ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at what younger students had to put into their studies in terms of money and effort, and what sacrifices they had to make. On the benefit side, it examines how much they enjoyed the courses and what they gained in personal, educational or occupational terms. Younger students produced the same number of suggestions as older students and therefore were apparently no more critical of the system. Most younger students felt that they ‘belonged’ to the Open University. Very few said that they felt like ‘guinea pigs’ and many had actually forgotten that they were admitted as part of a special Pilot Scheme. Many younger students would have preferred to attend a full-time degree course and some pointed out what they had missed. Those younger students who gained some course credits or who graduated seemed to be satisfied with their experiences at the OU.
