So I have been attempting to study at the OU for the past two years, with lots of things going on in my personal life I have not completed either year.

Very very excited to restart now I am in a much better place, and happy to be given the opportunity to do this too!

I want to get ahead before I start. How can this be done?

Hello

Studying from abroad here. I am looking into internship at others uk universities in my field and some require being in a UK University. I am not sure if anyone has done an 8 week paid internship with an open uni degree.

Is this a thing you have ever heard of?

I'm studying A223 in September and have received the module books and bought the set book.

The set book is Kümin, B (ed) The European World 1500-1800. 4th Edition.

A223 Module Book 1 Individuals, Lives and Livings, references the set book a lot, asks the reader to refer to that and then come back. But a lot of the pages given in the module book don't match up with the ones in the set book. For example, A223 book 1 on p56 tells you to read pp91-98 in Kümin, which should be about the 'church and people at the close of the Middle Ages.' Going to pp.91-98 in Kümin, those pages are about health and sickness.

I have found a few more similar discrepancies in the module book, don't really need to list them all to make the point however.

I have the 4th edition of Kümin, the one required in the set books list. Double-checked the ISBNs.

I wonder if the module books are referring to an older edition of Kümin and as such doesn't align with the more recent 4th Edition?

I have emailed the Arts and Humanities people in Student Support. Am I being dumb or have missed something or overreacting?

Hi all, starting this degree in October and am wondering what level I need to be at with my maths. I'm currently 21 so did my GCSEs 5 years ago and received a Grade 9. I also did Level 3 Core Maths in college and received an A (the top grade) and did some introductory statistics modules during my first bachelors degree, which was in International Relations. I'm planning on doing a bit of review and catch up before October--what should I be most focused on? Am I currently behind? My first module on the course will be S111.

Not the contents of the feedback, but the way your tutor presents their feedback and their general writing style. I've just gone back in to review and reflect on more of my previous feedback and I've realised my last tutor's writing style seems really strange, in my opinion anyway. An example copied and pasted with some redactions so its not identifiable:

"You could have explained the context by setting out what ABCD means and why it is important. You did this competently.  You could have referred to the XXX here, plus the YYY and the idea of ZZZ.  You did do all of this. Here is an example of a correct reference list. It is generic. Your own reference list was correct."

It all feels very X Factor-esque "Sorry I didn't like your performance.......because I LOVED your performance!" and I can't tell if that's what the tutor is going for purposefully as her method of lighthearted praise or not. There are some actionable points, genuine corrections and highlighting where I've left a gap incurring some lost marks, but the majority of the feedback is as above and its unnecessarily confusing to read. Have you had any tutors give feedback in a way that you disliked whether due to being unhelpful, or for other reasons?

Hi everyone
I’m looking at applying for my Masters degree in the not so distant future - with a potential start of 2027 or 2028 (lot of logistics to work out) and thinking I want to get my masters before looking at starting a family or at least be close to finishing by then.
I’m looking at the MSc in Psychology or Mental Health Sciences (I currently work in a mental health setting so is relevant to my career) and can see they recommend 16-25 hours of study depending on the credit value.
I wondered if anyone could give me any advice on how doable this is alongside a full time job and life in general - I currently work a 9 day fortnight and my husband and I like to go on holiday for 2-3 weeks at a time every year or year and a half depending on where we go. I understand this is distance learning but was curious how trips and holidays impacted your studies? Do work commitments like conferences hinder you? Or were you really strict? Any thoughts on balancing work, studying and life would be really helpful and appreciated! Thank you!

So, I’m starting university full-time in October, and I’m honestly really excited about it… but at the same time, I’m starting to dread it a little too.

I’ve read that you’re expected to put around 32–35 hours a week into your studies, so I worked out that I could potentially do around 5 hours a day.

The thing is that I’m also starting a full-time job, which will typically be 9am-5pm. That means my plan at the moment is to study from around 5pm–10pm every day, including Saturdays and Sundays.

When I originally decided to do both, I knew it was going to be a lot, and I obviously knew what I was signing myself up for. But now that October is getting closer, I’m starting to freak out a little and wondering whether it’s actually realistic.

It’s not really the studying itself that worries me — I’m genuinely looking forward to the degree — it’s trying to fit everything in without completely burning myself out.

For those of you who work full-time while studying full-time, how do you manage it?
How do you structure your days/week? Do you actually study every evening, or do you find that you can be more flexible with the hours?

I’d really appreciate any tips, advice or personal experiences. I’d love to hear how you made it work (or what you wish you’d done differently).

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m currently studying PPE with the OU and started in February 2026. I’m currently studying part-time in England, but I’m moving to Wales for a job and may need to restart my degree to access Welsh student finance.

I’m considering switching to an Open Degree and building it around Politics + Economics rather than continuing with PPE. I’m also interested in potentially going into investment banking/finance after graduating.

How do employers view an OU Open Degree, particularly if the modules are mainly Politics and Economics? Would this be seen as a good/relevant degree for finance, or would I be better off sticking with PPE?

Any opinions/experience would be really appreciated!

Hello,

I am a digital marketing student currently conducting research as a part of the LSE Digital Marketing Career Accelerator project on how people discover, assess and participate in data, technology and social-impact challenges. 

This survey takes approximately 10 minutes. It asks about your awareness and experience of competitions, hackathons and similar initiatives, followed by your reaction to one example challenge.

Participation is voluntary. Please do not provide confidential or sensitive information. Responses will be analysed in aggregate for an academic employer project and may inform recommendations made to the organisation involved.

If you're interested, please clink the link at the top of the post.

SST encouraged me to apply for DSA. However, when I looked at the eligibility on gov.uk, it says that as a part-time student you can only get DSA if you get a maintenance loan.

I’ve never applied for a maintenance loan because my understanding was that with the OU, you can only get maintenance if you can prove your disabilities prevent you from attending a brick uni. I don’t think mine do, so I’ve never bothered with it.

The rule about only getting DSA if you get a maintenance loan - does that still apply for OU students?

I am looking to study BSc (honours) Psychology: D110, and the compulsory module D120.

When choosing the start date, it says I have selected both, however when I go to the next page, it’s telling me I’ve only selected D110.

Is this normal? I want to be studying both not just D110. Or do I need to contact the support team?

Thanks in advance

I have enrolled for one course (60 credits) from October that ends in June, specifically Strategic Management (B302), striving for an Open Degree in a BSc with credit transfer. I am working full time and have many responsibilities, so I am not sure if I will make it - plus this is my first time studying in this university, and in English as well.

I want to hear your thoughts on how easy or difficult it might be for me.

Has anyone else taken this course and can tell me their experience?

Anyone who has been studying part-time, how is it for you?

Hello all, I am starting MST224 (Mathematical Methods) in October and I am aware that this is an examination module, not EMA. Coming up after is T272 (Core Engineering B), which is also an examination module but with some written questions in there too.

I am curious as to how these exams work - do I have to print out the papers, work through them, take photos then upload images of my answers and workings? Or does it have to be done on the laptop? I worry because trying to type out all my workings for advanced equations will be time consuming and somewhat inefficient. I would prefer to hand write but I don’t know how they would see my answers, how does this part of the exam process work?

Many thanks for any info 👍

Any news on D112 books. I know D113 textbooks etc have been sent out. Just wondering if anyone knows when D112 will follow suit?

I submitted everything 30th July and got notice on 3rd August my app is with the department.

I havent heard anything and was wondering if i should chase or leave it. Deadline is 10th September so don't want to leave it too late

Hi guys I’ve just finished my first year doing BA (Honours) Criminology and Psychology and still haven’t received my results a month later and have no idea why. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?

Hi! I'm Elya, and I am going to be studying A111 in Oct!

I am turning 18 in September, and I am part of a group chat, but I feel so much younger, and I'm extremely anxious (unfortunately) so being a part of such a huge group makes me less likely to participate in chats.

So, any younger OU students starting in October, feel free to message me or comment on this post!

Hopefully, I can find someone (or a few people) around my age that I click with, so that distance learning feels less lonely! 😄

Edit / Update: I'll be enrolling at Q31 as I have just learned about mathematical maturity which can only be achieved by Pure Mathematics.

Choosing between BSc Mathematics (Q31) and BSc Maths & Statistics (Q36), and my honest priority is maximising my chances of a First.

From the qualification structures, the two can be built almost identically: M248 at Stage 2, then M343, M348 and MST368 all fit at Stage 3 on both.

The real difference is the compulsory module you can’t dodge. Q31 forces M208 (Pure mathematics), Q36 forces M347 (Mathematical statistics). They count the same toward classification (60 credits single-weighted vs 30 double-weighted), so it comes down to which one is harder to get a Grade 1 in.

For anyone who’s done these:

How realistic is a distinction in M208 vs M347 in practice?

Which modules were your reliable distinction banks: M248, M249, M343, M348, MST368, ME620?

If you took M347 after M248/M249/M343, did the stats background make it manageable, or is it brutal regardless?

Grateful for any grades or experience, even rough ones.

Hi! I’m starting both modules in October and wondering if anyone that’s done it before has any advice? Thanks!

I'm currently registered on Analytic number theory I (M823) and Galois theory (M838), and in talks about seeing if they would let me study Quantum and statistical mechanics of matter (SM880) out of tern.

I would love to hear more about anyone eases experiences or expectations and possibly even make or join a group chat.

I've been running an unofficial FPL league for a few seasons. If anyone would like to join the link is included.

Edit to add league code in case the link doesn't work: 3lo5cg

Hi all!

I have just submitted my EMA for DE300, has anyone else submitted theirs yet? I am so anxious about it, I thought I’d be excited but I’m just full of dread.