Hi, 

My name is Patrick Maher and I am a second year, part-time mature student studying a Bachelor of Technology in Computing at DIT. 

As the USI Mature Students’ Officer, my main focus for this year is to review the work of my predecessor, and build on the progress she achieved on her campaigns. I am especially interested in the protection of the Back to Education Allowance and student grants. The grants & allowances schemes for Mature Students tend to presuppose that the student is working, but this is not always the case. 

I am also interested in looking at how local student unions, in general, can help and support mature students better. Most mature students are, like myself, part-time students and have very different needs to those who are studying full-time and coming directly from secondary school.  Most mature students have worked for several years and, if they are part-time, are most probably still holding down a full-time job. They also can feel cut off, as part-timers, from main college life. They have different needs and requirements to younger students, and are usually more interested in getting cheap parking for college or cheap child-care, than they are in various balls or events. 

So, what is a mature student? A student aged between 23 and beyond! 

In many cases a mature student has worked for most of their life. They may have decided to return to college due to unemployment, or they may simply want to take a different direction in life, to achieve an alternative career, or just to gain extra knowledge. Many mature students have been out of the education system for decades, so returning to higher education can be a shock to the system and a really scary time. Technology and ideals have changed since many of us were at school and this in itself is a challenge. 

We should not differentiate between mature students and their younger counterparts, but we do. Please remember that all students are in college for the same reasons: to learn and to achieve that all-important qualification. 

Some younger students may feel overwhelmed by the presence of a mature student in lectures, but if they take time to make the effort to communicate, both parties can learn a lot from each other. 

Finally, I am here to promote your issues as a mature student.  If you have any queries, suggestions or just want to chat you can contact me on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Ciao,

Pat :-)