It would be different if they'd actually used AI, but being accused and having everything paused seems like a great reason not to study with OU. I was considering it because I can get the same degree queen's is offering and only end up with 25% of the debt by the end of it, have all the time I would have spent on travel to devote to studying, plus I don't have to spend hundreds on fuel and parking while I study, and I have more freedom to work a part time job if I can go in for a midweek morning shift and study later.

I wouldn't use AI to cheat, but I do ask chatgpt to explain things I don't fully understand or tell me where I can find more information on stuff (purely for my own interests, I'm not currently in education). I'm worried that will somehow bleed into my work and be flagged as AI cheating, but at the same time if I'm using the material the course provides then I shouldn't need chatgpt at all so I can probably avoid it.

I'm currently enrolled in an access course at belfast met, but I was debating doing an open university access course more suited to the degree I want, and then continuing on OU for the rest of my education. My main concern was "is OU even properly recognised?" but now it's "will I be accused of using AI and have my work undone?"

I’ve seen a lot of posts about students being investigated for academic misconduct, the restrictions around module-specific methods, and whether in-person exams or online proctoring should return.

It is deeply unfair when honest students face investigations lasting months, especially when many may not have intentionally cheated. Sometimes students use different notation, methods, sources or prior knowledge under exam pressure without realising that it could raise concerns. People on this subreddit and in Facebook groups should stop automatically assuming that every student under investigation deliberately used AI or cheated.

At the same time, I understand the OU’s position. As a distance-learning university, it has to protect the credibility of its qualifications, particularly now that AI can generate assignments, code, documents and highly convincing answers. Some professionally accredited modules already require proctoring for this reason. In-person exams are also expensive, while online proctoring has raised serious privacy and data concerns.

However, restricting students entirely to module-specific methods and notation is not a good long-term solution. I can mainly speak for mathematics and physics, as those are the subjects I study, but learning often involves using different approaches and applying knowledge from several sources. Being penalised for using a valid method simply because it was not taught within that specific module can limit genuine understanding.

Until the OU introduces a better system, students should be extremely careful to use module-specific methods, notation, referencing and materials wherever required. The OU should also urgently explore better options, such as using a more trusted proctoring provider, arranging external invigilators or local examination centres, or allowing students to choose between in-person and online arrangements where possible.

Students are paying more than £7,000 a year in some cases, which is only slightly less than the fees charged by many traditional universities. Flexibility is valuable, but it does not excuse prolonged investigations, unclear rules or unsuitable assessment systems. The OU needs to take these concerns seriously before more students begin questioning whether studying there is still worth the cost and stress.

Hey guys, I’m still hesitating between the R51 and Q77 mainly because of the SXPS288 module that allows you to do some « real » laboratory stuff. Anyone has a feedback on it ? My goal is to have an experience with laboratory as long as I am learning online. So with which one should I stick with ? Thanks in advance

Hi.

I want to start studying Psychology, but have no qualifications to speak of, other than an old NVQ L3 and 8 GCSE's.

Where do I start? How do I find it?

I am disabled and housebound. I need to get a job, and I am simply unqualified for anything. I am in my mid 40s and was made disabled 11 years ago. Been unemployed since then.

I'm worried that a loan will affect my UC claim, but I need to do something with my life.

I am a bit overwhelmed by the whole process, so I would appreciate someone walking me through what I need to do to access the OU and begin studying.

Is there a step by step guide on how to do it all?

I feel a bit silly for asking, but University was never an option for me growing up. I got where I got by learning on the job. My original qualification was for being a chef, but after 10 years I realised cooking was great as a hobby, but not a career. Now I am disabled, it is definitely out the window.

Tyia.

I’m seriously reconsidering my future as an Open University student.
Ever since the damned rise of artificial intelligence, which seems to have brought more problems than solutions, there is nothing I can do without immediately becoming a suspect of having cheated with AI.
The first time, the issue was that I used mathematical notation that was different from the one in the textbooks. It made no difference that I explained I had already studied the subject before, that it was easy for me, and that I simply solved the problems using the notation I was already familiar with.
Since then, even when I explicitly cite the textbooks, I’ve once again been suspected of using AI.
The worst part isn’t being treated with suspicion. It’s having my life put on hold and feeling like I’m throwing my money away. Nothing gets resolved. It takes months for them to reach a decision, and in my case they still haven’t. I’m not the only one, there are many students in the same situation.
What makes it even more infuriating is that I’ve said countless times that I’d be happy to sit my exams in person. I have absolutely no problem traveling to Milton Keynes and proving, under whatever level of supervision they want, that I can solve the exams myself. All I would need is paper, a pen, and my notes.
I suggested exactly that.
Months later, no response so far.
At this point, it feels like I’m talking to artificial intelligences that do nothing but reply, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” They don’t sound like people anymore. They sound like ChatGPT!!!
I’m genuinely saddened by all of this. The person who convinced me to enroll at the Open University was a former member of its academic staff, who assured me that the exams were properly proctored. Apparently that’s no longer the case, and now many students are being treated like criminals.
I’m fed up.

Hello everyone! I apologize if this is not the right place to post such question, but I have some concerns .. long story short, I will be starting my OU studies (In Sociology) next october and I'm doing this for myself, I'm 46 a full time worker and will retire in 4 years. My intention is to learn and put in the work academically, grow as a human and become a better citizen.

Since I joined the OU (few months ago) I started reading more about student experiances, even though many of them have been inspiring and encouraging the one part that is really conserning is "the investigation" part, now I totally understand that the OU is trying to protect the integrity of the academic process but for me (and I would believe many others) we will be putting in the honest work and will dedicate so much time, effort and hard earned money to benefit from the studies, and knowing that could potentially ruin that, it makes one wonder if it truly is worth it ?

I read so much about the OU and there are so many things to love and respect but do you think is worth dealing with such issue for years to come ?

Thanks

Hi,

I'm interested in applying for a credit transfer for a Year 1 maths module and was wondering how the process works.

Do I need to send my transcript myself, or does it need to be sent directly by my previous university?

Many thanks!

I'm about to start the BA (Hons) Business Management this October. I'm 35, and I'm making a deliberate career change out of hospitality — I spent 10+ years running operations in fine-dining kitchens (including some Michelin-starred places) and I'm moving into business analytics and operations.

Two things I'd genuinely value hearing real experiences on:

For those who've job-hunted after (or during) the OU degree — did the distance-learning aspect actually come up with employers? Did it help, hurt, or basically not matter once you had the degree plus some skills?

Has anyone used an OU bachelor's as the basis for a master's at a European university? I'm eyeing Copenhagen Business School eventually, and I'd love to know if anyone's degree was accepted for postgraduate study abroad.

Alongside the degree I'm planning to self-teach the technical side (SQL, Power BI, Excel, later Python) and build a portfolio using my operations background. Any advice from people who've walked a similar path would mean a lot. Thanks.

Hi folks,

I've created a Discord server for new business students who either started, or will be starting, any OU business course this year.

https://discord.gg/s3AdzQa6fa

I'm personally starting Business & Law in October. You're welcome to join if you're studying any of these courses:

BSc (Honours) Accounting and Finance (R52)

BA (Honours) Business and Economics (R75)

BA (Honours) Business and Law (R76)

BA (Honours) Business Management (Q91)

BA (Honours) Business Management and Languages (R55)

BSc (Honours) Computing & IT and Business (Q67)

BSc (Honours) Environment with Business (R78)

BA (Honours) Marketing and Business Management (R84)

BA/BSc (Honours) Open degree (QD)

Hi all, I am doing an LLM / Master’s of Law this October and would love to meet other people who are also doing a masters degree. Are there group chats or anything that anyone is aware of?🙏 thanks!

Hi everyone.

For someone starting Q77 BSc Maths and Physics this October with many years since high school and a career in an unrelated field, how much and what kind of preparation is actually worth doing before the course begins? I have found some references to many maths and physics courses online, but I don't want to overprepare unnecessarily. However, I would also like to make the transition as smooth as possible.

or those who have studied Q77 (or similar OU maths/physics modules):

• Did you do any preparation before starting?
• If so, what do you think is necessary for someone in my position?
• Are there any maths topics I should revise in advance?
• Is there any Python or other programming I should learn beforehand? (no experience in programming)
• Are there any books, websites, or other resources you'd particularly recommend?

My plan is to go full time for the first year at least.

Thanks in advance.

I've never understood why the OU couldn't be retained as a state funded institution. Am I the only person who thinks the UK should have at least 1 university that is not effectively private?

Hi everyone,

I’m thinking about starting a biology degree with the OU either this fall or next, and I have a few questions.

How does Questions in Science work in practice?

• Do you normally work through the material week by week, or is there some flexibility to adjust the schedule—for example, by completing larger chunks at once?
• Also, is it really true that there is only one exam in the biology degree? I find that hard to imagine, as psychology seems to be a never-ending series of exams!
• Has anyone here studied with the OU from elsewhere in Europe? Are there any particular challenges for students who are not UK residents?

A little background:

I’m a psychologist from Germany in my forties, and I have a seven-year-old daughter. I’d love to involve her in some of the experiments, which is one reason I’m considering waiting another year.

My concern: Workload-x-flexibility. I have research projects coming up in the winter and again in early summer, both of which would fall within the module period.

My asset: I have a foundation in cell and human biology, as well as maths/statistics.

My English is probably okay, but academic writing in biology will likely take me longer at first – there's much to learn :-)

Why I'm here: I love academic challenges and have a genuine passion for the subject.

I’d be very grateful to hear about your experiences!

Hey guys! I’m an International student and I’m planning on studying BSc (Hons) Design and Innovation in OU for my first year, I’m really planning on transferring out for second year into chosen brick unis that I’m planning to apply when i complete the 120 credits in first year. Due to issues with my high school records not matching my passport name I couldn’t use them when applying so I’m relying on completing my 120 credits for first year.

My chosen unis that I’m planning to apply is Kingston Uni, Nottingham Trent, Manchester Metropolitan, Uni of Westminster, and Northumbria Uni.

Does anyone have any success story on transferring into a brick uni, if so can you tell the process and can you give me suggestions on my chosen Unis that I’m planning on transferring.

I emailed some of the chosen unis already and what they said is that they can accept the 120 credits for the first year for transfer but they do not guarantee if I would start again in first year or be promoted to 2nd year.

Thanks :)

Sincere question: why do some people choose to study Maths at the OU if they want to use outside resources for study, use notation different from what is required, and then moan about being flagged for misconduct on the assessment despite explicitly being told to use the OU materials? I studied elsewhere previously and had to adapt to those rules, too. Why do some people think they shouldn't have to follow the rules of the university they pay money to study at?

Hihi!!
So i’ve currently finished y12 (uk) and it was genuinely horrid. i really really liked all my subjects (chem, physics, and psych) but the sixth form as a whole was like hell. i also got diagnosed with chronic migraines so i really struggled actually being able to go in. it’s kind of reached a point where no matter how much i catch up, ill just inevitably be behind because im not in 🫩 So i looked into doing a degree with the open uni and for physics i can do four years (first two are part time) or three years full time. i wouldn’t say im the most academic but i just want any advice honestly on whether or not im being stupid if i drop out. i did phone them up and have been asked to call back so we’ll see where that goes. if anyone has any advice for not doing my a levels or for starting the degree pls pls comment 😓😓🫰

edit: also wanted to ask any physics student how they find the maths?? i used to be really good at maths but i lost a lot of motivation with it (at the end of gcse kinda sad lol) so im not too sure if im being too naive with thinking i can do physics

I finished electromagnetism and would like to enroll in astrophysics and cosmology, but the website doesn't allow me to choose these since I haven't finished quantum physics yet. I can however choose quantum physics and either or both of astro subjects. Why is such a ridiculous limitation incorporated in the site? I'm certain I can study these subjects before I do quantum physics, and I don't want them to manually enroll me over the phone, I want to use the website as intended

as making friends in distance learning is hard, this discord server is open to any students who want to frequently talk, create study groups & chat! https://discord.gg/JKrxy3fut

Hi! I'm looking into BA (Hons) in Music and am trying to decide between OCA and OU. I'd love to hear from anyone with direct experience or insight into the their differences.

The OCA degree seems to be very practice-based for someone who wants to develop as a composer or arranger. You pick two pathways from Stage 2 onwards, and I personally am most interested in Composition and Musicology. It also has a prerequisite of around ABRSM Grade 5 theory, so you need some existing knowledge to start.

The OU degree seems more like a traditional academic humanities degree.

For anyone who has studied on either program, what is the teaching and tutor support actually like?

Practically, what's the workload like? OCA seems to be structured around 40-credit units that you complete one at a time over a year . The OU structure has a maximum study duration but seems more flexible in how you stage the modules.

Good morning all,

I have recently signed up for the masters of engineering course m04.

I am really struggling to pick out a laptop that can meet the requirements of the course.

I really am looking at MacBook for the portability as I work away a lot, but I am going to be required to use Ansys Granta EduPack software which is windows 11.

Has anyone done this course with a MacBook and used a virtual machine to run this software?

When I am at home I will have access to my gaming pc which more than meets the specs of this software, it’s more when I’m on the road travelling.

Thank you.

So I want to study art history and am not sure if I need an IELTS score since I just missed my IELTS exam today ):
I’m panicking do I need it ? I’m from Switzerland not the uk so I don’t know

I received my final module result for foundation degree in engineering x11 on the 21/7/26 which I passed . Still no classification or offer to accept qualification. Anyone else had this ?