My second year at Open University
The plan vs actual
A good start, but more to do.
Another year has passed in my studies at the Open University.
A year ago my plan was to do both MST124 and MST125 this year, completing the CertHE in October 2025.
I completed MST124 and obtained a distinction, which is the highest grade that can be obtained. This is an achievement in its own right, it’s like getting an “A” at A-level mathematics.
However, I did not take MST125 this year. The reasons for this are primarily workload and wanting a break over the summer months.
I’ve realised that I can only do 30 credits or so a year and get a high grade, especially now that I’m a CTO. The challenges of work, study and family life remain ever present.
The exam
MST124 was the first module in the degree that had a 3 hour exam. The exam was worth 80% of the overall grade, making it a high-stakes affair. When I started the year I was pretty terrified by this, thinking there’s a good chance I’d crack under the pressure and get a bad grade as a result.
However, by the time it arrived I’d done a ton of past paper questions and I felt pretty relaxed when examination day arrived and I opened the exam. The three hours flew by and it was really only section 3, the hardest section, where I ran into significant difficulties.
There’s definitely a lesson here that I can take in to MST125. When I started MST124 I looked at the past papers and thought “How will I ever be able to do that?” but by the end of the course I had thoroughly learned the material and the past papers started to feel comfortable.
Obtaining the Certificate of Higher Education
I said that my goal for this year was to complete the CertHE, which is the Certificate of Higher Education.
It’s an award that you can obtain after completing a year of university study at any UK university. The way this is structured at the Open University is that you can apply for this award after completing your level 1 modules.
My new goal is to complete this by October 2026, gaining a distinction in all the modules. To do that, I just have to get a distinction in MST125, which is the final module of level 1 and the course I’m taking this year.
The road ahead
Both level 2 and level 3 consist of modules containing 120 credits each. My revised plan is to do 120 credits stretched across three years instead of two. This will mean I will earn my degree sometime around my 48th birthday.
I will start on the level 2 modules in October 2026. Starting with the 30-credit modules first and then tackling the chunky 60-credit Pure Maths module last.
The completion of level 2 grants you a Diploma of Higher Education, equivalent to two years at University.
Finally, at level 3, you need to complete an additional 60 credits to earn a degree and then the remaining 60 credits to make that an honours degree.
What’s interesting is that only that honours degree, right and the end, comes with a classification. So even if you perform poorly on some of the modules and end up with an honours degree classification that isn’t ideal, you can still take the other, ungraded qualifications, as a consolation prize.
Appreciating the journey
When I set out on this journey, I talked about righting wrongs of the past and wanting to achieve what I failed to accomplish in my early 20s.
All of that is still true, but as I’m more established on the road to getting this degree I’m starting to enjoy the very journey itself. Rather than doom-scrolling Reddit in the evenings, I am there with a pen and paper just enjoying doing mathematics.
It’s become not just and educational journey but a hobby too. This feeling is something I want to take through in to this year’s studies and beyond.