{"id":21824,"date":"2024-04-11T11:34:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T10:34:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=21824"},"modified":"2025-08-13T09:27:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T08:27:42","slug":"answered-your-top-5-questions-about-ou-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/answered-your-top-5-questions-about-ou-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Answered \u2013 your top 5 questions about OU study"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will I get a recognised degree? What\u2019s the student experience like? How long will it take? We asked OU students to help us answer some of the most common questions about The Open University \u2013 and to debunk those myths.<\/p>\n

Read their answers and then step into your future by starting your own OU journey. Register by 11 September 2025 for courses starting in October 2025.<\/a><\/p>\n

1) Will I get a \u2018real\u2019 degree?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Absolutely. Rest assured that OU qualifications are globally recognised for their quality and the same high standards you’d expect from other universities. Except with us, you get the flexibility to learn in a way that suits you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’re known as leaders in distance education and recently achieved overall Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework. We’re also proud to be in the top 1% of business schools worldwide and produce more CEOs and MDs than any other UK university. So you know you’ll be in excellent company.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cMy OU studies have hugely enhanced my chances of getting the kind of job I want. The OU teaches you so many skills that are essential for life and the workplace \u2013 time management, autonomous working and flexibility.”
\nAmy, Health Sciences graduate<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cStudying with the OU is the best choice I\u2019ve made so far. It\u2019s a new way of studying that a lot of universities are trying to adopt, but the OU has been doing it for over 50 years while everyone else is trying to catch up. What I\u2019d say to potential students is to choose the OU because they\u2019re the masters of distance learning and you\u2019ll be in safe hands.”
\nJoe, Psychology student<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

2) Is there a student community?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yes, in fact when you join the OU, you\u2019ll become part of the UK\u2019s biggest student community. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Studying online doesn\u2019t mean you have to miss out on the student experience. Far from it. There are plenty of ways to stay connected, from weekly online forums, tutorials, social media groups, clubs and even local meet-ups. There\u2019s even a Freshers Fortnight run by our Students Association to help welcome you to the OU family. So you can get involved as much or as little as you like.<\/p>\n

\"OU\u201cStudying via distance learning isn\u2019t a lonely experience. I\u2019ve made life-long friends through the OU and spend my spare time travelling the country visiting them. It\u2019s been refreshing to find likeminded people, who love books as much as I do!\u201d
\nKhudayja, English Literature & Creative Writing student<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

3) Will I get a tutor and support through my studies?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At the OU, there\u2019s always someone in your corner. You\u2019ll get a dedicated tutor for every module who\u2019s there to offer support, advice and personalised feedback. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Plus, our specialist support teams are only ever a click or call away. And if you\u2019ve got your eye on a new career, our experts can help you boost your CV and connect you with employers through our regular internships and career fairs.<\/p>\n

\"OU \u201cMy tutors were absolutely amazing. They would give me tips and tricks about how to study and make sure I had the resources I needed. The OU student community was also fantastic. My advice to anyone thinking about studying with the OU is just do it, give yourself the opportunity to try something new. You are capable of more than you think.\u201d
\nLea, Master’s in Psychology & Combined Social Sciences graduate<\/p>\n

\"Tarryn\u201cWith the OU, the support is all there. Take tutorials for example. That’s an environment that I would have shied away from in the past, but everyone was so welcoming and understanding, I felt comfortable enough to ask questions. OU study has given me the freedom to learn in a way that fits with my neurodivergence.\u201d
\nTarryn, Open degree student<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4) Will I have enough time to stu<\/strong>dy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Studying is a big commitment, but OU courses are designed so that you don\u2019t have to put your life on hold to get the qualification you deserve. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Our flexible approach means you have the freedom to study when and where you like, around your job, family and life. You\u2019ll get your own online study planner to help you stay on track every week and plan your time. Plus, you can always speak to our Student Support Teams who can help provide helpful resources and advice to help you succeed.<\/p>\n

For most courses we’d recommend around 16 hours of study each week – try our online Time Planner<\/a> to see how you can fit in learning around your schedule.<\/p>\n

\"\" \u201cWith the flexibility of the OU, it helps me keep on top of everything I need to do. I can run my business and study at the same time, from my laptop at home and you can also access everything on your phone. I can also speak to my tutors and they\u2019re always so understanding.\u201d
\nCarly, Business Management student<\/p>\n

\"OU<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to work and study at the same time was something I never thought possible. Then I found the OU. Six years of studying alongside building a career is no easy task. In fact, it\u2019s one of the most difficult things I\u2019ve ever done. But it\u2019s hands down the best thing I\u2019ve ever done. The key positive for me is being able to study without having to stop progressing my career. I would highly recommend exploring the OU to anyone in a similar situation.”
\nKieran, International Studies graduate<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

5) Is an OU degree cheaper?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Studying with the OU could help you save money compared to a brick university. That\u2019s because you have the flexibility to earn while you learn and pay for one module at a time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And with different loans, grants and bursaries available, many OU students don\u2019t pay a penny upfront. It all depends on where you live and your personal circumstances. Use our Finance Finder<\/a> to discover your options.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cFor me, the biggest benefit of the OU is that I can earn whilst I learn. With bills on the rise, I have friends who don\u2019t know how they\u2019re going to cope with the cost of living away from home. By the time I finish my studies, I\u2019ve estimated that I will have saved around \u00a310,000 in comparison to my friends that attend brick universities. This is due to the cheaper fees at the OU and not needing a maintenance loan.\u201d
\nKianna, Business Management student<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The future is yours for the taking<\/h3>\n

Get the flexibility to learn while you earn and gain a recognised qualification on your terms. Don’t miss out\u00a0 –register by 11 September 2025 <\/a>for our next courses starting in October 2025.
\nChoose your course now.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Will I get a recognised degree? What\u2019s the student experience like? How long will it take? We asked OU students to help us answer some of the most common questions about The Open University \u2013 and to debunk those myths. Read their answers and then step into your future by starting your own OU journey. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1525,1640,1643,2146],"class_list":["post-21824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home","tag-ou-news","tag-students"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21824"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27622,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21824\/revisions\/27622"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}