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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to sneak into uni lectures even though i'm not a student

407 replies

Lecture · 24/02/2016 13:53

I am in fact a SAHM Blush. We live in a university town and every Wednesday my DM has the baby for the morning so I get a break. About a month ago I ordered a book from waterstones and picked it up from the university branch. I'd never been on the campus before and couldn't believe there was no security or need to show any student ID. After i'd been to Waterstones I got a cup of coffee at one of the cafes and had a wander round the grounds.

Its lovely there, lots of (cheap) restaurants and cafeterias and you don't need to show ID to use them Shock

The next week I went there for lunch and looked around the library for a few hours.

Today I was wandering around and sat on the bench outside the lecture hall. There were hundreds of students milling around and the lecture schedule on a big flat screen TV on the outside wall. Anyway i watched them going in to each room and there were loads of spaces in the halls (big double doors open so i could see in). Then I was looking at the schedule and there were lots of interesting sounding lectures on. It suddenly occurred to me that i could probably just go in and sit in on one without being noticed by anyone. There were quite a few mature students so I don't think i'd stick out too much.

Now i'm home I think I might be being a bit mental (and possibly a bit post natal) to consider essentially stealing lectures I haven't paid for. I haven't told DH or DM i've been hanging around the uni Blush

AIBU (or do you think I could get away with it)

BTW, can't believe the username Lecture wasn't taken!

OP posts:
TelephonicsSuper · 24/02/2016 14:29

Go for it. You sound like you could do with a bit of a change! It might inspire you to do sue formal study one day...

gooseberryroolz · 24/02/2016 14:29

I must say I've done it. But only when I've had some kind of connection to the uni, one way or the other.

Original poster
Lecture · 24/02/2016 14:30

God yes I absolutely am missing being with other adults! Kids are as dull as ditchwater Grin

OP posts:
Kingfisherfree · 24/02/2016 14:30

Not at you Op at pp poster. What city sre you in? Do you want a uni pal?Wine

BiddyPop · 24/02/2016 14:31

I used to sneak into a set dancing class in the music department while I was in the science faculty at Uni. The 2 teachers loved it (evened numbers, and I was interested in it, and actually attended classes with them at a summer school every year) - but the head of Dept spotted me in the building one day and bawled me out of it (music was a small Dept and he knew all the legit students in it).

There are plenty of lectures though that were massive, no attendance called etc. Lots of science ones in 1st and 2nd year (got smaller as more specialized), but also lots of arts, law, 1st engineering, business etc lectures. And there were quite a few courses in 1st and 2nd years where there were people from a few different courses taking the same units - so earth science, biological sciences, food science, food engineering, food business etc all taking one biology course, there were loads of courses doing the "baby maths" compared to the more "serious maths" of chem/phys/mathematical science and engineers. And quite a few different groups taking a few different business and economics courses too.

And I also had great fun learning astronomy where a PhD student gave an 8 week night course using an empty lecture hall to anyone who wanted to show up - just advertised it in the weekly student newsbulletin. I think we had about 25 in that, mostly undergrads (lots of science but a mix) and a couple of pensioners living next to the Uni who also tended to do lots on campus as the flyer was dropped in their door weekly (Student Union had it on site but also did a leaflet drop to certain streets locally which tended to be mostly student accommodation but there were a few long-term residents around as well!).

SaveMeTheWaltz · 24/02/2016 14:31

Do it! I'm a uni lecturer and would be delighted if a non-student attended my lectures simply out of intellectual interest.

HeteronormativeHaybales · 24/02/2016 14:32

Another ex-/sometime lecturer here who wouldn't have minded this in the slightest, in fact I'd have been quite touched and pleased (as long as you weren't expecting me to mark essays etc.!).

It's a lot more than the lectures people pay for - it's seminars, tutorials, academic guidance, pastoral care, library and information services etc. OP isn't using any of that.

I went to Oxford and IIRC the lectures were public - we certainly went to ones we found interesting that weren't within our subect area.

CrushedNinjas · 24/02/2016 14:32

Just go along and enjoy the lectures. The lecturers themselves would be delighted to have additional attendees.

A lot of campuses have lovely gardens to wander around and benches to sit on with your picnic lunch. I worked for years in HE and preferred the summer months for the lovely weather and reduced student numbers, (mostly postgrads) so plenty of space for lolling on the grass and reading.

SnakesandKnives · 24/02/2016 14:32

That made me laugh curlyblueberry! There's some saying about a little knowledge and all that....

I think it would be absolutely fine to go to lectures that aren't for you - I used to all the time. As long as you understand you are literally there as a viewing guest (so as jeane said - ask no questions and ensure you aren't taking a needed seat for a paying student) then all is good and no one would give a stuff

You aren't really getting the stuff that the fees pay for so I see no moral issue at all.

Though if everyone decided to do it I guess it would become an issue quite quickly!

jamhot · 24/02/2016 14:34

You're not disadvantaging anyone, so I don't see the harm.

If you find yourself buying the university's hoodie and scarf, that's when you need to seek help.

BarbaraofSeville · 24/02/2016 14:34

Ooh, I didn't know that lectures were often open to the public. I might check this out as I'm somewhat lapsed in my degree subject and my work has strayed into a semi related area, where there are gaps in my knowledge so it could be useful.

Agree that it's the tutorials and marking that you're paying for mostly, along with resourses and lab time if relevant. If there is no documented evidence of you being there, you might as well not be. I would look into what's available to the public though, so that it's legit.

A lot of students don't bother attending all lectures anyway. I did my degree part time and any missed attendances were reported to my employer so diligentilly attended just like I go to work. But a lot of the full time students only ever went to lectures when it was near exam time Hmm

BastardGoDarkly · 24/02/2016 14:35

Do it lecture what's the worse that could happen?

VagueIdeas · 24/02/2016 14:35

I can't help thinking you won't be able to make sense of ANY of the lectures.

It won't be entry level stuff, it'll be undergraduate level. You won't have done any of the required reading beforehand (although I daresay the students won't have either). You aren't going to have a clue what's going on.

Basically, I think it's all a bit weird Confused I mean, I get it. I was a university librarian (and I'm horrified that members of the public can just stroll in!) and the environment is always really vibrant and nice. I can see why you'd want to immerse yourself in it. But there's no point sneaking into lecture theatres.

Have a look at ITunes U. All sorts of lectures and podcasts and things, made by top universities, on every subject under the sun. And you can listen from the comfort of your own home, instead of smuggling yourself into lecture theatres.

Jenijena · 24/02/2016 14:36

It is technically very dodgy. Current students may be permitted to do it (and allowed to do it under an 'auditing' policy - that's auditing as in aural (listening) rather than as in scrutinising) but its not for general members of the public.

Having said that, I think its unlikely you'll be spotted, and I'm not entirely sure what the procedure would be if you were...

Definitely look at MOOCs though.

ABetaDad1 · 24/02/2016 14:37

Lecture - YANBU at all. If you want to do it 'legally' you could just write to the lecturer and ask if they would mind you auditing the lecture. They wont mind you sitting at the back. They probably would be a bit uncomfortable if you were in say a small group seminar but with 200 students not at all.

This thread remind so me so much of Julie Walters in Educating Rita. One of me and my DW's favourite films.

Are you a hairdresser?

KitKat1985 · 24/02/2016 14:37

God yes I absolutely am missing being with other adults! Kids are as dull as ditchwater

I get this, trust me. I was actually pleased when my Mat leave ended with DD as I was so bored by then. Blush However is there maybe something else you could do with your free Wednesdays to spend time with other adults? At some point your DH or DM is bound to ask what you did with your free morning, and you are either going to have to lie to them or have a very uncomfortable conversation about sneaking into the local Uni.

PutDownThatLaptop · 24/02/2016 14:38

No, don't do it, YABU.
(I am a University lecturer.)

gooseberryroolz · 24/02/2016 14:39

Have you actually checked what kind of associate student schemes or PT courses the uni runs?

MrsSeanBean · 24/02/2016 14:39

I'd go for it. If they wanted to prevent people getting in they would / should make more effort to do so. Can't see that you'll be causing anyone any harm, unless you are taking up seats, (but that's a -whole-nother thread! )

wheelofapps · 24/02/2016 14:40

Sounds good to me! Go for it, OP Grin

MajesticSeaFlapFlap · 24/02/2016 14:42

Yanbu
My MIL lectures. If i go meet her for lunch or something i do wander around and have a nosey.
I like to go and sit-in on things i have absolutely no comprehension of and sit and nod along

coralpig · 24/02/2016 14:42

YABU. I recommend Khan Academy or Coursera - great online resources.
If you want to learn more about a topic sign up for a course; if you're short on time you could do this via the open university.

Even if you don't get caught by security, other students/staff may notice (and I think you would eventually if you made a habit of this) it is theft plain and simple and it's unethical. There are plenty of open access courses and materials online.

2016Hopeful · 24/02/2016 14:42

Can't remember ever wanting to go to a lecture when I was at uni but would probably love it now. Lots of things of definitely wasted on the young!!! I don't think it is too bad as you won't get a degree for free at the end of it and you are not wasting anyone's time or making paying people stand!!!

If you do have regular time off though, how about signing up for a course in something that interests you that you could get an award for? I would love to do pottery, print design or sewing!

ABetaDad1 · 24/02/2016 14:42

If its Oxford or Cambridge - you might actually be the most normal person in the lecture theatre. Grin

Me and DW used to go to organic chemistry lectures in the Natural Science museum (Pitt Rivers) in Oxford with a lecturer who had lost his hair due to heavy metal poisoning He never looked at his audience, stood with his back to us for an hour and never allowed any questions. The chemistry students were odd and liked going to labs at midnight to do experiments.

Anthropology may be less odd. Maybe you could get invited to student parties and live a secret double life?

Original poster
Lecture · 24/02/2016 14:42

No not a hairdresser (have never seen that film will have a look). Just a SAHM for a very very long time Grin

OP posts:
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