Is Open Uni a good back up plan?

Original post by JustBeing

So I've applied for 3 unis, but my whole application is going to be sent after the holidays, so unlike a lot of people i'm not sending mine super early

I therefore have been thinking that if I don't get accepted, I will do the Open Uni because
a) It's nice to choose when you want to work, when to wake up etc.
b) they don't require entry requirements for A levels, so I can basically choose any course I want, and I don't think you apply through ucas or anything so super easy to get into any course?/most?
And I don't think I have to wait the whole next year right?

So I think that's great!

But one of my friends, has only applied for one university, and that's pretty risky so I asked her if she would apply to open uni if she doesn't get in and she said no, she's just not going to try that hard with her exams, and probably sit at home all day and leave school
I was shocked because, if you want a uni degree, and are going to sit at home anyway, why not join OU as a backup, especially since she's only allowed to go to one uni?

I even asked another friend, and she didn't want to go to OU as a backup plan either

Is there something wrong with OU? I think it's a perfect back up plan, why doesn't anyone want to do it?

The Open University is an extremely well-regarded option. I really have no idea why you've claimed that no one 'wants to do it'; it fills a niche for those of us for whom mainstream university isn't necessarily an option or who want greater flexibility in our studies than other universities are typically able to offer. I recently had to leave one of the better Russell Group universities for health reasons and I am now also looking very seriously at the Open University. All things considered, it looks like it could be the perfect option for me, particularly seeing as I'm a mature student now so always have a sense of alienation when I visit other universities and am surrounded by all these mega-young people (some of whom, sadly, turn out to be stunningly naive).

Do consider the OU seriously alongside your others choices (which look fantastic, by the way). Like I said, it's world-leading in terms of its distance learning offerings and is just as good as any Russell Group university (barring Oxbridge which is head and shoulders above everyone else; they're so so so far ahead that it's really just not realistic for any other uni's to try to compare themselves to them).

PM me if you wanna chat about this in more depth?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

BestProfileName

11

Original post by JustBeing

So I've applied for 3 unis, but my whole application is going to be sent after the holidays, so unlike a lot of people i'm not sending mine super early

I therefore have been thinking that if I don't get accepted, I will do the Open Uni because
a) It's nice to choose when you want to work, when to wake up etc.
b) they don't require entry requirements for A levels, so I can basically choose any course I want, and I don't think you apply through ucas or anything so super easy to get into any course?/most?
And I don't think I have to wait the whole next year right?

So I think that's great!

But one of my friends, has only applied for one university, and that's pretty risky so I asked her if she would apply to open uni if she doesn't get in and she said no, she's just not going to try that hard with her exams, and probably sit at home all day and leave school
I was shocked because, if you want a uni degree, and are going to sit at home anyway, why not join OU as a backup, especially since she's only allowed to go to one uni?

I even asked another friend, and she didn't want to go to OU as a backup plan either

Is there something wrong with OU? I think it's a perfect back up plan, why doesn't anyone want to do it?

People don't want to use the OU for the same reason a lot of scientists think computational work isn't real science - they are ignorant.

That's not to say some detractors are incorrect. A degree at the OU starts at a lower level, so it might not cover as much depth as a degree from some universities. In addition, the practical elements at the OU tend to be weaker. Finally, it's really not the 'university' experience that most people would consider traditional.

I've been to a brick university and I really wish I had just studied with the OU at 16. If you're mature and motivated the OU will be better than most universities for you. Ultimately, some universities are just better overall: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, etc but once you get down to universities that don't make the top 25 or so, the OU is as good as any.

Finally, the study materials at the OU are 10x better than those I've seen from two brick universities I have attended.

Reply 3

This isn't entirely accurate. You assert that the OU isn't as good as 'top 25' uni's - this isn't quite right. The OU by any measure is just as strong as most of the great Russell Group universities in the top 10. But as you correctly assert what students at the OU don't get is that traditional student experience of being based at a physical uni campus or whatever; I daresay though that this is actually part of the attraction for many people who apply! Uni culture (and I've experienced 3 uni's before, though haven't got my degree yet due to persistent health issues) is so so young person-orientated that it really really doesn't suit mature students very well at all...The OU can act as a nice antidote to the booze-soaked culture of students at even the finest uni's.

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Reply 4

Original post by SebCross

The OU by any measure is just as strong as most of the great Russell Group universities in the top 10.
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That is going a bit far. If you want to study science, engineering, technology or languages then OU degrees are nowhere near as comprehensive as brick university degrees.

Reply 5

Pseudocode

Original post by Snufkin

That is going a bit far. If you want to study science, engineering, technology or languages then OU degrees are nowhere near as comprehensive as brick university degrees.

OU degrees in STEM fields are very highly regarded. You are talking crap.

Reply 6

Original post by Pseudocode

OU degrees in STEM fields are very highly regarded. You are talking crap.

Says the person with no OU experience. :rolleyes:

I didn't say OU degrees weren't well regarded by employers, but that is not to say they are the same as brick-university degrees. In terms of education and what you actually learn, there is quite a lot of difference. There is no lab work or fieldwork in OU degrees, so if you want to study chemistry or geology for example, you will obviously receive a less thorough education.

Reply 7

But this doesn't mean that it's not still a valuable qualification to have - and of course the tuition fees are substantially lower with the OU than other more 'mainstream' universities. (This, naturally, is good news.)

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Reply 8

Original post by SebCross

But this doesn't mean that it's not still a valuable qualification to have - and of course the tuition fees are substantially lower with the OU than other more 'mainstream' universities. (This, naturally, is good news.)

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Of course it doesn't mean that OU qualifications are not valuable, but I do think it wrong to suggest there is no difference between the OU and the Russell group and/or brick universities. OU fees are less, but you get far less for your money. I have done 3 OU modules which cost a total of £5000, for that I got 9 books, 2 DVDs and around 3 hours with a tutor. Does that represent good value for money?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 9

Pseudocode

Original post by Snufkin

Says the person with no OU experience. :rolleyes:

I didn't say OU degrees weren't well regarded by employers, but that is not to say they are the same as brick-university degrees. In terms of education and what you actually learn, there is quite a lot of difference. There is no lab work or fieldwork in OU degrees, so if you want to study chemistry or geology for example, you will obviously receive a less thorough education.

This is not always the case. Numerous degrees of theirs require you travelling to a location to attend such sessions. How do I know? Oh yeah, I've applied to study at the OU and have spoken to several OU lecturers who take on researchers.

Reply 10

Original post by Snufkin

Of course it doesn't mean that OU qualifications are not valuable, but I do think it wrong to suggest there is no difference between the OU and the Russell group and/or brick universities. OU fees are less, but you get far less for your money. I have done 3 OU modules which cost a total of £5000, for that I got 9 books, 2 DVDs and around 3 hours with a tutor. Does that represent good value for money?

I wouldn't like to say, and of course I cannot speak the pros/cons of your own experience, but I would say given that for many arts and humanities courses students at many well-regarded, established Russell Group uni's can get as few as 4 contact hours per week, it's certainly comparable. Of course, students who want to do well require strong levels of motivation, and I think students with the OU tend to be particularly self-motivated, because of the fact that contact time with tutors is more restricted/takes different forms from the kind of traditional, face-to-face contact of more traditionally-structured universities. This will inevitably suit some people and not others.

Reply 11

Original post by Pseudocode

This is not always the case. Numerous degrees of theirs require you travelling to a location to attend such sessions. How do I know? Oh yeah, I've applied to study at the OU and have spoken to several OU lecturers who take on researchers.

Numerous? No, I don't think so. Perhaps the odd module involves a residential school that lasts for a few days but that is not the same as having access to laboratories 24/7 as you would at a brick university.

Let's take Chemistry as an example. Here are the modules you'd take on the OU Natural Sciences (Chemistry) degree:

Exploring science (S104) - no lab-work
Investigative and mathematical skills in science (S141) - no lab-work
Topics in science (S142) - no lab-work
Chemistry: essential concepts (S215) - optional three-day residential school
Earth science (S209) - optional four-day residential school
Chemical change and environmental applications (S345) - no lab-work
Drug design and synthesis (S346) - no lab-work
Metals and life (S347) - no lab-work
Oceanography (S330) - no lab-work
Science project course: frontiers in chemistry (SXM390) - no lab-work

Assuming you can afford to pay for travel and accommodation to go to the residential schools (which is in Cumbria of all places), that is still only 7 days' worth of lab-work... hardly comparable to a brick university.

Reply 12

username1661497

1

A couple of my teachers did their masters at OU, and we had a few guys come in to talk about how they're doing their undergrads there, and I had the same misconception as you - that it was kind of a last resort for people. But every single one of them has said the resources (books, journals, facilities) are all top-notch, and you can just work under your own steam.

And I know people have being talking about not being able to do labs for things such as Chemistry, but the guys we spoke to said they have remote-control labs. So you can log-in online and there are cameras on the equipment, and you can control the equipment through your computer to do your experiments. That might only be for postgrads or phDs but they definitely told us about it.

Any of you guys keep up with the Rosetta mission to Comet 67p a few weeks ago? Because some of the equipment on the Philae lander was designed and build by guys from OU. So, you know, there's that.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 13

Original post by e-mily

A couple of my teachers did their masters at OU, and we had a few guys come in to talk about how they're doing their undergrads there, and I had the same misconception as you - that it was kind of a last resort for people. But every single one of them has said the resources (books, journals, facilities) are all top-notch, and you can just work under your own steam.

And I know people have being talking about not being able to do labs for things such as Chemistry, but the guys we spoke to said they have remote-control labs. So you can log-in online and there are cameras on the equipment, and you can control the equipment through your computer to do your experiments. That might only be for postgrads or phDs but they definitely told us about it.

Any of you guys keep up with the Rosetta mission to Comet 67p a few weeks ago? Because some of the equipment on the Philae lander was designed and build by guys from OU. So, you know, there's that.

Well said. The OU isn't Oxford or Cambridge or Harvard or Yale, but it doesn't claim to be. For what's it's designed to do, namely to deliver extremely high quality, highly-regarded distance learning courses which are just as rigorous and challenging to students as degrees based at campus universities / 'real life' universities, it's world-beating. 'nuff said.

Reply 14

JustBeing

OP

Original post by SebCross

Well said. The OU isn't Oxford or Cambridge or Harvard or Yale, but it doesn't claim to be. For what's it's designed to do, namely to deliver extremely high quality, highly-regarded distance learning courses which are just as rigorous and challenging to students as degrees based at campus universities / 'real life' universities, it's world-beating. 'nuff said.

I think that's well said, so yeah i'll definitely consider it if I don't get into my other uni's, great discussion everyone, has informed me a lot!

Reply 15

Original post by JustBeing

I think that's well said, so yeah i'll definitely consider it if I don't get into my other uni's, great discussion everyone, has informed me a lot!

Glad you've found the various comments helpful. Do let us know what you decide!

It's one of my back up plans!

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Reply 17

JustBeing

OP

Original post by Edminzodo

It's one of my back up plans!

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Nice one! It's definitely better than doing nothing

Reply 18

Antifazian

16

I think it is if you are aware that distance learning is difficult, perhaps more so than being at a traditional brick university in which you're surrounded by others studying to similar timetables. Only you know how committed you are to it, and it's up to you to create a timetable and stick to it etc. Are you honestly someone who will stick with it and motivate yourself? Do you have a decent support network around you?

Good luck whatever you choose!

Reply 19