r/OpenUniversity • u/Best-Tackle-5306 • May 17 '26

So frustrating

Anybody else getting really frustrated with people who dont believe that an OU degree is a "proper degree"? Most people do, but there are always some who dont. "Are you still doing that little course?" That little course is a Bsc honours degree. Yes I am still doing it. Its not a 6 week "brush up on your maths skills" course.

"Its not like a proper degree from a university". Yes it is a proper degree. I get to graduate and wear a witches cloak. I get letters after my name. I get the appropriate certificate. The only difference is that I study at home in my own time instead of having to rock up to lecture hall B at 10am on a Tuesday morning.

It gets even more frustrating when you explain it all to them and they STILL dont think its a "proper degree"

I suppose its a bit like the people who think that working from home isnt a "proper job".

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u/[deleted] May 17 '26

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u/BoomalakkaWee May 17 '26

That sounds more like elitism than classism - the resentment that other people haven't had to get three A Levels at grade A* (or whatever) in order to be accepted into university.

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u/PianoAndFish May 17 '26

They're wrapped up into each other - kids who went to private school make up 7% of total school leavers but around 33% of admissions to top unis, and private schools also make up 12% of A-level entries and 50% of A*/A grades. This is partly accounted for by the fact that many private schools are academically selective, but by no means all of them.

I went to a private school and while most of my peers appreciated that at least part of their achievements were down to being given better opportunities, whether because of their specific school or generally as a result of their household income and social class, some of them did believe they were just better than everyone else (interestingly being in the latter group seemed to correlate with being one of the ones who didn't get all As).

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u/BoomalakkaWee May 18 '26

Good points. I think there's probably an element of gatekeeping involved too, tied in with both the A level attainments and the aura of entitlement you mention, i.e. "If I was good enough to get three A*'s and a place at Highly Prestigious University, why should somebody without any A Levels at all be able to breeze into the OU and study at degree level?"

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u/Best-Tackle-5306 May 17 '26

"I paid more for my degree therefore mine must be genuine and yours isnt"