The Department of Archaeology is hugely supportive of mature students and there is a nice community that welcomes and includes mature students

Background information - Where are you from? What are you studying? What is your background (academic and employment)?

I am originally from Leeds, but have spent the last 40 years in South Yorkshire, having come to Sheffield University to do my first degree in History in 1981. I completed my MA in Heritage and Archaeology last year (with Distinction and Prize for best overall student performance) and started a PhD in October, investigating early 19th century industrial populations in Sheffield, and their interactions with the Anglican Churches built here after the Napoleonic Wars. 

I have been a volunteer in Archaeology across the UK for 26 years, which included running community digs and teaching on a beginners’ excavation course. I did this alongside a job which involved managing 6 community development teams and a multimillion pound budget in Barnsley. I’ve wanted to do a masters and PhD for 20 years, but decided to wait until I retired, as my job was too demanding and time consuming for me to do both at the same time! 

How did you get interested in research?

I’ve always been interested in research, and my first degree led to a lifelong passion for the past, and particularly local history and archaeology and community based archaeological approaches. My work also required extensive research (of a different kind) and I realised it was something I really enjoyed doing and was good at. 

Why did you choose to study at the University of Sheffield?

Sheffield is my home! The boat I live on is moored in Sheffield and I am part of a community there which I didn’t want to leave. I have been involved with excavations and short courses with the Department of Archaeology for over 25 years and wouldn’t have wanted to study anywhere else!

How has studying here shaped you?

Through the MA and the PhD study, I am learning to be an academic researcher and writer. The support I’m receiving from my supervisory team for this has been invaluable and I can’t thank them enough. This support is helping me to unlearn some of the writing styles I learned to use in my career, which were useful for then but not now! I’m also becoming a much more confident user of archive sources than I was previously. 

Which activities and projects are you involved in?

On Campus events for young people - I want to pass on the passion for the past to the next generation and get a real thrill from seeing young people understand that heritage doesn’t have to be dull!

What have you enjoyed the most during your studies?

Being able to have the luxury of immersing myself in a very specific topic which has been very sparsely researched previously. My career required me to know a little bit about a lot of things, whereas my PhD is enabling me to become an expert in a very specific field, which feels a real privilege. It’s also lovely to mix with other PhD students and hear about their research, challenges and achievements, especially when they’re very different from my own.

How has the department and/or University helped you to work towards reaching your goals?

The Department of Archaeology is hugely supportive of mature students and there is a nice community that welcomes and includes mature students. I’m really keen to be a role model for potential mature students who may be less confident than I am, and who may worry that they wouldn’t be welcome or fit in. I certainly haven’t found that to be true!

Do you have any advice for mature students thinking about studying a postgraduate course in archaeology at Sheffield?

Yes. Ignore the youthful faces on the University’s billboards and come anyway! There are plenty of mature students across the campus and you won’t feel alone. Whilst we may need a bit more support with some areas of study (for example, the fact that almost everything is online can be a challenge if you’re not a digital native) your broad experience, your ability to manage pressure which you’ve gained from the working world, and the confidence you have in being yourself will more than compensate for any challenges you’ll face. Mixing with lots of young people and their positive energy is infectious, and meeting students from a diverse wealth of other cultures is giving me some fantastic new perspectives which I hadn’t expected. There is lots of help and support if you need it - both official and unofficial, through your new peer network.