Foreign Perspectives

If it weren’t for the OU appearing to be about to drop all their science summer schools and consequently their named science degrees, the choices for 2010 would be very easy. First I’d be doing Biological Psychology in February and then in October I’d be starting Exploring Psychology (the psychology course that I should have done first).

However, I really had my heart set on picking up a physics degree at some point and therefore I need to do something about that as it seems sure to disappear from the list of options within the next couple of years. The particular problem with the named science degrees is that they require three summer schools to be included within them and said summer schools are currently all sitting with expiry dates no later than 2012.

Thus, for the physics, I need to do both Observing the Universe (SXR208) and Physics by Experiment (SXR207) plus one other. The one other can come from quite a massive range of options although given the 2012 expiry dates that are on most of the courses that choice is much more limited than it would be normally. Of those that are around, I would normally be inclined to do the residential associated with the main chemistry course but there doesn’t seem to be the time to do that. Thus I’m currently looking at the geology option which is also on my “must do sometime” list and has the advantage that it seems possible to slot it into the schedule.

In terms of when to do the courses the ideal sequence seems to be Astronomy (S282) in February 2010, Geology (S276) in November 2010, Using mathematics February 2011, with the astronomy and geology residentials in the summer of 2011. Then it’s on to the physical world in October 2011 with its residential in the summer of 2012. Finally, it’s back to the psychology sequence in October 2012 and the final chunk of the physics degree after that. Not ideal, but at least it appears possible.

The annoying part about all this is that it’s twisting round what started out as a reasonably sensible study sequence to one that’s purely aimed at meeting requirements as soon as possible just in case the option to meet them disappears. Moreover, it’s not even sure that the list of courses I’d need to complete the physics degree will remain so to some extent it might be a pointless exercise in terms of trying to pick up that degree although it will take me through a very interesting list of courses regardless.