I finished my Open University degree! Overall experience and thoughts | Maths and Physics Q77

Summary

In this video, the speaker reflects on their five-year journey completing an Open University degree in Mathematics and Physics. They share personal experiences, challenges faced during their final year, and the impact of the pandemic on exam formats. While they enjoyed the flexibility of the online learning system and the ability to study at their own pace, the speaker expresses frustration with group projects and the difficulty of timed home exams. Despite these hurdles, they are proud of their accomplishment and share their hopes for future videos discussing specific modules and their experiences.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has completed their five-year part-time Open University degree in Mathematics and Physics (Q77), with their final exams finished in June.
• 😀 Despite challenges in the final year, including mental exhaustion, the speaker expresses pride in completing the degree.
• 😀 The flexibility of the Open University program allowed the speaker to manage their studies alongside a full-time job and other life commitments, such as moving homes and getting engaged.
• 😀 The transition from untimed to timed exams in 2021 was a significant stressor, making exams more difficult to handle compared to previous years.
• 😀 The speaker found home-based timed exams more stressful than traditional in-person exams, even though they had access to books and resources during the exam.
• 😀 Group projects were a major downside, especially in an online degree program, as coordinating with other students remotely led to challenges and a reduced mark for one module.
• 😀 The speaker disliked the approach to exams in their final year, particularly the challenging and niche nature of the quantum mechanics exam, which felt disconnected from the material they had studied.
• 😀 Despite frustrations, the speaker does not regret pursuing the degree and values the knowledge gained, particularly in mathematics and physics.
• 😀 The speaker mentions the high cost of the Open University degree, noting that while it is cheaper than traditional UK universities, it is still expensive compared to degrees in other countries.
• 😀 Beyond academic learning, the degree helped the speaker develop important life skills, including time management, project management, and self-discipline, which can be valuable in job interviews.

Q & A

What degree did the speaker pursue at the Open University?

The speaker pursued a Mathematics and Physics degree (Q77) at the Open University.

How long did it take the speaker to complete their degree?

It took the speaker five years to complete the degree, even though the program is typically designed to be completed in six years part-time.

Why did the speaker choose to pursue the degree at the Open University?

The speaker chose the degree because they were passionate about studying mathematics and physics and wanted the knowledge, even though they did not plan to work directly in the field.

What challenges did the speaker face during their final year of the degree?

The final year was mentally draining for the speaker because they felt exhausted and less interested in the content, particularly due to the looming completion of the degree after five long years of study.

How did the speaker feel about the exams in the final year?

The speaker found the final year's exams to be more stressful, particularly the timed exams taken at home, which they felt were harder to prepare for compared to previous years when they had more time and could use books freely.

What was the main difference between the 2020 and 2021 exams at the Open University?

In 2020, exams were untimed and taken from home, allowing students to use books and have the entire day to complete them. However, in 2021, exams were timed (3 hours), which increased stress for the speaker, who had to deal with distractions and the pressure of completing exams under a time limit.

What aspect of the exams did the speaker dislike the most?

The speaker disliked the timed exams at home because they felt it was more stressful than doing an exam in a physical exam room with other people. Additionally, the speaker found the exams to be more difficult, possibly due to adjustments made to account for the open-book format.

What were the speaker's views on group projects in the Open University program?

The speaker disliked group projects, especially in an online environment. They found it difficult to collaborate with others who had different schedules and commitments, which resulted in a negative experience and a lower mark for their module due to challenges with coordination.

What were the advantages of studying through the Open University, according to the speaker?

The speaker appreciated the flexibility of studying at their own pace, having access to books and PDFs, and being able to study whenever it was convenient. The structure and guidance provided by the Open University were also mentioned as positives.

How did the speaker manage their time while completing the degree alongside other life commitments?

The speaker balanced their degree with a full-time job, moving houses, buying a flat, getting engaged, and other life events. Despite the challenges, they appreciated the flexibility the Open University offered, though they acknowledged that managing everything at once was stressful.