Stuart History BA Honours
I left school in 1970 after my A levels and like many people at the time found that family circumstances dictated that work was the route which had to be followed. I always intended one day to return to do a degree, but work and family commitments postponed this event.
In 2007 I decided to retire from my job as Head of Service for Support Services for the Community and Cultural Services Directorate at Sunderland City Council. I felt that I had gone as far as I was going to in my career and as my family were grown up I decided to take the opportunity and go to university.
I applied through UCAS and attended a University visit day which I was very impressed by. I was then interviewed by telephone, but wasn’t asked to provide a piece of written work due to the nature and seniority of my previous employment.
I chose to study at Newcastle University because of its reputation as a high standard University and my experience on the Visit Day.
I took out a student loan at the age of 55 and am fortunate enough to have a pension to provide me with an income, but I would advise students to go down the student loan route as it gives you the option of when to repay and deductions from future earnings are not too heavy.
It was my intention to do my degree purely for my own satisfaction, but now I intend to use my degree in the world of work to do something of interest to me and not just for the salary.
Alongside my studies I have worked on the Mature Students Orientation Programme, Mature Student visits and Visit Days. I also joined the History Society which organises trips to historical sites in the North East. This is excellent for those who are new to the region.
I’ve lived in the North East all my life and would not want to live anywhere else. Newcastle upon Tyne is a vibrant and affordable place to live with a good central location for the facilities which the region has to offer.
I would say go for it! A degree from here means something. The university facilities are excellent and the region is unique. For a mature student it is so welcoming that I, at 57, don’t feel out of place and feel part of the student community.