any not so 'mature' mature students out there?!

gudbuzz

Hi guys,

Am back in first year at 27 years old in UCD which is going well but I feel like I'm a kind of in 'no-mans-land' pretty much all the while I'm there as I'm not 18/19 years old like most people in the year, or, am I the obvious more mature student... Kind of feel like I'm shunned by both groups! Any one else in the same boat?

collegegal

fair play going back at 27!! Im 25 and saving to do my masters to start in September.....But when I was doing my degree I was about 4 yrs older than the general age group in my year. I found it to be irritating the best of time, but you have to keep telling yourself you want to be here and take no notice of the silly 18 year olds! Most of them are probably only there for the craic and not because they really want to learn something...Hope it goes well for you!

Chet T16

29 and in 1st year engineering here

What are you studying?

MrsMiaWallace

Im due in this year and will be a good 10 years older than most students id say, but who cares i'll prob sneak into the staff rooms and pretend im a lecturer and nick all their tea n biscuits

rainbow kirby

25 and doing my masters at the moment. Can't wait to be finished though, I've been way too long in UCD. :pac:

gudbuzz

Thanks for your responses guys, the year is flying by its not actually so bad once you go back. But it would be nice to know people around on campus my own age, there's only so many make up, hair and deb discussions you can feign interest in! OK well thats only happened twice but still...

I've gone back to study English after working in design for the last few years, totally different but am still happy I did it all the same.

Maybe I'll see you girls around campus next year.. Chet if you're in the same situation maybe we could meet for a coffee someday.

gudbuzz

Hey Kirby,

I agree with you there; good and all as it is, roll on graduation day! I miss the pay cheque at the end of each month.... Best of luck with it.

IM0

gudbuzz wrote: »

Hi guys,

gudbuzz wrote:

Maybe I'll see you girls around campus next year

MrsMiaWallace

Yes it gets quite confusing to what sex people are but Im a girl or should i say WOMAN but i think thats quite obvious

Zuffer

I'm a couple of years older than that, but I'd still put myself in the 'not so mature' mature student group. I'm in 2nd year now. To answer your question, yes, there are lots of us out there.

Rather than fall in the middle, I've tried to do both. I do the mature student society stuff (regular readers will know I'm on the committee). There are a fair few people in the 25-35 bracket who come to our monthly lunches (there is one on Thursday!), However, I also hang out with folks from my class, most of whom happen to be in the 18-22 age bracket.

Part of it could be the standard UCD difficulty of getting to know people in your class. It is a problem that everyone encounters, not only mature students, and is one to which there appears to be no easy answer (although you'd think there are enough brains on campus to tackle the problem).

gudbuzz

me@ucd wrote: »

I think its pretty normal to call a group of people 'guys' even if there are girls included, I also thought it was pretty obvious that the two girls were female by their usernames.. sorry for the confusion though :rolleyes:

Chet T16

gudbuzz wrote: »

Chet if you're in the same situation maybe we could meet for a coffee someday.

Theres 3 of us in the 27-29 bracket that met on a ucd access course and now hang out in elements when not in lectures (not very often in engineering!)

MrsMiaWallace wrote: »

Yes it gets quite confusing to what sex people are but Im a girl or should i say WOMAN but i think thats quite obvious

I'm a guy/boy/man/father/son

Zuffer wrote: »

I do the mature student society stuff (regular readers will know I'm on the committee). There are a fair few people in the 25-25 bracket who come to our monthly lunches (there is one on Thursday!)

I think i've seen you post before, are you doing economics? I haven't made one of the lunches, they're always on thursdays which so far have been hectic days and/or coincided with staff/student committee meetings

IM0

Zuffer wrote: »

There are a fair few people in the 25-25 bracket who come to our monthly lunches (there is one on Thursday!),

you mean 25-35?

IM0

gudbuzz wrote: »

I think its pretty normal to call a group of people 'guys' even if there are girls included,

absolutely!

gudbuzz wrote:

I also thought it was pretty obvious that the two girls were female by their usernames

the collegegal name missed my radar, I just saw the obvious Mrsmiasomething one. its late

Zuffer

Chet T16 wrote: »

I think i've seen you post before, are you doing economics? I haven't made one of the lunches, they're always on thursdays which so far have been hectic days and/or coincided with staff/student committee meetings

Yeah, that's me. We nearly also go with the last Thursday of the month during term time, in order to be consistent and easy to remember.

My standard response it that much as we'd like to, we can't please everyone, but maybe we could look at holding an extra one on a different day sometime next month [muses].

gudbuzz

me@ucd wrote: »

absolutely!



the collegegal name missed my radar, I just saw the obvious Mrsmiasomething one. its late

Ha ha cool, yea it is getting late I should really get off boards and do my assignment which is due tomorrow!

Hopefully I can make it this lunch on Thursday so maybe I'll see a few of you there...

Chet I have no idea what or where elements is!

IM0

gudbuzz wrote: »

I have no idea what or where elements is!

you know the science 'hub' ?
well if you approach it from the N11 side (main gate) its on yer left straight in the door.

dr gonzo

Hey OP, same boat as myself, im 24 and in first year arts so there seems to be loads of us younger mature students but i completely get what you mean about the kinda social limbo you find yourself in as technically a mature student but really not that much older then the student body.

Was actually talking about this in the mature student forum recently.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055824866

Econoline Van

How about a mature students night out rather than a lunch? I always find I'm too busy to get to one. I don't go to class parties because I feel too old for hanging out with so many youngsters. I'm 28 and in 2nd year Arts. It's certainly not an ideal place to be at that age and being honest, sometimes I get really pissed off with the whole experience and just don't want to be there anymore.
I completely understand about falling between the kids and the older mature students. The older ones take it very seriously and seem to only discuss the course, and in minute detail. I'm not exactly a model student to be truthful....

MrsMiaWallace

Econoline Van wrote: »

How about a mature students night out rather than a lunch?

Just hold out i'll be there in September !

gudbuzz

Econoline Van wrote: »

How about a mature students night out rather than a lunch?

Hey, am liking this suggestion! Would much rather that than a lunch although I'll probably head to that tomorrow as well..

I'm in 1st year arts, glad I posted this up I was beginning to think I was the only 'in-betweener' on campus!

Anyone else think a night on the beer somewhere might be fun? With a load of strangers... Hmmm, This might be entertaining...