Well, here goes! I've got just over a month before I start a six year journey to an education. After a hard start in childhood, a bad time in foster family, I became 16 and was ready for the world. I left school before the conclusion of my GCSE exams, and so, on paper, I am uneducated. 16 years old from an unbelievably poor family, I was ready to line my pockets with the kind of currency that I'd never yet known. Honest pay, for unfairly hard graft. My interest in knowledge, six or seven years away yet (I mean, honestly, I floated through my entire education, uninterested, uninspired, unprepared to take on the information on offer. I get to 22/23 years old and my mind suddenly 'turns on' and I am insatiable for knowledge, I literally hold on to every nugget of info I come across, somehow able to recall all kinds of things, but this is my luck, I only mention it because this pattern has repeated itself over and again all my life. Had I started secondary education at 21, I probably would have rocked it!).
Fast forward more years than I'd care for you to know, I am physically affected by a disability, mentally traumatised by early adolescent abuse, I find myself in receipt of benefits, no real self worth, but most importantly, I am a father to two children, and even more amazingly, I'm making a relationship work. My son, the sun in my universe, is born with (seemingly) a gift. The boy is intellectually advanced! How can this be? A product of mine being the one that's ahead of his peers? I still have trouble accepting this at times, not because the boy is advanced, but that I could have any baring on something so positive (such is the low opinion I have of myself).
With my son being so brilliant, I hoped that one day I may inspire him to pursue education further than the required standard of the state. And to do so at the earliest possible opportunity. And so I started to think about that old saying, 'lead by example'. I'm sure there's a statistic somewhere, conducted by someone, that says a person is more likely to get a university education if that person has a parent that has a university degree. I come from a family where nobody has a secondary education, let alone a uni education.
Perhaps had I grown up in the kind of family that I have provided for my kids, I might have had an easier time at school, perhaps I would have followed the academic path. Alas, lamenting 'could have beens' will depress the balls out of anyone! Ultimately, I now feel that I have the capacity and ability to try, (at the very least, try) to complete an honours degree. I have some weeks before my studies commence, (I have family members asking why am I bothering) I am feeling nervous, but in a good way, excited to start this new chapter of my life, I may be a little late to the party, but I'm optimistic about the end.
I will check in with another blog a few weeks after my course starts. If you're reading this, and you're not sure whether uni is the right thing for you, remember, it certainly isn't the wrong thing!
Til next time, Den
Comments
New comment
Dennis welcome to the OU. It is a great journey and like me you will find numerous benefits not just educational. Enjoy your studying (it is addictive) Best wishes
New comment
What a painfully honest and moving introductory blog. You sound the exact opposite of an uneducated man. You've obviously studied at that other university - the university of life!
And what a fabulous role model you are for your child! Work on your lack of self-esteem, the child must have got 50% of the brains from you!
We're all sick with fright at the beginning and feel like we're gonna be rumbled for punching above our weight - no matter what our previous academic history! One day it'll just click and you'll realise that you know exactly what you're talking about and not only is a degree attainable, you're looking forward to achieving it
As for your family's negativity towards your aspirations - well, what family isn't negative when they are threatened by one of their own showing a willingness to change from the person they are oh-so-comfortable with! (My sister said that my BA Honours wasn't 'really real' because 'You're not exactly young and degrees are for young people who are just out of school!!!')
Enjoy the journey - you'll be amazed at what else you discover about yourself on the way. Good Luck xNew comment
You don't need a crap background to have no or few qualifications. I've a handful of O levels which are less use than a box of tissues. Now, at 50, I need a degree and a master's degree to get work so I'm having to get qualifications when I'd rather be doing something else. Hey ho.
Anyway, peer pressure against education can be very strong.
On a forum I used to frequent for IT contractors, they sneer at people with letters after their name, in particular those who use them. I never understood that; if you want to be a professional then behave like one working in a profession and use your post nominals frequently.
In my previous job a young lady working in a junior role in admin (as a way to get her foot in the door) was discovered to have a master's degree. The other young people in the office then made her life a misery, teasing her for having such a high level of education. Bunch of stupid dick-heads.
My wife went back to uni as a mature student to re-try for her BA Hons and got it. My sister's reaction (a Doctor of Education, no less) was that it wasn't a proper degree because it did not come from a posh university. When my wife then got an MA my sister sneered and said "Also from a polyversity, I suppose". Unhelpful, pretentious, elitist and rude. I haven't bothered telling my sister I'm doing an OU degree!
There are likely to be those who will try to discourage you, often well-meaning when they do so. Be prepared for that.
But the most important pressure is the one that comes from inside. If you want to do this, you will. From what I've seen of life desire and need are more important in getting academic qualifications than opportunity or ability. And, as you've already got the insatiable desire to learn, all you need to adjust to is learning to the university's timetable and the structured way they want you to present what you have learned. Easy peasy - even my sister managed it!