A gran who quit her job to go to university is loving life - and won't pay off her loan until the age of 112.<br /><br />Alison Bramwell, now 56, started at the University of Derby four years ago.<br /><br />She decided she'd had enough of her cleaning business - so went off to study.<br /><br />Now the gran-of-three and mum-of-two is thriving as a mature student, living in halls with other students.<br /><br />She said: "I just love it. It's one of the best things I've ever done.<br /><br />"And I’ve got some really great younger friends. I can't think there are many 56 year olds living the life that I am."<br /><br />Alison was living in Sutton Coldfield eight years ago when she hit the menopause - and decided she wanted a change.<br />.<br />She'd always loved theatre and got a place on an acting course at a conservatoire in Birmingham in 2018.<br /><br />Teachers then encouraged her to apply for university and she got an offer for a three-year undergraduate degree in theatre arts.<br /><br />And, when she and the man she'd met in 1998 separated, she enrolled in September 2019.<br /><br />She moved away from her daughter Sophie, now 35, son Michael, now 30, and her three grandkids.<br /><br />Alison said she almost quit on day four but says staff gave her the support and encouragement that helped her stay on.<br /><br />"It was so hard moving away from my kids and their families," she said.<br /><br />"I loved being a really active mum - always cooking and being there for them.<br /><br />"Even after they left home they'd often come for Sunday dinner with their partners and kids.<br /><br />"I dreaded telling them but actually they were really encouraging.<br /><br />"It was such a shock being in an unknown city.<br /><br />"I felt like I might as well have gone to America, but this experience has taught me to be independent again.<br /><br />"It took me a year to get use to the emotional upheaval.<br /><br />"I'll be honest, I utilised student welfare services a lot, and they really helped.<br /><br />"As well as getting used to being away I was grieving a long-term relationship and everything I'd known for so many years.<br /><br />"I had my tears, my nights of crying into my pillow, but welfare said my settling in was no different from the younger students.<br /><br />"I just stuck with it, and I'm so glad I did."<br /><br />Alison lived in halls throughout her time at university.<br /><br />And, after achieving a 2:2, she took a trip to Mexico to work as an environmental volunteer in the summer of 2022.<br /><br />She then started her master's degree in applied theatre in education in January 2023, and still lives in a uni flat in the centre of Derby.<br /><br />Alison said she got used to the others partying while she went to bed - and they got used to her music in the mornings.<br /><br />Alison funded her studies with student loans and part-time jobs.<br /><br />In the future she's aiming to be a facilitator in local theatres: teaching drama to mature people.<br /><br />She said: "I'm not worried about the debt.<br /><br />"I've worked out I'll be 112 before I finish paying it off. I guess that's just another advantage of being an older student.<br /><br />"The menopause was a bit of a revelation.<br /><br />"Suddenly my cleaning business just didn't feel like enough, I really needed to do something just for myself.
