Are you a mature student? Or perhaps you have friends and course mates who are mature students? We want to have more open conversations around the experiences of mature students at Heriot-Watt and dispel a few common misconceptions and myths. To do this, we’ve put together this article and will be holding a panel event in Semester 2.
As your VP Wellbeing, it’s important to me that all students, from a wide variety of backgrounds, feel listened to, understood, and supported. I have no lived experience of being a mature student, so I’ve called on some colleagues, lifelong friends, and current students who do. Here’s what they have to say:
“Hi. My name is Tracey, and I am the University’s Widening Participation Manager and a former mature student. Mature students haven’t been to university before and didn’t come to university straight from school. Typically, they’ve been out of education for a few years before thinking about going to university. They are in every subject area across the university and are valued by staff and students alike for the different experiences and viewpoints they bring to any discussion. They also tend to do really well at university – see for yourself - https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/articles/2023/first-class-honours-degree-for-dedicated.htm.
If you are a mature student, just remember to ask lots of questions and to enjoy your time at university. We’re all here to help – you don’t have to struggle on your own.
Enjoy your studies!”
We also heard from Vinny Pemberton, a Geography student here at Heriot-Watt and our Sports Union’s Alumni Exec for 23/24:
‘Being a mature student can be surprisingly daunting and unnerving. A huge part of University is the engagement with other students through academics, societies and sports, but the age gap can be quite the large mental barrier to overcome. Talking to someone who is 2 years younger/older than you is easy, but there can be a bit of a stigma about talking to someone who is 10+ years younger/older than you. Ultimately, mature students, regardless of age, are at University for the same reasons, pushing themselves and getting involved for the same reasons, and aim to be in similar positions in the future - so talk away because mature students are no different at the end of the day, and they may well have some very interesting stories from their extra few years!’
Anjali Punn, who graduated Marine Biology BSc in June 2022, told us a little bit about her time at Heriot-Watt:
‘I can’t help but think of how inclusive the university felt, and specifically how inviting everyone in my cohort on the Biological Sciences courses were. I joined the University as a second-year direct entrant and prior to joining I remember how anxious I felt about joining late. I thought it would be difficult to find friends when there were established friendship groups who had already spent a whole year together. In addition, I had the added fear of how people would react to having an older person join. However, that fear and anxiety dissipated within the first day, and as I stood outside my first lecture, I couldn’t help but notice the smiles on everyone’s faces along with the post summer holiday buzz.
I found lectures so interesting, and lecturers were really good at acknowledging newcomers to the class. I feel I got on well with everyone, but I did notice some maturity differences and couldn’t help but think that some people may not be taking the course as seriously as others. It made me think that some people may have benefited from the course if they had waited a few years after school before going on to higher education.
At some points the pandemic made me reconsider my decision financially to continue studying or to stop and focus on ways to pay bills and rent. However, the friends I did have contact with during this time at university encouraged me to continue and I am so glad I did. The university was extremely supportive during this time.
Overall, as a mature student I personally feel that my experience a Heriot-Watt University was not tainted by my age, and I was able to enjoy the university experience just as everyone else. I was heavily involved with the class as a class rep, also involved in many societies and social events run by the Student Union. I had a fantastic time at Heriot-Watt, have made many lifelong friends and memories. I still like to keep in the loop with what the university is up to and keep in contact with people who are still studying there, as well as supporting behind the scenes with a couple societies.
Thank you, Heriot-Watt, for an unforgettable experience!’
Finally, Keith Kilgore, Heriot-Watt Careers Consultant, has very kindly put together a fantastic video with tailored careers advice for mature students:
If you enjoyed this article and want to be involved in the ‘Ask a Mature Student’ panel event next semester, drop me an email at union.vpwellbeing@hw.ac.uk