So, whats your reason for going to uni now you're older?

Just curious as to what everyone's situation is right now, and why uni as a mature student is the right thing to do.
For me, though I haven't fully decided to go yet. But the career I can most see myself doing requires a degree, otherwise I probably wouldn't bother.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

novyi

I went an did an access course at 21, not really having a plan but wanting a challenge and some direction. Then I went back at 31 to do a biology degree, again with no real plan, but I'd been really interested in it at alevel, and being tired of sales jobs. That was the best 3 years of my life and I'd love to do it all over again even if I wasn't getting a qualification at the end of it. Can't do much with a biology degree, and I really enjoy studying so I'm about to start a masters degree (found a passion for conservation whilst doing my undergrad), and hope to do a phd after that.

I have two kids, one grown up, one almost grown up, so now is a good time for me to begin a career.

As for why uni as a mature student is a good idea - there's loads of mature students at uni. By the time most people graduate they would be classed as mature students too so you're not out of place at all. Most of my uni friends were under 21 and we got on great, age never came into it. You also have the extra wisdom, life experience and (probably) dedication as an advantage All those time management and organisational skills from having kids or working for years really, really help when it comes to deadlines and things.

Reply 2

JPO92

Original post by ALittleLost25

When I did my A Levels at 18, I think I had reached a point of total neutrality towards the education system, and a certain degree of ambivallence towards my own future. After that, I worked for years in jobs that I hated and eventually I came around to the idea of studying something different. I thought that there had better be more to life than this.

In just the one year on the Access course, I've learned more than I did in the three years of working I did before it. How could I not want to continue to learn and develop at such an accelerated rate? University is right for me, I know it. I've proved my dedication and commitment, so I just have to keep working hard in the years to come.

I'm not set on a career yet, but I think I could make a good teacher with some practice and training, so if nothing else materialises, at least I have that as a focus point.

Reply 3

MDouglas

When I left school at 18 I had no real direction that Ii wanted to go in, by the time I'd worked out what I wanted to do with my life career wise my children were born and I've waited until they were older (all in full time school etc) before applying to uni now I feel in the right time to pursue the career I want

Reply 4

Mrs. Hoffmann

I´m not sure that going to university as a mature student is the right thing to do. In my point of view it depends on the situation of each person. I didn't go to university when I was younger and in part I regret I didn't, in special when I think that now instead of just being studying I could have a career already. On the other hand I’m not sure if I would have taken the university seriously as I do now. Now I’m more focused and mature.However it is not easy to study when you already have a family,a child to looking after. When you are young you can dedicate most of the time studying.If I could give somebody a piece of advice, it would be, if you know for sure what you want to do in your life and it requires a degree, don’t wait. Go to university and take the most of it now, so if you are lucky enough you can enjoy your life later on. :-)

Reply 5

john2054

Original post by ALittleLost25

What career do you want to do then?

Reply 6

pointblank91

I hated school and had no idea what to do. I did my first year of A-levels and failed all of that due to no effort being put in what so ever, I was there for the sake of it. I spent the next 5 years working in hospitality, joined the Army for a few months and left for my now exgf. Now I want to give Engineering a try and the only way to be a professional Engineer is with a degree so we'll see how this goes and I'm planning on joining the reserves while I study so i can still have my fill of the Army life. I'm only 24 though so I'm not that old and I don't regret going when I was younger. I know plenty of people who went because its what everyone else did and they ended up with some Mikey Mouse degree in basket weaving and knitting and they can't get a job afterwards. I feel sorry for them because of all of that time wasted.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 7

JamesN88

A combination of messing around as a teenager and then planning to join the forces but giving up on it due to knee problems. That and working a mind numbing job led me to start an Access Course last year at 26.

I always knew if I studied something it would be in the TE bit of STEM and decided to do CompSci. In hindsight I should have toed the line as a teenager but what's done is done.

Reply 8

ALittleLost25

Original post by john2054

What career do you want to do then?

Optom

Reply 9

user73867

Someone else offered to pay for it.

Reply 10

Platinum213

Figured I didn't want to work in Law, despite my company offering to pay for my OU law course while working after completing an apprenticeship and working as a paralegal a few years (Law really isn't what everyone thinks, there's a reason its voted the most stressful job near year-on-year),

I am quitting and studying psychology full time at 23, partly because that was my first passion and partly because I want to expeirence uni full-time and know I will forever regret it.

It is without a doubt a bad choice financially, but experience & life enjoyment > money.

Reply 11

Claire461

I'm a mature student at 68. Brought up in care, education was basic - well non-existent really. Getting out of there in one piece was my main focus. My 7 children had all left home by 1998 so did an Access course and got on to my Criminology degree but had to drop out after a year for family reasons. Brought up a grandchild and home schooled him. He is now 17 and at college so went back to uni last year to take up my degree in Criminology.
I don't need a career and I'm taking back what the State and the Church deprived me of as a child.

Reply 12

mouseguard

I think for me it is more of a psychological foot up than the actual degree. I left education prematurely a long time ago because of a bad experience, and I've been lying on my CV ever since, lol. Now I'm at the point where some of those fictional CV entries are too damn intriguing to not pursue :wink:

Reply 13

user73867

Original post by Seamus123

Strong effort that.

Reply 14

Sara_t

Didn't know what I wanted to do after leaving college and I didn't want to be in £30k debt doing a degree just for the sake of it. Having worked in low paid jobs for 3 years I now have a better sense of the direction on want to head in and the career I want to go into to improve my future.

Reply 15

ClassicsBeginner

I already hold a Law degree from 1987 and I had a very good and challenging 30 years career in the Home Civil Service. However, my real passion at 18 was Classics (but for career reasons I decided to study Law) and I always intended to return to it at some point.

I am not after a career now (we are reasonably financially secure as we own our own house, we don't have children and my wife has a very well paid job) so I have decided to follow my dream now (before it's too late !). All being well (and finances permitting) I'd also like to follow up with a postgraduate degree.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 16

Hamo2509

An ex-boyfriend told me I couldn't do it, my colleagues laughed at me when I left work to try to do it.
So I did it.

Reply 17

matatronic

I've had a pretty *****y life up until now, due to my health. That all came to a head when I was 24. Got a diagnosis, which really gave me a context I've never had before. I was still struggling, but I decided to set myself a goal that had the most chance of coming out good for me in the long run. Based on a desire to challenge those boundaries that have plagued me for most of my life, coupled with a desire to help people in similar circumstances and with similar health concerns as my own, I determined to get into uni and get a degree so I could pursue a career in clinical psychology. The world I come from isn't particular accommodating of that sort of ambition, so I suffered a lot of mockery from friends and others. Three years and one unconditional offer later, I'm going to uni. Think it might be the making of me, and it'll allow me to draw a line under the last 7-8 years of my life quite nicely. Best decision I've ever made.