Author: Claire

A mature nursing student life can be quite exciting! Getting back to the classrooms, the benches, following lectures, taking notes, learning how to retain information again (especially if life has left an impact on your memory capacity) can sometimes make a mature nursing student wonder if doing it all over again is truly possible. Add to that a family to keep up with, cooking preparations, the never-ending laundry, housekeeping…but let me tell you this, going back to study as a mature nursing student is indeed possible! Read on, I will be sharing with you why it is possible and what you can do to make it work, all based on my personal experience.

Applying for a Degree as a Mature Nursing Student

Back when I was 18 years old I had to stop studying to raise my first child. It didn’t affect me much at the time, but with every year that passed I kept wishing that the time would maybe come again for me to resume my studies. It was always my wish to follow a degree and eventually graduate.

Life goes on, and eventually I had another two children. The dream still lingered on in my mind, but there was not much I could do at the time. Life with three children is definitely not easy. A lot of responsibilities, a lot of advice, a lot of messes to clean up, unlimited stress, financial strain…

However in early summer of 2019 I discovered that the University of Malta offers a Degree programme in Nursing at Part Time level. Instead of the usual 3 years to graduate, this course provided the exact same course of study but spread over 5 years. That was the day that for the first time in years I experienced a new sense of excitement!

Although I didn’t have any previous knowledge in the Biology field, I sent an application and was called in for an interview. I remember clearly all the emotions I felt on the day in front of 3 interviewers. I was so excited, I had so much I wanted to say but didn’t due to the mix of emotions. A sense of hopelessness washed over me for the next weeks. I was afraid that during the interview I could have possibly sabotaged my own chance of going back to study. But the day came when I got a letter saying I had been accepted!

My Personal Experience as a Mature Nursing Student

Being a mature nursing student has given me a new perspective to the word ‘study’. You see, throughout my school days I was constantly bullied, I barely had any friends, I spent my break time hiding in the school chapel, and I couldn’t speak up without having tears flowing out from my eyes. My self esteem was a total mess.

It is amazing how time and experiences change a person. Going back to study as a mature nursing student, I no longer feel shy to speak up, I ask questions whenever I feel the need to, I have friends and truly enjoy the time I spend with my cohort colleagues, but most importantly, I am enjoying all the learning that is being presented to me thanks to the amazing lecturers we have at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta. All the staff and academics at our Faculty are wonderfully helpful and understanding, ready to listen to our queries and to try to accommodate our concerns as much as possible.

As a mature nursing student, I know what I want from life, I know where I am heading, and I am ready to do whatever it takes to get there. This includes letting go of other hobbies to focus on what matters the most at this time – study, and study hard!

Having a 5 year old who still wakes up multiple times at night and who is also quite active doesn’t help much. The best solution I found is to study after she sleeps. This usually gives me an average of 3-5 hours of study. I make sure I do this for at least 4-5 times a week. This gives me ample time to revise all the content given, to research further on the topics being covered, and at times to watch videos about related nursing skills.

The secret to being a successful mature nursing student is to seek what works best for you…

The secret to being a successful mature nursing student is to seek what works best for you in terms of learning methods. Personally I learn mostly through research and thorough understanding of rationales. Knowing exactly why something is done in one way but not in the other helps me understand and remember information better. Creating flashcards with nursing terms has also been quite effective for me as well.

Additional Advice

• Seek help. If you have other commitments or a family to take care of, do not be afraid to ask for help. Evaluate all the people within your close circle, see who is truly being supportive of you going back to study, and ask for help.
• Be aware of any local support systems available to mature students. I have personally been making use of an after-school club for children, which is offered to working parents and students. Whilst this may require a small fee, it could be quite worthwhile.
• Do not let the fear of taking the time off from your family for yourself get in your way. Sometimes as mature students we tend to let unreasonable guilt take over us. It happened to me too, but let me tell you, I just finished my first year out of five, and my daughters have been impacted positively seeing their mother get back to studying! Happy mum, happy kids! It has also given them a sense of courage and determination, their grades have overall improved, and they are becoming even more responsible.
• Learn what works for you best in terms of study. If it’s reading that helps you, read more. If it’s videos you learn from, see more. If it’s writing that helps, write more. Whatever it is, do more of it, but always apply the same principles that your lecturers pass onto you. Seek reliable sources, and where possible, recent ones.
• Do your best! You are human after all. Do whatever you can so you don’t have any regrets (as with anything, not just with study). But always be understanding and compassionate with yourself as well. Do not beat yourself up if you get a lower grade than expected. Instead seek ways to do better next time.

Last piece of advice (and most probably the most important one of all)…

When you believe in yourself, everything becomes possible and nothing will hold you back to achieve your dreams. You can do whatever you set your mind on. Believe in you and in the ability and the valuable asset that you can be as a mature nursing student. Be who you are and let your true self shine! You can do this!

Are you a mature student too? Share your experience by commenting below or fill in the contact me form 🙂

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