06
10
Top Tips for Mature Students by Mature Students
1.
Prepare your friends and family for the time that studying will take up and
that there will be times when you won’t be available. Find out if there are
practical ways they can help out, such as with childcare, to free your time
up for studying
2.
Don’t assume the other students won’t want to get to know you because
you are a mature student or that you won’t have anything in common. All
students bring a range of experiences and interests to university regardless
of their age or background so try to get to know as many people as possible
3.
Join the Mature Students’ Society where you can meet and socialise with
other mature students. It’s a good place to get tips from students in other
years and having a base to relax and catch up with people can make a
real difference
4.
Look at ways to bring your personality and experience before university into
your studies to benefit you. You may already be skilled at planning your
time, writing draft documents or have an understanding of the
circumstances that enable you to work at your best
5.
Think about the time of day when you work best and try to plan to do the
majority of your work at this time
6.
Keep in touch with your friends and family who aren’t involved in university.
They can motivate you and remind you why you decided to go to university
as well as giving you a sense of perspective
7.
Do revision notes after every lecture – when you’re trying to balance studies
with kids, housework, shopping, etc. you may find little time to prepare for
exams. Doing revision notes as you go along makes it a lot easier when it
comes to revision
8.
Think about your dissertation as early as possible so you don’t feel rushed
and stressed when you get to the final year
9.
If you are feeling stressed, talk to people! There are a range of people and
services there for you to access, ARC, student counselling, your Peer
Mentor, ASAP, your Personal Tutor and of course the Learner Enhancement
Team who are always available for a coffee and a chat
10.
Remember that most people feel that they aren’t cut out for university at
some point so don’t be too hard on yourself. You deserve your place at
university and have worked hard to get there. Don’t worry if you have an
off day or don’t understand an assignment, it happens to everyone.
