If I can make it, so can you. I'm sharing my story.

Whilst scrolling through TSR I've been seeing some positive and some negative posts about university and their worries about not getting in. I feel compelled to share my story about how I got in and that university is possible for anyone.
My childhood wasn't the greatest childhood, there were challenges and difficulties along the way. I won't speak about my full childhood as it is traumatic and can traumatise people. The friends who I spoken to about my childhood are surprised when I talk about it normal, they think I have had it extremely difficult and they say my childhood was "far from easy", my opinion is that although there was some abuse, compared to my childhood, I have had it much easier then other people. What I will say though, is I grew up in a single parent household with a family on benefits, I cared for my mum and siblings who had/has physical and mental health conditions, I pretty much raised my siblings and my mum, I wouldn't change it for the world though. What I have experienced has made my grateful and appreciative of what I have today.
In 2017 I left secondary school with only one GCSE. To my surprise, the GCSE I got was in maths, it was a C+, I always knew I was dyslexic but numbers and I never got on well with each other. When I left school, I vowed and still vow to never return. My school was unsupportive, I was labelled a "troubled child who would never go to university." I wasn't a naughty student though, I loved school, I loved and still love learning, I went to school most days, my attendance was 88%. I got all my work done in class, completed all my homework as soon as I recieved it, I never interupted students or staff, I always put my hands up to answer or ask a question, I always obeyed the rules. I was too scared to get into trouble. I remember in year seven I got into trouble, I forgot to do a piece of homework, I got told of by my science teacher and ended up running to the bathroom to cry, I was a quite, introverted kid.
In September 2017, I started college. I didn't know what career I wanted to go down in life. The college I went to recommended a few courses, the teacher kept recommending one in particular due to my experience. I said yes as I felt I couldn't say no. During my time at college, I went to four different colleges and did four different level one qualifications, I felt I was only smart enough for level one courses.
In 2019 my family had their benefits cuts, we were struggling financially. At the age of 18 I got myself a job working 60 hours per a week as a gardner along side caring and going to college, I struggled to maintain college and my attendance was slipping.
In 2022 my mother died. This was the worst experience I ever experienced, the pain of loosing my mother was unbearable. Now I had to step up to the plate, I had to provide for my older siblings at the time. One is married, owns a home and lives with her husband, she was on maternity leave welcoming her first baby into this world. I realised if I want to break the chain of being and relying on benefits, then I need to get back into education. As well as working full-time, I did a access course full-time which was online, the course was science based.
In 2023, I was accepted into university. University has changed my life forever, my life has been going up and up ever since I joined. The programme lead said I did enough to be allowed in, and here I am, at university, a place I never thought I'd be and a place that I was told I will never get into. Since starting university, I finally feel listened too and supported. When I started university they immediately got to work putting the support I need in place. They got me referred for a dyslexia assessment, provided by the university. On my 23rd birthday, I sat in a room for three hours, did all sorts of test and got diagnosed with dyslexia. Whilst at secondary school I constantly asked for a referral to be made for a dyslexia diagnosis, they kept telling me I don't have it so I wouldn't be referred. Since getting diagnosed, even more support has been received for my dyslexia. When I left school, I lost contact with my friends, they all went off to university, before university I had no one. Since starting university, I have made so many longlife friends, some have become family.
As soon as I started university, I applied to become a student ambassador, I was contracted part-time for 16 hours per a week, every shift is different. I have met and worked with almost everyone who works at the university, I have made a strong support network, this is the workplace where I received my first promotion. I have also started my own business, which is going well. University has changed my life.
My message to you is that university is possible. You may not start university until you're 20, 30, 40 or even 50 but it is achievable, Learning never ends, always continue learning new things, right now, along side my degree and a business, I am doing two part-time A-levels and 2 part-time GCSEs. Before starting university you need to do one thing, believe in yourself. You can do it. You will do it.