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Mature student 2010 entry thread!

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Reply 320
Aged 21 or 22 it's unlikely anyone else will even suspect you are a mature student.

Aged 37 you might occasionally be mistaken for a member of staff, but only by first years.

Aged 60+ you are officially extra-mature.
29, will be starting at Birmingham in September studying English and Psychology. It said on the UCAS site that they encouraged mature students to apply, so im hoping i wont be old man on campus.
somestupidname
Hello everyone!

Just wondering if there are any so-called mature students in TSR planning to go to Glasgow Uni in September?

I've never thought of myself as mature before :biggrin: got a bit of a shock when reading up on accommodation the other day, I was seeing comments such as "don't go there, it's full of foreigners and old people" took me a couple of seconds to realise that I'm both! :biggrin: hah!

So if there are any other geriatrics (ie over 20) heading to Glasgow, I'd be very happy to hear from you :wink:

Best of luck to everyone!


I'm heading to Glasgow in September to study English Lit. I'm 23 at the moment (24 in October) and I'm going to be staying in halls.

I'm excited but also very nervous!
Reply 323
Lol we re all old. Luckily I don't look it and people mistake me for a teenager when my children are'nt with me which is great news. I am planning not to tell anyone! Ha ha. I'm 32 and deferred last year as just had a baby. I' m going to be studying Law at Southampton University. Had to pass exam and Interview to get in. Excited and nervous at the same time.
Hey all, I'm Lior from Israel. I've just turned 26 and will be studying Dutch and management studies at UCL starting this coming September. I'd like to take the opportunity to say Good Luck to all you 'mature' students! Coming from a country where it is perfectly reasonable to start your BA at 25+ I find it a bit disturbing to read posts by people YOUNGER than ME worrying about not fitting in! My advice - just play it cool and remember that:

1) You've already had your share of partying and going wild. Concentrate on your studies and you will probably get better grades than your younger peers!

2) You have the advantage of being more experienced/seasoned/qualified-to-handle-various-situations than younger people. Use this advantage, and woe betide the school leaver who will attempt to pump up the volume while you're studying/sleeping:biggrin:

3) Friendships are easily formed even when there's an age difference. When I studient at a college here in Israel (not a BA but a certification studies program) I was the second-youngest person in a class that had only four other men (all relatively older) and an extraordinary age scale - from 19 to twenty-somethings to teachers on their sabbatical to pensioners! Two good friends of mine from that time are now 41 and 50 (older than my mom!). While I don't see them often we get along like a house on fire when we do meet.

In short - fear not! :rolleyes:
Reply 325
Donna, 28 (eeek, not sure how that happened - still feel about 18!).

I will be studying Criminology and Sociology at Northumbria. I live in Northumberland so I won't be living in halls. The boyfriend will be studying for his PGCE at Newcastle and is also a wrinkly 28..... hehehe. He brews his own beer and wine so no doubt we're going to seem like old fuddy duddies when we complain about the price of drinks.......
Reply 326
Hi I'm Amy I'm 21 but will be 22 shortly after starting. I'm going to sheffield hallam to study early years education and am very scared won't fit in as I am staying in own house with my daughter and won't be out clubbing etc. Any other mature students going to hallam? :-)
How funny, wrinklies!! Im 36, single parent with 3 kids and Im start PGCE ICT in September. Im really nervous that I wont know enough, so trying to cram as much revision in as poss before. Thats alongside full time job and sorting kids out too!:biggrin:
Hi everyone! My name is Kate and from September I will be a mature student. I will just have turned 24 when I start and I am so nervous! I'm studying MDes textiles with business studies at Brighton University and will be joining the second year. My first time at uni a few years ago didn't turn out as I hoped so I really hope I have a better experience this time around.
and around 1month to go
Hi I am Mark, 35 and I live in Kerttering, Northants. I will be starting my first year in September and will be studying Architectural Technology. My course will last for 2 years as I am taking a HND. I have applied for all my finance and I have the following concerns:

I have recently learned of the current governments bid to overhaul the benefits system this autumn. My worries are what will I do as far as living costs are concerned during my end of year breaks. I am not just a mature student but single father with a son of 5 years. I am concerned that I will not recieve any help with rent as I live in a private rented house, or living costs through other benefits and tax credits, while I am not working during summer breaks. I would like to point out that I have worked for over 18 years and payed into this system and never claimed any benefits other than what was recieved in child tax credits etc.. I would like to work during these breaks but fear the coming reforms will not support people like myself while looking for work. I t is also very unclear what the proposals are reguarding student loans and grants for next year etc..

I have provided a link bellow to information regarding my concerns about these reforms.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/30/iain-duncan-smith-benefits-system
Reply 331
markusmaximus
Hi I am Mark, 35 and I live in Kerttering, Northants. I will be starting my first year in September and will be studying Architectural Technology. My course will last for 2 years as I am taking a HND. I have applied for all my finance and I have the following concerns:

I have recently learned of the current governments bid to overhaul the benefits system this autumn. My worries are what will I do as far as living costs are concerned during my end of year breaks. I am not just a mature student but single father with a son of 5 years. I am concerned that I will not recieve any help with rent as I live in a private rented house, or living costs through other benefits and tax credits, while I am not working during summer breaks. I would like to point out that I have worked for over 18 years and payed into this system and never claimed any benefits other than what was recieved in child tax credits etc.. I would like to work during these breaks but fear the coming reforms will not support people like myself while looking for work. I t is also very unclear what the proposals are reguarding student loans and grants for next year etc..

I have provided a link bellow to information regarding my concerns about these reforms.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/30/iain-duncan-smith-benefits-system


I don't know with regard to claiming housing benefit as a full time student. In theory, they want people to gain new skills and qualifications, so there may be some kind of scheme. You could try the Citizens Advice Bureau for advise about benefits you would be eligible for.

But as for looking for work, you might find that you could work part time even during term time on an HND, as the contact time isn't that intensive - maybe 8 to 10 hours a week in actual classes, depending on the course. We had lots of people on my HND holding down part time jobs as well.
Reply 332
markusmaximus
Hi I am Mark, 35 and I live in Kerttering, Northants. I will be starting my first year in September and will be studying Architectural Technology. My course will last for 2 years as I am taking a HND. I have applied for all my finance and I have the following concerns:

I have recently learned of the current governments bid to overhaul the benefits system this autumn. My worries are what will I do as far as living costs are concerned during my end of year breaks. I am not just a mature student but single father with a son of 5 years. I am concerned that I will not recieve any help with rent as I live in a private rented house, or living costs through other benefits and tax credits, while I am not working during summer breaks. I would like to point out that I have worked for over 18 years and payed into this system and never claimed any benefits other than what was recieved in child tax credits etc.. I would like to work during these breaks but fear the coming reforms will not support people like myself while looking for work. I t is also very unclear what the proposals are reguarding student loans and grants for next year etc..

I have provided a link bellow to information regarding my concerns about these reforms.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/30/iain-duncan-smith-benefits-system



Have you asked the college/uni where you are going to study about any support grants and bursaries they may be able to offer. - If available these are in addition to the student loan and don't usually have to be paid back.

When I was a teenager my mother (single mother) went to Uni as a mature student and they literally threw money at her from various hardship grants and stuff. Because of that we were actually better off when she was a student than when she worked....... that was a few years back now but I am pretty sure most Unis offer some kind of extra support for those in situations like yours.
Thank's for the advice so far. I have received my awards for student finance and have been informed about the hardship funds etc.. My concern is how I will afford to live between the academic years, as the the government are set to change the benefits system this autumn. These changes are outlined in the guardian article I have provided a link to in my previous post and below. Maybe I am being a little too concerned here and things may work out fine, but at the same time nothing has been clearly stated :confused: about how these changeswill affect mature students who are single parents. I would like to think that they would honour those determined to learn for a better future. I am however very excited about this opertunity to learn and enter university :woo: and will do what ever it takes to succeed, it is just a case of finding the right way I sure :rolleyes:

Thank you all the same :wink:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...enefits-system
kate_J_1986
Hi everyone! My name is Kate and from September I will be a mature student. I will just have turned 24 when I start and I am so nervous! I'm studying MDes textiles with business studies at Brighton University and will be joining the second year. My first time at uni a few years ago didn't turn out as I hoped so I really hope I have a better experience this time around.


Hey I'm quite simular to you in that I'll be studying in Brighton but at Sussex Uni, I'm also 24 and will also be returning to uni having studied before! I was thinking about second entry, (I do English by the way) but ended up starting in the first year again. I'm also quite nervous as I feel I'm too old for the freshers but too young to be a proper "mature" student.
markusmaximus


I have recently learned of the current governments bid to overhaul the benefits system this autumn. My worries are what will I do as far as living costs are concerned during my end of year breaks. I am not just a mature student but single father with a son of 5 years. I am concerned that I will not recieve any help with rent as I live in a private rented house, or living costs through other benefits and tax credits, while I am not working during summer breaks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/30/iain-duncan-smith-benefits-system


I am also a single parent with a little one about to start school (and I'm off to do a BSc in Social Work) and I'm hoping that the example of a single parent student here is more like what we will receive http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=411970.

Although I have to admit, it does seem too good to be true, especially since the Student Loans people can't seem to do anything in an organised and coherent manner and I honestly think that they have ballsed up my application somehow.....

I know that two of my friends who undertook their degrees as single parents were actually better off whilst at Uni than they are now working with salaries of over £25,000. They've advised me to make a Local Housing Allowance application as soon as I start to get help with the rent throughout the year and apply for Income Support in the summer holiday.

The government are going to have to accept that when you have little ones it's not practical to look for a job in the 10 week holiday and have to pay for the childcare because it isn't financially viable at all and you have to have the cash in hand to hand over to these school holiday clubs at £150+ per week and the Child Tax Credits just wouldn't come through fast enough - it would just cause a vicious cycle surely?
I'm 24 and starting a degree in Marketing and Multimedia at Roehampton in September - as I'm a mature student I'm staying in a room at Whitelands. Any other mature students starting at Roehampton this Sept out there?
I'm 24, and will be starting my foundation degree (2 years) this September, a month before my 25th birthday, after which time I'll top it up to BA and then do my MA at least.
Reply 338
Im 23 and starting a degree in primary teaching and staying in whitelands too :smile:
Reply 339
Anyone going to Abertay this year? I am away to start behavioural science :smile:

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