Student and tutor module reviews

For me, this was a very difficult course. It is extremely intense, with 8 course books covering every aspect of science, and numerous lengthy activities to complete.

Much of the coursework is written in a scientific way, using numbers and mathematical/scientific symbols, almost as if it is written in a foreign language. This requires a really good understanding of both maths and chemistry in order to grasp what is meant.

The activities were taking me about four times as long as was allowed and, sadly, my brain couldn't cope with the scientific language. I twice tried to drop out of the course and it was only my tutor's encouragement that kept me going. Miraculously I scraped through, despite missing two of the TMAs.

I'm now doing Discovering Psychology and having the opposite experience. The activities are only taking me a fraction of the time allowed and I'm learning all the O.U. and referencing procedures that I needed to know before doing S104 last year. With hindsight, I think I would have performed much better with S104 if it had been my last Level one course.

Hazel Katherine Wainwright

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: March 2013

Not an easy course, however I enjoyed every bit of it. The books were well written, with a wide range of topics including Climate change, Physics, Biology, Chemistry,Astronomy, Geology and a little bit about Astrophysics. In other words it has everything related to science on a BASIC level.

However it is very important to focus on each subject as there is a lot to take in in just 9 months. Personally I liked Biology and Chemistry but that's because its related to my degree.

Especially if you want to do S216 as your next module, then this is your course. The support from tutors was just awesome. There were several tutorials, which personally helped me digest a lot of information.

However the End-of-Module Assessment was really hard. You have to be extra careful with the questions, as many of them seemed too obvious, but they were not.

All and all very happy with my experience and I would recommend this course to anyone who has an interest to Science.

Zisimos Batelis

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: March 2013

An amazing introduction to The OU's science degrees. A a good start to my BSc in Natural Sciences. This is an intense course that covers all the sciences, and requires you to adapt but also link the different books. This module requires a lot of time and energy if you want to maximize what you get out of it, and you have to keep your wits about you as you change from Earth sciences, to physics, to chemistry, biology, but, the books are linked and you often find references back to previous books.

I really enjoyed it, a great start to my degree, and has given me a confidence boost. I have learnt a lot about the different sciences, and also myself. If you are reading this and deciding about S104 - Exploring science, and can spare about 20 hours a week, then I say go for it.

Nathanael Brammer

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: January 2013

This module is a great introduction to a broad range of subjects. Inevitably with such a broad range there were a few parts which I found either boring or difficult and know of many others who felt the same (often regarding different subjects though, as is the nature of personal preference).

Some units were very well written and interesting however some of the books failed to explain themselves sufficiently, at times it seemed to make the topic unnecessarily complicated which was very frustrating. The TMAs were also quite ranging, some were enjoyable but some were unclear on what sort of answer they were actually looking for.

S104 is a very intensive module. Make no mistake that it will consume a lot of time and there is a huge amount of information that needs to be crammed in very quickly. In my opinion the workload would be more inequivalent to 75 credits, I would avoid taking on another module while doing this course (especially if you have other time commitments such as work) but if you do then certainly no more than 30 credits.

Despite being very stressful at times this is a module worth taking, it does teach you a lot and is worthwhile for the simple fact that it introduces you to subjects that you may not have previously thought as interesting.

It's a great course for anyone who requires a firm grounding of general science or as it gives you a taste of physics, geology, chemistry, biology etc it would be useful for anyone who hasn't decided on a particular subject yet and wants to explore them all.

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: December 2012

This was such an amazing course with a wide range of subjects covered (some well, some not so well). I thoroughly enjoyed this course although I didn't think I would enjoy the physics but that was some of the best bits!

Book 1 introduces some key concepts and methods of working. Books 2 and 3 build on this and have real world applications of what you learn.

Books 4 and 5 were monsters, I have biology and chemistry A levels so most of the content was partially known already. I did find book 5 a little scattered in places, especially the ecosystems followed by in depth photosynthesis. I suppose this is a drawback of only having one biology book.

Book 6 was a little dull for my tastes but book 7 and 8 were fantastic. You do have to think to get your head round some of the concepts of book 7 but once they click you do have a eureka moment that makes book 8 a doddle.

The TMAs were well paced and I scored well on all of them. The EMA does require a lot of time and thought to get good marks. I would suggest buying the first book (global warming) second hand before the course books are sent out so you can make a head start. I was nearly one book ahead of the planner at all times and this meant I had time to digest the content before the TMA was due.

I would definitely recommend this course to a friend!

Robert Allpress

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: December 2012

I have no background in science so I am reviewing this course from a complete beginners perspective.

It's hard and it's not for the lazy or 'slightly interested'. You really have to want to study science to do this module. I found the TMAs a struggle at times- especially the questions on chemistry and biology (I want go down the physics route) but you just have to keep trying. It's a learning curve whether you know the answers or not because it's about learning how to answer the questions and picking out the important information.

Despite the times I stayed up until the early hours trying to finish TMAs, I really enjoyed learning about the various subjects (earthquakes, energy, genes) and it helped me to decide what module to study next.

The topics were interesting and the books were well detailed - I was impressed with the materials and I will keep them for future reference. My tutor was extremely helpful and gave me a lot of guidance.

Overall - if you have the time, the patience and the interest, then I highly recommend this module.

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: December 2012

What a wonderful introduction to science! The basics of physics, chemistry, biology and earth science as well as some simple astronomy and environmental science are covered in an accessible but rigorous and non-trivial way which whets your appetite and thoroughly prepares you with the skills for further science study.

Maths skills are introduced as they are needed and slowly built up, and there are some basic practical tasks and activities using some great computer packages and others which require research using the internet and collaboration with other students.

The schedule is busy and quite relentless, so you need to keep to the study calendar as closely as possible. I found the whole course stimulating, but inevitably others found some parts more or less interesting/easy/difficult than others.
I was genuinely sad when the course ended!

Thomas John Davies

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: December 2012

I found this course not too bad at the start but as it went on it just seemed to become more and more intense which I suppose is how its designed.

The best piece of advice I got was from one of the tutors at the very first and only tutorial I was able to attend it went along the lines of 'just keep plodding on'.

Normally I leave assignments until as late as possibly because I like to work under pressure but I followed advice of spending at least 2 weeks on the final assessment and I'm glad I did this as I was rewarded with a good result.

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: December 2012

S104 is a great course as a general introduction to the different areas of Science. The course is interesting and engaging but does require commitment - it is a fast paced course and it gets progressively faster as the course goes on. Good time management is key. The only down side to this course (for me) is the gap between pass and distinction. Even if you get above 85% for the first part of the course, you aren't guaranteed a distinction until you get your mark for the examinable content. I was 7 marks away from a distinction, but 38 marks over the pass grade. Needless to say, I was incredibly disappointed!

Gemma Wood

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: November 2012

Although not following a science degree, I needed this module for my future career. The last time I did science was 30 years ago at school, and the Are you ready for S104 also told me that I was not ready.

However, I decided to jump in and do this module, along with MST121, and it was very hard. No sooner had one TMA been completed, then the next book was opened. Book 4, chemistry, was a big let down. It did not seem to follow any logical order.

As the course progressed, I felt myself becoming more involved and really enjoying the studying, even though many a time I felt like quitting.

It did not help that over the summer, I got offered an unconditional offer from a brick university and, due to time contraints, I had to miss out TMA 6 and 7. This though gave me more time to focus on the EMA. I relly enjoyed the EMA and, although was rather taxing, was a fair test of knowledge on the whole course.

This review may seem negative but it is not meant to be. I was ill prepared for it, and although got very good TMA and CMA grades I was having to put in 20+ hours a week. However, the sense of satisfaction when I passed the course cannot be expressed.

I can honestly say I enjoyed the course and am glad I took it. However, it has taught me that if the Are you ready for ... says you are not, that is what it means.

I would really recommend this course, but be prepared for hard work and putting the hours in.

Joshua Andrew Littlewood

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: November 2012

This is an excellent wide-ranging course that provides a good introduction to several scientific disciplines including biology, chemistry, geology and physics.

The course begins relatively slowly with the first book focusing on global warming. Basic experimental and mathematical skills are introduced gently through experiments such as designing a rain gauge to measure precipitation. New concepts are introduced with plenty of explanation, as the course is clearly designed for students with little prior exprience of science. Students with recent science 'A' levels or similar may find this frustrating, but should be assured that the material does gradually become more complex and detailed throughout the course.

WORKLOAD
My prior academic experience of science consisted only of OU science short courses and the estimated study time of 16 hours per week proved about right for me. I found it helpful to get a week or two ahead of the study calendar at the start of the course as this allowed for extra time to be spent on more difficult material as the course progressed.

ASSESSMENT
There are 7 TMAs and an end-of-course assessment (which I understand will be replaced by an exam from October 2012 onwards). The TMAs are a good test of what you have learned and are excellent preparation for the end of course assessment (or exam). I found TMAs were helpful in allowing me to identify material I hadn't fully understood so I could revisit the relevant books or chapters. My tutor provided helpful feedback both about understanding of course materials and about skills such as writing short essays or displaying mathematical calculations correctly.

GENERAL ADVICE
The course begins fairly slowly, but the amount of material covered and the complexity of the subjects soon increases, particularly towards the end of book three and throughout books four and five. I found staying ahead of the study calendar helped me allow extra time for the material I found more difficult.

My tutor group forum was not particularly well used, but I found the OUSA S104 forum helpful as a way to meet other students and offer support.

SUPPORT FOR DISABLED STUDENTS
As a disabled student, my tutor provided plenty of support as needed, and was happy to accommodate requests for extensions or additional help when I requested it. The OU centrally were also extremely supportive and willing to help. I particularly appreciated being provided with comb bound books and transcripts of AV materials, though other material formats and types of support are available too depending on a student's particular needs.

SUMMARY
Overall I think this is an excellent course that succeeds in taking students from almost no experience with science right through to a good understanding of a variety of scientific concepts. Personally I was most amazed to go from no knowledge of physics to happily explaining the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and Schroedinger's Cat to my family!

On a more serious note, I'm now studying Level 2 science modules and found S104 invaluable in ensuring I was well prepared for these modules. For this reason alone I would highly recommend S104 to anyone planning to pursue a science degree. For those not planning to study further, S104 is still a fantastic introduction to a range of science subjects and I feel sure that most students will value the knowledge and experience they gain through studying this module, as well as the enormous sense of achievement that comes with passing the module!

Course starting: January 2012

Review posted: November 2012

I was doing this course as it was required for my named degree - wouldn't have chosen it otherwise - so do bear that in mind when reading the review.

The course is designed for someone new to the sciences and I'd think it's probably very good for that. If you are coming in with, for example, A-level knowledge you are likely to find it quite frustrating, I think. A particularly annoying aspect is the way that you can effectively be penalised for giving a more "advanced" (and in fact more correct) answer - so it's advisable to temporarily forget anything you knew in advance when doing the assessment.

The physics and astronomy material was, I thought, well written. The geology bored me rigid (don't know whether that's the content here or just that I don't like the subject). The biology was actually not bad at all (and I don't normally like biology).

As for the chemistry - well, chemistry is my favourite science, and the one I am mainly studying. The OU's actual proper chemistry courses are great. But I really don't feel S104 does the subject anything like justice - the order of presenting the topics isn't logical, meaning newbies don't find it at all easy to grasp the fundamentals, and the whole thing seems aimed to cover a wide range on a superficial level. If I hadn't already known and loved chemistry before doing this course, the way it was presented here would have put me right off.

Advice - the later books are thicker, so it pays to get ahead early if you can. When doing the TMAs, present examples exactly as they are in the book if you want good marks (not a personal gripe - I'm OK on doing that sort of thing, but I know quite a few people who lost out that way). And don't overcomplicate stuff or try to look for more in the questions than is actually there!

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: November 2012

I thoroughly enjoyed S104, and I think that anyone who has an interest (or even passion) for science would also find this module enjoyable.

It covers such a broad spectrum of different aspects of science that even though I have been interested in science for many years there were parts of the module where I learnt about things I had not heard about before.

There is a lot to do and so the volume of work is quite high. You have to be prepared to get yourself organised and sacrifice other calls on your time. This can be a bit of a strain if you have a busy job, a family or both! However, don't let me put you off with this last sentence as all the hard work is certainly worth it.

Tom Lawler

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: November 2012

My 2nd OU module and boy what a change from the first - books were confusing a lot of the time and the marking strategy between groups inconsistent. Enjoyed most of the topics but was hoping for a little more Chemistry and Biology and a lot less Physics. The best part for me was Cosmology, a subject I've never considered before.

If you're thinking of doing S104 - make sure you have plenty of time and get organised! The workload and speed of the course means that you don't really get time to absorb a lot of the concepts that are introduced.

Overall I enjoyed the course but it's not one I would want to do again especially now there is an exam at the end. The EMA questions were very poorly worded and confusing and led to a lot of wasted time trying to deduce what they actually wanted and didn't entirely relate to subjects found in the OU texts.

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: October 2012

Well, as my first OU course , i found this pretty tough going. I had not touched A-Level science at all so getting used to this level was one of the hard parts.

As many reviewers have mentioned, this course is demanding and will eat into your time. If you love science like me you will learn to love this, but be warned, if you work full time and have a social life, you will be spending many days and nights reading and re-reading into the morning.

However hard the above sounds, it is worth it, the topics covered are incredibly wide ranging and it has proved to be a solid start for me on my way to a natural sciences BSc.

Daniel King

Course starting: October 2011

Review posted: October 2012