Open University Chat Thread

But it can be rather expensive

For those doing 120 credits in one year

There's been some movement on Student Home and my module websites are now closed, usually a sign that results are imminent! I'm waiting for the final level 3 results for my degree.

To those who have done 120 credits in the past, how did you cope with the stress and workload? I done 90 credits later and at times I felt like I could barely cope with that!

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Yasmin, I did 120 at level 3. It does seem and feel like a lot. I just 'did it' one step at a time and in the end, it forces you to focus and develop time management skills. You can't do everything extremely well, so you adapt to the time frames you have, if that makes sense?

Thanks for your reply good on you for doing 120 credits at once, especially at level 3! Yeah what you said makes perfect sense. What were you studying? I'm studying Bsc (hons) natural science (the biology pathway)

Thanks for your reply good on you for doing 120 credits at once, especially at level 3! Yeah what you said makes perfect sense. What were you studying? I'm studying Bsc (hons) natural science (the biology pathway)

i'm doing 120 level 3 units, finding it really difficult and have had to take a lot of unpaid time off so hasn't really worked out cheaper but given no choice by OU - they sometimes just decide they are going to change degree names and requirements which means you either have to finish quickly or pay to do additional modules. The problem is your grades will probably suffer (versus doing 1 or max 2 courses) and as you know OU grading is a level down compared to brick uni, so quite risky in my opinion. If doing again i'd only consider doing distance learning via a brick uni

as you know OU grading is a level down compared to brick uni, so quite risky in my opinion.

85-100% in OU for a distinction vs 70-85 in brick uni

Yeah, but the marks you'd receive from a brick uni (whether physically attending, or via distance learning) aren't directly comparable with OU marks because of the fact that their grade boundaries are different. A piece of work that gets 85% from the OU wouldn't get 85% from a brick uni, it would get 70%; and so on down the scale. (Source: I have a brick uni degree, have done distance learning from a brick uni, and am studying with the OU - I did/am doing comparably well in terms of the overall classification of my grades at each uni, but the actual grades themselves are substantially different and I've received percentage grades from the OU that would be literally impossible from a brick uni as they would never award marks that high within their grading scheme).

If you're saying, "it is hard to do well if you do 120 credits, especially if you're also working" then I agree with you. But I don't agree that it would be any easier with a brick uni, and in fact, in terms of moving the goalposts, my experience was that the brick uni I previously did distance learning with did this in a much more absolute and problematic way than anything I've come across with the OU. (As in, "we've decided we're not doing distance learning anymore, so you can't finish your qualification here. Goodbye.") For that reason I always recommend the OU over brick unis wherever possible for anyone who wants to do distance learning - it's their core business, so they're unlikely to decide they can't be bothered to offer it anymore and give it up overnight.

Thank you for clarifying. I think I am gonna apply for all distance learning from brick unis second and open Uni is now last option.

A piece of work that gets 85% from the OU wouldn't get 85% from a brick uni, it would get 70%; and so on down the scale..