| Product: |
Mature Students |
| Date: |
07.03.04 (41 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: good life
Disadvantages: sacrifices
I was so chuft in writing a piece for my husbands current University, they have asked if they could use in their next edition, life as a mature student. I was well chuft and so is my hubby. Unfortunatley I never kept the email that I sent it on so here is my hubbys treck to been a mature student.
In the 70's jobs were hard to come by and all dreams of going to university were fast becoming a distant dream and after completing A levels, Gary (my hubby) decided that it was time for him to find a career. His heart sank and he started to scour the careers section and eventually decided to go into the police force, it was a job, it paid well, it was secure, what more could a young lad want.
18 years later in the mid 90s he became disabeled and was pensioned out of the force and all of a sudden all our security disappeared. Where once our joint income was astronomical it had become a joke and what we had to live on during a week would normally last us a good night out. So he went temping and whilst in the car 4 years ago he decided to visit a careers office who said he was finished and that no one would want him. After a few strong words I suggested that he picked his love of art up and start painting again as he had won several awards in his younger days and for the next couple of years he decided to do this.
In 1990 a Diploma Course was running in Fine Art at the local college and I suggested he go and enquire. He did and they took all his details and they said they would be in contact. I got the distinct impression from them that they only wanted youngsters who would make a name for the college and the look on my face was one that would kill. They had no right to write him off because of his age or his disability.
The course started in September and no one had been in touch and slowly Gary had started to get a bit depressed
thinking that he was over the hill and useless. One day whilst he was out in October I decided to put my foot down and I was really annoyed at the College and I rang and insisted on speaking to the Principal otherwise I would take the story to the press. After about 5 mins the principal or someone high up rang me up and apologised and gave the reason that they do not discriminate and did not know why he had not been contacted for an interview for a position. I did not say anything to Gary as I did not want to be an interfering wife but he is so laid back it is untrue and I am the bossy one by far. The next day when he was out again a call came through from the college and he was interviewed but the course was in its 6th week, so would it be too late.
The main person of the Art Department was fuming and asked who he had seen and if I had been there I would have said him and him and him! Hubby been a nice chap said he could not remember. They could not get over how good his artwork was and was invited to join the course. It was hard work, fighting his disability but they understood this and made sure he did not miss the coursework. There were a few other older people on the course and they wanted to go onto University but he did'nt. He worked hard and had an exhibition at the college and left with a good Diploma.
however all his friends had applied to UCAS which is the clearing centre at Universities and they had all been offered provisional places. We knew we could not afford to go that far down the line and he was envious. His tutors wanted him to go but to be honest it is not them who have to survive. So the next clearing date was just after Christmas and we talked about it and said it would be one hell of a struggle, but if that is what he really wanted, then he should go for it.
We appli
ed to 3 universities and he was accepted at all 3, but after his first one, he had already decided which one he would go to.
Well that was in 2001 and Gary is now 43. We applied for assistance from our Local Education Department and they said no as you have a private pension as income. So after all that hard work he could not go. I remebered talking to the Education Deparment before hand and decided it was time to pay them a visit. After talking to them I said it was diabolical that we had paid into the system and could get nothing out of it. Their top officer came in and blarted about this is how it was designed and basically it was tough nuts. I still was not happy so I decided that I would get a copy of the Yellow Book that has all the rules and regulations in that LEA's go by. I knew in there I could find something. I knew it was on the left hand page and that was it. I visited the LEA again and spent a couple of hours trawling through this book and there it was BINGO! I found the clause that said if a person retires through health on ill grounds then the pension cannot be considered as an income as it is something that they have saved for.
I got the officers to re access the claim and we found that we were entitled to help even though it still would not be easy. We decided that there would be no nights out, no birthday presents etc and all money had to come into the household.
That was 3 years ago and Gary is due to finish his course in June. He has done commissions for one of the hospitals for the childrens area and this is now on show. He has a list of commissions to do when he finishes university and will be going self employed. Whilst at the same time he will take a low paid job to help out some people who are disabled to help them through art.
H
;is tutors have been very supportive and said we like mature students as they have to give up so much to come to university that they tend to get stuck in and he is on course for one of the top two degrees. He has now got so many things that has opened up for him and one is that we are thinking about hiring an art studio in London as a base down south.
His final exhibition is in June at the university and people buy students works although his are selling at the moment and most of them by the time of the exhibition have already been earmarked.
So life as a mature student is not easy and you do have to give up a lot of sacrifices but it does and has opened up a wide range of doors for my husband. So what ever your age is, never give up.
Karen :0)
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