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| Mobile University event, September 2015 |
When I returned to the University of Sheffield after a break
from education of fifteen years, I didn’t really know what to expect. I graduated in 1998 with a first-class
honours degree in English Literature. At
the time of graduation, I had secured funding to undertake a Masters degree,
but the time just wasn’t right. My
then-partner (now my husband) and I had just bought a house together. It was literally all we’d bought: we had no
furniture to put in it and couldn’t afford to buy any. We spent the first three months in our new
home with a lounge furnished solely by two camping chairs and a camping table,
before we upgraded to a couple of comfy chairs my Mum was throwing out. As soon as I graduated, I had to get a job –
and fast!
I spent the next fifteen years or so in a variety of jobs
and reading a lot in my spare time. I
even did some writing of my own and had a novel published, but it just wasn’t
the same. I missed studying and felt
that I’d also somehow missed my true vocation in life. So in 2013, I made the decision to finally
study for a Masters degree.
I had moments of panic about the decision. Pretty much everyone in my classes were about
twenty years younger than me (including some of the lecturers!) I wondered if they would question why I was
there. I wondered if I even should be
there. Could I still do it? Did I still have the ability to study at this
level, particularly after fifteen mind-numbing years of administrative jobs
(and a career break to have my children)?
Eventually, however, I stopped panicking and settled back into education
again.
And I’ve been amazed at where it has taken me so far. During my Masters (which I studied part-time
in order to balance the needs of family life and work), I noticed an email
about applying for funding for a PhD. I
thought, why not? I’ll put the
application in and just see what happens.
I didn’t for a moment believe that I would get the funding. I’ll never forget the day I received the
email from the White Rose Open College of Arts and Humanities informing me that
I had been successful in my application.
The email changed my life. I
resigned from my job and from that point on I have been able to dedicate myself
full-time to my studies.
Something else I discovered: I had missed my true vocation
in life. I always found my undergraduate
studies immensely satisfying. As a
postgraduate researcher, they are even more fulfilling. It wasn’t just the research (which I love):
it’s the opportunities I’ve been able to access since returning to the
University. Having the opportunity to
discuss my ideas and learn from experts in my research field is a real
privilege. I’ve presented at academic
conferences and public engagement events, which has given me the opportunity to
meet other researchers in the field and develop a network of contacts. From these, I met the editor of an academic
journal who will be publishing my first ever peer-reviewed academic article in
October this year.
Sometimes, despite all of the above, I still have moments of
panic, and experience doubts as to whether I can actually do this. I usually calm myself down by telling myself:
“let’s just see where this takes you…”
Val Derbyshire, PhD student (School of English)
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