Emotion as a phenomenon in education has long been recognised; however, it can be argued that it has never been fully acknowledged in higher education institutions. I will share findings of a research project offering an opportunity for the audience to ‘enter the world of the student’s emotion’. The project explored the relationship between the emotion of eight mature female students and their academic performance, and the impact on their lives. Participants agreed to share their views through a written task and a follow-up unstructured interview. Their narratives were analysed using the feminist post-structuralist approach.