Information for mature students
Dates for your diary
Wednesday 18 September (before you start)
Coffee morning - 10 am to 12 pm in the Refectory, The Hawthorns, Woodland Road.
If you're around, drop in for a chat with staff and other mature students; or just get your bearings before the official start of term on 23 September.
Monday 23 September
Welcome event - all events on Monday 23 September will take place in room 1.11/ 1.11A in the Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road.
- 11 am registration and coffee
- 11.30 am - 12.45 pm activities
- 12.45 pm lunch
Invitations will be sent to all new mature students in the first week of September. Come and meet other new mature undergraduates from your course, from your school/department and from across the University. Current mature students will also be on hand to share their experiences of starting out.
Monday 23 September 2 - 4 pm or Wednesday 25 September 2 - 3 pm
Study skills session - come along and refresh your skills. This session will help with academic writing and critical thinking. Past attendees have found the session to be invaluable in giving them the skills and confidence to succeed in their studies. Please note that the Wednesday session is a condensed version of Monday's session.
Tips provided by previous mature students
Settling in
- Don't feel out of place. You've earned your place at the University.
- Attend events for mature students, particularly in freshers week. At the welcome event I met two people who kept me going through the course.
- Make sure you have plenty of pastoral support lined up, e.g. pastoral tutor and course tutors. If you do have outside commitments, let your tutors know at the start of the course. Many mature students underestimate how complex their lives are, relative to younger students. Be aware that the added load of study on top of usual demands can present significant time and emotional challenges.
- Don't be put off by over-confident younger students. They're going through their own journey which is completely different to yours.
- Remember why you're here. It might be hard to start with and even a bit lonely, if you aren't going to embrace the whole student lifestyle, but it's an amazing opportunity to do things that you haven't done before, and in any case, there are plenty of other 'oldies' about.
Academic matters
- Go and see your lecturers and tutors during their scheduled contact times. This is particularly useful, whether you need guidance with a particular assignment or just some general advice.
- Treat study like a 9 - 5 job.
- Try and get to know support staff (admin, computer help). They can be sources of very useful information.
- Don't buy books until you've checked useful sources for secondhand books, including notice boards in schools/departments.
Social
- Join a society or club; do a sport. It's a great way to make friends and will enrich your uni experience. You will meet other people with similar interests and from a range of age groups.
- Don't be offended if younger students don't engage with you that much socially.
- Younger students are all really lovely and may be more intimidated by you than you imagine!
Child care
- If you have children, make sure that you have back-up plans for when they are ill and nursery/school won't take them.
- Accept that you may only be able to do study and parenting at less than full capacity. However, even with small children and a demanding course, its doable.
Mature Students' Adviser
Please contact Betsy Bowerman, Mature Students' Adviser, if you have any questions before starting your programme or even if you just want to chat about starting your studies or life as a mature student:
Telephone: +44 (0)117 954 5937
Email: betsy.bowerman@bristol.ac.uk.