Many of us dream of returning to uni for a creative writing MA, but how does it feel to go back as a mature student? Lynne Colgrave shares her experience
How many older people look back with nostalgia to their student days? Well, perhaps it’s not so much that we miss those nights spent chewing the end of a pencil, with one eye on the clock! For the majority of us, it was the freedom university life offered and the opportunity to explore our academic potential. My own first degree was in English literature, which meant that I had the opportunity either to produce a portfolio of short stories or a research dissertation. I chose the former and found the whole writing process exhilarating – one day, I promised myself, I would take up my writing again, but it wasn’t until I reached retirement age that I was able to fulfil that vow when I applied to do an MA in creative writing at my local university, Sheffield.