Opinions on a few Uni's/Uni life as a mature student

'Harry

'Harry

'Harry

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I hate making threads, so bare with me as I ramble along.

Looking to go to Uni after drifting through life since I left school at 16. I'm looking at doing Zoology. I've looked at the uni's that offer the course (http://www.university-list.net/uk/rank/univ-10073.html), and ruled out the ones out of my range pretty much (likes of the posh Uni's etc).

I didn't do very well at school for various reasons (was lazy, moved school a lot (20+) don't pay attention if the subject is of no interest to me) Best grades I got were C's in Science, Business Studies and History. Besides my poor GCSE's I haven't got any other formal qualifications.

I'm not expecting this to be easy, not even sure they won't laugh me out the door tbh but we'll see.

I've narrowed my choices down to:

Exeter
Bristol
Newcastle

Peoples views on these Uni's? Both Exeter and Bristol are fairly close to me (Plymouth) Newcastle was thrown in because it gets rave reviews based on a previous thread I read on here. I've discounted London due to the prices, plus I don't like London.

Mature students - How do you deal with being around people that have zero life experience? Having lived in Plymouth for the last 15years I've seen many a student be a right **** on a night out. I really can't see myself in halls, that would be a recipe for disaster.

Is halls even required for mature students?
 
I'm 29 and just started at Newcastle! I too had little in the way of qualifications, and had to amend that last year.

I was a little apprehensive - not just because of the huge career change I was undertaking, but as you said, the socialising and studying with so many 18 year olds.
I'm happy to say though, it's been a great experience so far.

As a mature student (I think the second oldest out of 250), it's very beneficial in some areas. You naturally become the center of a group, rather than ostracised. Most of them look up to you because of your age, and ample opportunities to use your life experience to help your study/social group. I've enjoyed this very much. It is also helping on the course - in my particular situation, I have no problem doing presentations in front of large groups, talking to crowds, interviewing and talking to patients.

If anything, spending time with people that have had zero life experience has been refreshing! Yeah the kids will go out whenever possible, and survive on minimal sleep (which I certainly can't), but I still go out fairly regularly and enjoy the nights out!

As a mature student, I was offered post-grad halls. Which is great, much better quality, and no freshers parties.

Newcastle as a university is fantastic. Warrants its ever growing reputation as a top medical school.
Don't just apply to near by universities, no matter how much you love the south west (as do I). Why rule out the "posh uni's"??

PS - Plymouth for 15 years?! Most will have had more experience than you ;) :D
 
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Former Exonian here. I'd refrain from calling it a city, more like a rather large town. Campus facilities are brilliant now the Forum Project is done and it is a beautiful part of the world. Three glorious years I spent there and loved the place as much as the experience.

Sadly, wherever there are universities there are a near endless supply of tanked up students who cannot handle their alcohol. Not much you can do about that I'm afraid!
 
Hoping to return to Uni next year as a mature student again, my last course was Business in Chester, a mature student at 22, was awkward then. Also it was the place's first year as a Uni so some of the lecturers and that were still finding their feet also.

Just didn't get on with much folk in my course. All my usual mates were in their 3rd year when I was a fresher.

Hopefully next year (when I'm 29) hopefully doing engineering will be a better experience as the uni's in Liverpool have a better reputation & I have a fair bit more of life experience under my belt since then.
 
Tres - not limiting myself to any one place yet. The 3 posted sparked my interest because exeter/bristol are close to home so can go back to visit. Newcastle got rave reviews as a city. I ruled out oxford and the like due to price and I can't see myself being up to their standards.

Marv - I would have to do a foundation year (science). Basically it would take me 5 years to complete if I took a placement year as well.


Forgive lack of quotes- doing this on my 3" phone screen...it's a ballache
 
tres said:
I'm 29 and just started at Newcastle! I too had little in the way of qualifications, and had to amend that last year.

I was a little apprehensive - not just because of the huge career change I was undertaking, but as you said, the socialising and studying with so many 18 year olds.
I'm happy to say though, it's been a great experience so far.

As a mature student (I think the second oldest out of 250), it's very beneficial in some areas. You naturally become the center of a group, rather than ostracised. Most of them look up to you because of your age, and ample opportunities to use your life experience to help your study/social group. I've enjoyed this very much. It is also helping on the course - in my particular situation, I have no problem doing presentations in front of large groups, talking to crowds, interviewing and talking to patients.

If anything, spending time with people that have had zero life experience has been refreshing! Yeah the kids will go out whenever possible, and survive on minimal sleep (which I certainly can't), but I still go out fairly regularly and enjoy the nights out!

As a mature student, I was offered post-grad halls. Which is great, much better quality, and no freshers parties.

Newcastle as a university is fantastic. Warrants its ever growing reputation as a top medical school.
Don't just apply to near by universities, no matter how much you love the south west (as do I). Why rule out the "posh uni's"??

PS - Plymouth for 15 years?! Most will have had more experience than you ;) :D
Click to expand...

Just out of interest does the oldest mature student go by the name of "James K"?
 
What do you mean by life experience? You should consider that what you have experienced affects people differently and things that might change your views or feelings might have little to no effect on other people, even if these things have not happened to them.

A lot of people assume that because they are narrow minded, and that something has happened to them to change their views or give them another perspective on a particular topic. That i will learn when i am older, which obviously means when something on that topic will happen to me.. So really the answer on how to deal with people is equally not thinking that someone else might be a child or something and will struggle to understand what you would usually say.
 
Maybe I just don't know him in that case! If he's in his late 30's, he'll have the crown for the oldest.

Does his surname have 4 letters by any chance?
 
It's confusing that you say you've ruled out "the posh unis" that are "out of your range", but then you name Exeter and Bristol. Both are highly ranked and have the highest selectivity. I'm not sure if they'll accept students with GCSE's; you may have to do an access year or a fast-track course beforehand. Their on-paper entry requirements are just as high as Oxbridge, London, Manchester, etc. They are very much 'top tier'.
 
I'm on my phone so can't do much looking for you, but do UWE Bristol do the course you wanted? They'd be a more realistic goal than Bristol Uni and it's still a great place (can you tell I went there? :p). I wasn't technically a mature student when I went, but I was a few years older than the other newbies and had taken some time out after school for various reasons. It was nice not feeling like I had to go out every night and knowing I was there for a degree I really wanted helped keep me focused. I got stuck in with the societies and SU and ended up being elected into various positions in my time there and made a lot of friends along the way. Well worth doing!
 
InKursion said:
It's confusing that you say you've ruled out "the posh unis" that are "out of your range", but then you name Exeter and Bristol. Both are highly ranked and have the highest selectivity. I'm not sure if they'll accept students with GCSE's; you may have to do an access year or a fast-track course beforehand. Their on-paper entry requirements are just as high as Oxbridge, London, Manchester, etc. They are very much 'top tier'.
Click to expand...

On paper Biological Sciences at Oxford has significantly higher entry requirements, as does Cambridge for BioNatSci.
 
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