Graduating from The Open University

It’s official! After six years, over thirty assignments, tears, triumphs and countless sleepless nights, I can finally say that I have graduated from The Open University.

It’s time to wave goodbye to the cherished student discount in favour of adding ‘BA Honours Arts & Humanities, Creative Writing and English Language’ to my CV and I can’t begin to tell you what a relief that is.

I’ve been a little quiet about the last few years of my degree on here and on social media, you’d have to go back to early 2020 to find the last blog post I penned about my OU experience which focused on why I chose to study with the UK’s largest university in the first place.

With a 2000 worder about the topic already occupying space on my blog, I won’t delve into the nitty gritty of the why’s but I do want to document this monumental moment in my life to crown what has been a very long six years of studying.

The degree

It all started in summer 2017 when I was reaching the tail-end of a year long contract working as a Trainee Community Development Assistant in the third sector. A part of me missed learning in an academic sense but I knew that the conventional university route wasn’t for me. However, when I came across the concept of distance learning, it struck me as something that could be doable. 

With the hunt for other employment proving to be a challenge, taking on a degree with the OU felt as though it could fulfil my brain’s need for focus and something to work towards.

So I scoured their website for hours, reading countless course descriptions and bookmarking the ones that took my fancy. With my blog firmly established and scraps of story ideas and half-chewed sentences littering my notes app, it was no surprise that I gravitated towards the creative writing modules listed in the prospectus. 

There are many strands of study that you can combine that will eventually compose your degree title but, as I’ve already mentioned, I eventually settled on Arts & Humanities, Creative Writing and English Language. 

Accessibility was naturally an initial concern of mine but the disability team were quick to put my worries at ease, taking time to talk me through what support was on offer and urging me to apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) which would help me secure the equipment I needed to carry out my studies. 

With delays in the DSA application process, I was advised to wait until February 2018 to officially start my course so that’s exactly what I did.

As I was promised, accessibility was rarely an issue. All module materials were provided in a myriad of formats including Word and DAISY audio, there were also in-depth photo descriptions in the materials and on the website and I was offered an alternative question for one of my assignments when the one set was concerned with drawing on a certain visual element of the studies. 

I did have to ask for some adjustments of course, that’s a given as a disabled student but, on the whole, it did feel like an accessible and inclusive study experience. 

In terms of the work itself, there were moments when my enjoyment of some modules dwindled and I found myself questioning whether I’d made the right choice in terms of my degree on more than one occasion. One of my most anticipated modules, the one I’d expected to love the most in my final year, turned out to be the one I found most difficult but I guess that’s the thing with studying, it’s surprising and you learn things about yourself as much as you do about the subject you spend your time revising. 

The Open University not only offered opportunities to learn in an educational sense but also through internships and work experience in different sectors. Being the workaholic that I am, I kept up the job search throughout the first few years of my degree with no luck. That was until I discovered an internship through the OU’s Opportunities Hub, applied, secured an interview and ultimately the position. Whilst the internship itself was only five weeks long, it did introduce me to a lovely team of people who, a few months down the line, became my colleagues in a more permanent sense as I landed a job with the same organisation working as a Social Media and Communications Officer, the job I’m still working to this day. 

That definitely fuelled some of my belief in the saying that everything happens for a reason.  

It seemed a good idea at the time but it’s safe to say that balancing a degree alongside work, accepting more blog and freelance opportunities and trying to manage my health was not an easy feat. 

Being a self-confessed perfectionist also didn’t help matters at times, nor did all the pressure I put on myself. It was rare for me to match my friends and family’s cheers about the results I received and it wasn’t until my final year, when I was averaging over 85% in my assignments, for me to pause and give myself a pat on the back. 

I should have taken more time to do that. Studying a degree at any university is a challenge but accompanying your studies with a day job whilst trying to maintain your social life and factoring in self-care is a commitment like no other. 

That six-year long commitment afforded me the opportunity to practice and test my self-motivation, determination and perseverance. My studies stretched me in more than one way but the experience was so rewarding and I can safely say that I have graduated with much more than a degree. 

After donning my graduation gown and queuing for the official photograph, we settled in the auditorium for the ceremony to start. The ceremonies team came to chat before it all began to explain the procedure of the event. Being vision impaired, I knew I wouldn’t feel completely comfortable walking to and across the stage myself so I called the team around six weeks before the big day to ask for assistance. With my access requirements having mostly been met throughout my studies, I was hopeful that the same would be the case for the graduation ceremony but I was surprised to be disappointed by the response I received. 

My request for a guide was refused during that call and later and I was told that one of my guests would need to guide me across the stage. Having felt empowered by the access options that allowed me to complete my studies independently, it did feel a little demoralising that I’d have to ask one of my family members to swap their seat in the audience for a spot by my side to guide me across the stage. 

This is by no means a dig at the OU or their staff as I know that graduation day has everyone busy and stretched in terms of the duties they’re assigned but I do think it’s important to highlight something if it needs to change, especially in terms of improving access for disabled people. 

On the other hand (I am yet to ditch the essay writing conventions, clearly), a perk in terms of the access arrangements was that I was seated in the front row and, unlike other students, wasn’t expected to join the very long queue to the stage as we waited for our names to be called. Instead, one of the staff members came over to usher us to the steps when it was nearly my turn. 

It’s not that I hadn’t previously felt proud of the things I’d achieved during my studies but I did make a habit of quelling the feeling in favour of focusing on the next assignment. So graduation day served as the perfect opportunity to switch things up, revel the feeling and give myself a long overdue pat on the back.

We joined the academic procession as we made our way out of the hall before heading out into the sunshine for the obligatory mini photoshoot. I couldn’t possibly publish a blog post without photos after all. 

It was during that time with my family, smiles fixed in place and arms looped around each other that a genuine veil of happiness and pride draped over me. I have to take this moment to give my family and friends a massive shoutout for the unwavering support they’ve given me all throughout my degree.

They witnessed and worried for all the pressure I put on myself, they lifted me up when I was a little downbeat, they urged and sometimes even begged me to stop working when my eyes were half shut at the dinner table and they always reminded me that they were proud no matter what. 

My stubborn side meant that I was guilty of batting the pleas and worries away at times but their support was a magnetic force, pulling me back to the reminder that completing this degree was nothing short of an incredible achievement. 

So that’s it. The end of my time with The Open University.

It felt strange at first, finding pockets of spare time to dig my hands in to but it has been a welcome treat. I’m enjoying being able to exercise my love of writing in a non-academic way again and being able to spend more quality time with family and friends is bliss.

I hadn’t necessarily realised how much of my life was consumed by the pressure I was putting on myself. I think I’m a long way from graduating from applying that pressure in my life but I am learning to allow myself more space to breathe and I’m glad to say that resting has also topped the priority list more often which is an achievement for me especially since I haven’t afforded myself the space to do that in a very long time. 

Whilst I pivoted from enjoying many elements of my studies to questioning my self-belief during others, there were always something to learn and take away from every situation.  

Lessons definitely extended beyond the module materials, teaching me about my boundaries, things I need to work on in and out of study and, perhaps most importantly, the importance of self-care. Many of the lessons are things I’ve learned in retrospect but if I ever need to take an exam on how to better look after yourself and your goals in the thick of a degree or important project, I am better equipped to tackle it now. 

Taking on a degree with The Open University and juggling it with work, hobbies and health was one of the biggest challenges I’ve set myself but the lessons, both academic and personal, made it all worth it and I’m glad to say that I’m graduating with not only a degree but a better idea of who I am as a person and a sense of pride that will last much longer than the next assignment deadline. 

Right then, I’m off to lie down before looking into Masters degrees. Kidding. Kind of…

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Have you ever studied with The Open University or are you a recent graduate from another university? If you are, I just want to say hats off to you, you did it! Studying in any capacity is a huge commitment and how much mental and physical energy it takes should never be underestimated. It’s so easy to lose yourself in all the revision and deadlines but there’s always something to discover too, whether it’s in the moment or after it’s over. So, if you’re a future student, be prepared for the rollercoaster and be assured that despite all the twists and turns, you’ll feel nothing but elated after it stops, although you’ll probably need a nap.

Elin x