The Open University
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Life changing
It has been a few years since I graduated but I thought I would describe my experience and the benefits from studying at the OU. I started studying a BSc(Computer Science) in 2012, my aim was to improve my career outlook and get a career working in IT, I had always been interested in IT and was the typical go-to guy in the family for anything with an electronic pulse but getting into the work force without any qualifications and poor GCSE's I never really got anywhere. The first couple of years were great, a solid balance between ICT and training into working and writing at a university level and the first 2 years of courses did this perfectly, enough technical teaching to keep you engaged but also a strong focus on writing, reports, research etc. Around 2015, I began seriously applying for IT jobs and managed to secure a contract role within the NHS, I am fully of the opinion that because I had "Studying BSc(Computer Science)" on my CV that it helped because the interview for my first role in IT and all subsequent ones all asked questions about it. 2016, working in a perm role at a private school as a 1st/2nd line technician, I was doing the CCNA Cisco modules so computer networking was very much on my mind, we had some issues at the school I worked at and the seniors above me didn't have the skills to resolve some network issues, I used the knowledge I was learning and was able to resolve all of these issues, this then lead to me getting more and more network relating tasks which ultimate lead to me leaving in 2017 to begin working as a Network Engineer at a new job (Lotus Cars). I continued studying and learned how to program in Java and due to changes returned to the NHS where I started my IT Career as a 3rd line (Infrastructure) technician. I spent 7 years doing this role, learning the ropes and improving my own knowledge whilst using the skills I learned in Java to build PowerShell and C# applications (which I would have never been able to do without the Open Uni Java courses). About 2 months ago, I was promoted to Digital Developer, and I now currently work fulltime as a C# programmer for the NHS. I without a doubt credit the open university for teaching me all the skills I needed to succeed, my only regret is that I struggled to stay interested in some modules, but this is no fault of the OU, however, I still finished in 2022 with a BSc Open. ANYONE who is looking at the OU as a route to better their career options, I strongly recommend it, just make sure you research the field you want to move into, what the entry level points are and then find a course that covers all/most of the skills required and I am sure you will do well, it’s not all about "the bit of paper" at the end but skills you learn should build a solid foundation that can be practically applied, that doesn't mean each course will give you a "how to win" at the end, but it should introduce you to the concepts well enough that you can then manipulate your knowledge to match your needs and do well.