{"id":27260,"date":"2025-05-21T10:42:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T09:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/?p=27260"},"modified":"2025-05-21T10:57:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T09:57:44","slug":"the-ou-gave-me-the-second-chance-id-been-looking-for-says-gym-owner-turned-solicitor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/business-law\/law\/the-ou-gave-me-the-second-chance-id-been-looking-for-says-gym-owner-turned-solicitor\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe OU gave me the second chance I\u2019d been looking for,\u201d says gym owner turned solicitor"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Helen from Stoke-on-Trent approached her 40s, she felt it was time for a change. Even though she already had an arts degree and was running a successful gym with her sister, she\u2019d always wished she\u2019d pursued a career in law. The Open University (OU) allowed her to fit studies around other commitments and having achieved a Bachelor of Law degree<\/a>, she\u2019s now an apprentice solicitor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d always done okay at school but just felt a bit directionless,\u201d said Helen. \u201cLike so many, I got swept up in the notion that I needed to go to a campus university at 18. I ended up doing an arts degree and after graduating got various generic jobs that paid the bills but never ignited my passion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my 30s, I opened a gym with my sister. It was a fulfilling chapter and although I enjoyed running my own business, I\u2019d always wanted to pursue a career in law.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, when the business had to temporarily close because of lockdown, I had a moment of reflection. With my big birthday fast approaching, it felt like now or never to make my dreams a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI discovered the OU, which gave me the second chance I\u2019d been looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Managing her time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once the restrictions were lifted, Helen was studying alongside a busy work schedule. The OU\u2019s flexibility made it possible to progress with her degree while running a successful business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was working odd hours at the gym, usually early mornings and late at night, with a few hours free in the middle of the day. I needed a course where I didn\u2019t have to commit to specific times \u2013 the OU was perfect.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could access tutorials when it was convenient to me and study at my own pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudying with the OU never felt like an overwhelming change. I always felt supported and gradually progressed to more challenging material year-on-year.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I was nearing the end of my qualification, I felt ready to enter the profession and landed myself a job as a paralegal in my final year of study.\u201d<\/p>\n

Change for the better<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Image

Helen crossing the stage at her graduation ceremony<\/p><\/div>\n

With a first-class degree under her belt, Helen was able to take strides in her career and is now on her way to becoming a qualified solicitor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy employer was so impressed with what I\u2019d achieved at the OU that they agreed to fund the next part of my studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI now work in family law, which utilises the skills that were strengthened through my degree, such as being analytical, organised and a strong advocate for others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m much more confident and most importantly, fulfilled. I\u2019ve finally found the career for me and really relish my role. I wouldn\u2019t be in this job without the OU; I wouldn\u2019t have even been able to apply for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because you\u2019ve been doing something for a long time, doesn\u2019t mean it has to be your future. With the OU, you can take charge of your destiny. It\u2019s never too late to make a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a new direction, register by <\/strong>11 September for courses<\/strong><\/a> starting in October.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Helen from Stoke-on-Trent approached her 40s, she felt it was time for a change. Even though she already had an arts degree and was running a successful gym with her sister, she\u2019d always wished she\u2019d pursued a career in law. The Open University (OU) allowed her to fit studies around other commitments and having […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":27266,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,18],"tags":[1525,1640],"class_list":["post-27260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law","category-student-stories","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27260"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27270,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27260\/revisions\/27270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}