Open University
Milton Keynes
AA100 - The Arts Past and Present
Hi! I am considering doing this course after my A-Levels. My grades will hopefully be AAB/ABB in: English Lit, Religious Studies:Philosophy and Ethics, and Psychology. I want to study English Literature and Philosophy at university but I don't want to go straight after my A-Levels because I am recovering from a severe illness, and I am worried that I will relapse again if I don't take another year out in order to completely recover. I am already doing A-Levels a year later than everyone else, which means that I will be 20/nearly 21 by the time I get to university, so I won't be classed as a mature student.
1) If you have done AA100, did you enjoy it/would you recommend it?
2) Will it make my application to university any stronger, especially since I will already have ok A-Level grades?
3) Would it be better for me to go when I am actually 21, so that my application would be classed as a mature student? From what I have read on university websites, the entrance requirments for mature students are more flexible than normal applicants.
Thanks for any replies. Rep for all answers!
1) If you have done AA100, did you enjoy it/would you recommend it?
2) Will it make my application to university any stronger, especially since I will already have ok A-Level grades?
3) Would it be better for me to go when I am actually 21, so that my application would be classed as a mature student? From what I have read on university websites, the entrance requirments for mature students are more flexible than normal applicants.
Thanks for any replies. Rep for all answers!
1)I havent done aa100, but it looks good. there might be some of it available free on openlearn.
2)It will make your application stronger in the sense that your mind will still be used to studying where as if you do nothing for a year your mind will get sloppy. In some places, having done open uni courses can get you direct entry onto the second year.(reading and lancaster) but you should check with them before hand.
3) I think the only extra flexibility that mature students get is that they can count work experience in place of academic qualifications. As your academics are good, i dont see why you would need the extra flexibility.
2)It will make your application stronger in the sense that your mind will still be used to studying where as if you do nothing for a year your mind will get sloppy. In some places, having done open uni courses can get you direct entry onto the second year.(reading and lancaster) but you should check with them before hand.
3) I think the only extra flexibility that mature students get is that they can count work experience in place of academic qualifications. As your academics are good, i dont see why you would need the extra flexibility.
Open University
Milton Keynes
morecambebay
1)I havent done aa100, but it looks good. there might be some of it available free on openlearn.
2)It will make your application stronger in the sense that your mind will still be used to studying where as if you do nothing for a year your mind will get sloppy. In some places, having done open uni courses can get you direct entry onto the second year.(reading and lancaster) but you should check with them before hand.
3) I think the only extra flexibility that mature students get is that they can count work experience in place of academic qualifications. As your academics are good, i dont see why you would need the extra flexibility.
2)It will make your application stronger in the sense that your mind will still be used to studying where as if you do nothing for a year your mind will get sloppy. In some places, having done open uni courses can get you direct entry onto the second year.(reading and lancaster) but you should check with them before hand.
3) I think the only extra flexibility that mature students get is that they can count work experience in place of academic qualifications. As your academics are good, i dont see why you would need the extra flexibility.
Thanks for your quick and helpful reply. I've given you rep as promised
h82think
Sorry for not replying sooner.
I started AA100 in October, since then I have loved the course
I believe it is possible to do the first year at OU, then change to a brick uni in the second year.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask
I started AA100 in October, since then I have loved the course
I believe it is possible to do the first year at OU, then change to a brick uni in the second year.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask
Thanks for the reply
jeffloomis
Hi! I am considering doing this course after my A-Levels. My grades will hopefully be AAB/ABB in: English Lit, Religious Studies:Philosophy and Ethics, and Psychology. I want to study English Literature and Philosophy at university but I don't want to go straight after my A-Levels because I am recovering from a severe illness, and I am worried that I will relapse again if I don't take another year out in order to completely recover. I am already doing A-Levels a year later than everyone else, which means that I will be 20/nearly 21 by the time I get to university, so I won't be classed as a mature student.
1) If you have done AA100, did you enjoy it/would you recommend it?
2) Will it make my application to university any stronger, especially since I will already have ok A-Level grades?
3) Would it be better for me to go when I am actually 21, so that my application would be classed as a mature student? From what I have read on university websites, the entrance requirments for mature students are more flexible than normal applicants.
Thanks for any replies. Rep for all answers!
1) If you have done AA100, did you enjoy it/would you recommend it?
2) Will it make my application to university any stronger, especially since I will already have ok A-Level grades?
3) Would it be better for me to go when I am actually 21, so that my application would be classed as a mature student? From what I have read on university websites, the entrance requirments for mature students are more flexible than normal applicants.
Thanks for any replies. Rep for all answers!
Anyone else got anymore opinions? Cheers
h82think
Got my first assignment back.... 39% 
not loving the course now, lol!
not loving the course now, lol!Ouch! I'm really sorry to hear that!
What do you think went wrong?I've been lurking on the OU chat thread for a while now and I saw your post on there too. "I am so angry at her! and feel like crying too If I did so badly, maybe uni isn't for me?" - your first undergraduate assignment was never going to be easy. Don't let it get you down. You're marks will probably improve quickly once you get used to doing the assignments. I'm doing a distance learning course through Oxford Uni in political philosophy at the moment, and I found my first assesment really difficult to get right, so much information to cram into a relatively small word limit. We don't get out marks back until the end of the course as well so I might have failed it too lol! But at least I enjoyed it and I can learn from the mistakes next time
keep smiling!
I'm currently doing AA100, and I'm finding it very interesting 
You get to cover a good range of subjects (from ancient history to music), which is good, because I've already developed interests for things I'd never really cared for before. (I've contined to read up about Cleopatra, even though the first assignment is gone, for example)
The course materials are also pretty good. So far I've used several books, the website, audio CDs and I'm in the middle of doing an interactive DVDrom thing, so it's not boring.
Ask me if there's anything else you want to know. I really would recommend this course, but can't think of what else to write
You get to cover a good range of subjects (from ancient history to music), which is good, because I've already developed interests for things I'd never really cared for before. (I've contined to read up about Cleopatra, even though the first assignment is gone, for example)
The course materials are also pretty good. So far I've used several books, the website, audio CDs and I'm in the middle of doing an interactive DVDrom thing, so it's not boring.
Ask me if there's anything else you want to know. I really would recommend this course, but can't think of what else to write
I started AA100 last october, so Spanghew you will be following exactly the same syllabus as I was! i started this course (and finished it!) because I wanted to do a BA in English through the OU, but for various reasons changed my mind about the OU and am now at college on an access course.
There are two intakes on this course, February and October (from memory) and this makes the course forum extremely confusing! Each intake studies every second subject on the course material, so for example Spanghew will do exactly the same subjects as I did.
There are huge vats tranches of the course that you can skip over, and still pass - I was averaging 75-80% in my TMAs - but I am anal and have no life and love studying! Some of it is extremely interesting, for me Cleopatra was dire, the history of religion in England in the 16th century I could not even read, but Pugin was fascinating.
Having now been on my access course for three months, AA100 is a dawdle! One point - ascertain from the beginning whether you are allowed to use outside sources in your research - I was marked down for it on my Pugin essay and queried it and was told it was down to individual tutors - I was raging!
The course is supposed to take, what 16 hours a week - I used to dip in and out of it and not look at it for weeks on end and still got great marks - I did my final essay on the history of the seaside which was extremely easy.
It's certainly enhanced my uni application, I have a verbal acceptance from my chosen uni, and am steaming ahead on my access course - I'm doing highers in english, history and politics and a lot of what I learnt on AA100 I can relate to my current studies, for example the industrial revolution.
OU is for some people, my mother's gained an MCs in maths and stats through the OU last year, personally it didn't work for me, I prefer the face to face interaction of lectures and group work, and it's entirely hit or miss on the tutors - I've done a number of 10 point short OU courses and my tutor on AA100 was barking - seriously, I met up with her and was even more confused by the end of the meeting!
Good luck, anything else you want to know just ask.
There are two intakes on this course, February and October (from memory) and this makes the course forum extremely confusing! Each intake studies every second subject on the course material, so for example Spanghew will do exactly the same subjects as I did.
There are huge vats tranches of the course that you can skip over, and still pass - I was averaging 75-80% in my TMAs - but I am anal and have no life and love studying! Some of it is extremely interesting, for me Cleopatra was dire, the history of religion in England in the 16th century I could not even read, but Pugin was fascinating.
Having now been on my access course for three months, AA100 is a dawdle! One point - ascertain from the beginning whether you are allowed to use outside sources in your research - I was marked down for it on my Pugin essay and queried it and was told it was down to individual tutors - I was raging!
The course is supposed to take, what 16 hours a week - I used to dip in and out of it and not look at it for weeks on end and still got great marks - I did my final essay on the history of the seaside which was extremely easy.
It's certainly enhanced my uni application, I have a verbal acceptance from my chosen uni, and am steaming ahead on my access course - I'm doing highers in english, history and politics and a lot of what I learnt on AA100 I can relate to my current studies, for example the industrial revolution.
OU is for some people, my mother's gained an MCs in maths and stats through the OU last year, personally it didn't work for me, I prefer the face to face interaction of lectures and group work, and it's entirely hit or miss on the tutors - I've done a number of 10 point short OU courses and my tutor on AA100 was barking - seriously, I met up with her and was even more confused by the end of the meeting!
Good luck, anything else you want to know just ask.
Thanks Spanghew and Aruwen, really helpful posts I'll know where to come if I have anymore questions now The more I read about it, the more I want to do it!
I'll know where to come if I have anymore questions now The more I read about it, the more I want to do it!
i feel thicker everytime i look at it 
Any advice please????Calm down, you're not thick at all, AA100 is the reason I have gone for full-time study, the course confused me so much!
What is the question for the second TMA - I'm being lazy and can't be bothered to get up and look at my stuff for it - is it something to do with how you think you are getting on with your studying so far?
do you want to pm me and I can help you?
What is the question for the second TMA - I'm being lazy and can't be bothered to get up and look at my stuff for it - is it something to do with how you think you are getting on with your studying so far?
do you want to pm me and I can help you?
I came here to ask what the workload on AA100 is like, I get the impression from aruwen that it's not really hard going? I'm currently doing S104 exploring science and am thinking of doing AA100 to help me finally make the decision between science or arts, with the view of possibly doing some sort of English degree, but I don't want to have to wait until October to start, so was thinking of overlapping and starting AA100 in February. I finish my current course around the end of May/beginning of June and the main learning/reading finishes around the beginning of May and then it's just work on the ECA, so that's 3/4 months where I would potentially be studying two quite different subject areas!
If it's any help, I studied Sociology, History and English Language at A-level so probably have a good grounding in the basic subject areas?
Jeffloomis, I hope you don't mind me hijacking, I just didn't want to start another new thread about the same course!
If it's any help, I studied Sociology, History and English Language at A-level so probably have a good grounding in the basic subject areas?
Jeffloomis, I hope you don't mind me hijacking, I just didn't want to start another new thread about the same course!
LooCee
I came here to ask what the workload on AA100 is like, I get the impression from aruwen that it's not really hard going? I'm currently doing S104 exploring science and am thinking of doing AA100 to help me finally make the decision between science or arts, with the view of possibly doing some sort of English degree, but I don't want to have to wait until October to start, so was thinking of overlapping and starting AA100 in February. I finish my current course around the end of May/beginning of June and the main learning/reading finishes around the beginning of May and then it's just work on the ECA, so that's 3/4 months where I would potentially be studying two quite different subject areas!
If it's any help, I studied Sociology, History and English Language at A-level so probably have a good grounding in the basic subject areas?
Jeffloomis, I hope you don't mind me hijacking, I just didn't want to start another new thread about the same course!
If it's any help, I studied Sociology, History and English Language at A-level so probably have a good grounding in the basic subject areas?
Jeffloomis, I hope you don't mind me hijacking, I just didn't want to start another new thread about the same course!
I find that the work-load is extremely manageable. I can't remember how many hours they said I would need on the web-site, but so far that's turned out to be a huge overexaggeration.
With those A levels, I'd say you'll find parts pretty easy, but there's always new stuff to learn as well, and they explain it without assuming any previous knowledge from you at all.
Hey, I am currently doing the AA100 course.. I find it very easy to manage, the first TMA went alot better than I was expecting I recieved 72%. 
I finished college but did not want to go straight to uni instead to work for a year and save money. The course is very good for being able to do it when you want and has loads of different subject areas that you are bound to find something you really find interesting.
I finished college but did not want to go straight to uni instead to work for a year and save money. The course is very good for being able to do it when you want and has loads of different subject areas that you are bound to find something you really find interesting.
Hi
I'm 18 and have just signed up to the open uni doing AA100 as part of my history course. I chose the open uni because i didnt get into the uni i wanted to through ucas and clearing didnt even help as the Uni's were too far away and my grades were D's and E's. If I finish my first year of the open uni and wish to change to try again to get into a brick university does anyone know if that will be possible? Most of the comments here sound encouraging about the work load and time management with still getting good grades. If anyone has advice or tips for the course that would be helpful to.
I'm 18 and have just signed up to the open uni doing AA100 as part of my history course. I chose the open uni because i didnt get into the uni i wanted to through ucas and clearing didnt even help as the Uni's were too far away and my grades were D's and E's. If I finish my first year of the open uni and wish to change to try again to get into a brick university does anyone know if that will be possible? Most of the comments here sound encouraging about the work load and time management with still getting good grades. If anyone has advice or tips for the course that would be helpful to.
Hi all, finished AA100 earlier this year so thought I would offer some advice to anyone interested. Personally I enjoyed it quite a bit but it is inevitable that you will end up studying things you just are not interested in due to the 'catch-all' nature of the course. As an example, there was a poster above who found Cleopatra dire but loved Pugin. I was the complete opposite and could not bring myself to read about Pugin to save my life.
However, the way the course is designed, there are ways around it. Ideally you'd work through it exactly as the OU advises. Realistically however, the most efficient way to do it was to go through the assessment booklet they give you, work out what TMA's your going to take and then devote study to each of those in turn.
As interesting as some of the other stuff is, it just does not come up at all if it's not on a TMA. While early chapters are sometimes relevant to later TMA's it's never to a great extent that you couldnt just refer back and skim read.
Other than that, treat it for what it is; an intro to the Open University and almost a brochure for what the arts & humanities has to offer.
However, the way the course is designed, there are ways around it. Ideally you'd work through it exactly as the OU advises. Realistically however, the most efficient way to do it was to go through the assessment booklet they give you, work out what TMA's your going to take and then devote study to each of those in turn.
As interesting as some of the other stuff is, it just does not come up at all if it's not on a TMA. While early chapters are sometimes relevant to later TMA's it's never to a great extent that you couldnt just refer back and skim read.
Other than that, treat it for what it is; an intro to the Open University and almost a brochure for what the arts & humanities has to offer.
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