Kate Sanderson, a 40-year-old single mum from Mansfield, has swapped her supermarket job for a nursing degree, and now earns more as a student than she did in her previous role. She left her supermarket position in September 2026 to pursue a midlife career change.
From Supermarket Tills to University
Kate, who has three children aged 15 and 11-year-old twins, had previously failed her maths GCSE and dropped out of sixth form. However, she later developed a drive to return to education. After completing a two-year access course, she gained enough UCAS points to start her adult nursing degree, which will qualify her as a nurse in three years.
While studying, her maintenance loan provides her with more money per month than she earned at the supermarket. "I want to better myself and provide a better future for my family," Kate said. "My main passion and drive come from wanting to improve things for my kids. I also want to instil a good work ethic in my kids, by showing them how hard I'm working."
A Long Road to a Dream
Since leaving school, Kate has worked in various jobs, including in a call centre and at an estate agent. Six years ago, she split from her children's father and began working part-time on the tills at her local supermarket while juggling childcare. In 2024, she started a two-year access course to gain the qualifications needed for university.
As a teenager, Kate completed the first year of her A-Levels before dropping out to start earning money. "I wish I'd stuck at it now, because I'd be in a much better position than I am now," she said. "But you learn things with age."
Studying psychology, sociology and biology on the access course allowed her to earn enough UCAS points to get into a course at the University of Derby. She completed the course one day a week while working 15 hours a week at the supermarket, earning £780 a month. Kate also attempted to retake her maths GCSE during the access course but failed, so she will continue studying for it alongside her degree.
Choosing Nursing and Financial Gains
Kate chose nursing because she believes her interpersonal skills are well suited to the profession. "I decided to choose nursing because I work really well with people," she said. "I'm really empathetic and I think I can read people really well, which will be good attributes to have a nurse, I think. I think there will be a lot of transferrable skills from working in customer service as well."
In September 2026, Kate left her job to focus on her degree full-time. She is eager to start her placements in January to determine which area of nursing she prefers. "Bring it on, I'm so excited," she said. "I think I might enjoy something like A&E, because of how fast it will be, but I also like the idea of being a theatre nurse and preparing people to go in and out of surgery."
During her degree, Kate will have to work many 12-hour shifts, including nights, but she has a supportive network of friends and family for childcare.
While studying, Kate is entitled to a £12,000 maintenance loan and has qualified for an extra £7,000 through the NHS learning support fund, giving her a total of £21,000 per year, or £1,750 per month. Previously, she received about £1,300 a month in universal credit, which has dropped to £1,100 now that she is a student, meaning she is around £100 better off per month.
She also qualifies for a council tax exemption as a full-time student, saving her £175 a month. Once qualified, Kate will earn £32,000, around £2,000 a month after tax, far more than her old salary. Her earnings could rise significantly with experience, as the highest-grade NHS nurses earn up to £120,000 a year. She shares her journey on TikTok @katiesan86.
