More science that I can shake a stick at

19 May 2007

I’ve been musing, non-commitedly, over signing up for another degree for a while now¹, and this morning, in a fit of tired and caffeine-reÃ¯nforced enthusiasm, I finally the bit the bullet and made a commitment.

With a background in optics/lasers, I was flip-flopping between some more science, philosophy or (gasp!) some branch of theology (as an objective observer, of course). So I finally made a decision and put myself down for molecular science with the Open University.

As it’ll be part-time, I’ll be able to maintain my full-time day job and keep myself with a plentiful supply of sweetmeats while studying, but it does mean that it’ll take longer than the standard four years to get to honours level, probably closer to six or seven. But I love learning, I find studying fulfilling, and if I were of independent means I would most likely be a professional — and perpetual — student, so the time it will take isn’t of primary concern.

I’m not one-hundred percent sure as to why I chose molecular science rather than something closer to my experience (like astrophysics) or something at the other end of the spectrum like philosophy. It probably has something to do with me wanting to broaden my horizons outwith the domain of a purely physics-related discipline (moving, this way, into chemistry) but taking account of the fact that I have a very hard time writing essays—mathematics is, to me, immeasurably easier to compose.

And now I have to plan how I will be spending the majority of the budget for my other vice on primarily academic titles, rather than the general (or perhaps I should say “special”) interest or fiction that I’ve had a penchant for of late.

Someday I’d like to follow up with a definite move into some aspect of the biological sciences, as well as philosophy, both of which I’ve had a passing-but-more-recently increasing fervent interest in, but I suppose that my imminent commitment means that I will have to delay any kind of academic engagement with those particular avenues of investigation.

My only gripe is that I’ll need to use Windows to use some of the supplied course materials. Yuck!

(Yes, the ‘typo’ in the title of this post is deliberate.)

a good few years [↩]

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2607 Responses2007-05-19+23%3A54%3A42nullifidian to “More science that I can shake a stick at”

Stuart Coleman on May 20th, 2007 1:28 am

Learning is great, and it’s especially good when you’re at the University. Interacting with the people is one of the best ways to learn.

I also like that you’re doing this to learn, not just for more money.
nullifidian on May 20th, 2007 1:53 am

I know a few people who are currently studying (or have done so) with the OU, and they’ve all said that it’s a rewarding experience, although it’ll be a new one for me.

TBH this wouldn’t have any impact on my employability (even though I work in academia) and I’m fortunate enough to have a job I enjoy, be paid enough to live relatively comfortably and be able to afford the time and investment to undertake this. In fact, if I tried to get a job in this or any field that required my academic qualifications, I’d surely have to take a significant drop in pay! :-)

But yes, learning is great. I think that it’s a crying shame that some people choose to remain happy in their ignorance and not want to explore the wonder of things.
nullifidian » Open learning on May 20th, 2007 2:36 am

[...] to my recent post about the OU, I thought that I’d make mention of the self-paced free open learning resources offered by [...]
TW on May 20th, 2007 1:38 pm

You will like the OU, at times… :-) Some of the courses are amongst the best presented in the world, some are so annoying it makes you want to vomit.

I have done lots of OU courses, but the closest to a molecular science one was S103 :-) I am not a huge fan of Chemistry and it certainly was my weakest subject on S103… (Although overall mark was 84% so I can’t have been that bad!)

Let me know what the courses are like as you work through them, I may be tempted enough to try one someday. I am a big fan of doing OU courses for the sheer “fun” of it, although some are more fun than others… (Steer clear of the TT ones if you value your sanity…)
nullifidian on May 20th, 2007 9:55 pm

Yes TW, the first module for that particular degree pathway is indeed S103. I expect/hope to find it relatively uncomplicated, but I’m taking it from level one because I haven’t studied formally for a number of years and I’m most definitely an OU virgin.

I don’t start until some time in September, so I have a bit of time before it all kicks off, but I’ll more likely than not to post about it here.

My partner is currently doing the 3rd year of a humanities degree, so I have a little experience of the quality of the materials, the routine and the demands, and seeing her progression was one of the things I inspired me the most.

She even managed to get that most elusive of marks, the 100%, for one of her recent essays on the enlightenment and romanticism, for which I, our friends, and her work collegues (mostly academic professors) keep going on about. :-)

Thanks for the info and the vote of confidence, it’s very much appreciated.
TW on May 22nd, 2007 6:39 pm

Fantastically well done on getting 100% of the OU. My personal experience has been that OU tutors tend to err on the side of harsher marking – one I have spoken to do, when he finally agreed there was a tendency, put it down to them having the urge to show what a “real” university the OU was.

Getting a good grade with the OU is a fantastic acheivement and something anyone would be rightly proud of.

As for starting from level 1 – that is probably the best option, even if it was a very familiar topic. The OU certainly has a unique way of doing some things and you dont want to jump in at the deep end! :-)

Keep us informed as to how you go. You will crack and switch to a social sciences degree before long… (The criminology courses are truly excellent).
nullifidian on May 22nd, 2007 6:48 pm

Yeah, I’m aware of the propensity to mark harshly, she previously had a 96% and it was reduced to (IIRC) 88% because the OU challenged it.

I don’t think I’ll be switching to any course that requires 2,000 word essays any time soon! ;-)