Mature Students (21+) Chat

Hi! This is super nice!

Hello, I wish you happiness and well-being.

You do know that post is 8-9 years old lol

Hi!! I am 27. I am going to start the undergraduation in Aerospace Engineering, here in The Netherland. I studied physics before, but I did not finish my education. I am from Brazil and I have been living in The Netherland for 2 years. I think it wil be really difficult for me, I am litlle bit shy because I feel so old.The other students are between 18 and 22 years old.

Olá. In my country (Portugal), it's very common to find students who are older in Engineering courses, either because they've returned to education or because they went to university at 18 and weren't prepared for the rythym of work and failed some subjects. So, don't worry about your age, you'll be fine.

Hello, I am 45 years old, a married mother of 2 children juggling two part-time admin jobs. I have just applied for a full-time BA History with foundation year. With a handful of GCSE's, some evening class study and NVQ3 qualification the prospect is frightening to say the least! Other than having a strong interest in the subject, I don't feel that prepared for the work ahead. Rather than do an access course, I have decided to start with the Foundation year which is better for me financially as I will get maintenance grant & loan. My university of choice is considering my application but has asked for a 1000 word essay on a certain subject which is so they can determine my level of skill. I have never written an essay in my life! My gut reaction is to (a) passionately rattle off the required 1000 words on the subject as I see it then the admissions department will see a true picture of where I'm at. Or are they expecting (b) a perfect, well-researched piece littered with citations / references/Bibliography etc.., in other words my perceived level of a first year student..? I could tackle the second option and make a pigs ear of it, but it wouldn't be an accurate representation . It is, after all, a foundation year I'll be doing so don't want the Uni. to be under the impression I can enter as first year student instead, on the other hand don't wish to disgrace myself as not even ready for foundation. Any thoughts, please?

Bom saber disso! Obrigada! Eu sei Que é bobagem se preocupar com isso. Haha

I doubt whether they will expect perfect referencing, as you can't be expected to have studied at this level before. However, it won't hurt to back up any arguments with citations from sensible sources. They will be looking for a well-structured essay with an introduction, conclusion, and a logical flow between paragraphs. Write in the third person, impassive voice, and get somebody else to proof-read it. Write in Arial 12 with 1 1/2 line spacing. Good luck, I bet you'll ace it.

Hello!

I will be 38 when I start my Access to Science course in September. I am aiming to attend Sheffield University to study Astrophysics.

Very excited but also slightly terrified at returning to the classroom after a very long time away.

Good luck to everyone!

Hi Colin. Excellent choice of subject there. I'm starting Astrophysics at RHUL in September, having just completed an Access course. I just had a look at Sheffield's requirements. You will need 36 distinctions, all in maths and physics, plus 9 merits, so if you haven't already done so, check with your college that they offer enough credits in those subjects to meet the requirements.

Thank you for posting this. I have spoken to the admissions staff before I applied to the Access course and also to some of the academics at the department at Sheffield's open day a couple of weeks ago about this. I've pretty much resigned myself to having to do the foundation year before going on to the Mphys.