Data analyst Abiola shares why not ‘going away’ to a brick university was one of the best decisions he’s made.
After choosing an apprenticeship straight after his A Levels, ambitious Abiola, 27, says he’s been able to progress in his career while studying Computing and IT with The Open University.
“I had a group of friends that were all going to uni to study the same degree,” he says. “We had all done college together, we had all done GCSEs together and I was thinking, if we all go for an interview there is nothing really that makes any one of us stand out.
“I finished my A Levels and had an unconditional offer from a traditional university to study computer science. I decided to not rush into it and take a year off and try to get some more experience to make me stand out from other people applying for the same job.”
Standing out from the crowd
Abiola secured a sought-after apprenticeship with a company that makes electric vehicle chargers. After his first year, he was offered a full-time job and now works as a senior network assurance data analyst.
To help him progress further, his employer recommended the OU and offered to sponsor his degree, as Abiola explains:
“My proudest moment was being offered the opportunity of sponsored, part-time study with the OU by my employer.
“They said ‘Go away and do your own research. Pick a university and come back to us and we will support you, but you might want to look at The Open University’, and that’s when I did my own research into the OU and found what was on offer and made my choice.
“It’s great to be able to study, as well as work in a business that helps the world to achieve carbon-free travel with the use of electric vehicles. Studying and working at the same time allows you to gain experience – whenever you apply for a job, the first thing employers look for is someone that has experience.”
Skills to get ahead
Abiola says one benefit of OU study is that he can apply knowledge from his course directly to his day job.
“I wanted the opportunity to study part-time whilst working and grow both professionally and academically. The OU allows you to study at your own pace and find the right balance between working full-time and studying part-time.
“I don’t have to sacrifice my education. I’ve been able to progress each year towards my bachelor’s degree and progress at work.”
Though life is busy, Abiola says that he’s able to get the best of both worlds by working and studying and would encourage others to do the same.
“There’s no reason to sacrifice your career goals or put your career on hold just to get a degree. The OU makes it possible to study at your own pace so you are able to pick and choose how many courses you want to study a year and that allows you to find the right balance.
“It sounds daunting at first to study and work at the same time because you want to see your friends and family and have some downtime but it’s definitely possible to do a combination of both.”
A supportive community
As Abiola progresses through his degree, he says he’s got the support of his employer, family and the OU community.
“My family love it and are very proud of me,” he says. “Every time I get a result back from one of my tutors, I let them know and I can tell they’re very happy with the way I am progressing. And my friends are very proud of what I am doing too.”
He also stays in touch with his tutors and students every step of the way.
“The tutors and I stay in communication by email, Skype and phone. I am able to give my tutor a call and just spend five or 10 minutes on the phone to explain where I’m getting stuck. That’s been really helpful.
“Pre-Covid times, when things were normal, we had tutorials. I would have at least one a month, where you met face-to-face with tutors and face-to-face with people in my tutor group. We build relationships, exchange phone numbers and email addresses and keep in touch. With fellow students, it’s not always to do with studying, we talk about our personal life and anything interesting going on. We have a WhatsApp group as well, so again it’s a very collaborative way of working together.”
Looking to the future
As Abiola gets closer to completing his degree, he’s looking forward to progressing even further with his studies and career.
“I’d like to go for a master’s degree,” he says.
“Studying with the OU allows me to go on with my life and pursue my career goals. I can study and grow within the business as I have been doing for the past seven years.”
Inspired by Abiola’s journey? Start your own
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