The Open University

OU student achieves career dream and wins Inspire! Award

20 June 2017

A student from the OU in Wales has received recognition at the Inspire! Awards for his determination and resilience in pursuing his studies through distance learning. Shafiq Mohammed, from Cardiff, started studying with the OU in 2010 and is due to complete his BA (Hons) Humanities in summer 2017. His goal has always been to improve […]

Full-time carer and “superhero student” achieves dream degree

13 June 2017

Caring full-time for her grandfather with Parkinson’s disease, 26-year-old Danielle Haigh-Wood was convinced that she’d never achieve her dream of getting a degree. However, after taking the plunge with a short history course, she was hooked on OU life and began studying for a joint humanities degree in philosophy and history, graduating at Bridgewater Hall, […]

OU grad’s study inspired by humanitarian work

10 December 2016

Open University graduate Ines Katic-Vrdoljak, from Sarajevo, saw first-hand the difference humanitarian aid can make when she worked on deliveries to those impacted by the Bosnian War in the mid 1990s. Supporting the OU’s focus on Human Rights Week, Ines explains how the volunteer work she undertook led her to study both a BSc and […]

glasses and book on background bookcase close up. Thinkstock

Meet the OU’s youngest ever law graduate

18 October 2016

Completing her degree at the age of just 18, Zahra Alidina is The Open University’s youngest ever law graduate. Zahra left school at the age of 13 to pursue law related subjects at GCSE and A-Level through home education. Completing her A-Levels at just 15, she found it difficult to get into traditional universities because […]

OU research student on how to make it in space, without actually going there

4 October 2016

Vibha Srivastava has always wanted to be an astronaut and work in space science, which wasn’t straightforward as a young women from North East India. Before joining The Open University (OU) as a PhD Researcher she studied Aeronautical Engineering at Gujarat University, and a Masters at the International Space University in Strasbourg in France, including […]

Clearing 2016: OU’s firm university offer, open to everyone

17 August 2016

Across the UK young people are receiving their A-Level results, entering the clearing process and deciding what to do next. Some will take the decision to leave home and head to university. Others will be looking for alternatives to traditional university, and here’s where The Open University can help. With a strong mission that higher […]

Mars and me: a day in the life of a PhD student

18 March 2016

In the same week the European Space Agency (ESA) launched its ExoMars Mission, we spoke to OU PhD student Rhian Chapman about dust storms on the Red Planet and her fascination with space: the final frontier… Name: Rhian Chapman Age: 33 Hometown: Shepperton, Surrey What is the focus of your PhD and what stage are you […]

Time to reset your career?

31 December 2015

Adam Prestwood began life after school pursuing a career in law, but changed track to finance and, with the help of his employers, hasn’t looked back since… When I left the sixth form, I didn’t know what to do and there seemed no easy way to push into finance as a career. I did Law at […]

Joseph Molesley studies for his degree in History with The Open University

Downton Abbey star on acting, distance learning and his degree

25 December 2015

For Downton Abbey fans, Christmas will be bitter-sweet this year as the Christmas Special marks the final ever episode of the series enjoyed by millions. Joseph Molesley, played by Kevin Doyle, has had a turbulent journey, from second footman at Downton, to butler for Mrs Crawley. Unfulfilled, and having been unable to pursue his passion […]

OU News

Category: Student stories