The Open University

I am really enjoying my experiences studying at The Open University. I am currently in my second year of study. I have always wanted to complete my degree, so when the opportunity to go back to school came, I took it. I have not been at university for several years and I was a bit anxious about returning to study. However, the convenience of their degree programs are very helpful in slotting study into your busy life. They are mostly known for distance learning that you can do on your own time if you have work and a family to juggle. However, you are assigned a tutor group that you study along with. You have access to your tutor by email, phone, and at face to face tutorials where you meet as a class and study with other students at a university setting. So there is interaction with other students and a tutor which makes it more like a traditional university experience. Studying with The Open University can be a very active experience if you participate fully with the forums and at the face to face tutorials.

In addition to the access to tutors and a class environment, you are also given access to a course website with forums. These forums allow you to have access to your tutor and the students in your group, as well as other students from other areas of the United Kingdom. At the course website, you are also given a course map to follow and there is access to the libraries of the university and other excellent research resources. The Open University often collaborates with other institutions, therefore there is easy access to information from other places.

The Open University mails your textbooks to you along with various audio visual materials. The study materials are excellent and text versions or transcripts of the recordings are offered on the course website so that you can have a hard copy of what the experts are saying on the various recordings.

I am thoroughly enjoying my experience with The Open University and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to do study at the university level, whether it is for a degree or simply the joy of learning.