Studying as a family

Many daughters look up to their mothers and often follow in their footsteps and this is certainly the case for Olivia and her mum Dawn.

A mother and a daughters bond is like no other. Many mothers guide their child through adulthood and then when the time comes, waves them off to university for them to leave the nest. But what happens when the mother is currently a student at the university her daughter is due to attend? That’s exactly what happened with UCP third year Sociology student Dawn Farey and first year Sociology student Olivia Weaver.

Dawn had always dreamt of going to university before she started, but from the age of sixteen started working full-time and then later started a family. However, one day she spoke to her husband and he said “just go for it” and without hesitation Dawn clicked on the UCAS website and applied for University Centre Peterborough.

For Olivia, she started a marketing apprenticeship after leaving Sawtry Village Academy then studied an Access to Higher Education qualification before starting a degree at University Centre Peterborough. By seeing how much her mother was flourishing and enjoying her course at UCP, it inspired Olivia to apply to start in September 2019 – meaning both mother and daughter were UCP students at the same time.

As well as studying at the same institution, both Dawn and Olivia are studying the same course, BA (Hons) Sociology. With Dawn in her final year and Oliva in her first year, Dawn is able to offer support emotionally and academically both at university and at the home in which they both live in.

As well as living together, they are often seen helping each other revise and study together in the UCP campus, a unique activity not many mother and daughters usually get to share.