Rubi, 38, didn\u2019t think she was cut out for higher education, until an exciting career change inspired a newfound passion for learning. Now working as a Diplomatic Assistant, Rubi says that her OU degree and masters have helped her to thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never liked school. I think it was the structure of having to be somewhere at a certain time that I didn\u2019t get on with. When I left, I went into nursing for a while, but I started to feel it wasn\u2019t for me,\u201d Rubi explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d just been on a training course about how to complete a job application, when I saw an advert for a role at the Japanese Embassy in The Hague. I thought I may as well apply so that I could practice what I learned on the course, but I didn\u2019t expect to get the job!\u201d<\/p>\n
With no experience in the field, Rubi felt she was on a steep learning curve. \u201cAlthough I was picking up a lot, which was more than enough to do my job, some things seemed illogical because I didn\u2019t fully understand the context. I realised that my education wasn\u2019t aligned with what I was doing professionally, and I wanted to do something about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
To help her progress in her diplomatic career, Rubi was looking for a qualification that would complement her work, but also remembered how much she loathed being confined to a timetable. Rubi had heard about The Open University, so she looked at the courses on offer and discovered the International Studies degree<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rubi found that being able to choose the modules that interested her most and having the flexibility to manage her own time was a recipe for success. \u201cI was surprised at how well I took to it. In fact, I got the best grades for my level 3 modules, which were the most difficult. It made me realise that I can study at a higher level, I just needed to find a way to study that suited me.\u201d<\/p>\n Rubi described the personal impact of her OU experience, \u201cBeing responsible for my studies and managing my own time was very positive for me, it made me mature and develop. OU study gave me skills beyond a qualification \u2013 I grew as a person. I\u2019m more confident and I now know what I can achieve.\u201d<\/p>\nStudying her way<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Reaching the next level<\/strong><\/h2>\n