From isolation to belonging: how Open SU changed my life

Imagine starting university and feeling completely alone. No campus, no classmates sitting beside you, no obvious place to meet other students. Just your studies, your screen, and the quiet feeling that maybe everyone else has figured it out except you.

As a rural student, that’s exactly how I felt when I first started studying with The Open University. Like many distance learners, I assumed studying would mean doing everything alone. I didn’t know about Open SU, and I didn’t realise there were communities of students connecting, supporting one another, and building friendships alongside their studies. I certainly never expected that joining this community would transform my life.

The Open University had always been part of my life in the background. My aunt studied with the OU and went on to achieve both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree despite living with cerebral palsy. My grandmother, who lived with agoraphobia, also studied with the OU and later helped teach children from disadvantaged backgrounds how to write their names. Because of them, The Open University always felt like a natural place for me to study.

But my own journey through education wasn’t easy.

Growing up, I was often bullied in school because of my neurodiversity. When I later went on to university in Liverpool, those feelings of being different didn’t disappear. I struggled to understand how to connect with people or form friendships. Instead of feeling part of the university community, I often felt like I was on the outside looking in.

That isolation had a real impact on me. I struggled with loneliness, self-doubt, and the constant feeling that I didn’t quite belong anywhere. After graduating with an ordinary degree in physics, rather than an honours degree, my confidence took another hit. It made finding work more difficult and left me questioning whether I truly belonged in higher education at all.

There was a moment during this difficult time that I still remember clearly. I was sitting in the car with my dad after another challenging day, and he said something that stayed with me.

“You have two choices,” he said. “Either continue as you are, or do something about it.”

Those words became a turning point – the moment I realised that if things were going to change, I had to take the first step.

When we got home that day, I began looking into ADHD treatment as an adult. I had been diagnosed as a child, but the support available in my area had stopped when I turned 16. Getting the right help and understanding my neurodiversity better became an important step in rebuilding my life.

For a while, though, something still felt missing.

Then one day, while browsing StudentHome, I saw something I had never really noticed before – the OU Students Association (now known as Open SU), the student community and representative body for Open University students.

Curious, I decided to attend one of the Association student drop-in sessions. It was the first time I had ever joined such an event, and the first time I had really spoken to other OU students.

That single decision changed everything.

For the first time, I realised that studying with the OU didn’t have to mean studying alone. There were other students out there who understood the experience of distance learning. There were people creating spaces where students could connect, support one another, and feel that they truly belonged.

After attending more events, I noticed that there were very few opportunities specifically for students in Wales. That led me to attend a student consultation, where I spoke with members of the staff team. They encouraged me to nominate myself for the Wales Student Area Representative role on the Student Leadership Team.

I took the leap.

Becoming the elected Wales Representative gave me the opportunity not only to find community for myself, but to help create those opportunities for other students too.

I began running Study Together sessions with a fellow student, helping others connect while working on their studies. I also worked with the same student to establish Uni-Tunes, a social music-listening club where students could relax, share music, and enjoy each other’s company. Alongside this, I organised social watch parties – bringing students together simply to enjoy shared moments and feel part of something bigger than studying alone.

Through these events, something incredible started to happen. Students began connecting. Friendships began forming. And a real sense of community started to grow.

That was when I began to realise that sometimes the most powerful thing we can do as students is simply create spaces where people feel welcome, supported, and able to be themselves.

Along with Scarlet James, we helped develop the Wales Club for students across Wales – a space where students can connect, share experiences, and build friendships. Through the Wales Club, we continue to organise social gatherings across Wales, including events in Llandudno and Cardiff. We work to create welcoming spaces where other students can feel that same sense of belonging.

One particularly memorable moment was hosting a Results Day event together. Seeing students come together, celebrate their achievements, and connect with one another face-to-face was a powerful reminder of what community can mean.

What started as an effort to create more opportunities for Welsh students became something far more meaningful. It became a community.

Through Open SU, I didn’t just find activities or events. I found friendships, purpose, and a support network that I never expected to find through university.

Today I’m lucky enough to have a close group of friends who support each other, laugh together, and share the journey of being OU students. People who understand each other’s challenges, celebrate each other’s successes, and remind one another that none of us have to go through this journey alone.

It’s a reminder of just how powerful community can be. For someone who once felt completely isolated, that sense of belonging truly means everything.

Looking back, I realise that Open SU didn’t just change my experience as a student. It changed my life – and I know I’m not the only student who has felt this way.

If you’re studying with The Open University and feeling isolated, I want you to know something I wish I had known earlier: you are not alone. There is a whole community of students out there ready to welcome you.

Sometimes belonging starts with something as simple as showing up to your first event. And sometimes, that first step is where belonging begins.