‘I knew it would be a challenge’: The third year with a two-year-old daughter

While most students were preparing for fresher’s week, Jack was preparing for fatherhood.

Now third year Jack is juggling uni work, a TV placement and a job doing freelance work for his local paper.

While building his career, he also has a two-year-old baby to look after.

For most students the regular excuse for missing a seminar is that you have been riding the waves too hard at Ocean, but imagine having to skip class for the birth of your own child.

Two years ago that is exactly what Jack Grasby did.

We asked the print journalism student what was really going through his head when he found out his then girlfriend, now fiancé, Amber was pregnant.

“It seems like such a long time ago,” he said. “It was a shock at first but at the same time it was amazing, and exciting.”

The couple have been together nearly 6 years found and out they were expecting daughter Ella while Jack, 21, was still at college.

He said: “I came home one day and she told me she wanted to do a pregnancy test, we bought one and it was positive! I was sat down at the time, when we found out I just sat there and didn’t move.”

“Having a baby is a massive thing and I knew it would be a challenge to do that at the same time as going to uni, but I have embraced that challenge and absolutely love it.”

The responsibility of having a child to look after doesn’t phase Jack.

He said: “The hardest thing is getting out of bed. I don’t see it as that much of a busy schedule, I love doing everything I do. Sometimes I have to juggle writing an essay and looking after Ella, but I see it as fun and she makes sure I’m always on my toes.

“On a serious note, I get up really early and often go to bed quite late.”

Greg Mattocks-Evans is one of Jack’s close friends and remembers the day that baby Ella was born.

He said: “Everyone in the room knew that Jack had a very good reason to not be in the lecture. Everyone except the lecturer.”

Pal Megan Felsing says she’s impressed that being a father is never an excuse for Jack.

She said: “He strolled into the room and just said sorry to our disgruntled lecturer.

“That’s the thing with Jack, he doesn’t use being a dad as an excuse for missing lectures even though it’s a more valid excuse than a hangover.”

And people say men can’t multitask.