Student Profile - Rebecca chown, child nursing

I decided to come to university because I've got 5 children, I used to work in HR (Human Resources), which I fell into but never really enjoyed it. I have, because I've got 5 children, I've got 1 with cerebral palsy, so I've been at home looking after him for 4 years and I realised, actually I'm doing this role, I love meeting other people, I love meeting other families with children, and being able to relate to them, and look after them, and talk to them to find out, you know, what's going on for them. My little boy was going to school, he was starting school this September and I wanted to be at university for the time that he started school, so I set myself an aim really and yeah I'm fulfilling that by being here now. I found it really hard, I felt like I wasn't good enough to do academic education but there was a lot of young people on the course, even though it was an access course for mature students there were a lot of nineteen year olds, who had a lot of knowledge and so obviously you're battling against them and competing almost, but once I got into the swing of it I found that actually I am good enough and I can study and I can be at the same level. I found that I've asked for support from the lecturers and I've found that they're really, really good at giving support. I, When I first started I struggled a lot with the guilt of the hours and not being there as much as I was. So the lecturers have been really good at helping me put that into perspective and to move forward. Being an adult learner you have to be very motivated, you have to be very willing to get off your backside and go and find things out for yourself. You've got to be great with time management because of obviously there's a lot of hours involved and you have to be very organised, especially when having a big family, that's crucial. The finance side of it, worried me and that was a reason that maybe put me off at first because obviously I wouldn't have that salary and with 5 children you need quite a lot money to get by but actually money doesn't make up for the fact that you're going to have a career that you love at the end of it and so it's worth, sort of cutting back. If you were thinking of studying in the future and you're a mum at home or your working a job you don't really enjoy. You just need to do it, because there's nothing stopping you, and we can all put barriers in our way and excuses and think of other people but actually if you just think of yourself and the benefits to your family that it has, then it's worth doing and you can achieve anything. I feel like I've learnt a lot about myself, who I am as a person, as a mum, as a wife, as a friend. The journey has been quite an emotional roller coaster and I've learnt to go for things. Life's too short, so you need to just go for it.