Peter with his wife Christine outside Bridgewater Hall 

Last year, at 73 years old, Peter Dobson graduated from the OU with First Class Honours – successfully fulfilling an ambition he has held for over 50 years.

“I began my Open University degree as a retiree at the age of 67,” Peter tells us. “Doing so was the culmination of years of wanting to, recognising that it was a long-term task, and being inhibited by self-doubt as to whether I had what it took. How unjustified these fears turned out to be!”

Peter left school in 1964 when he was 17 years old. He had spent a year attending sixth form at a local grammar school but felt he was struggling academically and lacked the confidence to take his A-Levels exams.

“I spent my working years in the steel industry in various capacities. This paid the mortgage and fed the kids, but I never shook off the notion that I could have made more of my life had I pursued higher education and attained meaningful academic qualifications.

“My folly in not pursuing a degree back in the early sixties, when I had the chance, has haunted me for all these years.”

Ready to prove himself

After retiring, Peter enrolled with the OU to study History – a subject which has always fascinated him and proved to be a ‘natural choice’ for his return to higher education. Over the next six years, Peter worked through his modules, with the support of his wife, the ‘unfailingly supportive’ OU tutors and his fellow students – many of whom have remained his close friends.

“The firm and supportive friendships that I made with several of my fellow students along the way, bouncing ideas and concerns off each other in our academic quest, was an added bonus. Although we have all now graduated, we still maintain regular contact and enjoy meeting up for occasional meals and a general get together.”

‘One of the most rewarding experiences of my life’

Peter completed his degree in 2019 and says this achievement helped him to finally put the persistent self-doubt to rest.    

“Achieving a First Class Honours Degree with the OU has entirely dispelled the persistent feelings of regret and sense of incompleteness that I entertained all those years and it has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of my life.

“Walking on stage at the Bridgewater Hall in my cap and gown to receive my diploma at the degree ceremony was one of the proudest moments of my life, with my wife, children, and grandchildren clapping and cheering loudly in the stalls and hundreds of other students and their families similarly enjoying their own experiences. After weeks of uncertain weather, the sun shone for the occasion and it was one of those rare and special days in life that I will never forget.”

Truly life-changing

Looking back on his journey, Peter admits that he wished he had believed in himself more and committed to completing his degree years earlier.

“In the light of my subsequent experiences with the OU, I firmly believe that I was just too young and immature in my youth to appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities that education offers. Put simply, I was not ready for it. Thanks to the OU I have been able to continue my education at a time in life when I was not only ready, but also keen to learn.”

“To say that it has changed my life does not do it justice,” Peter adds. “Although it is too late in life for me to change my career path, it has made a tremendous difference to my self-esteem and to confidence in my academic abilities. From my perspective the OU has been a turning point and, having belatedly discovered the pleasures of study and academic enquiry, and although now 74, I am currently intending to take my studies onto the next level, a Masters, later this year.”