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Top 10 Tips for Mature Students

  1. Build your support team.
  2. Make adjusting to campus life easier by connecting with other mature students to build a support team of individuals who share your age and life experiences. This way you won't feel alone.

  3. Do not compare yourself to others.
  4. Focus on what you do well rather than what someone else does better than you. Comparing yourself to other students will only help you to lose focus on your main goal.

  5. Be patient with your family settling in to your new schedule.
  6. As a mature student, there is more likelihood that you have other responsibilities and pressures. It's important to recognize the realities of these additional stresses, and take them into account when choosing a program. Allow your family time to adjust.

  7. Study with your kids.
  8. Do your homework at the same time and in the same space as your kids. This will create �homework time� in your family, which is a success strategy for both adult learners and young students.

  9. Make sure you understand the academic assignments.
  10. Mature students should use the school�s resources, and learn about effective test-taking strategies (eg, read over the whole exam before answering any questions, answer the easy questions first, understand the questions, watch the clock so don�t run out of time, etc).Don�t be afraid to approach the instructor if there is confusion about the material or extra information is needed.

  11. Strive for excellence, not perfection.
  12. There is a little known fact that mature students often do better in school than younger students. Striving for excellence does not mean that you must be perfect. It means that you use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible. Simply do your best in everything that you do, and you will reap the benefits.

  13. Recognize your maturity is an asset.
  14. You have more life experience than many younger students. You have a lot to offer your peers and younger students who have less life experience.

  15. Face your fears.
  16. Going back to school can be intimidating for mature college students, especially if everyone seems younger and smarter. Having feelings of fear, anxiety, or awkwardness is natural and can be conquered by talking to others who feel the same. Verbalizing your feelings makes them less scary and helps mature students cope with their new surroundings.

  17. Create a timetable.
  18. Timetables are a great way to stay organized especially if you have other responsibilities in life other than school.Mature students should expect to revise their study schedules as needed, depending on assignments, work life, family life, and health.Stay on top of things with our free sample Timetable worksheet to log study hours.

  19. Relax, breathe and have fun.
  20. Going to school is a big commitment, but it should be an enjoyable experience since you are working towards reinventing your life from this point forward!