Simon Williams: From hitting stones with a hammer to adult education

Tell us about your course. What are you particularly enjoying about it?

All of it really. I think it is a great course. I like the way that we are doing the separate subjects, sociology, English literature, and history. Someone has clearly thought about what we are learning in all three modules, and they link in quite nicely. It has been a long time since I was in this kind of education and coming from a hands-on construction background it is completely different.  

What was your career before this course?

I am a flint knapper. I worked on Bury St Edmunds Cathedral and The Flint House that won a prize in 2015. I have worked on churches and things like that.

What made you decide to change career?

For a long time, I was studying abroad. Because I work with traditional materials and there is a period for working with lie mortars, pretty much April-ish to October. I had the opportunity and have been going abroad to learn Buddhism and martial arts since 2010. The emphasis of my life changed to being abroad more than it did to being in the UK. But covid happened and my dad got sick so eventually I managed to get a flight and come back and then my dad passed away but I was stuck as travel isn’t back. And I just felt that it was a good use of time doing the course. I have enjoyed it so I probably will go on to do a degree. That was the question that was in the back of my mind.

What do you plan to go on to study?

Because of learning Buddhism and I have met some really interesting Lamas who have achieved something through meditation and inner alchemy, I have been exposed to some high-level Daoism and high-level Tibetan Buddhism, as well as Chinese thinking. I was interested in philosophy. Since my dad passed, my mum has had more needs than I had anticipated so I might not be going away to university. I applied for psychology here and I have been offered a place so I might stay local and do a degree in West Suffolk.

What made you decide on University Studies?

It was the locale. I still had some work that I had to finish so I didn’t want to let them down and disappear off somewhere. I just phoned up and explained my situation and asked what was available and that was the course that they recommended. I didn’t think that nine months was a huge investment to see if it was something that I wanted to carry on with.

How do you feel US supports you in your studies?

I haven’t got any complaints. I think it is brilliant. The course is very fast paced. And not having been in this kind of education for nearly 40 years, it was interesting. The younger ones on the course can rattle stuff out and they have computer skills which I don’t have.

What are you most proud of on your US journey so far?

Just getting this far. Actually starting is a big thing at my age. It is really stepping out into a different world and different life.

What’s the one biggest thing you’ve learned at US so far... about yourself? And about your subject?

Being abroad a lot, my English vocabulary had reduced, so learning to articulate my thoughts. And even in history, getting it all down in order and picking which slices you need to emphasise your story. That has been a useful organisation period.  

What is your desired career long term?

After my degree, I am going to teach English abroad. I can be flexible on which degree because you just need a degree and then a teaching certificate. You can teach in any government establishment around the world. There are age limits but luckily I just scrape in under that for a few years. I might do some charity work.

How has this course helped you achieve those goals?

This course is definitely going to make passing a degree easier. I had no idea about Powerpoint presentations and perfect paragraphs. They are very useful skills to have. There are still some thing I need to learn. Changing from hitting stones with a hammer to an academic environment is quite tough. But it is not as bad as I thought being a mature student. You need the young ones to help you set up the links on your laptop and show you how to do things.