# I lived my life in reverse – why I went back to school at 45 and started university at 49

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/i-lived-my-life-in-reverse-why-i-went-back-to-school-at-45-and-started-university-at-49/
- Published: 2026-11-06T13:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T14:51:44+00:00
- Original publisher: CNA (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/voices/late-start-university-adult-learning-back-school-studies-6522811
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Govinden returned to education at 45.
- She balanced study, work and raising three sons.
- She began university at 49.

## Summary

After stepping away from education and work to raise her three sons, Pamela Govinden returned to work after her divorce at 44 and began studying again at 45. Encouraged by younger colleagues, she found that university remained possible, showing how education can open new opportunities later in life.

Govinden enrolled in a business practice diploma at Temasek Polytechnic in 2017, balancing classes with work and raising her children as a single mother. Though she had initially planned to stop there, the pandemic prompted her to consider further study; she later started university at 49. The article says she also cared for her elderly mother while managing her responsibilities.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.