{"id":24032,"date":"2023-10-10T08:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T07:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=24032"},"modified":"2023-10-10T08:00:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T07:00:46","slug":"i-love-the-student-community-at-the-ou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/i-love-the-student-community-at-the-ou\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I love the student community at the OU’"},"content":{"rendered":"

On World Mental Health Day<\/a>, Tarryn, 23, shares how studying at The Open University (OU) has given her the support and confidence she needs to pursue a new career path, helping young people to discover their potential.<\/p>\n

Challenging circumstances<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Following a misdiagnosis that followed her throughout school, Tarryn\u2019s early education was fraught with challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in South Africa, where I grew up, I was diagnosed with an Auditory Processing Disorder. It went on my permanent record and regardless of my mother being convinced it was wrong, the diagnosis always held me back,\u201d Tarryn recalls. \u201cThe teachers just assumed I couldn\u2019t manage the work, whereas we now know that I have ADHD with an anxiety disorder, which doesn\u2019t need to limit me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Determination to succeed<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Despite Tarryn\u2019s teachers predicting that she would never graduate from high school, she kept working hard to prove herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cGraduating was a big moment for me. It helped me to believe I could achieve more,\u201d says Tarryn. Determined to achieve a degree but with family plans to move to Europe, Tarryn needed a university that offered her the ultimate flexibility. She discovered The Open University and soon registered for an Open Degree, starting with a subject which had always fascinated but challenged her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy. I went for an introductory module in Engineering<\/a>, which really put me to the test. Maths was a big part of it, and I\u2019ve always struggled with the subject,\u201d Tarryn explains. \u201cThen I was in a new country, working long hours and getting up in the early hours of the morning to study. I wasn\u2019t getting much sleep, but I was determined to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tarryn goes on to say, \u201cPassing the maths element of my course was huge. It made me feel that I\u2019m the only person who should decide what I\u2019m capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supported learning<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Finally getting the support she needed was a turning point for Tarryn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the OU, the support is all there,\u201d Tarryn says, who now lives and studies in Germany \u201cTake tutorials for example. That\u2019s an environment I would have shied away from in the past, but everyone was so welcoming and understanding, I felt comfortable enough to ask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecting with other students has become an important part of Tarryn\u2019s learning experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find that if I\u2019m in a face-to-face situation, my anxiety kicks in and I start to worry about fitting in. With the OU, nobody cares about your looks, your age or anything superficial \u2013 you can connect on an intellectual level with people from all backgrounds, which suits me perfectly. I love the student community at the OU.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discovering her learning style<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Being able to work in the way that suits her best has also been transformative for Tarryn.<\/p>\n

\u201cOU study has given me the freedom to learn in a way that fits in with my neurodivergence,\u201d Tarryn says. \u201cI ask a lot of questions, because I doubt myself and I need to check that I\u2019m on the right track. The tutors have been so understanding and I never feel like I\u2019m bothering them.\u201d<\/p>\n

At home, Tarryn has developed strategies for staying focussed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have lo-fi music in the background, which helps me to limit the risk of distraction. I\u2019ve also recognised that I need to set manageable goals, rather telling myself to study for a certain amount of time. If I do that, I end up just staring at the clock!\u201d<\/p>\n

With a tendency to feel overwhelmed, Tarryn lets us in on her top tip to relax herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always save a brief, simple task to kick off a study session \u2013 it helps me to get an early sense of achievement and gives me the motivation to carry on.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new path<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tarryn initially dismissed suggestions that she could be suited to a career in psychology, but with her newfound confidence, she started to consider the flipside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving spent so much of my childhood in a psychologist\u2019s office, it was the last thing I wanted to study,\u201d she remembers. \u201cBut as my confidence grew, I started to think about the kids like me that I could help to see their own potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Tarryn settled on her new path, she\u2019s mapped out a firm plan for the future, and is now completing her Open degree with a focus on Psychology modules.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love psychology – I know it\u2019s what I want to do. I want to go down the neuropsychology route, so I\u2019m already planning the Masters and PhD!\u201d<\/p>\n

Advice to others<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tarryn is keen to share her positive experience with others and has been recommending OU study to her friends and family \u2013 she explains why.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can achieve things you never thought were possible<\/strong> \u2013 the OU offers amazing opportunities and supports you to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a perfect balance<\/strong> \u2013 you have the structure of assignment deadlines to keep you on target, but the flexibility and support to do it your way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll develop skills for life<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019ve matured greatly thanks to the OU. My communication skills have improved, and I\u2019ve refined my ability to process complex information. Give it a try, you\u2019ve got nothing to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On World Mental Health Day, Tarryn, 23, shares how studying at The Open University (OU) has given her the support and confidence she needs to pursue a new career path, helping young people to discover their potential. Challenging circumstances Following a misdiagnosis that followed her throughout school, Tarryn\u2019s early education was fraught with challenges. \u201cBack […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":24033,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1525,1640,1643,2142],"class_list":["post-24032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home","tag-ou-news","tag-student-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24032","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\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}