The Open University

Making the most of your OU degree ceremony

19 March 2019

The date is booked and the graduation ceremony is looming. The hard work is done and you’re getting ready to cross the stage to cheers and applause as you pick up your degree. But what to expect?! Fear not, because we asked our Instagram alumni community for their best tips on how to make the […]

Proving you’re never too glamorous for Science

13 March 2019

Amy King has been a science enthusiast from a very young age. Her school told her that “science isn’t for girls”; she proved them wrong by achieving straight As at college. A university interviewer told her she was “too glamorous to be a scientist”. Since then, Amy has enrolled on a BSc in Natural Sciences […]

From studying out of a suitcase to social justice campaigner

27 February 2019

Like all children growing up in the UK in the 1970s, Lynnette Thomas’ first interaction with The Open University was via early morning television. This was just the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the OU, which led to her becoming Deputy Director for the OU in Wales last June. The OU connection doesn’t stop […]

OU Student Volunteers explain how they give back

14 February 2019

Last year, more than 570 Open University students volunteered through The Open University Students Association (OUSA). During Student Volunteering Week, we wanted to find out more about why people choose to volunteer, the roles that are open to OU students, and hear about some of their experiences. Huge variety of volunteering opportunities Beth Metcalf, Head […]

Karolien Verheyen: Sarcoidosis diagnosis was my study inspiration

7 February 2019

In 2007, Karolien Verheyen was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare condition that causes small patches of red and swollen tissue (granulomas) to develop in the body’s organs. Her diagnosis led Karolien to find out more about how the human body functions and she registered for a module in human biology with The Open University, later […]

Business school graduate Tillmann Henssler honoured as 2019 influential leader

5 February 2019

The Open University announces that alum Tillmann Henssler is one of 33 business school graduates honoured by AACSB International (AACSB)—the world’s largest business education alliance—as the 2019 Class of Influential Leaders. The annual challenge recognises notable alumni from AACSB-accredited schools whose inspiring work serves as a model for the next generation of business leaders. Tillmann […]

Finlay Games: my OU success story

1 February 2019

Finlay Games, 44, from Eastbourne, is studying with The Open University (OU) for an Open Degree. As a transgender man with a history of mental health issues, his recovery experience and gender transition awoke a passion to inspire and support others to make changes in their own lives, in order to overcome personal obstacles to […]

Evelyn Lipmann: In her own words

25 January 2019

Evelyn Lipmann survived the Holocaust. She survived internment in four concentration camps; many of her family did not. As a pioneer student of The Open University, she’s asked us to share her story so that future generations can learn from the atrocities that took place. Since publishing her story in August 2018, we have now […]

From Refugee to University Executive

18 January 2019

Professor Devendra Kodwani, Executive Dean of The Open University’s Faculty of Business and Law, will introduce the OU’s 50th Anniversary Inaugural Lectures with a lecture on lifelong learning and the role of universities. We spoke to Devendra, to find out more about his story, and why this subject is so important to him. From humble […]

Finishing what her Dad started – Linda’s story

4 January 2019

As Linda Smith crossed the stage at the Barbican degree ceremony, her feeling of pride was not just for her own achievement, but for her Dad as well, who had sadly died in 2010. John Carter was one of The Open University’s pioneer students, taking up study back in 1971 at the age of 47 […]

OU News

Category: Student stories