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Returning to study as a mature student can bring about a lot of mixed emotions. You’re probably excited to learn new things and move forward in your career. At the same time, though, you might be wondering if you even remember how to study.
You’re not overthinking it either. That uncertainty is understandable. Your life today likely looks very different from the last time you were a student and fitting learning around work or family commitments can make the decision feel more complicated.
The good news is that you’re in good company! A recent Learning and Work Institute’s survey found that 42% of UK adults had taken part in some kind of learning over the past three years, and among those who had done so, 94% reported having experienced at least one benefit.
The truth is, returning to education doesn’t mean trying to become the student you used to be. It’s about finding an approach that works for the version of your life now – and the numbers suggest that when people do, it tends to pay off.
In this blog t, we’ll walk you through how to get started again.
People return to education later in life for all sorts of reasons. For some, studying is a way to move forward in a career they’ve already built. For others, it comes at a point when they’re ready to do something different.
You might decide to return to study because you’re:
Whatever brings people back to learning, this stage of study is often about finding a new rhythm that fits around your current responsibilities and commitments, rather than trying to recreate the way you studied before.
Even if you’re excited to return to studying, the first couple of weeks may feel unfamiliar. Study habits take time to rebuild, particularly if it’s been years since you last completed an assignment or worked through structured learning materials.
There are a couple of reasons that can make returning to education feel difficult, such as:
You may find that reading takes more concentration at first, particularly if your day job is mentally demanding or involves spending much of the day looking at a screen.
On the other hand, the experience you’ve gained since you last studied can help you connect new skills and ideas to situations you’ve met at work.
If your course includes written assignments, it can take you a little bit of time to relearn how to express your thoughts and findings in the required format. Use the guidance and learning resources available through your course when something isn’t clear.
You can also use AI as a study partner to check whether your explanation makes sense but remember that its responses can often be wrong and should never replace your own research or writing.
Previous experiences can influence how you feel about studying now, but your earlier experience doesn’t determine how you’ll perform now. You understand yourself better than you did then, and you’re likely to have a much clearer reason for learning.
If you’re wondering how to return to education as an adult, the following steps can help you make a manageable start.
As you go back to studying as a mature student, think about what you plan to achieve with your qualification. Think about a personal and specific reason like providing a more comfortable life for your kids, feeling more confident in your current role or applying for that promotion that always felt out of reach.
A clear reason gives your study a purpose. It also makes it easier to decide whether a course is genuinely right for you. You should also check that the qualification matches your current knowledge and experience, as starting at the right level gives you the chance to build a solid foundation.
Not every professional qualification will support the outcome you have in mind, so finding your “why” is all the more important.
One of the biggest mistakes mature students make is creating a study plan that works only in an ideal week. Initially, you might think that you’ll be able to study every evening or weekend, but the reality is that sometimes you’re going to be tired after work and some last-minute plans will inevitably pop in the weekend.
A realistic plan should reflect your real life. For example, look at when you tend to have the most energy or spare time... Is it at night? Is it early morning? Is it on Sunday mornings when everyone sleeps in? Is it during your lunch breaks?
The key is to leave some room for flexibility to prevent adding any unnecessary pressure, but not enough that you’ll lose motivation for studying.
Think about where you’ll study too. If possible, choose somewhere you can keep your materials organised and work without being interrupted every few minutes.
When getting back into studying as a mature student, it may be tempting to start with very long sessions to prove your commitment.
However, that can quickly backfire, especially if your concentration isn’t where you expect it to be. So, start with shorter sessions. Try to spend half an hour reading part of a module, then pause to reflect on what you’ve understood and note down what you didn’t. The same goes for video lessons.
As it gets easier to focus, you can make your sessions longer if you need to. The idea is that you truly understand the course materials - a shorter session where you absorb the topic is more useful than sitting for hours without taking anything in.
If you’ve read the same paragraph several times or replayed part of a video without taking it in, it’s probably time for a break.
Stepping away from your screen for 10 or 15 minutes can help you come back more focused, especially if you’ve already spent a lot of time online. Try to include regular breaks in your routine instead of waiting until you’re totally worn out.
You should also make space in your week to switch off properly, whatever this might mean to you. You can spend time with people you care about or simply do something you enjoy, like working on a hobby, reading a non-study related book or watching a nice TV show.
You don’t have to use every free moment for studying to make progress. Having some time away from your course can make your routine easier to stick to!
Even with a realistic routine, starting a new course can take some getting used to. You’ll need time to understand how the course is structured and how long different learning activities usually take.
It’s perfectly normal if your new routine takes a while to fall into place. Early on, you’ll be figuring out how long tasks take or when you focus best, and sometimes even how to use the learning platform.
In that sense, one of the best things you can do early on is being proactive and getting familiar with how everything works. Start by finding your study materials and seeing how the course is organised. Before your first assignment, check where its guidance is stored and make sure you know how to contact your tutor.
These might seem like small things but sorting them out early can help you avoid stress later. It’s much easier to work on an assignment when you already know how the platform works.
Being proactive also means asking for help when something isn’t clear! As a mature student who’s likely used to feeling confident and capable in other areas of your life, don’t be alarmed if you need some extra support throughout your learning journey.
If an assignment brief is unclear, speak to your tutor or academic support before you get started. If you get feedback you don’t understand, ask how to apply it to your next assignment.
Once you become more familiar with the course and the support available to you, studying should start to feel like a more natural part of your week. Go easy on yourself as you settle in!
Your tutor isn’t the only person who can support you while you study. Talking to other learners can be particularly useful when you’re returning to education as an adult, as they may be dealing with some of the same challenges.
Depending on your course, you may have access to an online forum where you can discuss topics with other learners. Professional bodies can also give you opportunities to connect with a wider community.
For example, CIPD has an online community and discussion forum where members can discuss professional qualifications and workplace topics with other HR and L&D professionals. AAT also runs discussion forums where students and members can ask questions and share knowledge.
It may also help to let the people around you know what studying will involve. You may need extra quiet time before an assessment. That could mean asking someone in your support network to help with childcare for an afternoon or agreeing some flexibility with your employer during a particularly busy part of the course.
Discussing this early can make it easier to protect your study time when you need it.
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. Choose a qualification that supports your goal, then find an approach that works for you.
Some weeks will go exactly to plan. Others won’t – and that’s fine! Adjust and keep moving. The main thing is to study at a pace that feels right for you and whenever it feels like a lot, remember why you started.
You’re not starting from scratch, you’re building on your existing experience, preparing for your next career move.
Upgrade your career with a flexible online qualification with DPG.