Mature Student

Career:
After school, I worked as an apprentice at Cardiff Docks for 4 years. I then joined the Merchant Navy for 2 years, mainly in the Bay of Bengal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I learned more in 6 months of being in those countries than I would have learned in 10 years at home. On my return, I joined Konica as a technical representative, training people how to use photocopying equipment.

Career change:
I decided at the age of 31 to go back to college, as I’d always wanted to do a medical degree. I was in a better position to do it at that age because I had some money, and I was mature enough to be able to sit and concentrate on the course.

Why chiropody:
At the college 'Open Day', the first people I met were the chiropody people, and I was very impressed with their course and facilities. I signed up to do a BSc Hons in Chiropody. I was interested in the fact that it was possible to do a range of work within this career, both privately and in the NHS. For me, it was important to do a degree that gave me a qualification at the end that was usable. Demand for chiropody is growing all the time.

Being a mature student:
There wasn’t a problem. Personally, I was able to concentrate more than if I’d done a degree when I was 18, when there are a lot of other distractions! I was more settled in my life, and I WANTED to be there, doing the work. As far as the other students were concerned, they didn’t care what age I was. As long as I wore jeans and a t-shirt and mucked in with everything, I was treated as one of the gang.

New career:
After getting my degree, I began work for the Rhondda Health Trust Unit and Merthyr Cynon Health Unit, and 7 years ago, I decided to open my own private practice. There are lots of constraints in the NHS - the private work gives me more variety. You get to do things like sports injuries and nail surgery, which is very satisfying (honest!).

Advice:
Look carefully into whatever you choose to pursue beforehand. Do the research, and make sure that you look at what the final result will be.

I got an A Level in Human Biology before I went to do my degree, and it was invaluable. Lots of people arrived there with no qualifications at all, and were struggling when it came to doing Physiology and Anatomy, because they didn’t have the basics.

I think everyone should get out, work and enjoy themselves when they’re in their teens and twenties. Then they should go to college in their thirties, after which most distractions are out of the way.