Ryan O'Donnell: From ‘university drop out’ to science graduate in four years

Ryan O’Donnell can’t wait to cross the stage in Belfast on 09 June to collect his Natural Sciences degree at The Open University (OU) Degree Ceremony. Then he will no longer be able to describe himself as a ‘university drop out’. 

Ryan explains “I started when I was 28 and beforehand I was on the fence. I told myself, in a few years I can either be 32 with no degree or 32 with a degree… either way, I’ll still be 32. I went for the degree. I now have more doors opening up for me, along with the maturity and sense of accomplishment gained from my time studying with the OU. Being on the other side of it now, I would make the same choice every time.” 

Ryan is now working in a fully accredited testing and analytical laboratory. He credits his OU degree with helping him get that position. Ryan shares “I have landed a job working in science, and the degree was helpful developing skills and knowledge I need for the role.” 

Ryan is from Donegal but was living overseas when he started his student journey with the OU. He wanted a new career path and chose the OU because it has a well established reputation for supported distance learning. This offered Ryan a flexible way to work abroad and gain a qualification. “I did some study through the covid pandemic, and I also moved from one side of the world back to my hometown post pandemic.” 

“It was a struggle at times, especially while working, but learning how to manage my time and self-discipline was all part of the experience of learning and growth afforded by the OU experience. Having the drive and passion to achieve the goals and an interest in the learning are key to getting through difficult times.” 

Ryan found the high quality OU teaching materials and resources invaluable. “The materials were very good. The scope of knowledge provided in the material provided allows a student to learn to a greater degree than required to just pass an exam, making it an excellent choice for those truly interested in their course of choice, and placing it above what is provided in many other institutions at this level.” 

Ryan has some great time management and motivational advice for current OU students. “Whatever time you plan to put aside for doing TMAs or exam prep, double it! It’s never too early to start on these things and there is no issue in prepping and working on TMAs concurrently with your actual study. Trying to learn it to a degree that you can explain it simply to someone else is good for retaining the knowledge. I liked to imagine I was teaching a class on whatever I was revising and speaking out loud to explain to the “class”. Good note keeping goes without saying.” 

“Don’t throw in the towel, but also don’t feel you need to overload yourself and run to the finish line. Talk with anyone you can. The OU has many resources and people that can help you make choices in your study to help you. You can take on a lesser workload, and ask for extra help if needed, to get you through the rough patches – but see it through. If I can do it, you can too.” 

Ryan at times had challenges during his student journey, but he says “perseverance and reaching out to my tutor helped me to get through those times”. Now he likes to reflect on just how much he has learned and accomplished. “The degree has opened doors into my new career path. I am planning to gain experience in my new field, a field I’ve been interested in doing all my life and now I have access to. I do hope to do a Masters in a few years – mainly based off how much I enjoyed the learning experience of getting my degree – but also to further my career later on.”