Mature students starting 2014/15

Morag

Are there another other 'mature' students enrolling as 1st year?
Any current students or mature students got any tips or info which can help us old folk who are starting this coming year?

Drezden

Aye, Computer Applications can't wait! What course are you in?

cw67irl

I'm a mature just finished first year science! Loved it!!! Is there anything in particular you are wondering about?

As for advice give it your best, try and make all your lectures and tutorials and don't be afraid to go to lecturers with questions or issues most will go out of their way to help you!

Morag

DC131 communication studies.

So what are the coffee shops like on campus?
Whats the food like?
Whats the gym like?

cw67irl

I'm not a member of the gym but it looks great pretty much state of the art fully staffed etc.

Tons of coffee shops Inc the main restaurant. Some faculty buildings have their own Business and Nursing all pretty good. Main restaurant is pretty good aswell

Morag

oh is the gym membership a separate thing?
Whats the printing and photocopying rates like on campus?

cw67irl

Photocopying rates are handy a couple of cents you have a little account you can top up with a card or vouchers from the library.

The gym is about 200 for the academic year, If you are into fitness and living nearby it would be good but commuting and a science degree didn't leave a lot of time for the gym!

Beakflakes

I'll be a mature student entering first year Multimedia in September. Looking forward to being poor for the next 3 years!:( .... but enthusiastic as hell all the same.

lunnatic

Im a mature (well 25) starting first year in International Relations in September. It will be a big ask financially i think but im looking forward to it. I have signed up for the Mature Mentor Program and most of the mature events mid September so hopefully we'll all meet then.

Ill be commuting from Wicklow Town so if anyone knows of someone who needs a lift, well if they want to chip in for petrol im more than willing to take passengers.

Andy

Vayda

Mature student starting Law and International Language, 1st year. It's all very new so I'm looking forward to getting some info on when everything starts.

Commuting from Meath, but originally lived around the corner from DCU.

Blankets

I'm going to be starting DCU this year in Communication Studies too Morag. We'll probably end up friends!

Morag

or enemies one never can tell with strangers of the internet.

Blankets

Ha, I don't see myself making any enemies at this stage of my life! That's one of the nice things about going back as a mature student I think!

JohnDaniels

Starting Engineering as a mature student this year. Dreading getting started but hopefully will be fine once into the swing of things. If anyone fancies meeting up it would be great to get to know a few other mature student. Please PM me.

Blankets

I'm sure everyone's in the same boat more or less nerves wise. Once we're all settled we'll be wondering what we were dreading so much!

Davei141

Just started the first year BEST orientation programme in Marketing, Innovation & Technology as a mature student (25) and i didn't see any other mature students yet, which was a bit scary but hopefully i see some soon. It is a bit overwhelming at first but im sure it will be fine. Are you's all doing the mature student orientation on Friday?

Blankets

Well registration for some courses doesn't even start till mid week so I presume you'll start to see far more beginning to trickle in soon! I'm not in till Wednesday.

What's the mature thing on Friday? I don't remember seeing it but I probably just skimmed over and missed it. Sometimes you get a bit of information overload when you're getting prepared for something like this!

Morag

The timetable for the mature student orientation was emailed out by the Mature Student Officer.

Evade

Blankets wrote: »

What's the mature thing on Friday? I don't remember seeing it but I probably just skimmed over and missed it. Sometimes you get a bit of information overload when you're getting prepared for something like this!

There was an email about it a few weeks ago. It looks like an infodump about services for older students.

Davei141

These are the details I was emailed anyway.

Friday, September 19, 2014 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM QG15, Ground Floor Business School.

Blankets

Ah yes, I remember the one now. I was thinking about the actual hard copy details we were sent out, I couldn't recall seeing any mention of it.

The Communications Studies students will be in on Friday anyway so I'll probably be popping into a least a few of the events.

Does anyone see themselves signing up for the mentoring programme?

Davei141

I'm not going to sign up for the mentoring programme but it sounds like a great resource that would help loads, especially if you haven't been in college/university for a good while before now.

Nordie Durdle

Heading into second year on Monday doing Enterprise Computing. Hope to see some of you in the mature student society this year.

I was surprised there were only two matures in my year, wondering if it's roughly the same in other disciplines?

Vayda

First day in tomorrow. Don't know if I'm more nervous or excited. Will most likely be there for mature orientation, too

musegirl

I am in the same boat. I plan to join the Mature students society to meet others like me!!! See you all there

Blankets

I'm actually finding it harder to meet people than I had anticipated! I think joining the mature students society sounds like a great idea at this stage!

What course are you doing musegirl?

Vayda

Blankets wrote: »

I'm actually finding it harder to meet people than I had anticipated! I think joining the mature students society sounds like a great idea at this stage!

What course are you doing musegirl?

I'm the same with meeting people. I'm awkward and finding it a bit tough to get chatting Hoping that when classes/societies start, it will be a little better.

Blankets

I did meet and chat with some mature students but unfortunately they weren't on the same course as I am. If anyone is interested in chatting and exchanging PMs and or maybe even meeting up before societies start recruiting I'd be up for it. It's nice to get to know people in the same boat!

Morag

Blankets wrote: »

I did meet and chat with some mature students but unfortunately they weren't on the same course as I am. If anyone is interested in chatting and exchanging PMs and or maybe even meeting up before societies start recruiting I'd be up for it. It's nice to get to know people in the same boat!

I think there is only use 2 and maybe one more in Communications.

Blankets

You and I should meet up Morag. Have you managed to get chatting to anyone else on the course?

JohnDaniels

I wouldn't worry about the lack of getting to know anyone yet. Most mature student won't have even bothered with orientation week and it will be hard to get talking to anyone till the course starts. First day tomorrow for myself. Butterflies a plenty. Best of luck to everyone.

musegirl

Blankets wrote: »

I'm actually finding it harder to meet people than I had anticipated! I think joining the mature students society sounds like a great idea at this stage!

What course are you doing musegirl?

Sorry, been off this for a few days, Im doing science ed. Been chatting to a few ppl from my course but as I'm the only Mature student on my course and the rest of them all seem so dazed by it all and anxious to settle in, I decided to give them all a bit of space. I reckon it must be daunting enough leaving home and trying to meet new people without the only mature student in the class latching on to them from week one!!! haha. Social suicide. We have a lot of practicals with just the class so I figure I will get to know them all a bit better there, when they have made some friends their own age. Prob in week 2. Im lucky enough to have met a mature student from another science course who shares about half my lectures. In the mean time I am def going to check out the mature students society. Will see you all there

MistaMista

I've found that as a mature student the last three years that there isn't really much help for matures (bar one or two really nice lecturers). Other than that you're basically a student.

The maths learning center is great and well worth your while getting down there as early as possible as it fills up near exam time.

MistaMista

musegirl wrote: »

Sorry, been off this for a few days, Im doing science ed. Been chatting to a few ppl from my course but as I'm the only Mature student on my course and the rest of them all seem so dazed by it all and anxious to settle in, I decided to give them all a bit of space. I reckon it must be daunting enough leaving home and trying to meet new people without the only mature student in the class latching on to them from week one!!! haha. Social suicide. We have a lot of practicals with just the class so I figure I will get to know them all a bit better there, when they have made some friends their own age. Prob in week 2. Im lucky enough to have met a mature student from another science course who shares about half my lectures. In the mean time I am def going to check out the mature students society. Will see you all there

I was the same in first year. Don't worry, they'll eventually talk to you after about two years haha best of luck with the course. It's not easy being mature, so, be immature

Nordie Durdle

This was posted on the Mature Student FB page just now:

"CG02 at 12 noon tomorrow for the egm. For new guys that's the Henry grattan building (where registration is going on), let all your mature mates know as all are welcome"

Hope some of you can pop in? First time I'll have met you all too

JohnDaniels

Is that on tomorrow Nordie?

JohnDaniels

Doh! Just read the post properly and see that it is tomorrow.

Nordie Durdle

Yeah call in and say hello!

cw67irl

musegirl wrote: »

Sorry, been off this for a few days, Im doing science ed. Been chatting to a few ppl from my course but as I'm the only Mature student on my course and the rest of them all seem so dazed by it all and anxious to settle in, I decided to give them all a bit of space. I reckon it must be daunting enough leaving home and trying to meet new people without the only mature student in the class latching on to them from week one!!! haha. Social suicide. We have a lot of practicals with just the class so I figure I will get to know them all a bit better there, when they have made some friends their own age. Prob in week 2. Im lucky enough to have met a mature student from another science course who shares about half my lectures. In the mean time I am def going to check out the mature students society. Will see you all there

Nice to know there are a few mature students in science this year I was on my lonesome last year!!! Any questions ye have I might be able to help having gone through it myself recently !!!

JohnDaniels

I can't tomorrow as I'm not in till the afternoon and have stuff organised during the day but do want to get involved. I'll be joining the mature society at the club/socs stuff next week which I presume is the same thing?

JohnDaniels

I'm doing Engineering and a good few of the science students from other courses mixed in with me for Physics. You in that musegirl?

Nordie Durdle

JohnDaniels wrote: »

I can't tomorrow as I'm not in till the afternoon and have stuff organised during the day but do want to get involved. I'll be joining the mature society at the club/socs stuff next week which I presume is the same thing?

Yeah there are loads of booths downstairs in the Venue each one for a different club or society, have a wander round until you see the mature student stall.

We should be there most of the time from 10am - 3pm tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday. We aren't so generous but some of the other socs will likely be dishing out free pizza and the likes so worth a nosey for the freebies!

Oh and of course to sign up for the year ahead, I think its important to join as being a mature student can be quite isolating so its great to chat to people in the same boat.

Morag

The Mature Students soc stall is not down stairs but in the space which is to the left when you go into the SU building.

Nordie Durdle

It will be open from 12pm to 3pm tomorrow for more signups.

We are then having a meet and greet in the Nubar at 5pm, if you haven't gotten a chance to signup to the society that's fine please still come along and meet everyone, we can add you to the society later, looking forward to meeting all the new faces.

Morag

Mature Students lunch time meet up tomorrow in the interfaith centre from 1:30pm

JohnDaniels

Morag wrote: »

Mature Students lunch time meet up tomorrow in the interfaith centre from 1:30pm

Will ya keep updating this thread please. I haven't made it to one yet but hopefully will make the next one.

How is everyone getting on in general? Settling in myself now nicely. Kinda into the swing of things and some of the younger class mates have even made attempts to talk to me this week (:)). Enjoying the course. Hasn't been much of a bedding in period and they really expect you to hit the ground running but the weeks have flown by as a result. Hope everyone is getting on well so far.

Morag

According to the mature students facebook page, the lunch time meet ups will be on every week during term time.

Nordie Durdle

Yeah we are meeting every Wednesday 13:30-14:40 for a free lunch in the Inter Faith centre, it's great to get chatting to others on campus that are in the same boat. Join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DCUmaturestudents/ and you can sign up at the SU desk or more easily just come along to one of the lunches with €4 and that pays for the whole year.