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i just got accepted into uni today online through UNE in Armadale nsw so as of feb 2010 ill be studying zoology and so if i can get into uni then anyone can !
 
I did a few subjects through OUA whilst working before transferring into university proper. Some universities will take both your OUA marks and your UAI (or whatever) into consideration if you apply for one of their degrees before you're mature age. Otherwise, OUA is a great option while you wait to become mature age, because many unis will give you credit for OUA subjects.
Also, don't forget how useful working can be during this time, in paying for books or otherwise. The money I made whilst working pre-uni I used to fund my participation in an archaeological dig in Rome this year (for 2 months). Not only was that a fantastic experience, it counted towards my degree (BA Hons. Ancient History).

Anyway, what I'm saying is that OUA is a great option to prepare you for university proper. The subjects can count towards your degree, and it's always worth working whilst you study, because you never know what you might want to do with that money down the track.
 
Don't forget that uni isn't an end in itself - It is a tool to get you somewhere else. I think everyone feels like they "should" go to uni because that's just "what you do" when you finish school. Perhaps you should think further about what you want to do as a career then work out what qualifications you need to do.

It seems like you are just thinking about uni as something to do, and really, it is a very expensive way to fill in a couple of years while you decide where to go with your life! Unless you are actually going to use your degree in your future career, I would suggest TAFE or some kind of vocational training.

That said, I am doing a $35,000 Masters degree at the moment, so who am I to talk??!!!
 
I did a few subjects through OUA whilst working before transferring into university proper. Some universities will take both your OUA marks and your UAI (or whatever) into consideration if you apply for one of their degrees before you're mature age. Otherwise, OUA is a great option while you wait to become mature age, because many unis will give you credit for OUA subjects.
Also, don't forget how useful working can be during this time, in paying for books or otherwise. The money I made whilst working pre-uni I used to fund my participation in an archaeological dig in Rome this year (for 2 months). Not only was that a fantastic experience, it counted towards my degree (BA Hons. Ancient History).

Anyway, what I'm saying is that OUA is a great option to prepare you for university proper. The subjects can count towards your degree, and it's always worth working whilst you study, because you never know what you might want to do with that money down the track.

Yeah OUA seems like the perfect option. And I'll probably need to get a job, I'm planning on moving out of home eventually so I'd need something to support me.

An archaeological dig in Rome? I can't even imagine how amazing that would have been.

Don't forget that uni isn't an end in itself - It is a tool to get you somewhere else. I think everyone feels like they "should" go to uni because that's just "what you do" when you finish school. Perhaps you should think further about what you want to do as a career then work out what qualifications you need to do.

It seems like you are just thinking about uni as something to do, and really, it is a very expensive way to fill in a couple of years while you decide where to go with your life! Unless you are actually going to use your degree in your future career, I would suggest TAFE or some kind of vocational training.

That said, I am doing a $35,000 Masters degree at the moment, so who am I to talk??!!!

Yeah, part of the reason I want to go is because it's becoming the normal thing to do after high school, but I'm mainly thinking that employers expect it, I've been looking for a job for the last nine months and it's been incredibly hard, having a degree would help get a job in the future.

Actually, my main reason for wanting to do a degree is because I love learning, I want to cram as much knowledge into me for as long as I can, I realized the other day that now that my schooling is over I probably wont learn nearly as much over the next fifty years. And it seems such a pity to not learn.
 
honestly imo there is much more work out there for people without a degree. alot of students dont realize that once you finish your degree, nobody wants you cause you are an inexperieced youngen that think thinks they know everything there is to know... unfortunately you rarely use even alittle bit of what you will learn in the years you are at uni. if you are just looking for something to do, there are many other options! uni being the thing to do i the mind set of alot of school leavers because the eachers and parents believe its the best thing for the kids... imo its not always. lets all be honest some degrees are an absolute joke at best... some teach you the most pointless waste of time crap that is absolutely useless in life, and for what??? so you feel good with a 30K debt, a certificate telling people you know alot about nothing and for bragging rights. i say this as a person who only just recently finished uni. employers want experience uni leavers all start at the bottom aswell!

think long and hard about what it is you want to do!! when i went to uni i wanted to do several degrees, ie molecular biotechnology, molecular bio and genetics, biochem etc. on the other side i also wanted to do animal stough eg zoology etc. so i picke a degree (B.Sc) that would allow me the flexibility to chise subjects from each area as as my degree went on i realized i hated the zoology work and loved the biochemistry and molecular work... had i chosen a structure degree i wouldnt have had the flexibility to explore other fields early on.... trust 3-4 years at uni is a while, there is a good chance you will deisde you dont like what it is you study! imo school leavers honestly do not understand what there degrees truely are about and whats involved... in most cases it has a name they like and the people 'selling' the course wins them over!

there are many paths, look into them all. having said all tha crap, some unis will except anyone to make up numbers, so stick withit, if you miss out now you'll find something for 2011 entry.
good luck
 
[QUOTE

Actually, my main reason for wanting to do a degree is because I love learning, I want to cram as much knowledge into me for as long as I can, I realized the other day that now that my schooling is over I probably wont learn nearly as much over the next fifty years. And it seems such a pity to not learn.[/QUOTE]

Dude while it is true you wont do much book learning in the next 50 years, what you will learn is the life skills that will help you progress through jobs. Bosses may be amazed at a pretty piece of paper on your interview day but its your interpersonal skills and thinking, motivation, work ethic etc. that will keep that job and get you places. Uni isnt something to do as a last resort. I have an Mech engineering degree which I wish I didnt have, I spent four years doing something that I no longer have interest in, and just finished paying the government back for the experience. Get a job and work experience until you are definate about you Uni choice, or pack a bag a go walk about and have a look around the country/world.
 
I did a few subjects through OUA whilst working before transferring into university proper. Some universities will take both your OUA marks and your UAI (or whatever) into consideration if you apply for one of their degrees before you're mature age. Otherwise, OUA is a great option while you wait to become mature age, because many unis will give you credit for OUA subjects.
Also, don't forget how useful working can be during this time, in paying for books or otherwise. The money I made whilst working pre-uni I used to fund my participation in an archaeological dig in Rome this year (for 2 months). Not only was that a fantastic experience, it counted towards my degree (BA Hons. Ancient History).

Anyway, what I'm saying is that OUA is a great option to prepare you for university proper. The subjects can count towards your degree, and it's always worth working whilst you study, because you never know what you might want to do with that money down the track.

You can also do entire degrees through OUA. It's extremely flexible and exactly what you seem to be looking for, naledge. With OUA, you can do a unit here and there that interests you, and then if you go to an on-campus uni (not a "proper" uni, OUA is run by 8 of the best "proper" unis in the southern hemisphere), you can apply for recognition of prior learning for your OUA units. If you find an area you really like, and you enjoy the flexibility of OUA (you get to study whenever you want, where-ever you want, just as long as you meet your deadlines), you can do an entire degree through OUA, provided they offer it.

OUA will give you the chance to test out different areas you may be interested in, and may help you decide on a career path in the process. The downside is you have to be very good at managing your own learning, because they leave it all up to you. You have a tutor and you have your course materials, what you do with them is up to you. The other thing is that OUA operates on "study periods", not semesters. There are 4 a year, 13 weeks each. Yes, OUA study is year-round. That said, you don't have to study every study period, you can pick and choose. I'm studying two units a SP, every SP for the next three years though.

Check out open.edu.au to see what's on offer, and go from there.

God, I sound like an ad or a PR consultant or something! I'm just really enjoying doing my degree through OUA, because I wouldn't be able to study otherwise!
 
In my university records, my OUA degree is listed as a non-award course... and this is by one of the universities through which the program is run. So I'd say this justifies making a demarcation between OUA and "standard" university.

OUA is perfectly fine, but unfortunately some employers may not view it as the same as a university degree obtained the traditional way.
 
Did you register your intent to claim a certification and fulfill all the requirements? Because I'll be leaving OUA with a full Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice from Griffith, with absolutely zero distinction between my degree and one obtained on-campus. I share their graduation ceremony and everything. Same bit of paper, to the letter.
 
i just got accepted into uni today online through UNE in Armadale nsw so as of feb 2010 ill be studying zoology and so if i can get into uni then anyone can !
Congrats :) I did my zoology undergrad through uni and it was brilliant.

If you are interested in distance education naledge, UNE and CSU both have excellent distance ed courses. I'm currently enrolled at both (as well as internal at SCU :shock:) and find distance ed to be much better than internal, but I guess it all depends on what your learning style is etc. If you study practical subjects like science then you usually have res schools at the uni for 3-5 days per subject to complete prac work, but most education and many arts subjects don't have any - all online.

honestly imo there is much more work out there for people without a degree. alot of students dont realize that once you finish your degree, nobody wants you ... i say this as a person who only just recently finished uni. employers want experience uni leavers all start at the bottom aswell!
soooo true unfortunately. I still have a crappy job even with postgrad lol. All the good paying jobs want experience :( and as jason said, you usually still have to start at the bottom after uni to get that experience. This is where distance ed can be handy - I have only just started using this to my advantage ;) Try to get some volunteer or casual/parttime work in your chosen field while studying so that you have a bit behind you when you finish. UNE has also realised this problem and now has subjects like WORK300 where you do work experience/internships etc. that you can take as electives in most degree programs.

Good luck with it all :)
 
Did you register your intent to claim a certification and fulfill all the requirements? Because I'll be leaving OUA with a full Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice from Griffith, with absolutely zero distinction between my degree and one obtained on-campus. I share their graduation ceremony and everything. Same bit of paper, to the letter.
I transferred shortly into my OUA degree into on-campus uni, so I didn't progress as far as you did. However I was unable to get exemptions from corresponding units studied through other OUA institutions. Though rather than that indicating some inequality, I think that may mean that there are still a few bugs left to straighten out in the system (of my university).

I used the term "university proper" really only to signify the difference between OUA and traditional, on-campus forms of study.

By the way, very interesting sounding degree. Criminology is something I've long been interested in- I have a book on criminal profiling here that I'm slowly slugging my way through. I have also, more recently, considered doing criminal law (as a barrister) after I get my Hons. (But that thought hasn't progressed very far yet.)
 
Ah I see. Sorry if I sounded accusatory, I just thought you were suggesting you couldn't get "proper" degrees through OUA, and you most certainly can. My misunderstanding.

And yeah, it is an interesting degree. I'm hoping to go into forensic psychology eventually, using this degree as a springboard into an honours degree in psychology, and then into a doctorate program. Profiling is actually one of the areas I'm thinking of going into.
 
Not at all! :) The only reason I transferred into traditional, on-campus uni is because my university is the only one which runs the degree I'm currently doing.

"university proper"- probably not the best term to use. I think I could've worded that better.
 
Just thought I'd give a little update - yesterday I enrolled in the Bachelor of Liberal Studies at OUA - majoring in History and Politics and minoring in Religion Studies :)
 
Another update, my first two units start today and go for 13 weeks.

Open Universities Australia is pretty damn awesome tbh.
 
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