The Open University

The Open University offers wonderful distance-​learning degree programs for those who are eager to earn a certificate, diploma, or higher-​education degree in a unique setting — your home!
Sure, it requires a bit more discipline; but, if you’re looking for flexibility this is where you’ll find it.
Degree programs include modules that are structured with week-​by-​week study obectives, online tutorials, face-​to-​face day schools, paperless resources, convenient on-​the-​go apps, student forums, and even some free learning tools.
As for the campus in England, it’s located on some lovely grounds for those who are able to visit or actually attend courses there.
But, for those who are remote (including Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, etc.), your degree is obtainable with a simple point and click… Alright, it’s not THAT simple, you gotta hit the books too peeps!
It’s never too late to go back to school!
Pencils down…

Probably the best distance-​learning University in the world!
You can study at your own pace and complete the modules you need to earn your degree.
Those with a disability always praise the high level of support they get.
You can study a massive variety of subjects on modules and combine them into qualifications.
The OU changed my life for the better.

I worked here for several years and even when I left came back regularly to use the library for study. A lovely environment to work in with free wireless internet access and good opening hours. There is a café, restaurant and bar on the campus so spending the day there is not a problem :)
My only issue is parking as there are not many visitor spaces and if you arrive after 9am it can be hard to park.

I use the open university library every week and I must say it is fantastic.
I am not a member of the OU, but because I go to a different university and/​or am a member of the Milton Keynes libraries, I can just sign in at the door and spend the day here.
They have free wireless internet (you must sign up at the desk) and a wide selection of books.
There are plenty of tables to study at and they all have two power points and a lamp for when it gets dark.
There is free parking and plenty of it and best of all it opens much later than the CMK library.
This is a great place to study and easy to get to.

The Open University is AWESOME. No other word to describe it.
It offers so many courses, from short courses that last a few weeks, to postgraduate courses. I have done one course to enable me to return to Uni to do midwifery, and have decided to do another whilst I wait to hear if I have a place. It’s great.
There are various grants etc on offer for those who have financial difficulties, and the study support is brilliant. There are tutorials you can attend, and an online forum to discuss things with your tutor and peers.
Its such a great way to study.

The Open University is a distance-​learning university, and one which ranks excellently in all the official tables for teaching, course structure, research, student satisfaction etc, in tables such as the Times University League and the Guardian’s University Rankings.
They offer a variety of courses, at all levels from 10-​point short courses, to 15-​point summer school courses, and 30-​point or 60-​point full courses at every undergratuate level (levels 1, 2 and 3) and postgraduate (level 5). As a comparison, a full time student at a conventional university would study 120 points a year for 3 years, so 360 points in total. It’s possible to achieve the same with the OU, by choosing 2 60-​point courses every year for 3 years, although this would be difficult as OU study demands a lot more work than conventional university, in my experience. That said, there’s also not the same distractions in the way of nightlife with the OU.
OU courses are structured perfectly. When you embark on your chosen course, you’ll receive your course materials by post, along with a planner, which tells you what you should be doing in Week 1, Week 2, etc. There will be reading textbooks, listening to audio, watching episodes on a dvd, and possibly some work on FirstClass, the OU’s online interface. There’s a wealth of information to get through and a 60-​point course will take at least 20 hours a week of dedicated study.
Periodically, there’s assignments to be handed in, called TMA (tutor marked assignments) in OU terminology. For these, there may or may not be tutorials held in local colleges and universities, and contact details for the tutor are given for anyone that might need extra help or support. At the end of the course there’s an exam.
The only negative of studying with the OU, in my experience, is the lack of access to an official academic library, although provisions are made so that students can visit local unversity libraries. There’s also the social life, although that could be a blessing.