{"id":25144,"date":"2024-06-05T08:50:47","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T07:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=25144"},"modified":"2024-06-05T08:50:47","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T07:50:47","slug":"ou-study-unlocked-an-amazing-opportunity-to-work-in-antarctica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/science-mct\/ou-study-unlocked-an-amazing-opportunity-to-work-in-antarctica\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018OU study unlocked an amazing opportunity to work in Antarctica\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Natural Sciences<\/a> student Andy, 54, was made redundant, he was unsure what to expect from the next chapter of his life. With a thirst for new experiences and an open mind about his next career move, Andy embarked on an academic journey with The Open University, never imagining it would take him on the adventure he\u2019d always dreamed of.<\/p>\n

Andy shares how OU study helped him to unlock a new career path and grab an unmissable opportunity to support vital research on Earth\u2019s most remote continent.<\/p>\n

Planning his next move<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Andy found out his employer was planning to close the site he\u2019d worked at for 10 years, he had some big decisions to make. When weighing up his options, he discovered the OU, but initially had doubts about committing to six years of study.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worried that it was too late in my career to make that sort of investment,\u201d Andy remembers. \u201cSo I chose a subject that wasn\u2019t directly linked to my job as an electrical engineer. I decided to study Natural Sciences purely out of personal interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Having gained technical qualifications throughout his career, Andy knew he was capable of learning, but taking on a whole new area of study was daunting. Andy reflects on how he\u2019s managed to adapt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the way the learning materials are structured. They take you from the very basics to the point of a high level of understanding,\u201d says Andy. \u201cI\u2019m so enthralled by the content that I get excited to move on to the next chapter. The resources are interactive, and you can take it at your own pace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andy adds, \u201cI\u2019ve also had brilliant support from my tutors, I\u2019m so grateful to them for all the help they\u2019ve given me so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Respected by employers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

4 years into his OU degree, whilst applying for jobs, Andy spotted an irresistible prospect. British Antarctic Survey<\/a> (BAS) were looking for an electrical engineer who would have the chance to support their research team in Antarctica.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d always been fascinated by Antarctica and the story of Captain Cook\u2019s failed mission to get there. Apparently, he circumnavigated it! Imagine not being able to find a continent \u2013 it must have been the harsh conditions that kept him away,\u201d says Andy.<\/p>\n

He wasted no time throwing his hat in the ring and was thrilled to be offered the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly think my OU studies helped me get through that recruitment process – I could feel the focus of the interview change when I mentioned it,\u201d Andy recalls.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough I was applying for an engineering role, I could demonstrate through what I\u2019d learned and the course I was taking, that I could take a scientific approach to my work. Not to mention all the other skills you develop through OU study \u2013 commitment, self-motivation \u2013 it says something about your character. Being an OU student helped open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Study from the South Pole<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Andy\u2019s dream trip became a reality last December when he set off for his first season in Antarctica, where Rothera Research Station<\/a> would become home for twelve weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe celebrated the new year of 2024 on the bridge of the RRS Sir David Attenborough<\/a> \u2013 that\u2019s going to take some beating! The last day of the journey was spectacular. I was speechless seeing Antarctica for the first time, getting up at 03:00 for two days in a row, just so I didn\u2019t miss a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

With full days exploring sustainable ways to generate power at Rothera, whilst maintaining and updating the site electrics, Andy still managed to carve out time to study.<\/p>\n

\u201cDays were long and there was so much to do, so I would get up very early and get through some of my reading to keep on top of things,\u201d says Andy. \u201cI even did a couple of tutorials from Rothera, you don\u2019t get more flexible than that!\u201d<\/p>\n

A great decision<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Looking back on the doubts he had about committing to a degree, Andy has no regrets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m such a big advocate of the OU experience, it was exactly what I needed,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s not to say it\u2019s been easy. OU study is demanding, especially in the run up to a deadline. But still, I often think I could keep studying like this forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thinking of how far he\u2019s come after facing redundancy and an uncertain future, Andy shares how OU study made a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people would be looking to the end of their career at 54, but I didn\u2019t want that,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel like the OU threw me a lifebelt, it made employers sit up and take notice. I\u2019m so glad I went for it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Natural Sciences student Andy, 54, was made redundant, he was unsure what to expect from the next chapter of his life. With a thirst for new experiences and an open mind about his next career move, Andy embarked on an academic journey with The Open University, never imagining it would take him on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25145,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,14,18],"tags":[1525,1640,1643,2142],"class_list":["post-25144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-environment","category-science-mct","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\/25144","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=25144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}