Are you considering changing jobs but require a new skill or qualification? Would you like a new challenge or a sense of personal achievement? Have you considered higher education, but weren't sure how to make that first step into it? If so, then this is the ideal book for you. The Mature Student's Guide to Higher Education tells you everything you need to know if you are thinking about returning to education as a mature student. It discusses a wide range of issues including what higher education involves, how you should prepare for it and how to balance your time and cheque book once you get there. This book will explain practical issues, as well as addressing your doubts and fears about higher education as a life choice. The book: Helps you understand the different routes into higher education Explains the mysteries behind admissions procedures Encourages you to develop a new range of skills, building on the skills you already have Gives you guidance on how to manage change, time and family commitments Helps you overcome barriers like a lack of motivation or confidence Expertly guides you through the systems of fees, showing the loans and financial help that are available The Mature Student's Guide to Higher Education provides the most accessible and up-to-date help on how to make an informed decision about when, where and how to start a suitable higher education course as a mature student - and the career path that might follow.

This guide provides information based on the authors' own experiences as mature students, and their involvement with a national research project into the guidance needs of this group. It covers topics such as: choosing higher education, preparing for higher education, choosing a course, applications and interviews, finance, life in higher education and benefits of higher education.

Mature aged students face many challenges as they try to balance study commitments with the demands of work and family. This book acknowledges the very personal journeys that mature aged take when they embark on university study.

′It is an engaging text, which could be of value to a wide audience. I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to my own mature students who were interested in understanding their learning more fully, or indeed to my colleagues teaching mature students′ - ESCalate This is an inspirational and highly practical book for students returning to study. Liz Hoult provides an easy-to-read and reassuring guide to learning. Why is it that some people are able to do what seems so enormously difficult and possibly illogical and to succeed so spectacularly? What is it that these learners are able to do that others find so difficult? Learning Support: A Guide for Mature Students explores how adults learn and the ways in which different abilities and experiences can be used to learn more effectively. The book is written from a teacher′s viewpoint and is based on the author′s experiences during a long career of working with adult students. Key features of this text include: - nine chapters each dealing with a different aspect of learning - models and concepts of learning developed and adapted from a range of sources from the disciplines of education and psychology - notes at the end of each chapter including inspiration and suggestions for taking your understanding of the issues further - suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter - individual self-assessment exercises to help you gain a detailed understanding of your own particular strengths and weaknesses as well as your own motivation for starting and staying the course Learning Support: A Guide for Mature Students distils the talents, skills and perceptions that lead to success and to make them available to the general adult learning population at all levels - for people taking in evening classes at municipal adult education centres, returning to further education or embarking on higher education for the first time. This book is for you if you want to find out how to get the best out of studying, learn the secrets of successful learners and find out how to succeed.

Starting a new programme of learning can be a daunting undertaking, especially if there has been any length of time since your last period of education. Skills such as revising and note taking may not have been used since full time education in childhood. Decisions will have to be made with the countless subject choices, institutions and course structures. The mature student often also has to consider other complications such as work and family commitments, as well as managing other difficulties like finances and time management. This guide covers all these topics and more as it guides the reader through the very first choices of study, preparing for exams, completing their course and beyond.

"This book is invaluable for the first time, or even the long term, distance learner. Areas covered include motivation for studying, the learning process, note taking, tips on e-learning, in fact everything up to, and including, preparing for exams. Excellent for dipping into when you hit an obstacle to your studies. Highly recommended." ***** Review of the second edition from Amazon.co.uk This essential guide provides practical help and support for those who have not previously studied at a distance and is ideal for students returning to study after a break. It covers fundamental issues such as motivation, goal setting, time management and coping strategies. Additional coverage in the third edition includes:Specific information on the use of new technologies in distance learningDetailed coverage of referencing, citation and plagiarismDescription of using mind maps and other techniques for planning and writing essays or reportsSupport for disabled students, particularly those with dyslexiaAn expanded further resources sectionHallmark features of this book are the comments and advice offered by distance learning students and tutors. It also includes a comprehensive exploration of developments in e-learning as well as self-study activities that highlight the element of active learning that is crucial to successful studying at a distance. Studying at a Distance is a key resource for undergraduates and postgraduates in all open and distance learning or e-learning courses.