{"id":28398,"date":"2026-05-12T11:20:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/?p=28398"},"modified":"2026-05-12T11:30:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:30:33","slug":"i-dreamed-of-becoming-a-lawyer-now-my-children-are-going-to-watch-it-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/student-stories\/i-dreamed-of-becoming-a-lawyer-now-my-children-are-going-to-watch-it-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I dreamed of becoming a lawyer, now my children are going to watch it happen’"},"content":{"rendered":"
As a child, Sade, 30, dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But it wasn\u2019t until her youngest son was born and she discovered The Open University (OU) that she realised her dream was within reach.<\/h5>\n
Now a proud Law graduate, Sade reflects on how she successfully balanced her OU studies while working in the NHS and raising two children.<\/h5>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember, but it wasn\u2019t until I discovered the OU that I started to believe I would actually get there,\u201d Sade says. \u201cWhen I realised the BA Law course<\/a> was so manageable, I wished I\u2019d signed up years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making it work<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From completing assignments when her children went to bed, to reading in her lunch hour, Sade shares how online learning perfectly fit her busy schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudying with OU meant I didn\u2019t have to put my dreams on hold or choose between studying, working, and being present for my children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI was able to study at my own pace and defer a year due to pregnancy sickness with my second and still be able to come back and pick up where I left off.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flexibility allowed me to study for a law degree in a way that simply wouldn\u2019t have been possible for me otherwise, as full-time and on campus would have meant waiting until my children were older, or giving up work,\u201d Sade adds<\/p>\n

Finding motivation <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Throughout her journey, it was Sade\u2019s family and the image of a very special graduation day that kept her motivated:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got two little people now and I want them to be proud of how hard I\u2019ve worked. I imagine them shouting \u2018that\u2019s my mum\u2019 when I cross the stage at my graduation ceremony. That’s kept me going.\u201d<\/p>\n

After successfully completing her degree, that special moment is now even closer as Sade plans to attend her graduation ceremony later this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels surreal knowing that graduation is now right around the corner,\u201d Sade says. \u201cI started this course when my son was a baby, and he\u2019s now seven, so it really makes me reflect on how much time has passed, and how both of my children are now at an age where they understand what I\u2019ve been working towards and can truly celebrate it with me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were my reason why, and they\u2019ve seen first-hand the realities of balancing being their mum, working, and studying. Which is why it feels so special to have them there when I walk across the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just Sade\u2019s children who will be there cheering her on.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family are also incredibly proud and excited to see this journey come full circle,\u201d Sade adds. \u201cThey\u2019ve witnessed the sacrifices, the late nights, the tears, and the determination to get it done no matter what. I\u2019ve been lucky to have such a strong support system, who reminded me of my \u201cwhy\u201d on the days I felt like giving up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels great to show both them and my children that with determination and drive, you really can achieve what you set your mind to, and nothing else can stop you.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chasing a dream<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A great believer in manifesting the future, Sade has a stand-out vision for her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dream of being a named partner in a law firm. I think about getting out of the lift and seeing my name on the door.<\/p>\n

“My next step is to secure a training contract with a law firm, to become a solicitor and work my way up.”<\/p>\n

Never too late<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Keen to inspire others to take the plunge, Sade explains why her advice is to \u201cgo for it!\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the OU, you can take learning at your own pace, so it\u2019s never too late to change your life path. Even if you think you don\u2019t have the right qualifications, the OU is so inclusive and there\u2019s always an access route you can take.”<\/p>\n

Sade reflects, \u201cLooking back on my journey so far,\u00a0studying with the OU has had a massive impact on my life.\u00a0It\u2019s taught me discipline, resilience, and how to balance multiple responsibilities at once, especially while working in the NHS and raising two little humans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m grateful to the OU for giving me the push I needed to achieve my dream. I\u2019m excited to see years of hard work and dedication come to fruition, and most of all, to honour the dreams that 6-year-old Sade had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by Sade’s story?<\/strong>
\nDiscover how you could transform your future with flexible online learning and dedicated tutor support. Register now for courses starting in October 2026.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a child, Sade, 30, dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But it wasn\u2019t until her youngest son was born and she discovered The Open University (OU) that she realised her dream was within reach. Now a proud Law graduate, Sade reflects on how she successfully balanced her OU studies while working in the NHS and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":28400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[874,1282,1525,1643,2142,2146],"class_list":["post-28398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-stories","tag-fbl","tag-law","tag-news-home","tag-ou-news","tag-student-stories","tag-students"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28398","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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28398"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28407,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28398\/revisions\/28407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}