The Mature Student's Survival Guide - Progress So Far

Well I've been very lucky in getting a number of responses to my appeal for help in compiling what I'm calling "The Mature Student's Survival Guide". But I need to spread my net wider. I need to get comments and experiences from mature students who haven't attended the University of Lincoln. The danger is that my own experiences, and those of other Lincoln students, may not be repeated at other UK universities.

As part of my trawl for information I have been fortunate to meet some of the members of the MAPS group at the University of Lincoln. It's a group of mature and post-graduate students who meet at the Atrium on a Wednesday lunchtime. They were a delight to meet. Interesting people studying interesting subjects. One guy is working on robotics, another working on an MA (I hope that's right) thesis concerning an early 20th Century right-wing politician and another who's working on visual scanning systems for sorting potatoes. An eclectic mix to say the least. But they all seemed far more interesting to talk too than many of my own peer group.

First Year Results Day

For the last few weeks I've been getting rather jittery about my university exam results and the results from some of my outstanding assignments. The exams were the first time in more than two decades that I had to take part in conventional handwritten examinations. Sitting in a large room, scribbling my heart out using pen and paper. It reminded me of my 'O' Level examinations that I took all those years ago back at Kingsmead Secondary Modern. Sweaty teenagers scribbling out answers in a large room full of silence and raging hormones.

I was more than nervous concerning the results. The uncertainty made the wait doubly nerve-racking. Most of the professional examinations I've taken have been computerised and the score provided in a matter of seconds. Here I was waiting for weeks. I'm surprised I had any nails left to bite.

So last night I cuddled up to my laptop and prayed to the God of Cottage Cheese (with pineapple chunks, of course) and waited for the 1st Year results to be posted. About midnight the information appeared on Blackboard and with some trepidation I clicked on the PDF link for my score.....

I was more than relieved to see that I had passed my 1st Year and was being allowed to proceed to the 2nd Year of the course. If I had failed it would have been a disaster. Especially as I make no secret of the fact that I think many of my fellow students couldn't care less about their studies. I pride myself on putting in as much effort as I can and aiming for the highest marks available. It doesn't make sense to me to put myself through university in the hope of a 2:2. I'm aiming for a First for every assignment and exam. Any time I don't get a First I feel that I've got to work harder and drive myself to improve. Hell, isn't that meant to be one of the core reasons to be at university in the first place?

So now I can prepare myself for the next year, polish my pens and dust off the dictionaries. Now I know what's expected from me I feel that I can "up" my game and go on to better things. Roll on September! I'm ready.

First Year Over

Firstly, I'd like to announce that I'm going ahead with my plans to create a FAQ/e-Book about the experiences of mature students. Not the everyday mundane type of experiences, e.g. how to write essays or prepare for exams. No. I'm referring to the more complex situations that a mature student may well get caught up in. Such situations as having to work in a team composed of unmotivated and lazy individuals. How to deal with the feelings of isolation. Incidents of bullying or harassment. As a mature student you are very much the fish out of water. The academic work is easy compared with trying to strike up working relationships with other students who may well be 20 years younger than yourself.

So if you're interested in sharing your experiences please contact me via my email address, below. Confidentiality guaranteed to those who wish it.

Email:  mike@mike-hodges.com

Moving on.

I'm looking to earn some money over the summer and, if I'm lucky, get some relevant experience into the bargain as well. So far my search for temporary employment has not been successful but you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find that prince.

In the North Lincolnshire area there does appear to be a dearth of temporary employment opportunities. Many of the employment agency websites have had few, if any, jobs of any kind. The government jobs website has been useful. Which I find surprising. The range of opportunities runs from a post in Doncaster that fits in with the marketing/advertising side of my course to gutting and jointing animals in a food processing factory. I'll take whatever I can get as long as I get paid for my work. That leads to the subject of internships.

Internships, as if you didn't know, are meant to be a great way for people to get that all important work experience to enhance career prospects and bank accounts. So far all the internships I've considered have either been unpaid or "expenses only". Great if you have a large pile of cash to hand to keep you going but not suitable for a family man who needs to pay the bills. As a consequence I've dropped the idea of an internship. I cannot afford to work for nothing and I am sure that I am not alone in that respect.

With the end of my exams, last week, I am now left waiting for the results of my efforts over the last academic year. We, as mere first years, will receive our results last. July the 7th to be precise. It makes sense when you realise that the marks we gain in our first year do not count towards our final mark.

The examinations that I took part in were very interesting for me. For a start it was the first time that I had taken a handwritten exam since leaving secondary school. That's more than 20 years ago. I was so concerned that I even spent time practising my handwriting. Yes, a schooly swot I am. Comes from a life long love of learning. But the most interesting aspect of the exams was the veritable exodus that took place.

Each of the three exams had the same rules and processes. We were not allowed to leave during the first 30 minutes or the last 30 minutes. I was shocked that in each exam as soon as the first 30 minutes had expired there was a steady stream of people leaving the exam hall. That includes the three hour Media Law exam. There is no way anyone could have finished that exam in just 30 minutes. Yet I witnessed a flood of people leaving. Long ago, in the lost mists of time, I had the following beaten into. During an exam you work as hard as you can, you read the questions and instructions carefully and if you finish early you go over your work to fix any errors. What I saw left me dumbfounded. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Afterward, I spoke to some other students and got clued into what had really happened. Many of my peer group, so I was advised, had no intention of actually passing the exam at all. They merely wished to attend the exam, fill in all the appropriate paperwork, maybe attempt a couple of questions and then leave. All this so they can resit the exam in August. It turns out that if a student isn't present for the exam they're unable to take the resit.

Unbelievable. Yet a conversation with an ex-student confirmed that this was very common in her day as well.

As I previously mentioned, I won't find out if I've passed the first year of my course until July 7th. I do know that I gave it my best shot. My personal viewpoint is that I'd rather go down fighting than just give up.

A Brave New World

Becoming a student is all about preparing for the future. When you choose your course and university you should also consider what shape the world will be in three or five years time.

It pays to look into a crystal ball and try and make some educated guesses about what the future might hold.

In the spirit of Mystic Meg these are my predictions for the future.

1. China and India will continue their rise to global dominance, leaving the old Western nations to wane into economic obscurity. While English might remain a global business language it might make sense to become at least familiar with a Chinese language and an Indian language.

2. With the economic rise of China and India, and our desperate need as a country to compete with them, we must face up to the prospect of falling standards of living. I expect average salaries to fall over the next five to ten years and that money for “fun” discretionary use will evaporate.

3. UK property prices will crash in value. UK property prices are still massively overvalued. Nothing will change until the disparity between average earnings and average house prices is eliminated. Combine that with my prediction that average salaries will fall and you have a recipe for declining property values over the long term. I do not expect UK property prices to return to the heady days of 2007 ever.

4. The UK economy has been underpinned by a huge number of jobs that are either directly or indirectly paid for by the state. These jobs have been paid for through government debt. The poor state of the UK government’s finances means that this cannot continue. The result will be a massive rise in unemployment. Jobs in the state sector, or dependent on the state sector, will be rare and subject to massive competitive forces.

5. The UK government needs to pay off debt and reduce its costs. So look out for rising taxation and benefit cuts. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) will also suffer cuts. Regional Development Agencies, like Yorkshire Forward, will face staff cuts and even the threat of closure.

6. Charities will rise in power. They will replace the old NGOs and use unpaid volunteers instead of well-paid, perhaps overpaid, staff. Charities will also take advantage of the internships system. Bringing in students for specific projects at little or no cost to the charities.

7. New scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs will be made mainly outside of the waning Western nations. This being due to a lack of enthusiasm when it comes to supporting, developing and investing in such developments.

8. Energy costs will continue to rise and curtail the average person’s ability to travel, whether for work or recreation. The age of the long distance commuter may well be coming to an end except for the highest paid workers.

9. The brain/talent drain will continue and gather momentum. The smartest and best qualified will find it easier to emigrate to countries with brighter futures. Those left behind will be abandoned to their fates.

10. Finally, the Internet’s age of “Free” will come to an end. Content is costly to produce and someone is going to have to pay for it. The proposed paywall for The Times is only the start of what will eventually become the norm. If you want to be informed, entertained or educated you’re going to have to pay.

These are just my pet predictions. I don’t claim any clairvoyant powers and as such they are little more than educated guesses. But it is worth thinking about how these predictions could affect your future and your post graduation plans.

And To Continue

This Blog was created as part of this years Journalism Skills unit (University of Lincoln BA(Hons) course). As such it is part of my marked work for the year.

BUT...

I am continuing with this Blog as I find that writing about my experiences as a mature student helps me to make sense of the academic environment that I now inhabit.

Today I had my last seminar of the year. Well worth attending as we received some excellent tips and advice for our last assignment. Only four people turned up but I'm now getting used to the idea that most of my peer group don't turn up to a lecture or  seminar unless they consider it absolutely necessary.

I have recently received an email from one of the academic staff in the Lincoln School of Journalism appealing for students returning for their second or third years to work as "study buddies". To mentor and advise the new intake of students next September. I must admit that I'm very tempted. I remember clearly what it was like during my first few weeks at university. If I hadn't been briefed by my wife, and others, concerning the attitude of the students towards a mature student then I might have taken some of their behaviour personally.

Perhaps what I need to do is create a FAQ/Briefing document for mature students? A crib sheet that can aid the mature student to navigate the Byzantine world of drunken parties, negative attitudes and half empty lecture theatres. Why do this? Well I know of at least one example of cyber bullying that has occurred at Lincoln. It was targeted at a mature student. Why? Because that person wanted to learn, to contribute in seminars and to squeeze the maximum value from their course. A small group of "younger" students didn't like that and so Internet based unpleasantness followed. As far as I know this situation has been remedied, the university authorities were involved and took action, but for it to occur in the first place is very concerning. 

If another mature student were targeted like this then it might make all the difference if they have someone to turn to or a crib sheet with tips on what to do. Being a mature student can be a lonely experience, especially for those who might expect a warmer welcome to academia.

The Easter Holiday

It's the Easter Holiday and there are only a few months of the academic year left. It's time to review the year so far and think long and hard about what I've learnt and how I will put it to use.

From a purely personal point of view I have made a few friends and acquaintances from amongst the student body. I'm reminded of my first week at Lincoln. Frequently we were told that the friends we made at University would be with us for the rest of our lives, or words to that effect. From the perspective of a mature student this was obviously not going to be the case. It was apparent from the first day that I was about as popular as a pork chop at a bar mitzvah. I was lucky in that I had been prepared for this unwelcoming reception.

Another observation was that there was little in the way of a culture of learning amongst my peer group. Foolishly, I expected that my fellow students would be keen to learn and to explore the rich academic world on offer. The actual situation was that the majority of students acted as if they were being forced to learn. Coerced to attend lectures and seminars. Enthusiasm was very much in short supply.

The actual teaching has been, for the most part, excellent. My only complaint is that there needs to be a stricter approach to the students. If they don't turn up, don't do the expected pre-seminar work or contribute then they should be penalised for their lack of effort. Effort is the keyword here. I'd rather see people try and fail than not even try in the first place. The other comment I'd make about the teaching side of things is that sometimes the feedback could be more detailed. On a couple of occasions I haven't even been able to read the feedback comments due to illegible handwriting. Perhaps the university could drop the archaic hand written forms and go over to typed responses?

The facilities offered by the university have, so far, met my needs adequately. The Library does seem to be dominated by people fiddling (Facebook/Habbo etc) on computers rather than working, or dare I say it, seeking and reading books. The newsrooms in the MHT building are well stocked with PCs, telephone lines for our use and suitable printers. Suitable locations for team meetings abound. The refreshment facilities are acceptable. Not exactly designed to stimulate the taste buds of a gourmand but the food is edible and reasonably priced.

Car parking is a problem but, thanks to the Lincoln Big parking scheme, I'm able to park in Lincoln for the low price of £50 a month. It also offers me greater flexibility over when I can attend university.

So what have I learnt since September 2009?

• A better understanding of the principles of marketing. Useful in my own business activities going forward.
• I have acquired an improved knowledge of the advertising world, its workings and structure. Everything from the power of semiotics to measures of advertising effectiveness. I also find myself now automatically breaking the elements of advertising down to analyse the techniques used.
• Media Law and Public Administration have opened my eyes to how our nation is run and how it's reported to the masses. The threats to our basic freedoms and how important the media is in the eternal battle between the political classes on one side and the people on the other side.
• On a more prosaic subject, statistics in the business world, I've had a thorough refresher course in statistics and data analysis.
• The Journalism Skills unit, the actual nuts and bolts of journalism, has sharpened my writing skills and brought into sharper focus the actual processes involved in the production of the global news feed.

In my opinion this year has been a beneficial experience. Now I must continue to revise for my upcoming exams and prepare for my second year.

Spot The Student

Some of my lectures and seminars have been so empty that it’s either down to an outbreak of plague or the students just feel that attending is a low priority option. One lecturer did suggest to me that this was all down to the impending Easter Holiday. That appears to be enough of an excuse for many of my peer group. But why?

This week isn’t all that unique where attendance at seminars and lectures is concerned. Many times I’ve walked into a room or lecture theatre and wondered where everyone is. Part of the answer may be the fact that the first year of our university education will NOT count towards our final mark. I overheard one student saying: “This year I’m taking the P***. Next year I’ll do some work.” If the first year of university is not deemed important enough to count towards the final degree mark then, perhaps, it shouldn’t exist at all. Instead, we might have a two year course. It would be cheaper, shorter and still contain the marked elements that contribute to our final mark.

It does seem to me that many of my fellow students don’t take their first year seriously. They may well have the right idea. What benefit does a student derive from working hard during the first year? Those students who rarely attend lectures and seminars appear to get away with it. Students who never take notes, complete seminar pre-work or attempt to contribute don’t seem to suffer for it. So the real question is why should I put myself out when they don’t?

Answering my own question is pretty straightforward. I’m at university to learn and to put that learning to commercial use. I’m motivated to get the most from my course and to put what I learn into practise. I want to squeeze the university to get the most value for my money. I could just sit back and do little or nothing, but then I wouldn’t be able to justify to myself the costs involved. Or the time I am dedicating to my course.

It’s important that a serious student should not consider the opinions or attitudes of what appears to be a majority of ‘slackers’. Let them waste their time and money. Let them fritter away a golden opportunity. My advice would be to ignore the ‘slackers’ and keep on learning, working and improving yourself and your prospects.

Why Did I Go To University?

My reasons for attending university were a mixture of personal, financial and aspirational. One of those reasons was the hope that I’d encounter an eclectic group of people who would open my eyes to new opinions and attitudes. People who would aid me in broadening my intellectual horizons.

For the most part this has not been the case. The majority apparently being obsessed with celebrities, excessive drinking, nights out and “fun”. Not what I would call suitable subjects for intellectual discourse.

There are a few diamonds amongst the student body of the University of Lincoln. I won’t name them, as I would not want to cause them any upset at being selected for praise, but they are worth talking to.

One of these diamonds is a young man hailing from the same part of North London that I once called home. We do not agree on practically every subject imaginable. But he is capable of holding his own in a debate, of presenting his opinions clearly and concisely and demonstrates that he has acquired real knowledge. He also has the strength of character to argue his case in the face of my own vitriolic style of delivery.

Another diamond, or to put it more accurately a group of diamonds, is a small group of Dutch students. They stand out like pearls in a bucket of pig swill. Their opinions on our academic work, the British and everything else are uniquely their own. They say that travel broadens the mind but here I am able to broaden my mind just by talking to this small group. They have struck me as having a real interest in what they are doing and a desire to learn. The fact that they are Dutch puts an interesting spin on what they have to say for themselves. Most unlike many of the British students I encounter.

Perhaps I am being unfair to the majority of my peer group? Possibly the fact that I am a mature student puts them off from conversing with me? Or maybe, just maybe, it’s all down to the fact that they are the products of an educational system that seems to have failed so many. The potential of these young people is there it just hasn’t been realised.

Martin Bell Lecture

Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to attend a short lecture given by Martin Bell. That’s the Martin Bell who once graced our screens on the evening news reporting from war zones like Bosnia and the same Martin Bell who defeated Neil Hamilton and became the first independent MP since 1951.

Mr Bell’s speech was built around the death of news. The withdrawal of journalists from the real world. He was particularly scathing of what he termed “rooftop journalism”. Referring to the coverage of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Mr Bell said: “They (the journalists) don’t know what’s going on.”

Mr Bell spoke of his own experiences as a journalist working in war zones. His advice was that to truly understand the situation you needed to cover the conflict from amongst the people. Get amongst the action and meet with the key players of the conflict. And yes, that meant the “bad” guys as well as the “good” guys. Something that I feel current Western governments would disapprove of given their desire to control the media.

Obviously there’s a risk in this for the journalist and for those around them. But the alternative is a journalistic world where the news stories are drip fed to the journalists and those stories are decided on by the military and our governments. We might as well not have any journalists in war zones if all they do is cover just one side of the conflict, repeating the government line to the masses.

Perhaps the rise of citizen journalists, through the medium of Blogging, is the only answer to the current situation we find ourselves in. Real people, on the ground in a conflict zone, are the witnesses to real events. Although not trained, or backed by global news organs, they may be the nearest we can get to the old ideal of the war correspondent.

Burning Your Tax Pounds With Glee

My team (a subset of my seminar group) in the Introduction to Advertising unit will be making its first presentation on Monday. In fact I’m writing this while taking a break from preparing the presentation itself. 

On Thursday (25/02/10) we had a team meeting. It was very interesting for me, especially as it was the first team meeting at which I’d managed to get all the members together. Until recently the team had consisted of only three people, including myself.

The meeting was held to discuss the plan of the presentation and the fact that I’d be sending out the presentation slides and scripts Saturday morning so the others could read it through and practice. Even ask questions if they wanted before the big day.

One issue from this meeting really left me wondering. Someone asked how long the presentation was meant to last. The answer is 20 minutes. I knew this but didn’t say so because I had become very suspicious of my team members. None of the other three could answer this question. Does this mean that none of them have even read the briefing for this task? I fear that might well be the case.

I am less than confident of this task. I have considered just making the presentation myself but I’m certain the tutors etc would not be keen on that. After all, it is meant to be a team assignment.

Another observation I would make is that there seems to be a definite lack of enthusiasm or eagerness in my seminar group as well as my assignment team for the Introduction to Advertising unit. I’ve noticed the following kinds of behaviours in the seminars.

• Girly giggling (mainly from the boys).
• Doodling instead of taking notes.
• Fiddling with mobile phones, sending texts etc.
• Fiddling with laptops.
• Holding conversations whilst the tutor is trying to speak, very ignorant behaviour.
• Total disinterest in answering questions.
• Obvious complete lack of preparation for the seminar (no evidence of prior written notes or having completed set tasks).
• Little willingness to take part in the seminar process or make a positive contribution.

The lectures are often punctuated with the lecturer inquiring what students are doing as they’re pretty obviously not paying any attention to what she’s saying.

Does this truly represent value for money for the taxpayers? Remember that students only fund part of their fees. The government, using your hard earned cash, pays the rest. If what I am seeing is common throughout the UK then the taxpayer is getting a particularly raw deal. I fear that a great deal of money and resources are being wasted on what I can only describe as EDUCARE instead of education.

How long can this continue?