Any mature students starting uni this month?

Laura82_2

I'm 30 in November and starting a Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Education at Penwith College through Plymouth Uni on the 27th. Registration is on the 18th and I'm also giving the rest of freshers week a miss. I'm terrified about starting, but on a positive note I've just completed a level 3 course at Penwith so I already know all my tutors!!
Good luck to everyone starting a course this month!

t_obermory

I'm a part-time 'mature' student about to start my last ever year of an English degree. I've done it while raising two young children and doing voluntary work over the last year (and I've never had to pull any all nighters to get work finished) so its definitely possible.

My advice would be plan, plan, plan your work load to make sure you can get everything done before deadlines. When you go out take a (relevant) book and some post-it notes with you then you can snatch 10 minutes reading here and there. Its tempting to just collapse over the summer and do nothing but I'd recommend getting your reading for your upcoming modules done as that'll free up so much time once you're back at uni.

Most importantly enjoy it, good luck!

Song

I'm 50 and have four children (all teenagers) and start on the 24th. My oldest son also starts uni on the 24th but at a different uni, thank goodness.

I have just done an Access course so I'm feeling ok about the accademic side but the rest of it fills me with terror. The course I am doing doesn't seem to attract many mature students and there is a lot of group work. I am going to have to remember that I'm not their mum and it's not up to me to tell people what to do.

Very, very apprehensive at the moment.

brokemedic

DietIrnBru wrote: »

I could skulk away and say yes I will be changing my views, but I happen to think that anyone under 20 shouldn't be on the course unless they can demonstrate life experience.

Will i let this show in my interaction - no because my opinions get left at home just as you would do in your workplace.

Each to their own

Wow, I hope this is a joke.. I was one of these 20 year olds with very little life experience.. I qualified as a nurse and then decided I enjoyed it so much and the challenges it offered, that I decided to train to become a doctor..

I don't think it's age and life experience that counts, it's the attitude one has. Having experienced university twice.. once as a 20 year old and then as a mature student, I can say it was one of the best experiences of my life, even as a mature student. As for the 20 year olds with little life experience, you will find that they are different individuals once they have qualified..

As for leaving opinions at home, I think body language and the way one interacts with others can give a great deal away...

I wish you the best of luck in your course...

bm

brokemedic

Song wrote: »

I'm 50 and have four children (all teenagers) and start on the 24th. My oldest son also starts uni on the 24th but at a different uni, thank goodness.

I have just done an Access course so I'm feeling ok about the accademic side but the rest of it fills me with terror. The course I am doing doesn't seem to attract many mature students and there is a lot of group work. I am going to have to remember that I'm not their mum and it's not up to me to tell people what to do.

Very, very apprehensive at the moment.

As a mature student, I found that the youngsters in the group would look to me for guidance, scarily expect me to know all the answers and expect me to raise issues with our facilitators etc. At the start I did but as their confidence grew, I would tactfully suggest that they do it lol.. Also, I think group work is a great idea - breaks down barriers, forces people to interact and talk with those they wouldn't normally.. Also, your age and the fact that you are a mother of four is going to be a great asset when you're on the ward (I am assuming you're going to be a nurse but not sure why lol).. Your communications skills, ability to prioritise and multi-task will be great assets lol..

Don't forget the youngsters will be rather nervous as well..

Good luck. I hope you have a wonderful time..:T

bm

Naf

I'm 27 and starting a Beng in Electronic Engineering next month. Stopped work at the end of August, had a new baby (number 3) and nothing has really sunk in yet lol.

redmel1621 wrote: »

My grand plan is to do all my work through the day 9-3! which will allow evenings and weekends free.... (famous last words:p)

Best laid plans and all that; but its much like my plan too. Certainly don't intend working Sat & Sun except if I have an exam or major assignment.

redmel1621 wrote: »

So I will be going to register on the 24th.. I want my MONEEEYYYYY.. Then I don't even think I will bother with the rest of the week.

DietIrnBru wrote: »

I will be giving freshers a miss. Not much attraction given I've been allowed in pubs for a decade now and I'm tee total lol.

I'm also teetotal and don't really frequent bars/clubs. But I would suggest going to as many of the daytime freshers events etc. as you can. Uni is a very social thing, and who you know can be very useful. You want to get to know people on your course as well as other people you'll be working around. I'll be giving the late night stuff a miss, but trying to make some of the other freshers events.

Song

Thanks Brokemedic but nursing is just about the last thing I would do, that did make me chuckle though, as my children discovered at a very young age I don't do body fluids.

I'm studying Mass Communications, it's journalism and new media (websites etc), and there is a huge IT component. I'm not to bad with IT but I am not a "digital native", very much an imigrant and not totally fluent with the language and culture of the digital world.

nimbo

I'm about to go into me second year of Social work, and I'd say around 50% of the class is a mature student - maybe more even.

The younger ones have loads to offer - and some of them kick !!! on essay scores.

Do go to some of the day events as you'll meet all sorts of people, and make friends....

My biggest tip would be read the handbooks - they basically have all the answers in (or at least the best books to find them in).... People on my course last year (mature students) hadn't read them and therefore didn't know due dates, and in our hand books they included the marking criteria for each essay. Which if you read them would mention things that you should have mentioned in your essay - not in detail but if the marking criteria said Anti oppressive practice than you knew you had to....

Also our library catalogue allows you to see how often books had been withdrawn, so you can figure out the ones that you want to take out, and then when they get popular and people reserve them the ones to get from Amazon or similar... (If you write reviews on Doo yoo you can earn Amazon vouchers)...

I Found having a list of all of the due dates was a good idea, as it meant you got to see how close some of them were to each other without having to flick through all of the module handbooks. (There were two in 2 days, and 3 in 7 - one of the women who hadn't read the hand books didn't know this and was up a certain creek. She'd even been emailed the list of due dates that Kate had complied). Also you get grades for presentation - this will be in the handbook - so for me it is 1.5 spaced with specific margins, and a front page to all assignments - unless Ben is marking them as he prefers double spaced, and if it puts s smile on his face for a second he may grade me 1 mark better...

Find a helpful lecturer - all universities have them. My tutor was a lovely woman (she's now left) but she didn't feed back constructively or not. From her we would get a grade, and the word good... My friends tutor however is lovely - he doesn't stop talking but he is great and really helpful, and so constructive.

Also brush up on your IT skills if they are non existent, as essays will need to be typed, and you may well have to give at least one presentation.... You don't need to be Bill Gates or anything but you will need to know how to find spell check (and page number etc) on the evil new version of word that I hate...

Good luck. xxxxxxx

twofishes

I was going to reply to this post but then realised even though all students over 21 (yes really!) are mature as far as unis are concerned, at 23 I'm practically a baby here Enrol at University of Northampton on the 16th, doing Politics.

DeezerDeer

Hi there,
I'm 40 (nearly) and about to start on the first year of a 4 year Zoology degree. I'm terrified actually! The learning doesn't bother me, I love acquiring knowledge, it's meeting so many new people!
I'm a bit of an introvert and would be very happy if it were just me and the tutor in the room tbh, but obviously that's not going to happen so I'll just have to suck it up and get on with it!
Anyone got any tips for handling the social side of Uni? I have no interest in pub crawls or getting wasted and don't really have the time anyway, even if I did want to. I want to really enjoy the whole experience and get the most out of it but I'm worried about the age difference and whether I'll just be seen as the swotty mumsy type who no one wants to play with!
Chronic shyness is sooo c**p. You'd think I'd be over it by now at my age! My kids have been my reason to be a part-time tigress for the past 10 years and without them there I think I'll revert to mouse-dom.
Should I bribe people with cakes?! Lol.