r/OpenUniversity • u/Far_Psychology3270 • 1d ago
Are the estimated hours inaccurate?
Ive seen quite a few people on this sub saying they only needed like 2-3 hours per week to complete their part time degree. I plan to study computer science & artificial intelligence when im 18 in January and 18-20 hours a week sounds very hard to do. Id honestly have no free time. Im also studying Japanese as well so I need time for that.
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u/pinumbernumber 1d ago
You can think of them as theoretical worst-case hours. Or maybe as a kind of arse-covering on their part: "If you're doing badly and you haven't been allocating this number of hours, it's not our fault".
Most people probably don't need the full number of hours. But a couple of thoughts:
- The more time you can spend, the more value you'll get from it and the more you'll retain the information. If you've finished everything in the week's study plan after a few hours, it's worth spending some more getting ahead on the next week or on your own further research
- The first few modules are likely to be surprisingly straightforward if you know a bit about the subject already. It's easy to get cocky and develop bad study habits. Try to avoid that
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u/malewifemichaelmyers 1d ago edited 23h ago
To echo what others have said it very much depends on the subject and your own knowledge. I started off studying two modules full time on the environmental science degree and I could keep up fine on top of my full time job, then I switched to engineering and even studying part time with one module I still clock 30 hours of studying a week because the content is so different and more difficult.
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u/BreathIntoUrballs 13h ago
How did you make the switch from enviro science to engeering? did you have to start engineering degree from stage 1?
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u/T-h-e-d-a 23h ago
It really is going to vary between people and what your goals are.
I have a terrible memory, especially for new terminology and complex explanations, and especially when I'm learning through a textbook rather than practical application. I'm very slow at researching and writing, and I have to leave space to come back and reread what I've written to ensure it makes sense. There's quite a lot of material on my course that I have no prior knowledge of. I'm aiming to get 90s in my TMA.
Most weeks, I'm probably spending 15 hours plus on level one stuff.
It sounds like you are currently 17, so you wouldn't be university age until September '27 - is there a reason you want to start with OU in January?
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u/Elijustsshorts 18h ago
There are people who study at the ou who are under 18 and they said they'll be 18 in January
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u/T-h-e-d-a 17h ago
Yes, I know, I just wondered if OP was trying to go to University early for some particular reason. If they are not currently taking A Levels (or another age-appropriate qualification), I would suggest they start with that because jumping to a tertiary qualification at that age (vs being older without A Levels but having learned how to do stuff through living as an adult) might be a bit much (plus it's not exactly cheap unless they are in Scotland). If they are intending to do it alongside A Levels (perhaps to improve their UCAS application), it's a very bad idea.
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u/OnrushingHen 1d ago
Gonna be honest
I get in the high 70s to mid 80s and I start all the material and assignments around a week and a half before they're due and don't think about it the rest of the time 😬 I don't recommend it but it can work for certain people.
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u/Morning_Sunshine_AD 23h ago edited 23h ago
It depends on your "capabilities". I have ADHD and i need at least 4 hours per day, every single day, to stay on track with the study planner. Depends on how fast you read and retain information. But the estimated time for the exercices is, in my opinion, over-exaggerated. But again, that depends on you, your knowledge, whether you know the subject even a little or not, and your time management + organization
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u/rpi_csts 22h ago
I had a specific system for studying: when my daughter went to bed at 7 pm, I sat down to study and studied until about 10-11 pm. That way I was able to make good progress, do research, and supplement the course material.
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u/Robyn7791 22h ago
It will depend on a range of factors, includingÂ
- your study skills and styles
- focus on good marksÂ
- focus on just passingÂ
- focus on learning and the subject itself
- existing knowledgeÂ
- etc. etc.
For example, if you want to learn what’s available in the modules you take (knowledge and transferable skills), you will study all / most materials, take notes in your own words, do the activities in the materials, read assignment feedback and use it to improve skills, … maybe study extra material. This is a very different study experience, more time-consuming, immersive and rewarding, than just getting by one way or another.
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u/_Calluna_ 21h ago
The truth is it varies by person, not just subject, so you'll have to figure out what's manageable for you.Â
It's definitely best to be aware that stuff is gonna happen and you'll need some spare time for wiggle room and not burning out. You may or may not "need" 20 hours a week to actually study, but it's a good idea to make sure you theoretically have it.
Doesn't computing and ai have some 30 credit modules though? Maybe you can start with that, see how you get on. Those are estimated at 8-10 study hours.
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u/SeaSeaweed3384 1d ago
I'm doing a humanities module and truthfully, no. They suggest an hour for something, I get it done in about 20 minutes. It depends entirely on yourself though, and how you work.
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u/Best-Tackle-5306 21h ago
It also depends on how fast your reading is. I am a fast reader, it takes me much less than the allocated time to read through something.
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u/Elijustsshorts 18h ago
If you spend 2-3 hours a week studying in most cases it will show in your marks. I don't think I have ever spent 20 hours a week on study every week but at tma and ema time I am flat out. Depending on the subject you are studying it can take hours just to get your references together.
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u/Elijustsshorts 18h ago
You also need to factor in tutorials if you plan to go to them. Reading. Would I do a degree that I could only commit three hours a week to. No. I wouldn't.
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u/Toxo88 15h ago
TL:DR - No they are not inaccurate, they are based on careful calculations, but Authors are aware that some students will work faster than others, and that not all students will complete all activities.
The long version - A lot of thought and consideration goes into the production of the OU Modules.
Unit authors consider very carefully how much time will be needed to complete designed activities, and also how much time to complete the reading of a) authored materials and b) 3rd party materials (both calculated using average reading speeds of words per minute) along with any tutorial attendance.
Authors are also aware that some students will complete this quicker than expected, and some students will need all of the weekly time for the core materials. Which is why there is also the inclusion of further study materials for those who are able to use them, but the materials are not essential incase you need all the available time for the core study elements. They are also aware that some students will do the bare essentials, and skip some/all activities.
So no, the estimated hours are not inaccurate per se, study material is meticulously worked out to fit within the study hours. But Authors know that there are variables beyond their control at play too.
Source: I’m an OU employee currently working on the production of a new module.
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u/icy_equestrian 14h ago
It definitely depends on the module and the level. I also think it depends on the unit. In law, I've had some very heavy weeks, and some weeks where it's felt like "is that it?". But I like those weeks. Let's me get ahead, or have a bit of a rest!
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u/Elijustsshorts 12h ago
Id love to know who these people are who did 2-3 hours study a week and got their degree. I'm a champion procrastinator but it still takes me at least a week to do an EMA (3000 words), generally more. There are people who are potentially very knowledgeable about their subject and may have studied at a higher level before but on level one I did at least ten hours per module -if you are completely new to a subject there's no way you'll get away with studying 3 hours a week and get decent results
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u/Unlikely-Shop5114 10h ago
I did maths.
Yes during my first year (part time) I was studying 30 credit modules and only student for a couple of hours a week. I did spend more learning around the topics because I wanted to.
But I’d done A level maths, so a lot of the content was familiar.
As I went up the levels 18-20 was more realistic
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u/red_devil7709 22h ago
I am doing that exact course right now. I am just finishing the first year of a part time course. As others have said, it depends on your current knowledge. I hadn’t studied for over 20 years before starting this course, so for me it took me 10-12 hours a week on average. I studied 2 hours every other day generally. It was more when assignments were due.
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u/The_Reverend_B0FHY 22h ago
In the Humanities area I’d say those hours are accurate to achieve your fullest potential, as there is a lot of reading and comprehending that is required before you start any assignments, especially as you hit level 2 and 3.
In the STEM side of things I’d hesitate a guess that it depends on prior knowledge, and as such I’m hoping to spend significantly less time than the suggested hours (for level 1 at least)
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u/Iskander_39 18h ago
Just wrapped up my last L3 module in Arts & Humanities.
I definitely found the 16 hour a week estimate fairly accurate for me anyway to maintain a Grade 1 scores.
I will admit though I hate writing essays and I definitely put in more than the 16 in the 4 weeks of free study for that last EMA as we had to write 4000 words. I know some folk on the course probably got away with less hours than me.
As others have said - depends on the individual and what you’re trying to achieve though (I.e. - to do ‘enough’ or to actually give it 100%)
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u/Financial_Guide_8074 17h ago
Well it all depends on the number and type of modules you do and how familiar you are already. When I do a 60pt history module I did around 6 hours per week on it at level 3.
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u/Legitimate-Path-44 7h ago
I have averaged about 7-10 hours per week for both level one modules and although I passed and got good grades in TMA’s I have missed quite a bit of learning. I managed to put in the hours for assignments but I did miss out on a lot of other stuff.
Trouble is working full time and allocating enough hours to study is actually quite hard. 10 hours a week seems like the maximum I can feasibly manage. Any more than that and I get burnt out!
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u/NoEnthusiasm2 19h ago
I did psychology and I spent a ridiculous number of hours trying to perfect peel paragraphs and essay structure. Turns out that with psych, it's not what you know, it's how you present it. I suspect computing may be a lot quicker as I believe it is mostly online quiz style assessments.
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u/Afraid_Crab9435 R62 Computing with Electronics 💻 18h ago
The computing modules also have technical writing assignments so its a mix of writing and hands on practical tasks
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u/Admirable-Cow-1132 1d ago
Depends on the module, the level and your existing knowledge. In my maths and stats modules, there were definitely level 1 modules that only took a few hours per week. Maybe more when an assignment or exam was coming up. Level 2 has been much more of a commitment and it rarely takes less than 10 hours per module per week. Level 3 I expect to need the full time estimate at a minimum.