Your partner, friend or relative has decided to study an Open University (OU) module and you may be wondering about the effects that will have on your lives. Understanding what OU students do will give you an insight into what your student is experiencing and a clearer idea of how to give them help and support day-to-day and when they feel really stressed.

OU modules are structured to help students stay motivated and achieve their aims. But any commitment to achievement can be quite hard on the people close by.

So what changes should you expect, and what can you do to be supportive? The following articles will give you an idea of what studying is like for an OU student and what support from their friends and family will help them to achieve their study goals.