How To Survive University Whilst Being a Mature Aged (Old) Student.
By Mo Berrached
That’s it. You’ve decided. You aren’t getting any younger, and you want a scene change. A couple of breakdowns and a few restless nights later contemplating your life choices, you apply and get accepted into university. You rock, congratulations!
The day has come; you’re going to do university properly this time. No time to mingle with these young, crazy high-school graduates who haven’t done a proper day’s work in their life. You have a full-time job, a family to feed, and a mortgage to pay.
If this sounds like you, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mo, and I too am an old person (well… in comparison to these high-schoolers). Coming to Uni once again for my second degree (third, if you include the one I dropped out of), I had a game plan similar to the one mentioned above, and the same commitments (minus the kids). After going through this degree and having reached my final year, I have done some reflecting and, in doing so, have come up with three tips which I wished I had known and, more importantly, applied earlier in my degree.
1. Make Some Friends
I know this seems obvious, but many of us are at Uni for one thing and one thing only — to hustle and get that degree. Going back a third time, I’ve realised that Uni is far more than just getting that HD on that essay you wrote or doing thousands of extra degree specific activities to ‘set you apart from the rest of the pack’. Don’t limit yourself to friends in the same mature age group, try to get to know some of the younger people doing your degree alongside you. You may find that a couple of younger students have a similar and mature attitude towards life, share your experiences, and appreciate the wisdom that comes with age. Having a mixture of friends from different age-demographics/walks of life not only allows for a far richer social experience but different brains to bounce ideas off and study with. It will be far harder to get those Distinctions when all you do is place yourself in solitary confinement in the silent section (or worse, at home), without any fresh ideas, people, (or air) to nourish you.
2. Make Yourself a Schedule
The perks of coming back to Uni older and wiser means you have experienced the outside world and its issues. You, unfortunately, probably do not have the luxury of time that the (majority) of younger students have, instead you have to work to actually be able to live and not go back to those awful times of living off two-minute noodles for weeks on end. As basic as it sounds, make sure you have some form of outline for your week. It doesn’t have to be overly detailed, but just something to structure your life around so you don’t find yourself up at 4am, Wednesday morning, madly writing about ‘if James can sue Bill for damages’. When making this outline, make sure to take into consideration how much you work, and how much time you need for Uni (including study and assignments). This will allow you to easily slot in your other commitments (and importantly time off) to establish some form of schedule which (hopefully) will make you a well-oiled machine that stays on top of everything.
3. Do Not Be Afraid to Ask Questions
I think we all have that fear of being ‘that’ mature aged student. You know the one; that one mature aged student that constantly asks long-winded, ridiculous questions which take twenty minutes to finally be concluded. I understand that fear; there was a period of time in which I would not ask questions in fear of being labelled the ‘annoying’ mature age man who people hate. However, the longer I waited to ask questions, the more they piled up and in turn, the more confused I got. Moral of this story is: ask those questions like your life depended on them! If the other students complain, just remember that they will likely thank you later on when they are trying to cram and have some memory of that ‘stupid’ question that is actually going to help them answer that question.
Just remember that it’s not just the lectures or the tutes in which question can be asked. There are other people doing the same exact thing as you and they might have the answer. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. This goes back to tip number 1 — making friends isn’t just about the socialising (though that is important), it’s also about having a group of pals to learn with, study with, procrastinate with, and finally, cry with.
In Summary…
At the end of the day, you have to remember that university is so much more than attending classes and getting the best grade. It is a full experience in and of itself. So go to that party you are far too old for, have a cute breakdown or two or, better yet, head to the Tav after a rubbish exam and cry with everyone else. We are all currently in the same boat; passing through the beautifully confusing/stressful storm which is University. And just as our explorer forefathers dealt with holes in the deck and unwelcoming winds, they also had those times of clear skies and good vibes. University is only temporary; however, the friends and memories can last a lifetime.