“There’s no wrong path for anyone.” – Mental Health Nursing student reflects on life at GCU

Sean Short decided to join the Army after leaving school at the age of 16. He went on to complete two tours of Afghanistan but now, 18 years later, finds himself studying a degree in Nursing Studies (Mental Health) at GCU.

Self-doubt surrounded Sean’s decision to go into full-time education at the end of the pandemic, however he’s managed to find support at every turn. Initiatives like GCU’s PALS  programme, have helped bridge the gap between college and university, allowing him to make new friends with people from his course and seek advice from more experienced students.

We sat down with Sean to hear more about how he found himself studying in Glasgow, the importance of pushing anxiety to one side and why everyone is welcome at GCU!

Army, pandemic, and everything else in-between

“I left school in fourth year and went to what was then Falkirk College, but I hated it and just didn’t know what I wanted to do. I then decided to join the Army a year after leaving school in 2005 – I was only 17.

“I was in the Army for just under eight years and did a couple of tours of Afghanistan. I really enjoyed my time but I was medically discharged and found myself stuck in that crossroads again of what I was wanting to do with my life.

“I started working for a company renovating flats, but I didn’t enjoy it. I then got a job with Scottish Power, which I really liked. I was there for a good number of years and went from being an adviser up to a team manager.

“I left there in 2018 and became a bus driver the following year. I was based in the East End of Glasgow and it was certainly a job that had its challenges. There were definitely some characters but you met some great people at the same time.

“Covid then hit and I was put straight on furlough because I had to help look after my daughter who has a few additional needs. In all honesty, I didn’t really enjoy the bus driving. The hours were long and it was causing a lot of stress in my family life.”

Next stop: A new career in Nursing

“When covid restrictions were lifted I decided I wanted to go and work in social care.

“I eventually found myself based in Airdrie and Chapelhall doing homecare and it was actually the daughter of one of the guys I looked after said to me that I had a lot more to give. She basically looked at how I could get on the path to completing a degree, which was something I didn’t think was possible due to being in my early thirties. We realised I could go to Glasgow Kelvin College and complete the Access to Nursing course. Once you do that you can go on and study for a degree at university. Initially I thought it wasn’t for me and wasn’t sure I would be able to manage it, but I just decided to apply and jump two feet in.

“College was a bit of a struggle at times because I’m an adult learner and been out the education system for more than 15 years. I had to be really strict with my routine and make sure I attended all my classes, but that set me up well for starting here last September.”

Studying at GCU

“In all honesty, it’s been absolutely fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, there has been some challenges along the way, but there really is great support here.

“I was actually torn between studying here or studying at Stirling, but GCU was more attractive. A lot of my friends from college were coming here and I knew I would need that bit of support.

“My biggest worry was obviously being a mature student but I now know it’s a complete misconception that uni is for young people. There are so many different students here from different backgrounds – especially within the School of Health and Life Sciences. You’ve got people here who are coming straight from school and maybe following in the footsteps of their parents, but there’s also people here who have maybe worked in healthcare for twenty years and finally deciding to take the plunge into completing a degree. It really is fantastic.”

Finding support through PALS

“There was an email sent out and it basically asked us to get involved in these WhatsApp group chats and it’s been great for me, it really has. You always hear ‘there’s no such thing as a silly question’ and that’s definitely the case with PALS.

“You’re basically put into a group chat with other people from the programme you’re studying and it’s all peer-led. There’s folk at the same stage as you but there’s also students called Senior PALS in the chat who have been through what you’re experiencing and are in a position to give great advice.

“You can ask literally anything in these chats to do with your time at GCU: whether that’s where a lecture is or information about placement. It was really important for me to have that experience and knowledge available to me.”

“I think as a mature student I was worried about not fitting in and that I’d stand out as that older, bearded man like ‘hi guys!’. There was a bit of anxiety there but I was put in a chat with six other women and one of them actually said recently that it’s nice how we’re all like best pals now.”

Becoming a Senior PAL

“I’ve actually now signed up to become a Senior PAL because I want to pass on what I’ve been through. The second and third years in my chat have been fantastic and have actually acted as a really good link between the academics and students. I’m looking forward to hopefully providing the same level of support as a second year student.”

The year ahead

“I’m really excited to get back into life at University again and see faces I’ve not seen in six months. You build up so many relationships during an academic year and then you all go your separate ways for placement and summer, so it will be nice to be back. I’m looking forward to seeing what second year brings.”

Reflection

“It’s quite surreal looking back at everything. I was in my battalion pipe band when I was in the Army and recently saw a video of my best mate from the Army who’s now a corporal and instructor at the Pipe Band School in Edinburgh. It was funny seeing how he’s progressed in his career and that I’ve went in a different direction.

“It’s taken a bit of time to get to where I want to be in my career but I’m here, and it’s made me who I am as a person.  There’s no wrong path for anyone, you’ll always come around to where you need to be – I’m a firm believer in that. You can take a left, right, go back on yourself, but you’ll always come back and ultimately get the reward for your hard work.”

Find out more about PALS (Peer Assisted Learning Support) and sign up here

By Ross Clark   
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter