My journey as a mature student

My name is Catalina. I have just finished my second year doing a BA in English Language and Linguistics at York St John University. I started my first year of uni at 21 years old. This made me a mature student. The last two years have been the most fun and enriching experience. I want to help motivate anyone who is considering starting a degree later on in life.  

I only first started thinking of applying for university a year before I actually sent in my application. University was intriguing. I felt prepared for the challenge, something that I hadn’t felt when I first finished secondary school. Hours of research went into finding the best course and university to go on this daunting but exciting journey. The internet became my best friend and most useful research tool.

I started looking into universities in England. YSJ kept coming up as somewhere that offered support for both international students and mature students. There’s a specific tab on the YSJ website all about the different support offered for mature students. I kept checking this before starting my studies with different resources.

And so I decided to send in my application and cross my fingers that I would get in. The day I received my offer I felt unbelievably proud of myself and felt my life going in the right direction. 

My first year was wonderful, scary, challenging, and so much fun. I joined a society and a club at the SU. These brought great friendships and a sense of community within the University. The Students Union has such a great variety of societies and clubs to join. I almost couldn’t choose! They are such an amazing and fun way to meet people outside your course. 

Getting back to the rhythm of studying and attending lectures and seminars wasn’t the easiest and required an extra effort on my part the first couple of months. However, I had great help from both my academic tutor and course mates, and I always knew I could contact the Study Development Team for further support. I got used to university life and now have a great balance between academic responsibilities and enjoying life in York. 

Overall, I am so happy I decided to start my undergrad course and cannot wait to start my final year! If you’re unsure that this is the right path, I can say this experience has been fulfilling and enriching. This has been possible because of the support offered from YSJ. Thank you for reading about my journey as a mature student.

If you want to know more about life as a mature student, please read Halyna’s blog.