 18:08:46 GMT, David M Kiely <[email protected]> threw
teddy out of the pram and wailed:

[q1]>Pace Mr Sheldon, it doesn't do to discuss your difficulties with "every[/q1]
[q1]>OU official you meet".[/q1]

Oh dear, who let the troll out?

mups "Abashed, the Devil stood and felt how awful goodness is"

Reply 9

Unregistered

Hi, I'm a newbie, this year (studying T171 & T223), but I thought I'd
through my tuppence in.

"Ian Broadhead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
[q1]> Hello, I graduated last year and seeing you were asking for some[/q1]
[q1]> advice I thought I might take the liberty of suggesting some,so here[/q1]
[q1]> goes,in no particular order.[/q1]
[q1]> 1.Try not to get behind with the course.Unfortunately the course[/q1]
[q1]> marches[/q1]
on
[q1]> as you try to catch up and I have seen people end up in a bit[/q1]
[q1]> of a mess.[/q1]

Sound like a plan.

[q1]> 2.Start the course a week early (any earlier than this and you[/q1]
[q1]> get a bit[/q1]
out
[q1]> of synch with tutorials TV programmes etc.)If you give yourself a week[/q1]
[q1]> in hand,if anything drastic occurs you have some time in hand.[/q1]
[q1]> 3.Try to attend as many tutorials as you can.Even if you consider[/q1]
[q1]> them a complete waste of time and your tutor is crap there may just[/q1]
[q1]> be some[/q1]
nugget
[q1]> of information that may make life easier.This is important at higher[/q1]
levels
[q1]> where you may only get three tutorials for the whole year.[/q1]

Also you get to meet other students, & hopefully have there e-mail or
phone number if you get stuck. Plus you don't feel like you're the only
one on the course.

[q1]> 4.Don't wait till the end of the course to start revision.Re-read the[/q1]
units
[q1]> constantly during the course if you have a bit of spare time and start[/q1]
[q1]> 'proper' revision about August time.[/q1]
[q1]> 5.Spend some time on past exam papers (available from OUSA)[/q1]
[q1]> 6.Don't be afraid to make notes,highlight etc.in your units.They are[/q1]
[q1]> workbooks not pristine works of art.If you have lots of added[/q1]
[q1]> pages of[/q1]
notes
[q1]> when you come to revision you can't find them.[/q1]

Please note tho, that some courses (e.g. T223 which I'm about to do)
will allow you to take certain printed materials ( the refernce manual
they provide with the course) into the exam, but not any of your notes -
apparntly this means if you have written notes on the printed materials
you can't take them in. So be careful & check what you can & can't take
to the exam, and what the rules are for what you can take in.

[q1]> 7.There are many opportunities for studying if you are inventive.For[/q1]
[q1]> instance,listen to course audiocassetes on your drive in to[/q1]
[q1]> work,study in your lunch hour,take a unit on holiday and get up an[/q1]
[q1]> hour earlier.[/q1]
[q1]> 8.If you have a summer school,treat with scepticism people who say it[/q1]
[q1]> is a *wonderful* experience.Yes you will enjoy it and have a good[/q1]
[q1]> time but it[/q1]
is
[q1]> very pressured.The OU Summer Schools work on the principle that if[/q1]
[q1]> enough mud is thrown at you some may stick.There are always people[/q1]
[q1]> there whose[/q1]
sole
[q1]> aim in life seems to be to make other students feel inadequate.It is[/q1]
[q1]> not a holiday!!!!!!!![/q1]
[q1]> 9.Finally,go to your graduation ceremony.It is a wonderful day,and it[/q1]
[q1]> will come.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Hope these tips help and the best of luck.You will not regret it.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Ian.[/q1]