Surrounded by a family of academics, freelance artist and Open University (OU) student Princess, 26, was determined to revisit higher education having struggled to find the right study path after she left school.<\/p>\n
As the first year of her Design and Innovation<\/a> degree draws to a close, Princess shares how OU study has \u201cbroadened her mind\u201d and nurtured a deeper understanding of her craft.<\/p>\n With a young family to consider, Princess had been leaning towards distance learning for some time.<\/p>\n \u201cI started a degree with another distance learning provider, but it wasn\u2019t for me,\u201d Princess explains. \u201cI didn\u2019t love the course and their systems just weren\u2019t user friendly \u2013 that extra barrier definitely contributed to me not continuing with my studies.\u201d<\/p>\n After moving to London, Princess sailed through a diploma level college course, setting her sights on studying at a higher level, but was unsure how she could make it work financially.<\/p>\n \u201cI was trying to figure out my options when I got an email from a content creator I subscribe to \u2013 Word on the Curb,\u201d Princess remembers. \u201cI looked into what the OU had to offer, and it was the perfect solution to align with everything else going on in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Not wanting to choose between running her business and studying, Princess was thrilled to discover she could do both with the OU.<\/p>\n \u201cI love my work, running workshops where I teach participants to sculpt objects using an eco-friendly material called Jesmonite,\u201d says Princess. \u201cMy ultimate goal is to become an art therapist, so I\u2019ve already got my eye on a Masters once I complete my OU degree.\u201d<\/p>\n With two young children and multiple sessions to deliver, being able to study at a pace that suited her is a priority for Princess.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best thing about the OU for me, is the flexibility,\u201d Princess reflects. \u201cI can fit study around my work and the kids, getting ahead when I can so that I have some leeway if something unexpected crops up.\u201d<\/p>\n Learning alongside work has already enhanced Princess\u2019 business.<\/p>\n \u201cEven in my first year, I\u2019ve been able to put skills I\u2019ve developed through my course into practise. Learning key terms and theories has helped me delve deeper into my art, thinking about what I want to express and how I portray that,\u201d Princess reflects.<\/p>\n \u201cEducation has broadened my mind and had an impact on how I communicate with others, I\u2019m so glad I signed up.\u201d<\/p>\n Having struggled with distance learning in the past, Princess was surprised at how accessible she found her course.<\/p>\n \u201cOU platforms are so easy to get your head around. There\u2019s an online studio for the design element of my course, an app to use on the go and so many other resources,\u201d says Princess.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the forums, where you can bounce ideas around with other students and support each other, especially when assignments are due and self-doubt kicks in!\u201d<\/p>\n Whilst actively engaging in the student community, it took Princess longer to reach out for other avenues of support.<\/p>\n \u201cAsking for help from tutors or the OU\u2019s Student Support Service wasn\u2019t natural for me, but once I did, I realised there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Everyone is so accommodating, and they want you to do well,\u201d Princess says.<\/p>\n \u201cMy advice to any new student would be to make the most of the support on offer \u2013 tutor forums are brilliant and make you realise you\u2019re not the only one with questions!\u201d<\/p>\n With a year of OU study in the bag, Princess has this advice for those on the verge of taking the leap:<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let time pass you by, just go for it <\/strong>\u2013 there\u2019s never a perfect time to start your studies, you can always let something put you off. By waiting a few years, you could have already been so far towards getting your degree!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMake best friends with your calendar<\/strong> \u2013 I add all my due dates and tutorials in there and it\u2019s helped me to be more organised in other areas of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRemember your goal<\/strong> \u2013 if I need some motivation, I picture myself in the gown, crossing the stage at my graduation ceremony. I tell myself that if I want that moment, I need to work for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to reach out if you\u2019re overwhelmed<\/strong> \u2013 it took me a while to figure that out. There\u2019s so much support at the OU, you\u2019ll never be alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConnect with other students<\/strong> \u2013 you\u2019re all going through similar challenges, so make the most of opportunities to share your experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Step into your future with the support of the OU.\u00a0Register before 5 September<\/a>\u00a0for courses starting this October and discover what you\u2019re capable of.<\/p>\n Find out if Princess is \u2018The Smartest in Their Space\u2019<\/a>\u00a0in the one and only OU themed game show, in partnership with Word on the Curb. Catch all four episodes on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0where OU students and well known content creators battle it out for the coveted trophy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Surrounded by a family of academics, freelance artist and Open University (OU) student Princess, 26, was determined to revisit higher education having struggled to find the right study path after she left school. As the first year of her Design and Innovation degree draws to a close, Princess shares how OU study has \u201cbroadened her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1525,1640,1643,2142],"class_list":["post-25424","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\/25424","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=25424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Searching for the right option<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Juggling commitments<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Support to succeed<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Princess\u2019 top tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Inspired by Princess\u2019 story?<\/strong><\/h2>\n