The Open University

All an OU student wants for Christmas is…

20 December 2018

So what do OU students want for Christmas? We took to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and asked our community of students what would be on their end of year wish list. More stationery? A time machine? Someone to clean the house? There were some surprising requests, and a couple are back from last year’s wish list due to […]

Tips for studying over the festive period

18 December 2018

The Christmas break is the perfect time to squeeze in some extra study – OU Student Association rep, Sarah talks us through her top tips for getting the most out of your holiday, whilst still enjoying the festivities. Work in chunks When you’ve set aside a morning, an afternoon, or an evening to work solidly for […]

Five things I wish I’d known for my first OU assignment

14 November 2018

Although the OU’s method of teaching is very different to the norm – with online tutorials, forums and remotely accessed science kit – there is still the very normal element of completing assignments and assessments. But it can be daunting to be facing your first TMA (assignment), so second-year student Sarah (who’s also an OU […]

Myth-busting assumptions about OU study

6 November 2018

Our Vice-Chancellor Mary Kellett has often shared her thoughts on how Open University students are described, saying: Let me share a small frustration I have over the words that are sometimes used to describe students like you. Conventional students are described as full-time students. And OU students like you are described as part-time students. Part-time? Part-time? More […]

Julia Gillard honoured by The Open University in Wales

22 October 2018

The former Prime Minister of Australia was honoured alongside Welsh graduates at The Open University in Wales degree ceremony in Cardiff. At the Wales Millennium Centre, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was presented with an honorary degree from The Open University in Wales for her contribution to public service. Born in Barry, Julia Gillard, […]

New to the OU? Here’s 8 tips to set you up for study

10 October 2018

As new students open their Open University books and start learning with us, we asked our Instagram community to share their advice for anyone beginning with the OU. They’ve given us some top tips to help you get off on the right foot: 1. Don’t Doubt Yourself It can feel overwhelming when you start getting […]

The remarkable story of Auschwitz survivor and OU graduate Evelyn Lipmann

8 August 2018

The lives of hundreds of thousands of people have been transformed by their study at The Open University, but few can have valued it more than Evelyn Lipmann. Evelyn, now 94, enrolled for a Humanities degree in the early 1970s to help put behind her the horror of the Nazi concentration camps. Decades later, she […]

OU was ‘a natural choice’ for former professional cricketer Adrian Rollins

26 July 2018

With two double centuries, more than fifty 50s and fifteen 100s scored and a total of 9,000 runs in all his cricket appearances, professional cricket player Adrian Rollins was at the height of his career when a sudden injury changed everything. Fielding close to the wicket for Northamptonshire, Adrian took a catch diving forward with […]

OU student who battled against the odds is Wales’ Adult Learner of the Year

19 June 2018

An OU in Wales student who was mocked at school and reached his mid-30s having never read a book received the Life Change and Overall Winner of the Year awards at this year’s Inspire! Adult Learning Awards. Cardiff-born John Spence was bullied at school because he couldn’t read, and by the time he left aged […]

A PhD isn’t possible with three children, is it? Diane would argue otherwise

1 June 2018

Originally from the Isles of Scilly, in 2009, Diane Coral Turner, 42, enrolled on her part-time PhD with The Open University, collaborating with Amersham Hospital and Medical Detection Dogs to develop techniques for diagnosing bladder cancer. After having a child in 2010 and twins in 2012, she wanted a break from study. When her twins […]

OU News

Category: Student stories