So… who am I?

I’m the 40-Something Student (like Batman, I may never reveal my true identity!). I’m a “mature” Biomedical Science student at Queen’s University Belfast who has just completed an HNC in Applied Science, wife, mum to two teenagers and living proof that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

After more than twenty years working in retail, customer service and self-employment, I decided the time was right to take a leap back into education. (Can anyone say mid-life crisis?!) It wasn’t a decision I made overnight, but it has quickly become one of the best I’ve ever made.

This site started as an idea for a blog where I would share the reality of that journey. The excitement, the self-doubt, the deadlines, the victories, the coffee/pepsi max-fuelled study sessions and everything in between. It’s not a perfect game-guide written by someone who’s reached the finish line – it’s an honest account from someone who’s still living it.

Whether you’re thinking about returning to education yourself, already navigating university as a mature student or you’re just curious about what this madness is really like, I hope you’ll find something here that makes you smile, reassures you or reminds you that you’re not the only one figuring things out as you go.

So grab a cuppa, have a look around and see what it’s like in my little corner of the internet.