At 48, Dr Meg Forbes is not your standard university graduate.
Like many, Meg is still with her high school boyfriend — but they’ve been together for three decades and they’re married.
She also has two kids (and a beautiful labrador called Smudge). She’s a wildlife photographer and a university lecturer. And this is her fourth degree.
Meg is part of a wave of women who reject the idea that your career is set in stone once you hit 40. It makes sense, with retirement age getting later and the cost of living getting higher, why would you settle and spend another 20 to 30 years in a job you don’t love anymore?
When she completes her Masters of Clinical Psychology in August at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), Meg will officially start a new career.
Growing up Meg says she was anything but academic. "I attended two schools in England and four in South Africa. At the time no one understood neurodivergence in girls, let alone Developmental coordination disorder." DCD, also known as dyspraxia, is a condition that impacts physical coordination and can present as clumsiness in otherwise healthy children.
"I just scraped through each year. None of my teachers understood why someone who was consistently near the top of the class for literacy could barely write — and no one bothered to investigate further. I tried to compensate by learning to write with both hands, and swapping every couple of lines when my hands got tired, but my work was still far below standard and my teachers called me lazy."
Meg finished school but her "abysmal" results ruled out university so she went backpacking and put herself through technical college in the UK. Her first career was in IT, as a database programmer. However, when her son started kindy a diagnosis changed everything.
"We found out he had dyspraxia. Everything the specialists told me about him explained my own life as well. I thought about my success programming on computers and asked if they thought I’d be able to study if I used typing rather than handwriting. That unlocked the world of tertiary education for me."
Meg enrolled in a Tertiary Preparation Pathway at UniSQ with the goal of studying Psychology. "I started out studying online as my children were still very young — I couldn’t have started if I’d had to go on campus. There were also options to study part-time to fit uni around work. I love having the flexibility to choose — when my daughter moved from kindy to primary school I began attending some classes on campus, but when I did my honours year it was easier to attend all of my classes online."
Juggling young children, especially when her husband was doing FIFO work, was certainly a challenge. "Some nights I’d be sitting on my bed after 10pm watching lecture recordings and just trying not to fall asleep."
But having a supportive student community was key. "There were a few other mums, we made Facebook study support groups for every course – just knowing that I wasn’t doing this alone helped."
UniSQ also provides mentorship programs and networking opportunities that connect postgraduate students with experienced executives in their industry. This exposure ensures students learn from seasoned professionals and build relationships that can open doors to more senior roles.
With two degrees completed, Meg wasn’t done. Passionate about working with First Nations people and increasing understanding of neurodivergence, she knew she wanted to keep learning to have a real impact in those communities. "I didn’t have to look far. UniSQ has a wide range of postgraduate programs. There are over 80 study disciplines and 220+ postgraduate specialisations."
Meg decided to do a PhD, which she describes as "a highlight of my life".
"I was very privileged to work with First Nations communities around South West Queensland. My children were even able to come on a couple of field trips with me, when communities were hosting cultural festivals. I love that they’ve been able to learn about social issues that are still so relevant to Australia today."
Post-PhD, Meg still didn’t stop but neither did family life. UniSQ’s flexible options meant she was able to adapt her Masters of Clinical Psychology, switching to studying part-time when her daughter began homeschooling to pursue competitive horse riding.
With three months to go, Meg is thinking about the future. She’s (pretty) sure she’s done with study. "I am now in my final placement and getting excited about all the opportunities that’ll be available when I graduate. At uni, we talk a lot about real-world readiness in postgrad programs. This means that yes we get theoretical knowledge but we also get practical skills through internships, placements and mentorship programs that can be immediately applied in paid employment." UniSQ also has a 5-star rating from the Good Universities Guide for graduate starting salary, full-time employment, overall postgrad experience, and support.
Meg’s next goal is to practice in rural and remote communities, and find ways to better support students experiencing mental health challenges.
Her advice to other women considering changing their career path through postgraduate study? "If I could do it, you certainly can too. It’s never too late to follow your passion and transform your life through education."
Explore ways to upskill or change careers with a UniSQ postgraduate degree.
Feature Image: Supplied.