Caren’s Story
Caren has been studying with the Open University (the OU) since 2005.
She did GCSEs at school, followed by a BTEC National Diploma in Business and Finance. After college, she decided she wanted to go to work rather than university as she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. As part of her work Caren undertook a customer service qualification.
After going on a volunteer conservation project in Ghana, she was thinking of going into teaching but needed to have a degree in order to do this.
She saw a careers advisor who suggested the Open University, where modules can add up to a full degree, as it would enable her to study while continuing in paid work. So far, she has taken two courses in psychology and one in maths. She is currently taking a year off but is planning on doing another course later this year. The OU system allows her to do this.
Because she was on a low income, she qualified for financial support from the Open University, so didn’t have to pay any course fees and also got a grant for a computer. Although a lot of her studying is done at home in her own time Caren also attends face to face tutorials, and can keep in touch with other students via email or the online conference site.
So far, Caren has found the tutors enthusiastic about their subject and good at helping students. She has the contact details of her tutor so she can contact them if necessary with any queries. She finds it important to plan her study to fit around her other commitments, but keeps herself motivated by the thought of the degree ceremony at the end, and by the fact that she has promised herself that she will return to Africa to do another conservation project once she has got her degree.
