Belfast Man Earns Degree 20 Years After Failing GCSEs

Twenty years ago, Brendan, 36, from Belfast faced a significant setback when he failed his GCSEs. However, he didn’t let it stop him. Through perseverance, determination, and the support of The Open University (OU), Brendan will be celebrating his BA in History and Politics by crossing the stage at the Belfast Degree Ceremony at The Waterfront Hall on Friday, 31 May.

In 2008, four years after finishing school, Brendan decided to retake his GCSEs beginning with Maths through evening classes with Belfast Met College. English and History soon followed in 2010 and 2011. By the end of 2017, he’d moved on to collect passes in History, English Literature, and Government and Politics all at A-level.

At this stage in life, over ten years after leaving school, Brendan was now determined to pursue higher education, but he faced a new problem. He was working full time as an Administrative Officer and didn’t know how it would be possible.

That’s when he was introduced to the OU.

“When I completed my A Levels in 2017, my desire was to further my studies through higher education. However, due to working full-time, I knew this would be difficult. It was during the summer that I became aware of TV advertisements and billboards promoting the OU that heightened my curiosity about how I could continue my education.”

The ability to continue working and studying part-time would not be easy but it was just the opportunity that he was looking for.

“I was determined not to let my studies interfere with my work commitments.”

The OU gave him that flexibility.

“I’m a passionate believer in self-improvement and I know that it requires me to work to the best of my ability to achieve my future goals.”

So he signed up for a History and Politics degree and got to work. Throughout his six years of study, Brendan has balanced his family life, work commitments, and part-time study.

“People who I’ve spoken to throughout the last number of years couldn’t quite believe that I was balancing a part-time degree with a full-time job, but I explained that this was the norm for the majority of OU students.”

“One of the best examples of this was that I seldom had to take holiday for the purpose of finishing an assignment.”

While there were ups and downs, including studying during a pandemic, Brendan is rightfully delighted with what he has achieved.

“Whilst the passing of my degree has obviously been an extremely proud achievement, what makes me even prouder is how I have demonstrated to myself that I’m capable of passing exams on my own merits, whether that be GCSEs, A Levels or a degree. Against the backdrop of someone who failed all his GCSEs, two decades ago, overcoming this psychological barrier has given me tremendous pride.”

“It has enabled me to believe that having successfully gained my BA, I can go on to do bigger and better things.”

Interested in potentially continuing study through a Master’s, Brendan has achieved something that he once thought unachievable and is a testament to the hard work that thousands of OU students across Northern Ireland are putting in every day to help achieve their goals.

When asked what advice he’d give to people thinking about Higher Education, he simply states:

“I would tell them not to hesitate and embrace the opportunity of studying.”