Éilís McIntyre

'I live in Belfast, County Antrim, where I work as a counsellor. My interest in philosophy began with an introductory module in that subject as part of my part-time degree course, 36 years ago.

'I then attended a few philosophy evening courses about ten years ago, to simply enjoy exploring the subject more; however, once my family was raised and I had gained my professional qualifications, I felt I had the time to go back to study philosophy in more depth. Through web searches, I discovered the live online courses provided by Oxford Lifelong Learning. The range of available topics really appealed to me, and the ability to study remotely while still having a live weekly tutorial was exactly what I was looking for.

'Taking three short online philosophy courses, on a stand-alone basis, allowed me to ease myself back into higher education. I found the Oxford Lifelong Learning environment such a welcoming and encouraging place to learn that I then applied for the Certificate of Higher Education. 

'The week spent studying in person at the Oxford University Summer School for Adults was particularly rewarding. It was lovely to have the opportunity to meet and study alongside other students at Rewley House. Also, as a philosophy student, I was able to attend the live online philosophy discussion group, which meets several times over the academic year. The discussion group is a great way to meet other students or get to know those you have met on the short courses better.

'Many aspects of philosophy are relevant to my counselling work; however, my starting point was that philosophy simply intrigued me, and I am still finding the philosophical topics I am studying fascinating.

'Having already completed the three short courses, I initially planned to undertake the Certificate of Higher Education over two years. However, I quickly realised, having taken both mandatory courses in one term, that I may not have time to enjoy the subjects as much if working that intensively. Now, in the third term of my second year, I really feel the benefit of taking one course at a time.

'I would say to anyone who is thinking about undertaking a course that Oxford Lifelong Learning is a wonderfully supportive place to study. If you are thinking about studying philosophy, there is a wide variety of philosophical topics on offer, and I cannot recommend the Certificate of Higher Education highly enough. If undertaking the course, it might be useful to not only think about how each short course will fit with your other commitments, but also to think about the time needed for the three additional assignments. The work is challenging but very rewarding.'

Learn more:

• Certificate of Higher Education
• Oxford Summer School for Adults (OUSSA)