Ali, born and raised in Scotland, one of five siblings moved to Pakistan with his family at the age of six due to his father's new job with a fertiliser company. After Ali’s father retired, the family returned to the UK and Ali joined high school to complete his Scottish Highers – equivalent to A-levels. Despite having obtained the prerequisite grades, he, unfortunately, had no option but to decline local university offers.
“The funding body in Scotland couldn’t cover my university fees since I hadn't been living in Scotland for over three consecutive years,” explains Ali.
“My desire to go to university and obtain a degree had always been a dream growing up. So having to decline the offer for higher education, was a really low point in my life.”
Having explored a myriad of avenues for acquiring education, Ali found a glimmer of hope when he was able to enrol himself in a modern apprenticeship at a local university. He worked diligently, studying for an HNC (Higher National Certificate) in Applied Sciences, whilst also working as a lab technician.
Driven by a desire to further his education, Ali began to explore options at The Open University (OU) through the recommendation of his father - an OU graduate who spoke highly of his experience and the career prospects for OU graduates.
With the flexibility to continue working full-time and study from home in the evenings and weekends, the OU provided an ideal platform to pursue a degree. Transferring credits from his earlier studies, Ali completed an Open Degree, tailored to his career aspirations.
The BA/BSc (Honours) Open, or Open degree, brings together different areas of study in a completely flexible way. Students can choose from over 250 modules across 16 subject areas to create a bespoke qualification that matches their interests and helps them stand out in the job market.
“The Open University gave me so much flexibility. Lectures and content are uploaded online. I could study on my phone or with my books, and this fitted in very nicely with my full-time work routine!
I studied in the evenings and on weekends, and also at work, during lunchtime, and at other times when it wasn’t busy. The OU tutors provided fantastic support through all of this,” adds Ali.
“Living with family has challenges, with lots going on at any one time. There’s Ramadan, Eid, relatives popping over - you’re not the only one in the house, sometimes you’re ill - nothing stops because of your education. With unwavering support from my family and the OU’s flexible learning platform, I earned a first-class honours degree.”
It was during Ali’s OU academic journey, that he received not one but two promotions. Currently, he is working on cutting edge research related to climate change and is part of a global research project. Reflecting on his journey, Ali emphasises the importance of pursuing education, regardless of background or circumstances, and encourages others.
Ali says: “Regardless of your background, or where you come from, education always has value - it opens your mind. We should prioritise education as a pathway to personal growth and empowerment.”
Education makes you a better person and gives you opportunities you wouldn’t have had before; even if you’ve had to leave education, it doesn’t mean the doors are closed forever. The OU gives you a chance to achieve the degree you have always dreamed of.
Study Experience at the Open University
The Open University has over 200 full-time and part-time qualifications providing a pathway to education for students regardless of background.
Flexible degrees include business, computer science, education, engineering, and accounting and finance, among others.
The benefits of studying at the OU are an inclusive student community, the flexibility to earn while you learn and expert tutor support every step of the way. Students also have access to the student support team who are on hand to provide advice and guidance related to their studies as well as other concerns or queries.
• Flexible payment options are available so students can pay for one module at a time with adaptable payment plans and access to bursaries and scholarships.
• The OU’s flexible distance learning approach means that students can study anytime and anywhere, and fit it around their professional and personal lives.
• Students can speed up or slow down the intensity of their studies and even pause and restart if they need to.
• OU students benefit from expert personal tutors who deliver one-to-one study support alongside dedicated
Whatever future you are looking for, your possibilities are open. To find out more, visit www.open.ac.uk
