Polly’s 40 things to do before 40: #3 Gain a Degree

The 40 x 40: Finally getting a degree

Back in the day, I had a 40×40 list; a list of 40 things to do before I was 40.

One of the things on that list was to gain a degree.

I am slowly writing up all of the tasks and will be adding the links to the lists until I complete them all.

The third thing on my 40×40 list – after the Tattoo and Geocaching – was to gain a degree.

This could almost be considered a cheat. I was studying at University at the time and I therefore fully intended to gain a degree, 40×40 list or not.

It was, however, very much touch and go – particularly that final dissertation push at the end. So here is a look at my higher education journey, year by year.

Hopefully, it will encourage any other middle-aged people considering returning to education to take the plunge.

Back to school

I had wanted to go to University and do a degree when I was 18. My subject of choice, back then, was ‘Theatre Studies.

In retrospect, I would have made a terrible actor. I am far too sensitive to criticism and would have spent much of the course crying in the toilet. As it was, that did happen on the course I eventually chose anyway. Perhaps that is something I need to get looked at!

Instead of University at 18, I got a job in an office and a mortgage. Then, I got married and had children, but I was constantly studying something. Fun fact: I have a B’tec in Dance Movement and a City & Guilds in Community Teaching.

I just love learning!

Experimenting and exploring new ideas is something I find really enjoyable. I also like trying out different crafts and ways to do things. Currently, I am signed up for about 5 different courses on Future Learn, ploughing through the work-related courses on Linked In, as well as working on my TEFL.

Self-Guided Learning

I remember many years ago taking a ‘young mums’ course – I was 23, and everyone else was 18. It felt somewhat patronising in its simplicity, and I often felt I must be doing something wrong as it just felt too easy. This was the first inkling I had that I needed to aim higher academically. 

That isn’t me being snotty, but I think we all know what we can and can’t do. We also know when we should really be pushing ourselves a little harder. There is no challenge if it is too easy. (This applies to life, learning and bucket lists!)

Previous to this, I had started an Open University course. While I appreciate that many people complete these, and swear by the system, on reflection, I was not motivated enough to make it work. I also fell pregnant with Harriet, so diverted all my efforts to parenting rather than my own development.

It would be seven years later that I would start another Open University course. Once again I left prematurely due to being pregnant, this time with my last child Ethan. I was then too scared of tempting fate to make a third attempt!

A decision made for me

By the time Ethan was born in 2006, I was working for an insurance company. It was a fairly simple, albeit unfulfilling office job. My friend Karen would often have to put up with me regaling her with tales of the crafts and plans I was carrying out with my Girl Guide Unit. She would often suggest I should do a teaching degree.

It seemed like a pipe dream, but Karen would often declare I was wasted in Norwich Union. (I can name the company, they don’t exist anymore, so it should be fine!). So I investigated part-time courses at the local college. There were none; I would have to commit full-time. That would just not be possible, financially or logistically, in terms of childcare. Then the figurative ‘Kick up the ass’ arrived – we were all being made redundant.

Life reboot – The Access Course

With possibly the most convenient timing in history, I was made redundant towards the end of the summer holidays. I was able to claim unemployment straight away. This in turn meant that I was entitled to free tuition for an Access to Higher Education course. These courses have no doubt changed since I took mine in 2012; you are now expected to have GCSEs in Maths, English and science. I was able to complete them in tandem.

While I did have the requisite GCSEs, they were considered ‘out of date’. As I was looking at becoming a teacher, I needed to retake them, together with the other three ‘A’ Level’ type subjects I wanted to choose.

My one regret when taking my A ‘Levels back in the sixth form was choosing History over Geography. I had selected my subjects based on the fact that I had gained A’s in them at GCSE, and instantly regretted my choice. My college life reboot meant that I could finally take the Geography course I should have studied all those years before.

Geographers go on the best trips

English Literature and English Language were obvious other choices. So over a period of about nine months, I studied 6 subjects. I rediscovered my love of Geography and decided I wanted to study that instead of teaching.

Then I applied for university and got accepted on a conditional offer. The course offered a total of 60 credits, and the grades were Pass, Merit and Distinction. To get into my University of choice I needed to achieve at least 45 Merits out of the possible 60 credits.

I got 60 Distinctions. I was off to University.

Choosing Bath Spa

One of the best aspects of the Access Course was the help you got in selecting suitable universities, in terms of both degree courses and accessibility.

They appreciated that many of us were limited in our choices in terms of location; I purposely only applied to the local universities as I didn’t have the option of moving somewhere else.  Luckily, Bristol is surrounded by options. I was able to visit a number of places before making my final decision – and there wasn’t one to make really!

Pretty much 80% of all my friends from college chose to go to UWE. (The University of the West of England). I, however, fell madly in love with both the campus and the course, being offered by Bath Spa. I applied – and was accepted onto – two different degree courses, but finally accepted a place to study Global Development and Sustainability.

One of the things that sold me was a visit from the leader of the Widening Participation department, who had previously been a mature student herself. I would later work for her and the department on open days and workshops.

1st year

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that Christmas is a make-or-break time for first-year students.

I certainly considered not returning; it wasn’t so much the workload, but the loneliness. Before deciding to become a mature student it is really worth remembering that you may feel particularly disenfranchised.

What with being surrounded by much younger people, not being part of the social aspect of University life, and having to balance your studies with all of your other jobs at home, particularly if you have a family to look after.

I was also quite disheartened to receive my first essay back with a grade of 67%. Having gained 80% + in my college essays I was worried I was now punching well above my weight and was not cut out for higher study. It was very reassuring, therefore, to discover that 67% was a healthy 2:1 grade for a first essay, and that hardly anyone was given 80+ grades unless their work was amazing. (I did eventually get my 80% on a later module)

There is a cool video where I talk about my time there – which was filmed while I was stressing over my dissertation.

I survived the first year, having done very well. The modules I had picked were enjoyable – including the one that involved me building a toilet out of ice-cream tubs as a creative piece for my module on greywater and sustainability! It ended with me winning the ‘Best New Geographer of the Year’ 2014 Award.

2nd Year

The 2nd year at Uni was my favourite: I had started to make some friends, and I had been able to pick modules that I enjoyed working on – apart from that GIS nonsense, that can literally get in a bin and stay there!- I also got to take an epic trip to India, which really deserves a post all of its own really.

On the trip, I studied the cultural impacts of tourism. At this point I wasn’t in rivers measuring flood water; I knew I was a cultural ethnographer! This would have an impact on both my later modules and my dissertation.

I also completed my favourite module of the entire course, my work experience unit. This involved a placement at the S.S. Great Britain, where I worked in the education department with school groups. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I stayed on for the rest of the year on my day off in the week.

3rd Year

The third and final year of my degree was definitely the most stressful. Firstly, it seemed to go very quickly. One of my modules involved a trip to Barcelona. Here we did a group talk in Park Guell about cultural identity and I also discovered that absinth is evil and I am never drinking it again.

I spent the last day of the trip in immense pain and it was only through the care of my mate Morgan that I survived at all.

One of the group modules involved more GIS, which I am keeping in that bin. While I fully appreciate how useful a tool it is, I am just not a fan. That module also involved making a poster for a presentation.

The practical and transferable skills that you can learn doing a degree are invaluable. I think it might have been trying to balance my home life and university that kick-started my love of organisation. Without planning, it is easy for it all to become too much.

In fact, I had a ‘dissertation’ wobble, just after Christmas. I felt there was no way I was going to be able to write 10,000 words on the subject of the “Socio-cultural impacts of colonialism on the development of the Indian identity”.

My impostor syndrome had finally won. I was going to give it all up. What did I think I was doing here!

Thankfully, I was able to give myself the kick up the ass I needed – much like the one I had received to make me start the course. My dissertation got to do a ‘Tour de Campus’, along with all of my friends. We even made a video about it, where my jumping game is strong!

Handing in my dissertation

Apparently, the done thing is for your dissertation to do a lap of the campus, while you take arty and contrived Instagram shots. Leaping into the air is compulsory.

There was still an essay to write to complete the course, but luckily it was for a really interesting module on globalisation, so that wasn’t too hard. (Got a first for that essay, possibly because it was about chocolate.)

And so my time at Bath Spa was over. I had hoped to do my Masters in Global Studies there, but they decided to not run the course. That is why I ended up at Bristol university – but I am not talking about my Masters disaster here. That is a whole other article.

Long term I would like to write a thesis about tourism and the commodification of culture, but that may not be for some time.

Graduation

Get me! Polly Thompson Bsc (Hons)

Reflection

My mum recently questioned me when I said I wanted to do more with my blog; “What about that degree, I thought you wanted to do something with that; what has a blog got to do with Geography?”

I look at writing about my plans for the future, and attempts at ticking off bucket list tasks as having a lot more in common with the social and cultural geography I enjoyed at university than working in a bank ever will.

It is being utilised more here, in my writing, than I do on a daily basis in the office. Having said that, I am using my improved IT and presentation skills, and I continue to use the research skills I used in my assignments. Maybe that is why I take so long to write posts. Too busy looking up supporting evidence and links!

Was it worth it?

There is lots of talk about whether it is worth studying at university for a degree – particularly if you don’t have a career in mind. Student debt is another issue, as the cost of study increases. Never have I been so grateful for our system that doesn’t make us pay it back until we earn enough.

The saddest part about the whole experience was that my friend Karen, the one who told me to go to university in the first place, sadly died during my second year. My dissertation was dedicated to her.

I would argue that my experience was well worth the stress, pain and 3-hour daily commute. (Bath is a 20-minute drive away – try telling that to the bus company!) It is true, however, that as a mature student, I missed out on many of the social aspects of university – I always felt slightly disenfranchised. That was why my work as a Widening Participation was so important. It wasn’t until my 2nd year, when I joined the Mature Student Group, that I felt I really belonged.

Future plans

Long-term, the dream is to teach English in Japan, and an undergraduate degree is a minimum requirement for many schools there so I am certainly glad I persevered with it, although slightly haunted by my Master’s experience.

I change my mind daily about whether to continue with the units I need to complete it, but I have so much else to focus on and I would prefer to be in a place where I am giving it my full attention. But you never know…

Challenge accepted?

All in all, one of my proudest achievements, as it is a testament to my hard work and willingness to overcome obstacles and not make excuses.

So, as of July 2016, this task is proudly declared…