To ask your degree experience as a mature student

[Neron]

Please could I ask your experiences in doing a degree as a mature student? I've been accepted onto the Bachelor of Osteopathy degree, which starts next year.
I'm really excited about it, under no illusions it will be hard, especially as I didn't do well at school and didn't go to college. How did/are you making it work for you?

It was fine. I just didn't drink as much as the young ones and seemed to do more for seminars. Us "older ones" did.
If i did it again, I would be wary about other mature students. From my and my friends' experience from different unies, the bullying can take you by surprise. Who would expect it from an adult in a same position🤷🏻 We didn't. But otherwise it's absolutely fine. No one (else) made me or the other mature students feel out or that we don't belong.

Prepare for lits of work, engage with your career services and their events and just enjoy yourself.

How did you get in? I thought everyone needs some level 3 to be accepted? (That's what I've been told). You have lots of time to get your head into it and start reading and preparing so do that and you will do better than you thought you might🤞

Oh re the bullying. Don't be scared, just properly check out the people first and don't engage (still politely). The bullies usually don't last till second year from our experience.

I’m in my final year of a Full-time biology degree with Open University, I’ve mainly worked throughout. I also have three children (11,9,6) a dog and a husband who works ridiculous hours. I am lazy and incredibly disorganised but I am doing well at my degree and I love it.

You will be fine - negotiate extensions if you need to, carry some notes/texts with you if possible, or ideally access them on your phone for time when you are waiting to collect children. I record my notes (sometimes) I can then listen on dog walks - I find it helps me with revision. Don’t be fazed by it - if you feel you’ve dropped behind look at your next assignment and work out what is critical that you do now and what you could come back to later and remember how good you will feel when you are done! (And also how much you love your subject)

I went to uni at the age of 53 along with a friend who was a similar age. We treated like a job - 9-5 Monday to Friday. If we had no lectures we would work in the library. Then studied in my flat at night and most weekends. But that was because I had moved away and left my DH at home. I only saw him every other weekend. Tutors were great and I would say approximately 50% of the students on our course of 50 talked to us on a regular basis, whilst we never really got to know the other half. In some respects the younger ones asked to work with us for group activities as they felt we had the experience to teach them how to work together. I never noticed any bullying of any kind. It is hard work but so worth it.

Thank you.
I'm a level 5 soft tissue therapist and hold an oncology massage qualification as well @SchrodingersImmigrant. I retrained a couple of years ago. I have my own therapy business now, but I've always wanted to do osteopathy

@Neron

Thank you. I'm a level 5 soft tissue therapist and hold an oncology massage qualification as well *@SchrodingersImmigrant*. I retrained a couple of years ago. I have my own therapy business now, but I've always wanted to do osteopathy

That's amazing! You will be fine. You had to study for your qualifications so you know it can be hard sometimes. It's very interesting experience.

If anything, there is always a tutor you can speak to and unies usually have good wellbeing teams. Our library was doing study and academic writing sessions as well. It all helps.

I loved it. I loved every bit of it. I loved it so much I graduate a Masters next week ha!

Just had to be really organised around work and my 3 kids and family. But it felt really special to me - something that was mine and mine alone.

I passed with a First in the BA and a Distinction in the MA and I am just getting started on a PhD.

Good luck I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Good tips about the recording and listening back, Emmet. I'm not academic, so I find it hard just reading from text books.

Wow Flowers, that was a big commitment for you!. My college will be around an hours drive away. I'm 36, will be 41/42 by the time I qualify (hopefully).

Thank you Schrodinger. Retraining was hard, but this degree will blow my mind I'm sure. Nervous about not being good enough if I'm honest, but time will tell. I'd rather try, even if I fail, than keep wondering and thinking about it.

Congratulations NameChange! That is awesome! Do you find studying easy?

but time will tell. I'd rather try, even if I fail, than keep wondering and thinking about it.
This is the perfect attitude!

Re the recording, we had to ask tutor personally. One lecturer was recording his lectures, but others weren't.

You can do it. If I were you I already start on some reading. No stress, just to see how it goes and getting used to it again.

Good luck!

It was hard to begin with but I hadnt studied for oooooohhhh 20 years? So getting into the swing of it was a bit difficult. But after that I really enjoyed it and it didn't seem like a chore, I was so interested in my subject that I loved doing the work.

My top tip would be get a twitter name and follow loads of experts in your subject. Mind was children's mental health and I found twitter amazing for following links and discovering things. Oh and Ted Talks! I used to listen to podcasts on the 1.5 hour trip into uni each week.

I also connected my home printer to my phone so I could browse journal articles and print them if they looked good for some later reading. I still do this now

My husband did an access to science course then a biomedical science course. He missed an exam because a baby sitter idn,t show up. Which possibly pulled down his grade. He also had health problems but still got a 2.2. He hasn,t really used it for variouse reasons but i think it was as much for mental well being that he did it in the first place.

I did a law degree as a mature student.

Contrary to posters' previous experience, our mature student cohort did not experience, or indulge in bullying, we were very supportive of each other, sharing notes, etc. We also often supported the younger ones, who sometimes struggled a bit, either emotionally or academically. I found out that one little shit was standing over another, bullying and intimidating him for his notes, and sorted that out for him.

If you're not academic, if your uni' does any courses on note-taking, essay writing, referencing, that sort of thing, I'd do them as soon as possible.

The mature students, I think, tended to be more focussed, having determined this was what they really wanted to do, and more organised - well I had to be, I had a toddler and a baby, and a household to run.

I'm a mature student studying mental health nursing, have little in common with the younger students but my course has more mature students. I'm on placement more often than not so I get to interact with various people which helps

Don’t ever feel you’re not good enough for it Neron - you have done so much already!

I do think there are a small contingent of students who like to dazzle - and possibly intimidate - other students by speaking in unnecessarily complicated ways and things. That used to make me feel crap but now I just mentally roll my eyes at them and basically ignore (sometimes I think they don’t actually really understand what they are saying).

Other people can be very quick to broadcast how much studying And background reading they’ve done Or how far ahead they are on assignments etc - again I don’t think it’s worth paying attention to that either, just do your own thing And be proud of yourself.

But almost everyone I’ve worked with has been really encouraging and supportive of other people on the courses. I know it’s slightly different at Open University as pretty much everyone is a mature student but I hope it’ll be true for most places! Tutors are invaluable and amazing!

@SchrodingersImmigrant, I meant I read back my notes to myself and talk them through onto a recording

I've done two degrees as a mature student, and absolutely loved it.

I feel like I need to squeeze in a masters because I don't totally want to leave academia.

So many good tips! Thank you, they are much appreciated.
I was bullied all through school funnily enough. I'm definitely not concerned about it as an adult but I do appreciate people experience it. I've specifically chosen a place to study that is aimed more for the mature student, which has smaller classes. Means travelling a bit further for it, but hoping that is a better thing to do

Thank you Emmet. I can definitely relate to this by speaking in unnecessarily complicated ways and things. That used to make me feel crap but now I just mentally roll my eyes at them and basically ignore. I experienced that whilst doing my oncology qual. There were a few that were trying to outdo one another. Intimidating in the begin, by the end I was thinking 'here we go again'.

I am aware of my shortcomings. So not the brightest bulb, but I do get there. I've discussed this with the college and they offer a lot of support. I can even submit my essays before deadline for them to be checked, to make sure I have understood it.

I'm studying medicine as a mature student. I'm not going to lie - juggling kids, pt work and a ft medical degree is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but I also know that I'm on the right path which makes me incredibly happy.

With your background, I'm sure you will be fine. My two key bits of advice (that I still can't manage myself most of the time😂) would be:

1. Be organised!
2. Ask if you need help, and sooner rather than later.

Good luck (I'm sure you won't need it!)

[quote EmmetEmma]@SchrodingersImmigrant, I meant I read back my notes to myself and talk them through onto a recording[/quote]
Ah. Ok. Our lecturer we had for most apparently usually allowed recording anyway, but had to be asked. Your way is good because you have to read it again like this! I like it!

I do think there are a small contingent of students who like to dazzle - and possibly intimidate - other students by speaking in unnecessarily complicated ways and things

Even our tutor rolled eyes at one like this. It stopped after she asked something in VERY complicated way with words you just don't normally use even in a discussion about the topic, and tutor just looked at her, said he has no idea what does she mean because he has no idea what x and y word means and just stood there. She toned it down after. It was much better and she finally managed to get her, usually good, points across.

As Emmet says, don't feel bad about any of this. Do stuff your way and in your time as long as you finish before deadlines.

I liked to finish week ahead and then wait a day, then read it again and correct what I missed first time.

I'm studying for an MA alongside working part time and family commitments. Usually I love my course, but this year has become challenging because of Covid. Our classes have remained in person which we are really lucky to still have. However some of the younger people are refusing to following the university rules about mask wearing/social distancing etc due to their 'human rights', which has caused huge friction in the group.These same students and are very dominant.They like to use very complicated language and ask questions to make themselves appear very clever, before the lecturer has finished making their point and we often run out of time in lectures because of it.

Re: organisation -I manage by getting everything the night before for both myself and the children eg making sure all bags are packed, clothes are put out ready for the next day and keeping up with the reading.

I am so with you @SchrodingersImmigrant (such a great name) by trying to have time to leave work for a night and then review again before submitting. That is super helpful!

Thank you @EmmetEmma

I'm hoping things will be a bit more settled, Golden, by the time I start the degree. It is a shame yours is so disrupted and time in running out in lectures.

I'm hoping I won't be too bad at the organisation side of things. I spent a long time in the city as EA to CEOs and other board level people. Only me, DH and the dog too. Think social life and my sport will suffer a lot