A DAUGHTER and her mother never live apart, no matter what the distance between them.
But Azara Queen and her mother Diane bring a whole new meaning to that popular saying after taking on university life with something most would leave behind – each other.
Azara and Diane have not only spent the past three years together studying the same criminology and psychology course at Coventry University, but they have also been living in the same house and working together in the same part-time job.
The self-proclaimed best friends, who live in Coventry and work in mental health care when not at lectures, said far from wanting to get away from each other, their unusual situation simply means they have been able to stay together doing what they loved.
And now the excited mother and daughter will graduate side-by-side with matching second-class BSc degrees on November 21.
“We both wanted to go to university and the bonus was that this way, we could do something we loved and do it together,” said Azara.
“We never get sick of each other, mum is my best friend. It is mad but we have the same hobbies and everything. The only thing is that I like horror films and she doesn’t.
“We are always together but I still had my own experience the same as all the other freshers, I joined societies and was a cheerleader so we made our own friends.”
Azara, aged 26, insists that instead of dampening her university experience and chance to leave home, having her mum by her side simply made the choice between family and going away to study simple.
“Mum did encourage me to live in halls or to go to another university, but I’ve told her she’s not getting rid of me. People are shocked when they find out but they all love it.
“I saw my friends struggle with missing their families, especially in the first year. But I didn’t have that because mine has been right here with me.
“It’s been incredible, I just don‘t know how people do it without their mum.”
There seems to be no sign of Azara and Diane going their separate ways in the near future after having already started the same postgraduate MSc course in psychology at Coventry University.
And Diane, 49, is hoping her own unusual experience new will encourage more mature students to get back into education or even be able to spend time with their families.
She added: “There was no chance of me missing Azara when she went off to university because we got to do it together.
“I don’t think it is strange at all, we’ve both managed to get so much out of it and it gave me the confidence to do something I might not otherwise have done.
“We help each other by revising together and filling in the gaps in each other’s notes. And there’s no chance Azara can get out of lectures or have an extra hour in bed, because I always know when she has a class or deadline coming up.
“The course was a challenge but really worth it. So many people say to me that they are too old or scared to get back into education after so long, but that’s nonsense.
“I recommend it to anyone of any age. It‘s a lot of hard work but so worth it, and even better that I get to do it with my daughter.”
