Hi,
Ooofff very long post coming up (maybe it's good practise for getting back into essay-writing?!
)
Bit of background: After a having a couple of unfulfilling jobs (admin/receptionist, warehouse operative) I made the decision late last year to follow my real passion for art and crafts and applied to to study BA Ceramics. I've accepted an offer and will be starting in September. I'm so excited to be doing what *I* want to do, not my family for once!
I'll be 25 when I start and although I wasn't worried initially I am now starting to fret about fitting in as a mature student.
A few specific reasons:
1.) Well, the obvious one is that people just won't talk to me as an older person (before applying I thought of myself as a 'young person'- now I'm already referring to myself as 'older'!
). My course will involve frequent group work and I know 18-20 year olds can be pretty judgemental about age (I probably was too!). I don't want to be the 'creepy old guy'. I know some of this comes from the fact that some mature students really do spend all their time trying to go to clubs and perving on 18-year-olds, but that's not me (I didn't even like clubs when I was 18, so maybe I'll fit in better now?
). I'd really like to talk to other folks on my course, I just hope they will be OK around me! There's a residential in my first year that I'd love to go on, but not if no-one talks to me.
2.) Accommodation: trying to get any info out of my uni about which accommodation is better for mature students is like trying to get blood out of a stone (see point 3 below). I've opted to stay in halls for this year (it's one less thing to have to sort out when this whole experience is new to me). I *think* I've chosen the site (my uni has a few separate places) which is more suitable for older students and I've asked to be with others (I have no problem talking to people from my age all the way to 60+; afterall I'm used to the workplace where everyone just gets along because we're all in the same boat... well, except for the managers
). I wanted to stay in Halls also because I'd like to socialise and get to know people.
3.) Do the staff at your uni treat you differently? I've already found it difficult to get information that other students seem to get no problem. I couldn't get out of most of the staff which accomodation is better for mature students, and turned up to an open day which was only for people who hadn't already had interviews
, among other balls-ups caused by my being completely out of my depth (we mature students don't have parents or college lecturers to help us through this!) and lack of information from uni admin.
What are your experiences of similar issues? I have a feeling I'm blowing this out of proportion, but then again my uni doesn't seem very geared up towards mature students (oddly I feel completely at-ease about being gay at uni but not about my age- usually I'm the other way around, for example at work!). Oh, and I'm bald and beard-y so I look old AF anyway
Thanks for your help!
TL;DR I'll be 25- I want to socialise with others on my course to some extent [read: no sticky horrible clubs at 3am or dating 18-year-olds] but worried I'll stick out like a sore thumb.