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Bad girl turned good

5/ 8/2008

A SELF-CONFESSED `bad-girl' who was kicked out of two colleges with no qualifications has gained a first-class degree after talking her way onto a psychology course.

Former hairdresser Shamaila Wahla dropped out of school at 16 with a handful of poor GCSE grades and quickly got in trouble with police.

She enrolled at Bolton Sixth Form College but continued her bad behaviour and was shortly thrown out.
Shamaila then started a course at Wigan and Leigh College but was also asked to leave after six months.
The troubled teenager eventually managed to get on a hairdressing training course and worked in a salon and a local gym.

Now the 24-year-old from Bolton is on course to become a high-flying psychologist after discovering her hidden talents as an agony aunt while cutting hair.

Shamaila said: "I had family problems at home and was in trouble with the police.
"I didn't attend school for six or seven months and when I was there I messed around.
"Because I didn't get good enough grades to sit A-levels I went to college but got expelled for causing trouble in the class.

"When I started working, things were different. I was talking to people all day-long and found it really stimulating. When I was in the gym, people were coming to me for advice.

"I wanted to take on more responsibilities but the fact I didn't have an education got in the way."
Rather than taking her exams again, she applied directly to universities and managed to convince staff at Manchester Metropolitan University to take a chance on her.

Despite having no qualifications, course bosses decided Shamaila had enough life experience to attempt the psychology degree.

In order to earn the first class qualification, Shamaila faced an uphill struggle to get to grips with revision and exam techniques.

She also continued to work full time and drove 50 miles every day from her family home in Bolton to the university's Cheshire campus near Crewe.

Despite being unfamiliar with study, she was one of only two students in her year to get a first class degree in her chosen subject.

Now Shamaila, is planning to undertake further study at Bolton University to fulfil her dream of becoming a forensic psychologist working with young offenders and unsettled youngsters.

She said: "I believe I was born a psychologist. Since I was a child I was interested in human behaviour. I love listening to people.

"It was a struggle at first when I started at university because the environment was so unfamiliar and I didn't have any qualifications but I'm really glad they took a chance on me."