In this group you'll find a collection of aspiring student and alumni stories. If you want to share your journey with us, or feel you have an acheivement to shout about to help motivate others, email ou-stories@open.ac.uk
Learning to cope with OCD: psychology student shares her story
“Studying seems pointless when you think you’re dying of a terrible illness,” says OU student Ailsa Roddie. She’s working towards a psychology degree, in part to pursue a career in the field, and to help cope with the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and hypochondriasis she was diagnosed with as a child.
“I was diagnosed with OCD and hypochondriasis – an OCD spectrum disorder – at the age of five or six-years-old. At its peak, I used to stay up all night washing my hands, I refused to eat because I was afraid of being poisoned and I avoided ever swallowing because I was afraid of germs.”
“I experience more distressing symptoms episodically, maybe every couple of years, and these symptoms have evolved over time. True to my hypochondriasis, though, a few days or weeks after hearing about an illness in the media I may start to notice symptoms and become convinced that I have it. The unfortunate thing is that extreme anxiety actually produces real symptoms to the extent that the doctor is compelled to take me seriously.
Distorted thinking
“I may also be troubled by ‘intrusive thoughts’. For example, if I go into a shop I may become terrified that I will shoplift and be unable to get the idea out of my mind, although this is not something I have ever done or would want to do. After I have paid, I still worry that there is something in the bag that I forgot to pay for and I half expect that security will appear and accuse me.
“If this kind of distorted thinking goes unchecked, and I am constantly worried about being terminally ill or guilty of a crime I might somehow have unwittingly committed, extreme anxiety becomes depression.”
'The idea of studying psychology was a direct result of my recent experiences with OCD. When I was experiencing a lot of difficulty, researching OCD and depression helped me to understand what was really going on and find ways to cope with it'
Ailsa, who’s in her early 20s and lives in Edinburgh, is studying towards a psychology degree with the OU, currently doing DSE212 Exploring psychology. She values the flexibility the OU offers, allowing her to cope with her illness, volunteer and follow her passion for theatre as well as working towards a future career clinical psychology, at her own pace.
“This course is a way for me to test my interest and aptitude. It is also the first step towards a degree that would make me eligible for the Graduate Basis Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, which I would need to go on to study clinical psychology.”
Ailsa already has a BA in Economics and Theatre Arts from Cornell University, and is studying psychology part-time at the OU while also volunteering. The subject is helping her learn more about mental illness and how the brain works, but it can sometimes be an additional cause of anxiety.
“The idea of studying psychology was a direct result of my recent experiences with OCD. When I was experiencing a lot of difficulty, researching OCD and depression helped me to understand what was really going on and find ways to cope with it. It also turned out to be fascinating and in turn opened the door to other areas of abnormal psychology, which lead me to start reading about psychology in general.
Fear and focus
"Having said that, there is a surprising amount of overlap with my previous studies in economics and theatre, and I have always had an interest in the psychological aspects of these, for example, in behavioural economics and in the performance of identity.
“In a period of high anxiety, concentrating is difficult. Studying seems pointless when you think you are dying of a terrible illness, and it is difficult to focus on anything other than this fear. I now realise that it is more effective to take a step back and do whatever is necessary to feel well before trying to tackle studying sometimes. Spending time on it without getting anywhere is not only pointless but generates further anxiety.
“Another problem is that I find it difficult to read about illnesses of the brain, which are useful for understanding how the brain works and figure significantly in the course. I suppose this is not unlike the famous ‘medical student syndrome’ and I hope that with exposure it will pass. Exposure is a very useful tool in dealing with OCD.”
'It's inspiring to be around people who take their individual challenges in their stride and just don’t let anything stop them'
The OU offers support to students with disabilities and Ailsa has been up front about her diagnosis.
“I decided to declare OCD as a disability because I had to take a break from previous studies as a result of it and thought that maybe if I had been open about what problems I was having sooner, there might have been another way forward.
“The OU got in touch with me to clarify what they could do to accommodate me. I suggested that if a period of high anxiety were to cause me to fall behind I might receive help to catch up. The lady I spoke to, who was unbelievably kind and understanding, suggested that my tutor could take the initiative to get in touch with me if there appeared to be a problem and I agreed.”
Aside from studying, Ailsa volunteers to help get an insight into psychology careers and finds it “inspiring to be around people who take their individual challenges in their stride and just don’t let anything stop them”. She also blogs.
An honest approach
“I have created blog templates in the past but I never got around to actually updating them so my blog about mental illness is really my first. It definitely helps to focus my mind. If something is bothering me, I find it is easier to carry on with what I need to do once I have figured out exactly what it is, typed it up and sent it off into the ether.
"It has other functions too. For one, deciding to be honest about my experiences is my way of trying to let go of the shame that I carry with them. Secondly, it helps me to keep track of how I am thinking, which can change quite dramatically depending on whether I am anxious about something or not, and learn from it.”
Find out more:
- Study with the OU – Psychology
- Read Ailsa’s blog, It’s Psychosomatic
- Support for students with disabilities
“Studying seems pointless when you think you’re dying of a terrible illness,” says OU student Ailsa Roddie. She’s working towards a psychology degree, in part to pursue a career in the field, and to help cope with the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and hypochondriasis she was diagnosed with as a child. “I was diagnosed with OCD and hypochondriasis – ...
Psychology degree to published author with a little help from the OU
Why I chose to study with The Open University (OU)
I always regretted not being able to stay on for higher education after school, instead I ended up getting a job in a bank. It was years later when I was a house wife with two young children that The Open University adverts that I had seen in local media attracted me to send off for a prospectus.
I chose the OU as I am registered disabled, and I wanted to work at my own pace, fairly flexibly and to fit my studies in with my own personal circumstances. I also thought that the fees were reasonable, and the way the prospectus described the different levels and paths of subjects you could take to eventually achieve your goal, was easy and accessible.
Getting advice and support to study
The one thing that worried me was whether the demands the studying needed outweigh my own personal limits. I looked at the higher levels to see if it was a necessity to attend a residential school, as I knew that it would be inappropriate for my personal circumstances, although when I read the reviews I regretted that I would not be able to attend. My worries were not necessary as there was alternative learning experience (ALE) program in place, and I also read with interest the support that the OU was able to give to disabled students.
I was taken back with the friendly response, motivation and eagerness of the disability department to come out and visit me to talk about my personal requirements. I was very apprehensive, but was soon put at ease by the gentleman who visited me, and his advice was so valuable, I was also fortunate to receive financial help as well as an adaptation in my learning and studies to help suit my needs.
Successful studying
Initially I studied Understanding Health and Social Care (K100) as I was always interested in helping others and at one stage had wanted to work with the elderly or children. I realised that if I was to commit myself to study I wanted to achieve a significant goal such as a degree. I was able to work out that in my first course in Health and Social Care I could gain a Certificate after the first level which would be an achievement in itself, and if I wanted to continue I could count the level towards a degree.
As I could not attend tutorials the OU arranged telephone contact, from my tutors, and I was even told that I was eligible for a home exam. The Invigilator was a very kind and professional lady who I nicknamed in my head ‘The Sergeant Major” as we had to synchronise watches after her first visit. I should not have worried as in my very first course I managed to achieve a distinction, and was so proud of my achievement. This also spurred me on to enroll in the next course towards a degree.
A degree in psychology to focus on long-term writing ambitions
I decided to pursue psychology, as my son had dyslexia, and I had suffered from mental health problems and wanted to learn more about them. I was also trying to work hard on my book that was a true account of my past called ‘A Fine Line A Balance to Survive by Lisa WB'. I had suffered from extreme child abuse and was interested in learning more about psychology to not only improve my expertise but to also help with my writing.
As I studied with the OU my confidence increased, and each time I had to study a new course, I initially worried about whether the new tutor would understand that I couldn’t attend tutorials and be empathetic towards my needs as my illness is unpredictable. At some stages I would be unable to study for a few days or even weeks. I tried to combat this by working as hard as I could when able to keep ahead in case I was ill.
Once again I am still astonished at the response by the Open University staff, all my tutors were very friendly, understanding and supported my needs. At the ALE they even let me promote my book in one of the forums at the end of the course.
It was in December 2011 that I received my results and I was fortunate to have achieved a 1.1 First Class (Honours) Degree in Psychology.
I will always be grateful to the Open University, as I believe it was because of the University’s willingness to support my disability and the way they helped me manage my studies I was able to achieve what I did. One of the tutors even endorsed my book when it was published.
I was so sad when I took my final exam as I felt I was leaving a friend behind, although, through the Open University I have made many new friends.
Becoming a published author
The University helped me with my confidence to finish my book: A fine line, which has been praised by The British Psychology Society, and the ebook has been a best seller in many categories for over a year.
I am now writing a sequel called The Survival, and am hoping to include some of the expertise learnt from my psychology degree.
I hope if other people are thinking about studying, they give the Open University a chance, as it has been one of the best experiences in my life.
Find out more:
Lisa Whenham-Bossy chose to study with the Open University as she is registered disabled. She believes the support she received from the OU during her time as a student, enabled her to ‘spread her wings’ and achieve not only a First Class (Honours) Degree in Psychology, but go on to become a published author. Why I chose to study with The Open University (OU) I ...
OU psychology graduate gets MBE for services to children and families
It was a double accolade for Clive Cumming and his wife Sharon, from Bristol, who were both named MBEs in the New Year’s Honours list, having fostered 150 children over 35 years.
Clive graduated from the Open University in 2000 with a BA (Hons) in Psychology and says his OU studies helped him both in his job as a commercial manager with the Ministry of Defence and as a foster parent.
He said of his OU degree: “Aside from giving me a better understanding of human behaviour (particularly useful during commercial negotiations!) the main benefit has been in relation to the fostering work which my wife and I undertake.
“Many of the young people who come into our care have experienced emotional trauma in their early life. An understanding of how this affects their subsequent development helps us to understand behaviour which they may present whilst in our care.”
Clive started his OU student journey in 1993 with a social science foundation course and progressed with further studies to achieve graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
He said he and his wife Sharon were delighted to be appointed MBEs and think of it as a reward and recognition for the good work that all foster carers do.
For more information read this story in the Bristol Evening Post.
An OU graduate has been awarded an MBE for his services to children and families – and says his psychology degree helped him get there. It was a double accolade for Clive Cumming and his wife Sharon, from Bristol, who were both named MBEs in the New Year’s Honours list, having fostered 150 children over 35 years. Clive graduated from the Open University in 2000 ...
OU's Dr Basiro Davey recognised in New Year's Honours list
Basiro joined the OU in 1976 after completing a Doctorate in Tumour Immunology. She pioneered the development of the Health Sciences curriculum at the OU, including the multidisciplinary U205 Health and disease, S320 Infectious disease and most recently, SDK125 Introducing health sciences.
She was Health Sciences Awards Director for several years until 2009, leading the development of the OU’s undergraduate and postgraduate modules and awards in this interdisciplinary area.
In her long OU career she has produced hundreds of multi-media educational materials for distance-learning modules in many areas of public health, including immunology, epidemiology, communicable diseases, sexually transmitted infections and cancers.
Basiro is an expert in distance learning pedagogy, recognised by an OU Teaching Award in 2010. From 2009 to 2011, she was seconded to the OU’s Health Education and Training (HEAT) programme for Africa, as its Deputy Director (Ethiopia), developing training materials and leading intensive curriculum design and writing workshops with 57 Ethiopian health experts and around a dozen OU colleagues.
Together they produced 13 HEAT modules, which are already being studied by over 1,000 of Ethiopia’s rural Health Extension Workers, on key areas of health promotion and disease prevention, including antenatal care, labour and delivery, environmental health, family planning, nutrition, immunization, communicable and non-communicable diseases and mental health. In 2012 another 5,000 Ethiopian students will study these modules, with further cohorts of 3,000 expected annually thereafter.
Find out more:
Dr Basiro Davey
Dr Basiro Davey from the Open University's Faculty of Science has been made an MBE in the New Year's Honours list for services to health and higher education. Basiro joined the OU in 1976 after completing a Doctorate in Tumour Immunology. She pioneered the development of the Health Sciences curriculum at the OU, including the multidisciplinary U205 Health and disease, S320 ...
Vic Finkelstein disability pioneer dies
Born in South Africa his experience of apartheid, including being jailed as a political prisoner, influenced his thinking about how society treats disabled people.
Vic Finkelstein was disabled after a pole-vaulting accident as a teenager, later travelling to Britain for treatment and winning a swimming medal for South Africa at the Stoke Mandeville Games.
Back in South Africa and while at university he became involved with the anti-apartheid movement in 1964 supporting Bram Fischer, Nelson Mandela’s trial lawyer who had gone underground.
In 1966 Finkelstein was sentenced to 18 months hard labour, reduced to three months being ‘a cripple’.
In 1968 he fled to Britain and helped found with Paul Hunt the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) which argued that oppression by society was the biggest issue for disabled people.
UPIAS focussed on changing what it called ‘the disabling society’.
Through UPIAS and in the 1970s the television programme Link, Finkelstein helped change the way society thought about disability. In 1981 he campaigned for the exclusion of the South African team taking part in the Stoke Mandeville games for disabled people.
He also helped set up the British Council of Organisations of Disabled People and the London Disability Arts Forum leading to the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive.
He was an NHS psychologist before joining The Open University in the 1980s as course chair of The Handicapped Person in the Community the world’s first course in disability studies.
He retired from the OU in 1996 becoming a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at Leeds University.
Joanna Bornat, Emeritus Professor of Oral History OU Faculty of Health and Social Care remembered his OU valedictory lecture.
“I don’t think many people at the OU now will know that we had a giant of the disability rights movement in our midst.
She said with other disabled people Vic developed the idea that disability might be the creation of the society in which disabled people lived rather than impairment. That led to a movement that brought changes all of us benefit from now including access into buildings and transport and disabled voices in media and arts changing society for the better.
“Many if not most disabled people would argue there is much left to be done, but without Vic’s theorising and his steadfast non-compromising position, those changes might never have happened,” she said.
Joanna said Vic spoke about being a prisoner in South Africa. In jail he was given a bed instead of a mat on the floor and had ‘helpers’ to get him round the prison.
“His conclusion was that when necessary the state could make things accessible.
“He was given a five year banning order but said that made no difference to him as he was unable to do any of the things he was banned from doing,” she said.
Another OU colleague, Jan Walmsley, Visiting Professor in the History of Learning Disabilities told the Disability Law Service website that Finkelstein had an enormously powerful influence on the way the OU taught and continues to teach in health and social care.
She said he put the OU at the forefront of teaching and thinking about disability.
“As a colleague he was enormously generous to me, encouraging me in every conceivable way to develop my ideas, writing and research,” she said.
Vic Finkelstein died at Stoke Mandeville on November 30. A funeral service was held last week.
Vic Finkelstein, a ‘giant’ of the disability movement and credited with putting The Open University at the forefront of teaching and thinking about disability has died aged 73. Born in South Africa his experience of apartheid, including being jailed as a political prisoner, influenced his thinking about how society treats disabled people. Vic Finkelstein was ...
Nicola's career in the land of Frozen Planet
In one sentence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or FCO, promotes UK interests overseas. This includes supporting UK citizens and businesses around the world. We do a huge variety of work – from helping distressed British nationals overseas, to representing the UK at the Arctic Council.
My current role is Desk Officer Antarctica in the Polar Regions Unit, but sadly I probably won’t get to visit!. This is a generalist position which involves helping administer the British Antarctic Territory and dealing with wider Antarctic issues. I previously worked in our Libya Crisis Unit, Policy Unit and Africa Directorate in London. I’ve been on short trips to Africa and China, and was also lucky enough to spend 18 months working overseas at our Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia.
I did BA (Hons) Humanities including a mix of arts and business courses (AD317, AAZX300, A213 and B200). Studying with the OU requires self-discipline and commitment, both of which are very attractive to employers. The European studies and comparative religion courses provided a lot of factual knowledge which I’ve found useful. Studying such a wide range of subjects also prepared me well for the multi-skilled jobs I’ve had so far in the FCO. But most importantly I think the OU approaches subjects in quite an innovative way and that has rubbed off on the way I approach problems. Creative thinking is valued in the FCO and the OU is very good at teaching it.
Yes, I spend about half of my time working out of our Embassy in Dublin as my partner is currently based in Ireland. I borrow a computer and redirect my phone line from London. Flexible working is encouraged in the FCO but it isn’t an automatic entitlement or right, so when I applied for the role in the Polar Regions Unit I also included a letter explaining how the job could be done remotely, at least some of the time. I used my Open University degree as an example of how I can work without close supervision. Fortunately my team were willing to give it a go, and the Embassy in Dublin has been very welcoming and accommodating too.
Frozen Planet offers a rare insight into the stunning polar regions and we hope it inspires viewers to learn more about the UK’s interests and activities in the Arctic and Antarctic. The UK has a very long and impressive history of polar science and exploration, which continues today. You might know about the tragic outcome of Captain Scott’s ill-fated trip to the South Pole one hundred years ago, but did you know that he also recorded scientific data that is still used today? Measurements from Scott’s expedition helped British Antarctic Survey scientists discover the hole in the Ozone in the 1980s.
One of the more unusual ways we have collaborated with the Frozen Planet team is to produce a set of stamps for the British Antarctic Territory, which is administered by the Polar Regions Unit. I really hope they’re a success as we reinvest most of the revenue into projects to protect and promote the Territory!
Find out more
- OU course S175: The Frozen Planet
- OU on the BBC: Frozen Planet
- FCO polar regions
- British antarctic territory
- Discovering the arctic
- Discovering antarctica
Nicola Awford OU alumna, works for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Polar Regions Unit. Find out more about her job, how the OU has influenced her work and how her role relates to the current OU/BBC production of Frozen Planet. Can you tell us what the Foreign and Commonwealth office do? In one sentence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or ...
Are student fees influencing your decision to go to university?
Age: 27
Location: Welwyn Garden City
Are you planning to go to university/signed up for a course?
I am thinking about signing up for a course in Natural Sciences, maybe working towards a masters or some form of degree. I had wanted to go to university when I left school, but was a bit intimidated by the fees involved, I wasn't quite so financially aware.
Has news of the new student fees/loan system (starting in 2012) affected your decision whether to go to university?
The changes in the fees/loans system doesn't stop me wanting to undertake a university course, so no it hasn't affected my choice to go to university or whether to study full/part-time courses. What will affect my ultimate decision will be whether I can realistically fit studying and paying the fees into my life, because like most of us I have responsibilities and bills to pay. If I can afford to pay for it and find enough time to study then I would 'go for it' regardless.
Age: 34
Location: Luton
Somewhat equivalent. Had my education abroad.
Are you planning to go to university/signed up for a course?
I have signed up for a BSc (Honours) Natural Science (Physics) degree with the Open University, starting January.
The financial support offered by The Open University and the flexibility of modular study were the main contributors, enabling me to return to my studies in adult life. I had looked at full-time and part-time courses at other universities, and even though the new 2012 student fee/loan system does appear to make it more accessible, it is still very difficult for adult students with family commitments.
Useful links
Today (14 November 2011) is Student Finance Day. With student fees and loans high on the agenda for those considering university, Platform caught up with some prospective students via Twitter to find out how fees have influenced their decision making so far... Name: Mrs Claire Siciliano Age: 27 Location: Welwyn Garden City Have you got A Levels or ...
Military director on OU MA and life in the Navy
Platform caught up with Mike at the Manchester degree ceremony to find out how his studies helped him advance his career and why he would recommend OU study to anyone in the military.
At what age did you leave school? Did you go straight into the navy and was this what you always wanted to do?
I left school at 18 after my ‘A’ levels which didn’t go very well. In fact my results were F, O, E (because of that my Dad commented that I was my own worst enemy!). I then went and worked for the health service as a Blood Technician but I knew really always wanted to join the military and that it was the Navy I wanted to join as it offered the best opportunities to travel. I started as an apprentice when I was nineteen. I always thought any military career would suit me as my dad was in the forces and I was already used to the lifestyle.
Did you travel round with him as a family when you were younger?
Yes. I don’t know how many schools I went to but we just travelled and travelled: Australia, Germany, Holland, all kinds of places.
You have had an incredible career….. Can you talk us through the roles you have had? How have you progressed?
When I joined the navy I joined as engineering technician (weapons engineering artificer), looking after bits of equipment, modifying them and making sure the ship was ready to fight. I got a bit bored of fixing things so I became an Operations Officer or Warfare Officer as it is known in the Royal Navy. They drive the ship and look after the navigation, weapons and radar systems and actually conduct the operations and fight the ship on behalf of the Captain. I’ve followed a pretty standard naval warfare officer career since then.
We look at the big plan for the operations in Libya (i.e. the military plan) and make sure the organisations and headquarters beneath us are following their own published plans. We guide, control and reset anything that is not going right or according to the commander’s direction and priorities. It’s a big job, and mainly a co-ordination role. It involves looking at where we are in the campaign and how the plans and priorities need to change and how we communicate that to the subordinate Head Quarters. When we say a subordinate that is not meant in any derogatory way it’s just how we work in the military, using a hierarchical system.
You have done a lot of study whilst in the Navy and have just achieved your MA (EPS) (Open) – congratulations! …
Where did you exams take place and how did you manage assignments and sitting exams?
That’s a big question. Most of it, the work and assignments, was done initially at sea. I was very lucky as quite often I was able to get back for my exams, which is not always the case for personnel on deployments. At sea I didn’t find it that difficult because do you have your own space and quiet time and in many ways you need a distraction. Even though you’re really busy working long days, occasionally you need some “me” time and my study became the thing I did for myself. The most difficult time was when we went to war (Gulf war II in 2003). Due to the intensity of the operation it was often hard to find the time to study and complete assignments, or to benefit from interaction with students and tutors on the OU module forum. Also, I was on an American ship so getting assignments back on time was difficult but the OU have always been very flexible.
So I didn’t find it difficult, but it was rather inconvenient at times. I really respect people who are at home with their families and have to do it alongside the pressures family life can bring. As I wasn’t distracted by other things that needed doing at home it was probably easier for me than for most OU students.
Did you have to do any exams whilst you were on the ships?
I did a many of my assignments at sea but most exams I came ashore for at British Forces education centres. I did do a couple of exams when I was posted to Canada and the OU made arrangements for me to sit them locally. I just want to advertise to any British Forces members out there that it’s really good the way the OU works with the Armed forces. The OU staff in the West Midlands region have always been flexible and willing to find a solution that made the exam arrangements fit my unusual circumstances.
Mike talks about how his MA will help him with his career:
Mike McGuire, previously Director, Current Operations Watch at NATO HQ (Operation Unified Protector) has 24 years experience in the Royal Navy. He recently gained his MA in Environment, Policy and Society with the OU and achieved a BA with the OU. Platform caught up with Mike at the Manchester degree ceremony to find out how his ...
Joe Pasquale: OU is my midlife crisis
It was after winning I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here back in 2004 that Joe considered studying with the OU. “After doing I’m a Celeb I realised there was so much more for me to learn. I learned to fly, how to box, ran a marathon and had always been thinking about doing a degree with the OU.
Why the OU? “Well, it’s the only choice for someone like me, there’s nothing else out there like it.”
After thinking on it for years - worried he’d fail, was too old for study, he’d make a fool of himself etc - it was the actor Brain Blessed who told him to get his act together and register.
“We share a love for geology and architecture and I told him I wanted to do an OU degree but wasn’t sure I was cut out for it, that I might be too old. He told me I was a mere child compared to him and should absolutely do it – although he used stronger language than that - so I did.”
Joe chatted to Platform, the Open University’s community website, after popping into the OU’s regional office open day in East Grinstead, to talk through his options for his Natural Sciences degree.
The best thing about the OU? “The quality of the materials, they’re just excellent, but to be honest I don’t have anything bad to say about the OU. Maybe I’d like more time with my tutor because I’m always apologising for ringing him up so often with questions, but he’s only too happy to help.
“I love the tutorials and was surprised to see people even older than me there. I’ve learned more in the last year with the OU than I have in my previous 49 years and I really mean that; it’s just so rewarding.”
Joe’s experience with the OU is a far cry from his school days. Knocked down by a car when he was 13 and with a year off school, Joe missed out on choosing his best subjects and had to put up with what was left, “HE and crap like that.” He didn’t enjoy it and didn’t do well.
“Now I’m always putting my hand up to answer questions in tutorials,” he said. “And I never did that in school, I had no confidence. And I’m always telling my wife not to throw out my science experiments. Don’t throw out the mouldy soup, it’s a science experiment! Don’t throw out the jam jar of mud from the garden, that’s my science experiment!”
Joe, who turned 50 this year and lives in Rochester, fits study around his family life and while he’s on tour. “For me, there are less distractions while I’m on tour; my manager drives the car and I sit in the back and do my homework and I get some time before I go on stage. At home, there are more distractions – family, dogs, parrots, but I make sure I put the hours in because I want to get it right. I try and stay a month ahead if I can.”
His tips for anyone considering OU come from lessons he's learned the hard way: “Back up your work on the computer, I’ve been caught out a couple of times that way. And choose a subject you enjoy, I read the course reviews on the website first, and also stick to your study calendar. Schedule your time and stick to it.”
And while he takes the studying very seriously, for him it’s an extension to a so-far fun-packed career – comedy tours, I’m a Celeb, Celebrity Mastermind, Celebrity Total Wipeout, Children’s Royal Variety Performances and more.
Joe’s also studying to enhance his career, hoping to teach geology on TV. “If Baldrick (Tony Robinson) can do it, then hopefully so can I. I want to present science programmes but I want to do it properly, to be taken seriously, and have the knowledge behind me, which is why I’m doing this degree. I’d like to do a PhD with the OU… become a Dr Pasquale one day.
“I’ve also learned confidence while I’ve been studying with the OU,” he says. “I’m not scared of anything anymore.”
Joe’s already completed S104 and is now doing S186 with his eye firmly on a BSc degree. “I like the look of the frozen planet course and the one on diabetes as my daughter has diabetes.” And he hopes to complete his Natural Sciences degree by 2014.
“When most men have a midlife crisis they go for younger women and motorbikes, I went for a BSc with The Open University,” says comedian and OU student Joe Pasquale. It was after winning I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here back in 2004 that Joe considered studying with the OU. “After doing I’m a Celeb I realised there was so much more for me to ...
Graduating at Portsmouth Guildhall: students tell their stories to camera
Nicky Elmes, who, thanks to her OU studies, is now a social worker in a job she's hugely passionate about..
Nikki Worsdell, a bank branch manager who wanted a change of career and is now a primary school teacher...
Marie Vistartas, from Milton Keynes, wants to use her first class degree to get a job with the OU helping other disabled students to "get out there and get a degree"...
Suzi Hoskins started as a school volunteer, looking after the pond, and is now a primary school teacher thanks to her studies...
Ericka Richards-Morrison shared her 40th birthday with the OU and is planning a career in social policy...
Tony Bateman loved the flexibility of OU study as his engineering job often takes him abroad...
Christopher Lister, who grew up in children's homes and confessed to barely attending school as a child, now has a history degree and plans to become a teacher to "give something back"...
Basil Mompati Molefe, a qualified nurse from South Africa, studied politics...
Portsmouth Guildhall was the backdrop for hundreds of graduates attending an OU degree ceremony on 10 September 2011 and some members of the Platform team were there to capture some of their stories on camera, including... Nicky Elmes, who, thanks to her OU studies, is now a social worker in a job she's hugely passionate about.. Nikki Worsdell, a ...
OU delivers first graduates of Youth Justice Foundation Degree
“I’ve got an interest in working with young people in trouble. I’ve not had a privileged life growing up and I’d love to work with the sort of children I grew up with. I have a lot of young people around me who look up to me and listen to me, so maybe I can help them and work with them,” she told Platform just moments after graduating at The Barbican, London, in September - one of the OU’s first Youth Justice graduates.
Open University degree ceremonies in London and Manchester in 2011 award the first graduates of this programme with their degrees – and Nicolle hopes to use it to do work in her local community, helping young people create opportunities for themselves.
“I didn’t realise I was one of the first to complete this course but I’m very proud of myself,” she said. “It was hard work and I’m overwhelmed and relieved to get here.”
Last year a quarter of million children were arrested, including over 22,000 aged 10 to 13 and the recent eruptions of looting, arson and disorder have resulted in the prosecution of children as young as 11.
The Open University, in partnership with the Youth Justice Board, has spent the last five years developing a Foundation Degree to address these questions and equip the people who work with children and young people in the youth justice system with the knowledge and skills to do so more effectively and creatively.
Students will have completed four modules, each involving 32 weeks of study that has to be combined with, and draw from, their work with children and young people in trouble with the law; Nicolle volunteered at a young offenders’ institution.
Working with young children at the moment, Nicolle found the course enjoyable, covering topics like crime, youth crime and law, and which complement the legal secretarial courses and early years foundation courses she’s already completed.
Rod Earle, an ex-youth justice practitioner himself and Lead Academic for youth justice in the OU’s Faculty of Health and Social Care, says: “These students are likely to work with some of the most difficult and challenging young people in our society. They have to combine their care and concern for children’s welfare and rights with conflicting demands for their punishment.
“Working in and around the youth justice system is not easy. It is a complex area of practice in which research and knowledge about young people’s offending behaviour has grown enormously over the last 10 years.”
Nicolle Gordon has just graduated with a Foundation Degree in Youth Justice with the Open University - one of the first graduates of this programme - and will plough her newfound knowledge into helping young people in her own community. “I’ve got an interest in working with young people in trouble. I’ve not had a privileged life growing up and I’d ...
After marriage and children, the MBA is the best thing to happen to Richard
The MBA has brought a change in direction in the 38-year-old’s professional life from operational leadership; he was Head of Sales and Supply for train company Virgin Trains when he began the course, working towards an engagement and strategic role now.
Now heading up employee engagement and internal communications for London Midland, Richard has found that with an MBA under his belt he is now being head-hunted – though his employers need not worry as he loves his job.
Richard said doing the MBA course equipped him with skills which he could apply to his job from the start: “My confidence has grown and now I'm able to look beyond the immediate future and to what I could do with my career,” he said.
Richard had been to university after leaving school, studying leisure management, but later dropped out. He then turned down an offer of a place at another university.
“I couldn’t afford to get down there so I went out to work,” he said. Early jobs included flipping burgers at McDonald’s and sewing together boiler suits in a factory but says he does not regret the route he took learning later in life.
He praised the support he got from the Open University during six years of study from certificate to his MBA and while working. “I have had the best of both worlds,” he said.
Now with a young family he plans to take a break from study – for the moment. “It's funny, I actually miss the academic learning, but I'm able to complement my experience and apply my years of study to my work,” he added.
Richard graduates at the OU's degree ceremony at The Barbican, London, on Friday 16 September.
For Richard Baker gaining his MBA is the best thing that has ever happened to him after marriage and the news he and his wife were expecting their first child. The MBA has brought a change in direction in the 38-year-old’s professional life from operational leadership; he was Head of Sales and Supply for train company Virgin Trains when he began the course, working ...
On getting an MBA, making study buddies and getting a new job after redundancy...
Pam Williams is looking forward to graduation. Not just because it marks the end of almost four years hard work and personal achievement; It’s also a chance to meet up with her ‘study buddies’.
Without them she says, she would not have made it. They helped through those times every student experiences – when the course gets too much and those thankfully few encounters – like when Pam’s husband was diagnosed with cancer.
“I have made fantastic friends for life,” the 55-year-old told Platform.
“My background was in what was called personnel and now HR. B700 was like a light coming on and I knew I wanted to learn more about business. My tutors advised I change to an MBA and I am very happy I did,” she said.
Pam, from Frimley in Surrey, missed out on higher education. Her father died when she was 16 and her mother had died when she was two, and so thoughts of doing A Levels and university were ditched and she went out to work to support her and her brother.
Secretarial jobs led to personnel and the public sector, then into the property sector as HR advisor, then as UK HR Manager for a Canadian company before becoming Head of HR for a computer games firm. She had gathered professional qualifications on the way.
She was made redundant last October but a HR manager’s role in a Fortune 500 company appeared. Her MBA, started with the games company, was not quite in the bag but Pam already had good results and she got the job.
“I was pleased my MBA had opened the door to a very good company,” she said and having a wider perspective of business helped in her HR role.
Getting it was a challenge. Two years into the course her husband Frederick was diagnosed with cancer and he is now recovering.
Pam said the support she got from him, her family, tutors and fellow students was immense. She also urged any OU student to take advantage of the support network, use their tutors and join local study groups
“You should not learn in a bubble and there are so many ways to keep in touch, particularly Skype. There is always someone on the end of the phone when you need them,” she said.
Pam graduates at the OU's degree ceremony at The Barbican, London, on Friday 16 September.
Pam Williams is looking forward to graduation. Not just because it marks the end of almost four years hard work and personal achievement; It’s also a chance to meet up with her ‘study buddies’. Without them she says, she would not have made it. They helped through those times every student experiences – when the course gets too much and those thankfully few encounters ...
Nursing dream back on track for Annette and Paula
Annette Kemp has dreamed of becoming a nurse since leaving school. At the age of 47 she began the Open University’s Pre-Registration Nursing degree. Now she is in her final year and the dream is becoming reality. Paula Shaw should have trained as a nurse years ago but is now on the way again and studying on an OU course. Here are two women’s stories and their steps, with the OU’s help, towards fulfilling dreams of nursing careers...
When her youngest started school Annette went to work in a local nursing home and in 1993 she saw an advert for clinical team assistants.
“I started work as a healthcare assistant (HCA) in the emergency department at the then Derbyshire Royal Infirmary,” she said.
She completed an NVQ Level 2 within 18 months and enrolled on every relevant in-house course.
“But although I loved studying I lacked confidence. I felt I was not at all academic."
When the assistant practitioner (AP) role was introduced she put herself forward for the AP course completing the OU’s Introduction to Health and Social Care (then K100) and an in-house competency course.
“K100 was hard work but I persuaded myself I could do it if I really put my mind to it. With the support of my husband, manager, family and friends I passed all the K100 assignments with decent grades and found I missed studying when the course ended,” she said.
'Don't leave it too late - just do it!'
When the opportunity came to apply for the OU’s Pre-Registration Programme she was amazed, delighted and terrified when she was accepted.
“I had wanted to become a nurse since I left school,” she said.
But it was not easy. In the first year her husband had a heart attack and in the second he had a heart bypass.
“I was juggling home, work and carer responsibilities. Wonderful support from my manager, work colleagues and the OU has seen me through some challenging times and there has always been someone to turn to for advice and guidance,” said Annette.
Annette has had clinical placements and worked alongside HCAs, APs, nurses and health teams – a fellow student is one of her daughter’s school friends who used to come to the house for tea.
Her advice to others: “Studying can be hard but it’s worthwhile. I really cannot believe how lucky I am to have the opportunity to become a registered nurse – at last I feel I am achieving my potential and that’s a great feeling. Don’t leave it too late – just do it!”
Paula Shaw, of Loughborough, Leicestershire, left school at 16 and went to college to do a BTEC National Diploma in Social Care. She went to work in a private residential home then in a social services home for older people.
With hindsight Paula realises she should have done her nurse training after the BTEC,
In 2003 and while her children were still young she did an OU Openings course to prepare for nurse training at her local university. In the meantime she started work as a relief care assistant for social services then got a full time post as a Band 2 primary healthcare assistant with the district nursing team in the community.
She attended every in-house training course she could and in 2009 got a Band 3 community support worker post. She planned to start nurse training in September 2010 at her local university but funding for secondments was withdrawn.
Course fees paid for
After that disappointment Paula said an assistant practitioner role seemed like a natural progression and she got a Band 4 AP post.
“I also started the OU course An Introduction to Health and Social Care (K101),” she said.
“I was eligible for financial support so my course fees were paid and I received a grant to cover the cost of a laptop. I was excited when a large box of learning materials was delivered.
“I have been surprised how much I enjoy studying – once I got over the fright of looking at all the assignment titles and convincing myself I would never be able to do any of them! I now realise you have to take one step at a time. There is no need to panic,” she said.
With a full-time job and four children life is hectic.
“After work I sort out the kids and with my husband’s support manage to settle down to study from 7pm, sometimes studying on my day off or at the weekend if an assignment is due, but somehow I manage to fit it all in.”
Paula said K101 helped her stand back and think about what she was doing and why. “I now see things from the patient’s perspective and am more sensitive to their needs,” she said.
K101 is part of the OU’s Certificate of Higher Education in Healthcare Practice, part of the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Practice and the first year of the Pre-Registration Nursing Programme by distance learning.
“I am now thinking about what I will study next and what pathway to pursue,” she added.
Annette Kemp has dreamed of becoming a nurse since leaving school. At the age of 47 she began the Open University’s Pre-Registration Nursing degree. Now she is in her final year and the dream is becoming reality. Paula Shaw should have trained as a nurse years ago but is now on the way again and studying on an OU course. Here are two women’s stories and their steps, with the ...
Blind student Tim talks technology, bird watching and guide dogs
Tim Musson works in IT. He's an OU business studies student wanting to expand his career and his personal knowledge; he likes gardening, grows his own veg, supports Nottingham Forest and is a keen bird watcher. He's also blind and lives alone with his guide dog Summer.
A finance risk specialist, Tim started working towards an OU business studies degree in November 2009, sponsored by his employer, Capital One. "Although I've worked for a financial institution for 10 years, without a degree I'd probably say I'm in the minority and felt it would give me a bit more credibility at work. Plus I've noticed for my next module there's a finance block and as I've just moved into the finance department I will be taking full advantage of that!"
Tim's been registered blind since the age of three after contracting a disease which scarred his retinas, and uses a screenreader to access his course materials. "I have access to the Disabled Students Allowance for some equipment to help me and for someone to create an accessible version of tables, charts and pictures from my text books, although that's only been necessary on one module so far. Most OU materials are accessible, which is fantastic, plus I can't highlight enough how good the associate lecturers are; every one of them so far has been extremely helpful and willing to accommodate any requests I have."
What does he like about the OU? "I think it's the feeling of cameraderie that OU students seem to have. As an OU student if you happen to meet aother OU student you have an instant affinity, plus I like the fact it allows me to study very flexibly in my own space, my own time, and provides the support which allows me to do so." Tim's favoured study spot, by the way, is in the garden under the shade of his apple tree.
And what about the down side of OU study? "I guess it's the lack of sense of place. I find this hard to describe but because the average OU stdent doesn't get to see the campus I feel you lack a certain sense of belonging. I've been fortunate in that I've visited the campus in Milton Keynes a couple of times now to do website accessibility testing and I absoloutely loved the place. But a vast majority of students don't get to experience that."
In these two audio interviews, Tim talks to Documentally, firstly about the technology, his OU studies and interests, and secondly about his blog, Blind Bird Watcher, in which he charts his explorations amongst the countryside and recordings of what he finds.
Tim Musson works in IT. He's an OU business studies student wanting to expand his career and his personal knowledge; he likes gardening, grows his own veg, supports Nottingham Forest and is a keen bird watcher. He's also blind and lives alone with his guide dog Summer. Tim was the first person in the country under 18 ever to have a guide dog and, over a decade later, his latest ...
Fancy a career as a fungal taxonomist?
What do people think a fungal taxonomist is?
I suspect people wouldn’t really know. I’m very specialised actually; I work on just a single group of organism: the fungi that form Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (their formal name is the Glomeromycota). These fungi are so specialised that they can’t live without their plant partners. They are essential to plant growth and they assist plants to take nutrients up to the soil. It’s a mutual thing so they get carbohydrates from the plant. But a fungal taxonomist is someone who names and classifies fungi.
What did you study at the OU and what was your experience like as a student?
I did all the foundation courses. I had a Foresters certificate and a few O Levels but that was all my qualifications at the time. The OU gave me the opportunity to do a degree which otherwise would not have been an option.
I did Maths and Science which were terrific and went on with Sciences. I did Electronics but never understood much about it (though I managed to scrape a pass). That got me the basic Bachelor’s degree. It was a very rewarding time, even though it was hard work. I really felt like a pioneer in this new educational experience, and will always be grateful for the opportunity.
I was about to start on my Honours when I met at work an American Scientist (the late Prof. Sande McNabb) who was on sabbatical (a tree pathologist). He was interested in my work on Dutch Elm disease and offered me the opportunity to go to America for four years and study a PhD at Iowa University. However, when I arrived in America, the funding for Dutch Elm disease had run out so I had the opportunity to work in a new area of interest: mycorrhiza.
I discovered most of the fungi I was finding didn’t have proper names (or names at all) and the names given to some of them were ’pre-Linnean’ – that is, they were more or less just described as ‘little yellow spores’ or ‘white spores with a bulb at the base’. I got interested in naming them and separating the different species and it went from there.
There are only three or four who work on taxonomy in the world. I suppose quite a few more describe ‘new species’ by comparing them with anything that already exists but that doesn’t interest me so much as the classification (placing them in a natural order).
Is it all lab based or do you go into the field?
Sometimes I do go into the field and collect, but much of what I do is either through high powered microscopes, or (in cooperation with a colleague in Germany) with DNA analysis. These particular fungi are difficult things to work with. Because they mostly develop underground, they are the sort of things few would know about or see but we are pretty sure that plants would not have evolved from aquatic conditions without the help of these symbiotic fungi. So plants with roots co-evolved with the ancestors of these fungi.
Do you have any advice for OU students hoping for a career in Science?
If you’re looking for fortune, academic science isn’t the place to go but, if you’re looking for a very satisfying life with constant interest Science is the place. Work hard, develop an interest and find something that nobody else is doing, but most of all, throw yourself into it with enthusiasm and a sense of discovery.
Christopher Walker is an OU pioneer, part of the very first intake of OU students in 1971. He studied whilst working as an entomology forester for the Forestry Commission Research Division, and has enjoyed an unusual career as a fungal taxonomist. What do people think a fungal taxonomist is? I suspect people wouldn’t really know. I’m very specialised actually; I ...
Our man in Mauritius has an OU MBA
Nick is the British High Commissioner to Mauritius and admits an MBA is not an obvious qualification for someone in his role.
But, he told the Guardian website’s public leaders’ network, it has given him the confidence to deliver on all aspects of his job while addressing challenges strategically.
“What’s more, studying for an MBA while working, has trained me to tackle a brief fast.
“Murphy’s Law says that whenever I have a deadline is when a crisis hits in the office!
“I have had to plan my delivery carefully, absorb volumes of information, produce concise reports quickly and adapt at speed as situations arise – an MBA is fantastic training for that,” he said.
When Nick Leake says his OU MBA has helped him develop new skills for his job he is being diplomatic – because that is his job. Nick is the British High Commissioner to Mauritius and admits an MBA is not an obvious qualification for someone in his role. But, he told the Guardian website’s public leaders’ network, it has given him the confidence to ...
How the OU changed my life
Rachel Extance, assistant news editor with the Cambridge News, has just graduated from the OU and wanted to share her success with her readers. In a column in the newspaper she works for, she describes how stumbling across the OU changed her life – achieving a degree and meeting her future husband through the OU Students' Association...
“It all started with a book about cheese. I’d moved jobs, was living hundreds of miles away from my friends and was looking for something to do other than work. So my dad sent me a little book called Who Moved My Cheese? about a mouse searching for fulfilment, in the only medium available to a rodent – really good quality Cheddar...
“With the OU, all you need is to take a couple of clicks of your computer mouse, and who knows where your life will lead?”
Read Rachel's full story in the Cambridge News.
Picture credit: Cambridge News
Rachel Extance, assistant news editor with the Cambridge News, has just graduated from the OU and wanted to share her success with her readers. In a column in the newspaper she works for, she describes how stumbling across the OU changed her life – achieving a degree and meeting her future husband through the OU Students' Association... “It all started with ...
Mum to collect Stacy's posthumous degree
“I would really like people to know about the support that the OU gives disabled students, which I have not been able to find anywhere else,” said Stacy Adams, 27, in December 2010.
Stacy had approached the student and alumni magazine, Sesame, to enquire about writing an article that revealed her positive experience of studying with the OU during a seven-year spell in which she was terminally ill. Unfortunately, this was not to be as a couple of months later Stacy died.
Stacy first came to the notice of Dr Lynne Blanchfield, Education Faculty Co-ordinator, in February 2010: “Stacy informed us that she had an ECA deferral in the October but was unsure whether she would live long enough to submit it,” explained Lynne. “Stacy suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic condition that attacks the major organs – particularly the lungs.
“The OU gave dispensation for her to submit her ECA whenever she was able to, but as October drew near it became a matter of great concern that she was simply too ill to do so, even though passing The art of English (E301) module would have given her the degree she had worked so hard for during the previous seven years.
The OU decided to grant Stacy an Aegrotat degree, which is awarded when it is clear that a terminally ill student would have achieved the correct standard had they been able to submit their final assessment.
“Stacy was thrilled to receive the news before Christmas, as she had been so afraid that the last seven years of gruelling study would be ‘wasted’ if she didn’t achieve at least the open degree,” said Lynne.
Stacy’s ultimate ambition of achieving an Honours degree and then Masters was not to be fulfilled, but through a triumph of will, determination, and sheer stubbornness she had made a fantastic achievement.
Tragically, Stacy died peacefully during her sleep on 24 February – the day her degree certificate arrived. Her award will be presented to her mother, Ruth, at the Ely graduation ceremony on 4 June.
“Stacy is a prime example of how the OU can help someone achieve the excellence they strive for in life, however short that life might be,” said Lynne. “If Stacy’s story has inspired even one student to keep going, to re-motivate themselves despite difficult circumstances, and to keep focused on their goal, we would be very pleased to hear from you.”
Useful links
“I would really like people to know about the support that the OU gives disabled students, which I have not been able to find anywhere else,” said Stacy Adams, 27, in December 2010. Stacy had approached the student and alumni magazine, Sesame, to enquire about writing an article that revealed her positive experience of studying with the OU during a seven-year spell ...
BBC Radio 1 DJ awarded OU honorary degree
Cardiff-born BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens was recognised for his "exceptional contribution to education and culture" by the Open University at Wales when he was given an honorary degree in Cardiff.
Huw was one of 300 people to receive degrees at the ceremony at St David’s Hall on 7 May 2011.
Professor Trevor Herbert of the OU delivered the citation on behalf of the university, and in presenting the award of Doctor of the University, he said: “Huw Stephens has quickly emerged as one of the world’s most intelligent authorities on British pop music – and certainly its most articulate advocate. The persistent theme in his work is discovery.Discovery of new talent through studious listening and an open-minded approach to the mass of creative outputs he encounters.
“His work shows a commitment to Welsh culture and the place that popular music has in making the very idea of Welsh culture real in the contemporary world, especially to the young.He is a master in his field.”
Huw only returned to the UK the day before the ceremony having spent a week in Kenya with the Action Aid UK charity, seeing some of their work. Accepting his award, and speaking to an audience of over a thousand guests at St David’s Hall, and many more in central Cardiff watching on the local BBC Big Screen, Huw joked that he had to explain to his excited nieces and nephews that he was becoming “Dr Huw not Dr Who”!
In his speech, Huw went on to say: “It is with great pleasure that I accept this honorary degree from the Open University. I became BBC Radio 1's youngest ever DJ when I was 17, much to the bewilderment of my Professor father and my mother, Mam a Dad who are here today, and so I never got the chance to study for a degree as you here today have. And because of that, as you can imagine, I am doubly grateful for this great honour.
“I consider myself lucky in my job, in that I get to hear a lot of great new music from Wales, and the rest of the world, on a daily basis. Being a fan and keen promoter of emerging talent, I know how much hard work and commitment go into creating something, whether that be a song or a gig.
“I firmly believe that music is not only a form of entertainment, but a most vital part of our contemporary culture. I have seen first hand how music can change lives; it can affect emotions, enhance creativity, and promote understanding of various cultures. It can also provide opportunities that can take people on the most remarkable journeys, both geographical and more importantly, personal. Music has done this for me, and it's my absolute pleasure to be able to recognise, nurture and celebrate outstanding talent in others.
“Today is a proud and humbling one for me. Being here in my home city of Cardiff with you who have worked so hard to gain your degrees is an absolute pleasure and honour. I offer all graduates my most heartfelt congratulations.”
Huw Stephens wrote about the OU degree ceremony on Twitter, including posting a photograph of him posing with the Mayor of Cardiff (above) and another in his robes.
Cardiff-born BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens was recognised for his "exceptional contribution to education and culture" by the Open University at Wales when he was given an honorary degree in Cardiff. Huw was one of 300 people to receive degrees at the ceremony at St David’s Hall on 7 May 2011. Professor Trevor Herbert of the OU delivered the citation on ...
