If you are applying to university and you are over 21 then you will be classified as a mature student. There are hundreds of reasons why some people apply at a later stage in life, and there are thousands of people applying to get back into education every year.
People return to education to get ahead in their chosen career, completely change their path, gain extra qualifications or simply because they enjoy it. As with any school student, the first thing you need to do is choose which type of course you want to study and where you want to study it. Depending on your current qualification level, and what you intend to do with your new qualification you can take an honours degree, foundation degree, Higher National Diploma or Certificate (HND or HNC), National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), or a Diploma of HE.
One of the challenges that sometimes faces mature students is fitting studies around your lifestyle, employment and family, particularly if you have children. Our advice is to enquire at the university before you apply; what is the workload like? Can you study part-time? Do they offer flexible learning, for example, can you watch podcasts of lectures or download notes and course materials from their intranet? Does the university have an on-campus nursery? Universities take on mature students with many different circumstances each year, so it is likely that they will have facilities or at least be able to offer guidance to make studying easier for you.
The cost of returning to study must be borne in mind also. The two main costs involved are tuition fees and your living expenses, which will need to be covered if you are not working. You could get support from both the government and the university you go to, or if you are currently employed and you are studying to further your career you may find that your employer is willing to help out, either with funding, or by offering flexible working hours. Our best advice here is to do your research as soon as possible, and apply for any funding early.
