Distance learning: OU

Robert Reid
When Black Watch Warrant Officer Class One Robert Reid, 38, graduates this year in Glasgow with an Upper Second Class Open University Bachelor's degree in Social Science with Politics and Social Policy, his achievements will reflect the purpose and mission of the Open University. He will be the first in his family to graduate with a university degree.
'I joined the Forces at 16 after leaving school; I never had any intention to do A-levels,' he says. 'As an enlisted man in the Army and in particular the part I am in - the Infantry - academic qualifications are not required. However, whilst I was serving as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I was encouraged by a number of very bright young men, who gave me the confidence to go for a degree. If you are considering studying with the OU you have to go into it with your eyes wide open. It took me six years to complete my degree - you have to be committed to studying.'
OU courses are designed for students studying in their homes or workplaces, in their own time. Working irregular hours and being posted all over the world is the life of Service men and women. Studying a degree by distance learning is in many cases the only method open to them. In his first year, Reid split the academic year between Inverness and Hong Kong during the handover period. Since then he has studied and worked all over the UK, Europe and, for a couple of months, in Africa.
'My regiment went to Kenya for two months and I had to take my course materials along with me and continue my studies despite living out of a tent in the middle of the African savannah. But the Army, and in particular the Regiment, has supported and helped me, both financially and in terms of understanding the additional pressures of studying. The course improved my political understanding; it gave me a deeper insight into crucial political issues of today.'
Reid will shortly become a Captain and take up a post as Regimental Welfare Officer in Germany, responsible for all welfare matters for about 250 Service families and 500 unmarried soldiers. He may now study at postgraduate level. 'I'm going to take a year out and then I will most likely return to do an MA in Social Sciences. Education is continuous - you just keep going!'