It is assumed by many that university is for “young” people. In fact, this idea is often indirectly encouraged throughout one’s youth by those holding the most influence — parents, guardians, siblings, friends and teachers. It is the expectation that 16 to 18-year olds in sixth form or college should know the exact career path they wish to follow for the next 40+ years.
My sixth form included both those fresh-faced from GCSEs as well as adult learners. I recall a friend at the time voicing loudly “Why didn’t they do A-levels 10 years ago?” and this unfortunately seemed to be the general consensus amongst my year group.
According to a research report released by the House of Commons, mature students (that is, any student aged 21 or over at the start of their degree) made up over one-third of undergraduate entrants at British universities in 2019.
Whilst not a majority, they clearly still account for a significant portion of the student population in the UK. I happened to join this bracket when I started my own university journey a few months after my 21st birthday in 2019.
After sixth form
On results day, I was one of the very few who didn’t get the grades required. My A-level results were good, though not quite good enough to get…
