I began my study on English Literature and Creative Writing BA (hons) with Open University in October 2019 and have just finished my first year (through the help of the pandemic exam cancellations). I’ve never attempted studying at distance but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first year and so I thought I’d share some pros and cons of home learning for anyone longing to attend but are unable to go to a brick university for any reason.
I chose to study with Open University rather than a regular brick university for many different reasons, the main ones being the ability to continue with a full-time job, the ease of studying at my own pace and my inability to do certain things due to my anxiety. Many of the students on the same modules as myself were either continuing to work full/part-time or still able to maintain other commitments such as childcare. Studying at my own pace meant I was able to join in on the tutorials (either online or at a chosen campus) when I wanted and study as much or as little as I liked. I would usually set aside a weekend and get as ahead as I could so I could spend the next weekend with my friends and family (or just hiding away and reading which was usually the case). The university include a schedule of recommended study which you do not need to stick to but helps you to organise your time.
There are a few groups on Facebook which bring together those doing the same modules so you can still ask for help and get to know others with similar interests. The bad thing about these groups is that they’re not run by the OU committee but are instead created and managed by students, this can lead to disagreements in decisions of who’s in the group and the kind of stuff which is appropriate to share – I was removed from one of my groups due to sharing an inside joke with a friend which the admin thought was insulting, even after explanation. This led to me being unable to ask for help for this particular module, which obviously you wouldn’t get in a brick university.
The main downside of distance learning is that you don’t get the full university experience; staying in student accommodation, meeting friends, getting drunk and missing lectures – some would say this isn’t necessarily a downside but to me, these are experiences everyone who studies in university would expect to enjoy. You can still be involved in groups as I’ve said, as well as WhatsApp groups which can be a bit more selective to the people on your modules you enjoy speaking with outside of study.
When applying for Student Finance, distance learning is unfortunately only seen as a part-time course. This is the case if you’re studying one module per year (60 credits) as well as if you’re studying what would usually be a full-time course (120 credits). I’m studying 120 credits per year which is classed as intensive study although because it’s considered part-time, you receive less help from Student Finance. This may not be a major deal breaker but if you’re studying from home and are unable to find work this can have a big effect on you.
You’re still able to receive help from your tutors though instead of physical one-to-ones, you are restricted to emails. I didn’t mind this as both of my tutors were quite quick to reply with informative advice and were both lovely people. When submitting assignments, you’d upload them to a specific TMA service then have the nervous wait for your tutors to mark and return them to you. When returned, they would make notes on the actual submitted document as well as writing an overview on what you did well, where to improve and of course, your score for the assignment.
Throughout my first year, I’ve enjoyed meeting new people online and studying things I like whilst still having the ability to live at home and live my usual life. I would recommend Open University to anyone unable to attend a brick university, you can still pursue your studies when you feel like there isn’t an option.
