{"id":26268,"date":"2024-11-20T14:23:33","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/?p=26268"},"modified":"2024-11-20T14:24:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:24:03","slug":"an-ou-degree-is-proof-you-can-achieve-if-youre-brave-enough-to-invest-the-time-and-care-into-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/arts-social-sciences\/psychology\/an-ou-degree-is-proof-you-can-achieve-if-youre-brave-enough-to-invest-the-time-and-care-into-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018An OU degree is proof you can achieve if you’re brave enough to invest the time and care into yourself\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alex, 28, from Lincolnshire, has just graduated with a BSc (Honours) in Psychology with Counselling<\/a> from The Open University (OU). Having struggled at school, she never thought she would continue studying. But now, with her degree, Alex has an exciting future ahead with plans of progressing in the care industry and starting her own business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled with reading and writing at school and needed extra support until around Year 10 when I experienced a traumatic event and the start of a long-term health problem, which made the school environment an impossible place to be,\u201d said Alex.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy physical and mental health was severely impacted. I stopped eating, and I would only speak to a handful of people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fortunate that my grandparents took me under their wing and looked after me, as my parents were working full-time. It was a really difficult period. I became virtually bedridden and had teachers visit me at home so that I could get my maths, science and English GSCEs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rocky road into education<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After finishing school, Alex progressed to college, but she was still faced with challenges that made learning difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dabbled in college and got mixed up with the wrong crowd. There was the odd teacher that I connected with, but overall, it didn\u2019t feel right for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring this time, my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer and became unwell, and then my grandad passed away a few months later. He was the male figure in my life, who I looked up to for support and advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like the rug had been pulled from beneath me and that my world was falling apart before it had even begun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning point with the OU<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Image

Alex on her wedding day<\/p><\/div>\n

Alex began working at a local hotel. Little did she realise that she was about to meet the love of her life and begin a new path, where she would find her passion and regain her spark.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started working part-time as bar staff at a hotel in my hometown. I was quickly promoted and offered an entry-level apprenticeship in hospitality, which introduced me to the concept of being able to earn whilst I learn.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst at the hotel, I also met my now husband. I\u2019d never met anyone like him; he came across as educated and incredibly smart, as well as eccentric and unique \u2013 he had my heart from the moment I laid eyes on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more he told me about his qualifications, the more it made me think that I wanted a slice of that. I started to investigate the OU, as I\u2019d heard from a friend how well it can fit around everyday life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was drawn to courses that would help me better understand people. Psychology with counselling felt like the perfect match for my skills and interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found the course material was gradually increased in workload and difficulty. It felt like a natural progression and wasn\u2019t overwhelming. Also, being part-time meant that I could carry on working and fit my studies around my health conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suffer from Crohn\u2019s disease and hypermobility spectrum disorder. Studying with the OU meant that even when I’ve been out of work and in a hospital bed, I\u2019ve been able to carry on with my course. It\u2019s been a great distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Work and future business plans<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As a graduate, Alex is looking forward to what she can accomplish with her degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s taken me six years to achieve a 2:1. I still can\u2019t believe it; I\u2019m in shock that I\u2019m a graduate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis next year, I\u2019m going to enjoy the break from studying to plan my next steps. I want to carry on building my experience at the care home where I work and have ambitions of starting my own business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to begin a therapeutic service that is accessible to all in terms of cost and availability. I want it to be more than just 9-5. I\u2019ve had first-hand experience of the care system both personally and through my family, and although I appreciate the support that I\u2019ve received, I can see where things can be improved.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a massive need for better mental health care for the elderly. They\u2019re often overlooked as a generation, especially those who might have suffered during the war. Due to their age, they\u2019ve also witnessed a wider range of life events, such as the death of family and friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is such a stigma towards therapy in their generation. I believe it could help them to process their experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cA cup of tea and a hot bath aren\u2019t always the only solution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Achieve your goals with the OU<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Image

Alex’s beloved grandparents<\/p><\/div>\n

The OU has given Alex the freedom she needed to manage her caring responsibilities whilst pursuing her own passions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe OU has changed me as a person by making me more self-disciplined and motivated.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when I\u2019m having a bad day with my mental health, I know that I can motivate myself to study, even if it\u2019s just for 15 minutes. By being able to tackle my studies in bite-sized chunks has helped me to overcome a lot and achieve what I\u2019ve wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flexibility of the OU has also allowed me to continue looking after my family. All my tutors have been supportive when I\u2019ve had a hard time. Being able to stay at home and attend online lectures, where I can sit in my room with my door open and hear if my grandma needs anything, has been a lifesaver.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019d been at a traditional university, then I would have had to move away from home. My grandma might have gone into care sooner and I would have needed additional support managing my health.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy advice for anyone considering the OU is that you\u2019ve got nothing to lose, you\u2019ve only got to gain. It\u2019s always worth a try; go at your own speed, and you\u2019ll be surprised at how far you can go. An OU degree is proof you can achieve if you’re brave enough to invest the time and care into yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Alex, you have the power to change your path. <\/strong>Register before 9 January 2025<\/strong><\/a> for courses starting in February. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alex, 28, from Lincolnshire, has just graduated with a BSc (Honours) in Psychology with Counselling from The Open University (OU). Having struggled at school, she never thought she would continue studying. But now, with her degree, Alex has an exciting future ahead with plans of progressing in the care industry and starting her own business. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":26269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,18],"tags":[1525,1640],"class_list":["post-26268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-student-stories","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26268","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\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26268"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26272,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26268\/revisions\/26272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}