The Open University

‘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 […]

Open University helped Nathanial get his dream job in IT

24 January 2018

‘’When I started my degree I was asked by a colleague what my dream job was, well my dream job is actually the job I’m doing now and there’s no way I would have got it without my OU degree.’’ Working full time, 34-year-old Nathanial Lawrence had set his sights on a networking and […]

Five ways students can enjoy a guilt-free Christmas

21 December 2017

Studying with The Open University can be a real juggling act, particularly at Christmas time when you want to relax and enjoy time with your family but still have that looming assignment on your mind. Karen Foley is an OU Lecturer and presenter on the OU’s Student Hub Live. She’s knows that OU students are […]

Stormy weather and flying fish – my OU journey through hell and high water

13 December 2017

The incredible story of OU modern languages graduate, Tracy Thorpe, who studied for her degree whilst working as professional crew on yachts. Whilst at school Tracy wasn’t inspired to stay on to do A-levels so she left at 15 after getting a handful of O-levels and went straight into work. She eventually found herself working […]

“Online study worked for me – I doubled my salary”

6 December 2017

Five years ago, Ryan Peddie from Newcastle was working as an IT Manager – but when his company started to face financial difficulties and approached a stage of restructuring he realised his job could be in jeopardy. He took stock of his career and decided to shift his horizons and ambitions into a career in […]

Age is no barrier to OU success as new graduates prove

13 October 2017

From age 18 to 81, this year hundreds of our students – at all stages of life – have celebrated achieving their degrees. The wide range of ages shows the OU welcomes everyone to study, at any age and time of life. Teenager celebrates degree Among the delighted graduates this year was 18-year-old Imran Nasim from […]

Celebrating the success of our students on a global scale

6 October 2017

The OU is pleased to congratulate its students, who have achieved honours in a global undergraduate competition. The Undergraduate Awards (UA) Programme is the world’s largest international academic awards programme, and 27 OU students have achieved honours in the 2017 awards. The UA programme recognises innovation and excellence at undergraduate level. For the first time this […]

Top tips for moneywise students

21 August 2017

If you’re heading off to university this Autumn or considering studying flexibly with The Open University, you will no doubt be examining your finances. Here’s seven tips to help you manage your money, from Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance and Economics, Jonquil Lowe. 1. Choose your account carefully There are special bank accounts for students, […]

OU News

Category: Student stories