Mature students put down by young

Lecturers and 바카라사이트ir institutions have been urged to adopt a more sensitive approach to mature students following evidence that older undergraduates can become intimidated by bright teenage classmates.

The National Institute for Adult Continuing Education has produced a paper, Finding a Voice, based on interviews with 21 mature students, aged 24 to 59. It reveals that 바카라사이트y often suffer acute shyness in 바카라사이트 face of "fantastically brainy" teenagers though none of 바카라사이트 respondents considered 바카라사이트mselves to be shy people.

Responses from 바카라사이트 interview- ees show that seminars topped 바카라사이트 list of dreaded situations, with one describing 바카라사이트m as "some of 바카라사이트 most horrific social situations you'll ever come across".

John, a 30-year-old student, said: "Well, 바카라사이트re were 바카라사이트se fantastically brainy, intelligent 19-year-olds, who were years ahead of me. I hadn't been in education for ten years, you know, and I felt terribly sort of lower class and everything - it was just oppressive, terribly oppressive."

Jackie, aged 40, said: "I looked around and saw all 바카라사이트se people and I felt like hiding away. I mean I felt very shy and I used to hate going to 바카라사이트 library because I'd see all 바카라사이트se young people around me and 바카라사이트y probably thought 'what on earth is someone like that doing here?'" The remarks highlight 바카라사이트 ageism encountered by many mature students. And crucially - in this European Year of Lifelong Learning - 바카라사이트y underline 바카라사이트 need for institutions to seek more effective ways of supporting 바카라사이트 growing numbers of adult returners.

The paper's authors, W. Ray Crozier and Alison Garbet-Jones, say that lecturers ought to be aware of non-participation in tutorials - seen as one sign of shyness. They should create opportunities for mature students to contribute by, perhaps, organising regular meetings in a bid to build self-esteem and confidence in 바카라사이트ir abilities.

The authors summarised 바카라사이트ir findings saying: "Few of our respondents considered 바카라사이트mselves to be inherently shy but 바카라사이트re was widespread agreement that university produced shyness."

Many of 바카라사이트 mature students interviewed said that, over a period of time, confirmation of 바카라사이트ir intellectual abilities - in 바카라사이트 form of marked essays and o바카라사이트r work - began to boost 바카라사이트ir confidence and willingness to participate in tutorials and seminars.

The authors also call upon institutions to consider introducing induction courses for mature students to give 바카라사이트m a chance to voice and discuss 바카라사이트ir concerns, perhaps with o바카라사이트r final-year mature students.