Introduction
The research collected for the following paper is taken from studies of mature students and their decision to return to a higher level of education. With that decision, particular considerations and factors are explored, such as the pros and cons of becoming a mature student on top of daily life responsibilities. This paper will discuss how the decision to return to school affects the family life, the financial burden of returning to school, the opportunities and benefits of returning to school. Higher education is very much more important today than it has ever been; it is evident in our everyday lives. Timothy Lintner (1997) describes a university in Arizona which is experiencing what they are calling the “Grey Revolution”. The university is branching out where mature students are concerned. The university’s enrollment strategy is designed to attract these students by offering programs specifically for the mature student. As a case in point, today there is an influx of adults returning to a higher level of education. This coincides with individuals who embark on the continuing education journey to achieve such goals. When compared to traditional aged students, Richardson and King (1998) specify that adult students are more of a collective group, and when it comes to their education they are different.
The difference lies in the expectations a mature student has of a university setting when compared to that of a traditional aged student. This coincides with the level of motivation as well as the experience an adult student will encounter in a university setting. This paper will examine as mentioned above, the decision-making involved when adults decide to return to a higher level of education, to either complete that unfinished degree or to obtain it for the first time. Included in this paper will be examples taken from the research collected as well as a brief observation of my own experience. I am currently a mature student and I’ve returned to university to complete my education, not for the sole purpose of obtaining a better job, but to complete a task that I have left unfinished for far too long. Briefly let me explain the reference to myself and the reason that it has taken me eight years to return to an educational setting. After graduation, when I received my final grades, they did not represent my level of intelligence. Because of this failure, I was too embarrassed to return to complete my education to move forward so that I could then begin the life and career I wanted. Moreover, this is one of many reasons as to why I can relate to some of the mature students in this study.
Becoming a mature student?
The decision to go to university is not one to be made lightly. The demands of embarking on such a journey can be very stressful. Adults who enter into this venture usually have much more to weigh than traditional students when it comes to either returning to a higher level of education or taking that first jump to completing one’s education. Traditional aged students are between the ages of 18 years old and 21 years old, and a majority of these individuals are entering university straight out of high school. Therefore, their minds are fresh and prepared for the demands that lie ahead. Mature students may not have the advantage of freshly coming from out of a class room. However, a mature student does have the advantage of everyday demands which are a benefit when it comes to being prepared for the vigorous work load that university will demand. An example is a single mother who has to balance child care and work. I will acknowledge that there are traditional aged students who are parents and have to deal with financial burdens and child care as well. The basis of this paper is to focus on mature students and what they have to endure when they make the decision to return to a higher level of education. Traditional students have been referred to because not all mature students have had a traditional level of educational training. Some mature students who return to a higher level of education will have to up-grade their basic skill level when embarking on such a journey. When a mature student enters the class room, his or her confidence level can be affected because of the limited amount of educational training in comparison to a traditional aged student.
As mentioned above, research has shown that some returning adult students have not completed a formal level of educational training, and are not truly familiar with a university setting (Gammon, 1997). There are mature students who have had formal educational training, but due to some unforeseen family issue, financial crisis, or other situations that individual has dropped out or not completed his or her degree. The above scenario is that of mature students who then decide that returning to complete their education will have to be placed on the back burner. As time moves on, so does the desire to return and complete his or her education. Once again when a mature student has made the decision to continue his or her education, financial burdens and how this will affect the family are front and center (Bryant, 1995). Thus the academic department needs to acknowledge that a mature student in this category is different from the everyday traditional aged student. Some mature students may already have acquired a degree, but the infamous low GPA’s and grades of D’s or F’s still haunt them, and this also is a major factor as to why it has taken some longer than others to complete their education.
Coupled with this, a mature student also has to deal with refreshing his or her basic skills. This too can be a difficult task for the student who has had limited to no traditional educational training. Despite these hurdles, mature students do exhibit a stronger ability to be more focused and attentive. Where does the family dynamic fit in? A number of mature students have to ensure that they have adequate child care in place, some mature students also have to ensure that not only do they have child care in place, but also that their employers can accommodate their schedule. With personal demands and educational demands, and some mature students are not able to handle the stress that is involved with such a journey. This is where mature students should be advised in a similar way to traditional aged students that their goals for embarking on this journey have to be realistic. Furthermore, to be successful, taking advantage of resources and necessary tools is very important.
The previous points are a direct link when referencing women and their decision to re-enter a higher level of education. Some women, who re-enter the higher level education sphere, enter for many different reasons. The following are few examples of why women re-enter a higher level of education. Some women return to complete or advance their education level; and there are those who re-enter because the children in the home are all grown; there are also women who re-enter to pursue an opportunity that has arisen. Finally, some women take on the journey to be a visual model for their children. The re-entrance of women into higher level of education also has to do with self-worth, and some women view this opportunity as a way of finding their identity. Today women are a large presence in universities and colleges. However; it is still evident today women face the paradox with the responsibility for child rearing. Reference Gammon (1997) tells an example of, Ann a mature student whose progress was documented endured some obstacles when she decided to embark on her journey to better her future and that of her family. At the time of continuing her education, Ann was a single mother with limited formal education. Ann’s journey was difficult at times, but she continued to push forward and when she was advised that she should not continue, she did the opposite. When she did not receive admissions into the educational institution she wanted, she travelled to the school, pleaded her case and impressed the admission department so much that she gained entrance. Ann’s story is one example of mature students that have to deal with certain factors when they return to a level of higher education.
Conclusion
To conclude is becoming a mature student worth it? YES it is. We have to acknowledge that it is also an important decision that has long lasting benefits. For some mature students when it appeared that success was not going to happen, giving up was not an option. The research gathered verifies that a majority completed their education and went on to bigger opportunities. I personally can relate, for my entrance into an educational career was a disaster. I thought I had everything under control, but in hind sight I can see how naïve I was. I became overwhelmed, and I did not take advantage of the tools and resources available to me. The determination and hard work that I apply today, I did not apply back then. My situation is different, but, this is where the research about mature students has validity. Giczkowski and Allen (1995) explain (as mentioned previously) that F’s and low GPA’s have a weird and strange tendency of rearing their ugly heads, haunting mature students. I agree with their assessment. As a mature student, one questions if the professors only see the past (I question that at times myself). As a mature student, we tend to worry more about the past than the present. Maintaining focus and determination, gets to be a bit tricky when we are hindered by a past educational career. The difference now is that as mature students re-entering the educational system we can see how education has clearly evolved. The past is not always the end all. As a mature student one is not defined solely by past performance, but rather by current performance and achievements
That being said, as a mature student the past cannot be erased. One’s academic record will always be a part of the student; the task is not to dwell on the past but to continue to move forward. The pressure the second time around can be enormous at times. It is counterproductive as a student to put so much pressure upon ourselves. One thing the research drives home is the concept of taking advantage of the support system and all applicable resources out there that is available. I have to admit that is one lesson I have learned this second time around. That is why I have taken advantage of tutoring sessions twice a week and building a rapport with professors, and I accept feedback from professors who were not in the same position as myself, but understand the demand and the burden that an academic career carries. Being a mature student is difficult-work, families, financial responsibilities are all factors. Through all of this we can clearly see that the benefit of being a mature student is simply the completion of one’s education and with that comes opportunities. Education is necessary for advancement in life and personal growth, and with that comes opportunities and an ample amount of possibilities.
Notes
• I examine what it means to become a mature student.
• I took a brief look at the story of a mature student named Ann whose progress was followed by (Mary Gammon 1997).
• I incorporate my own experience being a mature student.
• There were a few mature students that provided the pros and cons of returning to school and the burdens they endure.
• We also look at the different factors mature students have to consider, examples being financial burdens, child care burdens, not having a complete formal education in some cases.
• I acknowledge that the benefit of embarking on such a journey is not just financial growth, but personal growth and advancement of future possibilities and opportunities.
References
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Gammon, M. (1997). What Makes a Successful Mature Student. The American Association for Adult & Continuing Education Adult Learning, 8 (4).
Giczkowski, W., & Allen, A. T. (1995). Advising Adult Students Requires Special Attention. The American Association for Adult & Continuing Education, 5 (5).
Hamil, M. A., & Young, W. H. (1994). Employment of Adult Continuing Education Graduates: a case study. The American Association for Adult & Continuing Education Adult Learning 5 (4).
Lintner, T. (1997). Adults Back to School: a new beginning. The American Association for Adult & Continuing Education Adult Learning, 8 (3).
Osborne, M., Marks, A., & Turner, E. (2004). Becoming a Mature Student: How Adult Applicants Weigh the Advantages and Disadvantages of Higher Education. Springer Higher Education, 48 (3), 291-315.
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Richardson, J. T. E., & King, E. (1998). Adult Students in Higher Education: Burden or Boon. The Journal of Higher Education, 69 (1), 65-88.