So why return to university in my 40s?

I still think I'm absolutely crazy. But lets face it, 2020 was a mad year for all of us wasn't it? I started 2020 knowing I wanted more from my SLTA career. I loved being an SLTA, but I knew I was capable of doing assessments and getting into new areas that weren't allowed unless I was qualified. In the February I attended a post graduate open day at BCU and by the end of that evening I was decided - somehow I was going to get qualified. That was largely down to the wonderful Gillian Rudd - you know when you meet someone and you just know that you're on the same wavelength, you just get excited about the possibility or learning from them? I just knew. I really liked the idea of the degree apprenticeship, but at that point they weren't planned to start until 2021, and by then I could be half way through the Masters. The Masters would be quicker, but would cost me a lot more money. Big impact on my family (1 husband, 2 teenage kids, 1 cat), but I was excited. In the meantime the dreaded COVID hit. I think I was lucky in many ways - I was pretty sure I had COVID as the first lockdown hit (later confirmed by an antibody test) making me feel a bit more relax, and in those early months nobody I knew personally got seriously ill with it. At work it was an opportunity to go do some other things - I got to go support physios and OTs in their community visits and then was part of a small group developing teletherapy resources for my wider SLT team. And so when it came to May I just thought why not apply? Why not try? I honestly never thought I'd get a place - especially when I found out around 160 people had applied for 20 places. Again, the virtual interview was with the lovely Gillian Rudd, and I was beyond excited to be offered a place a couple of weeks later. I was really lucky to make contact with someone already on the course by facebook, and she gave me some books and helped me prepare, but I was still so nervous in the run up to January 2021.