I want to be a mature student ....

bektoria

Just wanted to say thanks for your advice and inspiring stories, made me more determined to do it !!

Thanks again,
Bek

Allexie

Go for it Bek!


Hope you enjoy it as much as I did

SnowyOwl_2

Hi all

This thread has got me all fired up - it's time I got my life sorted and got my degree even if I will be 43 by the time I graduate - it's so encouraging to hear about and from other "mature" students.

One thing is worrying me - at the moment I live in N.Ireland (but can't stand it here) and want to go to university in England. If I go to my Local Education Authority here in NI regarding finances will they have some objections about my going over the water to study? Or should I actually decide which course I want to do and where, get accepted and then contact the LEA of that area? I am confused and don't want to get this wrong! Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Snowy Owl

reen_3

hi. i'm just finishing my BSc as a mature student. i'm younger than most of the previous posters (24), but i still qualify as 'mature'. next year i will be doing my MSc and my husband will be doing a BA. we've both worked full-time for the duration of my study (it was the only way we could afford the overseas fees that i have to pay), and will continue to do so as much as possible. our combined 'official' anual income is around £40k. that's a lot less than it sounds when you consider that my fees are almost £11k per year. we have no kids and no disabilities. so it looks like we don't really qualify for anything. i don't want to take out any more loans as we are already in debt from my husband's first degree. i will work 60 hrs per week if i have to--i've done it before--but, to be honest, i'd rather not. it's exhausting.

does anyone have any advice? changing to a cheaper uni/degree is not an option as i believe that if you're going to spend this much time on something, you have to do it right. my school is the best in the world for my subject. it's worth every penny.

does the LEA take into account that both of us are stuyding full-time? i spoke to someone over the phone about this, and they didn't seem to know what they were talking about. i will go down in person when i find a free morning. is there anything else?

any help would be appreciated.

tightgit_2

Whilst I agree that you should do this if you really want to, I would advise that it is not to be undertaken lightly. It is much harder to do a degree when you have the responsibilities of children and working. My husband graduated in 2000 and as a result of being on a low income for a long time we got into alot of debt. I don't just mean the student loans either. At the end of it, it is much harder to get a well paid job because you are that much older. There are so many people out there with degrees but much yonger. Chose your degree very carefully and make sure that there is a need for what you what to do and at a salary that you want.
Having said that it did give my husband the confidence to set up his own business, so it wasn't all bad. But I do know several others that haven't really done anything with their degrees.

stellagypsy

I can beat the lot of you - I have just graduated at age 49 with a 2.1 BA (Hons) which I did part time whilst working full time. Never had the chance when I was a gel (had the brains, just no support from family) and it always ate away at me. I started by doing an HNC funded by work, then topped up to HND and converted that to a degree (last 2 years I funded myself for personal reasons as it ties me to work if I want to leave and they have paid for everything). I could never have afforded to go full time, but the part time route took only 4 years and I was able to earn a full wage while I was studying. Don't know anything about bursaries, but could work sponsor you?

It was hard work, and for the last semester I thought I was going mad, but I don't regret it and I would advise any one else to do the same. I just hope I am not too old for some decent job offers now!!

MiM

My mam's 72 and half way through an English degree. One for a 2:1 by the sounds of things, which will be the first in the family!

stellagypsy

Wow, MiM, that is great, good luck to her!

My degree was the first in our family too.

Minxz

Hi , i am 36 and have just started my degree course with the Open University. I work full time, have three children, and can't afford to give up work to study as I'm a divorced mum.
The OU fees are pretty expensive.. but can be a cheaper way of learning as you don't end up with loan debts because you can still work.
If you have kids, a low wage, or are on any type of benefit, then you will qualify for help financially. I put it off for years not realising that they subsidised courses for people with children on low wages, and after submitting my wage slips etc- I got the whole course for free!
Worth a look.

W99

I'm also a mature student (34) and will graduate this summer with an expected classification of 2:1. I've done the Degree part-time, but over 5 years, because I've been on Incapacity Benefit and didn't want to overburden myself in case it was too much to cope with.

The thing is, I've proven to myself that I can do it, so I'd now like to come off the benefits and work. My biggest fear is that nobody will employ me because I've been out of work for so long and will have graduated quite late on.

So although it's exciting to be getting the Degree shortly, it's also petrifying.