Unanderra pensioner Maggie Sydenham is quite happy to be seen as an inspiration, having picked up a University of Wollongong degree in her 70s despite quitting high school at the age of 14.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 76-year-old undergraduate is nearing the end of her Bachelor of Arts Degree (majoring in Sociology and History) and has recently been accepted to study a two-week intensive course at the University of Cambridge in the UK.
"Since retiring I kept looking for things that really absorbed me and interested me," Ms Sydenham said.
"I said to one of my cousins, 'I always wanted to go to university but they won't take me because I'm too old and I haven't got any money'.
"And he said 'go and ask'. So I did, and now I'm here in my third year."
The Ancient History subject to be taken abroad in July will be credited to her UOW degree, and notching her that little bit closer to studying a doctorate.
"I've already planned with what I'm going to do with my PhD, should I live that long," Ms Sydenham said.
"Being able to attend uni at my age gives me something to look forward to every day, and it's not too bad for my brain, either."
She wants to research how older, single women have found a place in society from Australia's settlement in 1788 to the present.
Ms Sydenham hopes her research will help today's society as "older single women have got problems with income, with housing and also in the situation with aged care".
She would also love to become an academic and eventually lecture at UOW, joking it is because she has a hefty HECS debt to pay.
Over her lifetime, the septuagenarian has had about 60 different jobs (including full-time and temp work) from nursing to book-keeping to a community arts officer. The longest lasted eight years, the shortest half a day.
"I'm quite happy to be an inspiration, but I do feel sorry for young people today," Ms Sydenham said.
"When I got bored with a job in my teens or my 20s, I went out at lunchtime and had an interview for another job ... I never had a problem getting a job.
"Today it's different, when people get a job sometimes they have to stick with it even if they hate it."
The undergraduate has managed to secure a student loan towards the cost of her Cambridge adventure, though still has everyday expenses pay for.
As her only income is the aged pension her daughters have started a GoFundMe campaign to help.