by Ft Wells

Created on: March 10, 2010

Becoming a Mature Student

Okay you have made a major life decision and decided, for whatever reason that you are returning to school, either traditional classroom study and/or at a distance. You probably also realize that you have some big adjustments to make. After all you are going to be carrying a full course load (if you are really brave) or a partial load while simultaneously holding down a job, raising a family or both. And there are some problems that you will face that you probably would not if you were younger or did not encounter the first time around.

When I returned to start my post-secondary education (traditional classroom study at a university) I was a mature student. That first day I sat in class and looked around, and boy did I feel out of my element. I felt like I didn't fit in anymore. After all I said to myself, I am probably the oldest person on campus. Then I reminded myself why I was there. Not to socialize, but to study, to get a degree and so forth. I thought I was alone but it simply wasn't true. In fact, there were many other mature students but we remained ignorant of each others existence.

I would pass students in the halls and think they looked old for their age. I would see other 'mature students' on campus or in the library and assume that this older person was a professor or an employee of the university. Not until I was actually sitting next to another ‘mature student’ in a classroom did we acknowledge each other as such. After I got to know other students I found out I was not the oldest student, far from it. I was just one of many mature students.

A mature student, (also called an adult student and/or learner in North America), is an individual enrolled in tertiary or third stage education (either a university and/or college). They are normally enrolled in an undergraduate program (i.e., working on a primary degree). However, such students are often significantly older than the average undergraduate. In Canada, students classified as 'mature students' are those who are 21 years (23 in Ireland, 21 in the UK) at the start of their studies, and away from school for at least two years.

However, the term ‘mature student’ also applies to those students who have been away from school for decades. Others have taken time off between years of their studies. Otherwise, mature students are identical to younger ones in that they study either full-time, part-time, or/and at a distance (correspondence, Internet,

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