Welcome Week Home

YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE...

The OU community is a wonderful place to be, and Welcome Week is set up to show you everything it has to offer – with a lineup of online sessions designed to help meet new people and discover what Open SU can do for you.

Distance learning doesn’t have to mean going through your study journey alone - let's get started together...

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YOUR WELCOME WEEK EVENTS

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Welcome Week Star speaker: Liz Carr

Introducing our star speaker for Open SU's Welcome Week… Liz Carr!

You may have seen her in popular TV shows like Silent Witness and The Witcher, her campaigns for disability rights, fronting the BBC documentary 'Better off Dead?', and lots more...

Now, she's coming to Welcome Week to host an exclusive online session for you, discussing her unexpected journey from studying a degree in Law to becoming the award-winning actress, comedian, and trailblazing activist she is today.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to hear Liz Carr speaking to OU students. The session will be hosted by the Open SU President and Disabled Student Representative, who will run a question-and-answer section at the end of the talk.

Yoga from your chair: 30th January; Microsoft Teams; Welcome Week

Welsh Club Cardiff meet-up: 30th January; The Open University in Wales, 18 Custom House Street, Cardiff, CF10 1AP; Welcome Week

Quiz Night at OU Pride: 30th January; Microsoft Teams; Welcome Week

Bingo: 30th January; Adobe Connect; Welcome Week

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WHAT I WISH I’D KNOWN

Preparing to start your studies

Getting ready to start your studies can be daunting- check out this short introductory course on OU Ready, which has information on where to find everything, and how to access support.

Referencing

What is the right way to reference in your work? Don’t worry, the OU have prepared a quick guide to Harvard referencing on their library website, where their help desk is available for extra support.

What is ‘good academic practice’?

You might have heard words like ‘plagiarism’ and ‘academic misconduct’, but what are these- and how can you avoid them? Check out the Academic Conduct Policy and look at this OpenLearn collection about good academic practice to find out more.

Plus, if you ever need help with this, you can check out Open SU’s Individual Representation Service for free, independent support and advice.

Financial support

For support with your finances throughout your studies, explore the OU Study Related Costs Scheme, the Disabled Students Allowance, or the OU Students Educational Trust (OUSET).

Connecting with other students

There are lots of great ways to meet other Open University students and get involved with the community:

Check out OU Students Connect to chat to other students online

Join one of the clubs and societies available

Join a Student Support Group

Check out the online and in-person events happening soon

See what volunteering opportunities are available to boost your skills and meet new people!

GIVEAWAY TIME

To properly welcome you to this new chapter in your journey, we’re giving away goodie bags packed with Open SU-themed prizes (including an OU hoodie and some limited-edition Open SU merch!).

Head to the dedicated Welcome Week chat on OU Student Connect – the chat platform for OU students – and share a picture of what motivates you to keep your studies going (anything from a study buddy to some fun new stationery!).

We’ll choose our five favourites and share them on our social media to announce the winners...

More ways to win