Life @ UCLan - mature students
A realistic Guide to life at UCLan - written by students!
by David A Middleton, 2nd year, BA (Hons) Creative Writing with Drama and Theatre Studies
I will relate to you now, a brief account of my first forays into studying at UCLAN, in the hope that it may yield some pearls of wisdom, for any ‘would-be students’ – of the mature variety. For example avoid the coffee in the machines, as it is like drinking soil!
Having been on benefits prior to enrolling at UCLAN, I was apprehensive to say the least. I hadn’t been in employment or academia for many years, and as such, expected an incredibly steep learning curve. However, that said, I was prepared in at least one way – a good analogy for university life is thus;
University is like being on benefits, but you have something to do during the day!
Also the ability to live on a small income, I thought, might stand me in good stead. This really need not be the case however; providing you are sensible (and don’t get carried away) your student loans should provide you with enough money for term time - at least. I also applied for as many grants and bursaries as I could, which certainly helped me in times of fiendish fiscal hardship.
So, having been accepted, enrolled and financed, I was next faced with the dreaded ‘back to school’ feeling. I would say this though: having not been in college or school for a lengthy period isn’t such a bad thing. You will discover that university is nothing like secondary or further education. You will find it difficult at first, getting back into writing essays etc. but it’s like falling off a bike – you soon get the hang of it.
Depending upon your age, and indeed your erstwhile school, you may be used to having things spelled out for you, this doesn’t happen at university. For the most part, the onus is on you to seek out the information, but there is help and guidance available, should you need it – your personal tutor should be your first port of call. The WWII maxim ‘Keep calm and carry on’, is one a new student should adopt. I would also say that it’s prudent to stay in contact with all your tutors, especially if you’re absent, the sooner you talk to them, the sooner they’re in the know.
Next we come to the reading list and the first of my ‘tips’. Depending on your course you will be expected to purchase a certain amount of books/equipment for your studies. What I suggest is that you buy one book, and then get a loyalty card before you purchase the others – that way you can amass some points and save yourself some money, the thrifty student stereotype is not without basis! If you are doing English Literature, make sure you buy the edition suggested: as when in seminars, you’re asked to turn to a certain page/passage and you’ve got a different edition, you’ll spend ages flicking through the bugger in an attempt to locate the said ‘bit’. Another suggestion would be to try and get a reading list prior to starting, so that you can do a bit of advance reading. Another tip that I would suggest, is that you actually read the texts in time for the seminars, as otherwise, you’ll have no idea what everyone’s banging on about! Another recommendation would be to get a good bag or satchel, as those Norton Anthologies are huge weighty tomes. Maybe even nip to the gym, to build up your upper-body strength in preparation!
And so Freshers week looms…
My general advice; is to involve yourself in as much of the activities as you can, to get the most out of your time at UCLAN. Go to the societies fair, as this is a great way to meet people, there’s even a mature students society. It’s true that another problem you may face is that of socialising and making friends, but fear not, for there is a broad cross section of society studying at UCLAN. In any case, at first (irrespective of age), you’re all in the same boat and, as such, you’ve got an instant rapport with most.
So, in closing I would say this: we are fortunate in this country to be able to study at university at any time in our lives, and although it might be slightly harder, initially, for we mature students, I do think that as such, we get at lot more out of our time at university, than those who’ve come straight from one institution to the next. Remember, university is not just about education it is a LIFE EXPERIENCE! So persevere, good luck, don’t panic and well done you for bettering your life!
