I love academia, I love books and libraries and lectures, always have. I did my first degree at the University of Liverpool, a BA(Hons) in Classical Studies, but I wasn’t a massive fan of being there. Liverpool is a fantastic city but I was shy, I was lonely and I couldn’t focus. I didn’t have that ‘amazing time’ that everyone else talks about, I didn’t make lots of friends but I stuck it out. I was also in a very unpleasant and unhealthy relationship for a lot of my time at uni which left its mark on me, in some instances, literally. In my first year I didn’t do much and got rather ordinary grades but then I worked my ass off for the final two and got a 2:2, I was pleased with that.

Then I got full funding to do a Masters, I didn’t know anyone else doing post grad study and I remained shy so I retreated into my books, spending hours translating great swathes of Virgil from Latin to English and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I came out of that with a Masters in Classics, with specific reference to Latin and Ancient Greek and a dissertation on Infanticide in 5th Century BC Greek Tragedy – stop yawning, its fascinating stuff.

After that I had no idea what to do so I came home to London and ended up running clubs and bars for 6 years then one morning I thought ‘ooo, I’m a bit bored, I should take a class in something interesting’. I watched Legally Blond and thought yes, that looks fab, and so I did a Law Conversion Degree part time over two years (honestly, that bit about Legally Blonde is true), then a two year part time Legal Practice Course to be a Solicitor, then the required two year training contract which I was super lucky to get as each training contract has on average 100 applicants! Then I qualified as a bright new shiny Criminal Defence Solicitor and I loved it, even the prison visits. But the government decimated legal aid, the on call at nights and weekends wasn’t conducive to baby rearing so off I went to do a pseudo legal job relating to employment law which is what I do now and I am very satisfied. But I haven’t been resting on my laurels, I have been working on a research proposal for the last 18 months and finally it has come to pass, I have been offered a place at Oxford Brookes University to do my PhD!!!! Yeah. I shall still work full time and do the PhD part time, I start in January and its going to be brilliant.

The topic isn’t to everyone’s taste, Why Parents Murder Their Children, but it happens, we can’t ignore it and I think is a worthwhile study.And I’ll also get to do all the important school stuff like buying stationary and pens and making homework lists.

On a more serious note, I am nervous about taking such a vast project on but I am excited, I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time and finally my dream is actually coming true. It’ll be a learning curve, full time work, commute, single mum and PhD but it will all so be worth it, especially when I make everyone call me Doctor.