In March I wanted to quit. In July I graduated.

Seven years of studying alongside work. Doubt, family support and learning to be a learner again.

In March 2024, I would have told you I wasn’t writing another word of my dissertation. I wasn’t going to finish. In July I dressed up as Harry Potter. Or rather, put on a graduation gown. My master’s degree at Palacký University Olomouc was complete.

The journey took seven years: one preparing for the entrance exams, three for the bachelor’s degree and another three for the master’s. Alongside work. With plenty of doubt. And with my family’s extraordinary patience.

I take adult learning seriously partly because I know the other side: staring at an assignment, running out of energy and wondering whether the whole idea was a bit ambitious. Learning isn’t all enthusiasm. It takes effort and humility.

But at any age, you can still draw another card from the deck. Improve. Grow. And bring what you’ve learned back into your teaching. A diploma is hardly the end of it.