I finished my first undergraduate degree in zoology in Summer 2020, right in the middle of the first coronavirus lockdown, and then immediately began my PGCE in secondary biology. Teaching didn't work out for me, and I've had a couple of jobs in between then, and now work at a university doing admin work. When teaching didn't work out, I wasn't sure what to do. I loved teaching and education, but hated the school system. I missed studying, but didn't want to pursue zoology further. I started to think about my education history and where I wanted to go.
I'd initially started a physics degree in 2015, but changed to zoology after a year. My mental health was the worst it had ever been, and I'd missed too much to pass first year. I felt embarrassed, and afraid to tell my parents I'd have to resit the year, so I changed course instead. I chose zoology on a whim, and whilst it was really interesting, I just kind of always knew it wasn't for me in the long-term. I began researching postgraduate conversion courses, but nothing really jumped out at me. I'd written off doing another undergraduate degree as I didn't think I could get funding, and I wasn't in a position to pay for it myself, but then I discovered that a limited number of subjects are available for funding as long as they are studied part-time. Physics immediately jumped out to me. I'd always loved physics, but after dropping out I wasn't sure I could do it again, but over the next few weeks I couldn't shake the feeling that this was what I was meant to do.
I'd heard of the Open University (OU), but never really considered it before. Once I started researching, and found so many amazing reviews by students, I decided to sign up. I started in September 2021, only a few months after finishing my PGCE. I've never had a break from education since starting primary school in 2001, and I don't plan on ever leaving. Growing up, academia was always my goal, but I let people talk me out of it. The more I learn about myself, though, the more I realise that academia is where I belong. It's going to be a long, hard road and at times it'll be competitive, but I'll continue to work hard to get to where I want to be.
2021-2022
I studied this year full-time as I was working remotely full-time and didn't have a very big workload. The OU get around having no entry requirements by making Level 1 study quite accessible, so a lot of it is at GCSE and A-Level level. I did very well in A-Level maths, but it was about six years before starting this course so I was a little nervous but excited to get stuck in. I think mathematics is like a muscle, and it surprised me how quickly I picked it all back up again.
These Level 1 modules started out quite basic, but ramped up to more complex topics in later units.
- MST124 Essential Mathematics 1
- MST125 Essential Mathematics 2
- M140 Introduction to Statistics
- SM123 Physics and Space
MST124 was mostly advanced GCSE and early A-Level topics, and then MST125 includes a lot of the mechanics topics and more advanced A-Level topics. M140 was a very basic statistics module, but it was actually quite interesting (and useful) to go back to basics. In my first degree, there was an assumption that everyone had a good basic statistics knowledge, so sometimes it was hard to follow what we were doing and why. SM123 was another nice introductory module, covering a range of physics topics from classical mechanics to astrophysics to quantum physics. Like the other Level 1 modules, it was similar to GCSE and A-Level content. This was also my first real introduction to Python, which I didn't "click" with right away, but it's a skill I really want to develop as I pursue my studies.
I will admit that I probably didn't work quite as hard as I could have. With my A-Levels in maths and physics, I already knew quite a lot of the content so I fell too easily into the mindset of "this can wait". Level 1 modules don't count towards my final degree classification, so it's not the end of the world, and most are Pass/Fail. I achieved two Grade 2 Passes (2:1) and two Passes (Pass/Fail). These are definitely good marks, but I think I could've done better if I'd worked a little harder! Towards the end of this academic year, I was diagnosed with ADHD which suddenly made my study habits make so much more sense. I always felt lazy for finding it difficult to study, and I could never understand why, even when I really wanted to sit down and study, I just couldn't do it. Starting medication and understanding that I'm not lazy, I just have ADHD, really helped my mindset going in to the next academic year.
2022-2023
I chose to study part-time this year. Now that I was at Level 2 and things were getting more complex and fast-paced, I wanted to be able to focus on a couple of modules at a time.
- S283 Planetary Science and the Search for Life
- S284 Astronomy
S284 is my favourite module of the degree so far. I expected to like S283 more, but at times the geology content was a little dry (no offence to geologists, it's just not the topic for me!). S284 covered some really interesting topics in astronomy, but for me the only downside was a lack of mathematical content. The first exam, sat in January, was very difficult, and the May exam was still difficult, but a lot nicer than the first. The TMAs were interesting and I actually quite enjoyed writing some of them. This year really showed me that I want to be an astrophysicist!
Somehow I managed to get a distinction in both of these modules. I was working for the NHS for most of this academic year, and the job was exhausting. I rarely got a lunch break (my favourite time to study), and was often too tired to study when I got home. I found both exams quite difficult, especially S283, and my jaw quite literally dropped when I saw my final grades. This was a really motivating result for me, after dropping out of a physics degree in 2016 because I felt like I wasn't capable enough.
2023-2024
- SXPS288 Remote Experiments in Physics and Space
- MST224 Mathematical Methods
I can't comment too much on these modules yet as we're only three weeks into the term, but I'm enjoying them so far. I'd seen a lot of students talk about a big jump from Level 1 to Level 2, which I didn't really notice last year, but I can feel it a little more this year. I chose SXPS288 as I wanted to get practical experience, something OU students can find more difficult to get than campus-based students. I'm currently in the early stages of planning my PIRATE project and really looking forward to using a real telescope to collect data.
Astrophysics is my main interest, but I really love mathematics and I'd missed studying it in the previous year. MST224 is ramping up quite quickly, but it's really great to get stuck into calculus again! It has been really nice to have Unit 1 as a recap module for previous topics after having a year with no maths modules.
I'll finish these modules in May 2024, wrapping up Level 2 and ready to begin the final stage of my degree.
What's next?
I will likely continue to study part-time until I finish, as it's the best fit around my job. I find I can focus on individual modules better and don't get quite so overwhelmed.
I'll almost certainly do a project module, as I want to pursue a Masters and eventually a PhD. For the remaining 90 credits, I'm considering S350 (Evaluating Contemporary Science), S384 (Astrophysics of Stars and Exoplanets), S385 (Cosmology and the Distant Universe) but the options may change in the next two years so I'm keeping an open mind.
Are you studying at the moment? Share your story in the comments!
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