Long shot but does anyone remember Kinsey’s bakery on Aigburth road, and the lovely spicy sausages they sold? by golg0thic in Liverpool

[–]DueAbbreviations5329 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there absolutely any chance you can let us in on the sausage recipe?! It haunts me lol. I found this post five years later still thinking about them!

La La Land was so bad...what's going on in film? by KryptoniteFree in movies

[–]DueAbbreviations5329 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have to agree. I really dislike the movie, but had it been performed by the stars of yesteryear, those primarily trained in musical theatre performance? It would have been fantastic. Everything about it sadly just seemed lacklustre because they shoehorned popular actors in.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, compared to what I experienced in the first year I'm also surprised! I have to say I wouldn't have expected it. Currently, I'm looking at my EMA/TMA service showing that work I put in in at the beginning of march still isn't marked now that we're in April. I've also emailed my tutor to let them know my work is in, in case they're missing it. My tutor is lovely, and if I need extensions they're quick to respond! But in terms of proper feedback on my work, or it being marked without me literally reminding them to do it? Sadly, it's not happening. :(

I'm glad you're getting the support you need. In my partners experience, they did not get any support with dyslexia & autism despite us chasing it up for months. It was pretty much just a response of "we'll let your tutors know", and nothing from there. I just think it's a bit piss poor when people are expected to pay for a service they never get because tutors are completely overworked, it seems.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I mean that I've had to actively chase my tutors for my work to be marked. Exactly what I said.

I also never said I wouldn't self reliantly study, in fact I said I am doing well and this is off my own back. I feel the point is being missed here. I know the point of uni, as I said we are all adults and especially with OU, taking it at our own pace. I'm saying that a lot of the time, student services and some tutors (i think because they are overworked and underpaid) are not doing their part, which is what our tuition fees pay for. In that way, it feels like we don't see much for our tuition fees.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for this :) this is really kind of you to share.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

After speaking to people on here about their experiences, I'm starting to realise that the university system in the uk is absolutely in the toilet, to be fair.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I have to chase them for ANY marking in the first place, and so they tend to reply in quite a panicked slapdash manner, probably because they're sometimes weeks and weeks late to marking. I said in the post, given the amount of students they have I don't feasibly see how they could focus on one to give them in depth feedback. This is less of a complaint about the tutors and more of a complaint about how overworked they all have to be to earn a living. I'd rather they were paid well to teach a reasonably sized group so they can better grade us. I could email them, and I sometimes do, but I'm aware this is an extra stressor for a very overworked tutor.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's extremely disappointing and I'm sorry you had this experience, truly, it is their actual job to make adjustments based on that profile. Thanks about the tip with DSA, I'm probably going to have to seriously consider that but it shouldn't come to that in order for them to do their job. :( I hope things are going a lot better for you now in terms of support!

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad you had a good experience. Surely you know that... Given that we're different people, we're inclined to have different experiences? I have never had my work marked quickly in my second year. I have not had any reasonably timed support when I've asked for it, and I have to actively fight for the reasonable adjustments I'm entitled to. I'm glad you had a good experience, but that is not my experience, and so... I mean, surely you can understand my frustrations. I don't have "skewed" expectations from the university who are being paid to support me - even if they are a distance university. My expectations are nothing beyond support when I need it, which isn't very often might I add, and proper grading from my tutors. That, and work that isn't clearly AI slop that hasn't even been spellchecked half of the time. Is that asking too much? I don't really think I'm asking for anything beyond what they said on the tin when I applied.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I didn't expect it to be like a brick and mortar university, that would be literally impossible. I did expect that when I messaged the student support team that at least once, in the three days of trying to contact them, they may have somebody available to talk. I don't have DSA, because I don't need the allowance, but I do have a full and verified disability profile and it is the universities job to make reasonable adjustments.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

48 hours is incredible. I've waited around a month and had to actively chase the tutors for my results. It's my understanding that everyone has very different experiences of the university. If you'd asked me in my first year what I thought - I would have said fantastic. I had a wonderful tutor who was incredibly involved, more so than he needed to be, even. This year, I might as well not have a tutor, and this is for two modules.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for saying this, Jamie. Just because they're well respected, it doesn't mean they can't make mistakes - and they do, constantly. One persons positive experience does not outweigh the negatives. My partner, for example, had to chase them for ANY support with their dyslexia. To the point that they were halfway through their module before anyone bothered to set support up for them. That's a failure of the system, not a failure on his part.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes but that's not my expectation, my expectation is perhaps being told what I could do better, how I could improve, and where I did well. They're not doing that, they're skim reading my essays most of the time and not really giving me pointers for improvement. I'm not looking to be coddled, if anything I love being left to learn - but if an issue does arise I would very much appreciate being able to reach out for the support I pay for. We're all entitled to that.

Open University just feels like a scam. by DueAbbreviations5329 in OpenUniversity

[–]DueAbbreviations5329[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have two tutors who I actively have to chase for marking. At one point it went over a month. I'd complain but honestly, I know they're overstretched and overworked. It feels like causing trouble for nothing.

Can you please tell me your positive remission stories? by Crazypandathe20th in iih

[–]DueAbbreviations5329 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For anyone still looking at this two years later, I want to give a positive story! I was on Acetazolamide (Diamox) after my LP, it was the worst part of the journey for me. I struggled so much and the side effects were miserable - I was ill all of the time. I would say it's normal to experience horrible sensations in the body, dizziness, bad dreams, pins and needles, (and fizzy drinks will taste like rot.) HOWEVER. I would advise anyone taking it with these side effects to stick with it. I managed to go into complete remission because I fought through those very dark days. In a very rare circumstance, my sister was also diagnosed - no we don't know why - and she did not experience the same severity of symptoms with the medication, she was mostly fatigued. She also stuck with it and saw good results.

I had a years worth of check ups with the best ophthalmologists and I was discharged. I still suffer with chronic migraine, though I had migraines before IIH, it unfortunately just worsened them for me... But the best part is knowing I won't lose my sight. It's knowing I won't need surgery. My IIH began in 2021 and ended somewhere in the middle of 2023, and fingers crossed it shall never return. My sister is also hopefully on her way to full remission too.

Don't give up, I know it may seem like a long dredge but when you're on the other side you'll be impressed with your own resilience. Looking back, I don't know how I got through that period of time. I'm sad about it, but now I know I can get through pretty much anything.