A Beginner's Guide to University

Non-school Leavers: Expectations to Avoid

As a non-school leaver student, the challenges you face making a transition to uni will be similar to school leavers, with some extra!

If you've never studied at university before, you'll need to adjust to tertiary level learning. If you're returning to study, things may have changed significantly since your last university experience.

If you're about to begin uni, you might be feeling excited and fearful in equal measure. However, it's best to make sure that the fears don't dominate your expectations. Below are some common concerns expressed by non-school leavers.

The Impostor Syndrome

A 'proper' student is a school-leaver: I shouldn't really be here

Sometimes it can be easy to believe that university belongs to fresh-faced school-leavers and that you shouldn't be there. You worry that you're not a 'proper' student, so at some point you'll be found out.

To counter this very common concern, remember that there is a great tradition of adult learners of which you'll be a part. You have earned your place at uni and your position in the class is as legitimate as anyone else's.

• You bring a focus that comes from a conscious decision to attend university, a decision that may have been a long (or very long) time in the making.
• Unlike many school leavers, the decision to study as an adult is not necessarily the result of taking the next step in the long period of formal education that occurs early in life.
  
  Therefore returning to study is often a carefully considered decision. Many non-school leavers have well-defined goals and a clear idea of what they would like to get out of studying.
• Peer and parental pressure may be less of a concern and, as an adult student, you may feel more in control of your choice of studies.
• Many non-school leavers have made compromises, even sacrifices, to attend uni. Thereforee they are keen to make the most of their education and may be inclined to value it more highly as a result.

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The Superhero Syndrome

I'll just have to fit it all in somehow ...

I'll never keep up with the work!

Time management and organisation are vital skills for all students, but are especially important for non-school leavers.

If you have been in the workforce or running a household (or both), it can take time to adjust to adding study into the mix, and learn to juggle study and the rest of your life.

Time Management for Adult Learners

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The Rustbucket Syndrome

You can't teach an old dog new tricks

You are never too old to learn. Some students have enrolled post-retirement and managed to enjoy themselves and get a degree. Non-school leaver students are usually highly motivated and keen to do well. Research has shown that they do at least as well as school-leavers, often better (Richardson, J 1994).

I haven't studied since I was at school, so I'm worried about coping

Being a non-school leaver student has advantages and disadvantages in academic terms. On one hand you may have high motivation, prior learning or wide reading on your side. On the other hand, you may not have written a formal essay or sat an exam for some time.

If you haven't studied for a while, you might worry that you'll find it hard, and it may be so at first. You'll either have to learn new skills or revive dormant ones like:

• reading
• note-taking
• writing in an academic style
• conducting research
• the skills of discussion
• constructing an argument
• analytical thinking
• those needed for use with computers and information technology in general.

It's important to remember that academic skills can be learnt or refreshed.

Remember you may well have acquired work and life skills that can help compensate for a lack of recent study experience. For example:

• Non-school leavers often have a strong work ethic.
• Experience of a working life and work routine often provides them with the motivation crucial to successful study.
• Previous work experience makes non-school leaver more accustomed to meeting deadlines. They are often well-organised and meticulous.
• They are often willing to ask or answer questions.
• They are often critical thinkers and good problem solvers.

Don't discount work-related study or on-the-job training. You may well have studied a great deal during your life and likely learned a lot more than you might think.

Tips for Non-School Leavers Returning to Study

Online Academic Skills Resources

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The Age Game

I'll be the only older student in the class

My teachers seem very young

Everyone around me will be younger than me

Depending on your age, everyone may well be younger than you. For some of you, uni could be a bit like studying with your children. Some of your tutors could be in their early twenties. You may even be taught by lecturers who are in their late twenties or early thirties. For some (especially those who associate age with authority) this may take some getting used to.

Some non-school leavers enjoy the experience of being surrounded by younger students, while others feel initially uncomfortable. Most, however, admit to feeling a little out of place at first.

Some non-school leavers regard their age difference from school-leavers as a barrier to belonging, as an obvious, visible sign that they are different. They sometimes feel unable to approach younger students. They feel school leavers are not new to study, are familiar with the system and already have social networks.

However it's important to keep an open mind and make an effort to get to know other students regardless of age. Remember that all students experience transition issues. You'll probably find school-leavers will be just as disorientated as you are in the first few weeks, but have different ways of showing it.

Don't play the age game:

• Don't assume that younger students won't be interested in you, or you in them. You may find that you learn a great deal from each other.
• Don't assume that they automatically have the advantage as students or that they know more than you about studying.
• Try not to be too conscious of your age. Don't make too many references to it, or use it as a source for self-deprecation.
• Don't use your age or experience to assert authority over younger students.
• Don't be dismissive of younger students or allow them to be dismissive of you in terms of age.
• Mutual respect is the key.

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The Lone Wolf

I'm just here to work

I won't have time to socialise, so why bother?

Many students experience a sense of isolation, even alienation, in their first few weeks of uni, especially on a large campus. These feelings can be particularly common for non-school leavers.

For the many non-school leavers attending uni part-time, these feelings are intensified. Part-timers spend relatively few hours on campus, which slows down the transition progress and makes engagement with uni culture and with student peers more difficult.

While most new students share anxieties about fitting in, part-time students will need to make an extra effort.

If you're a busy part-timer, it's easy to focus exculsively on your studies and decide that interaction with other students is 'extra' luxury that you don't have time for. However, establishing networks and forming connections with other students and academic staff will enhance the engagement with uni that is vital to your success.

So, don't discount the importance of forming networks—even though you may have limited opportunities.

More about Social Life

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Negative Comparisons

Everyone else will have it together

It'll be so easy for school leavers

It's easy to imagine that school leavers will find uni easy, especially if you're expecting to struggle yourself. But remember school leavers have their own difficulties making the transition to university (some of which will be similar to your own). For example, many will be learning about self-motivation, independent study and how to juggle conflicting priorities. Many will be living away from home for the first time.

Avoid comparing yourself to other students—it's not helpful. It's your education, so define yourself as a student and work at your own pace.

Tips for Non-School Leavers Returning to Study

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Technophobia

Help! I'm not information or computer literate

As with just about every other aspect of contemporary life, computers are an integral part of university study. If you're a non-school leaver, especially if you're not part of the generation that has grown up with information technology, you might feel apprehensive.

Once again, it's easy to assume that school-leavers have the edge, and will be better equipped than you. However, it's a misconception.

More about Computer Literacy

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School Daze

I was hopeless at school; didn't enjoy it at all

If your last educational experience was high school, then that experience will influence your expectations of what uni will be like.

If you didn't enjoy school or found your studies difficult, you're likely to be concerned that uni won't suit you either. However, university environments and tertiary learning and teaching methods are very different from school. If school teaching methods didn't suit you then perhaps the university's methods will.

Differences between high school and uni

It's years since I sat an exam

There are more ways of assessing student work than just exams. Uni assessments can include:

• essays
• reports
• oral presentations
• group tasks and projects
• portfolio or design projects
• fieldwork
• lab work

The type of assessment will often depend on you study programme. Some subjects have no examinations. However even if you do sit exams, remember that exam skills, like all other academic skills, can be learnt and improved.

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