Open University
Milton Keynes
Possible to speed up from part time to full time at open university?
Just wondering if anyone has done this? Im looking to start OU this year doing computer science focusing heavily on software.
I work 40 hours a week and also have an ebay business which i work about 6-8 hours a week on.
So i dont want to jump straight in and attempt full time study if its going to be too much. Although i would like the option to speed things up if i felt i could cope.
Anyway, any help is appreciated.
I work 40 hours a week and also have an ebay business which i work about 6-8 hours a week on.
So i dont want to jump straight in and attempt full time study if its going to be too much. Although i would like the option to speed things up if i felt i could cope.
Anyway, any help is appreciated.
Open University
Milton Keynes
Original post by Triphead
6 years seems rediculously long and i already know quite a bit about java which i understand is the main focus language.
But hey, i might find thats all i can manage with the free time i've got.
Im just wondering if its possible.
But hey, i might find thats all i can manage with the free time i've got.
Im just wondering if its possible.
Well all you can do is try I guess. All I would say is,with everything else you have going on in your life, just make sure you get enough sleep/rest every day and you don't skip meals. [Sorry if I sound like your mother !!]. Give it a go and see how you cope with it all. If in a few month's time you feel it's all too much you can put the brakes on a bit. There will be no harm in having given it your best shot, and nothing to be ashamed of in slowing the pace down.
Things apparently get much more difficult between Stage 1 and Stage 2, then again in Stage 3. So the best time to shave some of that time off would be to double-up on Stage 1. Unfortunately, you won't really know if you can take that work load until it's too late. Another bonus to this strategy is that you just have to pass, as Stage 1 modules won't impact your degree classification. (Additionally, the assessment strategy for TU100 only requires a 30% on the final TMA instead of 40% on an EMA like most modules.)
The programming environment used in TU100 (called Sense) is just a modified version of Scratch if you want to get a head start getting familiar with that, though it's not in any way difficult. I'm planning on making maths easier by just doing MU123 rather than MST124, since it doesn't really matter to the degree.
I've been struggling with deciding whether or not I want to shave a year off, or make it easy on myself. I've decided that it's not really about being easy for me, but I'm very aware of my study habits, and realise that trying 120 credits would result in burn-out. So six years for me. But I feel your pain.
I will say that I haven't seen anybody yet say that the OU over-estimates (well, not by much) how much time you need to be able to devote to study each week, although it's easier during Stage 1. So if you've got the 32+ hours a week and the determination and motivation, it may be right for you. Or it may not be. But I hope I've provided useful points.
The programming environment used in TU100 (called Sense) is just a modified version of Scratch if you want to get a head start getting familiar with that, though it's not in any way difficult. I'm planning on making maths easier by just doing MU123 rather than MST124, since it doesn't really matter to the degree.
I've been struggling with deciding whether or not I want to shave a year off, or make it easy on myself. I've decided that it's not really about being easy for me, but I'm very aware of my study habits, and realise that trying 120 credits would result in burn-out. So six years for me. But I feel your pain.
I will say that I haven't seen anybody yet say that the OU over-estimates (well, not by much) how much time you need to be able to devote to study each week, although it's easier during Stage 1. So if you've got the 32+ hours a week and the determination and motivation, it may be right for you. Or it may not be. But I hope I've provided useful points.
Thanks for the info.
I guess I will go for the part time (6 years) and if I'm finding it easy enough I will just try to acquire other certifications at the same time ( android, sun, microsoft etc )
Do you know if I must apply for student finance first or apply for the course first?
Thanks,
Steve
I guess I will go for the part time (6 years) and if I'm finding it easy enough I will just try to acquire other certifications at the same time ( android, sun, microsoft etc )
Do you know if I must apply for student finance first or apply for the course first?
Thanks,
Steve
Original post by markova21
Well all you can do is try I guess. All I would say is,with everything else you have going on in your life, just make sure you get enough sleep/rest every day and you don't skip meals. [Sorry if I sound like your mother !!]. Give it a go and see how you cope with it all. If in a few month's time you feel it's all too much you can put the brakes on a bit. There will be no harm in having given it your best shot, and nothing to be ashamed of in slowing the pace down.
Haha I don't think there will be any chance of me skipping meals :P
Original post by Triphead
Do you know if I must apply for student finance first or apply for the course first?
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
You apply for the course first, and then once you've chosen your modules, it'll link you to Student Finance with a few tips on selections to make. You can actually make the module enrolment quicker, though, if you go to Student Finance first and register, so you have a CR#, then enrol with OU using that number, then going back to Student Finance and applying using the course and module information. But that's quicker by maybe a minute.
I like your idea of studying for certifications during down time, if there's any. I think I'll nick it.
I've read the posts here. I am a student who has recently finished TU 100 ( just waiting the EMA result) and still going on TM129 and MU123.
I started off last October doing just TU 100 like most students. I decided to start TM129 and MU 123 when I saw the assignment marks coming in. Despite being "full time" between the beginning of February and end of May, I coped with it very well and I still have very high hopes for a distinction in TU100 and TM129 (they do not award distinctions for discovering mathematics). It was the right decision for me and I have effectively saved myself a year. I will not take that risk for level 2 modules. If you are thinking of taking 120 points a year in level 1, consider the following:
(1) Firstly, consider staggering it as I did. See how well you are coping with TU 100 before deciding to start the other 2 modules in February.
(2) How much time you have available to study is obviously crucial
(3) How much skill and knowledge do you already have which you would otherwise have to learn and acquire in the course? This will tell you whether or not you need to study the number of hours recommended by the OU or less. Taking just TU100 to start with will help you to answer that. In particular, if you did well at GCSE Maths or have Maths A level (which I have) you will find you need to spend very little time on the Maths. I just went straight to answering the questions in the MU 123 Maths assignments.
(4) Remember that level 2 modules are a lot harder. You may consider that it is worthwhile pushing yourself a bit more as a form of preparation. I have certainly found that my study skills rose in response to the pressure that I put upon myself.
I started off last October doing just TU 100 like most students. I decided to start TM129 and MU 123 when I saw the assignment marks coming in. Despite being "full time" between the beginning of February and end of May, I coped with it very well and I still have very high hopes for a distinction in TU100 and TM129 (they do not award distinctions for discovering mathematics). It was the right decision for me and I have effectively saved myself a year. I will not take that risk for level 2 modules. If you are thinking of taking 120 points a year in level 1, consider the following:
(1) Firstly, consider staggering it as I did. See how well you are coping with TU 100 before deciding to start the other 2 modules in February.
(2) How much time you have available to study is obviously crucial
(3) How much skill and knowledge do you already have which you would otherwise have to learn and acquire in the course? This will tell you whether or not you need to study the number of hours recommended by the OU or less. Taking just TU100 to start with will help you to answer that. In particular, if you did well at GCSE Maths or have Maths A level (which I have) you will find you need to spend very little time on the Maths. I just went straight to answering the questions in the MU 123 Maths assignments.
(4) Remember that level 2 modules are a lot harder. You may consider that it is worthwhile pushing yourself a bit more as a form of preparation. I have certainly found that my study skills rose in response to the pressure that I put upon myself.
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