F lorence Sephton is 77 and lives in Deganwy, North Wales. S he is reading for an arts degree. “ I’ m more of a creature to polish my mind than polish my furniture. T he house takes second place while I put the studying first. ” “ I was very happy at school and had wonderful teaching. I passed the university entrance examination and was ready to go to university but with World War One I went in to banking. I was paid £ 1 a week. Manchester University kept my place open for three years but I was enjoying the money and the freedom so I turned it down.” M rs. Sephton is now in the second year of her Open University course and is finding it hard work. S he underestimates her ability. “I’ m feeling tired more frequently. I can ’ t do more than an hour ’ s work at a time. T he memory is shocking. I’ m supposed to be revising and I took up notes I did earlier this year and think, ‘ Have you read this before? ’ So I’ m doing it very slowly —— one credit a year, so it ’ ll take six years. ” “A t the moment the greatest reward is simply the increase in knowledge —— and the discipline. I had an essay failed this week. T he professor said I hadn ’ t answered the question. I’ ve been thinking about it all week. I know I haven ’ t got the facility for essay construction. I just let myself go and get excited. I feel more emotionally than I do mentally. I’ m very ordinary really. ” W hile claiming to be ordinary and lazy, M rs. Sephton is still working hard daily at her assignments. M rs. Sephton sees her studies as keeping her fit and independent. “ Because of my life I’ ve been self-sufficient. I t ’ s not a very nice characteristic. I t means I don ’ t care enough about people. I can ’ t say I find comfort I what I’ m learning, so I’ ll be interested to see is there ’ s a life ahead. ”