A mother and daughter who graduated from the same University of East Anglia (UEA) course together, understand it can take time for new students to settle in. 

Kerry Barr and Jodie Cloud celebrated their Master’s degree in Advanced Social Care side-by-side this summer and both agree that university can be overwhelming to begin with. 

For Kerry, getting used to the campus layout and meeting new people was a big help. 

“It’s just making sure that you’ve got everything you need… Year one, of course, is important, but it’s also about building relationships and understanding the people that you’re on the course with as well.” 

Embracing the educational experience benefitted Jodie, who enjoyed studying her aspirational career in-depth. 

She told Concrete: “Really make the most of the time of studying, because when you’re qualified and you go on to a job, you’re not always going to have the time to get stuck into the theories and the whys and the hows… Ask the ‘stupid’ questions. Don’t feel like you’re making yourself look silly. Ask anything that comes into your mind.” 

Throughout their time at UEA, they were able to support each other and bring differing approaches to the study process. 

“Jodie definitely kept me on track with assignments. I’m quite dyslexic and dyspraxic. So, Jodie also helped me with my grammar and things like that as well. She’s naturally academic,” Kerry said. 

The collaborative study process appealed to Jodie: “I take to academic stuff and writing things quite differently. But it was nice to do it together, bounce ideas off each other.” 

Beyond UEA, the mother and daughter team are still going strong. 

They now work for Suffolk County Council as Senior Social Workers and Kerry said that regular conversation about work is common at home. 

“My son, Jodie’s younger brother, always said that he could be a social worker without having to do much at all, because he’s heard so much from us talking at the dinner table.” 

Photo credit: UEA