Like millions of others, Paul Conwell struggled at school. He thought he couldn’t achieve anything. And work proved to be just as much of a stumbling block as he was constantly passed over for management roles. Then he discovered the OU and everything changed.
“I found school very difficult, mainly because I have a shorter attention span than most people. So when I left school I tried college, doing a course in pre-nursing. But that wasn’t much better. The teachers just focused on the brighter pupils rather than people who didn’t understand the course or the text.”
So Paul left and joined a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) instead, working in a care home. “I decided I liked it and would stay and develop my skills and try to progress in my career.”
But as the years went by, Paul noticed time and time again he was being passed over for management roles. When he asked why he was told it was because he didn’t have a diploma or degree. Then eight years ago his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter, followed two years later by twin boys. The children developed health problems so he left work to look after them. It was then he decided it was time to get some decent training and get the degree his employers wanted in order for him to progress
“I tried various universities but no one was interested. So then I spoke to someone at the OU and they said they’d try me on a starter course to see if I liked it, if it suited me. It did and I haven’t looked back.”
When Paul’s children recovered, he returned to his job with Care UK as a Support Worker for people with learning disabilities. He’s now been studying with the OU for six years and in May takes his degree. “And they’ve said at work they’ll consider me now for higher management when I get my degree.” Which is fitting as Paul’s degree is in Care Management. So his studies and working life complement each other.
“The OU has been really supportive and that’s made all the difference. There are loads of people I could talk to whenever anything came up that affected my studies. The tutors are really understanding and were happy to give extensions whenever I needed them. I have no hesitation recommending it to anyone else.”
He says it’s been a bit tricky studying with small children in the house and like many OU students has to wait for them to go to bed before he can study. He often begins at 6am and then after work manages a couple of hours a night reading his textbooks and writing assignments.
“It’s been a real eye opener for me after the tough time I had at school and college. When I first came to the OU I didn’t think I could do it but after the starter course, I realised I can. It’s just that my learning style is different from other people’s. But just because I’ve got a shorter attention span than most, I am still able to soak information up quite easily and for some reason seem to understand everything that’s written and said to me on my OU course. In fact, I find this easier at university level than I did on my pre-nursing course at a Further Education College.”
He thinks this is partly because teaching is more individually tailored with the OU. So from thinking he couldn’t possibly study at that level, he progressed quickly through his course and is now doing quite well. “It has to be said that I’m not a true academic but my scores have been fairly good.”
Feedback is also positive and constructive, never negative he adds. He finds this far more encouraging than any of his previous brushes with the education world.
Posted 23 May 2013
