Despite fighting for his life with Covid-19 in March, Gareth Franks was able to recover enough to complete his debut novel, and scoop the number one spot on Amazon\u2019s Hot New Releases for its genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And although being seriously ill has meant he\u2019s had to delay his PGCE, he is now looking forward to returning the University of Gloucestershire to start in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gareth contracted Covid-19 in March and spent several days in critical care. And he was able to use his recovery time complete his debut novel, Maelstorm (Gideon Rayne Book One), a young adult fiction book. In addition, he has also since completed a children\u2019s book called Jake and the Nefarious Glub to be published in time for Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He initially started university aged 40 in 2016, joining the University of Gloucestershire to study education and enjoying the flexibility it offered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was the only place that offered the perfect course for me,\u201d he said, \u201cand starting with a foundation course meant that I was able to balance work and study perfectly. I then topped up and finished with a first class BA Hons in education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gareth currently works at a primary school and has found his university experience has shaped his career in a wide range of way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s informed my experiences after graduating massively. I\u2019ve been working in education for over ten years now, and the theory that I learnt and the additional lenses through which to view my daily experiences has been invaluable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI loved the feeling of being a part of the bustle of campus and the way the lecturers really drew the best out of us. I also had brilliant classmates who I still miss seeing every week. But most of all I enjoyed the assignments, I found I really enjoyed digging down into the subjects and expressing what I found through writing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he has some advice for people considering the same path. \u201cFor current students I\u2019d advise not leaving things till the last minute. Get onto tasks early to give you time to edit and improve, and don\u2019t forget to find your own voice as you dig down into the subjects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd for those considering university, just make the jump and go for it. I was 40 when I started and didn\u2019t stop shaking for the first few lectures, but I\u2019m already looking forward to coming back next year!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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