Top 5 reasons why you too will thrive as a mature student

Learning new skills, or adding new tools to your existing kit can be satisfying. It can also be intimidating and scary. Having been back at school for over a month now, I outline my top 5 reasons why I think you should consider going back to school as a seasoned professional.

#1 - Your professional and life experience make you special:

You bring a wealth of life experience to the classroom. You have experienced personal or professional challenges, and have developed skills that can be applied to your studies... or benefit your cohort.

#2 - Motivation:

You have a strong sense of motivation, as you have made a deliberate choice to return to school to pursue new goals. While younger students might persue grades, you are driven by a desire for personal growth, career advancement, or the pursuit of a lifelong passion.

#3 - Prior knowledge:

Many mature students (like me) have already acquired knowledge and skills through work or life experience. This can make it easier for them to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life situations. You won't have to wait long to put new learning into practice.

#4 - Diverse perspectives:

Mature students often come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and professions. This diversity can enrich classroom discussions and bring unique perspectives to the learning environment.

#5 - Time management skills:

I have a full time job and adding school to the mix would have been impossible without a system. At work, it took me 20 years to iterate on my time management system but now that it's working for me, adding school to the mix wasn't nearly as hard as I imagined it would be.

Returning to school as a mature student requires a significant commitment of time and resources but this isn't your first rodeo. Trust yourself - sign up for graduate studies, you can do this.