[inksplodge]

I'm interested to know, why does it say on the Wiki page (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/unip...pen-university) Total Students 251,203 in 08/09 and then Part-time Students 255,755 in 08/09 ?? There are more than the total number?

[SunburnedCactus]

That is a good question, I'm not sure where they got either of those numbers.

[½+½]

(Original post by Moggs)
Oh noes! I don't like mentioning it because it's early days. I win evil scowls from medicine people for hinting at my interest. Seeing as this is anonymous though and I can go hide afterwards, here it is;

I do mean grad medicine yep. I'll be picking up chem, bio and maths at A-level soon™, followed by a first at the OU in engineering (which I need for what I'm doing now anyway, otherwise I would have headed for the more obvious choice).

Experience wise, none. I think this is based on on way too many things falling in to place for me to head in that direction yet.

Thought about for: 15 years
Seriously considered actually doing: about 15 days

My sister quit her care job because she got fed up of being beaten up by mental patients though. I'm unsure if that will count.

The main problems at the moment are my string of B's and C's from 1997 GCSE's and the cash I'll need as it'll be my second degree. There's also the graduate entry attempts excluding me from some foundation options. Not that it'll matter, as I'll likely be too old by then anyway. Gotta call it a day and settle down sometime This all assumes I can get a good first degree and decent A-levels.

2011 will be about laying groundwork for the cash, sorting the A-levels and finishing the L2 OU courses. I'll take it from there if it goes well. If it doesn't, no-one will ever know I considered it

Any words of wisdom from that little lot? 'Uhoh' won't cut it

With all due respect, sod other people and their opinions. A lot of med students have a competitiveness which comes across as arrogance, which is why they may shoot you down, but it's a competitive field to get into. Just ignore them.

I'm not sure but I think if you do complete your degree, you will not be able to apply for either pre-med or standard med degrees. The A levels are definitely logical, it's so much harder to get into medicine without them. However if you don't complete your degree, you may give yourself more of a chance to get into med. You'll be able to apply for standard med, which has far, far more places available on courses. Graduate med entry is seriously tight, you're gonna have all sorts of more medically leaning science subject grads applying for a tiny amount of spaces. Your big chunk of OU education would work in favour of your application, showing you can work comfortably at university level. Obviously this involves big choices though. If you really want to study medicine I would email a few unis and ask them of their opinion on with grad entry or the entry I've suggested.

Of course I could be completely wrong!

[~ Purple Rose ~]

A lot of graduates also apply for 5 year courses because the 4 year ones are so competitive. You only get funding for the final year though, whereas on a 4 year one you only need to pay for the first year yourself.

[inksplodge]

I can't get my head around this electronic notebook thing... looks confusing!

[Moggs]

(Original post by ½+½)
With all due respect, sod other people and their opinions. A lot of med students have a competitiveness which comes across as arrogance, which is why they may shoot you down, but it's a competitive field to get into. Just ignore them.

Good call. I usually go about things like that, goodness knows why this seems different.

I'm not sure but I think if you do complete your degree, you will not be able to apply for either pre-med or standard med degrees. The A levels are definitely logical, it's so much harder to get into medicine without them. However if you don't complete your degree, you may give yourself more of a chance to get into med. You'll be able to apply for standard med, which has far, far more places available on courses. Graduate med entry is seriously tight, you're gonna have all sorts of more medically leaning science subject grads applying for a tiny amount of spaces. Your big chunk of OU education would work in favour of your application, showing you can work comfortably at university level. Obviously this involves big choices though. If you really want to study medicine I would email a few unis and ask them of their opinion on with grad entry or the entry I've suggested.

Excellent points, thanks for taking the time to type all that up. You picked up on the big choices too, namely the drop or not drop, and leaving myself a back up just in case. It's looking like I can get away with completing OU Y2 and the A-levels and going on from there. I can always stop short if needs be and pick it up again if this doesn't work out. It's going to be a case of timing I think. At the very least, it's nice to have some kind of start point.

(Original post by ~ Mandy ~)
A lot of graduates also apply for 5 year courses because the 4 year ones are so competitive. You only get funding for the final year though, whereas on a 4 year one you only need to pay for the first year yourself.

This would be very useful if possible, as it would mean I wouldn't have to do things backwards in terms of claiming the OU degree. I will have to see though and be careful not to exclude myself from too much at the wrong time.

Incidentally, I just spotted a Human Biology course that is a free choice within my engineering degree that some uni's accept as the bio component of A-levels. It'll leave me with one heck of a strange module in my final degree profile, but would save me a good chunk of time and cash to use this.

More choices

Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated.

(Original post by inksplodge)
I can't get my head around this electronic notebook thing... looks confusing!

Is it hardware or software?

I'll have it!

[Juno]

DD131 ECA done

I've had a change of plan and decided to start looking at DD201 as I'm sick of revising for DD202. I still feel like I know nothing, though.

[SunburnedCactus]

My routine has been slightly disrupted by procrastination. It was only a matter of time. Still this week is ploughing through past papers which is pretty straightforward.

[inksplodge]

I bet you know more than you think

I have watched the DVD for my Cleopatra chapter, so I am moving along - slowly...

I am glad I don't have an exam for this course. Exams are scary.

[lupinpooter]

(Original post by SunburnedCactus)
My routine has been slightly disrupted by procrastination. It was only a matter of time. Still this week is ploughing through past papers which is pretty straightforward.

Ditto. I've got a heavy cold which isn't helping, although it does give me a good excuse to loll around with my books.

My exam is next week

[inksplodge]

i'm still getting over my flu bug.

decided to take what people say on the course group with a pinch of salt - a sensible course mate has already realised that a lot of the people who have "done" the assignment already have not done it right.

"Dear Student, We are writing to confirm receipt of your application for a computer grant."

[~ Purple Rose ~]

I haven't done any work this week because I'm moving. I miss it actually, it's going over some things I did in my first degree, and I'd forgotten how interesting it all is.

[stok3sy]

(Original post by inksplodge)
"Dear Student, We are writing to confirm receipt of your application for a computer grant."

Hey, could you tell me how you applied for the computer grant?!

[inksplodge]

(Original post by stok3sy)
Hey, could you tell me how you applied for the computer grant?!

They sent me a form a couple of weeks ago in the post and I sent it back. From the date of the letter it took 7 days to get to me though ... I don't know if they send them out just before the course or all of them together, or what

[stok3sy]

(Original post by inksplodge)
They sent me a form a couple of weeks ago in the post and I sent it back. From the date of the letter it took 7 days to get to me though ... I don't know if they send them out just before the course or all of them together, or what

hey, thanks for the reply! my course doesnt start til 1 Nov so I'll maybe get a form very soon!

[Lunarsea]

Woohoo! Finished S104, SXR103 and S250. Now the wait until mid-December to see how badly I did and I have to wait until February for my next modules, all 120 points worth unless I chicken out, to start.

There's a short course I want to do that looks interesting that I was hoping to fit in. It starts next month but it has two submission dates for the ECA (January or March). I was going to finish it for the January ECA but I don't know if the OU will let me take it on because you can't tell them which submission date you will be working to and of course the March date will overlap my Feb courses more than the allowed amount. Does anyone here have any experience of dealing with this or is it a case of giving them a call to find out?

[dobbys sock]

Hii, I've just decided to leave university and move back home and I'm now planning on studying with the OU. I'm aiming to get a degree in History, starting with AA100 in February. Scary! I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing at the moment and have a few little questions if anyone can help.

First, when I click the register button does that mean I've actually registered on the course or just confirmed that I'm thinking about doing it?Second, do I have to have a reference before I can study? A letter from a previous academic tutor or something?

[Moggs]

(Original post by dobbys sock)
Hii, I've just decided to leave university and move back home and I'm now planning on studying with the OU. I'm aiming to get a degree in History, starting with AA100 in February. Scary! I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing at the moment and have a few little questions if anyone can help.

Welcome aboard, yarr! (?)

Everyone is nervous when they begin. It'll pass once you begin studying Give it a few weeks to a month in to your course and that'll disappear.

(Original post by dobbys sock)
First, when I click the register button does that mean I've actually registered on the course or just confirmed that I'm thinking about doing it?

That means you've registered your interest and you effectively have your place unless you don't pay by the deadline. Expect forms in the post soon. You're only locked in after you pick a payment method, whether that be financial support or credit/debit card or OUSBA monthly repayments, and even then I think you can cancel before the course begins. Everything becomes much clearer when you get your student home login.

Should be free to study if you're earning under 16k a year (excluding parents income if you're with them) so consider applying for financial support. You should get something if you're on less than 30k a year, and pretty much the whole lot if you're under 16k a year (apart from expensive business/law courses)

(Original post by dobbys sock)
Second, do I have to have a reference before I can study? A letter from a previous academic tutor or something?

Nope, nothing of the sort. Everyone can get in if they can pay/qualify for support, but of course it'll be up to you if you survive and come out the other end with a qualification and/or the degree classification that you want Check the page of the modules you signed up for in case there are entry requirements. You'll find L1's don't have any, and L2 and L3 usually just require the relevant L1's.

AA100 has no entry requirements or pre-reqs.

Have a good one.

[twinkle.twinkle]

(Original post by dobbys sock)
Hii, I've just decided to leave university and move back home and I'm now planning on studying with the OU. I'm aiming to get a degree in History, starting with AA100 in February. Scary! I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing at the moment and have a few little questions if anyone can help.

First, when I click the register button does that mean I've actually registered on the course or just confirmed that I'm thinking about doing it?Second, do I have to have a reference before I can study? A letter from a previous academic tutor or something?

I am just starting a history degree aswell, though I am starting with A207, it does however mean that I will have to finish the degree bvefore 2014. Though I am starting A200 in Febuary so I am on track.

AA100 just didn't appeal to me at all, I don't know why either as A207 is basically the same.

[inksplodge]

(Original post by dobbys sock)
Hii, I've just decided to leave university and move back home and I'm now planning on studying with the OU. I'm aiming to get a degree in History, starting with AA100 in February. Scary! I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing at the moment and have a few little questions if anyone can help.

First, when I click the register button does that mean I've actually registered on the course or just confirmed that I'm thinking about doing it?Second, do I have to have a reference before I can study? A letter from a previous academic tutor or something?

I'm doing AA100 at the mo - quite interesting!

I really have to get a bloody move on. Ended up going into work last night when I had really wanted to finish the Cleopatra chapter. SIGH.

Also really want an iPad!!