Many mature students have anxiety when considering whether or not to return to school and pursue the course they are interested in. Returning to school after decades away from academia can be an intimidating process. It is made all the more stressful when the returning student considers how it might be difficult to connect with peers, succeed in the coursework, and manage new educational technology.
However, there are several major advantages to being a mature student. Below are some of the biggest advantages that mature students have when returning to school.
Life experience
Whether they are returning for a university degree or a postgraduate degree, mature students can bring their life experience with them when they go back to school. Most of us who left college several years (or decades) ago remember how we were perhaps less committed to our education than we were to socializing, college life, sports, and friends.
Mature students have a life outside of the confines of the university and are often more committed to the course itself after having worked for years. Professional and working experience also gives mature students exposure to various industries and helps them to solidify their academic course decisions.
Wilkes University Accelerated BSN programs are ideal for learners of all ages because the program is taught by highly trained professors who have experience working with a diverse range of students who come from all walks of life and professional backgrounds.
Commitment to the course
Mature students who are pursuing a course typically have higher levels of commitment to the course than their younger peers. As young students do not have much life experience, it can be difficult for them to know exactly what they want to study and what type of career would be best suited to their tastes, personality, and intellect. As a result of this uncertainty, many young students are not especially committed to their courses.
On the other hand, Mature students typically have either studied or worked in various industries, and they have learned from first-hand experience what they are interested in and best suited to. This will typically result in mature students showing more commitment to the course and, in the end, getting more out of the academic instruction they are given.
Maturity and communication
Maturity and communication are two more advantages that most mature students have over younger students. Mature students typically have prior professional experience that gives them confidence and the ability to speak more openly with the teaching staff.
It is not uncommon for a mature student to ask the professor a question that all of the other students were also wondering about but were too shy to ask about. This is also beneficial when it comes to professors’ office hours. Many younger students feel too intimidated or shy to visit the professors during office hours and ask for clarification on something. In contrast, mature students are surer of themselves and their communication abilities.
