How can I succeed as a mature student returning to learning?
Think about the benefits of returning to study and consider how you might adapt to being a student.
Why are you returning to learning?
Your reasons for choosing to study will be unique and personal. Focus on the benefits you will get from completing your chosen course. This will keep you going through the times when studying gets tough. Benefits to you might include:
- Getting better qualifications
- Starting a new career
- Becoming better at your job
- Being promoted at work
- Improving your earning potential
- Catching up on missed learning opportunities
- Fulfilling your personal potential
What are your expectations?
Workload
This is not just about ‘contact hours’ (time spent in lectures and other sessions). Think about what types of things you will be doing for your course and where you will do them. For timetabled teaching or using specialised facilities such as science labs, you will have to be on campus. When you are doing independent reading or assignments, you can probably work at home. However, you will still need to find the time and a suitable space to work.
Time management
Work out how studying will fit in with your daily and weekly routines. It can help to map these out across a typical week. Decide if any existing commitments can be rearranged or given up to make time for studying. These are not easy decisions to make. You may need the support of family, friends or your employer to clear some blocks of time for studying.
The other students
Depending on your course, the other students may be younger than you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get on well with them, or collaborate on group projects. You may have valuable work experience, or just more experience of dealing with people than them. This could make you a very useful source of information and advice. You will also have the common ground of being interested in the same subject area.
Working with your tutors
You might be pleasantly surprised by the style of interaction with academic staff. It is far from the ‘teacher/pupil’ relationship you might remember from school. You are all adults, and it is a more equal and respectful relationship on both sides. However, you are expected to take responsibility for your own learning. If you do not understand some aspects of your course, ask for help when you need it. Do this in good time to allow you to keep pace with your course.
Other useful staff
Your Academic Advisor is part of your course team. They will meet with you on a regular basis and advise about your academic progress. Other University staff such as librarians, learning officers and careers consultants are immensely supportive of students who return to study. They want to help you succeed. Find out which Library staff are supporting your course.
Managing change
Be mindful about change
Change can be a positive thing. After all, you have returned to study so that you can change your career prospects or personal attributes. For the people close to you, these changes might be less welcome. They may feel you have less time for them. You may develop new interests and outlooks that others do not share. However, if you can maintain an awareness that studying will affect your life, it should be easier to adapt.
Motivation and stress
We all get stressed from time to time, but sometimes we need help to cope. The University has specialised staff such as counsellors and financial advisers to support you. Ask your Course Administrator about what help is available in the University, or contact our Student Advice team.
Top tips for returning to study
- Learn how to manage your time
- Find out where to get help before you need it
- Focus on the positive benefits for you.
Further information
For more resources to help with developing your academic skills, please visit the Skills for Learning website.
