What are your top tips for mature students?

[ChocolateCauldron]

What words of wisdom/hacks/advice do you wish you'd had when you started studying as a mature student?

Just started a degree as an extra mature student, and I'm juggling 3 kids, and everything else life has to offer!

What cheats or tips have worked for you?

Make under-the-duvet your main research venue. Take full advantage of JSTOR, Google books and Kindle so you can do as much reading as possible either early in the morning or late at night, whichever suits you best. (I’ve never owned a Kindle, and actually rarely buy complete books on the app - it’s astonishing how much you can learn from free sample chapters …)

Do not assume you can (still) magic up an impressive essay overnight. Start weeks ahead and break things down into tiny chunks.

Make friends and allies of your tutors. Tell them when you’re struggling (with academic work). They can probably identify and address the problem with you. Make best friends with Student Services - don’t wait until a problem is insuperable, establish an ongoing conversation from the start.

Talk to your fellow students. You’ll learn most from them.

Just be very open and proactive with your course leader if you're struggling with a deadline etc. Don't wait for it to be too late. They want you to pass and will try and help. Keep a glossary of terms ongoing, keep a bibliography of useful books and articles you read so you can easily find them again when revising/ writing an assignment.

I think I have three main tips - 1) Don’t wait for big chunks of time, use those half hours here and there. 2) plan ahead, get your assignments into shared calendars (and block out study time where you need to) so things don’t get planned the weekend before an assignment is due unless it can’t be helped 3) if you find prevarication a problem use the pomodoro technique, there are apps which are great - I like forest app because it’s fun and the ‘cafe in Paris’ background noise is amazing to work to.

I agree that you can't churn out a good essay last minute and working til 4am. Start early, use headings and keep track of references. I have a lot of ideas come into my head walking the dog or in the middle of the night so make notes on my phone and keep a pen and paper by the bed.

Try and be really organised. Agree with PP, use every spare 20 mins, recognise and address procrastination, use the library team for tips on referencing, databases etc. Start essays as early as poss. It's about gradually chipping away at the workload. Oh, and make sure you still have time for treats and fun!

Exciting, best of luck OP! I start my Masters on Monday but was juggling work and a baby when I did my undergrad.

My tips:

-keep an eye on deadlines but start all assignments as soon as they're set. Don't think you'll do them later- far better to get on top of them asap so if something comes up close to deadline you'll be fine.

-If you have a partner, agree set study times. Literally block out hours on a shared calendar. I couldn't study at home as kept getting interrupted, but if your kids will respect it study in the bedroom and ask not to be disturbed. I would often pop to Starbucks and work there for an hour or two.

-Keep clear notes (Evernote is fantastic for this) on everything you read- useful quotes, page numbers etc as you go along. Do your references as you go along too.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone! I saw this and thought of this thread

Use referencing software. When I did my first degree it was all referencing by hand. Now there are things like Endnote and Zotero and oh my god they make such a difference! No more faffing about trying to format footnotes.

Be strict with family members about protecting your study time.

Definitely speak to staff early if you are having problems, don’t struggle on until the last minute.

Although, this is MN - no one lets unexpected guests across the threshold.

@EdmontinaDonsAutumnalHues

Although, this is MN - no one lets unexpected guests across the threshold.

🤣🤣🤣 So true! My brother wandered in earlier and I told him to make himself useful and put the kettle on....People on MN would be fainting at him waltzing in and making himself at home.

I was due a break so had a cuppa then said "Don't let the door hit you on they way out" picked up my text book and carried on....

Oh yes - it's often better to go to the library or a cafe when you have a couple of hours. Rather than stay home as you are likely to get interrupted.

In addition to what others have said, get your citation software - mendeley, zotero, endnote, whatever your university provides - up and running early and start saving citations for whatever you read into it. You can import them from Google scholar, or from journal websites. Don't wait until you're writing to try to track them down because there will always be a key reference which you don't have and which you can never find again.

I wish I’d done that, MorganSeventh … I was frankly too stressed and stupid to get to grips with referencing during the year - and just couldn’t face newness while I was desperately scrambling to finish my dissertation. Despite my Top of My Year badge, I still, years later, resent the marks I must have lost for less than perfect references.

Just as others have said, speak to your tutors about your situation. I love teaching mature students, they're always so enthusiastic! Good luck 🍀

Get referencing software.

If you can afford it get an iPad or tablet and keep pdf of books on it - you can notate pdfs on notability or good notes on iPad. Use that also for notes. Saves carting lever arch files.

@MorganSeventh

In addition to what others have said, get your citation software - mendeley, zotero, endnote, whatever your university provides - up and running early and start saving citations for whatever you read into it. You can import them from Google scholar, or from journal websites. Don't wait until you're writing to try to track them down because there will always be a key reference which you don't have and which you can never find again.

Totes this.

Set regular tiny goals. I would feel knackered of an evening but I would sit down at my computer and tell myself I wasn't getting up until I'd written 200 words of the Methodology section. Just 200 words. Of course, I often wrote more - but the key was to use that half hour and do something - 50 of the words can be "this is shit must clean it up later" - that doesn't matter. But you don't get to get up until you've met that tiny goal and got something down on paper.

Yes good tip there from @BuffySummersReportingforSanity about setting yourself small achievable targets. Your assignments, and eventually dissertation, will have sections - intro, main points, arguing for and against, conclusion, references. So do each as a separate task.

Have lovely stationery and multicoloured pens.

Joking obviously, but it helps me keep motivated!

I’m probably the only person who hadn’t grasped this before I started but, particularly if your course doesn’t lead to a guaranteed job/career, (and even more if you’re in a creative field,) the networking you do now may not bear fruit for a few years to come, but it’s still worth the effort.

In brief - show up.

Get some system in place to track everything you have to do - even if it's email someone quickly. In first year I had an exercise book and a page for every week and EVERYTHING got written down in there.

Now I use a note taking app which also has the ability to add in to-do tasks and calendar appointments straight to my calendar so I can sit and bang through a couple of tasks whenever I sit down to focus on work.

Meet students, particularly mature students in a similar situation to you in the year above. They can give you hints about what is to come.

These things have helped me:

Dedicated study/work space.

Post-its and highlighters in multiple colours.

Make v v important notes to stick on the wall beside desk to remind you of main points

Making notes of points to remember while reading helps me retain information, plus I have handy brief notes to look back on and refer to. I like the Oxford A4 notebooks. Nice smooth paper.

Reference everything I read in zotero

Don't get behind, ever. Semesters/modules go faster than you think, and even though I work hard from day 1, I still feel the pressure as it ramps up to submission time.

Say yes to any opportunities that will build relationships or help you in some way, even if it scares you.

Don't watch an addictive binge watchable show during the semester/study block. It will eat into your time and you won't properly enjoy either! Just save everything to binge watch during the breaks. Movies on a weekend evening during term time are permissable (it's just what works for me!)

Meditate. Have breaks. When you're too tired and nothing is going in, don't flog a dead horse.

Get involved with and help your fellow students, unless they're complete dicks or unbearable of course!

And plan treats for when you're on a break/work has been submitted!

This might sound a bit facile, but it has been useful to me as someone with mild ADHD:

If you have any neglected tasks tax returns, car repairs, finding your DC a tutor, fixing that cracked wall, resoling shoes, getting a divorce do them before you start your first day of study. Just get them sorted and out of the back (or front) of your mind, then settle comfortably in for your new chapter.

These undone tasks can suddenly become urgent. They derailed my Masters (and my MH) a few years ago. Don't let them derail you!

Thank you some really useful tips here!

This is a great thread!! I'm starting a post graduate diploma in January and haven't studied to this level since leaving university nearly 20 years ago!! Can someone point me in the right direction of how you study and right essays etc now? The technology and access to information has changed significantly and I'm really panicking about how I'll cope with managing all that never mind the actual course!!