Helen Dawson (44)

BA in Politics and Society

'I left school in 1981 and have only done a short course since then so I was very nervous about getting back into it. Doing the Birkbeck Diploma gave me confidence to take it further.

'I really enjoyed learning about new things and pushing myself to learn more. There was a huge degree of support and encouragement from the tutors and it's great to know that the help is there if you need it.

'They really encouraged me to realise that I was capable of doing the BA in Politics and Society, which I am now studying. One tutor wrote a reference for me, and she was so encouraging I realised that I had to give it a go.'