4 October 2012
Sue Eccles, head of education at Bournemouth University’s media school contributed to an article in the i newspaper about mature students.
Sue said that, while mature students come from various points in the education and employment spectrum, "in practice mature students are more like 28 and over."
"People go to university later in life for a career change, or to shore up experience and gain formal qualifications."
She added that degree-level qualifications can allow mature graduates to apply for a wider range of new roles for which they may previously have lacked the theoretical knowledge.
"It’s about knowing why what you do works and how to refine or improve it over time, plus having the confidence to think around things to find solutions," Sue said.
She also believes that older graduates can be sensible hires for employers.
"People are looking for rounded, balanced graduates of any age who are able to bring new things to the organisation," she told reporter Russ Thorne.
"A lot of mature graduates are able to do exactly that; they have the work ethic already."
A former mature student herself, Sue said she also understands the benefits of interacting with younger students in particular.
"I ‘grew down’ quite a lot!" she said.
"It can loosen up people who have been in work for a few decades and allow them to experience another side of life. For me opened up a door to knowledge that was a complete revelation."
You can read the article here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/age-is-just-a-number-for-legions-of-mature-students-8196948.html.
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