Study at Home With a Top University - The Open University

The Open University is different. You study at home with lots of support from your tutor and other university staff. Your course materials are delivered to your door - or accessed online in some cases. You also study in your own time. This means you can study when and where it suits you – during the day, late at night or in a quiet café on a sunny/wintry afternoon. You still have to study within a framework and get your assignments in on time though!

Top Class Teaching

The OU can offer you first-class university teaching (we were ranked as one of the top five universities in the UK for teaching quality by the Sunday Times University Guide this year) and great support (our students rated us so highly that we topped the recent National Student Survey for student satisfaction). Our students also have access to our extensive online library and you can also chat and share ideas with students from all over the world through our online conferencing system.

Gain Valuable Work Experience

You can also work part-time, or even full-time, when you study at the OU. You might just want to bring in some extra cash, or you might link your job to your studies - getting your foot on the ladder in the career of your choice. Whatever your reasons, you will be in the admirable position of having work experience under your belt – highly valued by all employers.

Avoid Debt

And here’s the added bonus. OU fees are a third of those of traditional universities (and no we’re not putting them up in line with top-up fees!) and if you are earning less than £15,000 a year you may get your fees paid for. This way you won’t run up all that student debt on loans, graduate endowments, overdrafts and credit cards. Who knows, you may even save some money! And of course if you live at home, you’ll save on rent and other living costs… we’re sure your parents would love to have you!

I did two years at Strathclyde University to begin with, but what with my travel costs, living expenses and student fees, money was really becoming a problem, so I left and got a job. A year later, I started studying with the OU and found it vastly different. There weren’t so many distractions and I felt much more motivated to study and do well. Financially, I was a lot better off because I could stay with my parents, and I could also work. Looking back, if I could start all over again, I would have definitely gone straight to the OU. It teaches you self-discipline and it’s much more rewarding than going to a conventional university because it’s a complete personal achievement. I’ve put everything into every course I’ve passed, so I’ve had a huge sense of satisfaction.

Profile: Kristofer Conlin (23) BSc

I set aside time to do my studying on Sundays, and was finished in time to watch The Simpsons. I found the studying really manageable and straightforward. Paying off my fees wasn’t a problem either. I like the fact that the OU isn’t intrusive – you choose when you want to contact people – and you don’t have anyone breathing down your neck. It’s completely flexible and I was able to fit in seeing all my friends.

Find out more about the OU today!  Call us on or visit our website on www.open.ac.uk