Can you really balance parenthood, university and work?
Based on my experience, yes!
People often ask me, "How did you manage it all?"
The honest answer is... some days I didn't feel like I did.
There were moments when everything seemed to happen at once, but there were also moments that reminded me exactly why taking that leap was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Working in healthcare I had the opportunity to spend time alongside occupational therapists, and I found myself fascinated by the way they looked beyond diagnoses and focused on helping people do the things that mattered most to them.
From that moment, I knew that was what I wanted to do. So I made what felt like a huge decision and applied to study Occupational Therapy at the University of Worcester.
For years, I wondered if I should wait until they were older. I questioned whether the timing was right, whether I would be home enough and whether pursuing my own ambitions was selfish.
Eventually, I realised something.
There will probably never be a "perfect" time. Life will always be busy. There will always be reasons to wait. Sometimes you simply have to take that leap of faith.
I still remember attending my interview six months pregnant, wondering if I was completely mad.
Could I really juggle university, placements, assignments, three young children and family life? Of course I can, I told myself. And thankfully, the University thought so too.
Before I even started, I spoke with the Money Advice, Disability and Dyslexia and firstpoint who helped me and begin arranging nursery and wraparound care. It quickly became clear that studying as a parent takes planning.
My calendar became my best friend, colour-coding became a way of life, and I learned that organisation wasn't optional, it was essential.
The first few weeks felt like learning an entirely new routine. There were lectures to attend, children to collect, meals to cook, washing to do and assignments that somehow expected writing after everyone else had gone to bed.
Eventually, though, we found our rhythm.
One thing that made a huge difference was having my timetable for the year. Knowing when placements, assessment deadlines and Progress Week were meant I could plan childcare, annual leave and family life well in advance. It didn't make everything easy, but it certainly made it manageable.
Placements brought another set of challenges, especially when you have children who don't always stick to your carefully organised plans.
Anyone with children knows illness has a habit of arriving at exactly the wrong moment.
Thankfully, my practice educators were incredibly supportive. We had open conversations from the beginning about my circumstances and the reasonable adjustments I needed, including my Personal Placement Adjustment Plan (PPAP).
If one of the children was poorly, there was flexibility to swap my non-working day or make up hours later where possible. Having those conversations early made such a difference and took away so much unnecessary worry.
Throughout my degree, I never felt like I was navigating everything alone.
There were other parents on my course too, all with different family situations and at different stages of life. We understood each other in a way that didn't need much explanation.
Sometimes it was simply knowing someone else had also submitted an assignment after bedtime, arrived at university carrying snacks for three children, or was running on very little sleep after a poorly child had been awake all night.
The support from lecturers, university staff and fellow students made an enormous difference. Whenever life became overwhelming, there was always someone willing to listen, offer advice or simply remind me that I wasn't expected to do everything perfectly.
Was it hard? Absolutely.
There were evenings when I questioned whether I'd ever finish an assignment, Christmases where deadlines and family life seemed to arrive all at once. There were days when I wondered if I was doing enough in any of my roles—as a mum, a student, an employee or simply as myself.
But those difficult days were only part of the story.
They taught me skills I'll continue to use throughout my career and looking back now, I genuinely believe that being a parent made me a better student and will make me a better Occupational Therapist.
Parenthood teaches resilience, adaptability, patience, empathy and problem-solving every single day. It teaches you how to prioritise, communicate and keep going even when you're tired. Those are skills no textbook can fully teach.
University has given me far more than a degree. It has given me confidence I never knew I had.
It has introduced me to lifelong friends, incredible placement experiences and opportunities I never imagined when I first walked through the doors. It has challenged me, supported me and helped me grow into someone who believes in herself.
Perhaps the thing I'm proudest of isn't just qualifying as an occupational therapist. It's showing my children that it's never too late to believe in yourself.
Leaving the University of Worcester is bittersweet. I'll miss the campus, the lecturers, the placements and the friendships that have become such a big part of my life. But I'm leaving with something far more valuable than I arrived with.
I'm leaving stronger, more resilient, more confident, and ready for whatever comes next.
So, if you're a parent wondering whether university is possible, I'd simply say this: Don't underestimate yourself.
It won't always be easy, but you don't have to do it alone. Ask questions, accept support when it's offered, be kind to yourself on the difficult days and remember why you started. You are going to get older anyway.
Why not spend that time investing in yourself?