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Open University Questions and Answers

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  • Registered Users Posts: 236 ✭✭didntgotoplan


    infacteh wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Looking to start Using mathematics (MST121) in October. The course consists of 5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) and 3 Computer-marked assignments (CMAs). It ends in June. There is no exam.

    Problem is, I'm getting married at the end of May and intend to be honeymooning for most, if not all, of June.

    Do people know if I could finish the course earlier? Are students informed of all the assignments at the start?

    Any help much appreciated.

    I'm doing this course now and we got the majority of the assignments at the beginning and the last two assignments in February I think. It was early during the year. They are due in June. We have been able to submit the computer based assignments at the beginning of this month.

    I know others that are doing the course with other courses and they have finished the assignments.There should be no probably submitting the assignments earlier either!

    If you want to know anything about the course in any way, send me a message and I'll help the best I can.


  • Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭brownmini


    infacteh wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Looking to start Using mathematics (MST121) in October.
    The course consists of 5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
    and 3 Computer-marked assignments (CMAs). It ends in June.
    There is no exam.

    Problem is, I'm getting married at the end of May and intend
    to be honeymooning for most, if not all, of June.

    Do people know if I could finish the course earlier?
    Are students informed of all the assignments at the start?

    Talk to your tutor ASAP.
    Else contact Belfast and explain why youre rining them before
    they put you through to someone you dont need.

    I think you'll get most of the assignments but I doubt you'll
    get them all.
    Also, I think you'll be told- Yes submit as early as you
    like but they early ones won't be marked until after the applicable
    closing date.

    Your tutor will either know the official answers or will know exactly
    who to ask for the official answer.
    One things for sure, the OU wont just say no, they will try to accomodate
    you. I doubt that youre the first student to have this happen.

    Failing all that... just tell the other half that the wedding is on hold until
    TMA05 is submitted.
    That should liven things up for you !!!


    Ahhh I can see it now-

    Nice romantic walk along the beach...suddenly you realise...
    tomorrow mid-day (UK time) is handup time...
    Suddenly run back to hotel to dialup and submit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,645 ✭✭✭BaronVon


    Yeah, thanks lads. There's an open day thing on Thursday, I'll pop into that. Sounds like it's possible.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,645 ✭✭✭BaronVon


    I'm doing this course now and we got the majority of the assignments at the beginning and the last two assignments in February I think. It was early during the year. They are due in June. We have been able to submit the computer based assignments at the beginning of this month.

    I know others that are doing the course with other courses and they have finished the assignments.There should be no probably submitting the assignments earlier either!

    If you want to know anything about the course in any way, send me a message and I'll help the best I can.

    How do you find the course? Is it more of a case of revision or does it take alot of work?


  • Registered Users Posts: 236 ✭✭didntgotoplan


    infacteh wrote: »
    How do you find the course? Is it more of a case of revision or does it take alot of work?

    I found it quite harder than I initially thought. I even heard others that did the course before it to find it a big step up from the first course.

    I thought it would mainly be revision however there are some sections (including the MathCad stuff) that are a bit mind boggling! Luckily we are at the final statistics part, which I like the best so it's coming to an end soon.

    The videos and audio along the course are great but the best thing is the support you get from your tutor. My one is great at explaining stuff that is difficult to understand from the text. At the last session, he gave us past questions and answers to help us understand the questions further.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    I'd been thinking of applying for a OU course or two.

    Was poking around on the website and checked the "Science starts here" course and was surprised that the 130 pound fees shot up to 320 for students from the Republic.

    Does anyone know why? Is it just a case that the courses for UK students are subsidised?


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 24,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Simply, yes, it is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 299 ✭✭theglobe


    Hi, just wondering is it possible to do a subject in the open university and use it as your primary subject for a hdip in education for secondary school teaching? Currently I only have business subjects and the quota is making it impossible for me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    You'd need more than one module. To teach a subject, they say that you need 30% of your degree each year to be in that subject. I've heard of people using OU modules to make up this quota, but I'm not sure if you'd get away with just studying 1/3 of a degree. Did you take any languages as part of your degree that you could add to?


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,063 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Has anyone on here done (I don't think its old enough for there to be many who have finished it yet, mind) the G23 Foundation Degree, Computing & IT Practice?

    Seeing as I'm working in IT, have been for some time, and have basically exhausted professional certification in what I'm working in / have any interest in, it looks like a decent, cheap (I'm going to assume any chance of it looking easy from the course specs are deceptive!) way to get a degree. I've no problem with self studying, I didn't do any training for my WinServer/SQL/Cisco certs and I spend numerous nights stuck in hotel rooms for work with absolutely nothing to do anyway...

    However I'd still like to know what someone else already doing it thinks of it before I commit to it.

    additionally, seeing as there are no requirements for any of the modules I've looked at, are you allowed do a Level 2 module before completing Level 1? I've missed the October registration for a number of modules and it'd be a way to get a little ahead before starting 'properly' again next October.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭bryaner


    Hello all

    I've just started the TU100 my digital life course with the OU, I'm pretty computer literate (repairing, virus removal reloading operating systems etc) and was confident that I could get through the course within the the study guidelines etc, I've just had a look through the first two lots of TMA's and a lot of the questions seem mumbo jumbo ish and not really computer related.

    Has anyone had experience in this type of course and any advice because the horrible feeling of failure has enveloped me and my confidence has dropped..

    Cheers in advance, Bryan..


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    Talk to your mentor, classmates, there's also some other rescources available.

    Sorry, haven't done that course.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,645 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    bryaner wrote: »
    Hello all

    I've just started the TU100 my digital life course with the OU, I'm pretty computer literate (repairing, virus removal reloading operating systems etc) and was confident that I could get through the course within the the study guidelines etc, I've just had a look through the first two lots of TMA's and a lot of the questions seem mumbo jumbo ish and not really computer related.

    Has anyone had experience in this type of course and any advice because the horrible feeling of failure has enveloped me and my confidence has dropped..

    Cheers in advance, Bryan..
    I'm doing the same course. The questions on the first TMA all relate to the materials that you should have covered by the end of next week. Have you started reading the first part of the Block One book yet?

    Also, as Nevore said, the course forums look pretty busy and there seems to be a willingness to support and give advice from everyone posting there. If you're particularly worried, it certainly won't do any harm to fire off an email to your course tutor.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭bryaner


    Thanks for the reply's, it's all starting to come together I hope..;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,645 ✭✭✭✭El Weirdo


    bryaner wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply's, it's all starting to come together I hope..;)
    Glad to hear it. Good luck!


  • Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭HigsBoson


    I think that TMA01 and TMA02 are just one assessment that has been split in two so that new students find it less pressure. They focus more on study skills where the next TMAs will focus more on the technical aspects of the course.


  • Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭feet of flame


    hi there, long time lurker first time poster. Just browsing the OU site and see that they are raising their fees for first time students in 2012 to £5000 per 120 credits of study for residents of the UK, anybody care to speculate what the charges for non UK students will be, the site says more info in early 2012.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,063 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    I would imagine they're going to rise but I doubt they're going to remain at their current roughly 180% of the "UK" (to be England) fees seeing as the price different was due to the UK govt funding. Could easily end up being much the same price, really depends what happens with the other UK nations.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 568 ✭✭✭TheyKnowMyIP


    hi there, long time lurker first time poster. Just browsing the OU site and see that they are raising their fees for first time students in 2012 to £5000 per 120 credits of study for residents of the UK, anybody care to speculate what the charges for non UK students will be, the site says more info in early 2012.

    For an online course, that is extortion. Not to mention the standards could slip.


  • Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭HigsBoson


    They are not online courses, they Hetac accredited distance learning undergraduate modules, phew. There is a difference. The OU is a highly respected institution and well worth the price in my opinion.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭lunacyfoundme


    Has anyone done the Comuting and IT course? I have a query on the 'My Digital Life' module. I know it says compulsory on it but does that mean you can't use a credit transfer instead of it aswell.

    I did a computing cert years ago and was going to get credit for it, but that module is the only one that I actually dont really want or feel the need to do anyway.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,026 ✭✭✭BKtje


    There is a list somewhere which states which courses can be substituted (can't find it at the moment) but My Digital Life wasn't one of them.

    I'm doing it at the moment and enjoying it even if I covered most of it already in UCD.

    I'm not sure what is involved in a computing cert but this course has aspects of most courses that I did during my comp sci module and I imagine it will be vital in your understanding of later courses. I'm finding it fairly easy at the moment (seeing as I've seen studied most of it before) but still interesting.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,063 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Has anyone done the Comuting and IT course? I have a query on the 'My Digital Life' module. I know it says compulsory on it but does that mean you can't use a credit transfer instead of it aswell.

    I did a computing cert years ago and was going to get credit for it, but that module is the only one that I actually dont really want or feel the need to do anyway.

    From my reading of it, credit transfer on Computing & IT is generally funneled towards the 30 credit "Accreditation of Certified Practitioners" modules at L1 and L2. Best option is the phone the credit transfer office - +44 (0)1908 653077 - and they'll tell you exactly.

    The two compulsory modules at L1 are very much there to ensure you're actually capable of doing the course so I doubt they'll let you transfer for them. I'm working on the other one at the moment and although it seems ridiculous for an IT degree I can see why it's there - it'll weed out people who are unable to do assignments at all and help those who might be a bit crap at them to be able to do them.

    Also the more transfers you do the harder it gets to get a 1.1 or 2.1 as transfers can't be graded, so you have no margin left.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,063 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Anyone any experience in what documents you need to get tax relief back on OU fees?

    I'll have 2,600 quid roughly spent on them this year so well over the relief threshold for part-time students (1k) and I'm down as studying towards a BSc which is one of the OU degrees that Revenue accept

    But I can't see them returning 300 quid or so to me in a tax return without asking for documentation (admittedly, they've done it for medical expenses and never asked for any but still). Are print offs of the confirmation of payment and CC statements showing the euro conversion OK?


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 Swifty_N


    MYOB wrote: »
    Anyone any experience in what documents you need to get tax relief back on OU fees?

    I'll have 2,600 quid roughly spent on them this year so well over the relief threshold for part-time students (1k) and I'm down as studying towards a BSc which is one of the OU degrees that Revenue accept

    But I can't see them returning 300 quid or so to me in a tax return without asking for documentation (admittedly, they've done it for medical expenses and never asked for any but still). Are print offs of the confirmation of payment and CC statements showing the euro conversion OK?
    You ring up the office in Holles St and ask them to send you out a letter for the years you want to claim for. Send that in to Revenue and they'll send you out a cheque. It's straightforward and you can claim for previous years.
    Niamh


  • Registered Users Posts: 462 ✭✭lunacyfoundme


    Send that in to Revenue and they'll send you out a cheque

    I signed up and paid for two modules in February 2012. Payment has already been taken. Can I calim for these for 2011 or do i have to wait til the end of next year?


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 Swifty_N


    I signed up and paid for two modules in February 2012. Payment has already been taken. Can I calim for these for 2011 or do i have to wait til the end of next year?

    I don't know for sure...but I know I claimed in the middle of the year at least once and they processed it quickly. Maybe drop the Revenue an email and ask?
    Sorry I can't be of more help.


  • Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,063 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Thanks for that. I'm in the same boat as goes paying for something in 2011 that's for 2012 so I'll need to contact Revenue I think... won't get my P60 to be able to do the rest of my claim for a few weeks anyway.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 100 ✭✭Anyusername


    Looking at this degree with the OU. I have a Diploma in Business level 7 from an IT in Ireland. Does anyone know can I transfer into year 4 or any year of the open degree? . How many credits would my diploma give me? I would like to go on and do a Masters in Social Work. I am thinking of doing subjects do bring it up to a Degree in Social Science. Any one know if this is poss?

    Thanks for your advice :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    Some of the stuff on the their FAQ for credit transfer might answer your questions.

    http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/faq.aspx?t=S&cat=1-1SDO4V

    Failing that, or someone on here biting, fill in the form here:
    http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/contactus.aspx?cid=192

    with all the details of your current quals and what you want to do etc and you'll get a very thorough answer. I mainly deal with my tutor now but when I was first mulling stuff over the general staff were extremely indepth in their help.


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