Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
Overall I loved my experience with the OU. It's not easy and there will always be those who make comments about the OU 'not being...
University rating
Tell us about your overall university experience so far.
Overall I loved my experience with the OU. It's not easy and there will always be those who make comments about the OU 'not being a real uni', but the joke's on them - I've graduated with a First Class degree after 5 years of hard work and dedication, and I'm now in the job I've dreamed of for years. If you're thinking about the OU, go for it!
Facilities
How good are your university's facilities?
N/A - online/distance learning
Student support
How good is the support offered by the uni? Think both academic (tutors/feedback) and personal (counselling, etc).
Of the six tutors I had during my time with the OU, 5 were absolutely, faultlessly brilliant. I had issues with one tutor in my final year, and after putting in a complaint I was contacted by the head of the Arts faculty, who dealt with the issue personally and moved me to a new tutor (at my request). I cannot fault how my complaint was handled, and the tutor I was moved to was extremely helpful and supportive.
Students' union
What do you think of your Students' Union in terms of student representation and facilities?
Very useful when I needed advice, although I only needed this once and had no other interaction with OUSA
Local life
Is your university in a good location in terms of distance to accommodation and local amenities?
N/A - online/distance learning
Societies and Sports
How would you rate the variety of societies/sports?
N/A - online/distance learning
Lecturers and teaching quality
What do you like most and least about the way your course(s) are taught?
I love that my tutors pushed me to work harder and supported me in meeting my potential.
I didn't always like the isolation associated with distance learning.
How many contact hours per week do you have?
20
Career prospects
How does your uni make efforts to increase your employability (careers department, work placements, transferable skills)?
The OU is brilliant for developing transferable skills, especially self-motivation and discipline and time management. I worked full time in a stressful job while studying, and have since been promoted on the back of my degree (my employer told me that she was impressed that I successfully juggled work and study commitments for 5 years and that this was a key reason I was considered for my current role).