Over the Academic Hill?

Hi, I'm Jen.  I'm forty-something, work full time, and I'm a student.  A mature student.

There are a lot of us out there.  There's usually one of us in every class - the older man or woman sitting near the front, scribbling notes industriously and always first to contribute in class discussions, but not hanging round to socialise afterwards (we have to race back to work or kids, and anyway, we always feel a bit out of place among the oh so young 18 year olds).  Whether we've returned to university to gain skills for a new career, or just to pursue an interest in retirement, we're determined to get the most out of our second chance.  But we also sometimes feel like outsiders, barely tolerated by the other students (we make them look bad by working so hard) and by the system (full-time students straight out of high school are so much easier for the computer to cope with). 

So that's kind of why I decided to start this blog.  A place for me to express the frustrations and joys of returning to study, and perhaps help others starting down the same track.  And I dream (for what blogger doesn't dream of a huge readership?) of building a community, a place where mature students can share and discuss our experiences and know that we're not alone.