Returning to University: Completing My Computer Science Degree and Looking Towards the Digital Humanities
Sometimes life doesn't follow the path we originally planned.
For me, returning to university to complete my Computer Science degree is not simply about finishing something I started. It represents a new chapter, built on years of personal growth, challenges overcome, and a clearer understanding of where I want my future to lead.
My academic journey has not been a straightforward one. Like many mature students, I've faced obstacles that interrupted my studies and forced me to step away from university more than once. Living with disability and mental health challenges has sometimes meant putting my education on hold while I focused on my wellbeing. Those experiences were difficult, but they also taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of adapting when circumstances change.
Now, I am preparing to return with a renewed sense of purpose.
Computer Science remains a subject that fascinates me. I've always been drawn to understanding how technology works, how complex systems are built, and how digital tools can be used to solve real-world problems. Technology shapes nearly every aspect of modern life, and studying it provides an opportunity to develop skills that are valuable across countless industries.
However, over the past little while, I've also discovered another passion, the Digital Humanities.
For those unfamiliar with the term, Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary field that brings together technology and traditional humanities subjects such as history, literature, archaeology, and cultural studies. It explores how digital tools can be used to preserve, analyse, interpret, and share human knowledge.
As someone who has always loved both technology and history, this combination feels like a natural fit.
History has an incredible power to help us understand the world around us. It explains how societies developed, why institutions exist, and how past events continue to shape our present. Yet history can sometimes feel inaccessible, especially to younger learners who may struggle to connect with distant events and unfamiliar people.
This is where technology can make a real difference.
One of my interests is exploring how technology can enhance the teaching and learning of history at every educational level, from primary school classrooms all the way through to postgraduate university study.
Imagine primary school pupils exploring ancient Rome through interactive digital maps and virtual reconstructions. Imagine secondary school students examining historical sources through online archives that were once only available to professional researchers. Imagine university students using data visualisation tools to identify patterns across centuries of historical records. At postgraduate level, researchers can use advanced digital methods to analyse vast collections of texts, images, and documents that would be impossible to study manually.
Technology is not a replacement for good teaching and especially not for critical thinking. Rather, it can serve as a powerful tool that helps learners engage more deeply with the past.
Digital archives, virtual reality experiences, interactive timelines, geographic information systems (GIS), and data analysis tools all offer exciting possibilities for making history more accessible and engaging. They can help students move beyond simply memorising dates and events (which every Historian knows you need to do as you get older and develop your interest) and encourage them instead to ask questions, investigate evidence, and develop their own interpretations.
The potential extends beyond formal education as well. Museums, libraries, archives, and heritage organisations are increasingly embracing digital technologies to reach wider audiences. Online collections and virtual exhibitions allow people to engage with historical materials regardless of their location, helping to democratise access to knowledge.
As I look ahead to completing my degree, I am particularly interested in how computing skills can contribute to these developments. Whether through software development, data analysis, digital preservation, or educational technology, I believe there are countless opportunities to use technical expertise in ways that support learning and cultural understanding.
Returning to university at this stage of my life feels different from when I first enrolled. I am not simply pursuing a qualification. I am pursuing a vision for how I might combine my interests and experiences into meaningful work.
I also hope my journey demonstrates that education does not have to follow a traditional timeline. Many people step away from their studies due to health issues, family responsibilities, financial pressures, or unexpected life events. Sometimes those interruptions can feel like failure. In reality, they are often just part of a longer journey.
Returning later in life brings its own advantages. Experience, perspective, and determination can be just as valuable as youth and momentum. While I may not be following the path I originally imagined, I am excited about where this one could lead.
The coming years will undoubtedly bring challenges. Balancing study with other responsibilities is never easy, and there will be plenty of opportunities to doubt myself along the way. Yet I am looking forward to learning again, developing new skills, and exploring the possibilities that exist at the intersection of technology and the humanities.
Most of all, I am excited about the prospect of contributing, however modestly, to a future where technology helps more people discover, understand, and engage with history.
After all, understanding the past has always helped us make sense of the present. If technology can help more people access that understanding, then it is a future worth working towards.