We’ve all, at some point, considered making a major change in our lives. Some people go for a career change, some people look at other ways to expand their quality of life by moving away, but some go back to education. While there has been a decrease in the amount of people going to university, there has been an increase in mature students applying for courses. So, this begs the question, what is it like to go, and if you are reading this and considering taking the plunge yourself, what is the best advice?
Consider The Life Balance
You may have other commitments outside of university, such as family, and it can be difficult to weigh up the balance. It all depends on the choice of degree. Some degrees have minimal lectures, but more distance learning, but other courses are pretty intense, and are nonstop from Monday to Friday. Before you dive in head first, consider the impacts of the course you want to pursue on you and your loved ones.
Are You Going “Full Student?”
It can feel a bit like you’re a fish out of water if you decide to go the whole hog and get booked into student lettings and embrace the lifestyle completely, drinking games and all! And this is all dependent on your age, but there are many other mature students around, and it’s unlikely you will feel alienated, but there is a possibility. Remember, you are going to be spending your time with predominantly, 18, 19, and 20 year olds. So if there is a glaring age gap, taking on every aspect of the student way of life can be a bit old hat, especially if you’ve done all your socialising in your twilight years.
It’s Harder Than You Think!
Lectures, study sessions, dissertations, presentations, the list goes on! Don’t think that it’s an easy option, and it can be more work than you’ve ever taken on in your entire life, but as a mature student, you have the benefit of a lifetime of hard work behind you. The work ethic is ingrained, but now you’ve got to learn how to study. You will type until your fingers feel they are about to fall off at points, and you may feel your eyes going cross-eyed with the amount of journals and books you need to read, but this is a fantastic experience overall, and you will never learn so much!
It’s A Springboard To A New Life
Whether you choose to go to university because you never had the opportunity to before, or you are going to make a fresh start in your career choice, the opportunities a degree brings are many. Not just in terms of the academic side, and the fact that you you will be considered for more job interviews, and positions with better pay, but the people you meet during your time there will open your world up.
Heading to university as a mature student is a once in a lifetime experience. But university is a once in a lifetime experience anyway, for any person, regardless of their age. So, go for it!
