Anyone going to do an OU course from Sept/Oct?

I am. I'm starting a 10 point creative writing module in October, and the in January will start the final course for my MSc. Good luck!

Isn't that cheating? ?

It's the 10 point Start writing fiction course. A writer friend of mine reckons I should stop writing fact, and start on fiction, so I thought I would give it a try. It should keep me occupied for a few months, I hope!

How long have you been doing your degree now? It must be fab to have the end in sight.

? Jess.

Flowery, that sounds interesting...

Mr Layabout is starting a BSc in Natural Science in September. His highest qualification to date is a CSE grade 1 in Geography, so it'll be a culture shock for him I think.

That is one of the wonderful things about the OU. They have so much experience in teaching people how to study, and getting people started. What course is he starting with?

Jess - psychology isn't real science anyway? It's practically arts.... ?

IIRC, BSc Psychology courses are practically all statistics and horrible witchery like that. BA Psychology courses now... ?

Mr Layabout is starting with the 10 point science introduction module - not the Access course level one, but the first undergraduate type. I'm so delighted for him that he's doing it as he's always regretted leaving school at 16 in a fit of pique and refusing to go into the sixth form or do anything else ?

I'm doing a 60 point course, E111 Supporting learning in primary schools.

I'm very nervous because I only worked up to A levels and didn't do great in those.I'm not sure if I'm up to studying at level 4 but I'll give it a go.

Thanks MrsJess. I meant a QCA Level 4.

They'll have to introduce it VEEERRRYY slowly for me?

I was quite surprised when I made the jump from GCSE to A Level how much harder it was, and it also made me realise how my school hadn't taught us how to answer essay questions properly.At college, they seemed to just assume we already knew, and so I still don't feel confident in that respect.I'm hoping the OU will give lots of support.

Thank You.I never even thought about there being books on how to answer essays?

I'd LOVE to do a creative writing course, I haven't done it since I was at school. I did have a couple of things published when I was in my teens, but they were dreadfully earnest and mortifyingly embarrassing now ?

I might check out this OU one. Can you just do one module? Is it expensive?

yes you can just do one module. The Start writing fiction course is 155 pounds, the 60 point level 2 Creative writing one is 610 pounds.

Wow, they both look really interesting. What's the weekly time commitment?

I've not done a course at that level before, so don't really know any more than is on the links. My post-grad courses have required about 15 hours a week, but I never really did that much on a weekly basis, and then did a lot more in teh run up to assignments.

Mrs Jess - re poetry, I'm assuming you've read Stephen Fry's An Ode Less Travelled? MrRache is a huge poetry fan (have never seen the attraction myself) but he's really taken with it. Last night, instead of our usual pre-bed discussion about whether the bin had been put out, we had a conversation about the structure of the haiku, and then discussed the uses of the rondel (we decided humour, irony, and love poetry were best suited?). MrRache has been writing poetry since reading SF's book for the first time since his teens, with rather impressive results.

We really aren't, honestly. It was most unusual.? (I like to think we could mind you, but somehow domestic tedium invariably intervenes).

ARRGGHH! No, don't tempt me, I used to love creative writing at school - think I've got enough on my plate with this module though! ??.

Clairy, timewise I think they give quite good guidelines somewhere on the site about how long to expect modules of different points-amount and different lengths (time-wise) to take, but at the end of the day if it takes you longer to finish then so be it - the whole point is they're very flexible on such things. I *think* mine is offically 12hrs a week, which doesn't sound too much until you try and fit it in, but I'm sure I'll find a way. They also do say some of it depends how long it is/how much experience you have of 'learning' in general - if you need time to get up to speed with reading, taking notes, writing etc then obviously it might need more weekly input than for someone who's come straight from another course etc. I think it's all very personal, but designed such that you get there in the end ??

? fellow students. I'm hoping to start a distance learning course in October- not OU but thought I'd join in anyway. I don't know whether I have a place yet as am still waiting for the chap giving me my reference, grumble grumble, but am feeling hopeful.

I'm doing M248 and M249 at the moment (which finish in October) but have also signed up to do DSE212 which starts in September (doing a degree in computing with psychology with the long term aim of completing the Masters in Psychological Research Methods.)

Am ridiculously excited about the psych module, can't wait to finish these stats courses!

? Hello fellow mad people students ?. I'm SO excited about my course, well about all the changes I'll be making in my life from September onwards anyway - but I've NO idea how I'm going to keep it quiet at work. Basically I'm doing what I'm doing so I can make a total change of direction, so ultimately I want out of here, so obviously I can't talk about it at work....but I'm not one for keeping quiet, so this is going to be a REAL test for me ??.

How soon should I expect to hear from them? I registered on Saturday (or maybe sunday?) and it came up with something about there being more than one person with my details (name and DOB) so they would 'contact me to clarify' and then registration would be complete. I had to give my email address of course, but have had nothing at all from them, so am not sure what's happening now. Seems a bit surprising there's other people (!) with the exact same name and DOB but I assumed they'd email and get me to fill in another form or something, but nothing so far. I haven't had to pay anything either - when does that happen?

I really fancy doing either a postgraduate law course but they haven't got them updated yet or the undergraduate english language one. Mr jaz is interested in a maths one but we can't afford it at the minute ☹️

I'm very jealous of you all ?

Ooh thanks for that - I can't wait to get the books for this one <ignores the fact that I've got 2 stat TMAs to hand in over the next 2 weeks>

Can you remember how you found the workload? I'm doing 2 30 pointers at the moment which is killing me! Just hoping that 1 60 pointer will actually be a bit easier!

Mr FtG did a maths course a couple of years ago (M208 I think), while I was doing Science and the Public. The plan was that seeing as I was spending weekend studying, he might as well too. He was vaguely thinking about doing a maths degree. But neither of us were that organised, so we weren't very good at planning work, and both ended up doing TMAs at the last minute. As none of out TMA dates coincided we always ended up needing to work while the other relaxed. It buggered up weekends for pretty much the whole year. He decided that he didn't actually want a maths degree that much ? but his tutor was most dissapointed, as he didn't get less than 98% on any of his TMAs ? (I'm not sure he told her he had an MSc in Astrophysics!)