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The OU’s unique, flexible approach to learning means you can fit study around your job, family, friends and leisure time. Managing your time is a key element in achieving success in your studies. Although OU study gives you flexibility, you will still need to meet assessment deadlines. To be a successful student, you’ll need to plan ahead, be realistic and be flexible. This guide will help you understand more about managing your time as an OU student.
The duration of your course depends on how much time you can spend studying each week.
That’s why it’s important to look at all your commitments and think about how much study time is realistic.
Choosing to study part-time or full-time will affect how many hours you spend on your studies each week.
Part-time study is roughly equivalent to studying at half the rate of a student on a full-time course at a traditional university.
If you want to complete your qualification at the same rate as a student at a traditional university, you can choose to study full-time.
Because OU study is flexible, you don’t have to stick to just part-time or full-time study. You can choose to study more or less each year to suit you.
If you have fewer than 16 hours a week to study, our short courses and microcredentials are a great option.
You’ll only need a few hours a week to study, and they can help you:
Learn more about short courses.
If you’ve already completed some higher education study anywhere, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification, saving you time and money.
Learn more about credit transfer.
Planning your time is the first step to managing your studies effectively.
You could use your study calendar for this by adding the other commitments you have.
Be realistic, you’re not going to be able to study in every spare moment of the day.
There will be times when life gets in the way of study, so it’s important to think about what you’ll be able to commit to on average.
Review this regularly as you go through your studies.
Think about the best time of day for you.
Reflect on whether your study pattern is successful. For example, if you are getting less done in the evenings than you hoped, try something different, perhaps by studying in the early morning.
Remember, you’ll need to study more some weeks than others, so make sure you have room in your schedule to adapt.
I studied when the kids were asleep, lunchtime, train travel, in the car waiting outside for school pick-up, anytime I could squeeze it in. That's the beauty of the OU.
The best thing about my OU study was the self-directed learning and being able to study at times that suited me, around my shift work.
Study doesn't always have to be in large chunks, if you can just squeeze in an hour after work or read something on the train home it all adds up.
One of the best things about the OU is that you can press pause when you need to. I postponed a module while I was on placement, but there were other times throughout my degree when I had the capacity to double up on modules.

Emma studies when the kids are asleep.
Paul fits coursework around his shift pattern.
Heidi listens to Shakespeare in the car.
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Our prospectuses help you choose your course, understand what it's like to be an OU student and register for study.
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