The Benefits of Being a Mature Student

Going back into education is a great thing to do. If you’re toying with the idea of experiencing what you’ve missed out on, let your hope and confidence win out. After all, your internal monologue is likely asking; am I too old? Is it too late? Well, the answer to both questions will always be no.

In fact, mature students are needed in England now more than ever due to declining numbers in some universities. There are entire passions, courses and careers built around supporting mature students, and it’s because their enrolment brings intellectual value to every institution. Whatever qualification you’re eager to obtain, society will be enriched when you do, because you had the courage to go and achieve.

If originally you did not get the most out of the education system, you are not going to be alone. It’s obviously not uncommon for school pupils to lose their way because they don’t see the point in getting the grades. Nor is it necessarily always as simple as that. You may have struggled or had other pressing concerns when you were younger that caused you to fall behind in your studies. Being a mature student doesn’t just mean that you’re older than everyone else, it means that you also have more life experience and the benefit of hindsight to help spur you on.

Whatever your reasons might be, hopefully as an adult your life is healthier and more balanced now, freeing up your mind for you to focus on your studying. Wisdom comes with age. After all, you may need to clinch a certain grade to earn that promotion, or explore a career path you now know you want to excel in. It could be that you want to provide better prospects for your whole family too and wish to set an example! These are all great motivations, and can fuel your studying even better than your parents and teachers. If you’ve freed up some time and the ambitions are there, nothing should hold you back.

You’re not the first person to revisit their education, and you won’t be the last. Education is a liberation, and new doors will open to you both during and after your studies. While some mature learners might get nervous about revisiting study, the fact is that these concerns are shared by thousands of people. New friends can be made and fresh experiences shared. It can, in fact, be more stimulating to have a unique path through higher learning than to have an identical journey to everyone else. Education is more than just reciting texts and figures, it is also about engaging and interacting with your peers and the world around you. Who knows what new inspirations you’ll discover, or which lifelong friends and role models await you? Does your age really stunt growth in these areas, or could your years’ worth of experience in professional environments and adult situations actually help you excel in them?

It is true that there are less mature students than there were a few years ago, but this is mostly down to the expense of tutoring and tuition fees alone, not a waning desire to get learning! Don’t let rising costs put you off, where possible. Education is always worthwhile pursuit, and if you have passions to explore therein, nothing should prevent you from acting on them.