It's a family affair for one University of Hertfordshire student, after his parents decided to enrol on degree courses at the Hatfield-based establishment.
Asti Walsh started his undergraduate degree in mathematics at the university last year, and now his mother, 47-year-old Esperanza, and dad, 73-year-old Daniel, have taken up courses of their own, studying a master’s in art therapy and an undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology.
Asti believed their plans were just a "pipedream" until their places for this year were confirmed.
"I just thought it was the latest pipedream of theirs that would soon go away - so was positive initially," he laughed.
"It wasn’t until their places were confirmed that it dawned on me what this would actually mean.
"I’ll probably just hide out in the maths department most of the time to avoid bumping into them, which should be good for my studies at least."
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For Daniel, he hopes his course will give him purpose, as he continues to suffer from health problems after a 2013 heart attack that required open-heart surgery.
"I might physically not be as able any more, but my mind is still as sharp as a pin," he said.
"I’ve always had an interest in psychology and sociology, so following my own near-death experience, I actually re-trained as an advocate for end-of-life planning and end-of-life care.
"It’s very fulfilling, and I believe these subjects will only support this work and help me contribute back to a society that has given me so much. Giving back is very important to me."
Esperanza – a qualified metallurgical engineer originally from Manila in the Philippines, who has spent the majority of her career working in finance – decided it was time to finally focus on her passion for art.
"It’s very hard to pursue art in the Philippines," she said.
"It’s not considered something that will give you a stable and successful career. However, I love it, and have found it has really helped me over the years – especially during the times when I have unfortunately struggled with depression linked to suffering chronic pain.
"We want to be advocates for life-long learning. You’re never too old to learn more, and I know we are both looking forward to going back to a formal learning process, getting the grey matter working again and starting this new chapter together."
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