Daughter Sophie said she could not be prouder of her mum’s achievements.
“I’ve been so impressed with mum,” Sophie said, who will be graduating with her Bachelor of Communication (Professional Communications) at the end of the year.
“It’s been inspiring watching her navigate study, which was something she hadn’t done in years.
“Seeing her so focused on her studies also helped motivate me with my course work.”
Sophie said her university study experience was different to what she imagined. As an extrovert, studying remotely in the thick of the pandemic was tough. She found the lack of social interaction isolating.
“I didn’t have anyone to bounce off ideas or anyone to really compare myself against to track how I was progressing in my studies,” she said.
“Eventually, I learned I needed to switch off that part of me where I compared what I was doing with my peers and learned to just trust my abilities.”
Sophie said one of the most helpful parts of studying was applying for RMIT’s Equitable Learning Services, which supports students with a disability, long-term illness and/or a mental health condition.
“I know these services were available at RMIT, but I actually didn’t think I was a good candidate for it,” Sophie said, who suffered anxiety during her studies.
“Being able to get extensions on assignments and extra reading material was so helpful. I regret not reaching out for an Equitable Learning Plan sooner.”
Both mother and daughter are excited to be graduating together at the end of the year.
“I’m just so proud of Sophie. She has been an amazing support for me during my studies, and I can’t wait to celebrate with her at our graduation,” Janet said.
Story: Shu Shu Zheng