The Open University

People person Stefan swapped a life in the skies for saving lives

8 May 2018

As a self-professed “people person”, Stefan Franks feels at home pursuing a career in adult nursing. Having left school with GCSEs and BTECs in travel, Stefan began his career in the travel industry taking off for a five-year career with a major airline. Now he is working as a healthcare assistant at a surgery in […]

47 countries, hip-hop and an Open University Honours degree: Shanel’s story

17 April 2018

Working with artists in New York as a music writer and producer of everything from hip-hop to classical, Shanel Cuthbert travelled to 47 countries during the last year of her Open University degree. Studying biological psychology was a sharp contrast to her busy life in the studio, and she’s now completing her Masters in Mental […]

From cleaner to environment manager, Faye says her degree is “so worth it”

13 April 2018

Faye Tester went from being a cleaner at a gas distribution firm, SGN, and an extra on TV, to supporting the management of the company’s environmental compliance and procedures. She completely changed her life and says that, if it wasn’t for her Environmental Management and Technology degree with The Open University, she would never have […]

Discovering psychology led Andrew to a new career

2 April 2018

Growing up in North London, Andrew, 49, didn’t enjoy the academic side of school and left at 16 with 11 O-Levels. After a spell in retail and a long career in IT, he made a dramatic change to his working life. After a family bereavement opened up the world of psychology to him, he decided […]

Anne overcomes adversity to reach her graduation goal

29 March 2018

Anne is 69 and has wanted to achieve her degree her entire adult life. Having left school at 15 and started her career as a telephonist and receptionist, she married and gave birth to her daughter, Sandra. After her husband sadly passed in 1984, she battled with bladder cancer and severe arthritis. Recovering after years […]

“The Open University was never seen as a lesser choice”

27 March 2018

Bass guitar player in The Franklys Zoe Biggs, 29 from Milton Keynes, attended a few traditional university open days whilst studying her A-Levels. But she was unsure about what career path she wanted, and didn’t want to get into debt studying something she might not then use in the future. An extra level of motivation […]

“You can achieve if you put your mind to it” – how Gareth studied while travelling the world

21 March 2018

At the age of 19, Gareth Hand from Derbyshire was working as a teaching assistant in a secondary school. His dream of becoming a Music teacher meant he needed a degree, but with a mortgage to pay and a very busy musical life performing as a percussionist all over the world from Dubai to Singapore, […]

‘Discrimination needs to stop.’ Being a woman in construction and engineering.

21 February 2018

Although a high achiever academically, Steph Lee, 27, from Newcastle, realised that instead of traditional university, she wanted to start a career and get earning. But she felt she faced discrimination along the way to her dream role in engineering. Despite this, she’s forged ahead in this sector, and has almost completed her Bachelor of Engineering […]

How “not very academic” Linda is now on track for a psychology degree

14 February 2018

Linda has always been fascinated by what makes “people tick” and in her current role at a law firm she’s worked for many years with clients who have sustained severe brain injuries. “In my role I get to see neurological reports and I find these fascinating. How the brain works, its cognitive functions and how […]

Science isn’t for girls? How Amy proved her doubters wrong

5 February 2018

From a young age, 26-year-old Amy King was fascinated by science. But she was told by her school that “science isn’t for girls” and by a traditional university at interview that she was “too glamorous to be a scientist”. She proved them both wrong, and is on track to achieve her dream of a degree […]

OU News

Category: Student stories