Written by Ellen Bolger-Rowe
Have you ever asked yourself these questions?
“If I start my degree now, I’ll be finished by 32 and that’s a huge chunk of my life gone”? (This is me)
Or… “What’s the point of studying? I have no time as a parent, and there is no space in this house!”?
What about…“I’m too old”…
Choosing to study as a mature student can leave you with these questions lurking in your mind, and if you have ever felt this, you are not alone.
Life can get in the way of starting study. If you have read my previous blog, you’ll see a clear example of what can happen that can postpone your studies.
But I would like to reiterate that YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD!
This study by the University of Tasmania found that older learners were less affected in their academic success by the psychosocial factors that can impact the academic success of younger university students, such as social connection, anxiety and depression.
So, take a deep breath. Hold for 4, and exhale nice and slow, because I’m about to share with you some words that will hopefully encourage you to go for that degree you’ve always wanted to do.
As a mature-aged student, you have a wild amount of life experience.
You KNOW how to handle the craziness of life.
You KNOW your boundaries.
You KNOW who you are.
You don’t need to fit the box of a “school leaver” to attend university and SUCCEED!
My many years of travelling, moving away from home, losing and gaining friends and trying other degrees have shown me how I need to balance independence and seeking help to tackle changes in my life and achieve my life goals.
Since beginning my mature-aged student journey in the Bachelor of Pharmacy, these tools and experiences have helped me to apply myself to my studies.
It has set me up for academic success and has increased my confidence in asking for help. I have also been able to successfully set up boundaries with my peers and my work/home life so I can achieve my goals, and this keeps my mental health clear and free from anxiety.
I have also made some amazing friends in my degree, and a lot of them are 25 and over. In particular, I have befriended a wonderful wife and mother of 4, and as it turns out, we have a lot in common. We are pretty much inseparable, and we spend our entire university time studying together and encouraging one another in our life endeavours.
Without her encouragement and her enthusiasm, I would not have had the experience I had at the Australian Pharmacy Professional (APP) conference at the Gold Coast in 2025.
So, you never know who you are going to meet at university. It might be your next best friend.
Let me assure you that we are all on our own path of finding our best academic selves, and there is so much help there! If the HSC (or equivalent) was nearly 30 years ago for you, Charles Sturt academic services are here to provide you with those up-to-date skills on academic writing and formatting (trust me, those APA7 references will bite).
You will also make mature-aged friends (like me) as there are other students just like you, starting their studying journey as a mature-aged student.
So, if you are a school leaver or feel that you would like to increase your life skills and experience, may I encourage you to befriend a mature-aged student! You never know what you might learn.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative
