Does anyone know Open University?

Hi! this is my first post, hello to all!

I’m a developer and I want to study at university, but because of job I have to do it at distance. I was reading about Open University http://www.open.ac.uk/, do you know it? Is it a good reputation university? I know there’s some people from UK here, but the question is not only for them, what do you think about this? Is good having a undergraduate from here? I’m living in Spain and well, few people knows this university and speaks very well about it, but studying from here is expensive so I just wanted to ensure that is a good choice and a cool line on your cv.

Thanks!

It has a good reputation and a lot of mature students study at OU and I know few people that have gained some good qualifications and jobs from a result of studying at OU. It shows commitment and self-discipline if you complete a course there since usually it has to be done while you are holding down a job, etc. I’d probably consider OU if I were to go back again to university obviously depending on courses available, etc.

The Open University is good. A lot of people won’t rate it as highly as a degree from a typical university, but if you receive a typical Bachelors then it’s as good as anywhere else in my eyes.

Studying in the UK is quite expensive so if cost is a factor I would recommend looking elsewhere. Is it not possible for you to study in Spain?

Definately, Spanish Open University is by far much cheaper than Uk’s :smiley:

But not everyone can study in Spanish though.

Yes… Spanish open university (UNED) is cheaper, a lot, but it’s quite awful for studying IT, the prices anyway in Spain are increasing a lot every year, specially last year. Here in Catalonia there’s the UOC (Catalonia Open University) but it’s private, almost as expensive as OU. I speak Catalan but I’d rather studying in English, I’m also seriously considering moving into UK… and in this way being a student won’t be an obstacle.
Thanks for your opinion! :slight_smile:

Yes study in UK is much expensive than any other Country.
But in recent time study in Canada is quite cheaper than UK

Sorry that I can’t agree with you. UNED does have a quite good IT degree (they use the same structure as Universidad Politénica).

Catalonian Open University does have a good reputation so that’s another option.

And regarding prices rising… they’re rising in UK to. And you have to think that one year of university in UK is around 3-4 thousand pounds, and that’s not the private one :wink:

Some people told me that UNED’s program is old and books are expensive and poor, bad explained, anyway I have a friend who will start this year the IT career so I will see with my own eyes how is it. If it’s good as you say, I’ll join him and I won’t think it twice.

I can afford OU, but I don’t know if is it really a good inversion. It seems like it’s not, for what are you saying (it’s just a normal university, maybe less, but it’s still a bachelor), I thought it was better considered. The only reason that remains to study in OU is that, according to some friends, study in UK is harder and expect more from you, so you get more prepared, and studying a career in english is good to improve my english skills (study english is expensive and requires extra time). Even if I stay here, a high level of english is a requirement for working in almost every mid-size/big company.
I’m just trying to put down pros and cons! If have to put it on the balance, I’d prefer best education even if it’s expensive. I have still an year to think and evaluate… I just think that a developer who comes from spain and wants to work in UK… it’s better if he studied in an english university rather than a spanish unknown (by them) one. Experience will speak, of course, but I think this also counts… What do you think?

Scuse me Molona, I don’t want to offend you it’s just what friends told me, maybe it was this years ago when they studied and now changed… :stuck_out_tongue:

I don’t feel ofended at all.

I would say that University teachs a lot… but not all of it practical (be it in Spain or in any other country). I can’t compare the IT degree in UK although for sure there is more variety of subjects you can choose from. UK Universities have always had a good reputation in Business and Administration, and related topics such as Marketing. Not so sure about its reputation in IT.

UNED does have an old program as well as many other Universities and, to be honest, compared to the Bolonian plan, I’d rather prefer UNED’s old program than the most recent in other Universities. A University really teachs you to learn, giving you a good base to learn whantever it takes later.

Regarding the books poorly explain, it is always harder to learn from a book and by yourself than when you have lectures and classes and a tutor to guide you. It is like everything in life… when you understand it it is not that hard but when you don’t… it is a mountain! Of course, there is always room for improvement and that something that I hope they work on. But some books are more than OK.

The online campus needs to be improved, in my opinion, but it does the job and works well even if it is not pretty.

Now, if you can afford going to a real university in UK, I would highly recommend it because you will enjoy the experience very much. You will not work harder. Nodoby will make you work if you don’t want to. Furthermore, UK universities leave most of the work up to you and they don’t have as many lectures as Spanish ones. It is completely up to you what you do. But it costs an arm and a leg (and maybe an eye and a kidney) to study there.

In truth, the only University I heard of with a good reputation for IT is the MIT in US. You can download some of their courses in iTunes