By Georgia Cox-Allen
Taking the decision to head off to university is a significant one and there are likely to be a range of natural anxieties for most people: moving away from home, making new friends, adapting to the demands of university study. However, for mature students, there may also be additional fears about returning to study after many years away from education or ‘fitting in’ with your student peers as an ‘older’ member of the class. Therefore, for our latest article, we are delighted to share Georgina’s reflections on the experience of being a mature student at university at the end of a busy first year. Georgina picks up on many common worries and has both good news and good advice that applies to students of all ages.
As a mature student, there are several things I wish I’d known earlier; from accommodation to peer relations, my experience has been a lot more positive than I expected it to be! I left school without A-Levels or a level 3 but I always knew I wanted to go to university. After working full-time for seven years, in 2022 I decided to bite the bullet and just apply…and see what happens!
As I write this, I’m coming to the end of my first year at Nottingham Trent University. I’m sat in the NTU library feeling a bit emotional at how smooth the transition has been, after years of putting myself off university out of fear of the unknown! University isn’t like school, it’s definitely a very different environment with new worries to think about. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I wanted to write this for all of us who get nervous or just aren’t sure! Let’s list just some of the many benefits of being mature students:
1) Gratefulness and appreciation
Whether you’ve taken seven years off (like me), or 27 years, going back into education can feel a bit daunting, but how excited were you when you finally got that ‘offer accepted’ notification?! If you were anything like me, you didn’t stop smiling for days. University is rewarding and you genuinely find yourself happy being pushed again. It might feel a bit nerve-wracking writing an essay after years away from school but your comprehension of questions and relating issues to the real-world increases dramatically, even if you don’t realise it. Sometimes I get stuck and confused but I’m no longer afraid of these emotions, instead I know it’s okay to find and ask for help; I feel grateful to feel confused because it means I’m learning something new and I’m just happy to be back in education!
You enter the academic world with a different pair of eyes since you were last in the classroom however many years ago, and your respect for the lecturers has increased twofold. I often find myself after class talking to the lecturer and asking them for recommendations on reading to further my understanding- and I find they really appreciate it too. This time round as a student, I’ve had a job and I know the fulfilment in being simply thanked and acknowledged- something I find myself wanting to give my lecturers. I have immense appreciation for the opportunity to be at university and the lecturers are helping us get the most out of this experience too.
2) Confidence
Benefit two is my confidence levels skyrocketed once I got to university- just because I’m here. I made it. I got myself into this course, I went out of my way to sort it all out and get myself here, no-one else. Your dedication is what got you here. Being in class I’m no longer afraid to put my hand up or shout out answers like I once had been as a kid as I’m happy to have my voice heard. From the additional life experience we have gained in our years away from education, you’ll find yourself more comfortable with being uncomfortable. I don’t know about you, but from job interviews and working full-time, to paying bills and cooking my own dinner every night, I was ready to be a student- it looked a lot easier! Studying the content, I’ve joined the course to learn? Writing essays and presentations for class? Preparing for exams by attending scheduled lectures? Compared to the real-world, university is a dream! Of course, there are anxious moments, but it doesn’t hold me back anymore. I know that the growth in my personality happens when I’m uncomfortable and I’m no longer afraid to feel that.
3) Passion
This time round, you’re studying something you’re passionate about or to level up your career path. It’s not just ‘the next step’ because you don’t necessarily know what career path you want, or you don’t want to work full-time yet. This is a course you genuinely want to study for your own genuine reasons. And that makes everything worthwhile. It’s something you want to do and the power in owning that is incredible. Never forget how far you’ve come, especially when exams or assignments try to get you down. You’re amazing!
Now if you’re anything like me, you’re feeling anxious as well as excited! Whether you’re six days or six months into university, there always seems to be something new either in your inbox or on the campus! So you’re here, enrolled and attending your university course classes… but what else makes uni life?
Making friends.
“But I’m older and I won’t have anything in common with teenagers who just want to go out partying and drinking at the weekend”. This was something I said 1000 times before I came to NTU. I was petrified of meeting no-one and being alone for three years. Indeed, this can be a fear for people of any age (and there’s some reassurance for all of us about that in this previous blog article), soI’m happy to say my own worries were also completely unfounded. Your email inbox gets flooded with multiple emails a week inviting you to events and experiences…use them! There are loads of societies to join, from workshops to seminars to trips, there’s constantly something being offered. I have joined two societies in my time here too; the Rock and the Pride societies; people at societies will be from all years and they’re all ages. This is a great place to meet people who you have something in common with, which is a massive plus because when you connect over something with another human, many times that small connection can lead to a nice friendship. People you make connections with won’t always turn into (long-term) friendships but that’s another beauty of university – whether it’s for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, and whether they stay or not, you grow as a person because of it. I met a fellow mature student at the Rock Society and they literally turned out to be from my hometown. We spent the night just talking about the new McDonald’s and discussing what schools we went to…friendship secured!
Age and standing out
I’m keeping this short and sweet because age doesn’t matter. There are a lot of people younger than me on my course and at university as a whole but there are also a lot of people older than me! You might stand out, you might be the eldest in your class or all of your classes, but the best part is that genuinely no-one cares. You’re not special (well…you are of course) but you’re also another fellow-student at uni, the same as everyone else – even if sometimes you might look like a lecturer!
Living a university life
The stereotypical ‘university, student life’ might seem to be all about binge-drinking and clubbing, with late night library trips to complete work that is due the next day.
Well as someone who hates binge-drinking and going ‘out out’, I was so nervous about not socialising outside of lectures and not making friends because of this. But can I just say this has not affected me at all. I meet people socially at society nights and at the extra workshops held, and through this I’ve gained friendships where we go to dinner or meet for coffee, or we sit round each other’s houses and watch TV while drinking tea! Whether you’re living with your partner, your children, parents, siblings, strangers or your pets, being a mature student doesn’t mean you have to miss out on university life.
Other than signing up for societies, (which in itself is a massive part of uni life) you can also sign up to be facilitators for workshops and volunteer with the employability team. You can utilise the 24/7 library (my favourite place) and enjoy your student discount. Just because you commute in or don’t want to go to a club, it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t socialise and enjoy life as a university student!
I am thoroughly loving my life as a mature student, and I hope you will too! Yes, you will face plenty of anxieties but remember you’re not alone in them and they do not define your university experience! There are so many benefits to this time we are spending at NTU and I hope you see them too. So what are you waiting for? Make the leap and apply! And I wish you all the best on your journey!
Psychology at Nottingham Trent University 