Open University www.open.ac.uk

tutors are largely unprofessional. Getting tutorials started is painful as the technology either doesn't work or they cannot use it (not always entirely clear which or both) and they are ineloquent when they do eventually start. I have done two years with great marks but third year did badly but they wouldn't change my (awful pernickety non sensical) tutor and my end of year assessment marked by external marker was consistent with previous years - proof it was the tutor - but the policies and procedures to make any complaint or change tutor are just so stacked against you that its all pointless and futile. I did my first degree and postgraduate in person at different institutions and it was 1000% better than my experience here so Id say go anywhere but the OU. unfortunately I had to give a star to leave the review but really its zero stars

This university is for rejects who can’t get into a proper university hence the abysmal quality of teaching and administration. They are now just a business only interested in your cash! Course books are a thing of the past, it’s more profitable for them, and many courses are written by uneducated folk, littered with errors - embarrassing! Don’t waste your time and money and most importantly, save your sanity as the effort will get you nowhere in life anyway. I achieved an engineering degree but it opened no doors whatsoever. I wish I’d gone to a proper university now!

So far I have managed 5 of 6 years at the OU and have found the materials mostly to be engaging. However, the tutors are so inconsistent in their marking standards you can be very disadvantaged if you have the poor fortune of getting a harsh marker, as it will affect your degree classification. They need to audit their markers better. Also there is no easy way to deal with a difficult tutor. The student support is lacking. Lots if IT issues, too.

I studied with the Open University for 6 years as a transitional student and it was the WORSE experience of my life. The University ended up telling me that I would have to pay nearly £3000 for one module because I was not a transitional student anymore. The University knew that I had a full-time job and that I was working in the evenings to pay for my modules, but do you think they cared... NO! They just wanted the money.

I only had 2 more modules left to take, but this year (2018) I gave up the course. I tried to call the University for direction because I had to sit an exam but Customer service was not opened, then when I called back the person was rude and did not know how to give me directions to the Open University in Milton Keynes, so you guessed it, I missed the exam. I was so upset I could have cried. Did someone phone or send me a letter to find out why I did not turn up for the exam ... no, because they do not care. To speak about the tutors is another matter and I do not have enough space to tell you what I experience with them. I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO STUDY WITH THEM, it has left me traumatised.

Bare in mind the following when considering your degree provider:

- The lowest mark overall is your module result. So if you score 80% over the year, but score 40% in the final piece of work, your module score is 40%.

- The module result is affected by non-academic factors. So might score 35% which is a fail (because it’s under 40%), but actually get a pass 4 (40-49% bracket).

- No past papers are given. You may not see any previous work whether students consent to it being shown or not.

- There is limited time given to staff to provide feedback. So do not count on detailed feedback to improve the score on your next piece of work. End of module (EMA) feedback is also sparse and hardly covers the reasons why you scored the way you did.

- Appeals are tightly restricted. You may not appeal their academic judgement.

I have been studying with OU for 8 years. There have been problems on top of problems. Firstly, you can not trust the estimated study times (e.g. 8 hours for a 30 credit module). They have no idea or care about how much time and effort students have to put in. How they expect people to study around full time jobs with such inconsistent workloads and estimates, I don't know.

My degree scheme was terminated before I even had a chance to finish it. I was told that some of my work would no longer count and that I would have to spend more years studying and more money, of course. Tutor support was awful. I asked for clarification a number of times and either received no response or a useless one.

After complaining, my complaint was simply rejected and no further action was offered.

Awful.

The OU was for me personally poor value for money. After two careers and a family --including a lot of college and professional qualifications over 35 years-- I began an OU History BA on the Heritage pathway in 2012. Enjoyed the first modules.

We started with the Arts Past and Present (AA100), and studied interesting people including Cleopatra, Stalin and Shostakovich inter alia. We had good course books and local tutorials with a great tutor; all was good. After that it all went downhill; we could only write TMAs and discuss ideas based on the OU course books.

Recently I looked up the reviews and courses: I get the 'research' philosophy; we are supposed to read and study. I like research but I don't like the OU fees and reduced tuition. After my first year:'student support' was poor; OU admin and communications were shambolic, emails and enquiries were not answered. They withdrew our coursebooks and local tutorials.

I decided it wasn't worth the money. An OU Degree is worth nothing to me now, certainly not worth the extortionate fees for bad service, and I'd never go back.

Apart from poor participation in the online OU forums and seminars: most of our lazy 'students' were on Facebook, ignoring the group tasks. Most of our course didn't bother to prepare for tutorials and turned up having read nothing.

To this older professional: the modules were over-priced, restrictive and boring; the whole experience including so-called 'students' was miserable. It was just not worth the money and effort. They've asked me to return recently, obviously fishing for subscriptions, but I would never use the OU ever again.

I have recently started my degree and so far, I am happy with the OU! I have a lovely tutor who I can contact at any time for some support and they are really supportive of people who have disabilities and understand that life gets in the way sometimes.

I got to meet with other students yesterday at a tutorial and I met one of the tutors. We had a very interesting and intellectual discussion about society. It is perfect for anyone who may be intimidated by a lecture hall where they're being talked at, as this was very informal and you could ask questions without fear!

The OU is very much about independent learning and for some, that's not right for them, especially if they're used to a traditional university. In higher education, you get guided less and less and it's down to you to put in the work which develops many skills.

My first module is very basic; starting with very small word counts for essays and it is teaching us how to write essays and how to reference correctly. I think it's a really good starting point for those who have been out of education for a long time and I'm glad I didn't do an access course.

The value for money is excellent in my opinion. My entire degree will cost about £5800 - a lot cheaper than a traditional university! As I am in Wales, I can get a grant so I get £1k a year! You can pay yourself or with a tuition fee loan and you can access a disability support allowance.

You get to choose when you want to do your modules and how many credits you do and what modules you wish to do. This also translates to the Open degree, which lets you do 300 credits in absolutely any module you fancy which is not available in other universities.

The Welsh Student Support Service is excellent. Everyone I've spoken to have been really friendly, chatty and lovely to me.

You can get an NUS card too to get discounts almost every where and your OU e-mail address gives you access to Microsoft office for free. The OU have their own online library full of articles/books. The OU has student representatives and associations and the OU arranges meet ups themselves but the hosts are also students who offer to host. They even have their own shop with OU merchandise!

As this is a degree you study at home, of course there will be no night life (or accommodation so don't know why people have bothered to review those), but that's up to you. I have met students twice now and it's down to you and them to arrange events and meet ups, where you can definitely enjoy the night life together! It depends on how much you put yourself out there to meet people.

I didn't give the OU a 5 stars because there were a few errors in my module, though they corrected them very quickly and notified all of the students. I expected it to be a bit more proof read but you have to learn to overlook any mistakes and just follow what they've told you to do.

I wanted to write a review because I was initially put off the OU because of the low reviews you find online, but I am happy that I went forward to do it so I can show myself and others that I have potential! If you are dissuaded by the reviews, you can join the OU Facebook groups and ask current and past students yourself. :) It is often those who have had a negative experience that make an effort to write a review.

I had a dismaying experience. I paid out £1300 but had to withdraw (before the first assignment) due to illness. I was sent a standard message telling me that I could have a refund or a credit, foolishly due to my health I failed to check and when I inquired 4 months later I was told it was only a credit and that there were no suitable courses available in the time so I lost the money. You are given no opportunity to appeal the decision and just run through the system receiving no proper communication.

I have had very positive experiences with the OU in the past but now it appears to be a commercial operation where 'customer service' is now the cover for simply making money regardless of the quality or fairness of the situation which is standard business procedure for high handed capitalist organisations. My advice to anyone would be to pay by installments as it would appear that once they have your money they will try to keep it regardless of the rights or wrongs.

All in all it has left a seriously 'bad taste in my mouth' and although I am considering further study I am reluctant to use the OU again.

With only a few GCSEs and as a stay at home mother, I was fed up with people making assumptions about my intelligence. With no familial childcare help and a partner working 3 shifts, I found the OU the best option at that time. Meet up tutorials were useless, but later, online forums were invaluable & fun. Student services were great, helping me change from one rude & unfair tutor to a brilliant one. I finished my degree with 1st class hons, but it was 18 months until my graduation (even then, next county). I complained & was told there wasn't enough students in my area to hold one earlier, but others must have complained & 12 still-long-months later, I finally got to graduate. There were actually far too many graduates, making the event drag on & with only 2 guests allowed at £17 each(!), my 3 children never got to see me graduate, something that still upsets me & my partner sat alone. Long queues for photos, which you only get to see once paid for and through your door, mine was horrible, expensive waste of money. I didn't receive any careers guidance and with no relevant work experience, my degree has been a waste of time & means I cannot apply for an Apprenticeship now, which would've lead to a job. If you have an exact aim or just want to learn, then OU is brilliant, most courses are engaging, but if you have the choice, go to a brick Uni, make good friends to graduate with & get help with work guidance.