I did an OU degree as well. I did my first module in 95' in Analogue and Digital Electronics, because it seemed at work the best programmers were ex-electronic engineers. There were things at work I just couldn't understand: reading circuits diagrams, what the feck op-amps and pull-up resistors were. I found it really boring so I decided not to continue after the first year. Then several years later everybody started talking about I.P. and broadband, and again I didn't have a clue what they were talking about, so I took another module in Digital Communications, which I somehow fluked a distinction at. Then I did a short course at work on databases, which we used in our products, and I felt at the end I didn't really understand them neither, so I enroled on with the Relational Databases course. It was only a 30 point course, so I thought I'd take Logic Design to brush up on my electronics. Then I realised I could use credit from my HND to get a BSc with just 60 more points, so I enroled with Mechatronics and Microprocessor Based Computers. I see from my record I also started a level 1 course called Personal and Career Development in Engineering, so I must have been thinking about taking the Masters then. I dropped the Personal and Career Development because it was making me face up to too many unpleasant considerations, so then decided to go for the named degree in Technology, which meant another year's study. This time I took Radio Frequency Engineering and another level 1 course called Engineering The Future, which was required for that particular degree. Then I could have used credit from my HND to complete it, but I realised that I could get a 1st if I got one more grade 2 result. So I took Inside Electronic Devices, and a mickey-mouse level 2 course called Putting Computer Systems to work as insurance. That was it. Six years of work and I got my 1st. Thanks for reading.
The goods things about the OU include:
* generally excellent teaching materials
* cheaper than studying full time
* you can study what you think will help you in your current career
* it is possible to get a better class degree by doing more modules
bad things were:
* you are studying over summer instead of winter
* you're working on your own a lot
* it's not as much fun
* the other students are a lot older and uglier when you do meet them
* there's noone to go for a drink with after the exams because you don't
know anyone and they're all driving back to work anyway
* it takes a long time
* no access to lab equipment, you do sometimes get home kits, but it's
not the same
They don't seem to do any engineering courses any more, so if I was deciding to do similar part-time study for the same reasons, I couldn't choose them. I wouldn't mind doing a BA with them some time in the future. I quite fancy social sciences or language studies, but there's so much stuff I want to study, it will have to wait. There is another distance-learning organisation which teaches engineering courses such as Mechanics and Electrical Engineering HNCs. I might contact them in the future. I heard the government is thinking of changing the rules so that they only subsidise tuition fees for one qualification of the same level per person. They reckon it's fairer, but it would probably put a lot of people off OU degrees.
I didn't think my degree would actually help with my career all that much. It didn't really any difference with the job I had then, but it did qualify me to study an MSc in Renewable Energy, which my HND would not have enabled me to do. So, hopefully, it will have been worth it.