I walk a lot... why not.. I have the legs for it.
I’ll be honest and say I was becoming increasingly embarrassed by the last car I owned. The window had ‘disappeared’ somewhere down one panel, and so in it’s place was a nice black bin bag with brown tape ( sexy). The seats were ‘leather look’ black so in the summer they burnt your arse anytime you sat down and in the winter it was equally no joke.
I came home from work one day to be told by my son it had been towed away.. ( thank fuck for that I secretly thought) he asked if I wasn’t going to go and get it back and I laughed... No way!!!, saved me a job!.
My car before that was old too, but nice. It was a Vauxhall Astra. That got towed away eventually also but I did (almost) want to get it back.. but as it had begun to break down so much I thought better of it.
So.. I had a choice. I could either invest in a decent (as in new... or newish) car, or I could go back to study.
I decided to study...and yes... at that time I did have to choose.
So I waved goodbye to the lover of cars side of me, and two evenings a week after work that was what I did, study.
I enjoyed the company of other students as we fell asleep at times.. and laughed at our ‘madness’ on other occasions, as we’d be leaving uni late in the evenings in the cold winter and snowy months.
( much easier in the summer)
There we covered
Community action, Community development, Project management, War and developmental studies
Sociological, Psychological, and Political approaches to social conflict, Knowing the Social World (research), Issues in Local Governance and Government, Participation and Community Engagement, and Equality and diversity
And I pretty much had a great time.. it's gone by quicker than I could have imagined.
Will I remember it all?
No.
But I believe I've absorbed enough to give me very good grounding in each subject area, and will be able to apply what I've learnt at the appropriate times in the appropriate ways.
I also have a number of books to continue to read and study to explore those topics which excite me, beginning to specialize and focus.
It’s not easy being an adult student.
So when I’m encouraging others to go back to study, I realise that for many it can be a big ask, a big step, and a huge commitment.
The reason/s it’s not a walk in the park for adults is partly because we have responsibilities, families, adult lives, work, and all the rest to juggle, and wear us out... (..and dare I say it but we may also feel a little rusty in the cranium department)
I kid you not, there was one particular module that every time I sat down and the lecturer began to talk, I began to drift off to sleep. It was soo relaxing. I felt terrible doing so but I really couldn’t help it.. I was very tired!.:)
Adapting my writing style was another ‘bug bear’. I would say I have more of a natural creative writing style, and to be honest I even think in a somewhat abstract way also, whereas academia can seem a little more rigid, but again… its all a part of the learning experience. A writer writes… a reader reads, as long as I’m understood.. It’s all good. ( and no that was not my dissertation style-e.. tempted as I was to write the entire thing using street slang vernacular!)
Anyway, long story short, I now have a graduation to look forward to.
After 4yrs I finally received my BSc (hons) Community Development & Public Policy.
If I were a drinker I'd have a drink.. but I'm really more of a thinker so I'll think..
(unless someone wants to buy me a baileys of course.. that's not really drinking is it :)
No comments:
Post a Comment