Equilibrium Magazine Issue 37

illustration by Michael O’Connell
Open your mind with
The Open University
Last summer (2009)
while surfing the web I
came across a page
for The Open University
and since then the
experience with the O.U.
is helping me to change
my life. At the time I was
spending practically all
my time indoors with little
contact with the outside
world with no interest in
talking to anyone. Even though I wanted to be left alone
I was aware I could not go on day after day in the same
fashion as I was very unhappy and I needed some thing
to focus on to make life worthwhile
When I came across the OU website I was curious
to know what it was all about so I followed the links to
see what was on offer and was surprised by the choice
available to people who wanted to study part time,
such as law, politics ,languages, economics and
psychology to name but a few.
Over the next few days I returned to the web page a
dozen times wanting to know more and more, how the
courses worked, what was involved and maybe (perish
the thought ) I could do it!!. I say this because having
left school without any formal
qualifications and because of
my age I was of the opinion a
university degree was beyond
my reach. In reality, (a place I
often lose contact with) I was
looking for an excuse to return
to my mundane existence
and to live within my comfort
zone unhappy as it was. The
problem was this time there
was no problem. I had a PC
at home and was connected to the internet, if I wanted
to do a home study course I could, nothing was stopping
me except myself, it was up to me .
The O.U. offers support to over 9000 students with
disabilities including mental health problems, it also offers
financial support and with this in mind I sent away for
an application form filled it in and returned it still feeling
very apprehensive. At this point I think the fear of being
accepted was greater then the fear of rejection. In the
first week of last September a letter arrived informing me
I was now a part time student and my course materials
would arrive shortly wishing me luck with DD101 (course
reference). Within a week my materials arrived and I this
point I began to realize the significance of what I had
done, there was no way out I had to go through with!!
The course material these days consists of various
learning formats including books, CDs, online activities
and files you can download on to an mp3 player so you
learn while going about your daily routine and needless
to say this is a very flexible way to study. It can also be a
bit confusing for someone who has never done it before
so I decided I needed some guidance.
The O.U. holds tutorials across London for its students
approximately every three weeks.
During the academic year, although they are not
compulsory because I needed some advice I decided
to attend and brought along a friend for support (this
you are allowed to do).I have to admit I did feel very
nervous at the start but after half an hour I was so en
grossed in the instructions we were being given I felt
completely relaxed. I met other students who, like me
wanted to do something constructive with their spare
time and on the whole were a very nice people.
When I met my tutor she reassured me that she would
support me throughout the year and I could contact her
by phone or e-mail if I had any questions or difficulties
relating to the course, and I must say her advice and
constructive criticism when needed has proved to be
invaluable. I am now nearing the end of my first year
and I am very satisfied with my progress so far. The
course has helped me in my quest to reconnect with
society and made me question many preconceived
opinions I had regarding academic learning. I look
forward to next year and to the next level.
M. C.
FearFighter
FearFighter is a new computer-aided Cognitive
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Developed by Professor Isaac Marks MD - an
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phobia and anxiety…research indicates that it improves
anxious or phobic services users as much as face to
face therapy giving sufferers a real alternative to drugs
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even with the most limited computer literacy the nine
steps take typically 8-12 weeks and essential support is
provided over the phone.(Typically 6 calls over no more
than an hour over the period mentioned) The correct
support is necessary to benefit fully from the service and
is provided by qualified professionals. www.FearFighter.
com. Ian Stewart
EQUILIBRIUM 14