Why did you choose the OU?

Hiya,
I decided to study with the ou because i have 2 children, my eldest starts school in september an trying to juggle university an home life would be difficult as i'm a single parent an don't have any family living close by. So studying from home was a perfect soloution for me. I can do my ou work while the kids are in bed or when they are in nursery/school.
Bethany

Hello,

I decided to join the OU because I can keep my full time job and stay living in Stafford. It also will work out to be cheaper then university and I can pay as I go along instead of working up debt at the end. When it comes to temptaion I give in very easy so being surrounded by crazy students all day every day would not do myself any favours!!! x

I left school in 2008, at 16, and went to a college to do my A Levels, instead of going to school. I missed a lot of working coming up to my AS exams, due to an operation, and so needed to resit in January 2010, but I wasn't receiving a lot of the help that I needed for that. I re-attempted the college thing in September 2010, trying my hand at something new. Really, I just couldn't motivate myself to go down. I wasn't interested in my subjects, I wasn't interested in the people, and I really didn't like being there. So I left, again.

I was originally planning on redoing my AS/A2s at home through ICS/LearnDirect, but when I factored in all of the costs of doing each subject, plus eventually going to Uni afterwards, it just seemed way too expensive. So when I looked further into my options, financially the OU seemed like the best option, and also being able to work at home seemed like a great option (getting my work done in college was never a problem, I just couldn't drag myself to my classes). I'm entitled to help with my funding, which really helps. It also means that I'm only one year behind in starting a degree, rather than 3 years.

 Hi there, I opted for Open Uni mainly because I realised after my AS results last year that I wouldn't be able to go through with the science route that I had intended previously. I realised during my A Levels that humanity based subjects are my strongest hence why my A Level English Lit teachers encouraged me to go further in that field. I decided to enrol in OU because of the flexibility, its just one module at a time and there's no need to plan the rest of your life.

I also liked the fact that at 19 my household income was referring directly to my own and not my parents so I can get through my degree without getting into debt unlike my peers. 

There's also the aspect of getting work experience and being able to dedicate yourself to different fields till you find the one that suits you.

This is turning into an essay but it also helps that OU is amazing! =)

Shortly before I turned 12 I became rather seriously ill and I had to more or less drop out of education entirely. Thanks to the support of the science department at my school I managed to achieve GCSEs in biology, chemistry and physics (at A* grade) but none of my local colleges would give me the support I needed to get anymore more GCSEs (A-levels were out of the question).

I took a few years out of education but then decided I needed to do something to occupy my brain and improve my self-esteem. Although I'm a lot healthier than I was then, I need a lot of flexibility and I often feel too ill to leave the house, even if I can do a few hours study. The Open University seemed the perfect choice and I'm now studying for a BSc in Health Sciences and Certificate of HE in Natural Sciences.

I'm loving it so far, it's given me a whole new lease of life!

 I went to sixth form last September to study A levels but fell ill half way through and couldn't finish them. I didn't want to give up study as I loved being a student but I didn't have much choice. I had always known about the OU but never really looked into it in a serious way if you know what I mean, I always thought there would be some huge catch like extortianate fees or that it wouldn't be for young people like us.

But after looking into it more it became more and more appealing and I was quite taken aback when I realized I could probably get funding as I'm on a low income, so I just went for it and applied for a course. I originally intended to work towards the English Lit degree but I'd had a personal interest in Psychology for a long time. However, due to never having much confidence in scientific subjects from school I never really believed I could do it, but a career in Psychology seemed incredibly exciting to me and I realized I had a passion and curiosity for people and psychology, so I just changed to Psychology and the rest is history. I am so thankful to the OU for giving me a second chance of a good education. It still feels too good to be true really, but only time will tell. 

More young people should definitely study with the OU. 

I went to a brick uni for three years but a combination of being far from home and not making any friends on my course meant I pretty much failed everything. Now I don't qualify for any more student loans, so this was the only way I could afford my degree. It's a bit disheartening sometimes because at my current pace I won't graduate until I'm 27, when all of my friends have long left uni and some even have masters degrees, but I'm determined to see it through.

Hi,

I decided to try and get a degree with the OU mainly so I don't rack up silly amounts of debt! And also so I can stay where I am living, continue working part time and being able to fit it around other areas of my life.

Sophie :)

Hello

I chose the OU because I love the freedom of your studies. You can work full time and get on with your life whilst gaining a degree at the same. 

I went to a grammar school for GSCE and A Levels. The general feeling was that if you didn't go straight to university after that you were an idiot and clearly didn't try hard enough. I was one of the few people who decided to get an office job and not to go to uni, and despite doing well in my exams,  I did feel like an idiot. 

I still have that original office job, except now I have my own portfolio of over 100 clients and I am responsilbe for the full time training of another person. I can't help smiling to myself when those friends that went to uni complain about having no money, living with their parents or not being able to get a decent job now they've graduated (one particular friend has a first in Psychology and now works in the cinema!!!).

Although OU study does take a long time, I feel like I've definitely got the better deal. I had enough time to find a career and chose a degree that will actually enhance my life and not just picked because I didn't know what else to do. And the major bonus being that I don't have any debt at all!!.

Great story Nikita, thanks for sharing. I totally agree - experience and education has to be the best combination and those who go straight to university full time after A Levels are missing out on the former. Well done on your achievements so far