Mature students

Mature students

This short guide is drawn from the experiences of other mature students and provides information on how best to succeed at university.

Settling in

Mature students often have mixed feelings about starting a university course. Excitement may be one of them but apprehension is also very common. Talk to others and you will soon find you are not the only one; it is a natural reaction to a big life change. During your first week there will be lots of people around St George’s who can guide you if you get lost. Ask them for help!

Getting to know fellow students

As a mature student, it can be quite daunting to find so many younger people studying with you. It is useful to remember that they are probably as nervous as you are and many of them will have left home for the first time in their lives, so your life experience may well be helpful to them at a mutually difficult time. There will be opportunities during your first week to meet everyone who is studying your course, so get stuck in and talk to other students there.

If you are living locally, avoid the temptation to skip social events in the early stages, do your best to be involved. Events are planned to ensure that students across all courses get to know each other during the first two weeks. Try not to be shy, approach others and just start talking, you will be amazed at how successful that approach can be.

Preparing for the start of term

Find out what your timetable is – where you need to be, and when you need to be there for each of the courses you are studying. This may involve you seeking out the lecture theatres, labs or teaching rooms during the first week. Make a visit to the library to see the layout and get to know how to use the online catalogue. It is sometimes best to do this with a friend as you can work it out together. There will be follow-up sessions during the term as well in case you have any difficulty.

If you have caring responsibilities, please consider you may need to organise someone to help you during your first year when you are finding your feet. Think about study time, visits to the library an formal teaching time. Studying changes your everyday pattern of activities. Make sure you have discussed this with your family and friends so that they understand what will change in your life as a student. Get to know where you can find advice if you need it. You may not ever need to take advantage of these services but it is better to know about them.

Starting term

Talk to the people who are studying with you and get to know your tutors. This will assist you with your studies as there are a range of people who can help you with any difficulties you may encounter during the course of the year. Please see the student support list for more information. You may also find it useful to set up a study group with others on your course.

Be sure you know what is expected of you and that you know when you have to meet a deadline for your work. St George’s enforces deadlines for coursework very strictly. We expect students to be responsible for their own study and to hand work in on time. If you are unsure of dates or the content of an assignment, please ask your tutor.

Do attend all sessions that you are allocated to attend. Research shows attendance has a significant effect on how well students do. This is not surprising skipping sessions, for work or other reasons will have a negative effect on your studies. If you miss a session, make sure you go to the next one and try not to let it become a habit. If you find that you are having trouble with your studies, please speak to your personal tutor. If you don’t know who that is, ask staff at the Student Centre, who will point you in the right direction.

Enjoy your free time and relax when you can. Balancing studies, work and trying to have a family and social life is often difficult but it is essential that you find a good mix for you. We encourage our students not to ignore their problems in the hope they will go away but rather to get them sorted out as soon as possible. Find an appropriate person to talk to. If you are unsure who to talk to, ask your personal tutor or the team in the Student Centre.