My Blog

My graduation

Last weekend I returned to Edge Hill University for a reunion organised by the Alumni. I graduated from there in 1985 with a B.Ed (Hons) degree for primary and learning disability. It is 31 years since I left and going back has made me reflect on what my four years there had actually prepared me for. Overall I feel that life revolves around choices, changes and consequences – and that was never on the curriculum! I hope this will be of interest to those who are currently graduating too.

Class of 1985 in 2016 – one post-op on her foot!

In the conversations with the other five from my era, plus one who joined us for a quick hello, it was fun remembering our time as students and sharing stories of the years that have passed.

Back then

And now – no idea what was so funny!

As I stood outside the window of the hall of residence of the room I first had back in 1981, I was reminded of my excitement and fears back then. After all the stress of ‘A’ levels, during which I was injured in a car crash, I did not achieve the grades I needed to go to Reading University to study speech therapy. My option was to go back and resit for 2 ‘A’ grades or choose another path. My passion for speech therapy had led to me spending an afternoon a week at the local special school. I loved it there. My Mum suggested that teaching would be a great alternative for me. She knew my long term ambition was to be a mother and felt that it was an ideal choice ‘because of the long holidays’! I passed through clearing and was accepted for a degree course. Distant wise it was good as it was far enough to live at Ormskirk, and near enough to nip back home as needed. So my choice was to go there and also to live in.

I loved my time at Edge Hill and never regretted the choices I had made. My hall was called ‘Eleanor Rathbone’ and it was with great excitement that I moved into my room and quickly made it homely. We were allowed to put up posters and as time went by all our rooms took on a unique identity. As the floors had lino on them people even brought rugs and carpets! Once a week we had a laundry day for bedding and towels with a cloth bag hung on the door handle to be collected and returned. It had a sink and wardrobe area that acted as a ’porch’ into your room from the corridor. There was a shared bathroom, toilets and small kitchen along with a common room. The television in there was rented from one of the local shops. Under the stairs of the two storey block was a payphone with no privacy and long queues. Often you could not help but hear homesick calls and challenges being spoken so publically about.

In my room – rubbish camera days

Stanley corridor foam fight 1984 – that’s me on the far right

Last Saturday we had a tour of what had been our small college that, back ‘in our day’, was affiliated with Lancaster University for its degrees. Now it has expanded beyond belief; is a university in its own right and won the Times University of the Year award in 2014/15. The original halls are still there and now referred to as ‘the back halls’. We had access into one of them and could not believe how small they seemed. The sinks were still the same after all these years – and the window frames. They are now dwarfed by modern buildings and facilities and we strongly suspect they soon they will be gone.

The view from my room – now it’s all built up

We stayed the night in one of the shiny new halls. The majority are set up for self-catering with stunning views from the communal kitchen areas over beautiful landscaped gardens and water. All have en-suite wet rooms; individual televisions and internet; fitted furniture. It looks like there is only the area around the monitor that you are able to personalise. I can imagine they feel quite impersonal, even when full. They were warm and comfortable. My room was next to the staircase and I was awake until 3 a.m. due to the poor soundproofing!

View from new halls

A new room

The old refectory where we used to have our daily meals provided, is now converted into a rather scruffy student union bar and disco area. We weren’t impressed! What we did like was the building called The Hub that has been beautifully built onto the original main building, housing dining areas and a shop. It is a very attractive blend of old and new that took us a while to figure out what had originally been where. The new facilities are amazing, such as the sports areas.

Getting together in The Hub 2016

So what did life in halls teach me? Back then I know that I loved to be tidy and enjoy making my surroundings comfortable. I liked company and I also liked my own space sometimes. I enjoyed the food and the sociable aspect of communal dining. I learned that it was okay to have different groups of friends – those on my corridor; those on my course and later on, those connected with my college boyfriend (from the Easter of my first year). I learned that regardless of some wonderful friendships, my heart still belonged with my family. That has never changed. Sometimes I would be the one on the phone under the stairs ringing my Mum and asking ‘is there enough tea for me?’ and my Dad would duly come for me. Family support is so strong. At other times I did learn that friendships are also invaluable. They were lessons for life that I still value today.

Little sister Claire visited on her birthday

Little sis now with her daughter Sophie

In the second year I shared a house with two other students and a local teacher. We had to ask her to leave because she transpired to be a kleptomaniac as we discovered that she was stealing things from us all! ‘Kleptomania or klopemania is the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items and is done for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder.’ One trick was to pinch our cassette tapes and then ‘Liquid paper’ over the spine and write her own descriptions! Back then I had no knowledge at all of mental illness in anyway and judged her as simply being a thief. No-one advised us to the contrary. That saddens me because I now appreciate she needed help – not eviction. I am pleased that in general these days, mental health and illness is far more widely discussed, especially in higher and further education.

That year I also learned that close living is not all that wonderful, especially when it comes to communal areas, e.g. who empties the bin and cleans the grill pan! I learned that damp rooms, draughty windows and no central heating are not conducive to comfort or studying. Some other students had digs in nearby Southport and range from luxurious to close to being condemned. We regularly used to hitch a ride between the two towns. Can you imagine that now?

Consequently, the following year I moved back into the comfort of ‘Eleanor Rathbone’ and was elected as ‘Hall President’. My first taste of organising meetings and practice of leadership skills. I don’t actually remember much about the role. We did organise a party for the new students – wearing our striped bedcovers as togas. I have never needed to be taught how to have fun!

Degree work? Oh yes, that went on. I was a diligent student who attended all lectures and handed work in on time. I learned early on to do too much. I would over-resource for projects. It is something I still struggle with and did so when I actually was a teacher. I do not actual recall that we were taught how to study. I generally enjoyed it and did well. I was told if I really applied myself I could get a First. I achieved a 2.1 in the end.

I suppose the course taught me and prepared me for being a teacher. Longer term it gave me confidence for public speaking, although my years at elocution classes as a child had established that. I had a job secured before I sat my finals that enabled me to move back home with my parents.

In the early 80s I do not think the teaching degrees prepared you for the fact that the curriculums changed so often. Just as you felt you had a system sorted, putting in hours of work outside school time, the following year or so, it would all change. This continues to this day.

Listening to my friends who have stayed in teaching, this continual change seems to have remained and gets worse. No-one tells you the best way to cope with it and I do know of people who have not been able to survive within it. That along with pointless paperwork and professional bullying. Had I not written my first book in 2005 and been given a choice to take a term off for sabbatical leave, I am not sure what I would have done. I am pretty certain I could not have stayed in teaching and that is a shame. I loved the children yet they almost became irrelevant.

Perhaps the study I did for my degree did prepare me for being an author. I did need to have the self-discipline to actually research, collate and write.

Me at Leavers ball 1984

Same ‘quad’ area 2016

So the life dilemmas of choices, changes and consequences were present in my college years. I just never really acknowledged the significance of them back then. I thought I had my life plan all sorted. It has taken many twists and turns so far and I dare say that there will be more ahead.

E R Hall end of year 1984 – that’s me on the end far right.

So what would I say to students just graduating? Well done on getting a degree – now welcome to really learning about life. Student years are a small window of intense friendships and unusual living. You can make friends that last a lifetime and learn skills that may be useful. If you do have a plan, great. If that has yet to formulate, consider what keeps you healthy and makes you happy. The journey of life is an interesting one and if you approach it in a positive way and are able to adjust and accept changes, it is likely to reap delightful rewards.

Thank you for a wonderful weekend – same time next year?

And no – I have no idea why we had the freebie bags on our head!

Elaine 🙂