TWO Open University graduates from the Tavistock and Yelverton area will be among those receiving their awards at a ceremony at Torquay this Saturday, April 16. Brian Wilson, 57, from Tavistock, will be receiving a BSc (Honours) in Mathematical Sciences and Trevor Rookes, 42, from Sheepstor his MBA (Master of Business Adminstration). Brian, who used to work at Devonport Dockyard, is now retired. He said the degree in Mathematical Sciences was ?something I have always wanted to do?. ?Both our boys did maths at ?real? universities, so I wanted to do the same,? he said. Brian said he had not found the studying easy, but it was something he had enjoyed ?every minute of?, having treated it as a challenge. He took eight years to complete the degree, studying one course a year. ?I am enjoying retirement and am now having a gap year, but might take up more studies next year ? probably one of the sciences,? he said. Trevor Rookes is a strategy manager for a French-owned company and said his Open University study made good use of his time while travelling from Plymouth to London and Paris, when he was able to read books. He said his employers had been very supportive of his studies, which he had taken up to ?further his career?. ?I found the study hard work but very rewarding and helpful,? Trevor said. The course took three years, and Trevor said his next challenge was to learn French. The graduation ceremony at the Riviera Centre will be attended by the university?s chancellor, Rt Hon Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell. Linda Brightman, regional director of the Open University in the south west, said each year they saw how education enriched the lives of thousands of their students. ?The Open University in the south west will continue to help people from all sections of society to fulfil their dreams and ambitions, further their careers and get the most out of their studies,? she said. It is possible to achieve a degree in three years, studying full-time, but most undergraduates combine part-time study with work or family responsibilities. The average time taken is six years. The OU offers more than 360 undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
