The troubles of a mature student

Having gone straight from college into the workplace, I was independent from the age of 18. I was earning good money, had my own car, and travelled the world. Everything was on my terms, and this was part of my own 'growing-up' experience. However, I soon realised that without a degree, I would only ever get so far in life, and really didn't fancy being stuck in the same job (without prospects) for life. So, I did what anyone else having a quarter life crisis would do - applied to study at university.

My first couple of weeks at university were a real eye-opener. Sure, there were other 'mature' students like myself, but the majority were college and sixth-form students and many were now experiencing their first taste of freedom. I found it difficult to fit in: Cheap wine and beer no longer appealed to me, nor did I have any desire to spend my nights in fancy dress, being packed into a bar where the sole intention is to get as drunk as possible. I also found that a lot of students still had the same mentality that they had at school – giggling at the back of the class, or whispering about other students. It just made me feel glad that I chose to delay my studies, as my 18-year-old self is extremely different to the woman I am today, and I'm not sure whether continuing on to university straight from school would have been a good move for me.

I appreciate that this makes me sound like a study snob, but I don't necessarily think that I am. It's just that with age and wisdom (and extensive travelling), I have come to appreciate the nicer things in life. I am sure when the younger students get to my age (I'm not even that old, we'll say late 20s to preserve my dignity), they'll look back at their early 20s with fond memories, but will have no desire to repeat it.