Open University Natural Sciences (biology)

Hi

I have just enrolled to study Natural Sciences then to specialise into biology, was going to do chemistry but opt for biology instead.

Anyone doing this degree?
Is it any good?
Is it difficult?

Many thanks


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Hi there

Yeah starting with S0104 looks pretty boring if I'm honest so glad you said it?! The physics side is probably the worst......

Thank you so much for your message though I am very excited to start. I am working full time and have been for a few years, I am 24.... I have always had an ambition to be a teacher so thought now is the time ( hopefully I'm not too old)

What you studying now?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Hi there

Yeah starting with S0104 looks pretty boring if I'm honest so glad you said it?! The physics side is probably the worst......

Thank you so much for your message though I am very excited to start. I am working full time and have been for a few years, I am 24.... I have always had an ambition to be a teacher so thought now is the time ( hopefully I'm not too old)

What you studying now?


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When I done S104 I had enough to pass the module so didn't even bother with the last 2 blocks, which I now regret! I love a bit of physics now Advice would to be stick in even the worst incase they appear on the transcription when you get your degree.

That's brill, I'm in a similar boat. I'm 23, tried to do my A-levels twice but didn't have any sense of direction and so I dropped out twice! I started with the OU a few years ago but didn't know what I wanted from them so I done a load of courses like S104, cardiovascular diseases, molecules medicines & drugs, human genetics, SXR120 (the science practical).. at one point I was enrolled on the open plus scheme to do physics full time at lancaster uni following completion of 1st year with the OU but dropped from that when the fees went to £9,000 per year.

On a whim I ended up deciding to do an engineering degree since I like physics and I'm OK at maths. Got an A at GCSE but dropped it at A-level cos it was too hard but now I'm doing L2 courses and getting >90% in assignments! Kinda have a sense of direction now so it's an incentive to actually do the work!

Got an exam tomorrow MS221 maths stuff.

I'd recommend going to tutorials, especially for science stuff because they will be able to advise you what you need to remember for exams. Don't make the same mistake as me in thinking you have to know every last fact it tells you. More advice would be when it comes round to doing modules with exams, get the past papers cos there's ALWAYS some sort of pattern in the questions

Not much social life with the OU but this forum is pretty good to have a bit patter with others alike so I'd stick about on here, and have look on facebook for groups (probably be one called 'S104 Oct start' if anybody has made one).

I've just completed S104. It's a hard slog but generally it's interesting. I think the life sciences modules look quite interesting although I know some think that they could easily be expanded. More genetics etc...

As for becoming a science teacher, there's people in my region in their 30s and 40s retraining for that, so you're one of the young ones!!

Thanks for all your help and advise... Glad your doing well? Any career path?

:-) young!! This has made my day!!! Roughly how many exams per module?

What you going to
Specialise in?

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The old S104 I took had no exams. The new S104 has 6 rather than 7 TMAs (Tutor Marked Assignments) and one exam. We suspect outside agencies who use S104 as an entry qualification asked for the change. Until recently, all or certainly nearly all L1 modules had no exams. But under the new set up, that's changing. Nearly all L2 and L3 modules have at least one exam but some have EMAs (End of Module Assignments) or projects. The OU states what's required in the full module description.

You have to start with S104 and S155.

I thought S104 looked boring as well but it's brilliant!! I know a few people that have done it and they all enjoyed it. The textbooks are well written and my tutor was really good.
I thought S155 was terrible.

There used to be an exam when S104 was S100, S101, S102 and S103.

I've just completed S104. It's a hard slog but generally it's interesting. I think the life sciences modules look quite interesting although I know some think that they could easily be expanded. More genetics etc...

As for becoming a science teacher, there's people in my region in their 30s and 40s retraining for that, so you're one of the young ones!!

Decided to Study S104 and S141 (maths) which is 90 credits so I can get a quicker start in my degree rather than doing just one year.

I started doing the S104, but honestly, found it so boring i dropped out. It was too general and i found myself having to study areas of science which i'm just not interested in. But, i've since found out, to get the natural sciences degree I have to go back and do it, so now i just wish i'd gritted my teeth and got on with it as i'd be 60 points better off now!