The Open University and Distance Learning thread

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Yeah Aa100 had the assignments in the book, but i haven't had a single ova module that came with them bummer ! lol x

My A218 and A200 modules came

 

[vaniilla]

My AA100 materials came today! I love the fact that it has all the assignments in the booklet I wish the science one had the assignments in the booklet too!!!!

Yea as far as the modules all seem to have similarities through them in how they are done, there are little things that some do that you wonder why all of them aren't doing!

I'm bad for starting out a module all organized, with a folder, printing off assignments, etc etc, everything in order. Then somewhere along the line it sort of falls apart. I take the assignment out the folder to work on it, then it gets lost and I have to print it off again.... I can never find anything. My hall (study ) is SWAMPED with Uni stuff

I'm the same! plus I'm really bad at procrastinating once I lose work it takes forever to getting around to replacing it in school anything that left my bag would take weeks to be put back in so I used to keep all of my books in there all the time

 

[tallybee]

My AA100 materials came today! I love the fact that it has all the assignments in the booklet I wish the science one had the assignments in the booklet too!!!!

Yea as far as the modules all seem to have similarities through them in how they are done, there are little things that some do that you wonder why all of them aren't doing!

I'm bad for starting out a module all organized, with a folder, printing off assignments, etc etc, everything in order. Then somewhere along the line it sort of falls apart. I take the assignment out the folder to work on it, then it gets lost and I have to print it off again.... I can never find anything. My hall (study ) is SWAMPED with Uni stuff

I'm the same! plus I'm really bad at procrastinating once I lose work it takes forever to getting around to replacing it in school anything that left my bag would take weeks to be put back in so I used to keep all of my books in there all the time

Yea we sound very similar in that respect

I have been strict with myself now that I'm so near the end, and put up some of my old course books on ebay. Can't bring myself to get rid of my fave ones though lol.

On another note, I hate waiting for TMA results!!!!! lol

 

[Pearls18]

Non refundable registration fee paid, no going back now, 3 years of hesitation and I finally begin...so nervous and excited?! MSc here I come!

 

[tallybee]

Non refundable registration fee paid, no going back now, 3 years of hesitation and I finally begin...so nervous and excited?! MSc here I come!

Good for you for taking the plunge!

I am happy to report that the last TMA for S366 Evolution got me 83% - overall TMA average is 88% so enough for a distinction I obvs need to do well in the exam to get that though!

So, one more TMA for Oceanography, then 2 exams in October - and that's it! FX for a good Honours classification.

I am considering going for a postgrad qualification with the O.U. - possibly the MSc Earth Sciences. The reason being, job opportunities appear to be rather crappy at the mo. I'd hoped to find part time work to fit in around school etc, but it's not going to happen by the looks of it. I am overqualified for some jobs and not qualified/experienced enough for others... there seem to be so many people applying for every single job these days. I was speaking to someone today who said that where he works they advertised for a part time secretary/typist - and 119 people applied for the one position. Craziness!

If I commit to the Masters, the kids would be that couple of years older etc. by the time I finish. Slightly less dependent etc etc. Need to see about the financial viability of this idea though....

 

[Pearls18]

Non refundable registration fee paid, no going back now, 3 years of hesitation and I finally begin...so nervous and excited?! MSc here I come!

Good for you for taking the plunge!

I am happy to report that the last TMA for S366 Evolution got me 83% - overall TMA average is 88% so enough for a distinction I obvs need to do well in the exam to get that though!

So, one more TMA for Oceanography, then 2 exams in October - and that's it! FX for a good Honours classification.

I am considering going for a postgrad qualification with the O.U. - possibly the MSc Earth Sciences. The reason being, job opportunities appear to be rather crappy at the mo. I'd hoped to find part time work to fit in around school etc, but it's not going to happen by the looks of it. I am overqualified for some jobs and not qualified/experienced enough for others... there seem to be so many people applying for every single job these days. I was speaking to someone today who said that where he works they advertised for a part time secretary/typist - and 119 people applied for the one position. Craziness!

If I commit to the Masters, the kids would be that couple of years older etc. by the time I finish. Slightly less dependent etc etc. Need to see about the financial viability of this idea though....

This was exactly my problem, my current job technically only requires A levels but in reality I know over 100 people applied including people with masters, but there isn't much progression, but until I do the masters I can't apply for qualified positions so I'm kinda in limbo! Thankfully I have a job in my field and it's part time, can't wait to be qualified though. What kind of jobs are you after?

 

[tallybee]

Something along the lines of this: https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/junior-...ic/environmental-science?cached=True&pageno=2 would be my perfect role, if it were local. It's feasibility with childcare that's worrying me.

 

[Pearls18]

Something along the lines of this: https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/junior-...ic/environmental-science?cached=True&pageno=2 would be my perfect role, if it were local. It's feasibility with childcare that's worrying me.

Oh that sounds intersting, is it competitive? Is it 9-5 kind of work or not? I have to say I am a little surprised by the wages, I would expect that kind of wage for a graduate but I believe the spec said degree and masters? Seems strange to only pay that much when someone has done and paid for 5 years of higher education, but sounds an interesting job which is the main thing! I always wondered what kind of things people did with science degrees as I've been a humanities student since I was 16 (after spectacularly failing my first biology AS ha!)

 

[tallybee]

Aye I know, the pay is disappointing for the qualifications needed but I don't expect to walk into something really well paid wi no experience. it is a 9-5 thing basically as far as I understand.

The more I look at it the more the masters appeals to me, but the cost

We cld really do with some extra money coming in, not more going out!

 

[Hotbump]

Eeeek! Finals are here for my english class...im sooo nervous! After this class I have to take a psychology class, which I flunked last time but no on purpose my oldest son had soo many dr appoinments that I never had time for the class!

 

[vaniilla]

Aye I know, the pay is disappointing for the qualifications needed but I don't expect to walk into something really well paid wi no experience. it is a 9-5 thing basically as far as I understand.

The more I look at it the more the masters appeals to me, but the cost

We cld really do with some extra money coming in, not more going out!

I know wht you mean about the masters, I did a bit of looking around to 'look beyond' my degree and wish I hadn't it's pretty eye watering looking at the cost of it!

 

[louandivy]

Got 75 in my last tma - cant believe it as I rushed it so much and did almost no work at all this month! Really need to start putting some proper effort in then hopefully I will be getting 80+! Reckon my
Average is around 72 for this module.

Anyone else starting exploring psychology in September? All my course materials arrived today, do excited!

 

[tallybee]

Eeeek! Finals are here for my english class...im sooo nervous! After this class I have to take a psychology class, which I flunked last time but no on purpose my oldest son had soo many dr appoinments that I never had time for the class!

All the best hun, I'm sure you'll be fine! Also with the psychology class, you'll breeze it this time round

Aye I know, the pay is disappointing for the qualifications needed but I don't expect to walk into something really well paid wi no experience. it is a 9-5 thing basically as far as I understand.

The more I look at it the more the masters appeals to me, but the cost

We cld really do with some extra money coming in, not more going out!

I know wht you mean about the masters, I did a bit of looking around to 'look beyond' my degree and wish I hadn't it's pretty eye watering looking at the cost of it!

It's mental isn't it... I'm starting to worry about what I will do after the degree, I have an almost definite job lined up in December (casual, sorting parcels) but that's it!

If I do go for further study it will mean more debt...

Got 75 in my last tma - cant believe it as I rushed it so much and did almost no work at all this month! Really need to start putting some proper effort in then hopefully I will be getting 80+! Reckon my
Average is around 72 for this module.

Anyone else starting exploring psychology in September? All my course materials arrived today, do excited!

Wow that's good going for not having done much work! Well done you

I'm finishing off a stinker of a TMA, Oceanography is tough going... shame my last TMA has to be so dense

I need to stop stressing and just get it away, then get revising...

 

[vaniilla]

that's a great score louandivy

tally have you had a chat with any of the careers people at the OU?

 

[Tegans Mama]

How come everyone elses materials have arrived and mine haven't? *sulk*

Well done Lou&ivy, what a great score!

Look at you two talking about careers! I have no idea what I want to do when I'm done

 

[Pearls18]

My desk is arriving tomorrow lol, back into student mode! My study school starts next Saturday so I hope I get my materials then and that I don't have to wait for them in the post, although I have a feeling we won't get them until we have started making payment and I don't exactly know what's happening with that yet! Nerve racking wait for the career development loan, not the end of the world if they don't because we can just about manage paying for it monthly but will just make my life easier in the short term if I am accepted (a little concerned as we move around a lot which has affected my credit report despite never missing payments!) How do you guys fund OU if you don't mind me asking? Is it through the SLC?

 

[Tegans Mama]

My funding is through SLC yes. They processed my application really fast once they actually acknowledged it x

 

[Pearls18]

I miss the SLC! I found them to be very efficient, I only wish there was something similar for post graduate funding, I think there is for PGCEs but for most MAs it's a case of finding funding or taking a commercial bank loan, the CDL does have the interest paid for by a body for the first year then it's expensive, crazy how expensive education is.

 

[tallybee]

that's a great score louandivy

tally have you had a chat with any of the careers people at the OU?

I haven't actually, I need to do that.

How come everyone elses materials have arrived and mine haven't? *sulk*

Well done Lou&ivy, what a great score!

Look at you two talking about careers! I have no idea what I want to do when I'm done

I still don't have a clue!

Well that's not quite true, I know what sort of job I would love, that my degree would qualify me for, but it's finding it within commutable distance, hours I can manage around school etc, and even then there's the hurdle of actually being picked over possibly hundreds of other candidates Hence considering postgrad study...

Honestly I need to win the Euromillions or something

 

[vaniilla]

I wish I knew which filed I wanted to work in let alone which job it's not fun being super indecisive

My funding is through SLC yes. They processed my application really fast once they actually acknowledged it x

Have you had a look on the student home page bit on the OU website? it should have info on the dispatch date the reason I got mine so quickly is because I already had the student finance reference number from when I applied to Bristol Uni last year.