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Degree dreams come true with the OU

Ayrton BeattyAyrton Beatty struggled at school, but The Open University gave her the confidence to achieve her dream of gaining a degree in psychology. In this blog Ayrton shares her study journey.   

As a teenager my dream was to go to university to study psychology. However, I struggled academically at school and my attendance was poor because I was being bullied. My teachers did very little to help with those problems, some of them simply called me stupid. I ended up leaving school with three GCSEs.

After leaving school I tried various college courses and was able to gain some non-exam-based qualifications, plus my GCSE in English, but I still struggled in an academic setting and couldn’t understand why. 

Ten years ago, everything changed. I moved to Fife and was attending college in Dunfermline studying Intermediate 2 qualifications and Higher Grades. People I met at those classes noticed that I had traits of being dyslexic and suggested that I got tested for it. 

The basic test that was carried out showed that I am indeed dyslexic. The results of this basic test didn’t qualify as a formal diagnosis, but still allowed me to have additional requirements put into place for the exams. These additional requirements allowed me to pass my exams and take my place on a psychology degree at a brick university. 

I was formally diagnosed with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia."

It was during the first few weeks attending this university I was formally diagnosed with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. I struggled at the brick university for a year and half, but my health and the lack of support from some of the lecturers ultimately led to me dropping out.

I spent the next three years working for Amazon at their fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, but then had to leave after an accident added to pre-existing damage to my back.

I had studied some of the OU’s free online OpenLearn courses previously, and still wanted to fulfil my dream of gaining a psychology degree. So, I took the plunge and enrolled on the first module of the Open University’s Bachelor of Science honours degree in Psychology, as I was eligible for a part-time fee grant to cover the costs. I was also eligible for support from a Disabled Students' Allowance, which provided much needed support via tutors and adaptive technology throughout the course of my studies.

All went well for the first two years of study, but during my third year my Dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and was once again struggling with my own health too. My wisdom teeth had been removed, leaving me with some issues with my head and face. Things ended up becoming too much, but thankfully due to the nature of OU study I was able to defer the module.

To all of you thinking you’re not intelligent enough, or you lack the high school qualifications for university study, that couldn’t be further from the truth."

However, I was still undeterred in achieving my degree, so I enrolled for the module’s next start date for that October. Aside from dealing with a new diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia, my studies continued as normal. Until the pandemic hit. The lockdowns hit me hard as I couldn’t travel to my parents if something was to happen to my dad. I lost numerous loved ones and I had to spend Christmas alone over 300 miles from my family. Somehow, I made it through and managed to pass the module at my second attempt.

Until earlier this year, my final module had been going ok, but the decline in my dad’s health was becoming too apparent. His downturn in his health led to my depression returning. The worse my dad physically became, my depression seemed to copy. Sadly, my dad passed away the day after the deadline for my final psychology assessment, so he never lived to see me finally achieve my dream at the age of 38, when I gained my psychology degree

So, to all of you thinking you’re not intelligent enough, or you lack the high school qualifications for university study, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Try some of the OU’s OpenLearn courses if you need to gain more confidence to start formal OU modules, but still go for it. You’ll find you’re capable of things you never would have dared to believe. 

Studying with the OU has given me the confidence to push forward with my studies, and to explore some of my personal interests on a more in-depth level and gain a greater understanding; I’ve now started studying for an Open University degree in History! 

There is more information about studying with the OU and our support for students on our Study webpage

You can also read more student stories and blogs by OU students, staff and partners.

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