Open University
Milton Keynes
Full time work & Full time degree?
Hello guys, So I am currently In full time work and although it's a decent job, there's no real prospects.. I really want to study, better myself and do something I really want to do! I'm looking to do an honours degree In design, how would I juggle a full time course around work? I've been speaking to advisors etc and they say I need 40 hours a week to study etc, 3 years, or If I want to work so I can pay my bills and what not, to do part time, which will be for 6 years?! mad.. I couldn't.. only option is to give up work? I'm really quite lost on what to do!
Original post by Goldcrest
Hello guys, So I am currently In full time work and although it's a decent job, there's no real prospects.. I really want to study, better myself and do something I really want to do! I'm looking to do an honours degree In design, how would I juggle a full time course around work? I've been speaking to advisors etc and they say I need 40 hours a week to study etc, 3 years, or If I want to work so I can pay my bills and what not, to do part time, which will be for 6 years?! mad.. I couldn't.. only option is to give up work? I'm really quite lost on what to do!
As its on the OU, then you can do it part time.
You are trying to fit a pint into a half pint pot.
You are either serious about your degree or you arent. Virtually all your course mates will be studying full time. How will you compete with that?
Work a few years, save up money and then either do it part time or quit and be a student. You cant really have it both ways.
Open University
Milton Keynes
Six years sounds like a long time, but the time is going to pass one way or another and quite honestly if you choose to study part time, it'll fly by.
My advice is always the same: start at part time pace and see how you go, then up the pace if you find you can cope with it without compromising your study (and your life). Personally, I found doing more than 60 credits a year on top of full time work to be unmanageable, but I know people who have done it (it was a slog, though). What you don't want to do is overwhelm yourself and do badly/go off the whole thing.
I especially think that if you'll be doing the design and innovation modules. With some subjects I would say that the OU's time estimates are rather generous, and that you can do well in considerably less time (especially at level 1, say). But with the design ones, there's a LOT of practical stuff to do. I definitely couldn't have sat down and done the assignments in a couple of days, which is sometimes not impossible with other subjects.
Having a solid job as a foundation to build from is a great position to be in - you can maintain a work history so you come out with that on your CV as well as a degree, plus you're still getting paid which certainly makes life easier. So, if it's what you want to do, go for it - but think carefully about the pace, and don't overdo it.
My advice is always the same: start at part time pace and see how you go, then up the pace if you find you can cope with it without compromising your study (and your life). Personally, I found doing more than 60 credits a year on top of full time work to be unmanageable, but I know people who have done it (it was a slog, though). What you don't want to do is overwhelm yourself and do badly/go off the whole thing.
I especially think that if you'll be doing the design and innovation modules. With some subjects I would say that the OU's time estimates are rather generous, and that you can do well in considerably less time (especially at level 1, say). But with the design ones, there's a LOT of practical stuff to do. I definitely couldn't have sat down and done the assignments in a couple of days, which is sometimes not impossible with other subjects.
Having a solid job as a foundation to build from is a great position to be in - you can maintain a work history so you come out with that on your CV as well as a degree, plus you're still getting paid which certainly makes life easier. So, if it's what you want to do, go for it - but think carefully about the pace, and don't overdo it.
Original post by Goldcrest
Hello guys, So I am currently In full time work and although it's a decent job, there's no real prospects.. I really want to study, better myself and do something I really want to do! I'm looking to do an honours degree In design, how would I juggle a full time course around work? I've been speaking to advisors etc and they say I need 40 hours a week to study etc, 3 years, or If I want to work so I can pay my bills and what not, to do part time, which will be for 6 years?! mad.. I couldn't.. only option is to give up work? I'm really quite lost on what to do!
I'd actually consider doing it the other way around and starting full time and dropping to part time in later years. It is only years 2 and 3 that count towards your degree classification and year 3 doubly so. First year is introduction to studying and the subject so I would do that full time and see how you handle it and then decide about years 2 and 3.
I studied full time for a while on second year modules with 4 causal jobs, it was really tough. I ran out of money so took up full time work and studied 90 credits two years running to finish my degree quicker. It was horribly difficult and I had zero spare time and no time to even be ill but I managed.
I'm doing both a degree full time with OU and working from October.
When I looked at my course at a brick uni the study contact was 10 hours a week for the full time degree. OU were suggesting that I needed to dedicate 36 hours a week to study for the exact same degree. Having spoken with previous students I'm confident I can study the full time course while working. I'm planning 10 hours every weekend plus an additional 10 hours through the week in the evenings.
If it doesn't work for the 1st year it won't matter too much as I can drop back to part time study through years 2 and 3. Im a mature student and running out of time to sort my career so I need to do this in 3 years rather than 6.
If you are very well organised and can dedicate the time to study then you can both study and work.
When I looked at my course at a brick uni the study contact was 10 hours a week for the full time degree. OU were suggesting that I needed to dedicate 36 hours a week to study for the exact same degree. Having spoken with previous students I'm confident I can study the full time course while working. I'm planning 10 hours every weekend plus an additional 10 hours through the week in the evenings.
If it doesn't work for the 1st year it won't matter too much as I can drop back to part time study through years 2 and 3. Im a mature student and running out of time to sort my career so I need to do this in 3 years rather than 6.
If you are very well organised and can dedicate the time to study then you can both study and work.
Original post by MadamePompadour
When I looked at my course at a brick uni the study contact was 10 hours a week for the full time degree. OU were suggesting that I needed to dedicate 36 hours a week to study for the exact same degree..
When I looked at my course at a brick uni the study contact was 10 hours a week for the full time degree. OU were suggesting that I needed to dedicate 36 hours a week to study for the exact same degree..
This isn't really a fair comparison, though, because in a brick uni, contact hours only make up part of the time you're expected to put towards your study - there would be an expectation that you'd be spending a significant amount of time studying outside this, too. There's a fairly standard formula across the sector that 1 credit = about 10 hours of study time.
I don't disagree that in practice, it's often possible to do less, especially at the lower levels, with some subjects. (As indeed would be true of the independent work in a brick uni.)
I did (am doing) Level 1 within 1 year, however I spread the start times, one in October and one in February. This meant that I didn't have two EMAs or Exams at the same time period, and only had two assignments due within a week of teacher other. However, the February start ones were easier as they were the first two, so relieved the stress slightly.
If it is an absolute necessity to achieve the degree within 3 years, or you aren't too bothered about the grade and just need/want a degree, then yes, do the degree within 3 years. However, after doing Level 1 within one year, even spread out I am getting fatigued and know for sure that I am not going to do Levels 2 or 3 full-time.
On the other hand, if you wanted to cut a year off the degree (5 years instead of 6) then you could most definitely do Level 1 in one year, as it doesn't;t count towards your grade. That's what I did, and it has worked, but it is challenging.
I know for sure that I would have to really sacrifice my social life if I did Levels 2 & 3 full-time. Whereas full-time working, part-time studying allows for some sort of social life.
I hope this helps.
If it is an absolute necessity to achieve the degree within 3 years, or you aren't too bothered about the grade and just need/want a degree, then yes, do the degree within 3 years. However, after doing Level 1 within one year, even spread out I am getting fatigued and know for sure that I am not going to do Levels 2 or 3 full-time.
On the other hand, if you wanted to cut a year off the degree (5 years instead of 6) then you could most definitely do Level 1 in one year, as it doesn't;t count towards your grade. That's what I did, and it has worked, but it is challenging.
I know for sure that I would have to really sacrifice my social life if I did Levels 2 & 3 full-time. Whereas full-time working, part-time studying allows for some sort of social life.
I hope this helps.
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