Business Executive and Paratroop Commander Sees
the Open University as His Greatest Challenge in Life
"Had I not studied at the Open University, I would never have studied at any university not only because of the University's efforts in helping me, but also in believing in me. The Open University's services made the biggest difference in my life."
Sharli Afangar
By the time Sharli enrolled in the undergraduate management program at the Open University he was already in a senior executive position in the food industry, and was an officer in IDF's prestigious and demanding Paratrooper's Division.
For him the Open University was an opportunity to acquire an academic background in order to expand his knowledge and enrich his management skills.
For him the Open University was an opportunity to acquire an academic background in order to expand his knowledge and enrich his management skills.
He assumed that he'd probably excel in all his exams, as he had excelled in every task throughout his career as a paratrooper commander and as the assistant to the CEO of his company.
Life had some interesting surprises in store for him, however.
"Instead of acing the exams in my course, I was failing each and every one of them. I began to doubt whether I would even be able to earn a degree."
After a particularly disappointing result on one exam, Sharli approached the lecturer. Undergoing a surprise on-the-spot oral exam, the lecturer understood fairly quickly that Sharli had an excellent grasp of the material but his exam grade did not reflect his understanding or knowledge. "You are having a problem with understanding the written material." She jotted down the number of the Center for Students with Learning Disabilities and Sharli immediately made his way down the hall to talk with them. They listened carefully to his story and recommended he undergo evaluations, which he did.
"With the diagnosis in hand, the Open University provided me with a wide range of services that literally turned around my life."
There were one-on-one tutors who taught Sharli study techniques, and helped him to prepare for each exam. Two times a week for several hours, they worked together, helping him understand the essence of the reading material and helping him to formulate answers to complex questions. They spoke with the lecturers and whenever possible arranged for extra time on exams and oral testing. And, probably even more significant, they gave him the tools he would need to manage on his own.
"Even when I began to lose faith, they never did. They literally performed miracles on me." From marks in the 50's and 60's, Sharli began to get 80's and 90's. When he received the second highest mark in the class in Organizational Behavior, Sharli knew that he was ready and able to continue on his own.
"Never in my life had I confronted such a personal challenge. None of the skills that I had cultivated over the years – from army onwards – were helpful to me with this newest challenge. Had I not studied at the Open University, I would never have studied at any university not only because of the University's efforts in helping me, but also in believing in me. The Open University’s services made the biggest difference in my life."
Now, he's ready to take on more challenges. Sharli is already studying towards his Master's Degree in business (M.B.A.) and he has no doubt that the learning skills he has acquired have helped in every aspect of his life – from managing his team of employees to fathering – and will continue to do so for the rest of his life.
"My studies at the Open University were the greatest challenge of my life and gave me the greatest satisfaction," he concludes.
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