Ada Pagan didn't like studying in school. For her, the original motivation for learning was to get the "piece of paper" required for a better job.

This attitude propelled her from a role in retail to investigating crimes for the Inland Revenue. But once she retired, Edinburgh-born Ada decided that she would continue trying to improve her knowledge.

"I went from being a shop assistant, and retired at Customs as an Inland Revenue investigations officer," she says.

"When I retired I decided to go to college, nothing ventured nothing gained and that's what I did and I've never regretted it."

The 72-year-old embarked upon her higher education quest at the city's Telford College (now Edinburgh College) 40 years ago, and has since completed 78 qualification in a wide variety of subjects. Among her favourites was a Higher National Certificate in tourism, which spurred her on to taking on extra responsibilities.

"I took an HNC in Tourism and Hospitality which was brilliant, getting to travel around Scotland, mixing with foreign students with them helping me with my language and me helping them with theirs."

This experience led to her becoming the student president and later the role of NUS Scotland's mature students officer. She has become something of an parental figure for her fellow students, helping them with finance and study questions.

In return, she says, they have provided her with assistance in areas younger people excel.

"I found with computers at first I wanted to throw it out the window in the beginning because I kept losing stuff. But then the younger ones showed me buttons that you could save and that you could go back and edit things, but i still write everything out before I put it in the computer."

Her chief motivation for continuing to attend courses in later life was a product of seeing the decline of some of her contemporaries after retirement.

She found that keeping her brain active was a good way to keep herself busy, and enriched her life.

"It's so sad, maybe nine months after retirement, you pick up the Evening News, and here's so and so who's passed away.

"A lot of the older men get onto the drink," she says.

"A lot of the older women now too, especially if they were married, they have this big empty vacuum. I say ' you should go and try one of these courses' and they say they're too scared."

Even operations won't stop her working, with Ada once caught doing university work from her hospital bed.

"I was just keeping everything going," says Ada, laughing at the confused expression on the face of a nurse who told her to rest up.

Asked to explain why she has such a zest for learning still, the pensioner does not hesitate.

"We're meeting new people, we're doing things that we haven't done before. Some of the subjects I did I hadn't even heard of them.

"Finding subjects you've never done before is a challenge and passing them makes you feel good."

And she does not have any plans to slow down as she nears her eighth decade, evoking the demise of one of Scotland's greatest authors to underline her enthusiasm.

"I think I'll be a female version of Sir Walter Scott," she laughs.

"I'll be dying with a pen in my hand."