Open University - Less Respected?
Hi all,
I'm currently a first year Law student with The Open University. I did it as it allowed me to study from abroad where my boyfriend is living. I have however always wanted to go to a 'brick' uni (a Russell Group uni). I self-studied my GCSEs and A-Levels by myself as I wanted to work at the same time and I received straight A's.
Long story short - do you think an Open University Law degree will get you the same respect as a degree obtained from a brick uni? I'm going to pursue a career as a barrister (not criminal) and whenever I tell people I study Law at the Open University, they always question it's credibility which peeves me off a bit to be quite frank as it is quite difficult. You have to motivate yourself - a lot.
i do miss the social side of real uni...the groups..communities etc etc and would like to go to one. So overall, honestly and brutally do you think employers will look down on your C.V if you have been to the OU ?
Cheers
I'm currently a first year Law student with The Open University. I did it as it allowed me to study from abroad where my boyfriend is living. I have however always wanted to go to a 'brick' uni (a Russell Group uni). I self-studied my GCSEs and A-Levels by myself as I wanted to work at the same time and I received straight A's.
Long story short - do you think an Open University Law degree will get you the same respect as a degree obtained from a brick uni? I'm going to pursue a career as a barrister (not criminal) and whenever I tell people I study Law at the Open University, they always question it's credibility which peeves me off a bit to be quite frank as it is quite difficult. You have to motivate yourself - a lot.
i do miss the social side of real uni...the groups..communities etc etc and would like to go to one. So overall, honestly and brutally do you think employers will look down on your C.V if you have been to the OU ?
Cheers
Absolutely not, if you're working whilst studying it gives you valuable experience, shows you are motivated, that you're not just going to uni for the whole university experience and it shows you are hard working with the ability to manage your time well.
Sorry.
With all the best intentions in the world, distance learning will always have problems. Absolute best case scenario, you can hope to be looked at with parity - once in a while.
Yes, there are positive side effects (all the motivation and independence business), but these are largely ancillary.
At the end of the day, you will have essentially self-taught yourself a law degree. If that were the best method with so many advantages, it would surely be much more widespread. The lack of face time allows for gaps in understanding, and tries to squeeze regular tutorial interaction into very short spaces of time.
Don't let it become a monkey on your back. If you manage to get to the vocational stage of training, you will have been an exceptional candidate. The problem is that everyone thinks they are an exceptional candidate.
With all the best intentions in the world, distance learning will always have problems. Absolute best case scenario, you can hope to be looked at with parity - once in a while.
Yes, there are positive side effects (all the motivation and independence business), but these are largely ancillary.
At the end of the day, you will have essentially self-taught yourself a law degree. If that were the best method with so many advantages, it would surely be much more widespread. The lack of face time allows for gaps in understanding, and tries to squeeze regular tutorial interaction into very short spaces of time.
Don't let it become a monkey on your back. If you manage to get to the vocational stage of training, you will have been an exceptional candidate. The problem is that everyone thinks they are an exceptional candidate.
Thanks for your replies.
It's good to hear that some employers may view it as being a bonus within it's own respect. I do believe that when it comes to Law degrees and the uni they're obtained from - there's a certain amount of snobbery that goes on amongst prospective employers.
Technically it isn't really self taught. I don't seek the course material myself. You do have tutorials, access to a tutor when you need them and you are handed the same material to learn. I have two friends studying Law at Warwick and I have it more difficult in the respect that I have to motivate myself much more than them.
Overall, maybe it is best to just study the Law degree with the OU as a matter of interest and go to a brick uni next year.
Is anyone here with the OU?
It's good to hear that some employers may view it as being a bonus within it's own respect. I do believe that when it comes to Law degrees and the uni they're obtained from - there's a certain amount of snobbery that goes on amongst prospective employers.
Technically it isn't really self taught. I don't seek the course material myself. You do have tutorials, access to a tutor when you need them and you are handed the same material to learn. I have two friends studying Law at Warwick and I have it more difficult in the respect that I have to motivate myself much more than them.
Overall, maybe it is best to just study the Law degree with the OU as a matter of interest and go to a brick uni next year.
Is anyone here with the OU?
Original post by elise10
Thanks for your replies.
It's good to hear that some employers may view it as being a bonus within it's own respect. I do believe that when it comes to Law degrees and the uni they're obtained from - there's a certain amount of snobbery that goes on amongst prospective employers.
It's good to hear that some employers may view it as being a bonus within it's own respect. I do believe that when it comes to Law degrees and the uni they're obtained from - there's a certain amount of snobbery that goes on amongst prospective employers.
With respect, of the two people giving you that advice one is at school. If you want to become a barrister you would be in a stronger position coming from one of the better brick universities.
I'm studying with the Ou atm and I mostly get a positive response when I tell people. I've found its mostly the people who think that you must be taught by someone to actually learn anything that think the ou is load of crap. But I'm going to go to a brick uni this year as I'm doing a chemistry degree and I feel the Ou is severally lacking in its practical approach to the subject.
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Original post by elise10
It's good to hear that some employers may view it as being a bonus within it's own respect.
It's good to hear that some employers may view it as being a bonus within it's own respect.
The respect that is held for OU graduates largely derives from the traditional idea of a degree studied for part-time alongside a career and family commitments.
Once you move away from that scenario, in favour of more or less full time study, the OU is just another mid-table university but with pre-recorded lectures.
Original post by elise10
Hi all,
I'm currently a first year Law student with The Open University. I did it as it allowed me to study from abroad where my boyfriend is living. I have however always wanted to go to a 'brick' uni (a Russell Group uni). I self-studied my GCSEs and A-Levels by myself as I wanted to work at the same time and I received straight A's.
Long story short - do you think an Open University Law degree will get you the same respect as a degree obtained from a brick uni? I'm going to pursue a career as a barrister (not criminal) and whenever I tell people I study Law at the Open University, they always question it's credibility which peeves me off a bit to be quite frank as it is quite difficult. You have to motivate yourself - a lot.
i do miss the social side of real uni...the groups..communities etc etc and would like to go to one. So overall, honestly and brutally do you think employers will look down on your C.V if you have been to the OU ?
Cheers
I'm currently a first year Law student with The Open University. I did it as it allowed me to study from abroad where my boyfriend is living. I have however always wanted to go to a 'brick' uni (a Russell Group uni). I self-studied my GCSEs and A-Levels by myself as I wanted to work at the same time and I received straight A's.
Long story short - do you think an Open University Law degree will get you the same respect as a degree obtained from a brick uni? I'm going to pursue a career as a barrister (not criminal) and whenever I tell people I study Law at the Open University, they always question it's credibility which peeves me off a bit to be quite frank as it is quite difficult. You have to motivate yourself - a lot.
i do miss the social side of real uni...the groups..communities etc etc and would like to go to one. So overall, honestly and brutally do you think employers will look down on your C.V if you have been to the OU ?
Cheers
The short answer is yes, you will get less respect. There are several distance learning law options (e.g. BPP http://www.bpp.com/undergraduate-course-details/d/undergraduate/LLB-Hons-Distance-Learning/11921 Northumbria https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/llb-hons-open-learning-dl-dudlaw1/) that will give you more value and support than the OU.
Let's not forget that getting a first class degree from the OU is harder (the marking scale is different) and overall is not a widely respected option for law. Getting a place in the BPTC would be easier if you study (even at distance) at a law school that offers that course e.g. BPP or Norhumbria
Original post by rhume
With respect, anyone who suggests a degree from the OU is less valued either doesn't know what they're talking about, or they're a complete snob.
They are highly regarded and academically rigorous degrees.
They are highly regarded and academically rigorous degrees.
but not as a good or prestigious law school. All their course material was licensed by the University of Law. Now they use their own material but is just not as flexible and respected as other options.
...an OU degree is typically taken stop/start over several years. There are no 'carved in concrete' deadlines, and the usual vast number of tutorials and lectures to attend. The work appears to be very samey. You need no formal qualifications to start the degree. Some people take over 12 years to complete their degree, fitting it around their lives, and with copious support from family and friends. OU grads are always mature students. I took a PGCE and two of my fellow students were OU grads. Both dropped out. One had to take their GCE O level maths at the same time, which they failed. The rigor of lectures and working deadlines was something of a culture shock for them. OU degrees are good for the soul. If you are young enough to still be considered a 'young graduate', then it could help you into work. Otherwise, forget it. Going to a university is about working with others as it is by yourself. Much of the learning is undertaken living and working with different people with different cultures and personal experiences. If you attend a good university you will be head hunted or supported into work. I started an EdD at the OU. It was a pretty naff experience. The process was lack lustre. I eventually gave up and took an MPhill, part time, at a local university. Has the OU got a respect of a 'proper' university?...no. Are the degrees as demanding?....no. Are they hard?...yes/no depending on if you have any formal education and a supportive, graduate partner. The OU grads I have known were pretty well spoon fed the information they needed. Are they good for the soul?...yes. Are they as useful as a standard degree at getting you into work?...no. Would I ever consider getting involved in the OU again? ....no, the whole thing's pretty crap.
Original post by Clip
Sorry.
With all the best intentions in the world, distance learning will always have problems. Absolute best case scenario, you can hope to be looked at with parity - once in a while.
Yes, there are positive side effects (all the motivation and independence business), but these are largely ancillary.
With all the best intentions in the world, distance learning will always have problems. Absolute best case scenario, you can hope to be looked at with parity - once in a while.
Yes, there are positive side effects (all the motivation and independence business), but these are largely ancillary.
Original post by Norton1
With respect, of the two people giving you that advice one is at school. If you want to become a barrister you would be in a stronger position coming from one of the better brick universities.
Snobbish drivel still persists then. I have done both the brick uni and distance learning, and it has done nothing but open doors for me. Not once have I encountered a hint that distance learning is secondary, and my previous employer actually cited it as evidence that I had self-discipline, drive and time management. It takes a lot of these to undertake a distance learning degree.
Original post by christianlaw
but not as a good or prestigious law school.
Yes but if that's your logic then all degrees which don't come from Oxbridge or Ivy League are disregarded. Just because something isn't as "good" (I hope you can qualify your arguments better that that irl) doesn't mean that it isn't an excellent option.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by christianlaw
The short answer is yes, you will get less respect. There are several distance learning law options (e.g. BPP http://www.bpp.com/undergraduate-course-details/d/undergraduate/LLB-Hons-Distance-Learning/11921 Northumbria https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/llb-hons-open-learning-dl-dudlaw1/) that will give you more value and support than the OU.
Let's not forget that getting a first class degree from the OU is harder (the marking scale is different) and overall is not a widely respected option for law. Getting a place in the BPTC would be easier if you study (even at distance) at a law school that offers that course e.g. BPP or Norhumbria
Let's not forget that getting a first class degree from the OU is harder (the marking scale is different) and overall is not a widely respected option for law. Getting a place in the BPTC would be easier if you study (even at distance) at a law school that offers that course e.g. BPP or Norhumbria
More support? In what way? How do you know? Have you done the OU course? It's not a widely respected option for law? Back this up with some evidence thanks. Not conjecture and personal hearsay, but actual evidence and links.
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