Studying As an Adult!

My experiences as a ‘Mature Age Student’!

So as some of you may know as of July last year (2015) I began my newest adventure; because my life wasn’t busy enough hahahaha! I decided that I wanted to do something for me that in the future would also benefit my family. I started studying for my dual Bachelor’s Degree of Psychological science and Criminology and criminal justice at Griffith University. 

I never thought after 13.5 years that I would be walking back into a classroom of any type, but after a full year of studying I am beyond glad that I did. This experience has challenged me in so many ways. It has taken me to the brink of insanity but I have proven to myself that I can do almost anything if I use my mind and the numerous skills I have been learning.

I currently have completed both a full time and a part time schedule of classes; I have had to write reflective essays, investigative essays and lab reports. I have had to complete oral exams and written exams and I am still happily walking onto campus feeling like I belong.  I even joined some on campus clubs!

The best part so far has been all the new friends I have made along the way. We don’t get to hang all the time but we try and make time to sit and chat about our studies and all the other fun stuff.

I am sure I may not feel this cheery after another 2.5 years of study, but right now I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself.

Well, I will hopefully pen something more exciting next time, so stay tuned!

Trins

Hey there! Im Trins!

Hi there world!

I’m Katrina, although I do prefer to be called Trins! I am the mummy of Four living breathing, some tiny and others not so tiny, people and of one beautiful angel girl who I wish was here to cuddle along with her brothers and sisters. The rascals I call children go by the names of Patrick(13), Liam(4 ½), Kara (3yrs) and Talia (17 months). My angel girl is Isabelle (5 ½ ). 

Patrick, Liam, Kara and Talia.



I don’t like to judge a book by its cover because far too often that cover looks a little like me! People will look at me and say "Oh you’re too young to be a mother of an thirteen year old" without realising I was only seventeen when I found out I would be a mother a lot sooner than I thought.

I have what people call life experience. I have been married twice now, once when I was eighteen and the other more recently when I was twenty-five, I have been divorced once. I have buried a child and given life to five of them. I have been a working mum and now a studying mum. I have dealt with four very strong willed children who also have had obstacles of their own before they have even settled into the world. All four of them were born tongue-tied and poor Liam had to have minor surgery when he was just six months old.

I try really hard to balance my house and my kids but most of the time, at the moment anyway, I am too tired to care about anything beyond the floor being clean enough for my youngest to crawl on, and having something out for dinner so that when I don’t get to take that nap I always want in the afternoons I don’t have to do much in the thinking department.

Most nights I work on three hours sleep, my kids are most definitely clingy and usually I’m the one they are attached to. We have a nice bedtime routine, bath, teeth, story, prayers, story again and then a fight to get to the door before the four year old realises he is about to be told it is sleep time. Then it’s time to try and get the girls down. This is a much easier routine, as they had a bath with their brother it’s a case of singing twinkle twinkle little star about a hundred times.

The nutter that married me is called many things at 2am but mostly his name is Brian.
Brian is my rock. Fellow singer of nursery rhymes and the occasional Iron Maiden or Kiss song if I leave him rocking the kids for too long. Without him I would be a little or a lot less sane and I’m glad I don’t have to live in a world where he doesn’t.

Well I have to go help my pre-teen with his geography assignment, turnhe wiggles back on and start studying for my exams :) wish me luck!
Until next time

Trins!