Mature Students

I'm 28. My study pattern isn't much different. I still work better under the pressure of a deadline. I'm a bit disorganised. But I value the opportunity so much more. I frittered it away at 16-19. And I have an end goal to motivate me now that's strong enough to do so.

Having said that, I was a good student in school so I think some of it was moving from structured environment and not being mature enough to cope with it

I left school in 1963 aged 15. Brought up in the care system of the 50s and 60's. Formal education in care was practically non-existent.
I'm 68 now and just completing my 1st year at university studying Criminology.

I'm 32 - in school i just didn't bother doing a lot of study, my coursework was always left till the last min and then i'd just scrape a pass or even fail it, and my GCSE exams i didn't even take seriously. I left school with 4 GCSE's and a BTEC after sticking 6th forms for a year, however after 14 years out of education and drifting from job to job (I've literally had about 100 jobs because i felt that nothing ever suited me) I went back and did an access course (social sciences) and am now finishing up my first year on a psychology degree. My study pattern now is totally different, although i do leave stuff late, i do a lot more reading and engage with the subjects more as I'm interested in them, whereas in school i wasn't interested or bothered by them.

Hi! I am also thinking of doing an access. Where did you do yours? How did you find it? I can't decide whether I should do an access course or a couple of A levels in one year (I already have one A-level.) I'm 21 by the way. Also where did you do your psychology degree? Was it easy to find a University that accepted someone with an access course? Thanks!

I did my access course at University of South Wales in Newport, i found it really helped my get ready for uni life, it taught me about referencing, structuring assignments, deadlines, and other academic skills that you need to use in uni. I went to an open day and because i had been out of education for so long was advised to do an access course. The course itself was mixed with people on a foundation degree course, I found that their workload wasn't as hectic as people on the access course, but by doing the foundation you are tied into staying with that university and as i wanted to do psychology degree somewhere else i opted for an access course ( if you know what degree you want to do then see if they offer a foundation year with it). With regards to getting into uni with an access course, i found it fine, i had 4 out of 5 choices come back with an offer and i think most uni's are fine to take people off an access course providing they get the required grades, some uni's will require students to achieve a certain amount of pass, merits and distinctions. I didn't really know that much about A levels as I was 30 when i went back, but i think that they take 2 years to complete, where an access/foundation course only take a year each. All this info might be different though as I'm welsh and applied for welsh uni's - i did read somewhere that funding/finance is totally different in other parts of the uk.

Hope this helps

Joel