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dealing with younger students

i am not quite that old yet (only 24, soon to be 25), but i am looking into getting into university again (failed my last 2 attempts) and all my friends can say is "do you really want to share a classroom with those annoying 18yr olds?"

i wonder how difficult it really is. i can see where it becomes a problem, but i'd imagine it to be manageable most of the time.

what are your thoughts and experiences?

thanks! :smile:

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If the way to get where you want to go is "to share a classroom with those annoying 18 year olds" then that's what you have to do.

It makes no difference. People either don't realise you're older or don't care.
Reply 2
I managed just fine in my mid-40s. If you have the mindset that they're "annoying 18 year olds", then you're automatically onto a loser. What on earth do you expect them to do to you? Just be nice to them and surprisingly, you'll find that they'll be pleasant back :smile:

I have to say that the 18-21 year olds that I studied with, were far more sorted and grounded than I was at that age. I enjoyed their company. Yes, it took a year for them to get used to me but that's not surprising. It's not every day you find yourself in a classroom with someone old enough to be your Mum!

Aged 25, I can't think how you'd have a problem unless you created it for yourself.
Reply 3
I'm 24 and just after finishing my first year in university, had no problems at all with the younger students. In fact, they were good fun and as the person said before me - a lot more grounded than I was at their age.

Give it a chance and you will be rewarded
Reply 4
I don't think 18yr olds are any more annoying than 25yr olds.
I resent being called an 'annoying 18 year old'!

Top tip to get on well with them (if thats even what you want): Treat them as peers. 5/6 years is a big difference in primary school, but not so much any more - and you're even doing the same thing, at the same uni, to the same level! You can't pretend they're far beneath you!

We have a lot of 'mature' students at my uni (studying vetmed, so there are quite a few graduates from abroad where a pre-med degree is required) and most of the time you don't even notice that there's an age gap at all!
Reply 6
remember that it was my friends who labeled them "annoying 18 year olds", i have no opinion on it, that is why i started the thread! sorry if anyone got offended, that was not my intention!!

it's good to know no one had problems, that's what i was expecting, actually!

the first two times i attended university were in brazil and university life there is much different than in europe, maybe my fears come from not wanting to have that again (university life there was one of the reasons why i didn't complete higher education there at all)
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 7
Average life expectancy is around 80 years of age and here you are worrying about an age gap of 7 years. Why are people so hung up on "age" this is just pathetic. I don't care whether someone is 18 or 80. I have friends in their teens, 20s,30s,40s,50s,60s,70s and 80s.

Why do some people have such a pathetic attitude to people based on age? Take people as people and stop stereotyping. These sorts of questions are just as ridiculous as worrying about a persons race, sex or sexuality. Be proud of yourself and stop judging other people in such a patronising way. In any case I never know why people are so obsessed with "fitting in" I respect people much more for being individuals and if people don't like you for who you are that is their problem. Personally I could not care less whether I "fit in" or whether people like me or not. Life is a long journey and there will be many people you meet along the way. Approach people with an open mind and you may be surprised.

All in all this is a pathetic question
Original post by marada
Average life expectancy is around 80 years of age and here you are worrying about an age gap of 7 years. Why are people so hung up on "age" this is just pathetic. I don't care whether someone is 18 or 80. I have friends in their teens, 20s,30s,40s,50s,60s,70s and 80s.

Why do some people have such a pathetic attitude to people based on age? Take people as people and stop stereotyping. These sorts of questions are just as ridiculous as worrying about a persons race, sex or sexuality. Be proud of yourself and stop judging other people in such a patronising way. In any case I never know why people are so obsessed with "fitting in" I respect people much more for being individuals and if people don't like you for who you are that is their problem. Personally I could not care less whether I "fit in" or whether people like me or not. Life is a long journey and there will be many people you meet along the way. Approach people with an open mind and you may be surprised.

All in all this is a pathetic question



I don't think its pathetic at all. In fact there has been lots of threads started about age difference.I think its one of the major concerns for mature students that are moving away to go to university. It's natural to feel uneasy about going into a different environment with people you may not be able to relate to.
Reply 9
Start by ignore your friends opinion on your potential future fellow students. Would you turn down a job because you had to work with 18 year olds? I think not, so why be put off by studying alongside 18 year olds. Some people are full formed at 18 and some people regardless of age and experience never will be. Judge people as individuals you deal with on a one to one basis not as a collective.

Remember the primary reason for going university is to study, not to socialise. In theory as you have been before you should have met your need to be everyones friend and the need to go out every night. If it really bothers you hang out with the older students. Although I really do not understand why so many people are hung up on being older than someone else at university. It really is no big deal, unless you make it one.

OP also think of the reasons that you gave your friends for not completing your university studies before. They may be refering to the age of your fellow students but what they might be saying is what is different about this course, university and your motivation to study this time. Be honest with yourself about what caused university to not be right for you before. Once you are sure about that, you can take steps to ensure it goes right this time round.

Good Luck.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 10
Original post by Bodger & Badger
It's natural to feel uneasy about going into a different environment with people you may not be able to relate to.


Why would anyone not be able to relate to someone because of a number? If that is the case it is very sad.
Original post by marada
Why would anyone not be able to relate to someone because of a number? If that is the case it is very sad.


Note - I said 'may'.
I suppose it depends on the age gap. An 18 year old isn't going to have the same life experience of say, a 35 year old.
Reply 12
Original post by Bodger & Badger
I don't think its pathetic at all. In fact there has been lots of threads started about age difference.I think its one of the major concerns for mature students that are moving away to go to university. It's natural to feel uneasy about going into a different environment with people you may not be able to relate to.


I am in my fifties and I was worried about the age gap. I think that's a perfectly reasonable concern.

As it happens, I've got on brilliantly with everyone. And my fellow students have helped me out as much as I've helped them over the past year.

However, having come from a work background where reliability, hitting deadlines and giving everything to the task were top priorities, it's been disappointing how these have been missing in my group mainly made up of 18 and 19-year-olds. It has directly affected me where we have had to do projects as a team.

Of course, that might have nothing to do with age at all. But adjusting to these things has been more of an issue than trying to convince my young colleagues that Nick Drake is, in my view, preferable to Daft Punk.






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Reply 13
Original post by gloskeith
However, having come from a work background where reliability, hitting deadlines and giving everything to the task were top priorities, it's been disappointing how these have been missing in my group mainly made up of 18 and 19-year-olds. It has directly affected me where we have had to do projects as a team.
Posted from TSR Mobile

Must admit I found that as well with *some* of my younger colleagues (by no means all). But then I reflected that it was just the start of the learning process for them. Having had a working life, I've suffered the consequences of missing deadlines & not delivering, so the pain has taught me! They hadn't experienced that.

I carried much more "dead wood" during my working life than I ever have at uni, which is mild by comparison.
Original post by Klix88
Must admit I found that as well with *some* of my younger colleagues (by no means all). But then I reflected that it was just the start of the learning process for them. Having had a working life, I've suffered the consequences of missing deadlines & not delivering, so the pain has taught me! They hadn't experienced that.

I carried much more "dead wood" during my working life than I ever have at uni, which is mild by comparison.


What do you mean by 'dead-wood'? .. Curious lol.
Reply 15
Original post by Bodger & Badger
Note - I said 'may'.
An 18 year old isn't going to have the same life experience of say, a 35 year old.


They may or they may not. I know a guy who is nearly 40 who has lived with parents all his life. All he does all day is play computer games. On the other hand I know 20 year olds who have lived in different countries, speak multiple languages and have a huge variety of interests.

I think it's wrong to generalise and can be quite patronising.
Reply 16
Original post by Bodger & Badger
What do you mean by 'dead-wood'? .. Curious lol.

"Dead wood" as in "Useless lumps of ..." Basically, people who don't lift a finger, make you do all the work, and then try to claim reponsibility for good results.

Dead wood = Waste of space.
Original post by marada
They may or they may not. I know a guy who is nearly 40 who has lived with parents all his life. All he does all day is play computer games. On the other hand I know 20 year olds who have lived in different countries, speak multiple languages and have a huge variety of interests.

I think it's wrong to generalise and can be quite patronising.


You don't see many 40 year olds living with the parents though. The general consensus is that, older people have more experience in the big wide world. It's not patronising. Younger people would have just left school, for the most part (not all the time) they won't have much experience on what its like being independent and away from home ect ect.
I first studied at university when I was 25 and found I had the best of both worlds as I could relate to both younger and older students. One thing I noticed was that younger students seemed to find it more difficult to relate to mature students - they seemed overawed by my friends in their 40s at first so I acted as a 'bridge' between the two groups. This worked really well as each group got to know one and other and misconceptions were dispelled.
I didn't find the 18 year olds annoying at all - I did have difficulty with group projects when people didn't work hard but it was more about personality than age.

Hope this helps
It makes no difference, just get on with what you do and your amitions :smile:.

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