Life as a “mature student”

5

Can anyone who went to uni slightly later than others give me some insight into what it’s like as a mature student?

I am in my early twenties and I have been worrying that I am too “old” to make friends and build meaningful connections with ppl while I’m there. I’ve seen a lot of ppl in gc’s making fun of students that are older (they are most likely teens who are doing it) I know most ppl will say I shouldn’t let this bother me but, well, it does. I really don’t want to be labelled as old throughout my entire time at uni and be miserable and isolated; otherwise I don’t see the point in going. (No matter how beneficial it might be career wise)

I don’t want to make this a big deal but at the same time I feel like I shouldn’t gaslight myself if this is something I’m genuinely worried about.

Thanks for reading x

Reply 1

Pgavaza

11

You need to ride on the benefits of being a mature student and these include the broader perspective you have . It must give you a deeper understanding of the course material and its applications. Your time management skills must also be better than the other students by now. This can help you balance academic responsibilities with other aspects of your life. You also have the chance to connect with people from different backgrounds and industries, potentially opening up new career opportunities.

Reply 2

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

20

Original post

by liam_michaelroy

Can anyone who went to uni slightly later than others give me some insight into what it’s like as a mature student?

I am in my early twenties and I have been worrying that I am too “old” to make friends and build meaningful connections with ppl while I’m there. I’ve seen a lot of ppl in gc’s making fun of students that are older (they are most likely teens who are doing it) I know most ppl will say I shouldn’t let this bother me but, well, it does. I really don’t want to be labelled as old throughout my entire time at uni and be miserable and isolated; otherwise I don’t see the point in going. (No matter how beneficial it might be career wise)

I don’t want to make this a big deal but at the same time I feel like I shouldn’t gaslight myself if this is something I’m genuinely worried about.

Thanks for reading x

University is for adults, it's not school. Adults don't care if people are a few years older or younger. You've never heard your parents say 'Goodness, we couldn't be friends with the neighbours, they are two years older than us'.

Just turn up and be yourself, who is 19 and who is 23 or even 33 is irrelevant to life.

(edited 4 months ago)

Reply 3

liam_michaelroy

OP

5

Original post

by Pgavaza

You need to ride on the benefits of being a mature student and these include the broader perspective you have . It must give you a deeper understanding of the course material and its applications. Your time management skills must also be better than the other students by now. This can help you balance academic responsibilities with other aspects of your life. You also have the chance to connect with people from different backgrounds and industries, potentially opening up new career opportunities.

Fair point

Reply 4

liam_michaelroy

OP

5

Original post

by threeportdrift

University is for adults, it's not school. Adults don't care if people are a few years older or younger. You've never heard your parents say 'Goodness, we couldn't be friends with the neighbours, they are two years older than us'.
Just turn up and be yourself, who is 19 and who is 23 or even 33 is irrelevant to life.

True enough, and online gc’s probably aren’t reflective of ppl’s actual behaviour on campus.

Reply 5

martin7

20

Original post

by liam_michaelroy

True enough, and online gc’s probably aren’t reflective of ppl’s actual behaviour on campus.

I suspect the online stuff is really just people doing a bit of (hopefully) good-natured teasing -- though it is of course difficult to tell when it's words written on a screen, and sometimes people go over the top. You'll generally find that people are very different face-to-face then they are writing comments to unseen individuals.

If you're in your early twenties you probably won't be the oldest person on your course.

There were a couple of chaps on my course who were probably in their 40s. I didn't think of them as being "old".

As threeportdrift rightly says, this is university not school. Age isn't relevant.

Reply 6

PinkMobilePhone

Chat Forum Helper, Life & Style Forum Helper

22

If you're only in your early 20s, not a single person will question your age unless you start bringing it up.

Looks-wise, 18-early 20s look very similar

Reply 7

ARU Graduate

Official Rep

7

Original post

by liam_michaelroy

Can anyone who went to uni slightly later than others give me some insight into what it’s like as a mature student?
I am in my early twenties and I have been worrying that I am too “old” to make friends and build meaningful connections with ppl while I’m there. I’ve seen a lot of ppl in gc’s making fun of students that are older (they are most likely teens who are doing it) I know most ppl will say I shouldn’t let this bother me but, well, it does. I really don’t want to be labelled as old throughout my entire time at uni and be miserable and isolated; otherwise I don’t see the point in going. (No matter how beneficial it might be career wise)
I don’t want to make this a big deal but at the same time I feel like I shouldn’t gaslight myself if this is something I’m genuinely worried about.
Thanks for reading x

Hey!

I was in the exact same position as you! I started uni in my late 20s and had all the same worries about being “too old.” Honestly, I was so pleasantly surprised by how mixed the ages were, not just in my group but across the uni as a whole. In my class alone the age range was from 18 right up to 40, and no one cared or made fun of anyone for being older. The only people who ever seemed bothered by age were the ones worrying about it themselves.

I still made loads of friends and had such a good experience. My friendship group ended up ranging anywhere from 22 to 37, and it really didn’t make a difference…you’re all going through the same things together, and that’s what bonds you. If anything, being a bit older gave me a bit more confidence in myself, and people actually valued that perspective.

Try not to let the age thing hold you back, it’s nowhere near the big deal it feels like before you start. You’ll meet people from all walks of life, find your crowd, and settle in before you know it. Uni is honestly such a good place to throw yourself into, whatever age you are.

No doubt you’ll have an amazing experience! Just go for it and enjoy it. Good luck!

Sophie 🙂

Life as a “mature student”

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