Becoming A Mature Student
Whether you went to university when you were straight out of university or not, there are many great reasons why you may be considering doing this now and you should not be put off regardless of whether you feel as though you have missed your chance because of your age.
You may have skipped the whole uni experience because you wanted to jump straight into the workplace. Gaining skills through doing the job is not a bad thing. But maybe you’ve either got the urge to get the academic experience now, or you’re seeing career opportunities emerge for yourself that need you to get those formal qualifications under your belt. Potentially you missed out on university because you wanted to focus on starting a family, travelling, or you were holding off until you had a clear idea of what you wanted to actually study in your mind before you got yourself into a whole load of debt for it. There is absolutely nothing wrong in all of these reasons, but maybe you’re at the point where uni is now right for you.
Of course, you may have already been to uni once. Now you may want to top up your studies with a postgraduate masters qualification or even go the whole hog and do a doctorate. These type of qualifications in areas like mba concentrations could really enhance your career and as a result, vastly increase your earnings potential. Or, you may want to completely change the path that you are on and do a different degree.
Whatever the reason for your return to studying, you will be a mature student now. That may be daunting, and you may have a whole set of preconceptions about what that means. Here are a few things that you may want to consider.
The Workload Will Be Tough But Also Rewarding
Being a student is no walk in the park. Many people erroneously assume that students don’t do anything. But many students are working very hard so that they can really contribute to the society of the future.
Gaining a formal qualification can be tough and you will need to keep your wits about you. That means setting yourself a strict study schedule early on.
Nobody will stand over you and tell you when to do things. You’ll have lectures, seminars, and tutorials, but unlike in school, it’s up to you if you go to them and what you get out of them. There is no homework, and nobody is going to test you about what you learnt.
You’ll get work assigned to you. But you will often have an entire semester to complete it. Leave it until the last minute and you will cripple yourself with the weight of it. Often this work will require a serious amount of research if you are to get any kind of a decent grade. Start early and break down your research over the course of the semester and you will achieve the best results without undue stress.
There Is A Mixture Of Age Groups At University
University courses are not just filled with 18-21-year-olds. In fact, more and more there are mature students of all ages and from many different backgrounds. Generally, all students will treat the course of study very seriously, and you will find that most will have a mature attitude to the workload. With the high cost of study meaning many younger students will be saddling themselves with loans that they may be paying off for decades to come, knuckling down and trying to achieve the best career possible is something that everyone will be doing, regardless of age.
Balance Your Life
If you have a partner and children, make sure that you don’t neglect them when you go back to your studies. Keep time for them in your schedule. Often relationships can come under real pressure when people are juggling education and potentially their existing jobs.
Manage Your Stress
Stress can be a very real problem that will affect your life in so many ways. If you are taking a lot on, learning how to manage your time will help you to better manage your stress levels.
Make sure that you are getting plenty of sleep each night. A full eight hours will give you the mental acuity needed to be able to remain fully focused on the tasks at hand. This, teamed with a good diet and plenty of exercise will ensure that your stress level is as low as possible.