Your education questions answeredBrian Mooney is president of the Institute of GuidanceCounsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney@irish-times.ie
Can you advise me, please? I am 42 years old and I feel stuck in a rut. I have a part-time job but I am totally unfulfilled. I have always had a hankering, but never had the opportunity, to go to college. I have heard you talking about mature students in the past and am wondering if it is possible for me to become one. My problem is that I do not have many formal qualifications.
Thankfully, lack of formal qualifications is not the barrier to education it used to be. Universities are increasingly committed to encouraging and supporting mature students and many have appointed mature student officers and developed admissions procedures that are adult-friendly. Access and Return to Learning courses have been developed for those who may not meet existing entry criteria or for those who may qualify for entry on the basis of earlier achievement, but do not have the confidence to take the big step into third-level. Depending on the college, these courses are offered on a part-time or a full-time basis. Part-time courses facilitate people like you with work or other commitments. These courses blend academic subjects with a wide range of important study skills to support and help boost confidence in the adult learner.
For many aspiring mature students, the obstacles on the road to third level can be overwhelming. These foundation level and access courses aim to reduce the barriers and lead to a good appreciation of what is expected at university. These courses usually include one-to-one tutorial support and also include an IT component.
Some university undergraduate places are reserved for mature students. This is something that varies from college to college and even from department to department. The national target is to increase mature student intake to 15 per cent by 2005 and to 25 per cent by 2015. In some cases students must apply directly to the colleges, while in others, students must apply through the CAO system. Policies vary considerably between one college and another.
Anyone considering a move to third-level education should contact the admissions officer in each college to establish their entry procedure. They should also ask for faculty information booklets, check out websites, and find out whether they offer access courses or run open days and sampler or taster weeks.
People who work with mature students will tell you they are a hardworking, well-organised and highly enthusiastic group who enrich the learning environment. For those who persevere, the rewards can be immense - indeed, there was never a better time to be a mature student!
As mentioned earlier, it is essential to obtain as much information as possible from the various colleges so you can make an informed choice about your future. To give you a flavour of the whole third level experience, the Adult Education Centre at UCD plans a mature student Taster Week in June.
For information about this Tel: 01-7167584 or e-mail: adult.education@ucd.ie
