Student and tutor module reviews

Getting a module of this calibre and complexity is difficult, and I think the OU does an amazing job with teaching both Latin and the cultural/historical aspects of Roman history.
The module is doable and you can get a good grade if you follow the advice - "little and often". I do not think you can cram for this one, and if you do you will miss out on the more subtle aspects of the course. I found some of the literature hard going, and struggled with close reading as I was time poor doing the course so tended to focus on the grammar and language rather than the reading.
I really enjoyed the video sections and wish there had been more of these, as it added to the variety of the course (but there is external material ie BBC etc available that mirrors what you will learn). Towards the end of the module I started to really appreciate the language structure, and could start to see why Latin helps you to express yourself better in English and even aid for computer programming.
Overall a very rich and complex module, that gives a depth of satisfaction I've not had yet with the OU (despite other modules being excellent).
The module towards the end is intense,and you need to be disciplined and put in the time "parum et saepe", little and often.
This will be a subject I will keep coming back to, re-reading some of the OU material and trying to learn more around the subject.

David Brown

Course starting: October 2023

Review posted: December 2024

I found this module hard going mainly due to the amount of work you absolutely have to put in to stay with the programme. It is however, extremely enjoyable and confidence building, and I loved it although will admit to feeling almost overwhelmed at one point. But thanks to an extremely helpful tutor, I finally managed to get a really good score in the final exam. If you're hesitating about whether to take the module or not I would say without doubt, do it. You'll love it.

Mark Bressington

Course starting: October 2021

Review posted: September 2022

This was an enjoyable course and the teaching methods for the language, brilliant - especially for someone who may not have had great success with a foreign language. The history and the literature were thoroughly enjoyable, but wish there had been more time for reading the literature, and with far less emphasis on just one writer - Ovid. I didn't dislike him, but would have liked to study more, and be examined on more of the other poets - Horace, for example.

Pauline Jane Harvey

Course starting: October 2017

Review posted: June 2019