Tips on applying as a Mature Student

paperclip2 · 04-02-2012 9:25pm

Posy wrote: »

Two references (at least one of which is academic) are required. Should I put down two lecturers I had, or one academic and one from the head of my department at work? I'm worried that if I pick two academic, they'll wonder why I'm not mentioning work and think something's up! Or would two academic be the norm?

I'd go with the one work, one academic to be honest. It can give a more rounded picture of your suitability.

Posy wrote: »

They ask about any previous college courses-
Institution: (obviously name of college)
Qualification: (eg. Honours Degree etc..)
Result: What do they mean by this? Like the percentage? I'd have assumed I'd enter 2:1, 2:2- that type of thing, but I'm not sure, because that seems the same as qualification..

Result generally means 1:1, 2:1 etc. Yes it is a bit confusing.

Posy wrote: »

Then they ask for Personal Achievements and Professional Associations.
Achievements: eg knowledge of languages, computer skills etc.
Associations: Include the details (association, period, level of involvement) of any membership of professional associations, institutions, national and international bodies.
I don't understand what this part means!!!

If you held a position like the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, or were a very active member of any association for example the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, Aontas, EGSA, Royal Institute of Architects, etc.

Posy wrote: »

Also, I have to upload copies of my transcripts etc..
I did a masters degree many years ago, and have a letter from the department 'Dear Posy...the examiners have accepted the recommendation that you be awarded the degree of masters...' and I have a cert with a load of Latin on it that I got on graduation day that my mother has in a frame somewhere. Is that what I'd need to scan- or would I have to call the college and get something from them?

A copy of the letter and the parchment is fine.

Best of luck with the application

Posy · 04-02-2012 10:39pm

That all makes perfect sense, Paperclip2- I'm so grateful for your detailed response. I think I went through the application form online and had a mini meltdown. Let's face it, if I feck up the application, it wouldn't be a great sign of getting onto the course.

Thank you again so much Paperclip, you're my hero!!!

This thread, and this whole forum and everyone who is so generous with their time, answering questions from panicking applicants and sharing their own past experience is a wonderful thing. I have found some invaluable advice by searching through various posts. You're all brilliant! xx

Scallywaggy · 17-02-2012 4:48pm

paperclip2 wrote: »

I’ve waffled enough.:o Hope this helps

Paperclip, I am so sorry, I honestly thought I had replied to your message and it appears that I haven't.
Your advise was spot on, very helpful indeed. The dog escaped a wash, but we did have a lovely cake!

I did have a lot to say, and was finally able to come up with a satisfactory edit.
Thank you so much for your help.

paperclip2 · 18-02-2012 9:20pm

No problem, Glad it worked out.

IainDo · 06-03-2012 2:03pm

I've just found this thread, it's fantastic. People are so generous with their time helping others who are applying for courses this year as mature applicants. I wish I'd found this when i was compiling all my applications this year. I decided very last minute to apply for uni next year, and am kinda nervous now that I mightn't have done enough prep.

I guess i need to try cultivating a little patience. Good to hear that not everyone gets it on their 1st attempt, it's reassuring in a pre-emptive way (I'm assuming I won't get a place).

Fair play to everyone applying, and also fair play to all the really helpful advice on here.:)

GaelicAnna · 12-03-2012 8:53pm

Can someone please advise, I have applied to Trinity for the 4 year Social Work degree, and if I am lucky enough to get called for an interview, what kind of questions will they ask of me? I have no concerns about applying as a mature student, as a matter of fact I would embrace the role. I grew up around Trinity College and the grounds were my playground, much to the annoyance of staff! I also went to my first disco there, and met with the Students Union, as a Union Rep! You could say I am intrinsically linked with Trinity!

Anna

antkeane · 21-03-2012 5:55pm

GaelicAnna wrote: »

Can someone please advise, I have applied to Trinity for the 4 year Social Work degree, and if I am lucky enough to get called for an interview, what kind of questions will they ask of me? I have no concerns about applying as a mature student, as a matter of fact I would embrace the role. I grew up around Trinity College and the grounds were my playground, much to the annoyance of staff! I also went to my first disco there, and met with the Students Union, as a Union Rep! You could say I am intrinsically linked with Trinity!

Anna

At the start of this thread she talks about the questions that were asked.
First page I think?

Larianne · 21-03-2012 9:46pm

She is me!

The questions I put up at the start is just a general mix of questions posed to me and others I know. I doubt they'll veer too much away from those types of questions.

Digitaljunkie · 23-03-2012 12:32pm

Larianne wrote: »

She is me!

The cats mother !..........:eek:

I'm not sure I even thanked you Larianne for all the fantastic info in the past so Thanks a Mill....:)

mamaehinoh · 03-04-2012 1:43pm

Hi all.. i'm back again after a few months lol.. now i applied for mature code nursing and have been invited for the written assessment. It's next week on saturday, but i have a bit of a problem, and i dont know what to do. I'm fine with most parts of the tests, but the only issue i have is the numerical test. My maths are extremely poor, i only got 2 out of the 5 tests questions right. I can't help but wonder how to pass it? Its grids (i assume as i come from the netherlands and i never got any further than 2nd class highschool maths) does anyone have any advice how i can improve my maths for the test as i really want to pass it. And does anyone have an idea how important it is in order to pass the maths as part of the whole exam? Thanks in advance.

antkeane · 03-04-2012 4:36pm

Maths is very important.I would suggest starting afresh with "Algebra 2 for dummies" and "leaving Cert Maths".

mamaehinoh · 10-04-2012 12:40pm

thanks for that antkeane..
please people who have done the mature nursing test (in particular the numerical test sorry) i am refreshing my mind again over the maths. however, i want to know on the day of the test, do any of you know if they will do fractions etc? if so on what level? i am doing a sample test right now on this site: http://www.nursing.edu.au/pdf/Sample_Numeracy_Test.pdf is it a bit alike the one they are doing here? i really need some responses please as it is on this saturday, and i have been practicing these type of questions, but the question on the public jobs website (the test familiarization booklet test practice questions) are very different than this test i am doing right now. i am sorry if i am causing a headache but i really want this, and i have been working on this for months now. thanks in advance

antkeane · 10-04-2012 4:03pm

Your math test wont be based on nursing.
It will be leaving cert exam stuff.

Differential calculus, slope, midpoint, trigonometry, algebra 2, quadratic equations, linear maths etc...

MollyMac · 11-04-2012 10:21am

mamaehinoh, if you are sitting the aptitude test this saturday for mature nursing then the Numerical Reasoning (Maths part) is not really about maths - its about patterns and different ways of presenting the problems. The samples in the test familiarisation are exactly the way the questions are set in the test. There is a very good site, rollercoaster.ie and they also have a facebook page with a lot of info on both. Good luck on Saturday. I'm sitting the test in Cork @ 9am

mamaehinoh · 11-04-2012 9:42pm

Hi mollymac.. thanks for that! god you have no idea how relieved i am at that lol! doing those type in the test familiarization booklet i managed with them, and i am getting better at them now

fingers crossed for saturday. and you also good luck! i have signed up for the rollercoaster and fb page also now.. its a great relief

i wish i knew about it earlier on though

well fingers crossed now.. take care.

_reznik · 24-04-2012 3:57pm

Hey guys.

I'm applying to return to college as a mature student. Just wondering could anyone tell me if I should put down incomplete college courses on my CV? For example, I did one year of a 3 year course in WIT but failed my exams and never went back after the first year.

Would it be best not to mention this at all or should I put it on my CV?

psycho-hope · 24-04-2012 8:46pm

Hi folks just looking for some tips from those of you who have been thru the whole interview thing.

I had an interview yesterday with AIT went ok I think but everyone ahead of me had loads of papers they were bringing in with them all I had was my leaving results and a cv, should I bring anything else to the interview i have in carlow next week, i haven't done any other certs/courses that are relevant to the course ive applied for.

thanks

peacock169 · 25-04-2012 12:23pm

_reznik wrote: »

Hey guys.

I'm applying to return to college as a mature student. Just wondering could anyone tell me if I should put down incomplete college courses on my CV? For example, I did one year of a 3 year course in WIT but failed my exams and never went back after the first year.

Would it be best not to mention this at all or should I put it on my CV?

Very similar to myself. I applied and said nothing on the application form, but when asked at interview why i wanted this course etc, i told them i had done one year many moons ago in a similar course, did not finish due to external circumstances, and desperately wanted to come back and try again.

I did not feel i was hiding anything from them in the application, as
a) was only asked about completed courses/qualifications
b) had fully intended on telling them as i felt it would strenghten my case, which, i'm delighted to say, it has:)

I would say don't hide it completely, maybe use it positively somehow.
Good luck.

Larianne · 25-04-2012 3:21pm

psycho-hope wrote: »

Hi folks just looking for some tips from those of you who have been thru the whole interview thing.

I had an interview yesterday with AIT went ok I think but everyone ahead of me had loads of papers they were bringing in with them all I had was my leaving results and a cv, should I bring anything else to the interview i have in carlow next week, i haven't done any other certs/courses that are relevant to the course ive applied for.

thanks

I didn't bring anything in with me when I was interviewed. I saw others bring in folders. But the interview panel will have all your details there in front of them. I wouldn't worry about it.

psycho-hope · 25-04-2012 10:26pm

Larianne wrote: »

I didn't bring anything in with me when I was interviewed. I saw others bring in folders. But the interview panel will have all your details there in front of them. I wouldn't worry about it.

thanks , thats what i was thinking just un-nevering seeing other people bring in sheets of paper

hollingr · 14-06-2012 9:44pm

Here's a few things I've noticed over my two years of applying for medicine as a mature. I can't "prove" most of this, it's just my opinion based on what I have observed. No one can tell you how to make the perfect application, most of it is shaped by things you've already done and life experience thus far. Certain things are worth knowing and do help to get that extra edge. Go the extra mile if there are weak points in your application, and always ask for feedback from each college if you don't get in, pester them until they give it.

- What they are looking for varies slightly from college to college. TCD/UCD seem to go for matures with a long history of volunteering and charity experience building up to their application. Last minute/token efforts seem to fall on deaf ears. They seem to take charity/volunteer work more seriously, and focus slightly less on academics.

- RCSI seem more likely to take people crossing over from random degrees, and they short list initially based your HPAT score.. the higher the better, but 160~ ish seems to be enough to at least get to sending in the personal statement stage. They made a big deal of my hpat score this year, I went up, from 174 to 192 and they seemed really impressed with this. They want candidates that are first and foremost, really strong academically. I've talked to people that have TONS more volunteer experience than me who didn't even get offered an interview with them, but did in other colleges.

- Can't comment on Galway/Cork since I didn't apply there, but I'm guessing they are at least slightly easier to get into than the Dublin colleges just based on numbers applying.

- RCSI DEFINITELY favour some sort of science background. That doesn't necessarily mean you need a science degree, just that you've actually proven your aptitude in science subjects before coming in.. even at leaving cert level. I think that went against me last year, since I did engineering and never did chem or bio for leaving cert. This year I took on those subjects as an external student and have a place in RCSI conditional on getting a B in Chemistry.

- I haven't heard of any matures in RCSI that did premed, from what I gather they keep the matures together and they all skip premed (have never heard otherwise). So if you aren't eligible to skip premed chances are you won't get a place.

- They want people that have seen the work of doctors directly, and know what they are getting themselves into. Charity/volunteer work that lacks exposure to doctors at work doesn't seem to mean all that much to application in RCSI. Push hard and keep your ear to the ground for volunteer work that actually exposes you to observing real medical work. Go abroad if you have to. There are plenty of third world countries with less red tape where it's easier to actually do something useful and get meaningful experience.

agreenyblue · 03-07-2012 1:33pm

Hey,

Thanks Laraianne for all the work you put into the thread, very helpful.

I´m looking at getting into Physiotherapy. I am finding it very difficult to get any additional information from the universities. I need to know how relevant my education and life experience would be deemed by those that make the decisions.

I did a weak leaving cert, ordinary level physics and maths.

I considered the access course you did at UCD but when I phoned they told me it was a level 6 course and I already have a level 6 engineering cert.
I have looked at HPAT and GAMSAT but I wouldn´t have the results in time for them to be relevant for an application in February 2013.

Do I have any other options in terms of preparatory science qualifications? If I am taking a course but haven´t received the results, will this have any bearing on my application? Did you complete the access course a year+ in advance?

I have cared for someone with a neurological condition for the past 2 1/2 years. I will look for volunteer/shadowing work and assume 6 months volunteer work would qualify me in terms of experience?

Have I any chance in being accepted for 2013?

Finally, I dislike maths and the sciences. My idea is to work hard for the first two years to get my grounding and I think I would love it after that. Having done three years of the course, Would you consider this foolish?

Thanks.

agreenyblue · 03-07-2012 4:21pm

Hey,

Trinity got back to me. Without a science qualification (leaving cert sciences, access course) I stand no chance. It would be 2014 before I can apply.

Larianne, Can you confirm this is what you had to do when you did the access course?: Do the course then wait around for a year. Seems crazy.

Jessibelle · 03-07-2012 6:35pm

Hey agreenyblue,
You could apply for Sept 2013 entry on sitting the access course from Sept 2012-May 2013, the same if you sat, for example leaving cert sciences in June 2013, you could be considered for entry in Sept 2013. A lot of colleges when looking at mature students applicants will interview you on your life experience/personal statement and then offer a place on the proviso that you get x mark in a science subject in an access course/state exam. The good thing about the access courses I found was I could show my Christmas exam results at interview in May, despite not having completed all my exams, to give the interviewers an idea of how I was doing, which I couldn't do with leaving cert sciences, given the exam was in June.
Also you don't need to worry about sitting the HPAT/GAMSAT for Physiotherapy, they're only applicable for Medicine applicants afaik.

Larianne · 03-07-2012 8:27pm

agreenyblue wrote: »

I considered the access course you did at UCD but when I phoned they told me it was a level 6 course and I already have a level 6 engineering cert.

Did they say you were not eligable for the course or what?

I'd get back to them and say for the course you are applying to, Physiotherapy, iti would suit you as it covers Chemistry and Physics which are needed in 1st year Physio. Also the Maths module will help when you go on to do statistics (kind of).

agreenyblue wrote: »

Do I have any other options in terms of preparatory science qualifications? If I am taking a course but haven´t received the results, will this have any bearing on my application? Did you complete the access course a year+ in advance?

I think DIT also run an access course so I would contact them to see what they offer.

As Jessibelle has stated above - with the access course you sit Chemistry, Maths and complete a study skills assignment before Christmas so you have some results to show them. I also used one of the lecturers as a reference.

agreenyblue wrote: »

I have cared for someone with a neurological condition for the past 2 1/2 years. I will look for volunteer/shadowing work and assume 6 months volunteer work would qualify me in terms of experience?

Have I any chance in being accepted for 2013?

All I can say is, you need to cover all bases. Every mature student application is different. Your personal statement is also a big part of it. I would say get as much Physio shadow experience that you can so you can show your knowledge of the different areas of Physiotherapy.

agreenyblue wrote: »

Finally, I dislike maths and the sciences. My idea is to work hard for the first two years to get my grounding and I think I would love it after that. Having done three years of the course, Would you consider this foolish?

Thanks.

Physiotherapy is very science based. You may struggle with Physiology, Anatomy and Chemistry in 1st year and to be honest, you are constantly going back to Physiology for clinical reasoning when on placement. Physiotherapy has a practical element to it but the basis of treatment goes back to scientific research. You don't stop doing science based subjects in first, second year. 4th year requires you to do a research project which involves statistics. I'm no fan of Maths myself but disliking Maths and Sciences, I'm not sure if Physiotherapy is suited to you? Perhaps completing the access course will help you decide - I ended up really liking Chemistry from that course!

agreenyblue · 03-07-2012 11:47pm

Cheers folks,

That makes a lot more sense, I misunderstood the information I was given, I think.

Yeah, I'll find out after volunteer work and the access course if it is for me, If I've no ability there'd be no point. I only did Physics in school, sucked at it, but I sucked at everything in school.

Very grateful for the input.

Larianne · 04-07-2012 6:17pm

agreenyblue wrote: »

Cheers folks,

That makes a lot more sense, I misunderstood the information I was given, I think.

Yeah, I'll find out after volunteer work and the access course if it is for me, If I've no ability there'd be no point. I only did Physics in school, sucked at it, but I sucked at everything in school.

Very grateful for the input.

I think the access course will be very beneficial for you. The classes are kept at a nice pace so you have time to ask questions and the lecturers are always available to give you extra help if you need it. Also, UCD have a maths support centre which you can drop into for help. I was disasterous at Maths but I ended up with 92% in my Maths exam. It's just realising the steps involved. The Study skills class you do during the course allowed me to change my way of studying and I learnt how to get help from different resources - books, Youtube (A god send), group study sessions etc.

And....Try to avoid the negativity!

agreenyblue · 05-07-2012 2:33pm

hmm, quote bar...

¨I think the access course will be very beneficial for you. The classes are kept at a nice pace..¨
You saw through my ´dislike´, well played.

¨And....Try to avoid the negativity!¨
Paraphrased from memory, Beckett: With its head buried in the sand, who knows what the ostrich sees.

I´ll be back with more questions, it is to get messy.

dor83 · 05-07-2012 4:43pm

I haven't posted in this thread before but I have read through it many times and found it to be an excellent source of info for my application. I got offered the only course I applied for this morning and don't think I could have done it without the advice in this thread, so I just wanted to thank everyone who contributed towards it. Thank you all.

antkeane · 06-07-2012 12:45am

agreenyblue wrote: »

Hey,

Thanks Laraianne for all the work you put into the thread, very helpful.

I´m looking at getting into Physiotherapy. I am finding it very difficult to get any additional information from the universities. I need to know how relevant my education and life experience would be deemed by those that make the decisions.

I did a weak leaving cert, ordinary level physics and maths.

I considered the access course you did at UCD but when I phoned they told me it was a level 6 course and I already have a level 6 engineering cert.
I have looked at HPAT and GAMSAT but I wouldn´t have the results in time for them to be relevant for an application in February 2013.

Do I have any other options in terms of preparatory science qualifications? If I am taking a course but haven´t received the results, will this have any bearing on my application? Did you complete the access course a year+ in advance?

I have cared for someone with a neurological condition for the past 2 1/2 years. I will look for volunteer/shadowing work and assume 6 months volunteer work would qualify me in terms of experience?

Have I any chance in being accepted for 2013?

Finally, I dislike maths and the sciences. My idea is to work hard for the first two years to get my grounding and I think I would love it after that. Having done three years of the course, Would you consider this foolish?

Thanks.

If you dont like science mate. Dont go for a science degree. A Bsc is not for you. You need to love it to complete. It sounds like your after a B.A. Follow your own path, someone else may want it more and your taking there course. Sorry to be harsh but you are better off not wasting 4 years in a course someone else wants and you are un-happy!

Tips on applying as a Mature Student

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