So plenty of reading then and essays? I'm doing it part time, so 8 hours a week. Getting a laptop for it too. A module has a time period on it to to complete?
So plenty of reading then and essays? I'm doing it part time, so 8 hours a week. Getting a laptop for it too. A module has a time period on it to to complete?
Not sure about time period, I think you can keep paying course fees till you have completed the module so the longer you take, the more it will cost. Don't know how many years your course is but at 8 hours per week studying you will be looking at 7 to 10 years to complete the course.
So plenty of reading then and essays? I'm doing it part time, so 8 hours a week. Getting a laptop for it too. A module has a time period on it to to complete?
It would be a safe assumption you'll have deadlines and the likes, surely they'll provide you with all the relevant info you'll need upon starting. I wouldn't worry unduly.
Not sure about time period, I think you can keep paying course fees till you have completed the module so the longer you take, the more it will cost. Don't know how many years your course is but at 8 hours per week studying you will be looking at 7 to 10 years to complete the course.
8-10 which it says 6 years on the website. Hope I can gain mini qualifications in between before finishing it to get the full degree to add to my CV.
And yes, I love history and particularly military and political.
8-10 which it says 6 years on the website. Hope I can gain mini qualifications in between before finishing it to get the full degree to add to my CV.
And yes, I love history and particularly military and political.
is that 8 to 10 hours of studying including homework or 8 to 10 hours of attending lectures ? I would expect you will be spending at least double the amount of time studying outside of lectures as spent studying in them.
I'm just coming up to the end of the final year of my history BA with the OU. It involves a lot of reading and you will need to learn to balance it with work and home life. I think they say that the recommended time to allow for the reading is about 16 hours per week or something crazy, but I've never managed to do that much (hence many assignments which have been submitted by the skin of my teeth!)
You get on average about 7 TMAs (tutor marked assignments) per module which range from 1000 to 3000 words. Then at the end of the module year you have to either do an EMA (end of module assignment) or sit an exam. There are local exam centres all over the country so you shouldn't have to travel too far.
You get an allocated tutor who marks your assignments and is available by telephone or email if you need help. They also do tutorials now and again. I've only ever been to two because it takes willpower to get up early on a Saturday after a long week at work to get to them! They were both really helpful though, so it's something to take advantage of if you live fairly close to where they are held. There are only about 6 or so of these per course and they last a couple of hours, so for the majority of the time you have to be very self-disciplined and be able to work for long periods entirely on your own. This has worked for me because I like my own company anyway, but if you work better in groups then you might find it lonely.
I've found the modules to be very interesting, though the workload has been a struggle at times. Some modules demand more reading than others, so it's always worth looking at reviews of them on the OU website to see what people who have already taken the course think about it.
The OU is flexible which is great, but you need to complete the module at the same pace as others who are doing it. So for instance, if a module starts in October and finishes in June, you need to meet all the deadlines within this time period, then plan which module you are going to take the following year.
There is a forum on the OU website where your tutor can contact the group and where you can speak to others in the group. There are also many Facebook groups for each module, which I've found immensely helpful.
3000 essays sounds like it's not a lot. As its History I take it a lot of it is opinion based and arguments from yourself or is many of it complying an essay on facts of a certain era or subject?
3000 essays sounds like it's not a lot. As its History I take it a lot of it is opinion based and arguments from yourself or is many of it complying an essay on facts of a certain era or subject?
I have only written history from a Social Science perspective, so not an historian as such. Nothing you write should be your opinion unless backed up by evidence such as primary and secondary sources, books and journal articles that you can reference.
That is what I thought, was thinking of doing a module access in the mean time but need to see if I can start it in March as it says October and Feburary.
So plenty of reading then and essays? I'm doing it part time, so 8 hours a week. Getting a laptop for it too. A module has a time period on it to to complete?
8-10 hours would only be a 30 point module, so it will take you 12 years to complete. You would need to average 20 hours a week to do 60 points.
Modules are now normally October to May with an exam in June (though not all modules have exams). There are a minority that start Feb or April until late September.
As its History I take it a lot of it is opinion based and arguments from yourself or is many of it complying an essay on facts of a certain era or subject?
It's a lot more than throwing a few facts together, although you will need to reference a lot of sources and build an argument to a logical conclusion. There is a lot of hand holding at Level 1.
Bear in mind that tutors vary a lot and you can get very good ones and average ones. A good tutor can make a big difference.
was thinking of doing a module access in the mean time but need to see if I can start it in March as it says October and February.
Not sure what this course is, but if it starts in Feb, then starting in March wouldn't be the best start, as you would be playing catch up.
The 30 point module are good to start with as they are shorter essays. You think 3000 words is not a lot but it can seem like a mountain to climb when you are writing them. Academic writing is a skill, you need to find evidence to support or disprove your work. There is a big difference between A Levels and undergraduate writing. The 30 point module will give you the guidance to help you develop the skills needed.
It is all about the reading, you need to be widely read about the subject, use journals and books not just those recommended. As you progress towards a dissertation you are expected to find your own sources.
Good luck it will be worth it in the end. I did a short module with OU before I did my MA to get back in the habit of studying. Did MA distance learning with the University of Leicester.
OP, what do you hope to gain by adding this to your cv, in 6-12 yrs time? Either do it for your own personal development (ie.not as a cv item), OR develop your cv more efficiently over the next 3-4 years. A decade's a huge part of your life to commit, for possibly little tangible benefit. If the benefit you seek is emotional or psychological, then go for it. Otherwise, seriously reconsider.
OP, what do you hope to gain by adding this to your cv, in 6-12 yrs time? Either do it for your own personal development (ie.not as a cv item), OR develop your cv more efficiently over the next 3-4 years. A decade's a huge part of your life to commit, for possibly little tangible benefit. If the benefit you seek is emotional or psychological, then go for it. Otherwise, seriously reconsider.
I added the Personal Development ones to my CV too - shows you are not fixated just on your primary area and have other skills too IMHO.
12 years? Jesus, that's ridicolous. Better to go 60?
It's 360 points for honours and I think 300 for ordinary, so yep 10-12 years.
If you work full time, I think most people find that 60 points a year is what they can cope with.
It all depends on why you want to do it and what your other commitments are.
Some people work and managed 120 points a year, which is considered full time, but I doubt they have much of a social life for the 3 years of the degree!
I've done 60 points at times, which is manageable with a full time job, although it's harder when it's 2 30 point courses than with one 60 pointer!
So really you're looking at 5-6 years if you do 60 points a year.
Have you studied before? If so, and it's in a related area, you may be able to get some credit transfer which would mean you wouldn't have to study as many courses to get to the 360 points you need.
OP, what do you hope to gain by adding this to your cv, in 6-12 yrs time? Either do it for your own personal development (ie.not as a cv item), OR develop your cv more efficiently over the next 3-4 years. A decade's a huge part of your life to commit, for possibly little tangible benefit. If the benefit you seek is emotional or psychological, then go for it. Otherwise, seriously reconsider.
The Open University is great if you already have work and home commitments that you need to prioritise, but if you are in the fortunate position where you can prioritise your education to pursue a career then spending 3 years at a brick uni would be far easier.
I'm only really doing a degree to prove I can. It bugged me seeing really stupid people having a degree on their CV, so I thought I'd become a stupid person with a degree on their CV too. ;-)
Has anyone here studied for one? I'm registering on the Open University to start one in October on a BA History. What should I expect besides essays?
I've done a couple of OU degrees and they are as much work as you want to make them. The OU tries to use different learning methods, such as online discussion groups, reading set books, videos (maybe online these days) and keep the course work varied. 60 points a year is as much as most people can handle and they are designed for part time / distance learning. The main thing is to do units (modules these days) that you are interested in, as keeping up enthusiasm for dull subjects is nigh on impossible.
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http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1840169
I will say that discipline and willpower are going to be hardest parts of studying from home.
I agree with this. I did a BA when I left school at 17, it was quite straightforward, some exams, but predominantly coursework, essays, reports etc.
I did a BSc years later, which was far tougher, there's a vast difference in the workload and revision needed in the sciences imo.
Not sure about time period, I think you can keep paying course fees till you have completed the module so the longer you take, the more it will cost. Don't know how many years your course is but at 8 hours per week studying you will be looking at 7 to 10 years to complete the course.
It would be a safe assumption you'll have deadlines and the likes, surely they'll provide you with all the relevant info you'll need upon starting. I wouldn't worry unduly.
Hope your doing it for love of history not to get a job btw.
And yes, I love history and particularly military and political.
is that 8 to 10 hours of studying including homework or 8 to 10 hours of attending lectures ? I would expect you will be spending at least double the amount of time studying outside of lectures as spent studying in them.
As its History, I suppose it is my interpretation of past evens and opinion as much as facts.
You get on average about 7 TMAs (tutor marked assignments) per module which range from 1000 to 3000 words. Then at the end of the module year you have to either do an EMA (end of module assignment) or sit an exam. There are local exam centres all over the country so you shouldn't have to travel too far.
You get an allocated tutor who marks your assignments and is available by telephone or email if you need help. They also do tutorials now and again. I've only ever been to two because it takes willpower to get up early on a Saturday after a long week at work to get to them! They were both really helpful though, so it's something to take advantage of if you live fairly close to where they are held. There are only about 6 or so of these per course and they last a couple of hours, so for the majority of the time you have to be very self-disciplined and be able to work for long periods entirely on your own. This has worked for me because I like my own company anyway, but if you work better in groups then you might find it lonely.
I've found the modules to be very interesting, though the workload has been a struggle at times. Some modules demand more reading than others, so it's always worth looking at reviews of them on the OU website to see what people who have already taken the course think about it.
The OU is flexible which is great, but you need to complete the module at the same pace as others who are doing it. So for instance, if a module starts in October and finishes in June, you need to meet all the deadlines within this time period, then plan which module you are going to take the following year.
There is a forum on the OU website where your tutor can contact the group and where you can speak to others in the group. There are also many Facebook groups for each module, which I've found immensely helpful.
Hope this helps!
3000 essays sounds like it's not a lot. As its History I take it a lot of it is opinion based and arguments from yourself or is many of it complying an essay on facts of a certain era or subject?
I have only written history from a Social Science perspective, so not an historian as such. Nothing you write should be your opinion unless backed up by evidence such as primary and secondary sources, books and journal articles that you can reference.
Modules are now normally October to May with an exam in June (though not all modules have exams). There are a minority that start Feb or April until late September. It's a lot more than throwing a few facts together, although you will need to reference a lot of sources and build an argument to a logical conclusion. There is a lot of hand holding at Level 1.
Bear in mind that tutors vary a lot and you can get very good ones and average ones. A good tutor can make a big difference. Not sure what this course is, but if it starts in Feb, then starting in March wouldn't be the best start, as you would be playing catch up.
It is all about the reading, you need to be widely read about the subject, use journals and books not just those recommended. As you progress towards a dissertation you are expected to find your own sources.
Good luck it will be worth it in the end. I did a short module with OU before I did my MA to get back in the habit of studying. Did MA distance learning with the University of Leicester.
I added all the modules to my CV as I did them. (I was working towards a PGD/MSc)
I added the Personal Development ones to my CV too - shows you are not fixated just on your primary area and have other skills too IMHO.
If you work full time, I think most people find that 60 points a year is what they can cope with.
It all depends on why you want to do it and what your other commitments are.
I've done 60 points at times, which is manageable with a full time job, although it's harder when it's 2 30 point courses than with one 60 pointer!
So really you're looking at 5-6 years if you do 60 points a year.
Have you studied before? If so, and it's in a related area, you may be able to get some credit transfer which would mean you wouldn't have to study as many courses to get to the 360 points you need.
The Open University is great if you already have work and home commitments that you need to prioritise, but if you are in the fortunate position where you can prioritise your education to pursue a career then spending 3 years at a brick uni would be far easier.
I'm only really doing a degree to prove I can. It bugged me seeing really stupid people having a degree on their CV, so I thought I'd become a stupid person with a degree on their CV too. ;-)
It's 6 years for the History BA unless you take a year or two off. Detail on the website isn't like it used to be.