What's it like to study with the Open University?

The Open University offers flexible distance learning for undergraduate and postgraduate study. But what's it really like to study with the OU?

This post isn't sponsored and I'm not affiliated with the OU (other than being a student).

What am I comparing studying with the OU to? I have two useful benchmarks: I've studied an undergraduate degree at a brick university (Cambridge) and a postgraduate degree remotely (University of Law). I'm now in my third year of remote learning for an undergraduate degree in with the OU.

It's open

The OU's name isn't an empty sentiment; most of their courses have no entry requirements.

They provide guidance on the background knowledge you'll need and there are usually free learning resources for you to brush up before your course starts.

No entry requirements means that if you're coming to OU study without other qualifications or if you're switching subjects you don't need to incur the time and expense taking lower qualifications (like GCSEs) before you go for a degree.

In my experience this works really well. I've met so many people through my course and although some have had to remind themselves of subjects if they haven't studied them for a long time, I haven't come across anybody who has ended up totally out of their depth with their OU study.

There are fees to learn with the OU, but they're cheaper than the fees for brick universities. Student loans apply in the usual way and there are scholarships and bursaries.

It's flexible

At most universities it isn't easy to switch courses and even within a course you're sticking with you're usually required to take compulsory modules that you're not interested in. Falling behind and missing deadlines can be a real problem too.

OU isn't like regular universities. It's a cool university. (Please get my Mean Girls reference).

You do lose marks for submitting late, but for tutor marked assessments (TMAs), a key part of most OU courses, the deadlines are very flexible. There are no forms to fill out; just let your tutor know that you need an extension.

Same goes for swapping subjects. There are some requirements on compulsory modules but if this is causing you issues you can opt for the OU's Open Degree. This allows you to study any modules you choose, provided you study a certain number of 'credits' at the correct levels of difficulty.

This flexibility isn't all good. You still need commitment to do well at the OU. Extending deadlines is helpful but it means you'll have more to do later on, so if you over-use the generosity of your tutors you'll find yourself in a mess later in the year.

You can study whilst working full time

If this sounds impossible, give it a go. There are loads of mini courses you can study for free on the OU's Open Learn platform. Pick one you're interested in and have a go at studying it around work. As long as you enjoy your subject, it doesn't feel as bad as you might think.

It requires time commitment

How long you'll need to spend studying depends on lots of things, like whether you study part time (60 credits) or full time (120 credits), your subject, how much background knowledge you have, and your approach to learning.

My OU study doesn't take me anywhere near as long as the OU suggests it will, but I still spend a significant amount of time studying and completing TMAs. Studying a degree is a big commitment. It's an enjoyable one, but you need to be dedicated to your subject.

You have to motivate yourself

There's fantastic support at OU but ultimately the only person you answer to is yourself. OU treat you like the independent adult that you are, so the flip side of flexible deadlines is that it's up to you to make sure you're on track with your study.

On many OU courses the TMAs are due throughout the year, meaning that if you struggle to complete one you'll know pretty quickly that you've fallen behind. You're unlikely to unknowingly get yourself in a pickle but complacency will lead to stress when deadlines crop up.

You'd have to be very committed to the idea of getting your degree to manage to do OU without loving your subject. Doing a degree in a subject you don't love is difficult at any university, but it takes a boat load of willpower to motivate yourself to study remotely if you don't vibe with your subject, especially if you're studying whilst working full time.

The support is amazing

I was worried I'd feel isolated studying remotely, like I did when I studied with the University of Law. Not so with the OU. They talk about the OU family. It's cringe but it's true and it's lovely.

You'll study with people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. There are tutor group and module-wide forums as well as WhatsApp and Facebook groups. I've never felt alone.

You don't get as much face time with tutors as you do at brick universities, but the tutors I've had have all been enthusiastic and friendly. They're happy for you to ask questions and they host study sessions via Adobe Connect.

The OU even groups you by location, so you're likely to be in a tutor group with people that you can meet up with in real life. Hello coffee shop study sessions!

The experience is different to brick universities

You can probably tell that I love studying with OU, but it is a different experience to brick universities.

This can be a good thing, particularly for people who have already had the university experience or who don't feel like being around a load of drunk young adults all the time.

Having said that, I loved my brick university experience. Studying full time in a place dedicated to learning, living with friends, all of it. I wouldn't change it for the world, so I think it's important to appreciate that even if you study full time, study with OU won't be the same as studying at a brick university.

You'll make friends, but you won't live with them. You won't attend lectures in person or get to know your teachers in real life. You won't play drinking games or move to a new city or stand in your university library looking up at stacks of old books. Whether missing out on the university experience is a good thing or a bad thing varies by person, but it's something to bear in mind.

The OU's online content is so good

I love textbooks. Textbook learning is deathly boring to most people but is my idea of a good time, so I wasn't looking forward to 100% online learning during my early OU modules (my later ones have a mix of textbooks and online material).

My previous experience with the University of Law had been a bunch of monotone lectures that looked like they'd been recorded in the '90s. I almost closed my eyes in apprehension when I loaded the OU portal for the first time.

I was pleasantly surprised! OU's online content is enjoyable and engaging even for bookworms like me. You can work through it at your own speed and it appeals to every type of learner. OU content type varies by module, but most are fully online and involve a dynamic mix of types of information. In any topic there's likely to be written online content, voice clips, videos, animations, diagrams, photos, and interactive content.

Sitting in front of a screen to learn after sitting at a screen to work all day is tiring but the diversity of content type keeps you alert and interested. The OU is the leader in the field in terms of the quality of their online content; this is their thing. It's what they do. Unlike other universities that have cobbled together an online course during the pandemic, OU invests years developing each of their modules. It shows.

It's challenging

Given there are no entry requirements I was concerned the content would be easier than degrees at other universities, but it isn't. The British tendency to cringe at merely stating a fact about your own achievements makes it rather uncomfortable for me to note that I got a first class law degree at Cambridge. I know what challenging degrees look like and I include OU degrees in that category.

They do need to cater for all abilities but as I mentioned earlier the OU recommends a certain level of prior knowledge and the content assumes you have this. The nature of the online learning means you move through it at your own speed, so if parts are easy for you just zip past them but don't worry - the challenging content is certainly there.

It's emotional

Every time I see people graduating from the OU I well up. There's something magical and empowering about people from all walks of life coming together to study something they love. There's something incredible about witnessing education provided in a way that is inclusive, flexible and, well, open.

Questions? I'd love to hear from you.