How Being a Mature Student Could Change Your Life

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Life is supposed to go school – college or university – get qualified – get a job. Of course, for many people, life doesn’t operate on such straightforward lines, and for a whole host of reasons you might find yourself leaving school at sixteen or eighteen and going straight into work. It could be economic reasons, health reasons, family issues, marriage, or simply a lack of interest or focus. A few years down the line, you could find yourself helping the kids with their homework and wondering what might have been if you’d got your A levels, taken a catering course, or got yourself a degree. Maybe you’ve thought about opening your own business and want to get some business qualifications under your belt. It could be that if you’re homeschooling you wish to improve your teaching methods or brush up on your maths skills. Even if it’s for your own personal interest, taking a course as a mature student is a brilliant experience, and is easier now than ever before.

What do you want to do?

First things first, what are your reasons for looking at further education as a mature student? If you want to achieve a qualification or receive some structured learning for your own development, then you need to find a local college that offers part-time study or evening classes in your chosen subject. If your intentions are more career based, then you need to find out what the current requirements are for the jobs you are considering.

Very often there are entry requirements for higher degrees, either that you hold the qualification preceding the one you wish to take, or that you complete a course of preparatory study. If you’ve been out of education for a long time, you’ll probably need to take an introduction to study course to brush up on your study skills and get you used to how your course will be conducted.

Where do you want to study?

You might have a college or university within a reasonable distance of where you live that offers the course you want to take, but for most people being a mature student means studying online, at least for the majority of the course. If you look around, you will be able to find many doctorate degree programs online. When you’re looking online, make sure the institution that is offering courses is genuine and accredited. You need to be cautious and check very carefully before signing up, because there are always scam sites that take your money and give you nothing back, and other sites that promise certificates and so on but that turn out to have no recognition in the industries to which they relate. You’ll find some people do choose to use these diploma mills as they’re called, because they can claim to be qualified; but any company that knows its stuff and performs due diligence on the applications it receives will spot these low-quality qualifications. It’s far better to be able to say you studied at a legitimate institution, and thanks to the Internet you can study with some of the best universities across the world if you wish.

Funding your study

Mature students usually have to fund themselves, although it’s definitely worth checking to see if there are any grants or loans to which you would be entitled. The good thing about studying online is that it is generally far cheaper than studying onsite, and many providers enable you to pay in installments. Another advantage of studying online is that you can fit your course around your other responsibilities, and still work full time if you want to. You could either save up for your course and pay for the whole thing in advance, which can work out cheaper; take up the offer of payment by installment if that’s a possibility, or take out a loan to cover the costs. If you do opt for a loan, make sure to check your credit report for free to see if you will possibly need a co-signer based on your credit score. Talk to the bank about your plans, and if you can show how the qualification could improve your earnings potential they are likely to be amenable. If you’re having trouble securing a loan because of a poor credit rating, there are companies that specialise in finding loans and credit terms for people with this kind of problem, so look here for more information.

Managing your study

You will need to have self-discipline and determination to complete your course successfully. If it’s an evening course, you need to get yourself to college every week for the teaching sessions, as well as finding time to practice and research at home. If you’re studying online, you will be entirely responsible for motivating yourself to get your assignments completed on time. This means being able to consistently find time to study, and having the strength of will to resist the temptation of TV, nights out, and curling up with a good book! Preparing a schedule for yourself is advisable, so you know you need to do so many hours each evening, and you can arrange your study periods so they don’t impact on family time too much. You might also need to do a summer school or attend a residential week occasionally through your course, plus exams at some point. Therefore, you need to be able to take time away from home for up to a week, which means you’ll need some support from your partner, family and friends to fill in for you when you’re away. There will be tutors available to help you with your studies, but it will still be primarily up to you to get the work done. Undergraduate degrees can take at least three years, and often four or five, depending how much time you can devote to your studies; a doctorate could take upwards of seven years to complete, so that’s a big investment in time and commitment.

Whether you want to learn how to do flower arranging once a week, or become a doctor of geophysics, there are opportunities to fulfil your dreams as long as you have the determination to succeed. Achieving a qualification as a mature student is something to be immensely proud of, and will give you a tremendous sense of satisfaction, as well as being valuable in advancing your life goals.