By Natalia James 

It was National Lifelong Learning Week recently, which celebrates and champions the experiences and benefits that older learners bring to their courses and workplaces. As a mature student myself, I have come to appreciate the many benefits of lifelong learning. 

University was something I had always imagined for myself, but as the years went by, I started to doubt the possibility of it becoming a reality. Age, motherhood, and a steady job made it seem like an impossible task. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I re-evaluated my life and took the long-anticipated leap of faith by applying to the University of Sussex. 

In 2021 I quit my job and enrolled full-time at Sussex, studying Sociology and Criminology. I have always been passionate about people and societal inequalities, so studying Sociology is highly motivating, and it's exciting to finally learn about something I have always been so interested in.    

Starting university as a mature student was daunting, but I have met many other mature students along the way. I enjoy sharing our unique experiences and making new friendships with people from many different backgrounds. I have found that our diverse life experiences and journeys back into education often enrich not only our own learning outcomes but add a range of perspectives in seminars for our younger peers as we learn from them at the same time.   

Asides from studying for my degree, the university has created many exciting opportunities for me. In the summer, I travelled to Ghana for a summer school programme with a group of Sussex students, where we studied at the University of Ghana and explored the country. I learnt so much, made lifelong memories and gained a new network of friends at Sussex. You can find out about summer schools here, or look at similar opportunities via CareerLab. 

I have also gained employment through the Connector programme, where I am learning new valuable skills alongside my academic career whilst adding to my own sense of belonging at Sussex. 

As part of this group of mature student connectors, we are running various activities for mature students at the university, and we have some activities coming up throughout November. Taking part in these activities is a great way to meet new people and create a sense of belonging to your university as a mature student. Find out more through this Canvas module.