After quite a long time being adamant that I would never go, I can finally admit that I am feeling what Mum has described as “the pull of uni life.” Surely nobody could deny how heartwarming it is to see family members and friends to go solo and study a course they love – and have had their hearts set on for some time – whilst also doing a bit of living and discovering along the way. I was previously concerned that I would only be there for the social and cultural benefits, and that I might not put in all of the effort required to be successful. Recently, however, I have suddenly come to the realisation that if you find the right subject, how can the studying be that much of a bad thing? And surely everything else that comes with the university experience, everything “extra-curricular”, as it were, can enrich a person’s life and give them positive memories to last a lifetime?

With these things all in mind, university does now seem like it could be worth a shot for me. Don’t worry – my head isn’t completely in the clouds! I am fully aware of all of the more serious realities, among which are those of a financial nature and those regarding the independent living every student has to deal with, so I am going to do some research. The courses themselves seem fairly self-explanatory, but I would obviously still need to examine those that I feel could be potential choices, whilst also looking very carefully at universities that would be accessible and practical for me where my disability is concerned (I would probably need a helper for some things too). Alongside these things, I’d need to see if I could be entitled to any financial help or grants of any kind as a disabled person. There is a lot to consider, which I obviously never doubted for a second.

I should stress that going to university is a possibility in its very early stages for me at the moment. It could be at least a couple of years before I get there, but it can never hurt to know more about anything, can it? The more I read up on the things I would need to know, the more prepared I’ll be for such a big step. I do think I’d probably feel even more comfortable with as much information as possible, as would anyone in my house who is somewhat sceptical about the idea at this point in time…

Mason