My advice for new Open University students

 Hey everyone! 

I thought I'd make this post because I often get new OU students asking me for advice or tips but I can never think of any on the spot, mainly because I feel like I've been winging it and just going with the flow (my first tip!). I will update this with more tips and advice if I think of more in the future and as I go along with my studies.

Go with the flow

The OU is very good at slowly introducing you to study. You are not expected to write huge academic essays from the get go. The work load is fair and it's not too difficult to fall behind at level 1. Stay calm and simply follow the weeks and what they ask you to do and soon enough, you'll find yourself at the other end wondering why you were so stressed. 

Preparation is key

One thing I learned the hard way in my second module was finding out that each module has different expectations and writing styles and you get marks for different things. A social science essay is different to a science essay for example. I was getting good grades in my first module (social science) so thought I would do well in the second thinking it was all transferable - I was wrong! This is why it is important to, before your course begins, familiarise yourself with the module website and look at how your work is assessed and any resources that they provide that tell you what they're expecting of you. They sometimes leave big hints around your module website of where you can gain marks or lose them, as well as telling you how to write essays for that specific module so they're like the holy grail.

So where do you find the holy grail?

If your module site is open, you can have a look at your module forum which may contain an introduction and "important information" to read before you begin. If you have a look under the "Assessments" tab on the module website, it will tell you how your scores are weighted and what you need to get to pass. Under "Resources" tab, there'll often be a whole host of useful and crucial information there. Browse through and save/print things that you know you will need again in future.

Preparation also involves working out what days you think you'll be using as study days and if you're doing two modules, how you'll divide your time between the two. It is also useful to look up different writing styles, how to write effective essays/reports etc.

Plan a schedule and stick to it

Following on from above, organising your time in advance is so important to time management. The OU shows you an estimation of how many hours you need to spend each week on your chosen module when you sign up for it. It usually equates to 16 hours a week for part-time 60 credit modules. You can use this information to your advantage and assign a number of hours on certain days of the week that you intend to study. Making a schedule is all well and good, but it only works if you stick to it. This is where self discipline comes into play. You're going to have to make sacrifices, miss events and have less free time for the sake of studying. Despite this, it's not all work and no play, it's about finding a balance. Always make time in your schedule for a guilt free, study free day and take regular breaks during your study sessions. Sometimes all you need is one day away from your work to come back refreshed and get much more work done. Remember to look after you! 

Get ahead

Module websites open weeks before your course actually begins. Getting prepared and starting early can make you feel a little less panicky before your course officially begins. It gives you some leeway and some extra time to fall back on as you're adjusting to your new modules and how they squeeze into your home/work life. Week 1 of a module nearly always means reading the first chapter of your books, so reading these and making some notes will put you in good stead. You are not expected to, nor are you required to, read other books related to your course/module (unless you want to). It is best to wait for and read your textbooks. If your module requires you to do any extra, compulsory reading, I'm sure they will inform you.

Make use of your tutor

Many students get anxious about contacting their tutor as they don't want to look stupid or bother the tutors, but it's their job to help you. Not contacting your tutor when you need it is like missing brick university lectures; you're wasting money! Think of it this way, you're effectively paying the tutors to help you, they're providing a service after all and you're a paying customer. You're a student learning something new, obviously you're going to be needing to ask questions! Don't be afraid to message them, they want to help you. I can't tell you what a difference it makes when a tutor rewords a question for you or shares a different perspective and you suddenly get a light bulb moment and the motivation to start writing immediately!

Note taking

Note taking is a part of study that sometimes baffles students (myself included) because it's a case of knowing what to write, paraphrasing, organising your notes neatly etc. I am still trying to get to grips with note taking, working out what to write and organising the masses of paper (Edit: I now have a reusable Rocketbook)! My tip for note taking would be to check out how others take notes on Youtube and take tips from them, that is how I learned better note taking practices. The following are some things I've learned over time during my studies:

• Before you start taking notes on a chapter, read the chapter first! It's easy to end up rewriting the whole chapter otherwise. You can use paper clips next to important parts you wish to note down, but you get a better overall idea of what the chapter is trying to teach you, making it easier to break down into bite-sized components. Sometimes your textbooks will tell you what they're hoping you'll understand after reading that chapter, so use that to determine what notes to take.
• Limit yourself to two sides of one A4 sheet of paper for one chapter. Unless the chapter is absolutely huge, one page seems to be enough and forces you to consolidate the chapter.
• Try out dotted/squared paper. The note taking experts often use them because they can be useful for dividing your page into different sections and appearing more organised.
• Use colours. From the beginning of my degree to now, my notes have gone from very unappealing, basic sentences written one after the other in black ink, to boxes, diagrams, drawings, definitions and colour! The latter definitely gets my attention and draws me to the page, unlike the former.
• Make the titles big and colourful. When looking through your notes, it's much easier to find what you're looking for when the title is big and colourful, compared to a small black/blue title.
• Add the chapter the notes are from somewhere in your notes for future reference.
• Use abbreviations and symbols to speed up your note taking. There are lists online for abbreviations/symbols you can use for note taking.
• Write down the meanings of your abbreviations/acronyms. Some notes of mine have abbreviations and whilst some I recognise and remember, there are others that haven't been used in full in the notes or haven't been written down so those sections kind of become useless.
• Add page numbers to almost everything you write! This is so useful for when you're doing assignments.
• If you directly quote something word for word, make it clear that it is a quote by using quotation marks (and include page number). It can very easily lead to accidental plagiarism if you mix direct quotes and para-phased notes together.

Note taking is not that important and in fact, I rarely look over my notes, unless I need to jog my memory for future modules or for revision. So if you feel like notes aren't your thing, don't feel bad about not doing them. Some students are happy with making small notes in their textbooks. I personally write them because they summarise the chapter and they say writing things down instils them into your brain. If you're not getting the hang of note taking, don't worry too much - it seems to all fall into place over time and you find what works best for you naturally and as you get used to how the courses run.

Use the online textbook when writing assignments

It takes a lot of time to flick through the texbook constantly to find relevant evidence and information to include in your assignment. This is why I recommend opening up the online version of your textbook whilst you work on your assignment so you can easily use the search function for terms, theories, studies and other useful words to lead you to the exact page you might need for your assignment. It definitely speeds up the process!

So those are my tips. I hope they're useful to new Open Uni students!