Uni a 'culture change', says 75-year-old fresher

Bob Lakin is an undergraduate at the University of Winchester

Starting university has been a "culture change", a 75-year-old former truck driver turned student has told the BBC.

Bob Lakin began studying philosophy at the University of Winchester this week.

He enrolled at the university after completing a course in the same subject at Peter Symonds College.

Having last been in the education system 60 years ago, Mr Lakin told the BBC that it was now "much more accepting" than it had been during his school days.

Mr Lakin, who is also a former police officer and bus driver, was encouraged to enrol at college by his partner.

"I think you always want to learn things," he said.

On why he chose to study philosophy, he continued: "I think when you get a little bit more senior, doing something like philosophy is really a case of making sense of all the other things that you've done.

Mr Lakin's former college tutor Chris Higginson said he was "immensely proud" of his former student

"It's putting it into context and making a proper concept of what your life has been, and what you may have learned."

Mr Lakin is now in his first week at university, with most of his fellow freshers at least 50 years his junior.

"I mean, it wasn't that long ago that I stepped out of a truck - it [university] is a culture change."

He has never been to university before and said it felt like "probably where I should have been", criticising the "absolute failure" of the education system when he was younger.

The septuagenarian student said people now were not "as judgmental" as they had been in the past, adding: "You don't get put in a compartment so much."

Chris Higginson, who tutored Mr Lakin during his time at college, said he was "immensely proud", adding: “This serves as a reminder that it is never too late to pursue one’s passions and interests and embark on a new journey.”

When asked on BBC Radio Solent if he could see a future in teaching after his degree, Mr Lakin said he "wouldn't rule it out".

"I'll still be younger than Donald Trump when I finish the degree, and certainly younger than Joe Biden," he added.