Life Decisions

So much can change in such a short space of time and when you think you have everything panned out, one minor alteration can put you back where you first started and make you question everything all over again.

My ‘plan’ was to go to university, get my degree, go on to do a PGCE and become a Secondary P.E. Teacher... That was before I fell pregnant, of course. I only managed 1 year at St Marys University studying Sport and Education when 4 days before I was due to go back into 2nd year, I found out I was expecting Millie (you can read more about that here and here) and so from that moment on, what I thought my life was going to be changed drastically. I was hit with all these questions of “Do I continue to study?”, “How do I get a job?”, “How will I support our family with no degree?” but, I chose not to dwell and took up my Open University degree which I only have 8 months left of. Come May 2016, I’ll be graduating with a BA Honours in Childhood and Youth studies and so I’m preparing what to do after that. Initially, I had planned to do a PGCE, if I could get a 2:1 then I’d get a £4,000 grant to help me through that training year and I’d then be able to become a Primary teacher, a slight change from secondary P.E. due to lack of experience in the subject area. Unfortunately, what I had planned changed two weeks ago when I got my module result back for the first half of my 3rd year and I was 3 marks off getting a 2:1, this means that I won’t be graduating with what I hoped and will miss out on the £4,000 grant. Now basically, that means that if I still want to do a PGCE, I’ll have to fund myself for the year alongside having a 2, nearly 3 year old. It just wouldn’t be possible, so, now I’m contemplating other options.

I start a full time job in September at a local college as a Learner Mentor, someone who is there to support the students through their time at college, ensure they’re turning up to classes etc and someone who basically is there to guide them - something I can really see myself enjoying. However, this is only a maternity cover period so come next July, unless another role in the college opens up, I’ll be unemployed, again. I’d love to stay within the education sector, maybe move into schools rather than colleges, I’m not sure but one thing I am sure of is that my time in education is done as soon as I finish my OU degree. It’s been such hard work studying, working and bringing Millie up, who would have thought I’d be able to do all 3 and still be here to tell the story? Ha! 

Amongst all of this, I’d absolutely love to be in our own house within the next two years and be planning our wedding too - I’ve always said that I’d like to be engaged before I graduate, or even the same year that I graduate to make it extra special but as for the wedding, I can wait a little longer for that. I just want us to be secure, in our own home and all sharing the same family name as soon as it’s possible. Money is such a massive factor in all of these things as those of you who own your own home know, adding a child into the equation makes things a little more difficult as it’s not as easy to work full time, save as much money or even be able to splurge on the things you want - selfless as I have become, I can’t wait to see where I’d be in 5 years time but for now, my decisions have been made for me and I couldn’t be happier.