Mature Students (21+) Chat

What company did you do your course with?

I'm 30, did my GCSE's last year as i came out of high school with nothing. Got my English and Maths at B's and i'm now doing an access to science at college. Finding the access course full on, but i'm doing well. I have a conditional offer at liverpool hope starting in september, which i'm worried about...it's a small universty and i feel i'll be the only mature student.
I also have a part-time job and have two children (8 and 11) my eldest has special needs. If i can do it anyone can.
My high school experience was terrible i walked in the front door and straight out of the back. I really thought i had blown everything and i lost my chance to amount to anything.

I done it all through the distance learning centre

I am 31 years old and I am considering going to University to change my life and pursue a career I feel passionate about.
I am interested to hear about the experiences of other mature students from a perspective of, energy and dedication required to sustain the length of the course. as this will help me understand if I am making the right decision and whether I can do it. (my course is 3 years with 2 years additional study)

What are the 2 years additional study?
Do you have a family?
Will you do it full time and at uni or OU?
What is it you want or expect to get?
Are you prepared for the difference in income?
When was the last study?

If you think it through then it is just a choice. It helps if you have planned it and know why you are doing it. You can always leave after a year.

Do try and find the right course at the right place.
Do think what you intend to do afterwards.

If you think it all through and it makes sense, then just do it. If a 17 year old can make that decision then a 1 year old should be able to manage it. Dont let your age and experience seem a disadvantage, it is the opposite.

Thank you very much, it is very kind of you to respond.
I am going to study Psychotherapy and counseling therefore in total I will be in some form of training for up to 8 years.

In answer to your question, I do not have a family, I intend to study full time. I want a career I feel passionate about, I enjoy helping people through their problems. I am unsure about the difference in income and I last studied 13 years ago.

If you research, prepare and understand, then it should help you find the right course and the right place to study.

It is pretty much straightforward and you only have one life, so its up to you to back yourself and committed to something that will make your life go in the direction you wish. I would start with a folder where you can jeep all your ideas and information, then just mindmap and scribble ideas and questions that arise an then you will be able to get a picture of everything you need to do.

Check you know what career it is you want? Try some work sghadowing and research.

Do you already have the qualifications needed or will you need to do more? Which ones? A levels or Access course? Do you know how to fund it?

Look at the courses available.

Look at the unis available.

Look at how to apply through UCAS, learn what you will need for a good application and get it.

Learn how you will fund it.


It is all straightforward once you understand its what you wish to do. There are always plenty of mature students these days and most of them will have had the same worries you might have.

I am older, will I fit in.
Many years since i studied. Will it be too hard etc

If you prepare properly then you will find you have plenty of advantages due to your age and experience. You will adapt quicker than you think and you cna prepare for future issues such as being rusty at learning. There really is very little to worry about and you should enjoy it once you have done your research. Ofc there will be work involved but that is the same for everyone, but be smart and have some faith in your ability to learn and adapt, then that will carry you through.

You should be able to find mature students in healthcare on TSR but if you cant then use the search facility and you will see all the questions and fears you have will have been referred to before. Read old threads.

So to sum it up dont worry , do your research, prepare and you will be fine.

Thank you very much you have been very very helpful. Thank you for taking the time, I means a lot. I think I am just worried that I will not be able to do it, I had a serious head injury and at times I struggle to concentrate, I am just worried that I will not be able to fully apply myself

I'm 34, will be starting a degree this September and I'm currently nearing the end of a 12-month Access to HE course.

My education background was I achieved fairly mediocre GCSE's (3xB, 6xC) as a very unmotivated teenager, went on to A-levels where I was doing ok but incredibly unhappy. So I dropped my A levels and began a BTEC in music. I failed the first year of that and dropped out half way through repeating it.

Fast forward 12 more years and a string of fairly uninspired jobs and personal projects later I found myself as an inside sales rep for a paper merchant. Mostly content but not feeling any aim in life. I decided I needed to mix things up so while I was still 30 and eligible I applied for the working holiday visa for Austalia which I did between 31-32. Best year of my life to be honest and it was where I made the decision to study again.

And it's the best decision I've ever made. Nothing gives you a better appreciation of education like time spent in jobs that only require soft skills doing monotonous, unchallenging work for modest pay. If you're going to be doing a subject you have a passion for, the varied challenges will give you reason the get up in the morning. The worst part of my week is the weekend as I still have to work part time. Come clocking off time on Sunday though I can't wait for class to begin on Monday morning.

My college workload is typically 30-40 hours per week, about the same as I'd expect a degree to need at a minimum and it's quite manageable so long as you aren't working excessive hours in any employment (I do 22.5 hours). There are times when I've let things slip and had to rattle off an entire assignment on its due day which is still something I need to improve on, but staying on top of the work, getting the grades back, and having a general sense of achievement is a great motivator.

The age disparity isn't a big deal, I'm on a course with mostly 20-25-year-olds and save for some friendly banter I forget there is an age gap most of the time. But I have a distinct advantage in being willing to speak up when there are issues.

If you know what path you want to take and you have no barriers other than self-doubt then you need to just be a bit more confident in yourself and go for it. By 31 I would imagine you've probably been through several jobs at this stage. Each one you've had to learn new skills for. For me when I start a new job that's the only interesting time while learning to do it. Once you settle into being competent it becomes boring. Education is like a constant flow of that new interesting period where you gain a competency then move onto learning a new one.

If you have a recognised disability then you should check out how good the disability support team are. That should be a factor in where you choose to study as you will need to adjust and adapt to suit.. There are methods you can use to make yourself a more effective studier.

If you find out you cant do it, then you can talk to your tutor and if you cant find a solution then leave. the point is to have tried rather than have regrets. If you prepare properly you should be fine. A lot of your fears will just be a lack of confidence.

Very very inspiring, thank you. I think it is mostly self-doubt and also the time in which it will take me to complete the course which in total is 8 years, I just need to be confident that I can stay committed for the duration of my studies

Just break it down into the manageable chunks of time. The degree is 3 years. You'll only be 35(?) when you finish that. And it's not like 3 years in a career with no break. You get summers to recharge. If you're wise you'll seek internships in those periods to take your new skills and employ them while gaining new experience.

Once you gain the degree it isn't set in stone to proceed with the other training, you'll be a graduate with lots of options, you may have changed your mind by then or you may be even more focused than when you started. Don't be too goal focussed that all you can see is the 8 years in front of you. See it as being on a path of learning and discovery with an idea where you are headed.

I find it daunting that I'll 37-38 when I graduate. But it beats being that age and still selling paper.

I just turned 30 and am halfway through a Law degree at the moment.

Like others, I really struggled at GCSEs and A Levels for motivation and came out with some pretty average results (BCD at A Level in Chemistry, Biology and Computing and all Bs/Cs at GCSE). I then messed around for about ten years in various jobs before realising to get to the interesting roles something will have to change.

So I'm back at university now and studying Law. I'm aware my poor A levels will hold me back when applying to Law firms for a training contract but i don't really see what I can change about that. I've found I'm a much more serious student now and will take the necessary time to revise what I need. I find it much easier to work now and I imagine I've learnt a lot over the years from various roles I did (5 years in recruitment taught me a lot for a start about handling people and stress) and I am told often by people at law firms that as a mature student, some firms will see that as a bonus.

In short, nothing you do is going to be easy. I went back to uni because I was unhappy with any of the career prospects I had in front of me but I'm aware to get anywhere in the legal field is going to be hard work. I'm happy to put that kind of time and effort in and if you feel the same way (that you want to and know you can have more in life) then I'd say go for it.

Age, after all, is theoretically just a number.