to want to do more than 'just' pass my first year at uni?

[suwoo]

I'm a mature student and have just started my first year at uni. I am working really hard and putting my heart and soul into it. I work 2 evenings a week and have 3 DC so it isn't a walk in the park but I am thriving on it and absolutely loving it.

I am sick of people though, telling me not to work so hard, that I only need to pass. I know this years marks don't count towards my overall classification, but what is wrong with wanting to do my absolute best?

It is an English degree with a heavy reading list (one novel a week), so why the fuck did one girl ask last week, why we had to read so many crappy books? I was .

Don't young people care anymore?

But I'm not BU. Am I? Swot yes, unreasonable no.

YANBU i had to work hard to get into uni this year and am with loads of 18yos who just want to get drunk. the worst thing is i do loads of work for seminars extra reading etc and then they take down as notes what i bring up one even had the audacity to ask to copy my notes!! im said no im not working my pan in with a 15 month old for you to go out drinking and then copy my notes

im studying law and think that because places for training are so competitive it will look better if i have 60+ in all modules rather than just 3rd year. at the end they may get the same degree as me but showing that i have worked for the whole three years will mean i get the job and they don't.

YANBU. I did a Level 7 equivalent professional qual a couple of years ago and didn't even have a degree. At least 20 years older than all the others and it was bloody hard, esp with two dc and a home to run. Apart from one or two they all squeaked it; I came in 3% short of a distinction and reckon I'd have done it but for all the other commitments but the final transcripton which I can add to the certificate shows all the marks so prospective employers will know even if the cert just says "pass". Good luck

you study how you wish but stop snorting at others

so kind of yabu

you dont want to be the stereotypical ole gimmer of a mature student droning on how serious you take it and the young uns all ungrateful

I am a mature student in my 3rd year at uni and from my course generally the older students do have a better attitude all round. Like you said OP, why shouldn't you want to do your absolute best? Mature students have often had to make huge sacrifices to go to uni and have really thought through why they are there.From my perspective it has been a constant guilt trip as I feel like I have not spent as much time with my Ds as I should have done over the past 2 years. I want a first and yes it is a lot of pressure on myself, but if I have not tried my absolute hardest then I will only regret it. It is hard OP but it will be worth it in the end - not only for future prospects but for your own sense of self worth. Good luck

ps Scottishmummy - I do kind of know what you mean. I do not look down on all young students, many of them do try exceptionally hard. Also a few mature students on my course take themselves way too seriously and are generally quite difficult to work with. My observations where very general and there are of course exceptions. I like to think I am in the middle. Yes I work damn hard but I also know how to get on with people and this is why if you had been with me a few weeks ago you would have seen myself and another mature student friend of mine in a student club at 2am showing the younger ones how it is done .

not all 18yo are reckless horahs with bad attitude.and of course at 18yo they have differing attitudes and behaviours to a mature student.doesnt mean they dont value their degree or time,nor should they be compared to other mature student and their hard times

i worked hard and played hard

I'm with muddleduck. I love lecturing to mature students! :)

scottishmummy, I love your frank statements and always agree with you except when your vitriol is directed at me, natch

No, only kidding. I am smug, but it is a rare opportunity, as I am usually only 'Mummy'. The youngsters on my course are fab, and there are only 7 of us, hence peoples workload input/output being so apparent. I love being with those young people and they are making this experiance even better for me, in being so inclusive. There are 3 mature students on my course and I am not actually the swottiest one TBH and am far from being an old gimmer if you check out my photos.

Thanks for sticking to MN tradition though and ensuring my post does not receive a resounding YANBU.

experience

Call myself a fucking English student.

behave no vitriol.study more understand the nuance

but if you want your mature student arse kissed,just dont post om aibu

post on

imfuckingreatandalltheyoungunsareuseless.com

You know what I do want it kissed as it it such a rare occurence. My grades at school were shite so I am making up for it now.

I love my fellow youngster stuuuuuuuuudents, I just love my martyr self more.

YANBU but neither are those who just want to pass either.

brainy ole you doing great-well done just dont be so competitive and piss on someone else chips

all this dem young uns they dont know hard times is froth

best wishes for your studies

The younger students have just done their A levels and so are still in cram mode. I think when you go straight from school to uni you are more aware of what you do and don't need to do to get by are you are in that mindset. Of course some people are downright lazy but the vast majority are just trying to have fun while still getting the marks they need.

I have been both a mature and "immature" (?) student and the experiences were very different. The first time round I was just out of school and so I was very able to juggle uni work and the rest of my life (which mainly involved staying in bed with now DH or going out drinking). I know the mature students may have seen me as one of the "lazy" ones but I came out with a first class degree.

The second time round, a good six years later, I felt the pressure a lot more. I was no longer able to judge what I could and couldn't get away with (in terms of working) and I was baffled by the young'uns who seemed to be able to do the minimum and still do well. The upshot of it all was that by the end of what was a very short (postgrad) course (18 months) I was completely and utterly burnt out. I ended up with another first class qualification, but this took a lot more out of me, simply because I had slipped out of the student mindset. Take care not to overdo it and don't end up a quivering jelly-like wreck like I did!

YABVU to do an english degree

Nope YANBU, I'm in 2nd year and I passed last year with over 90% average (maths, so it's actually possible to get really high/full marks). I'm a course rep and the amount of people coming up to me saying they thought the work was too hard when they didn't go to any of the lectures was ridiculous! Why do a degree if you don't want to learn? However several of those coming to me for stupid reasons were mature students and I'm not so you really can't generalise on age like that.

*slight disclaimer, I'm on a study abroad course so i needed to do more than just pass to get my year out of the UK.

YANBU
i am a mature part time student, i put 100% into my first year, got very good marks all the way through then was seriously (hospitalised) ill and missed the last 2 exams. had i not worked so hard i would be resitting the year, as it was my marks were so good i didnt need the marks from the 2 exams to pass.
it is something of a standing joke on our course that 'part timer' is not an insult

YANBU. I did my degree as a mature student. Start as you mean to go on and good luck. It is so worth it!

Best of luck - continue your degree how you want to.

The first year needs to be passed - and if you want to pass with flying colours without it being recognised because you love your course then that's great.